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10 Dec 2007 : Column 292W—continued

Video Games: Research

Mr. Hunt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2007, Official Report, column 926W, on video games: research, for what reasons the information on HM Revenue and Customs research and development units for the computer games industry is not available; and what breakdown by industry sector and recipient can be provided of the allocation of £150 million by HMRC. [172605]

Angela Eagle: Information on claims for R&D tax credits for the computer games industry is not available because the data is broken down by industry sector using the UK Standard Industrial Classification of Economic Activities (SIC), and the computer games industry is not identified as a separate sector in this classification.

No industry breakdown is available of the figure of £150 million, which relates only to the payable credit element of the R&D tax credit scheme. However, a breakdown is available for the National Statistics published on the total claims made for R&D tax credits and total support claimed. This shows that companies in the computer and related services sector accounted for over a fifth of the total 6,300 claims made for R&D tax credits in 2004-05, and a tenth of the £580 million of support in these 6,300 claims. Whilst many companies involved in the computer games industry may appear in this industry sector, some may have other classifications.

Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments

Mr. Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax credit claimants who ceased to be entitled to tax credit by reason of working less than 16 hours a week have been informed that overpayments will be remitted; and what the value was of the remittances made to such tax credit claimants. [165090]

Jane Kennedy [holding answer 19 November 2007]: An amount of £186 million was remitted in the 2006-07 accounts in respect of this issue. The relevant notes to the 2006-07 Trust Statement can be found on page 100 of the HMRC Accounts published at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/hmrc-06-07-acc.pdf.


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Young People: Scotland

David Mundell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many young people were not in education, employment or training in Scotland in (a) 1997 and (b) the latest date for which figures are available, broken down by Westminster constituency. [172414]

Angela Eagle: This is a devolved matter for the Scottish Executive.

Health

Accident and Emergency Departments

Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the 10 most frequent causes of repeat visits to accident and emergency wards were in the latest period for which figures are available; and what estimate has been made of the avoidable costs which accrued from such visits. [170538]

Mr. Bradshaw: Information on reasons for attendance at accident and emergency (A and E) departments is not routinely collected and therefore information is not available on causes of visits or repeat visits to A and E.

It is a matter for the local national health service to ensure that they provide urgent and emergency care services that are responsive to people’s needs.

Air Ambulance Services

Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many air ambulances were operating in the UK in the latest period for which figures are available; what estimate he has made of their operating cost in that period; and how much of the cost was paid by the public purse; [170591]

(2) what the average annual staff cost was of an air ambulance in the latest period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the average annual (a) insurance and (b) running costs of an air ambulance. [170974]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Department is not responsible for air ambulances, and does not routinely collect air ambulance data centrally. However, the Department has previously commissioned research into helicopter emergency ambulance services. The research undertaken estimated that there were 16 air ambulances operating across 14 organisations in England and Wales and that an the average annual operating costs of an individual air ambulance were around £0.8 million a year (based on data from 11 of the 14 organisations, ranging from 2000 to 2001-02). In addition, representatives from ambulance trusts and air ambulance charities are currently working together to seek to improve joint working practices and procedures and undertook a survey of air ambulance charities in August/September 2007 to which 14 air ambulance organisations responded. Those responses indicated that there were 24 helicopters and that the average expenditure per helicopter per annum was £0.8 million. Neither piece of work provided information on insurance costs.


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Since 1 April 2002, the Department has made clear that it would normally expect the national health service to meet the cost of clinical staff on air ambulances, but the levels of such funding are not collected centrally. It is for NHS ambulance trusts to decide whether they provide any additional funding to the air ambulance charities.

Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were airlifted by air ambulances in the last 12 months for which figures were available. [170593]

Mr. Bradshaw: The information is not collected centrally.

Ambulance Services: Shropshire

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ensure that there is an appropriate number of West Midlands Ambulance Trust's ambulances in Shropshire to respond to emergency calls during the day and at night. [171486]

Mr. Bradshaw: It is for the West Midlands Ambulance Service to ensure appropriate provision of resources to meet local demand.

Ambulance Services: Standards

Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average response time was for (a) air ambulances and (b) road ambulances in areas in which air ambulances operated in the latest period for which figures are available. [170592]

Mr. Bradshaw: The information requested is not collected centrally. The ambulance response time data that is collected covers ground ambulances in England only. It does not include average response times, but does include data on performance, by each ambulance trust, against current national targets. The data is published annually. The latest statistical bulletin, “Ambulance Services, England, 2006-07” was published in June 2007, a copy is available in the Library.

Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average time taken to respond to an emergency telephone call by the ambulance service was in Suffolk in each of the last five years. [171619]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Department does not collect information on the average response times to emergency calls by national health service ambulance trusts.

The data that the Department does collect on ambulance response times is published on an annual basis in the statistical bulletin, Ambulance services, England. These documents are available in the Library and on the Information Centre for Health and Social Care website at:


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Ambulances: Hygiene

Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what reports he has received on the cleanliness of ambulances; and whether he plans to take steps to improve cleaning of ambulances. [169727]

Mr. Bradshaw: No reports have been received by the Department on the cleanliness of ambulances recently.

Ambulance trusts are covered by the code of practice on the prevention and control of healthcare associated infections.

The Ambulance Service Association has issued guidance to ambulance trusts onmaintaining high standards of hygiene to prevent the spread of infection.

The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) have also produced guidance on ambulance design recommending easy-to-clean surfaces and materials to ensure rapid decontamination.

In addition, the NPSA cleanyourhands campaign is now being extended to ambulances. In September 2007, two trusts in England (South East Coast and West Midlands) have started to pilot the campaign.

Assura Group

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the involvement of Assura Group with primary care trusts. [169117]

Mr. Bradshaw: This is not a matter for the Department. It is for primary care trusts to manage the performance and effectiveness of those providers delivering services on their behalf.

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the role of Assura Group is in the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [169118]

Mr. Bradshaw: It is for primary care trusts to commission services that reflect the needs of the local population and to determine who to contract with to deliver these services. The Department does not collect information about contracts which are agreed locally between primary care trusts and providers.

Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust: Finance

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the financial position of Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust. [170852]

Mr. Bradshaw: At the end of quarter two of 2007-08, Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust is forecasting a financial year-end deficit of £34.6 million.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he expects Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust to break even by the end of financial year 2007-08. [170854]


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Mr. Bradshaw: At the end of quarter two of 2007-08, Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust is forecasting a financial year-end deficit of £34.6 million.

Blood: Donors

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much blood was donated via the National Blood Donor Scheme in each year that the scheme has been running. [172932]

Dawn Primarolo: It is not possible to provide data on how much blood has been donated since blood collection first began.

The National Blood Service (NBS) is responsible for managing the blood supply in England and north Wales. Since it was established, the NBS has collected the following amounts.

Units of blood collected( 1 ) (million units)

1992-93

2,208

1993-94

2,210

1994-95

2,255

1995-96

2,330

1996-97

2,356

1997-98

2,389

1998-99

2,397

1999-2000

2,427

2000-01

2,356

2001-02

2,376

2002-03

2,323

2003-04

2,285

2004-05

2,143

2005-06

2,012

2006-07

1,969

Note:
These figures are rounded to the nearest 10,000.

Care Homes: Complaints

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the procedure is for investigating complaints about standards of care and abuse and neglect in care homes; and what the procedure was before 2006. [172825]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: All care homes are subject to the Care Homes Regulations 2001, which include a requirement that the provider has an effective complaints procedure. All residents have access to this. Normally, the expectation is that in the first instance the complaint should be raised with the provider. In addition, people whose care needs have been assessed by local authorities, or whose care is commissioned or funded by local authorities, have access to the statutory local authority social services complaints procedure. If the local authority response does not satisfy the complainant, they are entitled to refer the matter to the local government ombudsman.

People can also raise concerns with the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI). CSCI welcomes representations about the standard of care in care homes and reports of suspected abuse, and will respond to these as appropriate. CSCI's role in doing
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so is that of a regulator, where issues are raised that impact upon the safety of services and compliance by the provider with the regulations. However, CSCI does not have a role in resolving complaints for individuals.

In addition, anyone receiving national health service health care, irrespective of their circumstances, is able to make a complaint under the NHS complaints procedure, for example, care home residents registered with a general practitioner.

The procedures for complaints relating to care homes have not altered since the current regulatory regime for care homes was introduced in 2002.

Care Homes: Inspections

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to ensure that standards of nursing care in nursing homes in England are inspected by registered nurses. [172826]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) is responsible for all aspects of regulation and inspection of care homes in England, including those providing nursing care. CSCI employs inspectors with a range of professional skills for dealing with a mixed caseload, including approximately 300 inspectors who are registered nurses. Where possible, CSCI will assign inspectors with a nursing background to inspect nursing homes.

CSCI expects non-nurse inspectors to discuss any clinical issues arising at inspection with nursing colleagues in their team. As part of this process, CSCI has good practice guidance, known as “clinical triggers”, for inspectors in respect of several areas such as nutrition, continence management and medication. These triggers alert inspectors as to when it would be appropriate to instruct the service provider to contact local health services to arrange specialist nursing assessment for a resident or, to seek advice from a clinical colleague within CSCI to ascertain whether enforcement action may be necessary.

CSCI has a source of specialist nursing advice in its Head of Health Policy and Quality. CSCI also has a head pharmacist; where there are concerns around medication, a pharmacist inspector will inspect the service. All inspectors receive training in all methodologies and tools.

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements are in place for the inspection of (a) nursing homes and (b) hospital wards for elderly patients. [172926]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) is responsible, under the Care Standards Act 2000 and associated Regulations, for all aspects of regulation and inspection of care homes providing nursing care.


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