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16 Jan 2008 : Column 1371W—continued
Royal Free Hospital: Paediatrics
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the outcome of the reorganisation of children's services at the Royal Free Hospital. [178166]
Mr. Bradshaw: The provision of children's services at the Royal Free Hospital is a matter for the local national health service.
However, we have been informed that the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust is conducting patient surveys to see how children and families view the new service.
Royal Free Hospital: Patient Choice Schemes
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on the choose and book system at (a) the Royal Free and (b) Barnet and Chase Farm hospitals; and if he will make a statement. [177998]
Mr. Bradshaw: Royal Free Hampstead hospital NHS trust is currently live with the choose and book (CAB) system, and offers patients direct booking. Barnet and Chase Farm hospitals NHS trust is also live with the CAB system, and currently offers indirect booking, with direct booking scheduled to commence in spring 2008.
Utilisation of CAB for both providers is shown in the following table.
| Percentage | ||
| December | ||
| 2006 | 2007 | |
Smoking: Barnet
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people who stopped smoking in Barnet in each of the last three years. [177981]
Mr. Bradshaw: The following table shows the estimate of the number of people to stop smoking in Barnet in the last three financial years.
| Number that successfully quit smoking at the four-week follow up | |
| Sources: Statistics on NHS Stop Smoking Services in England, April 2004 to March 2005 Statistics on NHS Stop Smoking Services in England, April 2005 to March 2006 Statistics on NHS Stop Smoking Services in England, April 2006 to March 2007 | |
The numbers are based on those who self-report as having successfully quit smoking at a four-week follow up. This indicates someone that has not smoked at all in the two weeks after their initial quit date.
Smoking: Public Places
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact of the prohibition of smoking in public places on health since its introduction; and if he will make a statement. [179669]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 18 December 2007, Official Report, column 1365W to my hon. Friend the Member for Livingston (Mr. Devine).
Tuberculosis: Vaccination
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has conducted on the likely effect changing the BCG vaccination programme to a selective scheme will have on rates of tuberculosis infection in children. [177978]
Dawn Primarolo: The change in BCG vaccination policy was taken following advice from the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). JCVI has considered the scientific and medical evidence, and a statement of its position on BCG vaccination is available at:
Written Questions
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to answer written questions (a) 172430, tabled on 4 December 2007, (b) 169534, tabled on 26 November 2007 and (c) 169605, tabled on 26 November 2007; what the reason for the delay is in each case; and if he will make a statement. [177737]
Dawn Primarolo: Answers were given on 9 January. We endeavour to answer all parliamentary questions as soon as possible and are taking a number of steps to improve our performance.
Duchy of Lancaster
Departmental Sustainable Development
John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) whether his Department is on course to meet the commitments in the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate targets (a) to source at least 10 per cent. of its electricity from renewables by 31 March 2008 and (b) to increase recycling to 40 per cent. of its waste by 2010; [175568]
(2) whether his Department met the target in the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate to reverse the then upward trend in carbon dioxide emissions by April 2007; [175569]
(3) whether his Department is working towards an accredited certified environmental management system (such as ISO 14001 or EMAS) (a) for its whole estate and (b) in some of its buildings. [175570]
Phil Hope: The Cabinet Office is on track to exceed the commitment in the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate (SOGE) targets to source at least 10 per cent. of its electricity from renewables by 31 March 2008. The Department is also on target to meet the commitment to recycle 40 per cent. of its waste by 2010.
The Cabinet Office has implemented an environmental management system (EMS) accredited to ISO 14001 environmental standards. The EMS covers the whole of the Department’s core central London estate including Downing street.
Due, primarily, to a large increase in the size of the Department since the baseline year, the Cabinet Office did not meet the target to reverse the current upward trend in carbon emissions by April 2007.
The Cabinet Office is committed to meeting the SOGE: climate change and energy targets. As part of this, the Cabinet Office has signed up to the Carbon Trust’s Carbon Management programme to improve our energy management practices, identify likely areas for potential energy savings, reduce energy consumption, associated carbon emissions and costs.
Public Participation: Incentives
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 5 December 2007, Official Report, column 1344W, on public participation: incentives, what payment was made to each participant excluding the cost of accommodation and travel. [174879]
Edward Miliband: Each participant received £75 in addition to the cost of accommodation and travel.
Smith Institute
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when the Charity Commission will complete its investigation into the Smith Institute; and when it will publish the report. [178553]
Phil Hope: This is a matter for the Charity Commission as the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales. The Commission has told me that it cannot, at this stage, provide a precise timeline for the completion of its inquiry, but that it is currently expected to conclude in the next few months. The Commission will, as is its normal practice, publish a report of its findings after the inquiry is completed, setting out any wider lessons for the charity sector.
Work and Pensions
Children Daycare
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been spent on each means of communication under the national communications campaign to communicate the benefits of formal childcare in each month since its launch. [177974]
Beverley Hughes: I have been asked to reply.
Since the launch of the DCSF national communications campaign to communicate the benefits of formal childcare to low income parents in
March 2007, the following has been spent on each means of communication by month:
| 2007 | ||||||||||
| £ | ||||||||||
| March | April | May | June | July | Aug ust | Sept ember | Oct ober | Nov ember | Dec ember | |
|
Face to face in supermarkets and shopping centres in low income areas | ||||||||||
This spend includes costs for several campaign strands, all of which communicate the benefits of formal childcare: the affordable childcare campaign which used direct mail, leaflet distribution, advertising and face to face; the London Childcare Affordability Programme campaign, which used direct mail and leaflet distribution; the targeted campaign to Pakistani and Bangladeshi parents, which launched in December with radio advertising; and PR activity to promote early learning and childcare.
Children: Maintenance
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the amount of extra maintenance which might be paid by compliant non-resident parents under the provisions of the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill. [164284]
Mr. Plaskitt: Table 19.5 of the September 2007 Child Support Agency Quarterly Summary of Statistics shows that in the year to April 2007, the CSA collected or arranged through Maintenance Direct £890 million of child maintenance, including the collection of arrears.
In the year to April 2016 the value of child maintenance collected or arranged through the statutory maintenance service is expected to be around £1.3 billion. The reforms are also expected to create an additional 200,000 voluntary arrangements, with an estimated value of maintenance flowing of £250 million.
These figures are based on the current best available evidence base. They are however subject to behavioural uncertainties and depend on the choices that parents make, as well as the decisions that would be made by the Commission and should therefore be treated as indicative only.
Departmental Illegal Immigrants
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many illegal immigrants have been discovered working for his Department and its agencies in the last year for which figures are available. [170483]
Mrs. McGuire: There are no cases of which we are aware of illegal immigrants who have been discovered working for the Department for Work and Pensions in the last year.
Departmental Manpower
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) men and (b) women of each civil service grade are employed by his Department. [172733]
Mrs. McGuire: The number of people employed in the Department appear in civil service statistics collected and published by the Office for National Statistics. The most recent publication is for the year to 30 September 2006. Table H of the publication presents permanent employees by Department, responsibility level, ethnic origin and gender.
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