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5 Feb 2008 : Column 1087W—continued
Preventive Technology Grants
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of his Department’s Preventative Technology Grant (a) was spent on telecare in 2006-07 and (b) he estimates will be spent on telecare in 2007-08; whether he plans to extend the Preventative Technology Grant into the 2008-09 financial year; and if he will make a statement. [183558]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The funding provided by the Preventative Technology Grant was not ring-fenced. However, analysis by the Commission for Social Care Inspection of the overall spend on telecare by the 150 social care authorities indicates that in 2006-07 £48 million was spent on telecare; and that £84 million is projected to be spent in 2007-08. These figures cover all funding sources not only the Preventative Technology Grant.
The Preventative Technology Grant covers the years 2006-08. Local authorities are permitted to carry-over any unspent funding into 2008-09 subject to any local requirements.
Primary Care Trusts: Pay
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many chief executives of primary care trusts (PCT) received recruitment and retention premia of 30 per cent. of salary in (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2005-06; what definition he uses of additional duties of a PCT chief executive; how many PCT chief executives received additional duties payment in (i) 2007-08 and (ii) 2005-06; and whether chief executives of PCTs were paid bonuses other than recruitment and retention payments or additional duties payments in (A) 2007-08 and (B) 2005-06. [184934]
Ann Keen: Information on the pay of chief executives in primary care trusts (PCTs) would normally be collected after the conclusion of the reporting year. We, therefore, do not yet have information for 2007-08.
In 2005-06 chief executives in PCTs were on local contracts prior to the introduction of national pay arrangements in July 2006, and therefore we do not have information on their pay centrally.
Additional duties for PCT chief executives are defined as
“significant responsibilities outside their core role”.
Scientific Advisory Group on Pandemic Influenza
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 27 November 2007, Official Report, columns 426-7W, on the Scientific Advisory Group on Pandemic Influenza, for what reasons the Scientific Advisory Group did not meet in 2007; and on which dates its sub-groups met during that year. [184439]
Dawn Primarolo: The Scientific Advisory Group on Pandemic Influenza (SAG) undertook its business by correspondence in 2007. In August last year, the Secretary of State (Alan Johnson) took the decision to reconstitute the SAG as an independent cross-government advisory committee. An induction meeting for the new SAG is planned on 4 March 2008 and the first meeting on 4 April 2008.
The Scientific Advisory Sub-group on Modelling met four times during 2007 on the following dates:
15 January 2007;
29 March 2007;
6 June 2007; and
19 October 2007
Skin Cancer
Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what issues the SunSmart campaign will be spending resources in the summer of 2008. [183409]
Dawn Primarolo: The SunSmart programme for 2008 is currently under discussion with key stakeholders including the UK Skin Cancer Working Party, on which the Department is represented. The programme will be confirmed in due course.
Smoking
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received asking for the Easyway to Stop Smoking programme to be assessed by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence; and if he will make a statement. [183152]
Dawn Primarolo: The Department has received a number of representations on Allen Carr’s Easyway, including requests for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to undertake an appraisal of its clinical and cost effectiveness.
It is not within the remit of NICE to initiate or carry out clinical trials. NICE gives advice to the national health service on best clinical practice, including the clinical and cost effectiveness of drugs and the
treatments based on published research. It would be for the Allen Carr Easyway organisation to make arrangements for clinical trials of their products to be undertaken.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the relationship between smoking and macular degeneration; and if he will make a statement; [184074]
Dawn Primarolo: The Department has commissioned and evaluated no recent research on the relationship between smoking and macular degeneration.
Tattooing: Standards
Mrs. Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of (a) accident and emergency admissions and (b) GP appointments arising from poorly performed or unhygenic tattooing and body piercing in each of the last three years. [178636]
Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not collected centrally. The Department has funded the Health Protection Agency (HPA) to investigate the prevalence of cosmetic body piercing in the general population in England age 16 years and over, the proportion of piercings developing complications and the proportion of piercings where professional help was sought after the piercing. The HPA is seeking to publish the results of the research in a peer-reviewed journal this year.
Tobacco
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps his Department plans to take to prevent those under the age of 18 years purchasing cigarettes from vending machines; [178651]
(2) if he will strengthen the regulations on the sale of cigarettes from vending machines to under 18-year-olds. [183749]
Dawn Primarolo: There remains concern that too many children and young people under the age of 18 years purchase cigarettes from vending machines. The “Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England in 2006” survey found that 17 per cent., of 11 to 15-year-olds who are regular smokers buy cigarettes from vending machines.
On 3 December 2007, the Department published the “Cancer Reform Strategy” which included a commitment to consult on proposals for the next steps in tobacco control and the further regulation of tobacco products, including access to tobacco from vending machines. This consultation will take place during spring 2008.
Tuberculosis: Screening
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what use is made by the NHS of the polymerase chain reaction test for testing for specific strains of tuberculosis in patients. [183958]
Dawn Primarolo: The Mycobacterium Reference Unit (MRU) in the Health Protection Agency (HPA) has offered a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based diagnostic service to the national health service since 1999.
PCR is a method that detects small amounts and parts of the organism’s genetic material. It can be used for the following purposes:
To detect Mycobacteria (the organisms that cause tuberculosis);
To distinguish between “Mycobacterium tuberculosis”, which causes most cases of tuberculosis and other species of Mycobacteria;
To identify strains of “Mycobacterium tuberculosis” that are resistant to the drugs that are usually used to treat tuberculosis; and
To look at strains of “Mycobacterium tuberculosis” from a group of people who have tuberculosis to see if they have the same strain. For example, this test can be used to indicate if the organism has spread between people in this group or if they have contracted tuberculosis from other people and have an unrelated strain.
Vaccination
Mr. Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which approved (a) vaccines and (b) immunisations contain thiomersal; which are recommended for administration to children under the age of 18 years; and which are recommended to be taken before travelling abroad. [183889]
Dawn Primarolo: The vaccines used in the United Kingdom routine childhood immunisation programme do not contain thiomersal.
Thiomersal is used as a preservative in very small amounts in one influenza vaccine used in the UK. Thiomersal is also used in the production process for some hepatitis B vaccines and therefore residues may be present in the final product.
The National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNac) is funded by the Department to promote clinical standards in travel medicine. Information on travel vaccinations recommended when travelling abroad is available from their website at www.nathnac.org/
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans his Department has to assess the extent to which the guidance of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is implemented on (a) tuberculosis, (b) influenza, (c) human papilloma virus and (d) respiratory syncytial virus; [183908]
(2) what discussions Ministers have had with the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation on the implementation of the guidance it provides. [183909]
Dawn Primarolo: The role of Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is to advise United Kingdom Health Departments on matters relating to vaccine preventable communicable diseases. Departmental guidance based on JCVI advice is issued to the national health service through various information channels such as the Chief Medical Officer Letters, Chief Executives Bulletin, the guide Immunisation against infectious disease, websites and a range of NHS immunisation leaflets.
Vaccine uptake data are routinely collected for most national immunisation programmes, such as BCG and influenza, and will be collected when human papilloma virus vaccines are introduced. Data are not collected on the use of palivizumab in the NHS. The administration of palivizumab is carried out in a hospital setting, based on individual clinical need at that time and unlike vaccination programmes has no fixed denominator against which uptake can be monitored.
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what support is available to primary care trusts in implementing action pursuant to guidance from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation; [183910]
(2) what guidance exists for primary care trusts and strategic health authorities on the effective implementation of guidance from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. [183911]
Dawn Primarolo: Guidance on the implementation of an immunisation programme is made available to the national health service and others through various information channels such as the Chief Medical Officer Letters, Chief Executives Bulletin, the guide Immunisation against infectious disease, websites and a range of NHS immunisation leaflets.
Funding for the implementation of immunisations is contained within the overall primary care trusts (PCTs) budget. Additional support is usually provided to PCTs to implement new vaccination programmes. A national conference for PCTs was held in October on the human papilloma virus vaccination programme. A second conference is planned, and a range of supporting resources is being made available on the www.immunisation.nhs.uk website as they are developed.
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vaccines are being researched or developed in the UK. [183917]
Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available.
International Development
Developing Countries: Energy
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government have taken to assist developing countries to modernise their energy sectors in the last five years. [184823]
Mr. Thomas: At the Gleneagles summit in 2005, the UK secured G8 agreement that the World Bank should lead on establishing a new Clean Energy Investment Framework (CEIF) to support global action to tackle climate change. The framework will increase public and private sector investments in three areas, one of which is access to modern energy services in developing countries. The UK has committed £15 million to the CEIF so far.
Separately, the UK has established an £800 million international window of the UK Environment Trust
Fund (ETF-IW) to reduce poverty through action on climate change. We are exploring how best to use this money to stimulate a step change in international financing for climate change. An important element will be to support developing countries adopt low carbon development paths, including the modernisation of their energy sectors.
DFID supports other international efforts to improve the provision of affordable energy in developing countries, such as the Global Village Energy Partnership (GVEP), the EU Energy Initiative (EUEI) and the Energy Sector Management Assistance programme (ESMAP). DFID has committed £4 million (2007-11) to GVEP, £3.8 million (2005-08) to ESMAP and £600,000 to the EUEI since 2004.
Middle East: Overseas Aid
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the end-use of UK aid to the Palestinian Authority in respect of books and educational materials used in schools; and if he will make a statement. [184569]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: The UK does not fund Palestinian Authority education textbooks, nor do we provide funding to the Ministry of Education. The UK supports public services through the Temporary International Mechanism (TIM) but the TIM does not contribute to the production of educational materials.
The new Palestinian curriculum, introduced in the past few years, does not include textbooks that promote violence or hatred. This has been confirmed by the EC, reputable international academics and by the Israel-Palestine Center for Research and Information (IPCRI), commissioned at the request of the United States.
Sierra Leone
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government have taken to assist Sierra Leone in developing its economy in the last five years. [184824]
Gillian Merron: In the immediate post-conflict period, UK Government’s strategy in Sierra Leone focused on establishing peace and security, ensuring macroeconomic stability and re-building state institutions. The aim was to create the overall framework of stability and rule of law that was necessary for economic development to take hold. This strategy was complemented by specific economic programmes to support investment by removing many of the administrative barriers and improving governance in the mining sector. DFID has spent approximately £164 million over the last five years.
Currently the DFID Sierra Leone office is managing a £10 million portfolio of multi-year interventions to stimulate growth in the private sector, as well as a recently agreed £20 million programme to support the energy sector, and a £16 million programme to modernise tax administration, reducing costs of compliance for businesses.
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