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28 Feb 2008 : Column 1878Wcontinued
Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward proposals to introduce a standard labelling regime for alcoholic products, with particular reference to (a) alcohol content in units and (b) guidelines for daily alcohol consumption. [190201]
Dawn Primarolo: The Government announced in May 2007 that that they had reached a ground-breaking agreement with the alcohol industry, meaning that, by the end of 2008, most alcoholic drinks labels should include alcohol unit information and the daily sensible drinking guidelines. This agreement is United Kingdom-wide.
In addition, the Government also announced revised wording on the advice on sensible drinking information on labels for pregnant women or those women who are trying to conceive. Although this is not formally part of the voluntary agreement that has been reached with the industry, it is being strongly encouraged to implement the pregnancy advice.
Safe. Sensible. Social. - the next steps in the National Alcohol Strategy, published in June 2007, includes a commitment by the Government to consult by the end of 2008 on possible legislative options should insufficient progress by the industry have been made then.
Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had on the introduction of a statutory code of practice on the marketing of alcohol. [190200]
Dawn Primarolo: The regulation of alcohol advertising in the United Kingdom is currently a mix of statutory regulation and co-regulation. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is responsible for enforcing the current rules.
Ofcom and the ASA jointly published Young People and Alcohol Advertising in November 2007, a research report on the impact of alcohol advertising on young people following the tightening of the advertising codes in October 2005.
Broadly the research showed that the revised rules on alcohol advertising have ensured that fewer young people feel that television advertisements are aimed at them.
In January 2008, the Department commissioned an independent national review, by the School of Health and Related Research at the University of Sheffield, of the evidence on how and in what circumstances price, advertising and other forms of promotion drive overall consumption of alcohol and alcohol-related harm. This will report in summer 2008.
Depending upon the findings of this review, the Government have made it clear that they are prepared to consider strengthened controls, including, if necessary, legislation.
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 9 January 2008, Official Report, column 575W, on alcoholic drinks: misuse, (1) if he will break down the information provided by the sex of those admitted; [186989]
(2) how many children aged (a) under eight, (b) eight to 12, (c) 13 to 16 and (d) 17 to 18 years were admitted to accident and emergency departments in each strategic health authority area in England as a result of drinking alcohol in the last (i) 12 months and (ii) five years, broken down by sex. [186992]
Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available in the format requested.
Such information as is available for the 10 new strategic health authorities formed on 1 July 2006 has been placed in the Library.
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many admissions to hospital with an alcohol-related diagnosis via accident and emergency departments there were in (a) the former Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Strategic Health Authority area, (b) the East of England Strategic Health Authority area, (c) the West Suffolk Hospital NHS Trust area and (d) the Suffolk Primary Care Trust area in each year since 1997; [Official Report, 19 May 2008, Vol. 476, c. 2MC.] [187614]
(2) how many admissions to hospital with an alcohol-related diagnosis via accident and emergency departments involving children under the age of 18 years there were in (a) the former Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Strategic Health Authority area, (b) the East of England Strategic Health Authority area, (c) the West Suffolk Hospital NHS Trust area and (d) the Suffolk Primary Care Trust area in each year since 1997. [187617]
Dawn Primarolo: The following table shows finished in-year admission episodes where the patient was admitted via accident and emergency departments with an alcohol-related primary or secondary diagnosis. This is broken down by age and by the patients primary care trust (PCT) and strategic health authority (SHA) of residence and West Suffolk Hospital NHS Trust. The latest available data are for 2006-07.
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to collect centrally information on the numbers of ambulances operating in each (a) constituency and (b) region. [189600]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Department has no current plans to collect centrally information on the numbers of ambulances operating in each constituency and region. Each ambulance service should plan to provide appropriate resources to meet local demand.
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the response times of the Yorkshire Ambulance Service were in the East Riding of Yorkshire for each of the last two years, broken down by postcode. [189456]
Mr. Bradshaw: The information requested is not collected centrally. The information of percentage of response within targets set is collected but is available only at Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust level. This information is available in the Library and at:
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