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7 Mar 2008 : Column 2852W—continued
Ministerial Policy Advisers
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Prime Minister how many special advisers he employs; and how much each of them is paid. [191973]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to my written statement on 22 November 2007, Official Report, columns 147-150WS.
Health
Abortion
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) reports and (b) studies on post-abortion syndrome have been considered by his Department since January 2006; and if he will make a statement. [190792]
Dawn Primarolo: The Department considered all of the information on the issue of the mental health risks of induced abortion which was submitted to the recent House of Commons Science and Technology Committee inquiry on the scientific developments relating to the Abortion Act 1967.
We have commissioned the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to review all evidence relating to induced abortion, to update its 2004 clinical guideline on “The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion”.
Accident and Emergency Departments: Admissions
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of patients attending accident and emergency (A&E) departments were subsequently admitted to hospital via A&E in each quarter since January 2003. [192421]
Mr. Bradshaw: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave to the hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead (Mike Penning) on 28 February 2008, Official Report, column 1878W.
Blood: Donors
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what legal advice his Department has received on the compatibility of the ban on gay men giving blood with anti-discrimination legislation; and if he will make a statement. [190213]
Dawn Primarolo: In April 2007, the Government introduced the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007 (Statutory Instruments No. 1263). During the drafting of these regulations, consideration was given to the matter of blood donation from gay men. This led to specific provision being made in the regulations.
The aim of donor selection criteria is to protect the health of the population and current arrangements have proved to be an essential element in reducing transfusion-transmitted infections.
Cannabis: Rehabilitation
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what support is available to people who are trying to stop using cannabis. [191617]
Dawn Primarolo: In each local authority area, a commissioner with responsibility for specialist substance misuse will specify and commission a range of drug treatment services based on a needs assessment. Within any local drug treatment system, we would expect appropriate specialist treatment provision for people whose primary problem is cannabis, as well as for those people whose primary problem is with another drug who also experience problems with cannabis use.
The latest evidence-based approaches to treating problematic cannabis use in both adults and young people are outlined in the recently updated clinical guidelines, “Clinical Guidelines on drug misuse and dependence (2007)”, and within the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) clinical guidelines on psychosocial interventions in drug misuse(1). There is an expectation that treatment provided will be in line with these guidelines.
Information for young people and their families/carers is also available through Frank, the Government’s drugs information campaign launched in May 2003. Frank provides a 24-hour a day helpline staffed by a team of trained advisers who can provide information and advice on any issue relating to drugs, including cannabis, as well as making referrals to local agencies when a caller requires face-to-face help and support. Frank also provides a website, talktofrank.com, which is a comprehensive source of information and advice on drugs.
(1) NICE clinical guideline 51—drug misuse: psychosocial interventions.
Chlamydia: Screening
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2007, Official Report, column 1377W, on Chlamydia: screening, what steps have been taken to work with the strategic health authorities which are not reaching the 15 per cent. screening target. [190862]
Dawn Primarolo: The National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP) is managed by the Health Protection Agency. The NCSP Team and regional facilitators are working with all programme areas to support them in reaching the target. The Department is working through performance management routes to increase screening volumes and the National Support Team for sexual health is supporting the areas finding it most challenging to meet their targets.
Clear
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what payments his Department and its agencies have made to communications consultancy, Clear; and for what purpose. [Official Report, 2 June 2008, Vol. 476, c. 7MC.] [191086]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Department paid invoices to Clear totalling £4,230.00 between May and June 2004. Records do not show the purpose of these invoices.
Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of his Department’s civil servants were (a) suspended and (b) dismissed for accessing (i) obscene and (ii) other prohibited material on work computers in each of the last five years. [188784]
Mr. Bradshaw: No civil servants have been dismissed or suspended for accessing obscene or other prohibited material in the two years since January 2006. Before that date, information is not available without recourse to individual personnel records and would entail disproportionate costs to collect.
To ensure acceptable use of information technology (IT) all permanent and temporary members of staff have to actively agree a reminder on the subject every time they log on to the Department’s IT network. Frequent communications on IT security and acceptable use of IT are distributed to system users, notably on the departmental intranet.
Departmental Standards
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2008, Official Report, column 1690W, on departmental standards, which financial control total each East of England trust listed in the document placed in the Library did not meet in 2006-07; and by how much the control total was not met by each trust. [188378]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The following table shows the 14 trusts (primary care trusts (PCTs) and national health service trusts) that failed to meet their financial plan target as agreed between the strategic health authority and themselves and by how much.
| Name of PCT/NHS trust | Difference between planned and audited outturn (£ million) |
Diseases
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases there were of (a) mumps, (b) rickets, (c) whooping cough, (d) scarlet fever, (e) cholera, (f) diphtheria, (g) leprosy, (h) botulism, (i) gout, (j) impetigo, (k) scurvy, (l) listeria, (m) tuberculosis, (n) polio, (o) typhus and (p) typhoid in England in each of the last five years, broken down by strategic health authority. [187203]
Dawn Primarolo: Information on rickets, gout, impetigo and scurvy is not held centrally.
Such information as is available has been placed in the Library.
Food: Salt
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what responsibility his Department has for Government policy on the effects of salt intake on health. [190216]
Dawn Primarolo: The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) recommended that a reduction in the average population salt intake would proportionally lower population average blood pressure levels and confer significant public health benefits by contributing to a decrease in the burden of cardiovascular disease. The Department prioritised salt reduction in its White Paper “Choosing Health—Making healthy choices easier”, in which it committed to having discussions with industry to increase opportunities for people to make healthy choices in what they eat.
The Department and the Food Standards Agency have been working in partnership to deliver the SACN recommendation and reduce the average population salt intakes to six grams, as set out in the Department’s “Food and Health Action Plan” and the agency’s “Strategic Plan” up to 2010.
Reducing the rising burden of lifestyle diseases is also one of the high-level priorities that the Department will have a particular focus on for 2008-09, with the Department having a leading role working with partners across the public and private sectors, nationally and regionally.
Health Services: Admissions
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many attendances at (a) walk-in centres, (b) minor injuries units and (c) type 1 accident and emergency departments there were in each quarter since January 2003. [192420]
Mr. Bradshaw: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave to the hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead (Mike Penning) on 28 February 2008, Official Report, columns 1876-78W.
Health Services: Overseas Visitors
Mrs. Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the policies of EU Member States in respect of reimbursement of patient expenditure on (a) biological treatments and (b) abatacept; and if he will make a statement. [189627]
Dawn Primarolo: The Department has made no such assessment.
Health: Climate Change
Mr. Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research the Government has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effects of climate change on public health in the last 10 years. [189983]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Coventry, South (Mr. Cunningham) on 26 February 2008, Official Report, column 1460W.
Hepatitis
James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new diagnoses of hepatitis C there were in each of the last 10 years. [191384]
Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is available in the Health Protection Agency's annual report, “Hepatitis C in England, the Health Protection Agency Annual Report 2007”, copies of which have been placed in the Library.
HIV Infection
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what expenditure the NHS incurred on average on the treatment and care of a patient with HIV in each of the first five years from diagnosis. [187862]
Dawn Primarolo: Costs of treating people with HIV vary depending on the severity of symptoms and level of immune suppression. Estimated annual costs of HIV treatment, including the costs of combination antiretroviral therapies range between £12,000-£19,000 per person. Total national health service expenditure on HIV treatment in 2006-07 was £497 million. This was the first year these data have been collected since HIV treatment and care budgets were placed into the NHS baselines in 2002-03.
Human Embryo Experiments
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) letters and (b) postcards he has received since July from (i) members of the public, (ii) hon. Members and (iii) members of the House of Lords about (A) the creation of human/animal hybrids and (B) the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill; how many and what percentage (1) supported and (2) opposed each; and if he will make a statement. [190790]
Dawn Primarolo: The Department has received two relevant postcard campaigns since July 2007. We have received 6,093 postcards on a campaign organised by the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, which we started receiving in September 2007, part of which expresses opposition to any Bill that could lead to admixed embryos. We have also received 1,461 postcards issued by the All Party Parliamentary Pro-Life Group, which we started receiving in February 2008, asking hon. Members to vote against the creation of admixed embryos.
In addition to these campaigns, the Department has received a large volume of correspondence on issues surrounding embryos research, however due to the way in which correspondence is recorded the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
In Vitro Fertilisation
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many human embryos were (a) lost, (b) damaged and (c) destroyed due to accidents at fertility clinics in each year since 2000; what steps he has (i) taken and (ii) plans to take to prevent such accidents; what guidance on the matter he has (A) issued and (B) plans to issue in the next 12 months to fertility clinics; and if he will make a statement. [190791]
Dawn Primarolo: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has informed the Department that it does not require clinics to submit the information requested as part of its routine data collection. However, incidents involving loss, damage or accidental destruction of embryos should be notified to the HFEA in accordance with the requirement to report adverse incidents that occur in licensed establishments.
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