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7 Mar 2008 : Column 2857W—continued
The HFEA uses the adverse incident reporting system to help clinics learn from mistakes and to
develop control measures to reduce the risk of incidents reoccurring. Information about risk control measures is issued to clinics in the form of HFEA alerts and patient safety notices. Past alerts have included guidance on transportation of embryos and associated risks and risks involving power supply and critical equipment. The HFEA’s Code of Practice also makes clear that where adverse incidents occur, clinics are expected to review relevant procedures to minimise the risk of any reoccurrence of the incident and inform the HFEA of the revised procedures.
The HFEA has advised the Department that it intends to continue the development of its systems for improving risk management in clinics and dissemination of critical information in response to individual incidents.
Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many births were the result of IVF or donor insemination between 2002 and 2007. [191285]
Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is shown in the following table.
| Total number of babies born in the UK as a result of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and donor insemination treatments 2002-05( 1) | ||
| IVF( 2) | Donor insemination( 3) | |
| Notes: 1. 2005 are the most recent year for which information is currently available. 2. Data include all IVF treatment cycles including use of donated eggs, frozen embryo transfers and treatment cycles involving the use of micromanipulation techniques. 3. Data include treatment cycles involving artificial insemination and Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer. Source: Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), A long term analysis of the HFEA register data 1991-2006, revised February 2008. | ||
Influenza: Vaccination
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pensioners aged 65 and over received free influenza inoculations in (a) Bexley and (b) London in each year since they became available. [191000]
Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is shown in the following table.
Meat Hygiene Service: Inspections
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) abattoirs and (b) meat processing plants are subject to inspection by the Meat Hygiene Service. [191202]
Dawn Primarolo: As at 28 February 2008, there were 393 abattoirs subject to audit and inspection by the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) and 752 cutting plants subject to audit by the MHS.
Meat Hygiene Service: Manpower
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) veterinarians and (b) technicians worked for the Meat Hygiene Service in each of the last three years. [191203]
Dawn Primarolo: In each of the last three years, the Meat Hygiene Service had an annual average full-time equivalent of staff as follows:
| Number of staff (full-time equivalent) | |
Medicine: China
Mrs. Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of (a) the potential health effects of Chinese medicine techniques and (b) the effectiveness of the regulations governing the use of Chinese medicine techniques; and if he will make a statement. [186275]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Government consider that decision making on individual clinical interventions, whether conventional, or complementary/alternative treatments, are a matter for local national health service service providers and practitioners. In making such decisions, they have to take into account evidence for the safety, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the treatment, the availability of suitably qualified practitioners, and the needs of the individual patient. Clinical responsibility rests with the NHS professional who makes the decision to refer and who must therefore be able to justify any treatment they recommend. If they are unconvinced about the suitability of a particular treatment, they cannot be made to refer.
A working group, chaired by Professor Mike Pittilo of Robert Gordon University, has completed its work looking at proposals for regulation of herbal medicine, traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture which were made in a report of the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology in 2000. Their report will be submitted to Ministers shortly, and a decision will then be taken about whether, and if so, how soon, legislation should be brought forward.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Minister of State will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire, dated 23 January, about the painkiller drug Vioxx. [191157]
Dawn Primarolo: A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 26 February 2008.
NHS: Questionnaires
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 18 February 2008, Official Report, column 310W, to the hon. Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale (Tim Farron), on NHS: questionnaires, what the cost to the public purse was of each questionnaire on which his Department has worked with Ipsos MORI in financial year 2007-08. [190139]
Mr. Bradshaw: In 2007-08, the overall cost, to date, of the surveys conducted by Ipsos MORI on behalf of the Department, is £10,432,843.
West Suffolk Hospital: Clostridium
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients at (a) West Suffolk Hospital, (b) Addenbrookes Hospital and (c) Ipswich Hospital died from Clostridium difficile in each of the last five years. [191591]
Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 7 March 2008:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many patients at (a) West Suffolk Hospital, (b) Addenbrookes Hospital and (c) Ipswich Hospital died from Clostridium difficile in each of the last five years. (191591)
Special analyses of deaths involving Clostridium difficile in England and Wales are undertaken annually by ONS. The latest year for which figures are available is 2006. Information on the numbers of deaths between 1999 and 2006 involving Clostridium difficile was published in Health Statistics Quarterly in February 2008.(1) This publication is available in the House of Commons library.
ONS has not yet released any figures on deaths involving Clostridium difficile for individual hospitals. The possibility of producing figures for hospitals in the future is currently being investigated.
(1) Office for National Statistics (2006) Report: Deaths involving Clostridium difficile: England and Wales, 1999-2006. “Health Statistics Quarterly” 37, 52-56.
Children, Schools and Families
Building Schools for the Future Programme: Disadvantaged
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he is taking to encourage local authorities to use the Building Schools for the Future programme to benefit deprived communities and rebuild schools that are most in need. [192482]
Jim Knight: To ensure that Building Schools for the Future reaches the schools that are in most need, prioritisation was based on the greatest educational and social need of geographically coherent groupings of schools proposed by local authorities, GCSE results and eligibility for free school meals were used as proxies for these needs. Once in the programme, authorities must demonstrate through their Strategy for Change submissions that they are addressing the educational and physical |priorities in their estates.
Regional Development Agencies: Finance
Mr. Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether he has allocated any resources to be spent via the regional development agencies’ single pot in 2007-08. [179812]
Bill Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DfUS) has allocated £44.5 million to be spent via the regional development agencies single pot in 2007-08.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he expects to answer question 173128, on user survey research, tabled on 6 December 2007 by the hon. Member for Falmouth and Camborne. [190897]
Beverley Hughes: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 5 March 2008, Official Report, columns 2649-50W.
Work and Pensions
Child Support: Administration
Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether employees at the Child Support Agency were given an indication of the timescale under which older cases would be put onto the new child support system. [188521]
Mr. Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 7 March 2008:
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether employees at the Child Support Agency were given indication of the timescale in which older cases would be put onto the new child support system. [188521]
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