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7 May 2008 : Column 1000W—continued
Security Guards: Licensing
Mr. Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what role her Department has in determining the fees charged by the Security Industry Authority (SIA) for licences; what plans she has to meet SIA representatives to discuss licence fees; and what assessment she has made of the effects of SIA licence fees on the security industry. [203578]
Mr. Coaker: The Secretary of State, by using section 8(7) of the Private Security Industry Act 2001, sets the fee to be paid on application for an SIA licence. The fee is set by means of a statutory instrument made by negative resolution procedure. The current fee of £245 has been in place since 6 April 2007 and was set under the Private Security Industry Act 2001 (Licences) Regulations 2007 (SI 2007/810).
The SIA is required to be self-funding. The fee is not set to make a profit. Home Office officials are regularly in touch with the SIA to discuss a range of financial matters including the licence fee.
Consideration of the impact of SIA licence fees on the security industry was contained in a regulatory impact assessment published in January 2007 in connection with an increase in the fee from £190 to £245 (Updated Regulatory Impact Assessment to Reflect New Licence Application Fee and Charges published in January 2007 and updated in March 2007 http://www.the-sia.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/8179D6CO-8B48-47CA-937D-DFB6A5COFF01/0/sia_licence_fee_ria.pdf).
Wildlife: Crime
Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will instigate a joint review by the police and prosecution inspectorates into wildlife crime in England. [202680]
Mr. Coaker: The work of the Inspectorates, both singly and jointly, is increasingly subject to risk assessment to ensure that it's targeted on those issues that are of greatest concern to the public and to local communities. In recent years this has included such issues as tackling serious and organised crime and addressing counter terrorism.
Wildlife crime is not one of the subjects for joint inspection agreed for 2008-09. The topics for inspection were subjected to comprehensive consultation and then prioritised through risk assessment. The issue of wildlife crime did not feature from any of the consultees and was not part of the long list for 2008-09 or the final list that has been decided.
For the Home Secretary to instigate inspection activity associated with wildlife crime it would have to be clear which aspects meet the threshold and how inspection would add value or improve performance in this issue.
The Home Office has recently announced that it will contribute £150,000 per year for three years to the National Wildlife Crime Unit. Government officials will be working closely with the Association of Chief Police Officers and the NWCU to monitor the outcomes achieved through this funding.
Health
Allergies
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will review the adequacy of the training undertaken by (a) medical students and (b) GPs in the diagnosis and treatment of allergies. [203190]
Ann Keen: The Department is not responsible for setting curricula for health professional training. Each University determines their own curriculum in the light of recommendations from employers and the regulatory bodies. However, we do share a commitment with statutory and professional bodies that all health professionals are trained, so that they have the skills and knowledge to deliver a high quality health service to all groups of the population with whom they deal, whatever their condition.
Breast Cancer
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds on the relative prevalence of breast cancer among (a) black and (b) white women; and if he will make a statement. [201960]
Ann Keen: The Department does not hold information on the relative prevalence of breast cancer among black women and white women. We are, however, working on models of assessing prevalence and we are developing techniques that will allow us to assess prevalence broken down by ethnic minority grouping.
Cancer
Christopher Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of the summary of the 2004 to 2007 national cancer peer review process. [201947]
Ann Keen: A copy of the Handbook for the National Cancer Peer Review Process has been placed in the Library.
Cancer: Screening
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effects of expansion in cancer screening programmes on demand for the services of pathology laboratories; and what steps he is taking to monitor the capacity of Government laboratories to support such screening. [202736]
Ann Keen: The extensions to the national health service cancer screening programmes outlined in the “Cancer Reform Strategy” are national requirements within the “Operating Framework. For the NHS in England 2008-09” as set out in “Operational Plans 2008-09 to 2010-11 (Implementing the 2008-09 Operating Framework, National planning Guidance and ‘vital signs’.)”, published on 31 January 2008. Primary care trust (PCT) operational plans will need to reflect the requirements, including the demand for the services of pathology laboratories. It is for strategic health authorities working in partnership with their PCTs, local screening services and stakeholders to provide appropriate cancer screening services for their local populations, including appropriate pathology services.
The Independent Review of NHS Pathology Services in England, chaired by Lord Carter of Coles, was set up in 2005, and published an interim report in 2006. The review is expected to make recommendations which build on those in its interim report, for example on the configuration of pathology services, workforce modernisation and information technology connectivity, to achieve greater efficiency and enable pathology services to meet increasing demand.
Cancer: Urinary System
Christopher Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 26 February 2008, Official Report, column 1454W, on cancer: urinary system, whether the Kent Cancer Network has agreed an Improving Outcomes Guidance implementation plan with the NHS Cancer Action Team; and if he will make a statement. [201625]
Ann Keen:
Kent Cancer Network has submitted a urological cancer improving outcomes guidance (IOG) implementation plan to the National Health Service
Cancer Action Team (CAT). The plan is not yet fully compliant with the IOG and discussions between the CAT and Kent Cancer Network are ongoing.
Carbon Monoxide: Poisoning
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many finished episodes of care relating to carbon monoxide poisoning were provided by the NHS in the latest year for which figures are available. [202891]
Dawn Primarolo: The Information Centre for health and social care holds data on the number of finished consultant episodes (FCEs) to hospital in which the patient had a primary or secondary diagnosis of “T58 Toxic effect of carbon monoxide”.
There were 626 FCEs in 2006-07.
Cardiovascular System: Screening
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms he plans to use to deliver free vascular checks to 40 to 74 year olds. [201484]
Ann Keen: On 1 April 2008, the Department published “Putting Prevention First”, copies of this publication are available in the Library. This outlined the initial analysis which has confirmed that a programme to reach everybody between the ages of 40 and 74, to check their vascular risk and provide them with an individual assessment, would be both clinically and cost effective.
The next step is to develop an implementation and delivery programme with key stakeholders. Stakeholders will play a crucial role in helping to formulate proposals for the vascular check programme. We expect that general practice will have an important role in delivery but other organisations, such as pharmacies, are also likely to be involved.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effects on services for children and young people with myalgic encephalopathy of the closure of specialist units in (a) Leeds, (b) the Lister hospital, Stevenage and (c) St. Thomas's hospital, London; and if he will make a statement. [201831]
Ann Keen: We have made no assessment of the impact on services for children and young people by the closure of these specialist units. Local health bodies have a duty to commission health and social care services to meet the needs of their local population, including those living with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis.
Dr. Gibson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to (a) ensure implementation of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's guidelines on the treatment of myalgic encephalopathy (ME) published in August 2007, (b) reduce the time taken to diagnose ME, (c) increase the allocation of funds for research into ME and the delivery of effective care and treatment, (d) reduce
inconsistencies in levels of ME care across primary care trusts and (e) assess the availability of services to (i) children and (ii) adults with ME. [201832]
Ann Keen: Health professionals are expected to use their clinical judgement taking into account best practice and existing clinical guidelines, including those produced by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), to provide the most appropriate treatment for the individual living with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME).
Diagnosis for CFS/ME can be prolonged as there is no specific test for this condition and other diseases with similar symptoms must be ruled out before a diagnosis can be made. The NICE guidance provides a list of medical tests that should be used to rule out other conditions.
The Medical Research Council is responsible for allocating funding for medical research, and does not ring-fence funding for specific conditions. Funding for individual research proposals is based on an assessment of the quality of each proposal by an independent panel. Local health bodies are responsible for commissioning health and social care services to meet the needs of their local population living with CFS/ME.
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps his Department is taking to ensure primary care trusts meet the recommendations of the new guidelines on myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome produced in August 2007 by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence; [202244]
(2) what steps his Department is taking to reduce the time taken to diagnose myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. [202245]
Ann Keen: Health professionals are expected to use their clinical judgment taking into account best practice and existing clinical guidelines, including those produced by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), to provide the most appropriate treatment for the individual living with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME).
Diagnosis for CFS/ME can be prolonged as there is no specific test for this condition and other diseases with similar symptoms must be ruled out before a diagnosis can be made. The NICE guidance provides a list of medical tests that should be used to rule out other conditions.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when he expects to publish the National Service Framework for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; and if he will make a statement; [203817]
(2) whether he plans to include diagnostic testing for chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder in the proposed NHS Health MOTs; and if he will make a statement; [203818]
(3) what his estimate is of the financial assistance needed for primary care trusts in England to meet the requirements of the proposed National Service Framework for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; and if he will make a statement; [203819]
(4) what guidance he plans to give to primary care trusts on incorporating an awareness campaign for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in local pharmacy contracts; and if he will make a statement. [203820]
Ann Keen: The Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) External Reference Group is finalising its advice to Ministers on the proposed markers of good practice from prevention through to end of life care. This advice will then be considered by Ministers and options developed for implementation. This will include options for diagnostic testing, considering how best we can utilise services provided by pharmacies to improve the care of people with COPD and estimates of the financial assistance needed to implement the recommendations. We plan to publish our conclusions by the end of 2008.
Colorectal Cancer: Screening
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to address the regional variations in the promotion of screening for bowel cancer. [202737]
Ann Keen: It is for strategic health authorities working in partnership with their primary care trusts, local screening services and stakeholders to provide appropriate cancer screening services for their local populations, including the promotion of local screening services.
Dental Services
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of units of dental activity in England carried forward to 2008-09 from 2007-08. [202925]
Ann Keen: This information is not available. For dental activity reporting purposes the year 2007-08 has not yet ended. Dental providers have until the end of May to submit all their activity reports for activity delivered during 2007-08.
Dental Services: Children
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of schoolchildren in England between the ages of six and nine who have received treatment as part of a screening programme since his Department's guidance on dental screening (inspection) was issued in January 2007; what the effect on expenditure on salaried primary dental care resources or equivalent was in England as a result of implementing this guidance; and if he will make a statement. [202827]
Ann Keen:
One of the reasons why the National Screening Committee advised that dental screening in schools should be discontinued was that a large randomised
controlled trial demonstrated that school dental screening was ineffective in reducing levels of untreated dental disease and increasing attendance at dental practitioners. Information is not held centrally from which we could make an estimate of the number of children which continue to be screened, but we understand that most primary care trusts have ceased to undertake screening. We did not make this change in policy to cut costs. Our guidance recommends that the resources freed up be used to reduce inequalities in oral health by, for example, boosting the capacity of salaried dental services to reduce waiting times for special needs groups or for those children and adults who are unable to receive treatment through general dental services.
Dental Services: Contracts
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the number of dental contracts allocating units of dental activity (UDAs) awarded in England since their introduction; and how many contract holders did not reach their targets for UDAs in 2007-08. [202826]
Ann Keen: Information on the number of contracts awarded is not available in the requested format and could only be made available in this format at disproportionate cost. Information is available on the number of whole and part year contracts initially agreed in April 2006 at the start of the new dental system and on the number of contracts which ran for the whole year period of 2006-07. This information is set out in the following table.
| Contracts | Numbers |
| (1) Source Department of Health (2) Source NHS Business Services Authority Dental Services Division. | |
Information on the number of contracts that delivered less than the activity contracted for in 2007-08 is not available. For dental activity reporting purposes the year 2007-08 has not yet ended, Dental providers have until the end of May to submit all their activity reports for activity delivered during 2007-08.
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