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22 July 2008 : Column 1076W—continued
Alcoholic Drinks: Labelling
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to issue a consultation on the need for legislation regarding alcohol labelling, as referred to in paragraph 2.36 of his Department's Cancer Reform Strategy. [221151]
Dawn Primarolo: Today, the Department has published a public consultation seeking views on when and if the Government should take action to require health and unit information, including information on alcohol and pregnancy, to be included on all alcohol bottles and cans, should the voluntary agreement with the alcohol industry not be delivered by the end of 2008.
The consultation also asks for views on the need for a new alcohol retailing code and whether such a code should be mandatory. The findings of the KPMG review of the effectiveness of the alcohol industry's existing social responsibility standards are published today.
The consultation paper asks what more can be done by the NHS and others to ensure that help is available for those suffering from ill health due to alcohol misuse. Data on alcohol-related hospital admissions, giving better recognition to the breadth of health harm caused by alcohol misuse and their impact on the NHS, are published alongside the consultation.
A summary of the first phase of the independent review of the effects of alcohol price and promotion is published alongside the consultation, along with a Department's paper updating the estimate of the cost of alcohol misuse to the NHS. The consultation paper and the summary of the first phase of the independent review have been placed in the Library.
Ministers will consider the consultation responses in the autumn and will consider further action in light of the second phase findings of the independent review of the relationship between alcohol price, promotion and harm.
Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many alcohol-related hospital admissions were recorded in North East Essex Primary Care Trust in each of the last 10 years. [212336]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The information requested can be found in the following table.
North East Essex Primary Care Trust (PCT) came into being on 1 October 2006, therefore, figures have also been provided for the predecessor organisations, Tendring PCT and Colchester PCT.
| Total admissions to hospital in which the patient had a primary or secondary diagnosis specifically related to alcohol at the start of his or her stay, for North East Essex PCT and its predecessor organisations, Tendring PCT and Colchester PCT in earlier years | ||
| Total | ||
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government plan to take to encourage young people to drink less alcohol. [220083]
Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
The Government published the “Youth Alcohol Action Plan” on 2 June 2008. This document sets out a series of steps to address the problems associated with young people's alcohol consumption. These include:
Working with the police and the courts to reduce unsupervised drinking by young people in public places, including implementing new legislation to make it an offence for under-18s to persistently possess alcohol in public places;
Providing better information for parents on how alcohol consumption can affect young people to help them set boundaries with their children. The chief medical officer will work with experts, parents and young people to develop a set of guidelines on young people and alcohol;
Ensuring that industry plays its part, in marketing and promoting alcohol in a more responsible way to improve the standards that currently govern these issues, making them mandatory if that proves to be necessary; and
Supporting young people to make sensible decisions through a comprehensive communications campaign about the risks of alcohol, aimed particularly at the 11 to 15 year old age group.
We have consulted widely on our proposals with parents, young people and other stakeholders. Later in
the year we will hold a public consultation on guidelines for both parents and young people on safe and sensible drinking.
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the number of children living with a parent with diagnosed alcohol problems in Leeds in each year since 1987. [220782]
Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not collected centrally.
Breast Cancer
Mrs. Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to raise the awareness of young women about breast cancer. [219988]
Ann Keen: The Department encourages all women to be breast aware. Women should know what is normal for them, be aware of any changes which may occur and discuss any changes with their doctor.
We will be taking forward work to improving awareness of the signs and symptoms of all cancers, a key objective of the Cancer Reform Strategy, through the National Awareness and Early Diagnosis Initiative. As part of this work we will be developing and renewing standard key messages for cancers and we will be working to support local interventions to increase cancer symptom awareness and encourage early presentation.
In additional, we are currently working to implement a phased extension to the age range of the NHS Breast Screening Programme to include women aged between 47 and 73 years.
Cancer: Females
Mrs. Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provision his Department has to support young women with cancer. [219989]
Ann Keen: Improving support for all cancer patients living with and beyond cancer, irrespective of their age or gender, is a key aim of the Cancer Reform Strategy, published in December 2007.
The strategy sets out a number of initiatives to improve patient support services for those living with and beyond cancer including:
ensuring patients receive high quality personalised information throughout their cancer journey on issues such as cancer treatment, local and national support services, and financial benefits;
working with cancer professionals in the NHS to improve their communication skills when dealing with patients;
the establishment of a new national cancer survivorship initiative; and
monitoring progress on improving patient experience through annual surveys.
Care Homes: Grants
Dr. Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) pursuant to the answer of 13 March 2008, Official Report, column 550W, how many units of accommodation have been provided from the extra care housing grant in (a) apartment complexes and (b) villages; [215508]
(2) how many units have been provided from the extra care housing grant for (a) people over 60 years old, (b) people with learning disabilities and (c) people with other disabilities. [215509]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Of the units of accommodation being funded by the Department's extra care housing grant, around 850 units are expected to be located in a village type setting and around 3,350 units are expected to be located in apartment type complexes.
Personal data relating to residents of extra care housing schemes that have received funding through the extra care housing grant are not collected centrally.
Care Homes: Standards
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to publish the consultation on proposed changes to the standards for care homes for older people. [218681]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The review of the national minimum standards for care homes has been integrated with the wider reform of health and adult social care regulation.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) will take over from the Commission for Social Care Inspection, the Healthcare Commission, and the Mental Health Act Commission on 1 April 2009. From April 2010 the CQC will move to a common system of registration for all providers of regulated health and adult social care.
The Department recently consulted on what the essential requirements of safety and quality of care should be that providers have to meet in order to maintain their registration. The responses are currently being analysed and the Government’s response will be published in due course.
Children: Diseases
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what change there has been in the incidence of (a) diphtheria, (b) tetanus, (c) pertussis, (d) haemophilus influenzae type b, (e) polio, (f) meningitis C, (g) measles, (h) mumps, (i) rubella and (j) acellular pertussis amongst children in London in (i) 2007 and (ii) 2008 to date. [221440]
Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is in the following table.
| Laboratory confirmed cases in children (<15 years) in London | ||
| 2007 | 2008 | |
| (1) Pertussis cases laboratory confirmed by culture, PCR or serology. Note: The data in this table for 2007and 2008 are still subject to final confirmation. Source: Health Protection Agency. | ||
Children: Vaccination
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library minutes of the most recent meeting of the National Child Health Immunisation Board. [221543]
Dawn Primarolo: The minutes of the National Child Health Immunisation Board of 12 May will be placed in the Library after they have been agreed at the next meeting in September.
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