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The Health and Social Care Bill will, subject to parliamentary consent, merge the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection, the CSCI and the Mental Health Act Commission into the Care Quality Commission. The Bill will also replace the ‘duty of quality’ by a duty on primary care trusts to seek continuous improvement.

Health Education

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding will be provided to support the Reduce Your Risk campaign in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11, as referred to on page 35 of his Department's document High Quality Care for All, Cm. 7432; through what media he plans the Reduce Your Risk campaign to be communicated; and if he will make a statement. [219366]

Ann Keen: We have made provision in the overall Department's financial plans of £150 million in 2009-10 and £400 million in 2010-11 to cover all of the new policy commitments in the NHS Next Stage Review. We are confident all the commitments are affordable within this overall total, though precise funding for individual initiatives is still subject to further detailed planning work on implementation including whether they are taken forward nationally or by the national health service locally. Decisions on the media through which this campaign is to be communicated will depend on research and analysis by marketing experts.

Health Services

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) with reference to page 10 of the NHS Next Stage Review Final Report, how much additional funding his Department plans to allocate to support the introduction of integrated fit for work services (a) in 2008-09 and (b) in 2009-10; and how many additional staff he estimates will be required for these services to be fully implemented; [219377]

(2) what central funding his Department plans to provide in support of Fit for Work services, as referred to on page 38 of High Quality Care for All, Cm 7432, whether he plans to pilot fit for work services; whether fit for work services will be designed on a (a) national and (b) local basis; and if he will make a statement. [221018]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: A cross-Government group is now looking at different models for piloting a new ‘fit for work’ service for people in the early stages of sickness absence, to test out whether this can help people back to appropriate work faster.

Detailed economic modelling is being undertaken to determine the optimum number of pilots and models of service delivery for piloting, including the costs, workforce requirements and where services should be delivered. Costs and staff mix of any further implementation will depend on the outcome and evaluation of the pilots, expected to begin next year.


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Health Services: Elderly

Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what account he takes of (a) trends in the age profile of the population and (b) the requirements of the ageing population in establishing priorities for medical research (i) in and (ii) funded by his Department; and if he will make a statement. [221038]

Dawn Primarolo: The Government's health research strategy Best Research for Best Health explicitly recognises the impact demographic and other changes have on the need for research that provides new evidence and knowledge.

The Department funds the Personal Social Services Research Unit at the London School of Economics. Work on the heath and social care costs of the changing age profile of the population has for some years been a central part of the Unit's remit.

The Department, with other Government Departments, also funds the English Longitudinal Survey of Ageing (ELSA). ELSA collects comprehensive and detailed data on the changing needs and experiences of the country's ageing population, including assessments of
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mental and physical functioning. These data can play a key part in helping to identify and prioritise future medical research.

The Department is working actively with other research commissioners in the UK Ageing Research Funders’ Forum to map existing research relevant to ageing. By identifying the gaps in current research activity, this process will help to establish priorities for new research in medical and other fields.

Health Services: North Yorkshire

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the annual management costs of each primary care trust in North Yorkshire were in each of the last three years for which figures are available; [219688]

(2) what the projected management costs of the York and North Yorkshire Primary Care Trust are for (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11. [219690]

Ann Keen: Information on the annual management costs of each primary care trust (PCT) in North Yorkshire for 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07 is shown in the following table.

£000
Managers costs
Organisation name 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07

Selby and York PCT

4,725

3,940

Hambleton and Richmondshire PCT

2,323

2,300

Craven, Harrogate and Rural District PCT

3,249

3,694

Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale PCT

2,285

2,653

North Yorkshire and York PCT

11,709

Notes:
1. 2006-07 is the latest year for which data are held.
2. The North Yorkshire and York PCT was formed in October 2006 following a merger of the Selby and York, Hambleton and Richmondshire, Craven, Harrogate and Rural District, and Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale PCTs.
Source:
Audited PCT summarisation schedules 2004-05 to 2006-07.

Data on the projected management costs of the North Yorkshire and York PCT are not held centrally.

Health: Children

Mrs. Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to increase levels of children’s health and well-being. [220031]

Ann Keen: Improving outcomes for children is a priority across the range of responsibilities of the Government. The Children’s Plan, “Building Brighter Futures” (2007) (copies of which are available in the Library), reiterated our long-term commitment to improving the physical, mental and emotional health and wellbeing of children and young people from conception to adulthood and set out how the work is focused towards achieving a long-term vision.

With colleagues in the Department for Children, Schools and Families, we have established a dedicated Public Service Agreement to focus improvements and investment in child health and wellbeing, and are working on the development of a child health strategy planned for publication in September.

Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish the Child Health Strategy; and if he will make a statement. [220224]

Ann Keen: The strategy will be published in September. This will enable us to take account of the National Health Service Next Stage Review, and to build in further consultation with key stakeholders, young people and parents.

Health: Travelling People

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to improve the health of Gypsy and Traveller communities. [220063]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: In 2004 the university of Sheffield published its research into the health status of Gypsies and Travellers. The research had been commissioned by the Department. In response to the research, the Department—in consultation with Gypsy and Traveller communities and NHS organisations—has embarked on work to improve the health status of community members. As part of the Department's Pacesetters
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programme, designed to address health inequalities that arise from discrimination and disadvantage, the 18 participating trusts are trialling ways to improve access to the NHS for Gypsies and Travellers. In addition, DH intends to take forward work to develop a primary care commissioning framework for Gypsies and Travellers as part of wider work for transient populations. Results of both pieces of work will be disseminated widely throughout the NHS over the next 12 to 24 months.

Herbal Medicine

Mrs. Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate he has made of the costs per product of conducting tests to demonstrate compliance with the key provisions of European Medicines Evaluation Agency guidance in relation to applications for registration under the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive; [220534]

(2) what estimate he has made of the number of specialist (a) retailers, (b) manufacturers and (c) distributors of herbal remedies who have ceased trading or intend to cease trading as a result of the impact of the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive. [220535]

Dawn Primarolo: The guidelines on the quality of herbal medicinal products prepared by the European Medicines Agency largely reflect good practice identified by the herbal industry. In its regulatory impact assessment of the traditional herbal registration (THR) scheme the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) estimated that typically the costs of registering a product under the scheme could be several tens of thousand pounds but that the figure would vary widely according to specific circumstances, not least depending on whether companies already had systematic quality control systems in place. This assessment has not changed. The MHRA would expect some rationalisation in the manufacturing of herbal medicines reflecting the fact that to carry out this activity to systematic standards within a regulated environment requires specialist expertise. However, there is no basis on which to make specific estimates and feedback to the MHRA from individual companies suggests that many are still developing their plans. So far 14 companies have submitted applications to register one or more product in the United Kingdom under the THR scheme and we therefore anticipate that there will be a competitive market.

Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what herbal products are available on the market under the provisions of section 12 (2) of the Medicines Act 1968; and for which of those products an application has been received by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency for registration under the provisions of the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive; [220891]

(2) when (a) Ministers from his Department and (b) officials from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency last met representatives of the European Commission to discuss the impact of the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive on specialist manufacturers, retailers and consumers of herbal remedies; and what the outcomes were of those meetings. [220892]


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Dawn Primarolo: Companies are not required to notify the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) of products marketed under section 12(2) of the Medicines Act 1968. The information requested is not therefore available.

Ministers and officials of the MHRA have not met representatives of the European Commission to hold specific discussions on the impact of the Directive on traditional herbal medicinal products. However, the MHRA has had a number of opportunities, for example through sharing a platform at conferences, to update Commission officials on the agency’s early experience of the expending number of companies submitting applications under the traditional herbal registration scheme. The MHRA also submitted evidence in 2007 to the Commission’s review of Directive 2004/24/EC.

HIV Infection: Prisons

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prison inmates were tested for HIV or AIDS in each year since 2003. [221199]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not collected. The last major study of HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C prevalence in prisoners in England and Wales found that of 3,942 prisoners surveyed in 1997 and 1998, 0.4 per cent. were infected with HIV, 8 per cent. with hepatitis B and 7 per cent. with hepatitis C.

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much it cost to treat prisoners with HIV and AIDS in each year since 2003. [221200]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not available, as the costs of healthcare services in each prison are not disaggregated.

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prison inmates contracted (a) HIV and (b) AIDS in each year since 2003. [221201]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not available.


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