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6 Oct 2008 : Column 462W—continued
The CRB operates a central database in order to record transactions that occur during the disclosure process, where applicants’ personal data provided on an application form are compared against information held by the police, the Department of Health and the Department for Children, Schools and Families. Although
the CRB has access to conviction and other information through this process, the police and the other data sources above are the data owners of material held on their respective databases and as such are responsible for the accuracy of information held thereon.
As with any public sector organisation the CRB operates a Redress scheme where there has been maladministration.
South East
Dr. Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on services, broken down by type in (a) Dartford borough, (b) Kent Thameside, (c) the Thames Gateway, (d) Kent county council area and (e) the South East region in each of the last five years. [222450]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Department allocates almost all national health service funding directly to primary care trusts (PCTs), which are responsible for using their resources to commission healthcare services that meet the needs of their local population.
Information about NHS expenditure is not available in the format requested. However, information is available about commissioning expenditure by PCTs in the South East Coast strategic health authority (SHA) area, and figures for the financial years 2002-03 through to 2006-07 have been placed in the Library. 2006-07 is the most recent year for which data is available.
In the tables placed in the Library, the figures given for gross expenditure on primary healthcare include expenditure on primary care dental services only in 2006-07. Prior to the introduction of local commissioning arrangements for primary dental care on 1 April 2006, most general dental services expenditure was accounted for by the former Dental Practice Board on a national basis only. However, some information on primary dental care expenditure in individual PCT or health authority areas is available for earlier years. The Information Centre for health and social care published the report “NHS Expenditure for General Dental Services and Personal Dental Services: England 1997-98—2005-06 on 26 March 2008. A copy has already been placed in the Library and is also available at:
The report includes information on primary dental care expenditure by PCT and SHA for 1997-98 to 2005-06 at Tables A1 and B1 of Annex 3. Table A1 relates to ‘gross’ expenditure and table B1 relates to ‘net’ expenditure. Gross expenditure refers to the full cost of the payments recorded; net expenditure reflects the cost of these payments to the NHS after the deduction of income from NHS dental charges paid by patients.
This information is based on the old dental contractual arrangements that were in place up to and including 31 March 2006. While the information is not directly comparable with resource accounts data for the earlier years or current data on the new framework of locally commissioned dental services effective since 1 April 2006, it does reflect the major elements of primary dental care expenditure in each area. Further notes to aid interpretation of the information are shown in the ‘Contents and Notes’ page of Annex 3 of the Information Centre report.
The Department also sets the strategic framework for adult social care and influences local authority spending on social care. Resources and funding for local authorities/councils are allocated from the Government and distributed by the Department for Communities and Local Government. This contributes to the resources available to local authorities, alongside the collection of council tax and fees and charges. It is the responsibility of local authorities to allocate resources for adult social care in order to meet local needs, priorities and key local and national objectives.
In addition, the Department has made specific revenue grants available to local authorities to meet policy objectives. From 2008-09, the Department mainly allocates personal social services (PSS) grant funding to local authorities/councils through the area based grant. Area based grants are monies that central Government has pooled, and it is not possible for the Department to place any restrictions on how local authorities use this funding.
The Department does not hold data on PSS grants below local authority level. A breakdown of revenue and capital PSS grants allocated by the Department to Kent council in the last five years (2004-05 to 2008-09) and similar details for the South East region, which includes Kent council, have been placed in the Library.
Speech Impairment: Children
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of three and four-year olds have received a pre-school assessment of speech and language abilities in the last 12 months. [223761]
Dawn Primarolo: Information on treatment received from speech language therapists (SLT) provided by the national health service is not collected centrally. The Department collects data by consultant led specialties. SLT is not a consultant led speciality. The Government’s objective is to balance the need for data against the burden that data collection places on the NHS.
Stress
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements his Department has in place to assist officials to overcome the effects of stress experienced in the workplace. [222171]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Department is committed to the well-being of its employees. It has a number of policies and procedures in place to reduce stress at work. Our internal guidance on how to reduce stress at work, based on the principles of the Health and Safety Executive’s management standards, is available to all employees and gives easy-to-use advice on the successful prevention and management of stress at work. We are also developing a Mental Health policy which will be launched in autumn this year.
Syringes: Injuries
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many days NHS nurses were absent from work owing to needle stick injuries in the last 12 months. [222812]
Dawn Primarolo: Data on the number of days of absence relating to needle stick injuries to national health service nurses are not collected centrally. However, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) collects information on surveillance of significant occupational exposures to blood borne viruses in health care workers in the United Kingdom; its latest report is available on the HPA’s website at:
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of cost to the NHS of (a) treatment and (b) follow-up of a needle stick injury to a member of staff where the needle is known to have been used on a HIV-positive patient. [222813]
Dawn Primarolo: The cost of a course of antiviral drugs for HIV post-exposure prophylaxis, as recommended in the Department’s publication, “HIV post-exposure prophylaxis: Guidance from the UK Chief Medical Officers’ Expert Advisory Group on AIDS”, is about £680. Follow up will vary depending on case by case needs and cost estimates are therefore not available centrally.
A copy of this guidance has been placed in the Library and is available on the Department’s website at:
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to monitor each NHS trust’s adherence to section 10e of the Code of Practice for the prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections issued under the Health Act 2006, with particular reference to the requirement to prevent needle stick injuries through the provision of medical devices incorporating sharps protection mechanisms. [222815]
Dawn Primarolo: It is the duty of the Healthcare Commission to monitor adherence by trusts of ‘The Health Act 2006 code of practice for the prevention and control of healthcare associated infections’. However, the use of devices which incorporate sharps protection mechanisms is not mandatory. Trusts have to consider the use of these devices but are not obliged to use them. Although these devices are designed to reduce needle stick injuries the evidence is not complete and providers find that such devices are not acceptable to their staff and can reduce safety.
Syringes: Procurement
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS Trusts purchase medical devices incorporating sharps protection mechanisms through the NHS supply chain. [222814]
Mr. Bradshaw: A total of 241 trusts purchase medical devices incorporating sharps protection mechanisms through NHS Supply Chain.
Taxis
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much (a) his Department and (b) its agencies spent on taxis in the last financial year for which figures are available. [223033]
Mr. Bradshaw: For the financial year April 2007 to March 2008, the amount spent on taxis for the Department is £331,192.43. We do not have figures for the whole of the financial year April 2007 to March 2008 for our Executive agencies. For the financial year April 2006 to March 2007, the amount spent on taxis for NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency is £242.30 and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is £16,125.21.
Teenage Pregnancy
Mr. Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department plans to introduce additional programmes over the next academic year for students in the further education sector to raise awareness of unwanted pregnancies amongst young people. [222634]
Beverley Hughes: I have been asked to reply:
In 2007, DCSF and DH issued guidance to FE colleges and primary care trusts (PCTs) on setting up sexual health advice services in FE settings. Such services serve to improve young people's access to early advice and treatment, by locating services in places that fit with young people's daily lives. A mapping survey in 2008 established that around 80 per cent. of FE colleges now have on-site services. The scope of each service is determined locally by the college's governing body, in negotiation with the PCT which provides the necessary health professional input. In some colleges, provision is limited to condom distribution schemes, whereas in others a wider range of services are available, including pregnancy testing, STI screening, and provision of a broad range of contraception, including emergency contraception.
Unlike schools, colleges are not required to provide sex education, although the majority of colleges do cover sexual health issues within their tutorial programmes.
More broadly, DH announced in July that it would be developing a ‘Healthy Colleges’ initiative that would put in place a framework—based on the National Healthy Schools programme—to allow FE colleges to better respond to the health needs of their students. Consultation is now underway with colleges, FE students and other stakeholders to determine the detailed design and implementation strategy for the ‘Healthy Colleges’ initiative.
Termination of Pregnancy Bill
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library copies of representations received by his Department from interested parties used in the preparation of the partial regulatory impact assessment for the Termination of Pregnancy Bill of Session 2006-07; and if he will make a statement. [222236]
Dawn Primarolo: Copies of written representations received from interested parties used in the preparation of the partial regulatory impact assessment of the Termination of Pregnancy Bill of Session 2006-07 have been placed in the Library, as requested.
Interviews were also held with a number of organisations, including some of those who made written representations, but the Department does not hold a formal record of these. However, some of the information obtained from those discussions was used to develop the partial regulatory impact assessment.
Vaccination: Greater London
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the backlog in vaccinations in London due to the performance of the child health interim application. [222441]
Dawn Primarolo: No single estimate has been made of the number of children who may have missed immunisations as a direct result of the child health interim application (CHIA).
Each primary care trust (PCT) in London using CHIA has carried out an audit of the accuracy of the data held on their systems in 2007-08. These audits have been undertaken at different times and therefore are not directly comparable. The audits have allowed the identification of children who may have missed vaccinations or who have been vaccinated and the information not acknowledged, and PCTs are taking action locally to ensure that these children are offered the appropriate vaccinations.
In addition to information stored on CHIA, immunisations can also be identified in other ways such as the use of general practice data systems and individual children’s immunisation records (known as the “Red Book”) held by parents. The ‘CHIA’ PCTs are continuing to work closely with general practices and local health professionals to ensure that children are immunised at the appropriate time. The Department is kept updated on progress by these PCTs.
CHIA is in the process of being replaced this year by a new Electronic Care Record system which will enable full immunisation scheduling and recording.
Children, Schools and Families
Autism: Intimidation
Mr. Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the effect of bullying on children with autism. [222581]
Beverley Hughes: The Department has recently commissioned Goldsmiths College to undertake research on the effectiveness of our anti-bullying strategies. This research will provide the necessary quantitative and qualitative data needed to draw robust conclusions about the efficacy of different anti-bullying strategies, including those affecting children with special educational needs and disabilities. The findings will be reported to the Department in summer 2009 and summer 2010.
Autism: Mental Health Services
Mr. Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children with autism or Asperger’s syndrome accessed child and adolescent mental health services in each of the last 10 years. [222579]
Ann Keen: I have been asked to reply.
This information is not collected centrally.
The annual child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) mapping includes a snapshot of the children and young people using CAMHS and what diagnosis is recorded. The latest findings are in figs. 11.73 and 11.74
on page 116 of “A profile of child health, child and adolescent mental health and maternity services in England 2007”. A copy has been placed in the Library.
Table 8.11 on page 202 of the Office for National Statistics publication “Mental health of children and young people in Great Britain, 2004” shows the percentages of children seeking help from CAMHS in 2004 and whether the child had an autistic spectrum disorder. A copy has been placed in the Library.
Building Schools for the Future Programme
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the (a) original expected completion date and (b) current expected completion date is of each Building Schools for the Future project; and what the reasons are for delays in completion of projects in each case where there is a delay. [223734]
Jim Knight: Building Schools for the Future is the most ambitious school building programme for a generation. As you would expect of a programme of this scale, there have been challenges and lessons have been learned from the early projects. These have led to improvements in the process supporting the delivery of BSF and in local authority preparations for joining the programme. The key reasons for the delays in some of the early local authority projects are as follows:
many local authorities in the early waves of the programme found identifying and resourcing the necessary project management skill sets to deliver the programme more challenging than expected;
a focus on “getting it right” to ensure that strategies are educationally transformational rather than simply focusing on pace of delivery has led to some authorities taking longer than originally expected to develop their education and procurement strategies; and
in the early waves the selected local authorities had the biggest challenges to manage, were pioneering the processes, and were at the forefront of resolving unexpected difficulties with innovative solutions.
The following table provides a comparison between the original expected project completion date and the current expected date for each local authority in the first three waves of BSF. Where specific local issues have impacted on the delivery timetable, these are also described.
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