| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
6 Nov 2008 : Column 695W—continued
The scientific areas reported against by the MRC were changed from 1 April 2004 to correspond to the five research boards in operation from that date.
Incontinence: Medical Equipment
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what ratio of prescriptions for Part IX items of the Drug Tariff were endorsed with supply of an item other than that originally prescribed in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [233612]
Phil Hope: The information requested is not available.
NHS Treatment Centres: Private Sector
Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of independent sector treatment centres (ISTCs); what plans he has to extend the service provided by ISTCs; and if he will make a statement. [233695]
Mr. Bradshaw: The independent sector has helped improve the health services for patients, helping speed up treatments and introduce innovation to the NHS.
Private sector companies and voluntary sector providers are providing national health service patients with access to high quality and faster treatment—as well as offering patients unprecedented choice about when and where they are treated.
Through the independent sector treatment centre (ISTC) programme more than 1.34 million elective procedures, renal dialysis sessions, diagnostic assessments and episodes of primary care for NHS patients have been delivered through contracts which include over 100 fixed and mobile facilities provided by the independent sector.
Surveys of patients provide an indication of the effectiveness of ISTCs. The patient satisfaction rate for Wave 1 is 96.2 per cent. and for Phase 2 is 99.3 per cent.
The Government have no plans to centrally procure contracts for additional ISTCs beyond those already announced. Independent sector provision will in the future be procured locally rather than centrally.
Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many independent sector treatment centres are planned for (a) England and (b) Northamptonshire; and where each will be located. [233736]
Mr. Bradshaw: In terms of existing independent sector treatment centres (ISTC) provision throughout England, there are currently 25 fixed site Wave 1 ISTCs, eight Phase 2 ISTC schemes, a mobile magnetic resonance imaging service, a mobile cataract service and six commuter walk-in centres. There are also two Phase 2 schemes in mobilisation (Greater Manchester national health service clinical assessment and treatment service, and Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.)
Wave 1 and Phase 2 of the ISTC programme are now almost concluded, with no further ISTC schemes being centrally planned.
Independent sector provision will in future be procured locally rather than centrally. The three remaining Phase 2 schemes (London North, Hertfordshire and Essex) will be taken forward by the national health service to complete the review and negotiations with providers. The Department and HM Treasury are expected to conclude decisions by the end of November 2008.
NHS: Drugs
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of exchange differences on the availability and dispensing of parallel import medicines. [231863]
Dawn Primarolo: The Department has made no assessment of the effect of exchange differences on the availability of parallel imported medicines.
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the likely effects of the decision by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in respect of anti-TNFs on clinical practice. [232565]
Dawn Primarolo: We have made no such assessment. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is currently undertaking an appraisal of the clinical and cost effectiveness of the sequential use of anti-TNF drugs for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. NICE has not yet issued final guidance.
NHS: Reorganisation
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department will carry out the consultation on the proposed new process for developing and reviewing indicators in the Quality and Outcomes Framework, as stated in his Department’s NHS Next Stage Review: Our vision for primary and community care newsletter of September 2008. [231965]
Phil Hope: The consultation on the proposed new process for developing and reviewing indicators in the Quality and Outcomes Framework began on 30 October 2008.
NHS: Staff
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the financial effect on primary care trusts of the proposed change in value added tax rules which will apply when employing temporary staff from agencies. [232190]
Mr. Bradshaw: Estimates are being made of the financial effect for all national health service organisations. The preliminary cost estimate to the NHS is £30 million.
Obesity
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the prevalence of obesity was in each of the last five years; and what forecast he has made of trends in the rate in each of the next 10 years. [233334]
Dawn Primarolo: Information on the proportion of adults aged 16 and over and the proportion of children aged two to 15 in England that are obese is collected in the Health Survey for England.
This information can be found in Health Survey for England 2006: Latest Trends, Table 4 of the adults' trend tables shows prevalence of obesity among adults in every year from 1993 and Table 4 of the children's trend tables shows prevalence of obesity among children in each year since 1995. The Health Survey for England 2006 was published on 31 January 2008. This publication is available in the Library.
Information on trends in the rate of obesity in the next 10 years is contained in the report “Tackling Obesities: Future Choices—Modelling Future Trends in Obesity and their Impact on Health”. A copy of this publication can be downloaded at:
This publication has already been placed in the Library.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to reduce the prevalence of obesity in the UK. [233335]
Dawn Primarolo: The Government are committed to reversing the rising trend in obesity in the population. In January 2008, we published our strategy Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives: a Cross Government Strategy for England. This strategy has five key themes: children, healthy growth and weight; promoting healthier food choices; building physical activity into our lives; creating incentives for better health; and personalised advice and support for all.
We have started to make good progress in the implementation of our strategy. On 23 July we published a newsletter Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives: six months on. A copy is available on the Department's website at:
A copy of the strategy and newsletter has already been placed in the Library.
Pathology
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to publish Lord Carter's review of pathology. [233580]
Dawn Primarolo: The final report of the Independent Review of NHS Pathology Services in England, chaired by Lord Carter of Coles, is scheduled for publication in December 2008.
Pharmacy
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on the Pharmacy White Paper; and if he will make a statement. [233205]
Phil Hope: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 4 November 2008, Official Report, column 365W.
Smoking
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on television promotion of (a) smoking bans, (b) stop-smoking programmes and (c) other tobacco-related programmes in the last year. [232608]
Dawn Primarolo: For the period March 2007 to March 2008, the Department spent the following on television-based promotion of smoking related issues:
£1,830,500 was spent on awareness raising ahead of the implementation of smokefree legislation;
£4,540,775 was spent on stop smoking programmes, including promotion of the national health service stop smoking services; and
There was no television promotion for any other tobacco-related programmes.
Tuberculosis: Vaccination
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost of administering the BCG vaccine to children in education but not resident in high tuberculosis incidence areas; and if he will make a statement. [233694]
Dawn Primarolo: No cost assessment of this nature has been conducted.
In 2005, following a review of surveillance data of tuberculosis (TB), the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation advised that a targeted BCG vaccination programme was the most effective vaccination strategy for the United Kingdom. The programme aims to achieve high vaccination coverage in particular among ethnic groups and in parts of the country where TB rates are highest.
Work and Pensions
Benefits
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what his Department's latest estimate is of the number of pensioner housing benefit recipients in each region who will be affected by the change in the limit on backdating claims for council tax benefit from 12 months to three months; and if he will make a statement; [230475]
(2) what his Department's latest estimate is of the number of pensioner council tax benefit recipients in each region who will be affected by the change in the limit on backdating claims for council tax benefit from 12 months to three months; and if he will make a statement; [230476]
(3) what his Department's latest estimate is of the number of working age council tax benefit recipients in each region who will be affected by the change in the time limit on backdating claims for council tax benefit from 12 months to six months; and if he will make a statement; [230477]
(4) what his Department's latest estimate is of the number of working age housing benefit recipients in each region who will be affected by the change in the time limit on backdating claims for housing benefit from 12 months to six months; and if he will make a statement. [230478]
Kitty Ussher: The information is not available.
Children: Maintenance
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average length of a repayment schedule agreed with the Child Support Agency is. [226162]
Kitty Ussher: 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.
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, what the average length of a repayment schedule agreed with the Child Support Agency is. [226162]
Robust information on the length of arrears repayment schedules is not held centrally and to obtain it would involve additional examination of all relevant cases. The information required to answer this question cannot therefore be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.
Child maintenance arrears should be paid immediately. Where this is not possible the Agency may enter an arrears agreement with the non-resident parent. The Agency aims to clear any child maintenance debt within two years and will therefore seek to negotiate the collection of arrears with this goal in mind.
No arrears agreement with the Agency should be regarded as settled unless it continues to ensure that child maintenance arrears are paid as quickly as possible having considered all the circumstances of the case. The Agency is therefore currently reviewing all of its cases, including those which may have an agreement in place to repay child maintenance debt over a longer period. This is to ensure that all agreements continue to be appropriate and that the interests of the child in respect of whom the arrears are due are fully taken into account.
I hope you find this answer helpful.
Community Care: Finance
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the Answer of 2 June 2008, Official Report, column 478, on social care services, whether the £400 million referred to includes any part of the £1.1 billion of programme costs for Pathways to Work over the next five years. [228698]
Jonathan Shaw: The £400 million extra for paying the employment and support allowance rates does not include the £1.1 billion being made available for Pathways to Work. The two figures are entirely separate.
Council Tax Benefits
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average processing time was for council tax benefit applications in each quarter of each of the last five years (a) in total and (b) in each of the smallest geographical areas for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [231031]
Kitty Ussher: The available information has been placed in the Library.
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 29 September 2008, Official Report, column 2365W, on council tax benefit, what estimate he has made of the number of adults in benefit units in Great Britain who are in receipt of 100 per cent. council tax benefit. [232958]
Kitty Ussher: The available information is in the following table.
| Recipients of 100 per cent. council tax benefit in Great Britain | |
| Number | |
| Notes: 1. The figures are based on a one per cent sample and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation. 2. The figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand. 3. Totals may not sum due to rounding 4. Council tax benefit figures exclude any single adult rebate cases. Source: Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System, annual 1 per cent. sample, taken in May 2004 | |
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |