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11 Nov 2008 : Column 1038W—continued
Cholesterol
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the level of serum cholesterol above which the application of cholesterol-reducing measures among populations at risk of coronary heart disease is cost-effective; [233171]
(2) what information he has collected for benchmarking purposes on target serum cholesterol levels in (a) the UK, (b) other EU member states and (c) the USA; [233172]
(3) what estimate he has made of the number of heart attacks that might be avoided by treating serum cholesterol down to (a) current quality and outcomes framework levels and (b) the suggested JBS2 target levels among at-risk populations; and if he will make a statement. [233173]
David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will commission research to establish down to what level of serum cholesterol value for money could be achieved in applying cholesterol-reducing measures among populations at risk of coronary heart disease; [233546]
(2) what reductions in serum cholesterol in at-risk populations have been achieved in (a) spearhead primary care trusts (PCTs) and (b) other PCTs; and what the Government’s target reductions are in each case; [233548]
(3) what estimate he has made of the effect on the number of heart attacks that would arise from treating serum cholesterol down to (a) current quality outcomes framework levels and (b) the proposed target levels of the Joint British Societies’ guidelines on prevention of cardiovascular disease among at-risk populations; [233550]
(4) what information his Department holds for benchmarking purposes on target serum cholesterol levels in (a) the UK, (b) other EU member states and (c) the USA; and if he will make a statement. [233551]
Ann Keen: It is the role of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to set out best practice on standards for treatment and prevention of heart disease.
In May 2008, NICE published a clinical guideline on lipid modification (managing cholesterol levels) entitled “Cardiovascular risk assessment and the modification of blood lipids for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease”.
NICE guidance is developed using the best available evidence from the scientific community. When reviewing the evidence, NICE ensures that the implementation of any new guidance is cost-effective for the local NHS organisations.
Around three million people are currently receiving statin therapy to reduce cholesterol levels, saving an estimated 10,000 lives every year, as well as reducing the number of heart attacks.
Christmas
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what budget his Department has allocated for Christmas parties in 2008, broken down by (a) directorate and (b) unit. [234363]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Department has put aside no budget for Christmas parties in 2008.
In line with previous practice, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State may host a reception for journalists in December. The cost, expected to be less than last year’s cost of £1,079.30, would be met from the communications budget.
Dementia: Research
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 4 November 2008, Official Report, column 377W, on dementia: research, what estimate his Department had initially made of (a) the number of written responses it would receive to the consultation and (b) how long it would take to assess the financial implications of the final strategy. [234365]
Phil Hope: The Department had expected a significant response to the consultation, but no specific number of written responses was anticipated. The time taken to determine the financial implications of a strategy cannot easily be assessed in advance. This will always be dependant on any changes made to the contents following consultation.
Dental Services
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate he has made of the cost of the next national survey of oral health; and if he will make a statement; [233834]
(2) what plans his Department has put in place for the completion of a national oral health survey; when this survey is due to begin; and when he expects the findings of the survey will be reported to his Department; [233836]
(3) for what reason a national oral health survey was not undertaken in 2007-08; what steps he plans to take to commission a survey in 2008-09; and if he will make a statement. [234188]
Ann Keen: Planning took longer than anticipated, but we are pleased to confirm that the Department has now commissioned the National Health Service Information Centre to let a contract for an updated Adult Dental Health Survey within an allocation of £3 million. An EU procurement exercise is underway and it is anticipated that this will be completed, and that a contract will be let, by the end of 2008. Subject to tenders, the survey fieldwork is planned to begin in 2009, with results to be published by the end of 2010.
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what expenditure his Department incurred in undertaking the most recent national survey of oral health. [233835]
Ann Keen: The last national oral health survey, which was of children’s oral health, was conducted in 2003 at a cost of £400,000.
Departmental Equality
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what equality and diversity awards his Department has (a) been eligible for, (b) been shortlisted for and (c) won in the last 12 months. [233771]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Department has not been nominated for any equality and diversity awards in the last 12 months.
Departmental Internet
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) page hits and (b) visitors his Department's website received in 2007-08. [Official Report, 10 December 2008, Vol. 485, c. 4MC.][233529]
Mr. Bradshaw: For the period January 2007 to October 2008 there were 190,428,774 page hits to the Department’s website. For the same period, there were 18,115,842 unique visitors to the Department’s website.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost of maintaining his Department's website was in 2007-08; and what the forecast cost of maintaining it is in 2008-09. [233530]
Mr. Bradshaw: The cost of maintaining the Department’s website in 2007-08 was £1.169 million.
The forecast cost of maintaining the Department’s website in 2008-09 is £1.081 million.
Departmental Lost Property
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) equipment and (b) data were lost by his Department in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [231442]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Department does not differentiate between stolen, missing or lost equipment. The portable equipment lost or stolen for the period April 2007 to March 2008 is as follows:
| Items | Total items lost during the year |
The Department takes the security and protection of its assets very seriously. Its policy and procedures are constantly reviewed and cases of losses or thefts are investigated. As a further deterrent, the Department
marks its portable equipment with an invisible forensic dye called Smartwater. The Department's Security Unit continues to raise security awareness and physical protection of information technology equipment among its staff.
The Department has recorded one personal data related incident in 2007-08 in its Resource Accounts published on 10 October 2008. This concerned the Medical Training Application Service website where personal details of some junior doctors were erroneously made available as a result of action taken by a third party managing data on the Department's behalf, contrary to the instructions on data handling issued to them by the Department.
Departmental Manpower
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many full-time equivalent posts there have been in each of his Department's arm's length bodies in each year since 2003-04; and what the planned staffing numbers for each such body are for each year to 2010-11. [233660]
Mr. Bradshaw: The whole-time equivalent posts for each of the Department's arms length bodies, for the years 2004-05 to 2008-09, are shown in the following table.
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