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Euthanasia

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received since July 2008 from (a) doctors, (b) nurses and (c) other health care professionals in (i) support of and (ii) opposition to (A) assisted suicide and (B) voluntary euthanasia; and if he will make a statement. [242687]

Phil Hope: The Department has received 41 letters and e-mails about assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia expressing a range of views and opinions. Correspondents do not necessarily include details of their profession.

Health Services: Freedom of Information

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) name and (b) address of each regional public health observatory is; and whether these bodies are classified as public authorities for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. [245969]

Dawn Primarolo: Public health observatories (PHOs) are hosted by a variety of organisations including strategic health authorities (SHAs), primary care trusts (PCTs) and universities. As such, PHOs are obliged to comply with the freedom of information (FOI) arrangements within those organisations.


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The names and addresses of each of the nine public health observatory in England are given as follows:

Health Services: Human Trafficking

Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the eligibility requirements are for victims of human trafficking to be granted access to safe accommodation funded by the Government. [241543]

Maria Eagle: I have been asked to reply.


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To qualify for safe accommodation under the Government-funded Poppy project individuals must be over 18 years old, trafficked into the United Kingdom and sexual exploited in England and Wales. Priority for accommodation is given to individuals that have experienced exploitation in the immediate three months prior to referral. This year we also piloted support provisions for victims of trafficking for forced labour and domestic servitude.

We ratified the Council of Europe convention on action against trafficking in human beings on 17 December 2008. This will require us to have minimum levels of support for all identified victims of human trafficking by spring 2009. We are currently tendering for a national support model for victims of human trafficking for sexual exploitation and domestic servitude, as they share similar high-level support needs. We are also working with the United Kingdom Human Trafficking Centre to develop support services for victims trafficked into forced labour.

Health Visitors

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health visitors (a) were recruited, (b) retired from work and (c) finished work for a reason other than retirement in the last year for which information is available. [244522]

Ann Keen: Accurate figures for the number of health visitors who were recruited, retired from work and finished work for a reason other than retirement are not collected centrally.

Heart Disease

Mrs. Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds on the stage at which chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder is diagnosed in the UK; and what information it holds on the stage of diagnosis in other EU countries for benchmarking purposes. [245770]

Ann Keen: According to the Quality and Outcome Framework there are around 800,000 people who have been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the United Kingdom. An independent study, based on the data from the Health Survey for England 2001, identified that spirometrically defined COPD is present in 13 per cent. of the population over 35 years in the U.K, but 80 per cent. of cases are undiagnosed. Even in moderate to severe disease less than half had a prior diagnosis(1).

Data are not available on the disease severity, or on stage of diagnosis in other European countries.

Independent Reconfiguration Panel

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions he has sought the advice of the Independent Reconfiguration Panel in relation to local (a) maternity and (b) accident and emergency services. [246055]


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Ann Keen: Of the 14 full reviews that the Independent Reconfiguration Panel has conducted at the request of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, eight have included consideration of maternity services and included consideration of accident and emergency services.

Influenza

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 14 July 2008, Official Report, columns 203-4W, on influenza, whether plans for separate antiviral distribution channels to reach (a) hard-to-reach groups and (b) others for whom the Flu Line will not be suited have now been developed; how he defines (i) hard-to-reach groups and (ii) others for whom the Flu Line will not be suited; and if he will make a statement. [245504]

Dawn Primarolo: Options are being developed in order to assist people through the process of using the Flu Line and also to support those people who are not able to able to use the standard process.

Examples of groups of people we have considered are:

Influenza: Vaccination

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will place in the Library a copy of the cost-benefit analysis of the vaccination of pregnant women against seasonal influenza referred to in the minutes of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's meeting of 14 February 2007; [245636]

(2) when the Health Protection Agency will complete its work examining the impact of influenza on pregnant women referred to in the minutes of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's meeting of 14 February 2007; whether he intends to place a copy of the work in the Library; and if he will make a statement. [245637]

Dawn Primarolo: At the 14 February 2007 meeting the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) was informed of a preliminary cost benefit analysis of the vaccination of pregnant women being undertaken by the Department. This analysis was not presented at the meeting because further data were required before a decision could be made. The preliminary analysis carried out by Departmental analysts has been placed in the Library.

Following this preliminary analysis, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) was commissioned by the Department to collect further information on the impact of influenza on pregnant women. This work is ongoing and the JCVI's influenza subgroup is being kept up to date on its progress.


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Lithium

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of potential links between the use of the mood-stabiliser lithium and increased mitochondrial damage; and if he will make a statement. [246306]

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has not made or commissioned such an assessment.

Lung Spirometry

Mrs. Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will include lung spirometry testing in the health MOT screening programme. [245771]

Ann Keen: The purpose of the vascular check programme, is to identify the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease, and for this risk to managed by appropriate follow up. The parameters and tests used in a vascular check include blood pressure, cholesterol and body mass index (BMI) and are based on economic modelling undertaken by the Department to help ensure the most clinically effective and cost-effective format for the checks. However, we will keep the components of the vascular health check under review as new evidence emerges in future.

Maternity Matters Implementation Group

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the role of the Maternity Matters Implementation Group in his Department is; [245744]

(2) how his Department plans to meet the commitment to enable all women to have choice over where and how they have their baby by 2009. [245745]

Ann Keen: In April 2007, the Department published “Maternity Matters: Choice, access and continuity of care in a safe service”, which focuses on improving the quality of care and ensuring women have a range of choices which will make it easier for them to access maternity services. A Maternity Matters Implementation Group was established to support early joint work on implementation between the Department and the national health service. Since then, each strategic health authority has developed its vision for services for maternity and the new born as part of the NHS Next Stage Review, and work on implementation is now being taken forward on a wider front.

Maternity services are once again included in the top clinical priorities highlighted in the NHS Operating Framework for 2009-10, backed by increased investment and a planned increase in the number of midwives.

Mental Health Services

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department plans to issue to primary care trusts on responsible commissioning of independent mental health advocates services; and when guidance will be issued. [245946]

Phil Hope: Comprehensive guidance for primary care trusts on commissioning independent mental health advocate (IMHA) services was published on 18 December
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2008. The guide outlines the statutory IMHA role, and discusses good practice for IMHA services and recommended commissioning processes. A copy of the guidance has been placed in the Library. The guidance is also available on the National Institute for Mental Health in England's website at:

Mental Health Services: Young People

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on the 17 capital funded projects designed to help eliminate the inappropriate use of adult psychiatric wards for children and young people. [245751]

Ann Keen: The Government provided £31 million capital funding in 2007-08 to 17 projects. These projects were designed to provide 59 new beds, 45 beds relocated to purpose built facilities, and 52 beds in refurbished facilities.

A review of the progress made by the projects is currently under way.

The latest available figures for July to September 2008 show only four bed days for under-16s on adult psychiatric wards.

National Institute for Health Research Faculty

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the funding sources of the National Institute for Health Research Faculty; and if he will make a statement. [245769]

Dawn Primarolo: Members of the faculty of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) are national health service or university employed researchers whose salaries are funded, in part or in whole, by the NIHR or the Department's policy research programme. The funding may come from a range of NIHR sources including NIHR projects, programmes, units, centres and research networks.

As well as attracting support form from the NIHR, members of the faculty may also be funded from other sources, including the research councils, charities, industry, and other Government Departments.

The principal source of funding for the faculty's capacity and capability programmes is the NIHR budget.

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