| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
19 Mar 2009 : Column 1317W—continued
Leukaemia: Research
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on research into leukaemia in each of the last 10 years. [264405]
Dawn Primarolo: Over the last 10 years, the main part of the Department’s research and development budget has been allocated to and managed by national health service organisations. Those organisations have accounted for their use of the allocations they have received from the Department in an annual research and development report. The reports identify total, aggregated expenditure on national priority areas, including cancer. They do not provide details of research into particular cancer sites.
The National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI), a United Kingdom wide partnership between government, charities and industry, makes cancer research information available online via the International Cancer Research Portfolio database at:
Details of current departmental and Medical Research Council site-specific cancer research can be found through this database.
NHS Treatment Centres: Private Sector
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what externally-contracted bodies have been paid by his Department to (a) review, (b) negotiate and (c) audit independent sector treatment centre contracts in the last five years; and how much has been paid to each. [263730]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Department directly reviewed the Independent Sector Treatment Centre (ISTC) projects, but engaged specialists (PA Consulting) to provide capacity mapping. The Department negotiated the ISTC projects, but engaged the following legal firms to provide legal advice and financial analysts to provide accounting advice.
| Company | Total (£ million) |
The Department has not conducted any audits of the ISTC programme.
Total spend on externally procured support for reviewing and negotiating the ISTC programme for the period 2004-05 to 2008-09.
| £ million | |
NHS: Standards
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department plans to require NHS trusts to use patient-recorded user outcome measures. [263135]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Department will require all national health service trusts to collect and report on Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) for a defined set of interventions in accordance with departmental guidance, from April 2009. The relevant interventions are elective hip and knee replacements, groin hernia and varicose vein surgeries.
Prescriptions: Fees and Charges
Ms Angela C. Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients in each of the last five years did not receive all or part of their prescriptions because they were not able to afford them. [263635]
Dawn Primarolo: The Department does not hold information on prescriptions issued, only on prescription items that are dispensed.
Ms Angela C. Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Prescription Charges Review led by Professor Ian Gilmore will be completed in the summer of 2009; and if he will make a statement. [263636]
Dawn Primarolo:
Ministers have asked Professor Ian Gilmore, President of the Royal College of Physicians, to lead a review of prescription charges. The review will consider how to implement the commitment to exempt patients with long-term conditions from prescription charges. The review is currently gathering evidence from
a wide range of stakeholders, using a range of different techniques. Subject to what emerges from this phase, the review should be on course to report as planned in the summer.
Primary Care Trusts: Freedom of Information
Mr. Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he takes in response to allegations that primary care trusts have not provided accurate responses for requests made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. [264009]
Mr. Bradshaw: Should such an allegation be received, the normal procedure would be to recommend to the bringer of the allegation that he or she redirect the allegation to the Information Commissioner's Office, who has the enforcement powers to intervene under the Freedom of Information Act. The Department does not have powers under the Act to intervene with other organisations.
Prosthetics: Armed Forces
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how National Health Service budgets for (a) supply and (b) maintenance of prosthetics for former service personnel are allocated. [263610]
Mr. Bradshaw: It is for primary care trusts in partnership with local stakeholders, including practice based commissioners, local government and the public to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health and to commission services accordingly. This process provides the means for addressing local needs within the health community including the provision of prosthetic services for former service personnel.
The current operating framework for the national health service requires commissioners to take account of military personnel, their families and veterans when commissioning services in their area. It is anticipated that those who use prostheses leaving the armed services to the NHS will be in single figures per year. The NHS will need to provide prosthetic maintenance to a service veteran that is equivalent to that previously enjoyed while the individual was serving and this is clinically appropriate.
Social Services: Standards
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the implications of the Laming Report for his Department’s procedures for handling adult social care serious case reviews; and if he will make a statement. [264345]
Phil Hope: The Department is carefully considering the Laming Report in relation to adult safeguarding. The review of ‘No Secrets’ is currently analysing the responses to the recent public consultation, which includes responses to specific questions about serious case reviews. The publication of the Laming Report is therefore timely, as the Government are now considering their recommendations as part of the broader review of adult safeguarding.
Thalidomide
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on those experiencing the effects of thalidomide and air travel in the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [264208]
Dawn Primarolo: We are not aware of having received any representations on this issue.
Trans: A Practical Guide to the NHS
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department’s publication, “Trans: A practical guide to the NHS” cost to produce. [264915]
Phil Hope: The cost to the Department of producing “Trans: A practical guide for the NHS” was £24,165 (excluding VAT).
Vulnerable Adults: Protection
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what timetable he has set for consideration of the outcomes of his consultation on No Secrets guidance; how many responses to the consultation he received; how many responses have proposed the introduction of legislation; how much his Department has spent on the review and consultation to date; and if he will make a statement. [264344]
Phil Hope: The public consultation “Safeguarding Adults: A Consultation on the Review of the ‘No Secrets’ Guidance” closed on 31 January 2009, following unprecedented levels of engagement from a wide range of organisations and individuals. The consultation involved several thousand people participating in a number of varied events across England. These were successful in gaining valuable participation from a wide range of service users, including older people, those with mental health needs and learning disabilities, along with other members of the community. In addition, there was also active participation from several thousand professional workers in the police, social work, medical sector, national health service, voluntary, legal and housing sectors.
The Department is leading the review of ‘No Secrets’ and is now analysing the 500 detailed written consultation responses received, which include extensive comments covering all the points and questions in the consultation document. Many of these responses exceed 20 pages. The Government will publish a report once the analysis is complete. At this early stage, it is not possible to be precise about when this might be. Nor is it yet possible to say how many responses proposed the introduction of legislation. The costs of the review and consultation will be calculated once the review has concluded.
Weather
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to mitigate the effects of high temperatures in summer on the health of (a) elderly people, (b) young people and (c) other vulnerable groups. [264182]
Dawn Primarolo: The Department produces an annual updated Heatwave Plan which includes steps to reduce the effects of high temperatures in summer, especially for those groups whose health is most likely to be affected, including the very young, the elderly and other vulnerable groups. This guidance is disseminated to health and social care organisations and local authorities. Additionally, there is a public facing information leaflet on how individuals can protect themselves in hot weather.
Wheelchairs
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Romsey (Sandra Gidley) of 10 March 2009, Official Report, column 393W, on wheelchairs, when his Department first announced its intention to produce a new model for wheelchair services; when he expects to publish the new model; how much his Department has spent on the work to date; and if he will make a statement. [264358]
Phil Hope: The Transforming Community Equipment and Wheelchair Services Programme (TCEWS) was launched in June 2006. The Care Services Efficiency Delivery Programme were commissioned to look at community equipment and wheelchair services in parallel but as the data were insufficient to develop an outline business case necessary to make robust recommendations for the way forward, a further in-depth data collection around wheelchairs services took place during 2007.
It is estimated that the Department has spent a total £323,000 on data collection and development of a new model of wheelchair services delivery. A more defined figure is not available as the earlier programme included community equipment and wheelchairs services.
Discussions are ongoing within the Department on the future model for wheelchair services so as to ensure that a model is developed which is suitable for the people using services and the national health service. A report and a proposal will be taken to the NHS Board later this spring.
Wines: Sales
Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to encourage the use of 125 millimetre glasses for the consumption of wine in order to reduce levels of such consumption. [264111]
Dawn Primarolo: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, will shortly consult on a new mandatory code of practice for alcohol retailing. This will set out compulsory licensing conditions for all alcohol retailers and will give licensing authorities new powers to clamp down on specific problems caused by groups of premises in their areas. The primary aim of the code is to reduce alcohol-related nuisance and disorder, but measures may have an additional public health benefit. Conditions being considered include requiring that on-trade bars and pubs offer a choice to customers, which includes minimum standard measures of alcohol. The precise measures are expected to be a subject of the consultation.
Electoral Commission Committee
EU Nationals
9. Simon Hughes: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission what steps the Electoral Commission is taking to ensure that nationals of other EU member states entitled to vote in elections for the European Parliament and local authorities in the UK are informed of how to exercise their entitlement. [264468]
Sir Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that its public awareness campaign for the June 2009 elections will include information directed at nationals of other EU member states. The campaign will use online and press advertising targeted specifically at EU nationals, explaining who is eligible to register to vote, how to register and providing key information on the elections. The Commission also provides translated registration forms and other voter materials on its website.
Voting Levels
Mr. Bone: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission what recent assessment the Electoral Commission has made of levels of voting among people aged 25 and under. [264466]
Sir Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that those aged 25 or under tend to be less likely to vote at elections than other age groups. However, specific turnout figures according to age should be treated as estimates only.
The Commission’s report on turnout at the 2005 UK parliamentary general election included two different estimates for the 18 to 24-year-old age group.
The first was provided by MORI and indicated that turnout was 37 per cent. among those aged 18 to 24. This was based on an aggregation of their pre-election surveys, with a total sample of approximately 18,000 people.
The second was provided by the British Election Study’s (BES) post-election survey of approximately 4,700 adults. This estimated that 45 per cent. of 18 to 24-year-olds had voted.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |