| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
20 Mar 2009 : Column 1366W—continued
Notes:
1. The Information Centre for health and social care collects data from the NHS Stop Smoking Services as part of the NHS Stop Smoking Services quarterly monitoring returns forms, undertaken since 2005 on behalf of the Department.
2. On the basis that the clinical viewpoint tends to be that a client should not be counted as a ‘failure’ if he/she has smoked in the difficult first days after the quit date, a client is counted as having successfully quit smoking if he/she has not smoked at all since two weeks after the quit date. The four-week follow-up (and Carbon Monoxide (CO) validation, if appropriate) must be completed within six weeks of the quit date. Persons not contacted within this time are treated as lost to follow-up for evaluation purposes.
3. Only people who set a quit date through the NHS Stop Smoking Services are included in the quarterly monitoring returns, those who attend the service but do not set a quit date are not included.
Strokes: Health Services
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made towards ensuring that patients with suspected trans ischaemic attacks are scanned with magnetic resonance imaging within 24 hours as referred to in the National Stroke Strategy. [263464]
Ann Keen: High quality imaging of the brain and blood vessels is a key part of a successful stroke service and the Department issued ‘Implementing the National Stroke Strategy—an imaging guide’ in May 2008 to support local improvement. A copy has been placed in the Library. The 2008 National Sentinel Stroke Audit notes that providing access to magnetic resonance imaging within 24 hours to high risk patients will require a major reorganisation of imaging facilities. The Stroke Improvement Programme (part of NHS Improvement) has been established to support providers and commissioners in implementing the necessary changes to achieve these standards.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Anti-Semitism
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which Minister signed the Final Declaration of the London conference on combating anti-Semitism; and if he will make a statement. [264676]
Gillian Merron: My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary signed the London Declaration on combating anti-Semitism in their capacity as parliamentarians.
The London Declaration was signed by 125 parliamentarians from 40 countries.
The Government are committed to combating anti-Semitism wherever and whenever it occurs.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 9 March 2009, Official Report, column 41W, on anti-Semitism, what steps the Government plans to take to monitor and tackle anti-Semitism overseas; and if he will make a statement. [264677]
Gillian Merron: The recent London Conference on combating anti-Semitism, organised by the Inter-parliamentary Coalition for Combating Anti-Semitism and co-hosted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, called for the establishment of an international task-force of internet specialists to measure racism and anti-Semitism online and propose international responses.
It also called for the exposure and isolation of governments and politicians engaging in hate against Jews, and urged the EU to address the issue of combating anti-Semitism.
We will work with the Inter-parliamentary Coalition and other partners on follow-up to the London Conference.
Brasilia
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many visits were made by Ministers to Brasilia in the financial year 2007-08. [264568]
Gillian Merron: Our records indicate that in the period running from the 1 April 2007 to the 31 March 2008, there were four visits by Government Ministers to Brasilia. These were the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Secretary of State for Transport, the Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and the Secretary of State for Health.
Departmental Temporary Employment
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department’s policy is on the renewal of the contracts of (a) temporary and (b) agency staff. [264301]
Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)’s policy on the renewal of temporary contracts follows the Civil Service Commissioners Recruitment Code. Information can be found on their website:
The use and renewal of temporary agency staff is devolved to FCO directorates. They use agency staff when there is a pressing short-term operational need and there are no permanent members of staff available. There is central internal guidance available to directorates on using temporary agency staff.
Exercise
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what methodology his Department uses to assess progress towards the target of getting two million people more active by 2012; on which date such assessment began; to which age groups the target is applied; on what basis a person may be classified as more active; and whether the target is applied to people with (a) mental health problems, (b) physical disabilities and (c) learning disabilities. [264437]
Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
The Government's 2012 legacy action plan, published in June 2008, sets a cross-Government target to get two million more adults active through sport and physical activity by 2012. The Department of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) and Sport England lead on getting one million people doing more sport. A range of Government Departments will deliver programmes that will increase wider physical activity. These programmes are outlined in the Department of Health's new Physical Activity Plan “Be Active, Be Healthy” published on 11 February 2009. A copy has been placed in the Library.
Sport England's Active People survey will be the measure for the two million target. The baseline for the target will be established using the 2007-08 Active People
survey, the results of which were published on 11 December 2008. The target is based on those adults aged 16 and over achieving three sessions of at least 30 minutes of at least moderate intensity activity per week. The target will also be informed by additional data collected on dance, active conservation and gardening from January 2009. A newly established Physical Activity Programme Board, chaired jointly by the Department and DCMS, will oversee the delivery of programmes against the Legacy Action Plan (LAP) target.
The LAP target applies to all adults aged over 16 and “Be Active, Be Healthy” recognises that people with disabilities, ranging from physical and neurological to sensory impairments and learning disabilities are at particular risk from inactivity.
Kenya: Elections
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the government of Kenya on the role of the International Criminal Court in investigations of post-election violence in Kenya. [264591]
Gillian Merron [holding answer 19 March 2009]: The Government have made clear, both privately and publicly through the media, their support for the recommendations made by the independent Commission of Inquiry into Post-Election Violence. The creation of a Special Tribunal to prosecute those responsible for the violence will be an important step in efforts to end impunity and foster healing and reconciliation in Kenya.
Our support for a local independent tribunal is in line with the views of Kofi Annan, the Inquiry’s recommendations and the Kenyan government’s adoption of the recommendations. Such a tribunal, with an international prosecutor and judges and strong witness protection systems, could help rebuild confidence in Kenya’s judiciary and would be a good route to justice for the victims of that violence, and to stopping it from re-occurring. The International Criminal Court in The Hague is another route for seeking justice and would be an alternative option if the creation of a local tribunal failed. But a local solution would be of greater benefit to Kenya in the long term.
Our high commissioner to Kenya has discussed this subject with Kenyan ministers, including the President and Prime Minister, and with MPs and civil society groups.
Redundancy
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the Answer of 25 November 2008, Official Report, columns 1208-10W, on redundancy, how many staff left his Department under staff exit schemes with a severance package worth (a) between £100,000 and £125,000, (b) between £125,001 and £150,000, (c) between £150,001 and £200,000, (d) between £200,001 and £250,000, (e) between £250,001 and £500,000, (f) between £500,001 and £1,000,000 and (g) over £1,000,000 in each year since 2005-06. [264300]
Gillian Merron:
My answer of 25 November 2008, Official Report, columns 1208-10W, provided a breakdown of total lifetime costs to the Department of early retirements
between April 2005 and March 2009. The figures do not represent the value of sums received by staff, which will be lower.
The number of early retirement settlements over the past four years broken down into the categories listed above according to lifetime cost to the Department is:
(a) 30
(b) 23
(c) 46
(d) 29
(e) 63
(f) 2
(g) 0
Torture
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will establish a judicial inquiry into allegations of UK complicity in torture overseas and extraordinary rendition. [263763]
David Miliband [holding answer 17 March 2009]: I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s statement of 18 March 2009, Official Report, column 55WS, in which he addressed these allegations and outlined the steps being taken in response to them.
UN World Conference against Racism
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of the decision of the Italian government to withdraw from the United Nations Durban 2 conference; and if he will make a statement. [264330]
Gillian Merron: Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini announced on 5 March 2009 that Italy would not participate in negotiations on the draft outcome document for the Durban Review Conference.
Italy would, however, continue to follow the process and reconsider its position if EU red lines were respected.
The Government have on several occasions expressed its view on the Durban Review Conference, the follow-up to the 2001 World Conference Against Racism. We want the conference to forge a collective will to fight against racism in all its forms, in all countries in the world. It should not be seen as an opportunity to press unrelated political interests and issues.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the withdrawal of governments from the United Nations Durban 2 Conference; and if he will make a statement. [264675]
Gillian Merron: Canada and Israel have formally withdrawn from the Durban Review Conference. The United States and Italy announced that they would not take part in negotiations on the draft document that was under negotiation, and set conditions for their re-engagement.
This document has now been superseded by an updated version, which was issued on 17 March 2009.
The Government have expressed a consistent view on the Durban Review Conference. We want the conference to forge a collective will to fight against racism in all its forms, in all parts of the world. It should not be seen as an opportunity to press unrelated political interests and issues.
Zimbabwe: Sequestration of Assets
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make an assessment of the merits of seizing overseas assets of the Zimbabwean Government in order to pay the pensions of former employees of the Southern Rhodesian Government and other Zimbabwean pensioners. [264598]
Gillian Merron: The Government do not consider seizure of the overseas assets of the Government of Zimbabwe an appropriate means of obtaining funds for the payment of pensions of former employees of the Southern Rhodesian Government and other Zimbabwean pensioners. We continue to make representation to the Government of Zimbabwe reminding them of their legal obligations to meet pension liabilities.
Children, Schools and Families
Children: Social Services
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the projected expenditure on the integrated children's system is in each of the next five years. [264873]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The planned expenditure on the Integrated Children's System (ICS) for 2009-10 is £8.7 million. This consists of £5 million for capital grants to local authorities and £3.7 million to cover project costs. ICS investment beyond 2009-10 will be subject to the outcomes of the 2009 Spending Review. Our plans will be informed by the conclusions of the feasibility study of ICS recommended by Lord Laming in his report earlier this month on progress on the protection of children in England.
Children’s Centres
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many new Sure Start children's centres are planned by local authorities to be completed between January 2009 and March 2010. [264942]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry:
Local authorities are responsible for planning and delivering their Sure Start Children's
Centre programmes so that by March 2010 there will be at least 3,500 centres offering access to services for all children under five and their families. The Department's delivery partner, Together for Children, is working with authorities to support them in finalising and delivering their plans for the final phase of the roll-out of centres. The exact number of centres to be delivered between January 2009 and March 2010 is therefore subject to change as local authorities confirm their plans. At 23 February 2009 there were 2,925 designated Sure Start Children's Centres. Local authorities are on track to meet the target for 3,500 centres by March 2010.
Grammar Schools: Kent
Mr. Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils from each neighbouring council to Kent have been offered grammar school places in Kent in each of the last 10 years. [264836]
Jim Knight: As these arrangements are determined and administered locally, we do not hold data centrally on the number of pupils offered such places.
Parents: Advisory Services
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how the effectiveness of the Parent Know How programme is measured; and what assessment has been made of that effectiveness; [264943]
(2) how many people have used the Parent Know How programme websites in each quarter since they were established; [264944]
(3) how many people have used the Parent Know How (a) instant messaging and (b) SMS service in each quarter since each was established; [264945]
(4) how many calls there have been to each Parent Know How helpline in each quarter since their establishment. [264946]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: An independent evaluation of the Parent Know How programme was commissioned last year to look at the effectiveness of the telephone helpline and the pilot new services under the programme. The evaluation will support decisions we make about which of the pilot services we will continue to fund beyond June 2009. A full report will be published in the late spring.
The information requested about how many people have used the Parent Know How website, instant messaging and SMS services, and how many calls there have been to each helpline, in each quarter since the launch of the programme last year are as follows. Information about the quarter January-March 2009 will not be available until late April:
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |