| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
23 Mar 2009 : Column 166W—continued
1. The list of discontinued collections provided are those that have been through the central approval process, received ministerial approval and had an official licence for the data to be collected.
2. Collections have been included that were discontinued, but were subsequently superseded by new collections that covered or changed the original data requirement.
3. The list of one-off collections relate to requests for data during 2004 that were not scheduled to be repeated in subsequent years.
4. Collections are not included that commenced after 2004 and have subsequently been discontinued.
NHS: Working Hours
Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the effect of implementation of the European Working Time Directive on the working practices of NHS staff. [265731]
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of implementation of the European Working Time Directive on working practices in hospitals in England; and if he will make a statement. [265707]
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the number of NHS staff in each professional role whose working practices will be affected by the implementation of the revised European Working Time Directive. [265298]
Ann Keen: Many parts of the national health service have made excellent progress implementing this important legislation, which ensures that patients receive safe, high quality care from staff who have not been forced to work excessive hours. The United Kingdom Government notified the European Commission in January of their assessment of progress in achieving compliance with the European Working Time Directive by doctors in training. A copy of the UK Notification of Derogation for Doctors in Training has been placed in the Library. The Department is working closely with the Medical Royal Colleges, the British Medical Association and the strategic health authorities to ensure trusts are prepared for full implementation.
Occupational Therapy
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what planning assessments he has made in respect of the number of occupational therapists required in the National Health Service. [263611]
Ann Keen: As at 30 September 2007, there were 17,024 qualified occupational therapy staff employed in the national health service.
Effective work force planning is about delivering the best possible patient care by ensuring high quality staff with the right skills are in the right place at the right time.
No assessment has been made centrally as to the number of occupational therapists required as local NHS organisations are best placed to assess the health care needs of their local populations.
Patients: Surveys
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost of the latest GP patient survey is; and how much of that cost relates to writing to patients who had already answered, asking them to participate. [265289]
Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 20 March 2009]: The budget for the GP patient survey during 2008-09 is £8 million, a reduction of 20 per cent. on the 2007-08 costs. It is inevitable that with a survey of 5.7 million patients there will be a degree of crossover in the post of completed surveys with reminders. The number of items posted for each wave of the 2008-09 survey was:
5 January: 5,660,236;
9 February: 4,698,854; and
9 March: 3,496,282.
The postage cost of each individual letter works out at 28 pence per letter and it is estimated that due to the printing lead time of the reminders 200,000 questionnaires may have crossed in the post between completion and receipt of the reminders.
Physiology
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received from clinical physiologists on state registration for qualified members of their profession. [264539]
Ann Keen: In the past year we have received at least 69 representations. However, without examining each of these cases, this is only an indicative number. A more accurate answer could be given only at disproportionate cost.
Primary Care Trusts
Mr. Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce rules to restrict the use of public funds by primary care trusts on legal advice in relation to action taken by them in response to public concerns about the closure of hospital departments. [264008]
Ann Keen: It is for individual national health service organisations to decide, in conjunction with the direction and priorities agreed with their strategic health authority and priorities set out in the Department’s NHS operating framework, how to spend their resources for the benefit of patients. This principle applies to all expenditure and investment, including expenditure on legal fees.
Strokes: Health Services
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps have been taken under the National Stroke Strategy to reduce vascular risk in stroke or trans ischaemic attack patients. [263462]
Ann Keen: Under the quality and outcomes framework (QOF) primary care receives points for having a register of patients who have had a stroke or a trans ischaemic attack (TIA). The QOF also covers a number of indicators which relate to good clinical management of stroke patients, covering referral for further investigation, blood pressure and cholesterol management and the prescribing of anti-platelet or anti-coagulant medicine and flu vaccination. These measures assist primary care practitioners to reduce the risk of patients having a recurrent stroke or TIA.
The stroke strategy outlines the need to ensure systems are in place locally for key prevention measures e.g. management of hypertension and smoking cessation to those who have had a stroke or TIA.
Energy and Climate Change
Biofuels
Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to paragraph 7.4.6 of the UK Renewable Energy Strategy consultation document, what recent assessment he has made of greenhouse gas emissions associated with biomass in relation to the reporting requirements of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change on carbon-neutral energy sources. [264736]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 19 March 2009]: The UK Government’s National Inventory Report to the UNFCCC is due on 15 April. This will provide estimates of historical emissions, by sector, including biomass until 2007.
An assessment of the impact of announced policies by sector will be included in our UK 5(th) National Communication to the UNFCCC, which we hope to publish this summer.
Carbon Emissions: Buildings
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when phase 2 of the low carbon buildings grant will end; and what arrangements have been put in place for a replacement. [253788]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 2 February 2009]: Phase two of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme will close to new applications on 30 June 2009. We are currently considering next steps post June 2009.
A feed-in tariffs (FITs) mechanism for small-scale, low-carbon electricity generation is currently being developed. We will consult on the details of the scheme this summer and FITs will be in place in April 2010.
A mechanism for a Renewable Heat Incentive is also being developed and the details of this scheme will also be consulted on. We intend to have the RHI in place in April 2011.
Carbon Sequestration
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the development of carbon capture and storage technologies. [264695]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The Government’s policy on carbon, capture and storage was most recently set out in the Energy White Paper, 2007 and the “Carbon Abatement
Technology (CAT) Strategy for Fossil Fuel Use in the UK”, 2005. These policies were underpinned by a number of studies and reports, some specifically commissioned by the Government such as:
Review on Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS), 2003:
The Role of Fossil Fuel Carbon Abatement Technologies in a Low Carbon Energy System—A Report on Analysis Undertaken to Advise on DTI’s CAT Strategy, 2005:
Industrial Carbon Dioxide Emissions and Carbon Dioxide Storage Potential in the UK, 2006:
The Government also take account of the work of others such as the:
IEA Energy Technologies Perspectives http://www.iea.org/Textbase/techno/etp/index.asp
European Technology Platform for Zero Emission Fossil Fuel Plans—CO2 Capture and Storage (CCS) Matrix of Technologies
Advanced Power Generation Technology Forum
Most recently, the Advisory Committee on Carbon Abatement Technologies (ACCAT) has set out its views on how Government should review their CAT Strategy in its advisory document on “Accelerating the Deployment of Carbon Abatement Technologies with special focus on Carbon Capture and Storage, 2009”:
The Government will be taking this into account as they develop their future policies on CCS.
Departmental Art Works
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which works of art from the Government Art Collection each Minister in his Department has selected for display in a private office. [259434]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: No Minister within this Department has currently selected any works of art from the Government Art Collection for any private office.
Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many staff in his Department were disciplined for (a) bullying and (b) harassment of colleagues in each of the last three years. [254090]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Since the Department’s creation on 3 October 2008 no one has been disciplined in those circumstances.
Departmental Location
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many staff in his Department have their main place of work outside London. [257594]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: In February 2009 DECC had 74 staff whose main place of work was outside London.
Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much has been claimed in reimbursable expenses by special advisers in his Department since its inception. [260294]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Costs incurred on reimbursable expenses in 2008-09 will be available only when the Department's resource accounts are fully audited and laid before Parliament. This is expected to be before the 2009 summer recess.
Departmental Performance Appraisal
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many members of staff in his Department are subject to a performance-based bonus system. [255151]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: DECC was created on 3 October 2008 when staff were transferred from BERR and DEFRA. Work is currently being undertaken to design the DECC pay systems. These will need to be approved by HMT and negotiated with the trade unions for implementation later in the year. In line with civil service pay policy, the DECC pay arrangements will include a performance-based bonus scheme which will cover all staff but no decisions have been taken so far on the proportion of staff in any year who will actually receive a bonus.
Departmental Surveys
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department has conducted a recent survey of the level of staff morale within his Department. [255276]
Deposited Papers
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what procedures his Department has in place to ensure that undertakings to place documents in the Library are fulfilled. [247142]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Since 26 January 2009, when the Department of Energy and Climate Change's Parliamentary Unit was set up, officials from the unit check all written answers to parliamentary questions, written ministerial statements, ministerial correspondence and debates in the Chamber to record instances where a Minister commits the Department to place a document in the Libraries of the House. The Parliamentary Unit then arranges this and maintains an electronic record.
Prior to 26 January 2009 this activity was undertaken jointly by the Parliamentary Units of BERR and DEFRA.
Electric Cables
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what (a) mileage and (b) percentage of new power lines was laid (i) underground and (ii) overground in each of the last 30 years. [263057]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The Department is unable to provide historical data covering the last 30-year period. Ofgem the industry regulator has provided comprehensive data covering the periods 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08
for both transmission and distribution networks across England, Wales and Scotland. These details are contained in the following table.
| Kilometres/percentage | ||||
| Total added | Overhead | Underground | Percentage underground | |
A large amount of new power lines are low voltage distribution lines in urbanised areas.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |