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5 May 2009 : Column 100W—continued
Voluntary Organisations: Government Assistance
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps have been taken to increase access to Government grants for small, community-led projects. [271967]
Kevin Brennan: Government are investing £130 million through the Grassroots Grants programme to deliver small grants funding to charities and social enterprises.
In West Sussex for example, Government have committed £1,836,363 over three years to provide immediate funding to small, local community groups, and also to match fund local donations, which will support these groups into the future.
In recognition of the particular challenges facing community level third sector organisations who provide recession focused services, Government have provided a further £15.5 million to support these organisations in the 50 areas of England most at risk of increased deprivation as a result of the recessions.
More information about the Grassroots Grants and Targeted Support Funds can be found at the Community Development Foundation (CDF) website:
Voluntary Organisations: Leicestershire
Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much funding from the public purse has been allocated to third sector organisations in (a) Leicester East constituency and (b) Leicestershire in each of the last five years. [271483]
Kevin Brennan: The Cabinet Office does not hold this information centrally.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what recent estimate he has made of the number of third sector organisations operating in Leicester East constituency. [271484]
Kevin Brennan: The Cabinet Office does not hold information on the number of third sector organisations operating in each constituency area.
Health
Accident and Emergency Departments
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many attendances there were at each type 1 accident and emergency department in England in the most recent year for which figures are available. [271810]
Mr. Bradshaw: A table which shows the number of attendances at major (type 1) accident and emergency departments, in the most recent year for which figures are available (2008) has been placed in the Library. The data requested are also available on the Department’s website at:
Cancer: Alcoholic Drinks
Ms Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds on the relationship between alcohol consumption and cancer among (a) men and (b) women; and if he will make a statement. [270218]
Dawn Primarolo: Research has shown that alcohol is a carcinogen and that long-term regular consumption increases the risks of cancers of the mouth, oesophagus (gullet), larynx, liver, and female breast and, to a lesser extent, cancers of the colon, and rectum. While research suggests that there is no low level of long-term, regular consumption of alcohol that can reliably be described as risk-free, any such increased risk of cancer at low levels of consumption is itself reported as low.
The relative risks of developing mouth, oesophagus (gullet), larynx, colo-rectum, liver and female breast cancer are given in the following table:
| Relative risk of developing cancer for men regularly drinking 40 grams (g) (5 units) or more per day and women regularly drinking 20g (2.5 units) or more per day compared to men/women who do not drink( 1) | Relative risk of developing cancer for men regularly drinking 60g (7.5 units) or more per day and women regularly drinking 40g (5 units) or more per day compared to men/women who do not drink( 2) | |||
| Alcohol-related cancers | Men | Women | Men | Women |
| (1) Unless otherwise stated, relative risks taken from National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia: www.nhmrc.gov.au/consult/_files/draft_australian_alcohol_guidelines.pdf (2) Unless otherwise stated, relative risks taken from Rehm J., Room R., Monteiro M., Gmel G., Graham K., Rehn T., Sempos C. T., Frick U., Jernigan D. Alcohol. (2004) In: WHO (ed), Comparative quantification of health risks: Global and regional burden of disease due to selected major risk factors. Geneva: WHO. (3) From Corrao, G., Bagnardi, V., Zambon, A. and La Vecchia C. (2004) A meta-analysis of alcohol consumption and the risk of 15 diseases. Preventive Medicine 38 613-619. (4) World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research. Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective. Washington DC: AICR, 2007 | ||||
The Department is committed to raising public understanding of the risks from excessive alcohol consumption, including those relating to various types of cancer. Raised risks of female breast cancer, in particular, are highlighted in the Department's ‘Know Your Limits' campaign, which began in May 2008.
Cancer: Death
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths from cancer there were in each (a) ward and (b) lower layer super output area in England in the most recent year for which figures are available. [271808]
Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated April 2009:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths from cancer there were in each (a) ward and (b) lower layer super output area in England in the most recent year for which figures are available. (271808)
The tables provide the number of deaths where cancer was the underlying cause of death in each (a) electoral ward (Table 1) and (b) lower super output area (Table 2), in England, for 2007 (the latest year available). A copy of the tables has been placed in the House of Commons Library
Departmental Visits Abroad
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on (a) overseas and (b) domestic (i) travel and (ii) subsistence in respect of its (A) officials and (B) contractors in each year since 1997 [267473]
Mr. Bradshaw: There is no statutory requirement to report overseas and domestic travel or subsistence as separate items in the departmental annual accounts. Therefore, it is only possible to provide the total value of travel and subsistence paid (which includes overnight accommodation). Similarly, it is not possible to separately identify officials and contractors.
In July 2008, the Department introduced a new finance system, which does allow for the separate identification of domestic and overseas travel. Separate figures for overseas and domestic travel will therefore be available from the 2009-10 financial year. However, these expenses will not be identifiable as for departmental staff or contractors.
| £ | |
Drinking Water
Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has (a) undertaken and (b) evaluated on the comparative effects on health of bottled water and tap water. [272045]
Dawn Primarolo: No research has been undertaken or evaluated by my Department on this matter.
Both bottled water and tap water must comply with legislation that establishes safety limits for chemicals and microbes in the water. These requirements are similar for both tap water and bottled water.
The safety and quality of the public water supply is regulated in England by the Drinking Water Inspectorate and that of private water supplies and bottled water by local authorities.
Eczema: Hertfordshire
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were diagnosed with eczema in (a) Hemel Hempstead and (b) Hertfordshire in each of the last 10 years. [272161]
Ann Keen: The information on the number of people diagnosed with eczema in Hemel Hempstead and Hertfordshire in each of the last 10 years is not held centrally.
Epilepsy: Waiting Lists
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 24 April 2009, Official Report, column 933W, on epilepsy: waiting lists, for what (a) clinical and (b) other reasons no specific waiting time targets have been set for referrals of patients with suspected epilepsy. [272638]
Ann Keen: The Department does not set targets, or collect data, on waiting times for most specific medical conditions. However, guidance issued by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in their report, The diagnosis and management of the epilepsies in adults and children in primary and secondary care, published October 2004 recommends that all people having a first seizure should be seen as soon as possible by a specialist in the management of the epilepsies to ensure precise and early diagnosis and initiation of therapy as appropriate to their needs.
Eyesight: Testing
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pensioners resident in Hendon had free eye tests in 2008-09. [272300]
Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested.
Information is provided by primary care trust (PCT) and by strategic health authority but is not available by parliamentary constituency. In 2007-08, 30,738 persons over 60 received a free national health service sight test in the Barnet PCT area. Barnet PCT comprises the Hendon, Chipping Barnet, and Finchley and Golders Green constituencies.
First Aid: Parents
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make an estimate of the proportion of new parents who undertook training in first aid prior to the birth of their children in the last 12 months. [272494]
Ann Keen: Information on the number of parents who have undertaken first aid training is not available.
Our publication “Birth to Five” gives advice to new mothers on a full range of child health, development and parenting issues, including how to cope with illness, injuries and step-by-step emergency first aid. “Birth to Five” encourages parents to take a first aid course and gives information on courses run by the St. John’s Ambulance and local NHS ambulance services. A copy of the publication has already been placed in the Library.
Food: Hygiene
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many businesses selling food have been closed consequent upon visits from environmental health inspectors in (a) Hemel Hempstead and (b) Hertfordshire in each of the last 10 years. [272160]
Dawn Primarolo: Local authority environmental health officers have powers under food safety regulations to close food establishments, through either an emergency prohibition notice/order or a voluntary closure, because of their imminent risk to food safety. Establishments may subsequently re-open if brought back to compliance with food safety regulations. In a small number of cases, an emergency notice may be served prohibiting the use of a specified piece of equipment; however, the food business may continue to operate.
The figures in the following table show the number of food establishments subject to an emergency prohibition notice/order, or a voluntary closure:
| Hertfordshire( 1) | Hemel Hempstead( 2) | |
| (1) The local authorities comprising the Hertfordshire region are shown at: www.direct.gov.uk/en/Dl1/Directories/Localcouncils/DG_4003594 (2) Data for Dacorum district council. Notes: 1. Data were collected on a financial year basis from 2004-05 but on a calendar year basis prior to this. 2. The last year for which full year data are available is 2006-07. 3. No breakdown of data below the total for England is available for years prior to 2001. | ||
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