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8 May 2009 : Column 464W—continued
In addition to permanent cuts to expenditure such as the Europe Zero Based Review the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has also downgraded and cut a number of UK based and locally engaged positions in Europe in order to reflect the changing patterns of carrying out business in Europe, and in order to generate resource for redeployment to emerging priorities elsewhere. These data reflect this.
These downgraded and ended posts have contributed to wider efficiency programmes across Europe which will continue during the current CSR period.
The data provided relate to Foreign and Commonwealth Office positions in Europe funded by Europe Directorate. These make up the significant majority of positions that have been downgraded or cut. Information is not held centrally for the small number of non-Europe Directorate-funded positions that have also been downgraded or ended.
Kenya: Piracy
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the estimated costs to the Kenyan government of arrangements to prosecute piracy suspects; and what proportion of those costs will be met by (a) the UK and (b) other sources outside Kenya. [272918]
David Miliband: We have received no reports on the estimated cost to the Kenyan government of arrangements to prosecute piracy suspects. The UK and its partners are willing to consider support in response to requests from Kenya, such as the package of priority assistance measures identified by the European Commission during their recent scoping mission to Kenya.
The proposed assistance would be targeted at the prosecution, police, judicial and prison services, particularly focusing on capacity and logistical shortfalls associated with the trials and detention of piracy suspects. An indicative amount of €1.74 million has been proposed, using the UN Office on Drugs and Crime in Kenya as the implementing partner. We understand that this project is likely to be fully funded by the Commission.
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 1 April 2009, Official Report, column 1281W, on Somalia: piracy, what the outcome was of the visit by the EU delegation to Kenya to assess the level of support that the Kenyan authorities require in the prosecution of pirates; and what needs were identified. [273088]
David Miliband:
A European Commission delegation carried out a scoping mission in Kenya from 29 March 2009 to 3 April 2009. This resulted in a package of priority assistance measures being identified to support the efforts of the Kenyan authorities. The proposed assistance would be targeted at the prosecution, police, judicial and prison services, particularly focusing on capacity and logistical shortfalls associated with the trial and detention of piracy suspects. An indicative amount of €1.74 million has been proposed, using the UN Office on Drugs and Crime in Kenya as the implementing partner. We understand that this project
is likely to be fully funded by the Commission, which the Government very much welcome as appropriate recognition for the efforts being made by the Kenyan government.
Kenya: Politics and Government
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of (a) the political situation in Kenya and (b) progress in implementing the National Accord in that country. [272917]
David Miliband: I am very concerned by the political situation in Kenya, particularly the current disputes between the coalition partners and the detrimental impact this is having on implementation of the National Accord. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister wrote to President Kibaki and Prime Minister Odinga on 9 April 2009 to relay our concerns and to encourage them to intensify their efforts to deliver reforms. He underlined that unless more rapid progress was made on constitutional and electoral reforms, on improving security and on addressing corruption and impunity, there was a serious risk of a return to violence in Kenya. The Government will continue to work with the Kenyan government and our international partners to promote full delivery of the National Accord, providing practical and financial assistance where we can.
Russia: BBC External Services
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will commission an independent investigation into the administration and operations of the BBC Russia Service. [273604]
Caroline Flint: The BBC World Service is editorially, operationally and managerially independent of the Government, as is stated in the Broadcasting Agreement between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the BBC for the provision of the BBC World Service.
The BBC World’s service’s operation in Russia provide the Russian audience with trusted, high quality current affairs programmes and new media services. The FCO is satisfied that the recent changes to the service are being properly managed and reviewed in the normal process of evaluation within the BBC World Service.
We will therefore not call for an investigation into the BBC Russia service.
Health
Cross-Government Obesity Unit
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who the members of the Cross-Government Obesity Unit are. [273806]
Dawn Primarolo:
Will Cavendish, (Department of Health) and Anne Jackson (Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF)) are the Joint Directors responsible for the Cross-Government Obesity Unit
(CGOU). Clara Swinson (Department of Health) is the deputy director. The CGOU is jointly funded and staffed by the Department and DCSF.
Health Services
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what choice is statutorily available to users of (a) mental health services and (b) health services for physical illness on the types of services provided to them; and if he will make a statement. [270571]
Phil Hope: The NHS Constitution includes a right to “make choices about your NHS care. The options available will develop over time and depend on your individual need.” The first area where this has become a legal right is elective care where since 1 April 2009 patients have had a legal right to choose the organisation that provides their treatment when they are referred for their first out-patient appointment with a service led by consultants. This applies to the majority of patients including those with mental health problems. Those detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 are excluded. As this right covers only elective care, mental health services are not included.
As stated in the handbook to the NHS Constitution the right to choose will develop as choice is extended into other areas.
Health Services: Non-Profit-Making Associations
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has issued to primary care trusts in respect of commissioning (a) dental and (b) other health services from (i) social enterprises, (ii) charities and (iii) voluntary groups; and if he will make a statement. [272793]
Phil Hope: Guidance has been issued to primary care trusts on commissioning dental services and many other health services. Copies of all commissioning guidance issued by the Department are available on the Department's website at:
In line with the approach of the world class commissioning programme, guidance focuses on health outcomes, rather than which provider it should be commissioned from. The Department is also working with the NHS Alliance to deliver a series of workshops to general practitioners and practice staff on social enterprise and the benefits that it can bring to patients receiving primary care services. Furthermore, the National Programme for Third Sector Commissioning is a Government-backed training initiative to help develop public sector commissioners' skills, expertise and understanding of the third sector that aims to ensure that both third sector organisations and commissioners get the best results for people using public services.
Learning Disability: Health Services
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received on levels of funding for services for people with learning disabilities. [271666]
Phil Hope: The following representations have been received on the levels of funding for services for people with learning disabilities.
A report by the Learning Disability Coalition Future expenditure on social care for people with learning disabilities highlighting issues affecting learning disability services in the next few years.
Between January and March 2009, the Department received five parliamentary questions from the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) about future funding plans for adults with learning disabilities.
In January 2009, the hon. Member for Leeds, North-West (Greg Mulholland) asked what guidance was given to local authorities to ensure that their resource allocation systems achieve a fair and effective allocation of resources for people with learning disabilities.
In March 2009 the right hon. Member for Oxford, East (Mr. Smith) asked about the basis for calculating the sum to be transferred from his Department to local authorities when they take responsibility for support for learning disabled people.
Departmental officials have a regular discourse with the Learning Disability Coalition. The last meeting took place last week to discuss their concerns about levels of funding for learning disability services and implementation of the cross-Government strategy on learning disabilities, ‘Valuing People Now’.
HM Treasury have yet to announce the timing of the next spending review and make available the associated guidance. Within the remit given to us by the guidance, the Department plans to make the best possible case for adequate funding for all adults with social care needs—including those with a learning disability—based on available data and evidence.
Members: Correspondence
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall North of 31 March 2009 concerning a constituent. [273803]
Ann Keen: A reply was issued to my hon. Friend on 6 May 2009.
Mental Health Services
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions electro-convulsive therapy was administered to a mental health patient (a) in total and (b) as part of compulsory treatment in each of the last five years. [271724]
Phil Hope: The data requested on occasions when electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) has been administered to a mental health patient in total are in the following table.
We do not have the data requested about ECT and compulsory treatment. However, patients who are detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 cannot generally be given ECT without their consent, unless it is authorised by a Second Opinion Appointed Doctor (SOAD). The following table shows the number of second opinion requests in England and Wales for ECT received in each calendar year followed by the percentage of those requests that resulted in the Second Opinion Appointed Doctor issuing a statutory certificate authorising ECT.
We do not know how many of these allocations were acted on.
| 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | |
| Source: The Care Quality Commission | |||||
Obesity
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to his Department’s report Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives: One Year On, which 20 areas of the country the National Support Team visited. [273809]
Phil Hope: Between December 2007 and April 2009, the Childhood Obesity National Support Team visited 21 areas. Information on which areas were visited is provided as follows:
Isle of Wight;
Redcar and Cleveland;
Ashton, Leigh and Wigan;
South of Tyne and Wear;
Barnsley;
South Staffordshire;
Sheffield;
Liverpool;
Leicester;
Newham;
Manchester;
Southwark;
Cornwall;
City and Hackney;
Walsall;
Lincolnshire;
Bristol;
East Kent;
West Essex;
East Lancashire; and
Islington.
Obesity: Children
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to his Department's report Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives: One Year On, which 122 local authorities selected (a) one and (b) both of the child obesity indicators in their local area agreements. [273807]
Dawn Primarolo: Updated information on the number of local areas that have selected either one or both of the child obesity indicators in their local area agreements is provided in the following lists.
National Indicator 55: Obesity among primary school age children in r eception y ear
Bristol
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