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Obesity: Surgery

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in each age category under the age of 18 years underwent surgery for obesity in
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each of the last three years; and what surgical treatments have been administered to treat the condition. [282484]

Gillian Merron: The requested data are not available. However, the following table provides data on the number of finished consultant episodes (FCEs) for patients under 18 year olds (0-17 years old) with a primary diagnosis of obesity⁽¹⁾ and a main or secondary procedure of Bariatric Surgery⁽²⁾ for 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08:

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	Total FCEs
2005-06	4
2006-07	2
2007-08	6
Notes: Finished Consultant Episode (FCE) A finished consultant episode (FCE) is defined as a continuous period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FCEs are counted against the year in which they end. The figures do not represent the number of different patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the same stay in hospital or in different stays in the same year. (1) Primary diagnosis The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital. The ICD-10 codes used to identify Obesity is as follows E66—Obesity Main procedure The main procedure is the first recorded procedure or intervention in the HES data set and is usually the most resource intensive procedure or intervention performed during the episode. It is appropriate to use main procedure when looking at admission details, (e.g. time waited), but a more complete count of episodes with a particular procedure is obtained by looking at the main and the secondary procedure. Secondary procedure As well as the main operative procedure, there are up to 23 (11 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and three prior to 2002-03) secondary operative procedure fields in HES that show secondary or additional procedures performed on the patient during the episode of care. (2) Number of episodes with ‘Bariatric Surgery’ as a main or secondary procedure These figures represent the number of episodes where the procedure (or intervention) was recorded in any of the 24 (12 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and four prior to 2002-03) operative procedure fields in a HES record. A record is only included once in each count, even if the procedure is recorded in more than one operative procedure field of the record. It should be noted that more procedures are carried out than episodes with a main or secondary procedure. For example, patients under going a ‘cataract operation’ would tend to have at least two procedures—removal of the faulty lens and the fitting of a new one—counted in a single episode. The OPCS-4.2 procedure codes for bariatric surgery in years 2005-06 to 2007-08 are: G01.2 Oesophagogastrectomy and anastomosis of oesophagus to transposed jejunum G01.3 Oesophagogastrectomy and anastomosis of oesophagus to jejunum nec G27.1 Total gastrectomy and excision of surrounding tissue G27.2 Total gastrectomy and anastomosis of oesophagus to duodenum G27.3 Total gastrectomy and interposition of jejunum G27.4 Total gastrectomy and anastomosis of oesophagus to transposed jejunum G27.5 Total gastrectomy and anastomosis of oesophagus to jejunum nec G27.8 Other specified total excision of stomach G27.9 Unspecified total excision of stomach G28.1 Partial gastrectomy and anastomosis of stomach to duodenum G28.2 Partial gastrectomy and anastomosis of stomach to transposed jejunum G28.3 Partial gastrectomy and anastomosis of stomach jejunum nec G28.8 Other specific partial excision of stomach G28.9 Unspecified partial excision of stomach G30.1 Gastroplasty nec G30.2 Partitioning of stomach nec G30.8 Other specified plastic operations on stomach G30.9 Unspecified plastic operations on stomach G31.1 Bypass of stomach by anastomosis of oesophagus to duodenum G31.2 Bypass of stomach by anastomosis of stomach to duodenum G31.3 Revision of anastomosis of stomach to duodenum G31.4 Conversion to anastomosis of stomach to duodenum G31.8 Other specified connection of stomach to duodenum G31.9 Unspecified connection of stomach to duodenum G31.0 Conversion from previous anastomosis of stomach to duodenum
G32.1 Bypass of stomach by anastomosis of stomach to transposed jejunum G32.2 Revision of anastomosis of stomach to transposed jejunum G32.3 Conversion to anastomosis of stomach to transposed jejunum G32.8 Other specified connection of stomach to transposed jejunum G32.9 Unspecified connection of stomach to transposed jejunum G32.0 Conversion from previous anastomosis of stomach to transposed jejunum G33.1 Bypass of stomach by anastomosis of stomach to jejunum nec G33.2 Revision of anastomosis of stomach to jejunum nec G33.3 Conversion of anastomosis of stomach to jejunum nec G33.8 Other specified other connection of stomach to jejunum G33.9 Unspecified other connection of stomach to jejunum G33.0 Conversion from previous anastomosis of stomach to jejunum nec G38.8 Other specified other open operations on stomach G48.1 Insertion of gastric bubble G48.2 Attention to gastric bubble The following additional four digit OPCS-4.3 and OPCS-4.4 codes are used in the 2006-07 and 2007-08 data (these are in addition to the OPCS 4.2 codes listed above): G28.4 Sleeve gastrectomy and duodenal switch G28.5 Sleeve gastrectomy nec G30.3 Partitioning of stomach using band G30.4 Partitioning of stomach using staples G31.5 Closure of connection of stomach and duodenum G31.6 Attention to connection of stomach and duodenum G32.4 Closure of connection of stomach to transposed jejunum G32.5 Attention to connection of stomach to transposed jejunum G33.5 Closure of connection of stomach to jejunum nec G33.6 Attention to connection of stomach to jejunum G38.7 Removal of gastric band G71.6 Duodenal switch The term “bariatric surgery” is often used to define a group of procedures that can be performed to facilitate weight loss although these procedures can be performed for conditions other than weight loss. Data quality HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 national health service trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. Data are also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. Assessing growth through time HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. The quality and coverage of the data have improved over time. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Some of the increase in figures for later years (particularly 2006-07 onwards) may be due to the improvement in the coverage of independent sector activity. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example, a number of procedures may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and may no longer be accounted for in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time. Ungrossed data Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in the data, i.e. the data are ungrossed. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care

Respite Care

Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to improve co-operation between primary care trusts and local authorities in planning, commissioning and funding short break services. [283058]

Phil Hope: The NHS Operating Framework 2009-10 states that primary care trusts (PCTs) should work with their local authority partners and publish joint plans on how their combined funding will support breaks for carers, including short breaks, in a personalised way. PCTs are therefore aware of this additional funding and it is for PCTs to decide how to use this funding in the light of local priorities. Local authorities and PCTs are accountable to their local communities and it is for them to find appropriate ways to work together to support carers.

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International Development

Departmental Billing

Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 8 June 2009, Official Report, column 757W, on departmental billing, how much his Department's non-departmental public bodies have paid in interest under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 in the last three years. [282328]

Mr. Michael Foster: None of the Department for International Development's non-departmental public bodies has paid interest under the Act in the last three years.

Departmental Drinking Water

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent on water coolers in each of the last six months. [282284]

Mr. Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not use water coolers in its UK offices. Drinking water is provided by means of filtered chilled tap water.

Information on water coolers in our overseas offices is not centrally available and could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.

Departmental Internet

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent on the maintenance of its website in each year since 2007. [282320]

Mr. Michael Foster: Maintenance costs of the Department for International Development's website were:

	£
2007-08	120,420
2008-09	173,637

Departmental Manpower

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many people from ethnic minority backgrounds his Department employs. [282291]

Mr. Michael Foster: Declaration of ethnicity is voluntary at the Department for International Development (DFID). As at the end of March 2009, and where ethnicity of our home civil service (HCS) staff in post is known, there were 154 staff with a declared ethnic minority background. This represents 12.4 per cent. of our HCS staff.

Departmental Press Releases

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many press releases his Department has issued in the last 12 years. [282314]

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Mr. Michael Foster: According to departmental records, the Department for International Development (DFID) has issued 633 press releases since January 2004.

DFID's press release archive does not go further back than this.

Departmental Training

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent on health and safety training in each of the last two years. [282310]

Mr. Michael Foster: In the last two years the Department for International Development (DFID) has spent £28,177 on health and safety training. These figures cover training conducted in DFID's UK headquarters. Information on training courses arranged by our overseas offices is not collated centrally and to provide this information would incur disproportionate costs.

International Women's Day

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent on promoting International Women's Day 2009. [282318]

Mr. Michael Foster: To mark International Women's Day, the Department for International Development (DFID) promoted work on violence against women, a policy issue of major concern to the UK Government and civil society partners in the UK and developing countries. Former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Mr. Ivan Lewis) hosted an exhibit commissioned by the non-governmental organisation Action Aid as part of a wider display of information in DFID's London office on the issue of violence against women. This was accompanied by a series of lunchtime films on gender issues shown during the week of 9 March. Non-staff costs incurred by these activities came to less than £200.

In addition, some DFID country offices used the occasion of International Women's Day to highlight work on gender issues in support of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). For example, in Sierra Leone, DFID committed £16,000 to support awareness-raising activities on the issue of maternal mortality during February and March.

Investing for Development

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking in response to the recommendations of the Eighteenth Report of the Committee of Public Accounts, Session 2008-09, HC94, on Investing for Development. [282635]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: The UK Government are currently preparing a formal response to the recommendations in the 18th Report by the Committee of Public Accounts (2008-09) on Investing for Development: the Department for International Development’s Oversight of CDC Group plc. This response will be set out in a Treasury minute to be presented to Parliament and published on 16 July 2009.

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Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent clearing mines from Iraq since 2001. [282341]

Mr. Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) has spent approximately £5 million clearing mines from Iraq since 2001.

Overseas Aid: Emergency Services

Mr. Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2009, Official Report, column 834W, on overseas aid: emergency services, what estimate he has made of the expenditure which will be incurred by the UK Fire and Rescue Service in undertaking its duties under the agreement on organisation of the overseas search and rescue capability in disaster response. [282166]

Mr. Michael Foster: Expenditure incurred by the UK Fire and Rescue Service in undertaking overseas search and rescue operations cannot be predicted in advance but will depend on the requirements in each response.

The Department for International Development (DFID) has agreed a budget for the UK Fire and Rescue Service to train, equip and maintain its readiness to provide search and rescue response of £241,230 over the three years 2009-10 to 2011-12.

Mr. Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2009, Official Report, column 834W, on overseas aid: emergency services, what plans there are for members of the UK Fire and Rescue Service to attend international disaster-related training events and conferences in the next 12 months. [282194]

Mr. Michael Foster: The UK Fire and Rescue Service so far plans to take part in the following events in the next year:

October, 2009 - International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) Africa, Europe and Middle-East Regional Meeting in Hungary.

2010 - Regional Team Leaders Meeting in Abu Dhabi; and

possibly a multi-regional INSARAG Team Leaders Meeting, location to be determined.

Overseas Aid: Indonesia

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent steps his Department has taken in respect of aid and assistance to those working in the rubber trade in Indonesia. [282282]

Mr. Michael Foster: Between February and March this year, the Department for International Development (DFID) funded work in Indonesia which produced first hand, up to date information on how the global economic crisis was affecting small-scale rubber producers. That work helped to inform the Indonesian Government’s understanding of which sectors of the economy and which communities are most vulnerable to the current economic shock.

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DFID programmes in Indonesia do not specifically target those working in the rubber trade. But earlier this year DFID provided an additional £4 million in support for the Indonesian Government’s main national social protection scheme, which aims to provide assistance to households facing increased hardship because of the global economic downturn.

Sri Lanka

Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what (a) financial and (b) technical assistance the Government plans to provide to Sri Lanka for de-mining the former conflict zones in the north of the country; and if he will make a statement. [281975]

Mr. Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) recently committed an additional £5 million of humanitarian funding for continuing life-saving response activities as well as early recovery work. Our early recovery work will include de-mining and we stand by ready to support funds for humanitarian de-mining agencies with strong capacity in country such as the Mines Action Group (MAG). DFID is providing no financial or technical support for humanitarian de-mining activities directly to the Government of Sri Lanka.

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