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15 July 2009 : Column 520W—continued
| Costs for the Department's Media Centre Staff, 2003-04 to 2007-08 | |
| Cost (£ million) | |
Figures exclude social security and pension costs. We are unable to give figures for 2008-09 as they have not yet been audited.
These figures only relate to activity by the Communications directorate and not to other areas of the Department as this would incur disproportionate cost.
It is not possible to include figures for non departmental public bodies as these figures are not held centrally.
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the rules on movements of his Department's staff to commercial companies under the business appointments procedures. [286636]
Phil Hope: Rules on civil servants taking up outside business appointments are published in the Civil Service Management Code (section 4.3) which can be found at:
Section 4.3 Annex A contains the full guidance on accepting outside business appointments. The Department complies fully with the requirements of the Civil Service Management Code in ensuring adherence to the business appointments procedure.
These rules are also referred to in the Directory of Civil Service guidance, available at:
Standard employment contracts for all senior civil servants refer to the rules on outside business appointments.
Departmental Policy
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with which third party organisations (a) he and his predecessors, (b) other Ministers in his Department and (c) senior officials in his Department have met in the last 12 months to discuss matters relevant to the formulation of his Department's policies. [285938]
Phil Hope: Ministers and officials meet a wide range of organisations throughout the year and the information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Dietary Supplements: EC Law
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will instruct the Food Standards Agency to issue briefing material to United Kingdom Members of the European Parliament on progress in establishing maximum permitted levels for nutrients in food supplements under the provisions of Article 5 of the Food Supplements Directive; and if he will make a statement. [285676]
Gillian Merron: No specific levels for vitamins and minerals in food supplements have yet been proposed by the European Commission or discussed in Commission-led working group meetings with member states.
At this stage there are no plans for the Food Standards Agency to provide briefing material to United Kingdom Members of the European Parliament on progress in establishing maximum permitted levels for nutrients in food supplements under the provisions of Article 5 of the Food Supplements Directive.
Doctors: Working Hours
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to his announcement of 25 June 2009 on the European Working Time Directive, what (a) the 200 rotas recommended for a derogation from the Directive for doctors in training and (b) the two rotas not recommended for such a derogation are; and what the reasons for the decision were in each case. [286600]
Ann Keen: All rotas recommended for derogation are listed in the Statutory Instrument that was laid before Parliament. The services were recommended for derogation, as they were unlikely to be able to provide working arrangements for junior doctors of the complaint with the requirements of the directive in time to meet the deadline of 1 August and would require further support to become compliant.
The two rotas not recommended for derogation were outside of the scope of directive as they did not refer to junior doctors in training posts.
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to his announcement of 25 June 2009 on the European Working Time Directive, which 62 trusts made applications for derogations from the Directive for doctors in training; what reasons were given in each application; and whether or not a derogation was granted in each case. [286601]
Ann Keen: 202 services applied for derogation. 200 were recommended for derogation as they were unlikely to be able to provide working arrangements for junior doctors of the complaint with the requirements of the directive in time to meet the deadline of 1 August and would require further support to become compliant. Two services were not recommended because they were outside of the scope of directive as they did not refer to junior doctors in training posts.
All services are listed within the Statutory Instrument, which was laid before Parliament and is in the public domain.
Drinking Water: Fluoride
Mr. McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on the fluoridation of water supplies in (a) England and (b) West Derbyshire. [286409]
Ann Keen: We consider that fluoridation of water is capable of reducing inequalities in oral health, but strategic health authorities (SHAs) are responsible for decisions on proposals for new schemes. The SHAs have to take account of assessments of oral health needs conducted by their primary care trusts (PCTs), the configuration of the water distribution system and the outcome of local, public consultations. We understand that PCTs across the East Midlands, including Derbyshire County PCT, are conducting a feasibility study to assess the costs, benefits and technical options of fluoridation.
Drugs
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of obtaining out of stock medicines in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [286532]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: While the Department has not specifically made an estimate of the costs to the national health service of obtaining out of stock medicines, the Department is in discussions with the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee regarding the difficulties pharmacies are facing in obtaining some medicines.
Drugs: Misuse
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of patients treated by the NHS for drug addiction in (a) the East of England and (b) Suffolk were no longer addicted at the end of their treatment in each of the last three years. [286274]
Gillian Merron: The number and percentage of people treated by the national health service for drug addiction in the East of England and Suffolk is shown in the following table.
Drugs: Risk Assessment
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether (a) his Department and (b) the National Patient Safety Agency has undertaken a risk assessment of proposals for generic drug substitution. [286848]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: No such formal assessment has been undertaken.
Patient safety will be paramount in taking forward the work on generic substitution. It has long been the Department's policy to encourage generic prescribing where possible, for reasons of good professional practice and because of the opportunities for more effective use of national health service resources. However, we have always recognised that there are circumstances in which it may be clinically appropriate to prescribe a particular brand of drug even where a generic is available if the prescriber considers it essential for the patient to receive that specific product. This position will need to be maintained under any new specific proposals made as part of the work on generic substitution.
Eating Disorders: Finance
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS spent on treating eating disorders in the period 2004 to 2008; and if he will make a statement. [286714]
Phil Hope: This information is not held centrally. Primary care trusts are responsible for providing local health services and together with their strategic health authorities are responsible for deciding which services to plan, commission and develop to meet the health needs of their local communities.
Since 2001-02, real terms investment in adult mental health services increased by 44 per cent., or £1.7 billion, putting in place the services and staff needed to transform mental health services. The national health service spent £5.53 billion on these services in 2007-08 compared to £3.844 billion in 2001-02.
Epilepsy: Medical Treatments
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 8 July 2009, Official Report, columns 886-7W, on epilepsy: medical treatments, if he will consider the merits of making specific exclusions to his policy of generic substitution. [286769]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: No decisions have yet been made on whether any medicines and, if so, which should be excluded from the arrangements for generic substitution.
Food: Chemical Analysis
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with local authorities on trends in their budgetary provision for the chemical analysis of food over the last five years. [285696]
Gillian Merron: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not held such discussions with local authorities. The Food Standard Agency (FSA), however, as the central competent authority in the United Kingdom for controls on feed and food (safety and standards) uses statutory powers to monitor and audit local authority performance which include reporting on sampling activities by local authorities. Local authorities are measured against responsibilities set out in the Statutory Food Law Code of Practice (separate parallel codes of practice exist for each of the four UK countries). Local authority monitoring and audit information is available from 2000, and can be found at:
Food: Safety
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will establish a system of standard food sampling rates in consultation with food authorities. [285211]
Gillian Merron: The Food Standard Agency (FSA) as the Central Competent Authority in the United Kingdom for controls on feed and food (safety and standards), has no plans to set sampling rates for local authorities. Local authority food sampling responsibilities are set out in the statutory Food Law Code of Practice (Separate parallel Codes of Practice exist for each of the four UK countries). Local authorities are required to put together a sampling programme which details their intended food sampling priorities, taking into account the number, type and risk rating of premises in their area and any national or local consumer issues that may influence sampling rates. Also important are any responsibilities under the originating or home authority principle.
Local authorities may be audited against the Code of Practice requirements as part of the FSA's audit scheme (as part of the Framework Agreement on Local Authority Food Law Enforcement).
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make an evaluation of the cost effectiveness of food screening laboratories. [285212]
Gillian Merron: The Food Standard Agency has not carried out an evaluation of the cost effectiveness of food screening laboratories. However, the cost effectiveness of the analytical provision for local authorities is assured as a result of the current requirement for local authorities to appoint a public analyst through competitive tender. This allows local authorities to choose to send samples to laboratories that are competitive in terms of price and quality of service.
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has given to local authorities on levels of their budgets for chemical analysis of food. [285245]
Gillian Merron: Local authority food sampling responsibilities are set out in the Food Law Code of Practice (separate parallel Codes of Practice exist for each of the four United Kingdom countries). Local authorities are required to put together a sampling programme which details their intended food sampling priorities, taking into account the number, type and risk rating of premises in their area and any national or local consumer issues that may influence sampling rates. Also important are any responsibilities under the originating or home authority principle.
Local authorities must ensure the resources necessary to carry out the food sampling programme are made available.
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