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20 July 2009 : Column 964W—continued
Written Answers to Questions
Monday 20 July 2009
Health
Accident and Emergency Departments: Young People
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many stomach pumps were administered in accident and emergency departments (a) to under 16 year-olds, (b) to under 25 year olds and (c) in total in each of the last five years. [287369]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Data on the administration of stomach pumps in accident and emergency departments is not collected centrally.
Allergies: Consultants
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 7 July 2009, Official Report, column 685W, on allergies, (1) if he will make it his policy to increase the number of (a) adult and (b) paediatric allergy consultants; [288306]
(2) if he will make it his policy to increase the number of specialist allergy training posts available. [288307]
Ann Keen: In 2007 the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee published a report on allergy. The Government published a response to that report in November 2007. An update on the current situation regarding allergy services has recently been placed in the Library.
As part of implementing the House of Lords recommendations, in June 2007 the Department created five additional allergy and immunology training posts.
Workforce planning in the national health service is managed locally and led by the strategic health authorities (SHAs) taking into account the national policy direction. SHAs assess with local services and clinicians the need for posts for allergists.
The National Occupational Standards developed by Skills for Health, together with the development of care pathways and clinical guidance, will help enhance the knowledge and expertise of primary care staff caring for patients with allergies
Childbirth: Shropshire
Mr. Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the percentage change in rates of birth to (a) UK-born mothers and (b) foreign-born mothers has been in the Shropshire County Primary Care Trust area since 2001. [288431]
Angela E. Smith: 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 July 2009:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question about what the percentage change in rates of birth to (a) UK born mothers and (b) foreign born mothers has been in the Shropshire County Primary Care Trust area since 2001. (288431)
In order to calculate the requested birth rates, population estimates for UK born and foreign born females by five-year age group for Shropshire County PCT are required. These estimates are only available at the national level.
Estimated birth rates for UK born and foreign born women in England and Wales have been published for 2004-2007 (Table 1). These rates show that fertility among UK born women has risen since 2004 while fertility among foreign born women, although higher, has remained relatively unchanged.
| Table 1: Estimated total fertility rates for UK born and foreign born women, England and Wales, 2004-07 | ||||
| Total fertility rate | ||||
| 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | |
| Source: Birth registrations and Annual Population Survey. | ||||
The number of live births to UK born and foreign born mothers are available from birth registration. Table 2 below shows the number of live births to UK born and foreign born mothers usually resident in Shropshire County PCT in 2001 and 2007 (latest year available). The final two columns show the percentage change in live births to UK born and foreign born mothers between 2001 and 2007 in Shropshire County PCT and England and Wales. The percentage change in the number of births to UK born and foreign born women will reflect both changes in the size and age structure of the UK born and foreign born populations and any changes in birth rates.
| Table 2: Live births to UK and foreign born mothers and percentage change, Shropshire county PCT, 2001-07 | ||||
| County of birth of mother | ||||
| Shropshire county PCT | England and Wales | |||
| Live births 2001 | Live births 2007 | Percentage change 2001-07 | Percentage change 2001-07 | |
| Source: Birth registrations. | ||||
Compulsorily Detained Mental Patients: Children
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children were detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 in each of the last 12 months. [287531]
Phil Hope: This information is not centrally collected.
Dental Services: Morecambe
Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the average waiting time for access to NHS dental services was in Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency in the latest period for which figures are available; [287978]
(2) how many people were waiting for access to NHS dental services in Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency on the latest date for which figures are available. [287980]
Ann Keen: The information requested is not collected centrally.
Departmental Accountancy
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to publish his Department's resource accounts for 2008-09. [287333]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Department's 2008-09 Resource Accounts were laid before the House of Commons on the 14 July (HC456), and copies are available in the Vote Office. The Resource Accounts will be published by The Stationery Office by the end of July.
Departmental Consultants
Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on management consultants in each year since 1996-97. [287692]
Phil Hope: Specific information detailing spend on consultancy has been routinely collected by the Department since April 2005. Information on consultancy spend before April 2005 is not held by the Department.
The figures from April 2005 until March 2008 are shown as follows:
| £ million | |
In July 2008, the Department implemented a new business management system which has given the Department the scope to be more specific about the nature of each of the consultancy commissions.
Work is ongoing to verify and validate the complete breakdown 2008-09 consultancy spend information with this new level of detail. We will endeavour to place the results in the Library shortly.
Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on non-medical consultants in each year since 2005. [288451]
Phil Hope: The figures from April 2005 until March 2008 are as follows:
| £ million | |
In July 2008, the Department implemented a new business management system which has given the Department the scope to be more specific about the nature of each of the management consultancy commissions.
Work is ongoing to verify and validate the complete breakdown 2008-09 management consultancy spend information with this new level of detail. We will endeavour to place the results in the Library shortly.
Departmental Contracts
Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many contracts let by his Department were awarded to businesses with fewer than 50 employees in each of the last five years; and what the monetary value of such contracts was in each such year. [287801]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The requested information is not collected centrally by the Department.
Departmental Databases
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) which databases managed by his Department and its agencies hold personal information on members of the public; on what date each such database become operational; and if he will make a statement; [284905]
(2) what categories of personal information about members of the public are contained on each relevant database managed by his Department and its agencies; on what date each category of information began to be collected; and if he will make a statement; [285981]
(3) what categories of personal information on members of the public will be held on each database expected to become operational in the next five years and which will be managed by his Department or one of its agencies; what estimate he has made of the likely number of individuals details each such database will hold when fully operational; and if he will make a statement. [286153]
Phil Hope: A list of the databases managed by the Department and its agencies that hold personal information on members of the public has been placed in the Library. All such databases are managed in compliance with the Department's responsibilities under the Data Protection Act 1998. Since the publication of the cross government data handling review in June 2008, new projects and programmes that hold significant amounts of personal data are obliged to conduct privacy impact assessments.
The categories of personal information contained in Department of Health databases are set out in the Department's entry in the Register of Data Controllers, the Information Commissioner's record of the annual notifications of processing that all data controllers are obliged to provide. A copy of the Department's current entry has been placed in the Library. The categories listed in the Department's entry are: personal details; family, lifestyle and social circumstances; education and training details; employment details; financial details; good or services provided; racial or ethnic origin; religious or other beliefs; physical or mental health or condition; sexual life. To provide a more detailed analysis linking categories of personal data to each database and stating when information in each category began to be collected would incur disproportionate cost.
A table which lists databases expected to go live in the next five years with brief descriptions of the categories
of information they will contain and estimates of number of individuals whose details they will hold, has been placed in the Library.
Departmental Hospitality
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has issued on the declaration of gifts and hospitality by (a) its staff, (b) staff of non-departmental public bodies which his Department sponsors and (c) NHS employees. [286637]
Phil Hope: All staff in the Department are required to comply with the Civil Management Service Code guidance on gifts and hospitality. The Department also expects its non-departmental public bodies to abide by the same principles. National health service staff are required to comply with the guidance Standards of Business Conduct for NHS Staff, issued in 1993. Foundation trusts are free to develop their own guidance for staff.
Departmental Procurement
Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress his Department has made in implementing the recommendations of the Glover Report in its procurement processes. [287140]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Following the publication of the Glover report in November 2008 the Office of Government Commerce established its Access4All programme in April 2009. This was developed to co-ordinate the implementation of the Glover Committee recommendations across Government and the public sector. The Department is represented in this initiative and will continue to participate fully as it develops.
Departmental Work Experience
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many interns work in his Department; what terms of reference apply to their appointment; what remuneration they receive; and how long on average an intern appointment lasts. [286824]
Phil Hope: The Department has committed to five places on the New Graduate Internships Programme announced by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills earlier this year.
The detailed arrangements for these graduate internships, including specific terms of reference and remuneration are yet to be agreed. The placements will last a minimum of 12 weeks and aim to offer new graduates project focused work that will build their employability, and help them make informed choices about future career paths.
The Department has also placed nine students on the Cabinet Office's Ethnic Minority Summer Development Programme this summer. This offers training placements in Government Departments to high calibre candidates from black and ethnic minority backgrounds or those with disabilities, with the aim of increasing representation from those groups in the Fast Stream and Senior Civil Service. Placements last eight weeks and those taking part receive £350 per week in London and £300 per week outside London.
The Department also regularly takes on one year placement students and summer students within the analytical community. In 2008-09 there were eight students on one year placements and four summer students. They are paid a maximum of £19,662 per annum on a pro rata basis in London and £16,462 outside London.
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