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9 Sep 2009 : Column 1996W—continued
| Number of hospitalised virologically-confirmed pandemic influenza A(H1N1v) 2009 cases reported by 16 June 2009, England (no hospitalised cases were known to the Health Protection Agency from Wales) | |
| Age group-years | Number |
Swine Flu: Drugs
Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he plans to take to maintain adequate levels of manufacturing capacity in the UK for generic (a) antibiotics and (b) anti-viral drugs; [290720]
(2) which suppliers of anti-viral drugs for the treatment of swine influenza manufacture such drugs in the UK. [290721]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The United Kingdom has stockpiled both Relenza, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), and Tamiflu, manufactured by Roche. Neither product is manufactured in the UK. Based on scientific advice from the British Thoracic Society, the Government have stockpiled 15.3 million treatment courses of antibiotics as part of their pandemic response.
In addition, the Office for the Life Sciences, working with relevant Whitehall departments including the Department of Health has recently published a Life Sciences Blueprint. This sets out the Government's commitments on a range of issues which we and industry have identified as being most important to make the UK attractive to the life sciences industries (including the pharmaceutical industry) including manufacturing.
Swine Flu: Northamptonshire
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what trends have been identified in the incidence of swine influenza in Northamptonshire. [290889]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Information on influenza-like illness by primary care trust is published on the Health Protection Agency website at:
Influenza-like illness has been declining in recent weeks, following a peak in July.
We are now relying on clinical diagnosis instead of laboratory confirmation to identify cases of swine flu and so no longer have detailed data about the precise number of cases. The estimated total number of cases of swine flu is mathematically modelled for England each week using the available surveillance information and the downward trend in cases is continuing.
Vulnerable Adults: Protection
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times his Department's Project Steering Group has convened since the publication of the No Secrets guidelines; and if he will make a statement. [290856]
Phil Hope: The review of the "No Secrets" guidance has been overseen by two groups; the Programme Board and the Advisory Group. The membership of both is published in the consultation document, "Safeguarding Adults: A consultation on the review of the 'No Secrets' guidance"-Department of Health, October 2008. A copy has already been placed in the Library.
The remit of the Programme Board is to review the effectiveness of present multi-agency safeguarding and adult protection guidance in producing positive outcomes for individuals at risk of abuse in the light of emerging information from recent cases, recent inspections and in the context of the Government's overall policy agenda in both health and social care, and to carry out a national consultation on these issues. The Advisory Group's remit was to advise on issues relevant to the consultation. The Programme Board met on 21 May 2008, 25 June 2008, 9 October 2008 and 2 September 2009. The Advisory Group met on 7 May 2008, 26 September 2008 and 12 November 2008.
The consultation opened on 16 October 2008 and closed on 31 January 2009. The analysis of the consultation responses was published on 17 July 2009. The time taken to publish the analysis reflected the fact that some 12,000 people, including those with learning difficulties, older people, those with mental health problems and people from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds, participated in the consultation.
Olympics
Olympic Games 2012: Consultants
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many contracts have been granted to consultants in relation to London 2012 in each year since 2004; to whom the contract was granted in each case; what each project was; and how much each contract was worth. [277458]
Tessa Jowell: The procurement of consultancy services by both GOE and ODA is a planned response to the need to deliver the Government's commitments and guarantees to deliver the London 2012 games on time and within a budget of £9.325 billion.
The consultants provide valuable short term support or key specialist skills and expertise not otherwise readily available.
The use of consultants has enabled us to make excellent progress across the many facets of the Olympic programme and in particular in the construction of the Olympic venues and development of legacy planning. As well as rapid progress we have seen significant savings across the venues and infrastructure construction programme, whose anticipated final cost (AFC) fell by £179 million from £7,413 million when we published the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games Annual Report in January 2009 to £7,234 million when we published our Quarterly Economic Report in May 2009.
As the IOC recently recognised, inputs such as these are continuing to transform the Lower Lea Valley and provide a lasting legacy for the people of London and the UK.
Spending by the Olympic Delivery Authority on consultancy fees reduced from £19.8 million (3.7 per cent. of total ODA spend) in 2007-08 to £16 million (1.2 per cent.) in 2008-09.
This reduction reflects the shift from the planning, design and preparation phase of the programme, where consultancy costs are traditionally concentrated, to the development phase.
Spending by the Government Olympic Executive (GOE) on consultancy was £0.4 million in 2007-08 and £0.3 million in 2008-09, 4.6 per cent. and 3.4 per cent. respectively of GOE's total budget.
Details for contracts let by the Government Olympic Executive (GOE), the former Olympic Programme Support Unit and the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) to July 2008 were set out in the answer that I gave to the hon. Member on 4 November 2008, Official Report, column 292W. I have placed in the Libraries of both Houses tables which set out in the following:
the details of contracts let by the GOE from 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009.
The value of payments during the whole of 2008-09 to consultants who were contracted by the ODA during earlier years and remained engaged during 2008-09 and to those who were newly contracted during 2008-09. The table for ODA contractors excludes those listed in my earlier answer whose services ended before 2008-09 began. The information is, therefore, presented differently to that in my earlier answer, which listed the names of ODA's consultants by the year in which they were first contracted together with, in the case of each consultant, a cumulative figure for the value of ODA consultancy spend to July 2008.
Defence
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether UK forces in Afghanistan have a guarantee of secondary medical support within an hour following a major injury. [289117]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Medical support in Afghanistan is provided in accordance with Military Medical Doctrine and takes account of the requirements of different types of injury. Operational and medical support planning is done in accordance with these guidelines. This doctrine allows two hours to get the casualty to a primary surgery facility.
All infantry troops are accompanied by a team medic, at a ratio of one to four, who is able to provide Role 1 care; immediate airway and haemorrhage control within 10 minutes. Battle Field Advanced Trauma Life Support (BATLS) is provided to all injured personnel within one hour; the airborne Medical Emergency Response Teams that are dispatched to incidents where casualties have been sustained bring Accident and Emergency (Role 2) level care and resuscitation, including the ability to ventilate patients and give blood during flight, to the front line.
The Allied Command Operations Directive 83-1 (Medical Support to Operations) requires that casualties requiring surgery should be under treatment in a correctly equipped facility, a Role 3 facility such as Camp Bastion Hospital, within two hours of being wounded. We adhere to this directive.
Armoured Fighting Vehicles
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what Ridgback vehicles have been (a) delivered to and (b) shipped from the United Kingdom; and what the delivery number of each such shipment was. [290922]
Mr. Quentin Davies: 157 base vehicles ordered under the Ridgback programme have been delivered to the UK. I am withholding details of vehicles delivered to Theatre as this could compromise operational security.
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects Ridgback vehicles to be used in operations. [290923]
Mr. Quentin Davies: Ridgeback vehicles have been used operationally in Afghanistan since June this year.
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether Ridgback vehicles will be fitted with new suspension units to improve off-road performance. [290924]
Mr. Quentin Davies: Ridgback does not have any suspension problems. Trials are due to begin in October 2009, looking at ways of improving the mobility and payload of the various Ridgback variants, and as part of this alternative suspension systems will be investigated. This is part of the ongoing improvement programme for all protected mobility vehicles; as the first phase of the trial and evaluation process is not due to complete until the end of this year, it is too early to say what modifications might be made.
Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent progress has been made in the Light Protected Patrol Vehicle programme; and if he will make a statement. [290955]
Mr. Quentin Davies: Some 30 expressions of interest were received for the Light Protected Patrol Vehicle programme following publication in the Defence Contracts Bulletin on 25 February 2009. Pre-Qualification Questionnaires were issued in response to these expressions of interest and 16 responses have been received; these are currently being evaluated and down-selected. The intention is that the vehicle should enter service in 2011.
Defence Trade Treaty
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the US-UK bilateral defence trade treaty to be ratified. [290787]
Mr. Quentin Davies: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 1 September 2009, Official Report, column 1808W, to the hon. Member for Lancaster and Wyre (Mr. Wallace).
Departmental Billing
John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in June 2009. [288903]
Mr. Quentin Davies: Performance figures for June 2009, against the Government's agreed 10 day payment target, are as follows:
| Percentage | |
We are working with the Defence Support Group towards a target to pay trade creditors' invoices within 10 days of receipt.
Departmental Expenditure
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department incurred in (a) equipment expenditure, (b) non-equipment expenditure, (c) service personnel costs and (d) civil personnel costs in Scotland in each year since 1997. [290801]
Mr. Quentin Davies: Estimated direct MOD expenditure in Scotland under the categories requested for the years where data are available (i.e. 2001-02 to 2006-07) are presented in the following table:
| VAT exclusive at current prices ( £ million ) | ||||||
| 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | |
| Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest £10 million. 2. Figures relate to expenditure in the whole Scottish Government Office Region rather than to any individual military or civilian establishments. 3. Indirect expenditure, such subcontracted work, is not reflected in the figures. A. Personnel costs exclude contributions made by MOD to the Armed Forces Pensions Scheme and War Pensions Scheme. 5. Data were either not prepared or were deemed not to be of sufficient quality prior to 2001-02. | ||||||
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