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27 Oct 2009 : Column 256W—continued

Members: Correspondence

Mr. Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reason he has not yet replied to the letter dated 20 July 2009 from the Chairman of the European Scrutiny Committee in respect of legal matters pertaining to the Lisbon Treaty. [292954]

Chris Bryant [holding answer 14 October 2009]: Ministers were considering how best to reply to the letter and the reply was sent on 13 October 2009.

Middle East: Peace Negotiations

Mr. Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent assessment is of the threat to peace in the Middle East posed by Israel's possession of nuclear weapons. [295257]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made clear on 20 October 2009, Official Report, column 757, the UK has voted consistently in support of a nuclear-free Middle East as part of a drive for nuclear disarmament around the world.

We continue to believe that a negotiated solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict, delivering a viable Palestinian State alongside a secure Israel, is a critical part of achieving peace and security in the region.

Mordechai Vanunu

Mr. Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Israel on the situation of Mordechai Vanunu. [295258]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: We raised Mr Vanunu's case with the Israeli Government on a number of occasions during his detention. After Mr Vanunu was released, we then raised the conditions of his release with the Israeli Government.

We will continue to follow the case and should we judge that the circumstances have changed to mean that an intervention by the UK is likely to achieve significant movement than we will consider making further representations.

Party Conferences

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any of his Department's non-departmental public bodies sent representatives to attend one or more political party conferences in 2009. [293475]


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Chris Bryant: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has no record of its non-departmental public bodies having sent representatives to attend any political party conferences in their professional capacity in 2009.

Passports: Embassies

Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many emergency passports have been issued through consular services in each of the last five years. [294384]

Chris Bryant: The number of Emergency Passports issued for each of the last five financial years is provided in the following table:

Number

2008-09

10,806

2007-08

11,956

2006-07

11,138

2005-06

9,212

2004-05

11,485


Thailand: Prisoners

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth (1) Affairs what discussions he has had with the government of Thailand on the trial of Utain Dungnoi for the murder of Richard Collins; [295767]

(2) whether he has made representations to the Government of Thailand on the release of Utain Dungnoi on bail pending appeal; and if he will make a statement. [295768]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: Our officials at our Embassy in Bangkok have passed on a letter from Yvonne Hart, Richard Collins' mother, outlining her concerns about the ongoing process.

However, as the hon. Member knows, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office cannot interfere in the Thai legal system, just as we would not allow a foreign state's interference in British legal proceedings.

Turkey

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the government of Turkey on its non-compliance with the Ankara Protocol; and if he will make a statement. [293718]

Chris Bryant: Ministers and officials across Government have frequent contact with Turkish counterparts on all aspects of Turkey's EU accession process, including discussion of the Additional Ankara Protocol, where we urge Turkey to take forward its implementation. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary did so most recently with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on 25 September 2009.

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the implications for the proposals for Turkish accession to the EU at the 2009 review of Turkey's non-compliance with the Ankara protocol; and if he will make a statement. [293719]


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Chris Bryant: The European Commission's 2009 Progress Report notes that Turkey has not fully implemented the Additional Ankara Protocol, and states it is now urgent that Turkey fulfils its obligation to ensure implementation of the Protocol. The Government agree it is important that Turkey takes forward the protocol's implementation.

Visits Abroad

Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries (a) he has and (b) his Department's Ministers have visited on official capacity since November 2008; on what dates each such visit took place; and if he will make a statement. [294545]

Chris Bryant: The Cabinet Office publishes an annual list of overseas travel by Ministers costing in excess of £500.

A list of all overseas visits undertaken by Ministers costing £500 or more during the period 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009 was published in July 2009. The list provides details of the date, destination and purpose of all such visits and the cost of Ministers' travel and accommodation where appropriate. Copies of the list have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

A list of overseas visits undertaken by Ministers in the period 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010 will be published in due course. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Western Sahara: Human Rights

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Moroccan counterpart on alleged human rights violations in Western Sahara. [295879]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed the human dimension of the Western Sahara conflict with the Moroccan Foreign Minister, Mr. Fassi Fihri, when they met in June this year. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials have continued this dialogue with their Moroccan counterparts, encouraging the need for openness and transparency as a way of building confidence between the parties to the conflict.

Health

Alcoholic Drinks: Children

Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children under the age of 18 years have been treated for alcohol-related health problems in the Milton Keynes area in each of the last five years. [295889]

Gillian Merron: The number of children under the age of 18 years resident in Milton Keynes Primary Care Trust who were admitted to hospital with an alcohol-related condition in each of the last five years is set out in the following table.


27 Oct 2009 : Column 259W

Number

2004-05

87

2005-06

71

2006-07(1)

39

2007-08

63

2008-09(2)

54

(1 )There appears to be a shortfall of data from Milton Keynes General Hospital Trust in 2006-07. The figure for this year should therefore be treated with caution.
(2 )Provisional information.
Notes:
1. Includes activity in English national health service hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector.
2. Alcohol-related admissions
The number of alcohol-related admissions is based on the methodology developed by the North West Public Health Observatory. Figures for under 16s only include admissions where one or more of the following alcohol-specific conditions were listed: Alcoholic cardiomyopathy (142.6)
Alcoholic gastritis (K29.2)
Alcoholic liver disease (K70)
Alcoholic myopathy (G72.1)
Alcoholic polyneuropathy (G62.1)
Alcohol-induced pseudo-Cushing's syndrome (E24.4)
Chronic pancreatitis (alcohol induced) (K86.0)
Degeneration of nervous system due to alcohol (G31.2)
Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol (F10)
Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol (X45)
Ethanol poisoning (T51.0)
Methanol poisoning (T51.1)
Toxic effect of alcohol, unspecified (T51.9)
3. Ungrossed data
Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).
4. Finished admission episodes
A finished admission episode is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Finished admission episodes are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.
5. Data quality
Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts 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.
6. 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.
7. Assignment of episodes to years
Years are assigned by the end of the first period of care in a patient's hospital stay.
Source:
Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Information Centre for health and social care.

Appointment Reminder Schemes

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which primary care trusts operate appointment reminder schemes. [295600]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Department does not collect information centrally on which primary care trusts operate appointment reminder schemes.

Local national health service organisations make their own arrangements for operating appointment reminder schemes such as text messages to remind patients of upcoming appointments.


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Blood: Contamination

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department next plans to review the level of payments made to people who have received contaminated blood supplies. [295500]

Gillian Merron: The Government are committed to reviewing the Skipton Fund, which makes payments to individuals infected with hepatitis-C as a result of receiving contaminated blood and blood products, in 2014. The Department announced an increase in payments to those infected with HIV as a result of receiving contaminated blood and blood products with effect from 20 May 2009, and there are no current plans to review those payments.

Care Homes: Food

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 25 June 2008, Official Report, columns 368-69W, on nutrition, for what reasons the final report of the National Action Plan Delivery Board was not published by the end of 2008; when he expects that report to be published; and what assessment he has made of the effects of the difference in such dates upon patient care. [295649]

Phil Hope: The Nutrition Action Plan Delivery Board is independent of Government. The Department therefore had no input into the writing of the board's report. The report took longer to produce than envisaged and was finally submitted to the Department in July 2009. It is now being considered by ministers. We expect the report will be published later this year.

The delay in publishing the report has no impact on patient care. The report outlines the progress made in implementing the actions identified in the nutrition action plan.

Care Homes: Standards

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of care homes for (a) younger adults and (b) older people met or exceeded (i) National Minimum Standard 8, (ii) National Minimum Standard 15 and (iii) both standards in each year since 2002-03. [295609]

Phil Hope: We are informed by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) that the percentages of care homes meeting or exceeding the requested national minimum standards in each year between 2002-03 and 2008-09-the latest year for which information is available-were as shown in the following tables.

Percentages of services meeting or exceeding individual national minimum standards (NMS)-care homes for younger adults-since 2002-03
NMS 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09

8. Participation

65

82

89

90

90

91

91

15. Relationships

91

95

97

98

98

98

98

Both standards met or exceeded

61

76

84

82

79

78

76

Note:
Percentages are based on the most recent score for each standard as at 31 March in each year. The year shown is not necessarily the year of inspection; not every standard is inspected every year and not every service is inspected annually.
Source:
CQC database

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Percentages of services meeting or exceeding individual national minimum standards (NMS)-care homes for older people-since 2002-03
NMS 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09

8. Healthcare

73

78

78

78

79

83

86

15. Meals and mealtimes

78

82

84

85

86

88

89

Both standards met or exceeded

62

67

70

69

71

76

79

Note:
Percentages are based on the most recent score for each standard as at 31 March in each year. The year shown is not necessarily the year of inspection; not every standard is inspected every year and not every service is inspected annually.
Source:
CQC database

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