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26 Nov 2009 : Column 357W—continued
NHS: Pay
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of NHS staff earn more than £50,000 per annum. [300815]
Ann Keen: Of the 940,674 full-time equivalent hospital and community health services staff surveyed in the Information Centre for health and social care's April to June 2009 NHS Staff Earnings Estimates, 93,614 or 10 per cent. are estimated to have national health service earnings of more than £50,000 a year.
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was paid in salary and wage costs for NHS employees in the last 12 months; and what estimate he has made of the proportion paid to such employees who earn more than £50,000 per annum. [300844]
Ann Keen: According to the national health service financial returns and foundation trust annual reports the paybill for staff in the hospital and community health services was £39.2 billion in 2008-09. Information on the proportion of this figure paid to staff who earn more than £50,000 per annum is not available.
The annual salaries (excluding employers' tax and national insurance contributions) of the hospital and community health services staff surveyed in the Information Centre for health and social care's April to June 2009 NHS Staff Earnings Estimates are estimated to total £30.8 billion, of which around 25 per cent. was paid to staff who earned more than £50,000 a year.
Surgery
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times foreign objects requiring surgical removal have been left inside patients following an operation in each of the past 10 years. [301348]
Ann Keen:
A total of 60 patient safety incidents involving foreign objects left inside patients and requiring surgical removal have been reported to the National
Patient Safety Agency since 2005. There was no central reporting system in place prior to 2003 and no such patient safety incidents were reported in 2003 and 2004. The detailed breakdown is in the following table:
| Incidents-surgical removal of foreign objects | |
| Source: National Patient Safety Agency | |
Swine Flu: Babies
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what protection from swine influenza is available for babies under the age of six months; and if he will make a statement. [301899]
Gillian Merron: Our advice to everyone is to continue to protect themselves and their babies by observing good respiratory and hand hygiene (use a tissue when they cough and sneeze and then throw it away and the frequent use of soap and water or sanitizer). People should contact their general practitioner (GP) if they have a child under one year old who has flu-like symptoms.
A GP will assess children under one year and give advice on the use of the antiviral medication, any other relevant medication and on symptom management. People should keep a close eye on their child's symptoms and if their child suddenly gets much worse or does not improve, they should contact their GP again.
The appropriate antiviral medication for children under one is oral oseltamivir solution, which is made up in national health service hospital pharmacies. We have enough of the powder for 50 per cent. of under ones. This is a sufficient amount based on current advice about the numbers who may be ill during the pandemic.
Advice on the use of antiviral medicines for children under the age of one year has been placed in the Library ("Pandemic Influenza: Recommendations on the use of antiviral medicines for pregnant women, women who are breastfeeding and children under the age of one year") and advice on breastfeeding and swine flu, including ways of reducing the risk of passing flu from mother to baby is given on the Department's website at:
Neither of the swine flu vaccines used in the United Kingdom vaccination programme is licensed by the European regulators for use in children under six months old.
Transplant Surgery
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many transplants were done in private clinical practice in the UK involving solid organs donated after death outside the NHS in each of the last 10 years. [301367]
Ann Keen: No transplant operations were carried out in private clinical practice in the United Kingdom involving solid organs donated after death outside of the National Health Service. All organs donated from deceased donors are allocated to patients through the NHS.
Energy and Climate Change
Coal
Dr. Kumar:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the estimated (a) operating
reserves and (b) proved recoverable reserves are of coal in each coalfield in the UK. [301750]
Mr. Kidney: The following table summarises the estimated operating reserves and proved recoverable reserves of coal by former British Coal regions as at August 2009. Figures by coalfield are commercially sensitive and for that reason cannot be provided.
| Million tonnes | ||||||
| England | ||||||
| Central North | Central West | Northern | Scotland | Wales | Total | |
| (1) Includes mines currently in the planning process. (2) Does not include closed mines that are still in licence. (3) Includes sites that are well developed, fully and partly proved and those with potential prospects. Source: The Coal Authority | ||||||
Departmental Buildings
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which (a) individuals other than ministerial colleagues and officials of his Department and (b) organisations he met in an official capacity in the week commencing 9 November 2009. [301158]
Joan Ruddock: In its response to a report by the Public Administration Select Committee 'Lobbying: Access and influence in Whitehall', the Government agreed to publish online, on a quarterly basis, information about ministerial meetings with outside interest groups. Information for the period 1 October to 31 December 2009 will be published by Departments as soon as the information is ready, and will be made available on the Cabinet Office website in early 2010.
Energy: Conservation
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much has been allocated to the additional energy efficiency obligation in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12, (d) 2012-13 and (e) 2013-14; and (i) what proportion of funding will be for England, (ii) what carbon dioxide emissions reduction is expected to be achieved, (iii) how many properties will be affected and (iv) how many jobs will be created in each of those years. [301089]
Joan Ruddock [holding answer 24 November 2009]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 23 November, Official Report, column 36W.
Liquefied Natural Gas
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) what recent representations he has received on the safety of liquefied natural gas shipping in UK waters; [301428]
(2) what recent representations he has received on the matter of risk assessment in respect of liquefied natural gas operations. [301429]
Paul Clark: I have been asked to reply.
In the last three years the Department for Transport has received representations about the safety of liquefied natural gas shipping in UK waters from four correspondents. At least one of these was a spokesman for the local campaign group 'Safe Haven'. We have also received an e-petition with 251 signatures and a copy of the report produced by Dr. R. A. Cox about the approach and use of risk assessments by the port authority.
The Department does not hold any risk assessments or studies produced by the port authority, other than those which are already in the public domain.
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the role is of the (a) Health and Safety Executive, (b) Marine and Coastguard Agency and (c) Environment Agency in respect of liquefied natural gas terminal operations in the UK. [301430]
Paul Clark: I have been asked to reply.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Environment Agency (EA) together form the 'Competent Authority' under the COMAH regulations (Control of Major Accident Hazard Regulations 1999). They assess the pre-construction and pre-operation safety reports from companies wishing to establish liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals. HSE also undertake regular inspections of the site during its construction, and carry out further inspections at the site throughout its operational life to ensure the operator continues to run the site safely.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is responsible for the regulation of safety of vessels at sea, including LNG tankers for compliance with internationally agreed safety, security and environmental standards.
The MCA surveys vessels registered in the UK and inspects foreign-flagged vessels visiting UK ports. They also check whether crew members have adequate living and working conditions.
Renewable Energy
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of households in (a) England, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales to have purchased (i) micro wind, (ii) small scale hydro, (iii) solar thermal, (iv) ground source heat pump, (v) air source heat pump, (vi) biomass, (vii) solar photovoltaic and (viii) electric vehicles technologies in each of the last 10 years. [300479]
Mr. Kidney [holding answer 23 November 2009]: The Department does not hold the number of all household installations which have taken place in the last 10 years. Under the Government's grant programmes since 2001 we are able to provide the number of technologies which have received support:
| (a) Low Carbon Buildings Programme-phase one | |||
| Technology | England | Scotland | Wales |
| Low Carbon Buildings Programme-phase two | |||
| Technology | England | Scotland | Wales |
| (1) See boiler figure | |||
| (b) Major Demonstration Programme (PV only) | |||
| Technology | England | Scotland | Wales |
| (c) Clear Skies (2003-05) | |||
| Technology | England | Scotland | Wales |
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