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5 Jan 2010 : Column 262W—continued
In addition, the Department is also responsible for reviewing, converging and closing the following sites, as part of its commitment to Cabinet Office under Transformational Government:
Departmental Public Expenditure
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to paragraph 6.24, page 103 of the pre-Budget report, Cm 7747, what his Department's planned (a) total, (b) resource, (c) capital and (d) near-cash resource expenditure is in each year until 2012-13. [307754]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Government have not done a spending review at this stage, and therefore, the specific numbers requested in the question are not available.
Dietary Supplements: Health Hazards
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) impact assessment and (b) economic impact assessment has been conducted in respect of the proposed restriction of sale of food supplements above a certain potency; and if he will make a statement. [307122]
Gillian Merron: An initial impact assessment on the setting of minimum and maximum levels of vitamins and minerals in food supplements was developed by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in early 2007 with advice from better regulation teams at the FSA and Cabinet Office in order to obtain the views of stakeholders at an early stage and to inform the UK's negotiating position. The agency continues to gather information for, and develop, the impact assessment in consultation with industry.
A European Commission-sponsored analysis of the economic, social and environmental impact of the policy options for the establishment of maximum levels for vitamins and minerals in food supplements was undertaken in 2008. The United Kingdom food supplements industry provided relevant data. The European Commission has indicated that this impact assessment will accompany its proposals on maximum levels when they are issued.
The FSA will make a detailed assessment of the likely impact of setting maximum levels when the levels are set out in formal proposals. The FSA will carry out a full public consultation on the Commission's proposals and its draft impact assessment at that time.
Disabled: Social Security Benefits
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many respondees to the Social Care Green Paper (a) supported and (b) opposed changes to attendance allowance and disability living allowance. [307690]
Phil Hope:
The public consultation on the Green Paper "Shaping the Future of Care Together", received around 29,000 responses overall. Analysis of all the
responses is currently under way, and it would be misleading to comment or provide data on the results until this is analysis is fully completed. The Government will be publishing an analysis of the consultation early this year.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the proportion of (a) attendance allowance and (b) disability living allowance which is typically spent on (i) activities of daily living and (ii) instrumental activities of daily living. [307692]
Phil Hope: No such estimate has been made, and that information is not readily available.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on 8 December 2009, Official Report, column 206, what plans the Government has to disburse (a) attendance allowance and disability living allowance and (b) a cash equivalent through local authorities. [307695]
Phil Hope: If disability benefits for older people are reformed as part of the National Care Service, those receiving the affected benefits at the time of reform would continue to receive the same level of cash support. We will give more details about the National Care Service offer in our White Paper later this year.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) pursuant to the contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on 8 December 2009, Official Report, column 154, whether an equivalent level of support includes non-care services currently purchased by money made available through attendance allowance or disability living allowance; and whether an assessment for cash disbursement includes non-care services currently purchased by money made available through these allowances; [307715]
(2) whether he plans to limit the services on which people may spend their entitlement under the Government's proposals for the care system. [307716]
Phil Hope: We have not taken any decisions on whether some disability benefits for older people will be reformed in the new care and support system. If disability benefits for older people are reformed as part of the National Care Service, those receiving the affected benefits at the time of reform would continue to receive the same level of cash support. We also know that the flexibility of disability benefits is valued by those who receive them, and we want to ensure that those in receipt of affected benefits at the time of reform retain control over how they spend their cash support.
Under the new care and support system, once people are assessed they will get a personal budget rather than being told what services they should receive and will receive support in using this resource. Some people will choose to take their budget as cash, and pay for everything directly themselves. Others will prefer to let someone else manage the funding on their behalf-either someone from the local authority or a family member or friend. People will have the control to get the services they want.
We will give more details about the National Care Service offer in our White Paper later this year.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether people currently eligible for (a) attendance allowance and (b) disability living allowance would receive (i) an equivalent level of support, (ii) an equivalent cash payment and (iii) an equivalent cash payment in addition to any other funds received under the proposals in the Government's Social Care Green Paper. [307717]
Phil Hope: As we said in the Green Paper, if we were to draw some disability benefits for older people into the new National Care Service, we would create a new offer for individuals with care needs. This support would be delivered in line with the best principles of the current benefits system: a universal entitlement, with flexible methods of payment, and a focus on lower-level needs and prevention. It is our aim to deliver a better joined-up service, with people only needing one assessment of their needs to gain access to a whole range of care and support services. We will give more details about the National Care Service offer in our White Paper later this year.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) assessment he has made of and (b) modelling his Department has undertaken on the relationship between the group that currently receives (i) attendance allowance and (ii) disability living allowance and groups that would receive support under the Government's proposed reform for the social care system. [307718]
Phil Hope: We have not taken any decisions on whether some benefits for older people will be reformed in the new care and support system. If we do decide to integrate some benefits for older people into the new care and support system, we will provide further details in our White Paper later this year.
However, we said in our Green Paper "Shaping the Future of Care and Support Together" that we think we should create a new and better care and support system, looking at how we can make the best use of public money to provide a joined-up, consistent and fair care and support system. This would enable the greatest public support to go to those who will benefit from it most, both people who have developed low levels of need and people with high levels of need, and would ensure a fair and consistent allocation of resources. We want to make sure that people with low to moderate needs continue to get the support they need to live independently, building on the role that disability benefits play and considering how this might be best achieved in a new care and support system.
The Personal Social Services Research Unit, which is part of the London School of Economics, has been commissioned by the Department to conduct detailed financial modelling of the new care and support system. Their methodology and interim report was published in July on their website at: www.pssru.ac.uk/pdf/dp2644.pdf, and in the impact assessment published alongside the Green Paper. This work is ongoing.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people who are eligible for (a) attendance allowance and (b) disability living allowance who would cease to receive support under each proposal set out in the Green Paper on Social Care. [307719]
Phil Hope: We have not taken any decisions on whether some benefits for older people will be reformed in the new care and support system. If disability benefits for older people are reformed as part of the National Care Service, those receiving the affected benefits at the time of reform would continue to receive the same level of cash support. We will give more details about the National Care Service offer in our White Paper later this year.
Health Professions: Complaints
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department holds information on complaints made to the General Medical Council against medical practitioners. [307347]
Ann Keen: The Department does not hold information on complaints made to the General Medical Council (which is an independent regulatory body) against medical practitioners. Information relating to the GMC's fitness to practice function is available from the GMC, a summary of which is published in their annual report, which is available on their website at:
http://www.gmc-uk.org/search.asp?client=gmc_frontend&;site =gmc_collection&output=xml_no_dtd&proxystylesheet=gmc_ frontend&ie=UTF-8&q=annual%2Breport%2B2008& partialfields=&btnG=Google+Search&num=10&getfields= description&start=0&-as_sitesearch=http://www.gmc-uk.org/concerns&;filter=0&txtKeywords=annual%Breport%2B2008&cbo Section=&cboUserType=
or by writing to them at GMC, Regent's Place, 350 Euston Road, London NW1 3JN.
Health: Learning Disability
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 26 November 2009, Official Report, column 354W, on health: learning disabilities, when he plans to publish the independent survey of activity on the directed enhanced service of health checks for those with learning disabilities. [307701]
Phil Hope: There are currently no plans to publish the results of the independent survey.
Hospital Beds
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many bed days at Ashford and St Peters NHS Trust were taken by patients who had already been cleared for discharge in each of the last three years. [304742]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Care Quality Commission (CQC), formerly the Healthcare Commission, reports in detail on delayed transfers of care at national health service trusts each year, with the exception of 2007-08, when this was not used as a indicator. CQC information about delayed transfers of care for Ashford and St. Peter's NHS Trust for 2006-07 and 2008-09 can be found at:
http://2009ratings.cqc.org.uk/findcareservices/informationabouthealthcareservices/overallperformance/searchfororganisation.cfm?widCalll=customWidgets.content_view_ l&cit_id=RTK&element=1114&parentelement=ET
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