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27 Jan 2010 : Column 936W—continued

The current consultation on the Nuclear National Policy Statement does not include the geological disposal facility development. The MRWS White Paper makes clear that no decision on whether geological disposal will be considered by the Independent Planning Commission (IPC) has yet been made. However, the Government are currently inclined to look towards applying the new planning system and we consider that a geological disposal facility is likely to be regarded as a nationally significant infrastructure project. Should the
27 Jan 2010 : Column 937W
Government decide in future that radioactive waste should be dealt with by the IPC, the Government would set out the national policy in a National Policy Statement, which would be finalised following an appraisal of sustainability, public consultation and parliamentary scrutiny.

Tidal Power

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the potential for the generation of electricity from tidal power off the south coast of England. [313409]

Mr. Kidney [holding answer 26 January 2010]: The Government commissioned the updating of the UK Marine Renewable Energy Resources Atlas

in 2007. The charts in the Atlas indicate the distribution of potential resource for the future deployment of renewable energy technologies-wind, wave and tidal. The Atlas represents the most detailed regional description of potential marine energy resources in UK waters completed to date at a national scale, and will be used to help guide policy and planning decisions for future site leasing rounds.

We also commissioned in 2009, a screening study for marine energy development in English and Welsh Waters and we will be considering the findings of the report before deciding on whether to progress with a strategic environmental assessment for English and Welsh waters.

Analysis of the data suggests there are pockets of potential for generating energy from tidal resource, in particular off the Isle of Wight and the Dorset coast, but these are at a level significantly lower than elsewhere in the UK. At present the South coast is not viewed by the commercial sector as a prime area for tidal resource but as technologies develop we may see devices which are well suited to the lower velocity of tidal flow available from the region.

Uranium: Exports

Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much reprocessed uranium in (a) oxide and (b) uranium hexafluoride (UF6) has been exported to each destination since January 2009; for what purpose in each case; who the
27 Jan 2010 : Column 938W
owner is of each consignment; and what transport route was used for each consignment. [312699]

Mr. Kidney: Since January 2009 there has been only one export of reprocessed uranium from the UK. In compliance with all appropriate transport regulations, 107.5 tonnes of uranium in the form of uranium trioxide was exported from Sellafield to Russia on behalf of two existing reprocessing customers in Germany and the Netherlands. The uranium was transported by rail from Sellafield to Hull and then by ship to Russia. The uranium will be processed for manufacture into nuclear fuel.

The export licences for this shipment were approved following the receipt of satisfactory end user undertakings from the consignee. The details of the specific customers involved is commercially confidential information, contained in appropriate contractual documents.

Health

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many alcohol-related (a) deaths and (b) hospital admissions there have been in each year since 1997. [313640]

Gillian Merron: Information on alcohol admissions is available at:

Information on alcohol related death is available at:

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children under the age of 18 were admitted to hospital with an (a) primary and (b) secondary diagnosis related to alcohol in each strategic health authority in each of the last three years. [312632]

Gillian Merron: The number of admissions of patients under the age of 18 with a primary or secondary alcohol-related condition by strategic health authority of residence is presented in the following table:


27 Jan 2010 : Column 939W

27 Jan 2010 : Column 940W
Number of admissions of patients aged under 18 with an alcohol-related condition by strategic health authority of residence
2006-07 2007-08 2008-09
Strategic h ealth a uthority Total Primary alcohol-related diagnosis Secondary alcohol-related diagnosis Total Primary alcohol-related diagnosis Secondary alcohol-related diagnosis Total Primary alcohol-related diagnosis Secondary alcohol-related diagnosis

North East

1,126

382

744

1,081

328

753

961

265

696

North West

3,093

1,388

1705

2,933

1,215

1718

2,548

1,049

1,499

Yorkshire and The Humber

1,523

591

932

1,513

529

985

1,374

454

920

East Midlands

990

362

629

1,176

348

827

1,117

304

813

West Midlands

1,723

763

960

1,631

729

902

1,397

607

790

East of England

1,032

376

656

1,073

337

736

880

266

614

London

1,307

569

738

1,440

675

765

1,224

559

665

South East Coast

1,049

448

601

1,068

458

610

967

373

593

South Central

876

370

506

890

349

541

849

320

529

South West

1,572

574

998

1,500

532

967

1,380

475

906

Unknown/no fixed abode

174

81

92

196

81

115

135

65

70

England

14,465

5,904

8,561

14,501

5,582

8,919

12,832

4,736

8,096

Notes:
Includes activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector.
Alcohol-related conditions
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 (I42.6)
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)
Number of episodes in which the patient had an alcohol-related primary or secondary diagnosis. These figures represent the number of episodes where an alcohol-related diagnosis was recorded in any of the 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) primary and secondary diagnosis fields in a Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) record. Each episode is only counted once in each count, even if an alcohol-related diagnosis is recorded in more than one diagnosis field of the record.
Ungrossed data
Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (ie the data are ungrossed).
Finished admission episodes
A finished admission episode is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Finished admission episodes are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. It should be noted that admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.
Primary diagnosis
The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the HES data set and provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital.
Secondary diagnosis
As well as the primary diagnosis, there are up to 19 (13 from 2002-03 to 2007-08 and six prior to 2002-03) secondary diagnosis fields in HES that show other diagnoses relevant to the episode of care.
Data quality
HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts in England. Data is 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.
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.
Assignment of episodes to y ears
Years are assigned by the end of the first period of care in a patient's hospital stay.
Source:
Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care

Asthma: Drugs

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made by each primary care trust in the provision of inhalers which do not contain chlorofluorocarbons. [313530]

Ann Keen: This information is not held centrally. However the vast majority of inhalers containing chlorofluorocarbons have now been phased out and those remaining are expected to be discontinued during 2010.

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has made to encourage general practitioners to implement the 2008 National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance on inhaled corticosteroids for the treatment of chronic asthma. [313560]

Ann Keen: The Department is currently preparing good practice guidelines for children and adults with asthma, for use by general practitioners and other health care professionals, that will make reference to existing National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance on the management and treatment of asthma.

Asthma: Health Services

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken to ensure
27 Jan 2010 : Column 941W
that all asthma patients have personal asthma action plans. [313531]

Ann Keen: The Department has a commitment to ensure the national health service offers everyone with a long-term condition a care plan by the end of 2010. The NHS Next Stage Review 'High Quality Care for All' re-states this commitment. The Department has provided a range of support for implementing personalised care plans, including: publishing guidance for NHS commissioners on what care planning and self-care is (January 2009); support for NHS work force, through publishing an information booklet (April 2009); and publication of a Primary Care Service Specification (November 2009) to support commissioning from primary care providers.

The Department is currently preparing good practice guidelines for children and adults with asthma that will reinforce the value of personal asthma action plans and continue to encourage clinicians to ensure that every patient has one tailored to their needs. This is entirely consistent with the recommendation that all patients with long-term conditions should have a personalised care plan by the end of 2010.

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what preparations his Department has made for managing the symptoms of asthma patients who contract (a) swine influenza and (b) seasonal influenza during the winter. [313532]

Ann Keen: Every year people of all ages, including those with asthma, are eligible for vaccination against seasonal influenza, and can have this at their general practitioner's (GP's) surgery. This year all people with asthma should also have been contacted by their GP's surgery in order to receive a vaccination against swine influenza. This measure was introduced to ensure that people with asthma were protected from influenza of both kinds.

GPs were advised by the Royal College of General Practitioners that people with asthma who contracted swine influenza may have additional respiratory difficulties. GPs were advised to follow the clinical guidelines for management of asthma in the event that a patient's asthma control worsened as a result of contracting swine influenza, in addition to prescribing antiviral therapy such as Tamiflu in order to shorten the course of swine influenza.


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