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29 Jan 2010 : Column 1150Wcontinued
Mr. Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) male and (b) female prisoners aged under 18 years are (i) undergoing detoxification programmes and (ii) receiving a maintenance prescription of heroin-substitute drugs. [313550]
Phil Hope: This information is not collected by the Department.
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which payments made by his Department to the Eileen Trust in the last five years (a) constituted (i) an ex-gratia payment and (ii) an admittance of liability on the Government's part and (b) were made for other reasons. [314409]
Gillian Merron: All of the Department's payments to the Eileen Trust in the last five years have been to enable the Trust to make ex gratia payments to its beneficiaries. There has been no admission of liability in connection with these payments and no payments have been made to the Trust for other reasons.
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 10 November 2009, Official Report, column 245W, on contraceptives, whether he has published the sexual health commissioning framework. [313635]
Gillian Merron: The Department hopes to publish the new commissioning framework for sexual health in the spring.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) for what reasons a UK military pension paid to a resident of the Isle of Man will not be deemed to be a UK state pension for the purpose of qualifying for free emergency admission to hospital when that person visits the UK after the end of the UK-Isle of Man reciprocal health agreement with effect from 1 April 2010; and if he will make a statement; [314205]
(2) if he will ensure that former members of HM Armed Forces resident in the Isle of Man in receipt of military pensions will continue to have free NHS hospital care when visiting the UK when they are subject of an emergency admission to hospital following the end of the reciprocal UK-Isle of Man Health Agreement on 1 April 2010; and if he will make a statement. [314206]
Gillian Merron: The National Health Service Charges to Overseas Visitors Regulations set out a number of exemptions to charging, regardless of where an individual resides.
Those serving in HM UK forces are exempt from all charges for NHS hospital treatment (including elective treatment). Those in receipt of a war pension or war widows pension are also exempt from all hospital treatment charges (including elective treatment). In addition, those in receipt of a UK state pension are exempt from charges for treatment the need for which arises during a visit to the UK.
The Regulations do not exempt other ex-service people on the basis of being in receipt of a military pension,
but some specific services are exempt from charge to all persons, e.g. those provided in an accident and emergency Department.
Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made by the North East strategic health authority on each of the priorities set out by its clinical innovation team in its document, Our strategic vision for transforming healthcare services within the North East of England, of June 2009. [313911]
Ann Keen: The strategic vision for transforming health care services within the North East of England was developed locally by the North East strategic health authority as part of the National Health Service Next Stage Review.
"Our Vision, Our Future" priorities were developed through unprecedented engagement and reflect the needs and expectations of the local community.
Delivery is overseen locally. The Department does not performance manage its delivery in line with its commitments to local empowerment, decentralisation and reducing unnecessary bureaucracy.
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health visitors have been employed in ( a) Torbay constituency and (b) Devon in each year since 1997. [313885]
Ann Keen: The information is not held in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the following table.
National health service hospital and community health services: health visitors at Torbay Care Trust and Devon Primary Care Trust (PCT) as at 30 September each year | |||||||
Headcount | |||||||
2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | |
Notes: 1. East Devon PCT, Exeter PCT, Mid Devon PCT, North Devon PCT, South Hams and West Devon PCT and Teignbridge PCT merged to form Devon PCT in 2006. Figures for 2002 to 2005 are an aggregate of these predecessor PCTs. 2. Torbay PCT became Torbay Care Trust in 2005. Figures for 2002 to 2004 are for Torbay PCT. 3. Torbay PCT was formed in 2002. It is impossible to map staff for this organisation prior to 2002. Source: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census |
Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the correlation between trends in the level of unemployment and trends in the level of illnesses attributable to drink or drugs. [313254]
Gillian Merron: The following research in relation to alcohol has been either commissioned or evaluated:
"Indications of Public Health in the English Regions-8: Alcohol", was produced and published by the North West Public Health Observatory.
A review of the affects of alcohol pricing and promotion by the University of Sheffield
Evaluated several studies, in particular:
"Health in Finland", by Koskiinen S., Aromaa A., Huttunen J. and Tepen J., Helsinki 2006
Office for National Statistics longitudinal studies
The Department has not commissioned research concerning a correlation between levels of employment and illnesses attributable to drugs.
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many procedures planned by each NHS trust were cancelled for non-clinical reasons on or after the day of admission in the latest period for which figures are available. [313880]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The number of operations which are cancelled for non-clinical reasons on or after the day of admission, are published by the Department on a quarterly basis. The latest available figures are for the quarter ending 30 September 2009.
The data can also be found at the following web address:
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of (a) in-patient and (b) day case activities were not undertaken because the patient did not attend in the latest period for which figures are available. [313882]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The total number of admissions and the number of patients who failed to attend, are shown in the following table. These are the latest available figures, for the quarter ending 30 September 2009.
Data which show the total number of admissions and the number of patients who failed to attend, split by in-patient and day case admissions, are not held centrally.
Q2 2009-10 | |
Number | |
Note: Admissions includes only ordinary and day case admissions. Source: Department of Health Quarterly Activity Return, Commissioner based (QARCom) |
Mr. Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what meetings (a) he and (b) Ministers and officials in his Department have held with NHS staff in London in 2009-10 to discuss (i) reviews of the acute hospital sector in London, (ii) options for closing one or more hospitals in London and (iii) options for closing units or services at London hospitals; and if he will make a statement. [313447]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The reconfiguration of health services is a matter for the local national health service.
NHS staff brief Ministers on their local reconfiguration plans in order to support parliamentary business and do so as necessary.
Ministers also meet routinely with chief executives and chairs of strategic health authorities to discuss plans for service change.
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the oral answer of 12 January 2010, Official Report, column 552, on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, (1) if he will publish the terms of reference of the internal governance review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority; [313601]
(2) by (a) what mechanisms and (b) whom the decision was made to conduct an internal governance review rather than an independent inquiry; and whether he was consulted on that decision; [313602]
(3) what progress has been made on the internal governance review; and whether individuals outside that Authority (a) have contributed and (b) will contribute to that review; [313603]
(4) what changes have been implemented by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to prevent a recurrence of the circumstances under consideration in the internal governance review; [313604]
(5) whether the terms of reference of the internal governance review include the Authority's contact with the BBC in the making of a Panorama programme; [313605]
(6) for what reasons his Department made the payment of £580,000 to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, as referred to its 2008-09 Annual Report. [313606]
(7) how much funding his Department has provided to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority for legal assistance in respect of the circumstances under consideration in the internal governance review. [313608]
Gillian Merron: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that the terms of reference of its internal governance review are published on the Authority's website www.hfea.gov.uk/5743.html
The HFEA has also advised that following consideration of advice prepared by the Chief Executive, the Members of the Authority determined it unnecessary for the review to be undertaken by an external person. This was a matter for the HFEA and the Department of Health was not involved. The purpose of the review is to assess the adequacy of the Authority's revised governance arrangements in relation to the threshold between administrative enforcement of its powers and the sphere of criminal law. The HFEA considers this internal review to be the right way to look critically at what happened and to ensure changes made to its processes and procedures provide it with adequate governance arrangements.
The HFEA has advised that the senior officer undertaking the review has devoted many months to reviewing the documentation held by the Authority. This officer will shortly contact those involved, inviting them to contribute.
The HFEA has been undergoing an overall programme of change since 2008. This followed the changes to the Authority's membership and its senior management team that began in 2007. The change programme has included the establishment of a new appeals committee, a new compliance and enforcement policy, indicative sanctions guidance and a clear separation of functions between inspection of clinics and licensing. The internal governance review will inform the Authority as to whether further changes are needed.
The annual allocation of grant-in-aid funding is determined on the basis of the HFEA's annual business plan and its estimate of the funding needed to conduct its business in that year, which may involve some expenditure on legal assistance. The allocation does not identify monies to be spent on individual legal actions.
Supplementary grant-in-aid of £580,000 was paid to the HFEA in the financial year 2008-09, in respect of unforeseen expenditure incurred as a result of legal actions.
The total supplementary grant-in-aid paid to HFEA in respect of unforeseen legal costs since 2005-06 is the sum of £580,000 in the year 2008-09, which was incurred as the result of legal actions involving the case associated with the internal review.
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his timetable is for the introduction of proposals for regulation of counselling and psychotherapy. [313877]
Ann Keen: We are currently considering the recommendations made by the Health Professions Council on this matter.
Final decisions have yet to be taken about the legislation to statutorily regulate psychotherapists and counsellors. The regulation of psychotherapists and counsellors is a devolved matter and a decision to take forward regulation on a United Kingdom wide basis would have to be supported by the Administrations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the primary care trust gross expenditure was in each programme budgeting category (a) nationally, (b) in each region and (c) in each primary care trust in London in each of the last five years. [313688]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The information requested has been placed in the Library.
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which medical categories fall within the programme budgeting category entitled 'Other' used to categorise primary care trust programme budgeting expenditure; and on which 10 of these medical categories most has been spent. [313689]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Expenditure on general and personal medical services made up 64 per cent. of primary care trust expenditure within the 'other' programme budgeting category in the 2008-09 financial year. This expenditure cannot be broken down into medical categories.
The remaining 34 per cent. was made up of other miscellaneous expenditure for which a further breakdown of expenditure is not available. Information on the types of activity which contribute to other miscellaneous expenditure has been placed in the Library.
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