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1 Feb 2010 : Column 65W—continued
Copies have already been placed in the Library. Details of the consultation events are on the NHS Primary Care Commissioning website at:
Prescriptions: Fees and Charges
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent progress has been made in implementing the commitment to exempt from prescription charges those with long-term conditions. [314332]
Patrick Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when Professor Gilmore's review of prescription charges and his Department's response will be published; and whether asthma is to be included in the list of long-term conditions exempted from charges. [314561]
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to exempt from prescription charges those with long-term conditions; what assessment he has made of Sir Ian Gilmore's review of prescription charges; when he expects that review to be published; and if he will make a statement. [314566]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Professor Gilmore has now submitted his report on exempting people with long-term conditions from prescription charges to the Department. The recommendations are currently being considered. We will publish our response shortly.
Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what progress his Department has made towards exempting from prescription charges patients with long-term medical conditions; [314599]
(2) when he expects Professor Ian Gilmore's review of prescription charges to be published. [314681]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The exemption for cancer patients came in on 1 April 2009. Professor Gilmore has now submitted his report on exempting people with long-term conditions from prescription charges to the Department. The recommendations are currently being considered. We will publish our response shortly.
Social Services: Vulnerable Adults
Ms Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department made of the quality of reports of serious case reviews on vulnerable adults in each local authority area in the last two years. [314050]
Phil Hope: No assessments have been carried by central Government on the quality of reports of serious case reviews. Serious case reviews are commissioned by local Safeguarding Adults Boards (SAB), which are set up by local authorities. SABs have a large number of local members, including representatives from the National Health Service, police and the voluntary sector. Many boards have jointly agreed protocols about when and how to commission a serious case review and will jointly agree terms of reference and will jointly agree the final report.
The Government have commissioned research by Kings College London and Social Care Workforce Research Unit on serious case reviews, which is on the Department's website at:
A copy has been placed in the Library.
In response to the Government's consultation on strengthening protection for vulnerable adults, new legislation will be introduced to enshrine in law the need for each local area to work to a statutory SAB and we will set in train a programme of work to lead and support all agencies involved in safeguarding adults. There will also be a new cross-Government ministerial group which will oversee the safeguarding of vulnerable adults, set priorities, work up new policy and provide national leadership.
Ms Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many serious case reviews regarding safeguarding adults have taken place in each local authority in each of the last two years for which figures are available. [314051]
Phil Hope: The number of serious case reviews is not currently collected centrally.
We are informed by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) that, on 25 January 2010, recommendations were made to CQC's safeguarding committee to bring in procedures to collect data on all serious case reviews notified to CQC. Implementation is expected later this year.
Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will visit Southend Hospital Trust to discuss (a) the time taken by nurses to respond to patient buzzers and (b) ways of improving standards of care on wards; and if he will make a statement. [314498]
Phil Hope: There are currently no plans to visit Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Foundation trusts (FTs) are free from central Government control and accountable to Monitor for their operation. Boards are responsible for the day to day management of the trust, setting their own strategies and making their own decisions within a framework of national standards and local accountability. Any concerns or issues relating to the operation of an FT should be directed to the chairman of the organisation and the chairman of Monitor.
Strokes: Health Services
Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of stroke patients in each primary care trust area received thrombolysis treatment in the latest period figures are available; and when he expects the national target of 10 per cent. to be achieved. [313760]
Ann Keen: The latest period for which figures are available is 2008-09, coinciding with the first year of implementation of the stroke strategy, and these data have been placed in the Library. More recent information from the Safe Implementation of Thrombolysis in Stroke database suggests that, between 2007 and 2009, there has been a significant increase in the United Kingdom of the number patients treated with thrombolysis.
There is no national target for thrombolysis rates. This is a treatment that will only be suitable for a certain proportion of those who experience a stroke. For thrombolysis to be administered safely and with greatest effectiveness a number of conditions must apply, which are characteristic of a high quality stroke service as set out in the national stroke strategy. There has been good progress on all of these quality markers. We have taken steps such as the F.A.S.T campaign to raise awareness of the need to regard stroke as an emergency and the establishment of new elements of the payment by results tariff to give further support to the development of thrombolysis services.
Women and Equality
Departmental NDPBs
Bob Spink: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality for how many non-departmental public bodies the Government Equalities Office is responsible. [314258]
Maria Eagle: The Government Equalities Office sponsors two non-departmental public bodies (NDPB), they are:
(i) The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)
(ii) The Women's National Commission (WNC)
The Equality and Human Rights Commission is an executive NDPB which exists under statute and has enforcement powers to stop discrimination whereas the Women's National Commission is an advisory NDPB and brings the voice of women to Government.
Equality and Human Rights Commission
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 12 October 2009, Official Report, column 28W, on the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which private sector organisation was given permission to use the resources of the Commission; what payments that organisation made in respect of such usage; whether such usage was approved by a member of the Commission's board; and for what reason permission was given. [312053]
Maria Eagle: The Chair of the Commission, Trevor Phillips, was given permission to use Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) offices for meetings in relation to non-Commission business on a maximum of six occasions per year. Since December 2007, only two such meetings were held at Commission premises, both in 2008. Following discussions, it was agreed to terminate this agreement in July 2009. No charge was made for the use of Commission's offices.
This arrangement was agreed by the former Chief Executive and Accounting Officer of the EHRC, Nicola Brewer.
This arrangement was made in view of the fact that the Chair was employed on a part-time basis and such use of the Commission building might occasionally be necessary in order to make optimal use of the Chair's time.
Cabinet Office
Aviation: Exhaust Emissions
Mr. Drew: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent discussions she has had with the Advertising Standards Authority on its powers to verify claims made by airlines that they are able to prove a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. [311957]
Joan Ruddock: I have been asked to reply.
None. The Advertising Standards Authority is an independent body regulated by the Office of Communications (Ofcom). The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills lead on issues regarding consumer protection, and share policy responsibility for Ofcom with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Electoral Register
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the electoral registration rate was in each constituency in the UK, rated in descending order, in (a) 1997 and (b) the latest year for which figures are available. [311930]
Angela E. Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Dennis Roberts, dated January 2010:
The Director General for the Office for National Statistics has been asked to reply to your question asking what the electoral regulation rate was in each constituency in the UK, rated in descending order, in (a) 1997 and (b) the latest year for which figures are available. I am replying in his absence. (311930)
The attached table shows the number of people who were registered to vote in parliamentary elections as a percentage of the estimated resident population aged 18 and over for each parliamentary constituency in the UK for 2007. This is the latest year for which estimates of the usually resident population are available by parliamentary constituency for the UK. Comparable figures are not provided for 1997 as population estimates by parliamentary constituency are only published from 2001 onwards. A copy of the table has been placed in the Library of the House.
These figures should not be interpreted as the electoral registration rate. The population eligible to vote in parliamentary elections includes British Citizens or qualifying Commonwealth citizens resident overseas and excludes foreign citizens (from outside the British Commonwealth and Republic of Ireland) resident within the UK.
In addition, figures for the registered electorate may be inflated because people who have more than one address may register in more than one place (e.g. students may register at parental and term-time addresses) and electoral registration officers vary in how quickly they remove people from the registers after they have moved away from an area or died. This may lead to percentages of over one hundred per cent and can affect the comparability of figures across parliamentary constituencies.
Public Bodies: Billing
Mr. Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether an impact assessment has been made of the likely effects on public bodies of EU proposals to fine such bodies for not paying invoices on time. [312295]
Ms Rosie Winterton: I have been asked to reply.
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills published an impact assessment on the EU proposal for combating late payment in commercial transactions in October 2009. It can be found at:
Survival Rate: Cancer
David Simpson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the survival rate for each type of cancer was in (a) the UK, (b) each region of England, (c) Scotland, (d) Wales and (e) Northern Ireland (i) in 2000 and (ii) at the most recent date for which figures are available. [313645]
Angela E. Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 1 February 2010:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the survival rate for each type of cancer was in (a) the UK, (b) each region of England, (c) Scotland, (d) Wales and (e) Northern Ireland (i) in 2000 and (ii) at the most recent date for which figures are available. [313645]
ONS does not produce cancer survival rates for (a) the UK. However, survival rates for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers in the UK for patients diagnosed in 1995-99 and followed up to 2001 were published in 2009 by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in their 'Health at a Glance' publication.(1) and can be found on the OECD website at:
The figures published by OECD for the UK may not be directly comparable with those published by ONS and other organisations for the constituent countries, because of differences in methodology.
The latest available one- and five-year survival rates for England, for 21 common cancers, for patients diagnosed in 2001-2006 and followed up to the end of 2007, are available on the National Statistics website at:
Comparable survival rates for England for each preceding five year period back to 1998-2001 and followed up to 2003 can also be downloaded from this link.
The latest one- and five-year survival rates for eight common cancers by (b) government office region (and strategic health authority), for patients diagnosed in 1997-1999 and followed up to the end of 2004, are available on the National Statistics website at:
Comparable survival rates by government office region (and strategic health authority) for each preceding five year period back to 1994-1996 and followed up to 2001 can also be downloaded from this link.
Cancer survival rates for (c) Scotland are published by the Information Services Division, NHS Services Scotland. One-, three-, five- and ten-year survival rates by age group and period of diagnosis are produced for specific cancers. The latest information for patients diagnosed between 2000 and 2004 can be downloaded from this link:
Cancer survival rates for (d) Wales are published by the Welsh Cancer Intelligence Surveillance Unit. One-, three- and five-year survival rates by period of diagnosis for individual cancers are produced. The latest information can be downloaded from this link:
Cancer survival rates for (e) Northern Ireland are published by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry. One-, three-, five- and seven-year survival rates for the most common cancers are produced. The latest survival rates can be downloaded from this link:
http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/Data/Online Statistics/#d.en.26094
(1) Woods L, Walters S, Steward, J, Gavin A, Cooper N, Brewster D, Coleman MP, Rachet B (2009) "Health at a Glance 2009 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Indicators: Cancer Survival for the UK": OECD
Energy and Climate Change
Boilers: Wales
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department has discussions with the Welsh Assembly Government on the guidance issued by his Department on the operation of the boiler scrappage scheme. [312846]
Joan Ruddock: Officials in the Department have shared guidance and analysis on the operation of the boiler scrappage scheme with officials in the Welsh Assembly Government.
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