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2 Mar 2010 : Column 1107W—continued

⁽¹⁾ Employees whose disability status is not known have not been included in any of the average salary data.

£
	Disabled	Non- d isabled
Full-time	(a) 25,606.80	(b) 26,206.76
Part-time	(c) 23,438.52	(d) 24,901.01

Departmental Written Questions

David Simpson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2010, Official
2 Mar 2010 : Column 1108W
Report, column 1117W, on departmental written questions, whether his Department maintains a database to monitor the progress of replies to parliamentary questions. [318383]

Mr. McFadden: Yes. The Department uses the database to monitor performance in answering parliamentary questions and will use it to produce published reports to Parliament in due course.

Music: Copyright

Mr. Maude: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the likely effect on tax revenues of the abolition of the exemption of charities from public performance licence requirements. [318350]

Mr. Lammy: The Government have made no assessment of the likely effect on tax revenues of the repeal of the statutory exemption from licensing requirements for the public performance of recorded and broadcast music by some charitable and not-for-profit organisations.

This measure is about providing a suitable legal framework for the music industry to ensure that the contribution made by musical performers and producers can be recognised. It is not a Government fiscal measure and therefore, following Better Regulation Executive guidance, it was not necessary to consider any impact on tax revenues.

Regional European Offices

Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2010, Official Report, column 1128W, on regional European offices, whether the Government Offices for the Regions (a) contribute to the funding of the regional European offices in Brussels and (b) hold copies of their accounts. [319012]

Ms Rosie Winterton: In 2009/10 three Government offices for the regions contributed to the funding of regional European offices in Brussels; GO East, GO East Midlands and GO North East. Neither holds copies of the accounts of those regional European offices.

Science: Expenditure

Mr. Touhig: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much the Government has spent on promotion of the UK's science base since 1997. [318147]

Mr. Lammy: Government spending on promotion of the UK's broad science base is widely distributed among the science-using Departments and a number of agencies and non-departmental public bodies, such as the research councils.

Within BIS alone (and formerly as DIUS and DTI), the Science and Society team spends a focused budget, drawn from the science budget allocation, on a number of key national activities. Budgets for this work have increased from around £1.25 million in 1997/98 to £17.4 million for the final year (2010/11) of the latest comprehensive spending review, reflecting both the sustained increases to the science budget and the increasing
2 Mar 2010 : Column 1109W
importance on public engagement and the relationship between science and society in the UK.

While BIS leads many Government activities, and is accountable to my right hon. and noble Friend the Minister of State for Science and Innovation, other Departments across Government directly promote either the science they fund, or the value of science in delivering their own objectives. For example, in January 2008 DCSF announced a £140 million strategy to educate the next generation of scientists and mathematicians, and provide more STEM teachers. This programme includes a significant science promotion element.

International Development

Afghanistan: Opium

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to reduce levels of production of opium in Afghanistan. [318975]

Mr. Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) is taking the following steps to support licit alternatives to opium production in Afghanistan:

Contributing £30 million over four years to the Comprehensive Agricultural and Rural Development Facility (CARD-F), a national programme designed to increase legal incomes and sustain poppy free districts across Afghanistan.

Spending around £5 million in support of Governor Mangal's Food Zone programme, to help distribute wheat seed, fertiliser and appropriate training to almost 40,000 farmers across Helmand province. The UK Conflict Fund will also contribute £3 million to this programme.

We are also considering further options to increase productivity nationwide.

Departmental Theft

Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many thefts from his
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Department have been recorded in the last two years. [318995]

Mr. Michael Foster: The numbers of recorded thefts in the last two financial years were 10 in 2007-08 and eight in 2008-09.

Poland: Forestry

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much of the £100 million committed to forestry in Poznan in December 2008 has been (a) allocated and (b) spent. [319992]

Mr. Thomas: The UK announced up to £100 million of funding for forestry at Poznan in 2008. So far we have allocated £50 million to the Forest Investment Program (FIP), one of the multi-donor Climate Investment Funds, of which £12 million has been deposited. The FIP trust fund sub-committee is currently considering expressions of interest from 44 countries and regions, before selecting five pilots for funding. The UK is a member of this committee and will play a role in the deliberations. The remainder has been provisionally allocated to the FIP, and will be deposited in the next financial year, subject to good progress.

Health

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people aged (a) under 18 years and (b) 18 years and over were admitted to hospital with a condition related to alcohol misuse in each year since 1997-98. [318943]

Gillian Merron: The information is in the following table. It is important to note that the figures provided relate to admissions of patients rather than number of patients as a patient can be admitted more than once in a year.

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2 Mar 2010 : Column 1112W

Number of admissions of patients aged under 18 and 18 and over with an alcohol-related condition
	2002-03	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09
Under 18	10,976	12,043	12,982	14,421	14,465	14,501	12,832
18 and over	499,197	557,374	631,203	721,091	784,655	848,763	932,391
Total	510,173	569,417	644,185	735,512	799,120	863,264	945,223
Note: Includes activity in English national health service hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector. Alcohol-related admissions The number of alcohol-related admissions is estimated, 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 (142.6) 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 (i.e. the data are ungrossed). Finished admission episodes A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one health care 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 in-patients, 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 out-patient 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 Years 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

Alcoholic Drinks: Prices

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the effects of pricing of alcoholic drinks on levels of alcohol abuse; and if he will make a statement. [318896]

Gillian Merron: In December 2008 the Department published an independent review of the effects of alcohol pricing and promotion from the School of Health and Related Research at the university of Sheffield. The review estimated the effects on health, crime and young people of a range of options including the impact of different levels of minimum unit price.

A copy of the publication "Independent Review of the Effects of Alcohol Pricing and Promotion from the School of Health and Related Research at the University of Sheffield" has already been placed in the Library.

We continue to look at how we can tackle the problems caused by cheap alcohol, while respecting the rights of responsible consumers and the Government have commissioned further research in this area.

Care Quality Commission

Mr. Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the Care Quality Commission charged organisations for (a) initial and (b) repeat inspections in England in the last 12 months. [319908]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Care Quality Commission is the new integrated regulator for health and adult social care from 1 April 2009.

Regulated providers of adult social care and independent health care are charged fees by the Care Quality Commission in 2009-10. We have been informed by the Care Quality Commission that the total annual fees it charged organisations from 1 April 2009 to 31 January 2010 is £53.3 million. In the same period, the Care Quality Commission additionally charged independent health care organisations a total of £14,000 for repeat inspections.

Details of the fees charged to adult social care regulated providers is set out on the Care Quality Commission's website at:

www.cqc.org.uk/guidanceforprofessionals/registration/socialcare/fees.cfm

Details of the fees charged to independent health care regulated providers is set out on the Care Quality Commission's website at:

www.cqc.org.uk/guidanceforprofessionals/registration/independenthealthcareservices/howtoregister.cfm

For 2009-10, the Care Quality Commission does not charge fees for the registration and inspection of NHS bodies.

Mr. Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average charge levied by the Care Quality Commission was for inspections of a (a) hospice and (b) district hospital in the latest period for which figures are available. [319911]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Care Quality Commission is the new integrated regulator for health and adult social care from 1 April 2009.

We have been informed by the Care Quality Commission that the average annual fee charged for a hospice for the period 1 April 2009 to 31 January 2010 is £1,629.

For 2009-10, the Care Quality Commission does not charge fees for the registration and inspection of national health service bodies.

Care Quality Commission: Dorset

Mr. Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the Care Quality Commission charged organisations in Dorset for repeat inspections in the last 12 months. [319909]

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Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Care Quality Commission is the new integrated regulator for health and adult social care from 1 April 2009.

We have been informed by the Care Quality Commission that it made no charges for repeat inspections of organisations in Dorset from 1 April 2009 to 31 January 2010.

Mr. Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the Care Quality Commission charged hospices in Dorset for inspections in the last 12 months. [319910]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Care Quality Commission is the new integrated regulator for health and adult social care from 1 April 2009.

We have been informed by the Care Quality Commission that the total annual fees it charged hospices in Dorset from 1 April 2009 to 31 January 2010 was £5,663.

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