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Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out, with statistical information related as directly as possible to Great Grimsby constituency, the effects of his Department's policies on that constituency since 1997. [320181]
Ann Keen: The Government have put in place a programme of national health service investment and reform since 1997 to improve service delivery in all parts of the United Kingdom. 93 per cent. of people nationally now rate the NHS as good or excellent. The NHS Constitution contains 25 rights and 14 pledges for patients and the public including new rights to be treated within 18 weeks, or be seen by a cancer specialist within two weeks and an NHS health check every five years for those aged 40 to 74 years.
There is significant evidence that these policies have yielded considerable benefits for the Great Grimsby constituency. For example:
Figures for December 2009 show that in the North East Lincolnshire Care Trust Plus:
99 per cent. of patients whose treatment involved admission to hospital started their treatment within 18 weeks.
99 per cent. of patients whose treatment did not involve admission to hospital started their treatment within 18 weeks.
In December 2009, at the Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 98.5 per cent. of patients spent less than four hours in accident and emergency from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge.
Between September 2002 and September 2008, the number of consultants at the Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has increased from 120 to 141. Between September 2002 and September 2008 the estimated number of nurses has increased from 1,646 to 1,826.
Between September 2001 and September 2008 the number of general practitioners (GPs) per 100,000 within the North East Lincolnshire Care Trust Plus has increased from 55.9 to 62.6.
96.3 per cent. of urgent GP referrals to the Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust with suspected cancer are seen by a specialist within two weeks of the referral (as at December 2009).
In July 2009, a new GP-led health centre opened in Grimsby town centre. The health centre is open from 8 am until 8 pm, seven days a week, 365 days a year, and offers bookable appointments and walk-in services for any member of the public.
There is one publicly funded scheme in the area that serves this constituency: a £12 million women and children's unit at the Diana Princess of Wales Hospital, which opened in February 2004.
Although statistical information is not available at a local level, Great Grimsby will have also benefitted from national policies in other areas. For example:
Since 1997, gross current expenditure on personal social services has increased by around 70 per cent. in real terms with around 105,000 households now receiving intensive home care and 3,076 new extra care housing units-exceeding the original target of 1,500 new extra care units.
Other strategies currently being implemented are:
Subject to parliamentary approval, the Personal Care at Home Bill will guarantee free personal care for 280,000 people with the highest needs and help around 130,000 people who need home care for the first time to regain their independence.
'Shaping the Future of Care Together' Green Paper, published in July 2009, sets out a vision of a National Care Service for all adults in England which is fair, simple and affordable. The Department has consulted widely on this reform and is currently analysing the responses, which will feed into a White Paper later this year.
The National Carer's Strategy ('Carers at the heart of 21st century families and Communities'), launched in 2008.
The first National Dementia Strategy was published in February 2009.
'Valuing People Now', a three year strategy for people with learning disabilities published in January 2009.
'New Horizons: A Shared Vision for Mental Health', launched in December 2009, to maintain improvements in mental health services combined with a new cross-Government approach to promoting public mental health.
Since 1998, there are now 2.4 million fewer smokers in England as a result of the Government's comprehensive tobacco control strategy which has a measurable impact on reducing smoking prevalence.
Child obesity levels are reducing due to the efforts of families across England, supported by the Government's obesity strategy. In 2008, 13.9 per cent. of children (aged two to 10) in England were classified as obese, compared with 17.3 per cent. in 2005.
Overall, life expectancy at birth for men has increased from 74.5 years (1995-97 data) to 77.7 years (2006-08 data) while for women, life expectancy at birth has increased from 79.6 years (1995-97 data) to 81.9 years (2006-08 data).
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether Flybe has been consulted on the implications for carriers of the discontinuance of the reciprocal health agreement between the UK and the Isle of Man; and if he will make a statement. [318456]
Gillian Merron: The Department took the decision to end the reciprocal healthcare agreement between the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man, as it no longer represents value for money to the UK taxpayer. Neither Flybe, nor other carriers, were consulted as part of that process. However, the Department will be targeting the tourist industry as part of a campaign to raise awareness that the agreement with the Isle of Man will be ending.
Mr. Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff his Department and its agencies have appointed who were later discovered to be illegal immigrants since 2005. [320445]
Phil Hope: No illegal immigrants have been found to be working within the Department or its agencies in the last five years.
Lembit Öpik:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken to increase awareness of its advice on the use of mobile
telephones by children and young people under the age of 16; and if he will make a statement. [320171]
Gillian Merron: The Department's leaflet, "mobile phones and health", including advice concerning children's use of mobile phones, is available on the Department's website at:
The Department keeps this leaflet under review to ensure the presentation is fresh and effective. A copy has already been placed in the Library.
Advice on using mobile phones is also available on the NHS Choices website at:
The Health Protection Agency's Radiation Protection Division advises the Government on science matters concerning electromagnetic fields and has recently reviewed its website advice on mobile phones at:
www.hpa.org.uk/webw/HPAweb&HPAwebStandard/HPAweb_C/1195733769169
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what contacts the NHS has had with the National Bullying Helpline; and whether the NHS has made any payments to (a) the National Bullying Helpline and (b) HR and Diversity Management Limited since 2004. [320132]
Ann Keen: This information is not held centrally. Any data on payments to the above bodies would be held at local trust level. One of the measurement criteria in the NHS staff survey is
"Percentage of staff experiencing bullying & harassment from staff (manager, team leader or other colleague) in the previous 12 months".
The next staff survey results are due on 17 March 2010.
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many dams, reservoirs and lakes in England have a system of releasing water to provide storage for excess rain; and if he will make a statement. [320166]
Huw Irranca-Davies: The Environment Agency keeps a public register of the 2,102 (1,899 in England) large raised reservoirs which are capable of holding 25,000m(3) or more of water above natural ground level. The Environment Agency is the enforcement authority for the Reservoirs Act 1975 in England and Wales.
The register does not contain details of the systems for releasing water from the reservoirs. However, most reservoirs do have such systems for operation and maintenance purposes.
The Environment Agency is the operator for 182 flood storage reservoirs in England. The purpose of these reservoirs is to provide storage for excess rain.
Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cases of equine infectious anaemia were reported in the UK in each of the last five years. [320968]
Jim Fitzpatrick: There have been two cases of equine infectious anaemia reported in the UK in the last five years. The first was in Northern Ireland in September 2006, the second was in England in January 2010.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) unweaned calves, (b) cattle, (c) sheep and (d) other livestock species were exported for (i) further fattening and (ii) slaughter in 2009. [319974]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Statistics on numbers of animals consigned for export from Great Britain are not routinely collated (although numbers of export consignments are). Nor are statistics collated on whether consignments are for breeding, further fattening or slaughter, or numbers of weaned or unweaned calves.
Information for trade within the European Union is currently being sought through the European Commission. However, the system used to access this has been unavailable since 22 February although the Commission has been contacted and is expected to provide this information shortly. The information for non-EU trade can be gathered by scrutinising the export certificates for each of the 49 consignments in 2009, though this could not be achieved within the timescale required for this response but will be supplied subsequently.
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) Ministers and (b) civil servants in his Department received coaching in a foreign language in the last 12 months; what expenditure his Department incurred in providing such coaching; and in what languages such coaching was provided. [320541]
Mr. Woodward: The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) has not provided or funded, coaching in a foreign language to Ministers or civil servants in the last 12 months.
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what (a) suppliers and (b) brands of (i) paper and (ii) paper products his Department uses; and what his Department's policy is on the procurement of those materials. [320027]
Mr. Woodward: The majority of divisions within the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) use a central contract to procure copying paper. Suppliers on this contract are Antalis; Banner; Office Depot and Supplies Team.
Brand details of copying paper procured through this contract are:
Everyday Business recycled paper A4 80 gsm white;
Evolve Business recycled paper A4 80 gsm white;
Xerox recycled paper A4 80 gsm (various colours);
Banner minute sheets A4 and A5 sizes 70 gsm;
Steinbeis recycled paper A4 80 gsm white.
Separate arrangements are in place for our London Office, who source copying paper via locally based suppliers. The local supplier used is Xerox. The brand of paper procured is Xerox Supreme recycled paper A4 80 gsm white.
All brands of copying paper procured by the Department are 100 per cent. recycled.
There are local arrangements in place in each NIO location with landlords providing paper based products such as kitchen and toilet rolls. There is no central list of the suppliers or brand names of these products.
Departmental policy is to procure recycled copying paper and paper products in line with the Quick Wins targets set by the Government.
Mr. Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff his Department and its agencies have appointed who were later discovered to be illegal immigrants since 2005. [320448]
Mr. Woodward: The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) has not appointed any staff since 2005 who were later discovered to be illegal immigrants.
Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects the first funding to be disbursed from the UK innovation investment fund. [320208]
Mr. McFadden: The UK Innovation Investment Fund brings together public and private sector finance to back the best of British Innovation. The fund has appointed two managers, Hermes Private Equity and the European Investment Fund. There is a total pool of capital of £325 million. £200 million will be invested through the EIF's UK Future Technologies Fund in areas such as ICT, life sciences and advanced manufacturing. £125 million through the Hermes Environmental Innovation Fund will specialise in cleantech and low carbon. We expect these two funds to begin investing over the next few months.
Linda Gilroy: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effects on the economy of his Department's policies on science and knowledge transfer. [320211]
Mr. Lammy: Independent studies have shown that excellent research improves the performance of existing business, creates new business, delivers highly skilled people to the labour market and attracts research and development investment from global business.
UKTI used the strength of the research base to attract 450 R and D investments to the UK between 2007-08 and 2008-09.
Mr. Bain: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many businesses have received funding directly from his Department since 2008. [320214]
Mr. McFadden: During the economic downturn, the Government have supported thousands of businesses of all sizes by way of a number of programmes through a combination of grants, guarantees, investments and loans. Through the Enterprise Finance Guarantee, over 8,000 businesses have been offered loans totalling over £850 million. Through the Regional Transition Loan Fund, over £40 million of loans have been agreed. And 160,000 businesses have been able to spread £5 billion in business taxes through allowing businesses more time to pay their tax bill.
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