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24 Mar 2010 : Column 375W—continued
Table 5 provides data for England.
| Table 5-England | |
| Number | |
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has made an estimate of the number of people with diabetes who were hospitalised as a result of (a) eating and (b) drinking products labelled sugar-free which included sucrose or other sugar products in the last 12 months; whether he has had recent discussions with food manufacturers on the accuracy of information on the sugar content of foods; and if he will make a statement. [323119]
Gillian Merron: Data are not available from either Hospital Episode Statistics or the National Diabetes Audit to identify people hospitalised as a result of eating or drinking products labelled sugar-free which included sucrose or other sugar products.
Officials at the Food Standards Agency have advised that they have not had recent discussions with food manufacturers about the accuracy of the sugar content of foods.
Under the European Union Regulation EC/1924/2006, a claim that a food is sugar-free may only be made where the product contains no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g or 100 ml. It is the responsibility of local authorities to enforce the EU regulations.
Health Services
Mr. David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on (a) designating in-house bodies as preferred providers for the management of community services and (b) permitting care trusts to manage community services directly; and if he will make a statement. [323237]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Department's guidance on the assurance and approvals process for primary care trust (PCT)-provided community services (published 5 February 2010) sets out the policy on direct provision. It said that PCTs should principally be commissioning organisations. Circumstances may make it appropriate for some PCTs to continue the direct provision of services, but this will not be the norm. Continued direct provision should not detract from the PCT's core role of commissioning, which should be of the highest standard.
The guidance also makes clear that in relation to care trusts, the continued management of community services is permissible where it meets the national tests as set out in the guidance.
The assurance and approvals process for PCT-provided community services has already been placed in the Library and is available on the Department's website at:
Health Services: Training
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the first higher education courses in healthcare science will begin; and what guidance his Department has provided to universities on the content of such courses. [323110]
Gillian Merron: These commenced last year with a masters in clinical science (genetics) at the university of Nottingham.
Further courses will commence in September 2010 in some institutions and these have been given indicative curricula.
Home Care Services
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the comments of the Care Services Minister of 28 March 2010 in The Times newspaper, what representations he received from care charities in support of the Personal Care at Home Bill. [323834]
Phil Hope: I was referring, in my comments of 18 March 2010, to an open letter in support of the Personal Care at Home Bill, sent on 16 March to the media and to hon. Members and noble Lords and signed by the heads of seven charities. These included Carers UK, Counsel and Care, Help the Aged/Age Concern, RADAR, the WRVS, Contact a Family and Grandparents Plus.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 16 March 2010, Official Report, column 773W, on home care services: finances, how many people in England receive (a) free and (b) partially funded home care; and how much was spent on providing that care in the latest period for which figures are available. [323835]
Phil Hope: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care collects information from councils with adult social services responsibilities (CASSRs) on numbers receiving and expenditure on social care services via the Referrals, Assessments and Packages of Care (RAP) and the Personal Social Services Expenditure (PSS Ex1) returns.
However, RAP and PSS Ex1 data do not differentiate between service users whose care is fully funded by CASSRs and those whose care is partially funded.
During the period 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008-the latest available data-577,000 adults aged 18 and over in England received home care, funded either partly or wholly by their CASSR, following a community care assessment. £2.7 billion was spent by CASSRs in 2007-08 on providing home care.
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority: Consultants
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has paid to (a) Media Strategy and (b) Hanover Communications in the last two years. [323968]
Gillian Merron: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has advised that it paid Hanover Communications (formerly Media Strategy) £29,322.13 between March and May 2008. No further payments were made after May 2008.
Incontinence: Medical Equipment
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects his Department to publish guidance to primary care trusts on the use of local tenders and product formularies for products and services covered by Part IX of the Drug Tariff. [323855]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Department is currently seeking legal advice on this issue. Subject to receiving these instructions, guidance will be prepared and published later this year.
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whom his Department has consulted in its recent discussions on the use of tenders and formularies for products and services covered by Part IX of the Drug Tariff. [323923]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
Officials in the Department met representatives of the British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA) on 11 February 2010. The meeting took place following a series of concerns raised directly with the Department by the BHTA about the activities of primary care trusts and Collaborative Procurement Hubs seeking to tender in Part IX areas. In particular, the BHTA had
raised concerns over the legality of such activity under the terms of Part IX of the drug tariff.
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to publish the Part IX Guidance and Assurance Framework for the Drug Tariff arrangements to enter into force on 1 April 2010. [323924]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Part IX Guidance and Assurance Framework for the arrangements coming into force on 1 April 2010 are currently being finalised with the aim of publishing them in the next few weeks. Contractors have a transition period of nine months before they have to comply with the new regulations.
Infectious Diseases
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases there were of (a) mumps, (b) scarlet fever, (c) tuberculosis, (d) typhoid, (e) measles and (f) rubella in (i) England and (ii) each London borough in each year from 2000 to 2009. [323778]
Gillian Merron: The following data have been provided by the Health Protection Agency (HPA).
| Laboratory confirmed cases of mumps: England and HPA London regions: 2000 - 09 | ||
| England | London | |
Data are not available for individual London boroughs.
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