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7 Apr 2010 : Column 1433W—continued
Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate, 5 per cent. sample
The information requested on the number of recipients of pension credit in Denton and Reddish constituency is in the following table:
| Total number of beneficiaries | Total number of households | |
| Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Number of beneficiaries represents the number of people that pension credit helps and is the number of claimants in addition to the number of partners for whom they are also claiming. (Since 2006 same-sex partners-civil partners and cohabiters are included in the same benefit unit.) Two individuals who are not partners but live in the same house will be counted as separate households; for example two sisters each receiving pension credit in their own right, sharing a house together would be counted as two households. Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study | ||
Thurrock Borough Council: Minimum Wage
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what account Jobcentre Plus took of the legislative provisions on the national minimum wage in advertising a job for an apprentice administrative assistant with Thurrock borough council, reference GRT 57556, for 37 hours a week at a weekly salary of £95; and if she will make a statement. [325699]
Jim Knight: The vacancy to which the hon. Member refers is part of a modern apprenticeship scheme. The £95 per week is a training allowance which is national minimum wage exempt. Thurrock borough council is accredited as part of the modern apprenticeships scheme.
Modern apprenticeships are paid employment combined with the opportunity to train for jobs at craft, technician and management level. They are available in most sectors of industry and commerce and can provide lifelong career opportunities.
Apprenticeships offer candidates the opportunity to develop knowledge and expertise through on-the-job assessment. Many apprentices also attend college or training centres.
International Development
Departmental Official Hospitality
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the five most expensive hospitality events hosted by his Department and its agencies were in the last three years; and what the (a) cost and (b) purpose was of each. [324415]
Mr. Thomas: It is not possible to provide the requested information without incurring disproportionate cost.
All such expenditure is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.
Palestinians: Overseas Aid
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent reports he has received of allegations that funds raised in the UK for non-governmental organisations operating in Gaza have been used to support the political activities of Hamas. [325658]
Mr. Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) has not received any such reports.
Sierra Leone: Female Genital Mutilation
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 29 March 2010, Official Report, columns 739-40W, on Sierra Leone: overseas aid, what estimate he has made of the effect of the programme funded by his Department to improve the reproductive health of women in Sierra Leone on the level of female genital mutilation of women aged between 15 and 49 in that country. [325789]
Mr. Thomas: The Department for International Development's (DFID) country programme in Sierra Leone has a Special Strategic Objective of reducing maternal mortality. The £16 million programme referred to contributes directly to the achievement of this objective through a significant contribution to the Government of Sierra Leone's Reproductive and Child Health Strategy.
My answer of 29 March 2010, Official Report, columns 739-40W, sets out the specific activities which DFID undertakes in Sierra Leone in relation to female genital mutilation.
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 29 March 2010, Official Report, columns 739-40W, on Sierra Leone: overseas aid, what proportion of the £16 million his Department is providing for women's reproductive health in Sierra Leone is spent on reducing the incidence of female genital mutilation. [325795]
Mr. Thomas: My answer of 29 March 2010, Official Report, columns 739-40W, sets out the specific activities which the Department for International Development (DFID) undertakes in Sierra Leone in relation to female genital mutilation.
The £16 million programme referred to focuses explicitly on improving reproductive health care for all women in the country. This supports the achievement of DFID's special strategic objective to reduce maternal mortality in Sierra Leone.
Sierra Leone: Females
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent contacts officials of his Department based in Sierra Leone have had with the Bundu Women's Organisation. [325794]
Mr. Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) has had no contact with the Bundu Women's Organisation in Sierra Leone.
Health
Autism: Children
Mr. Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what statutory duties there are on participants in the commissioning process for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services to take account of the needs of children with an autistic spectrum disorder. [325737]
Phil Hope: From 1 April 2008, local authorities and primary care trusts have a statutory duty to produce a joint strategic needs assessment to address the health care needs of their local populations to inform the strategic planning and commissioning process.
Under the new Statutory Guidance on Children's Trusts, issued on 22 March 2010, the Children's Trust Board becomes responsible from 1 April 2010 for producing the children and young people's plan (CYPP), a joint strategy which sets out how the partners of the Children's Trust Board will co-operate to improve the well-being of children and young people within the local area,
working together to commission services to address local identified needs. Each plan is required to include an outline of the key actions, as identified by the needs assessment, planned to achieve the outcome for children and young people who:
have special educational needs within the meaning of section 312 of the Education Act; and/or
are disabled within the meaning of section 1 of the Disability Discrimination Act.
This would include listing the actions that will be taken to address the needs of children and young people with autistic spectrum disorder.
Cancer: Shropshire
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time is for cancer treatments in Shropshire County primary care trust. [325403]
Ann Keen: Statistics on average waiting times between decision to treat and treatment for cancer are not collected centrally.
The cancer waiting time standard of a maximum wait of 31 days from decision to treat, to first cancer treatment was introduced for all patients and all treatment modalities from December 2005. Statistics showing overall performance are published on a quarterly basis on the Department's website at:
The number and percentage of patients receiving first treatment for cancer within one month of decision to treat, for acute trusts in Shropshire, as at quarter 3 of 2009-10 is shown in the following table.
| Trust | Number of patients | Percentage of patients |
| Notes: 1. Statistics on average waiting times are not collected centrally. Data shown relate to compliance with the two-month waiting time standard from urgent general practitioner referral for suspected cancer to first treatment. 2. Low number of cases are likely to be explained by the specialist nature of particular trusts which would not normally routinely treat cancer patients. Reported compliance is more prone to fluctuation where numbers are relatively low. Source: Cancer Waiting Times database. | ||
Club Together Magazine
Mr. Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether Club Together magazine is funded by the National Health Service; and if he will make a statement. [325731]
Ann Keen: No. Club Together magazine is entirely funded and issued by Xafinity Paymaster. Club Together is a pensioner interest magazine issued to the pensioner members of a number of pension schemes, including the NHS Pension Scheme.
Croydon
Mr. Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to the Croydon Central constituency, the effects of his Department's policies on that constituency since 2005. [325819]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: 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 40-74 years.
There is significant evidence that these policies have yielded considerable benefits for the Croydon Central constituency.
Figures for January 2010 show that in Croydon primary care trust (PCT):
93 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.
Between September 2001 and September 2009 the number of general practitioners (GPs) per 100,000 people within Croydon Central PCT has increased from 50.4 to 69.6.
In December 2009, at Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust, 98.3 per cent. of patients spent less than four hours in accident and emergency from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge.
Between September 1997 and September 2009 the number of consultants at Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust increased from 79 to 121. Between September 1997 and September 2009 the estimated number of nurses increased from 730 to 1,279.
95.5 per cent. of urgent GP referrals to Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust with suspected cancer are seen by a specialist within two weeks of the referral.
Although statistical information is not available at a local level, Croydon Central 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 for 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; and
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 had 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 (1995-1997 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).
Dental Services: Shropshire
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dentists operating in Shropshire there have been per 1,000 residents in each year since 1997. [325404]
Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested for all years.
The number of people per national health service dentist in Shropshire county primary care trust (PCT) and Telford and Wrekin PCT, as at 31 March 2001 to 2006, is available in annex F of the "NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report England: 31 March 2006" report. This information is not available for 1997 to 2000 as PCTs were not in existence in these years, so population data at PCT level are not available. However, the number of NHS dentists for these years have been estimated to match the 2001 PCT boundaries. These data are included in annex E of the report.
This information is based on the old contractual arrangements, which were in place up to and including 31 March 2006. This report, published on 23 August 2006, has already been placed in the Library and is available on the Information Centre for health and social care website at:
The number of dentists with NHS activity per 100,000 population during the years ending 31 March 2007, 2008 and 2009 are available in table G1 of annex 3 of the "NHS Dental Statistics for England: 2008/09" report. This information is based on the new dental contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006. This report, published on 19 August 2009, has already been placed in the Library and is also available on the Information Centre for health and social care website at:
Following a recent consultation exercise, this measure is based on a revised methodology and therefore supersedes any previously published work force figures relating to the new dental contractual arrangements. It is not comparable to the information collected under the old contractual arrangements. This revised methodology counted the number of dental performers with NHS activity recorded via FP17 claim forms in each year ending 31 March.
These published figures relate to a headcount and do not differentiate between full-time and part-time dentists, nor do they account for the fact that some dentists may do more NHS work than others.
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