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14 Sep 2010 : Column 990W—continued
Driving Offences: Disqualification
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were serving custodial sentences for driving while disqualified at the latest date for which figures are available. [14457]
Mr Blunt: As at July 2010, the most recent available data, there were 49 prisoners serving custodial sentences for driving while disqualified offences.
The figures are a further breakdown of those in Table 2 of the Ministry of Justice Statistics bulletin "Population in custody, July 2010 England and Wales" and available at the following website:
These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
Legal Aid Scheme: Contracts
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions his Department has had with the Legal Services Commission on the number of legal aid contracts granted in the recent tendering round; and if he will make a statement. [14467]
Mr Djanogly: Ministry of Justice officials have kept in close contact with officials at the Legal Services Commission (LSC) throughout the tender process for new civil legal aid contracts. The tender process for the 2010 Standard Civil Contracts run by the LSC will be complete only once all appeals have been dealt with and necessary pre-contract verification checks have finished, which the LSC anticipate will be by the end of September.
Legal Aid Scheme: Washington Tyne and Wear
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many legal practices in Washington and Sunderland West constituency have been awarded contracts to provide family legal aid services commencing October 2010; what estimate he has made of the number of cases those practices will be able to take on under such contracts; and what the monetary value of each such contract is. [14468]
Mr Djanogly: The tender process for new contracts is not yet complete and therefore the Legal Services Commission (LSC) does not currently hold this information in final form. The tender process will conclude once the appeals process is complete and validation checks on successful applicants have taken place, which the LSC anticipate will be by the end of September. It is intended that details of legal aid providers, split by area, will be published on the LSC website at:
This information will include details of matter start allocations for each provider.
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many legal practices in Washington and Sunderland West constituency are under contract to the Legal Services Commission to provide family legal aid services; how many legal aid cases those practices have taken on during the current contract period; and what the monetary value of each such contract is. [14469]
Mr Djanogly: There are five legal practices within the Washington and Sunderland West constituency currently under contract to provide family legal aid services and 187 new matters were started between the start of the contract period in April 2010 and 1 September 2010. The total claims value for these contracts is £42,379.32.
Prison Accommodation
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what account his Department took of the extent of existing spare capacity in the juvenile prison estate when taking the decision to commission additional prison places. [14910]
Mr Blunt: We have regular discussions with the Youth Justice Board over the configuration of the custodial estate, in light of their commissioning plans and the supply and demand across the estate as a whole. Decisions on the role and function of the estate, including the need for additional places, would take account of those discussions.
Prisoners' Release: Reoffenders
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what percentage of those released from a custodial sentence have reoffended in each of the last five years. [14609]
Mr Blunt: The information requested is presented as follows.
Table 1 shows the number and one-year reoffending rate of adult offenders who were released from custody in the first quarter of each of the last five years that data are available for.
| Table 1: N umber of offenders and one year reoffending rate for offenders released from custody in the first quarter of each of the last five years | ||
| Number of offenders | Proportion of offenders who reoffend in one year follow up period (%) | |
Further information on adult reoffending is available at:
Prisons: Restraint Techniques
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will place in the Library a copy of the Physical Control in Care manual used by the Prison Service. [14331]
Mr Blunt: A copy of the 2010 Physical Control in Care manual and the 2010 Personal Protection manual have been placed in the House Library.
Youth Custody
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many children of each age and sex were received into (a) secure training centres, (b) local authority secure units and (c) young offender institutions in each of the last 10 years. [14280]
Mr Blunt: The following tables show the number of custodial episodes started by year from 2001-02 to 2008-09 by age and gender who were received into secure children's homes, secure training centres and young offender institutions.
An episode refers to a period a young person has spent in custody and it is possible that one young person can start more than one custodial episode at
different points of each year for different offences or for changes in legal basis for detention, such as remand to sentence.
These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and may be subject to change over time.
| Children received into secure establishments | |||||||||
| Establishment type | Age | 2001 - 02 | 2002 - 03 | 2003 - 04 | 2004 - 05 | 2005 - 06 | 2006 - 07 | 2007 - 08 | 2008 - 09 |
| Establishment type | Gender | 2001 - 02 | 2002 - 03 | 2003 - 04 | 2004 - 05 | 2005 - 06 | 2006 - 07 | 2007 - 08 | 2008 - 09 |
Youth Justice Board
Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans his Department has for the future of the Youth Justice Board; and if he will make a statement. [15361]
Mr Blunt: The Government are looking at all arm's length bodies and considering whether they should be retained. The Youth Justice Board (YJB) is included in this process. Under the previous Government a review of the YJB was undertaken and we are looking at the recommendations of that review as part of this process.
The YJB has an important aim to prevent offending by children and young people. As part of the rehabilitation revolution, the Government intend to do everything possible to ensure the best outcomes for young people, their families and communities.
Cabinet Office
Census
Luciana Berger: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the estimated cost will be of the 2011 Census. [13802]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2010:
As the Director General for the Office for National Statistics I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the estimated cost will be of the 2011 Census. (13802)
The most recent estimated total cost of the 2011 Census in England and Wales is £482 million. This covers the period 2005-2016.
The cost and financial control of the 2011 Census was outlined in the White Paper 'Helping to shape tomorrow' which was published in December 2008 and is available on the website:
Civil Servants: Sunderland
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of civil servants employed by (a) Government Departments, (b) Executive agencies and (c) other Government bodies whose primary place of employment was in Washington and Sunderland West constituency on the latest date for which figures are available. [14614]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2010:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning the number of civil servants employed by (a) Government departments, (b) executive agencies and (c) other Government bodies, whose primary place of employment was in Washington and Sunderland West constituency on the latest date for which figures are available. (14614)
Civil Service Statistics are published annually by the Office for National Statistics on the National Statistics website. The latest published statistics are for March 2009:
The numbers of civil servants employed by Government departments, executive agencies and other Government bodies by constituency are not available. Figures for Washington and Sunderland West constituency cannot be provided.
Government Departments: Computer Software
Mr Sanders: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps are being taken to encourage the procurement of open source software in Government Departments; and what estimate has been made of the savings which could be made by transferring to open source software. [14369]
Mr Maude: The Government are committed to using more open source solutions where possible.
The Cabinet Office along with the Office of Government Commerce are working on "Guidance for Procurers" specifically covering open source software. A key principle is that Government will actively and fairly consider open source solutions alongside proprietary ones in making procurement decisions.
Procurement decisions will be made on the basis of the best value for money solution to the business requirement, taking account of total cost of ownership of the solution.
Where there is no significant overall cost difference between open and non-open source products, open source will be selected on the basis of its additional inherent flexibility.
No estimates on the likely level of savings that will accrue from transferring to open source software have been made. While more open procurement can undoubtedly save money, it is difficult to ascertain precise cost savings from open source software alone as it is one element in the overall solution.
Life Expectancy: Gateshead
Ian Mearns: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the average (a) male and (b) female life expectancy was in Gateshead constituency in each year since 2000. [13438]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2010:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the average (a) male and (b) female life expectancy was in Gateshead constituency in each year since 2000. (13438)
Period life expectancies at birth for (a) males and (b) females for all local authority districts and unitary authorities in England and Wales, for rolling three-year periods from 1991-93 to 2006-08, are published on the National Statistics website at:
Life expectancy figures at parliamentary constituency level are not readily available.
Lone Parents
Mrs Grant: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent estimate he has made of the number of single parent families resident in (a) Maidstone and the Weald constituency, (b) Greater London and (c) England and Wales. [14726]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2010:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your request asking what recent estimate has been made of the number of single parent families resident in (a) Maidstone and The Weald constituency, (b) Greater London and (c) England and Wales. (14726)
The number and type of families in the UK can be estimated using the Annual Population Survey (APS). Estimates are provided for lone parent families which include at least one child aged under 16.
The latest available figures are for 2008 and are shown in the table below. The estimate for Maidstone and The Weald is based on the 2008 parliamentary constituency boundary. In 2008 the constituency had 18 wards, three fewer than now. The breakdown of the data available is not sufficiently detailed to determine whether the newly constituted parliamentary constituency contains the same estimated number of lone parents as the 2008 constituency. The boundaries of Greater London and England and Wales have not changed since 2008.
| Thousand | |
| Geographical area | Number of lone parent families- with at least one child under 16 |
| Source: APS January to December 2008 | |
Lone Parents: Washington Tyne and Wear
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many lone parents there are in Washington and Sunderland West constituency. [14251]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2010:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your request asking how many lone parents there are in Washington and Sunderland West constituency. (14251)
The number and type of families in the UK can be estimated using the Annual Population Survey (APS). Estimates are provided for lone parent families which include at least one child aged under 16.
The latest available figures are for 2008 and are shown in the table below. These are based on 2008 parliamentary constituency boundaries. Washington and Sunderland West constituency did not exist in 2008. It was formed from five (out of 13) wards from the former Gateshead East and Washington West constituency, two (out of nine) wards from the former Sunderland North constituency and one (out of 11) wards from the former Sunderland South constituency. The breakdown of the data available is not sufficiently detailed to determine whether the newly constituted parliamentary constituency contains the same estimated number of lone parents as the 2008 constituencies.
| Thousand | |
| Geographical area | Number of lone parent families-with at least one child under 16 |
| Source: APS January to December 2008 | |
Population
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether the Office for National Statistics used the building targets in regional spatial strategies when drawing up revised population projections. [15066]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2010:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking whether the Office for National Statistics uses the building targets in Regional Spatial Strategies, when drawing up revised population projections. [15066]
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) does not use building targets in the production of population projections. The subnational projections are trend-based, making assumptions about future levels of fertility, mortality and migration based on recent levels observed over a five-year reference period with the total population of England controlled to the national population projection's. Therefore, they give an indication of what the future population, by age and sex structure, might be if recent trends continue, and take no account of regional policy or development aims.
Public Sector: Procurement
Mr Sanders: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will bring forward proposals for a register of companies contracted by public sector bodies to provide goods and services which records their performance in meeting the requirements of such contracts. [14450]
Mr Maude: Departments can and do take into account a supplier's track record when undertaking public procurements. To date, Government have not ranked supplier performances centrally, but this Government are committed to put mechanisms in place to achieve this. The Government are committed to publishing all new central Government contracts from January 2011 which will give supplier names and information contract costs.
Select Committees: Public Appointments
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress has been made on strengthening the powers of Select Committees to scrutinise major public appointments. [13715]
Mr Maude: Increasing parliamentary scrutiny of major public appointments is a key Government commitment and an essential part of our wider programme of public bodies' reform. I will be writing to the chair of the Liaison Committee shortly to set out our proposals.
Teenage Pregnancy: Peterborough
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many pregnancies there were among women aged 15 to 17 years living in Peterborough constituency in 2009; and if he will make a statement. [15383]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2010:
As Director General for. the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many pregnancies there were among women aged 15 to 17 years living in Peterborough constituency in 2009. (15383)
Figures on conceptions are estimates based on the number of live births, stillbirths or legal abortions: They do not include miscarriages and illegal abortions.
Information on conceptions is routinely published for local authorities and strategic health authorities. This information is available at:
Because of the confidentiality of data on abortions and stillbirths figures on conceptions are not published for small areas. Figures cannot be provided by parliamentary constituency because of the risk of disclosing such information.
Unemployment: Peterborough
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many children were living in workless households in Peterborough constituency in (a) 2001, (b) 2005 and (c) 2009; and if he will make a statement. [14623]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2010:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your question asking how many children were living in workless households in Peterborough constituency in (a) 2001, (b) 2005 and (c) 2009. (14623)
The figures requested come from the Annual Population Survey (APS) household datasets. These are currently only available for 2004 to 2008, therefore 2001 and 2009 are not available. Due to the small sample size of the APS at constituency level it is not possible to provide reliable estimates for Peterborough constituency. However, the attached table shows estimates for Peterborough local authority which has a larger sample size. The table provides information for 2005 and 2008.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty as different samples give different results. These estimates are such that there is 95 per cent certainty that from all samples possible they will lie within the lower and upper bounds.
| Table: Children( 1) living in workless households( 2) in Peterborough local authority | |||
| Thousand | |||
| Estimate | Lower bound( 3) | Upper bound( 3) | |
| (1 )Children refers to children under 16. (2 )Households including at least one person aged 16 to 64. (3 )95% confidence interval which means that from all samples possible there would be 95 per cent certainty that the true estimate would lie within the lower and upper bounds. Source: APS household datasat. | |||
Health
Alcoholic Drinks: Death
Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate his Department has made of the number of people aged between 11 and 20 who died from alcohol-related conditions in each year since 1999; and if he will make a statement; [15298]
(2) what estimate his Department has made of the number of people in each age group who died from alcohol poisoning in each year since 1999; and if he will make a statement; [15299]
(3) what estimate his Department has made of the number of people in each age group who died by drowning where alcohol consumption was a causal factor in each year since 1999; and if he will make a statement; [15300]
(4) what estimate his Department has made of the number of people in each age group who died in cases where alcohol was a causal factor in each year since 1999; and if he will make a statement; [15302]
(5) what estimate his Department has made of the number of people in each age group who died from asphyxiation where alcohol was a causal factor in each year since 1999; and if he will make a statement. [15303]
Mr Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2010:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent questions asking:
(a) what estimate has been made of the number of people aged between 11 and 20 who died from alcohol-related harm in each year since 1999 for which figures are available. (15298)
(b) what estimate has been made of the number of people in each age group who died from alcohol poisoning in each year since 1999 for which figures are available. (15299)
(c) what estimate has been made of the number of people in each age group who died by drowning where alcohol consumption was a causal factor in each year since 1999 for which figures are available. (15300)
(d) what estimate has been made of the number of people in each age group who died in cases where alcohol was a causal factor in each year since 1999 for which figures are available. (15302)
(e) what estimate has been made of the number of people in each age group who died from asphyxiation where alcohol was a causal factor in each year since 1999 for which figures are available. (15303)
The tables show for England and Wales, 1999 to 2009 (the latest year available), (a) the number of deaths where the underlying cause of death was alcohol-related, for persons aged 11 to 20 years (Table .1), (b) the number of deaths where alcohol poisoning was the underlying cause of death, by age group (Table 2) and (d) the number of deaths where the underlying cause was alcohol-related, by age group (Table 3). The tables will also be placed in the House of Commons Library.
The National Statistics definition of alcohol-related deaths only includes those causes regarded as being most directly due to alcohol consumption. It includes all deaths from chronic liver disease and cirrhosis (excluding biliary cirrhosis), even when alcohol is not specifically mentioned on the death certificate. Apart from deaths due to alcohol poisoning, the definition does not include deaths from external causes, for example, accidents where drinking might have been a contributory factor.
It is not possible to provide figures for deaths involving drowning (c) or asphyxiation (e) where alcohol consumption was a causal factor since internationally accepted guidance from the World Health Organisation requires only those conditions that contributed directly to the death to be recorded on the death certificate. Doctors and coroners are not required to record whether or not the deceased had consumed alcohol.
Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish his Department's local alcohol profiles for England; and if he will make a statement. [14462]
Anne Milton: Local alcohol profiles for England are published on the North West Public Health Observatory website:
and are available by local authority and by primary care trust.
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what analysis has been undertaken by his Department of the age profile of people who are alcoholics. [15400]
Anne Milton: The adult psychiatric morbidity survey, 'Adult Psychiatric Morbidity in England, 2007', covering adults living in private households in England was produced, under contract with the NHS Information Centre for health and social care, and published in January 2009 includes information on the prevalence of alcohol use and dependency by age, sex, ethnicity and other factors. A copy of this publication has been placed in the Library.
The survey of psychiatric morbidity among adults in private households in Great Britain was first carried out in 1993 with a second survey conducted in 2000. In 2007, The NHS Information Centre commissioned the National Centre for Social Research to carry out a third adult psychiatric morbidity survey covering adults living in private households in England. The survey assessed alcohol dependence from answers to a different self-completion questionnaire which consisted of 20 questions focusing on the three components of dependence: loss of control, symptomatic behaviour and binge drinking.
New Parents: Health Education
Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department will take steps to improve the provision of information to new parents on illnesses including heart disease where early detection improves survival rates. [13513]
Anne Milton: We have no plans to do so because information is already available online on the Pregnancy Care Planner.
This is an interactive tool on the NHS Choices website, based on the NHS Pregnancy Book. It provides complete guidance to pregnancy, childbirth and first few weeks with a new baby. In particular, there is a section that helps new parents to understand how a healthy heart works, how congenital heart disease can affect their child's heart and general health and explains the causes of congenital heart diseases.
In addition, The Birth to Five interactive tool on NHS Choices, based on the NHS Birth to Five book, provides advice for mothers and fathers on becoming a parent, taking care of themselves and their child and where to find practical help and support.
Blood: Contamination
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the implementation of the recommendations of the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee and the National Blood Service on independent efficacy trials for blood filtering and prion filtration; and if he will make a statement. [13758]
Anne Milton: Since 2007, the UK blood services on the basis of the recommendations of the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee, have awarded external contracts for independent trials of the efficacy of prion filters. Results have been made available to the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO), the Department of Health and the manufacturer as they have become available, and these trials continue. The UK Blood Services is also conducting clinical safety trials of prion filters in patients. SaBTO will review data from these studies as they become available and make recommendations based on these. The Department will consider any further measures recommended by SaBTO.
Cancer: Drugs
Mr Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what types of cancer treatment will be eligible for funding from the Cancer Drugs Fund in April 2011; [15199]
(2) whether non-pharmacological anti-cancer treatments will be included for funding from (a) the interim Cancer Drugs Fund and (b) the Cancer Drugs Fund; [15200]
(3) what mechanism will be used to obtain funding from the Cancer Drugs Fund in April 2011; [15197]
(4) what plans he has for the process of implementation of the Cancer Drugs Fund by April 2011. [15198]
Mr Simon Burns: Decisions on the design of the Cancer Drugs Fund from April 2011 will be taken following public consultation. We intend to consult on our plans shortly.
Regional panels, led by clinical experts, will decide on the use of the additional funding made available to the NHS in 2010-11 to support improved access to cancer drugs. Guidance issued to strategic health authorities by the National Health Service Medical Director recommends that the primary focus of the funding should be on improving access to cancer drugs, which can include radiopharmaceuticals.
A copy of this guidance has been placed in the Library and is available at:
Cerebral Palsy: Gateshead
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children resident in Gateshead have been diagnosed with cerebral palsy in each year since 2000. [14372]
Mr Burstow: The information requested is not collected centrally.
Dental Services: Gateshead
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) proportion of residents of Gateshead constituency (i) registered with a GP and (ii) with access to an NHS dentist. [14373]
Mr Simon Burns: The information is not available in the format requested. The information that is available is shown in the following tables.
| Number of general practitioner (GP) registrations in the Gateshead primary care trust (PCT) area, as at 30 September 2009 | |
| Number of GP registrations | |
| Notes: 1. The GP census collection contains data by trust level only. Gateshead constituency is serviced by Gateshead PCT. 2. Data are for the number of GP patient registrations shown on the annual GP census collection as at 30 September 2009. It should be noted that this may be higher than resident population in the given area due to multiple registrations/GP systems not being fully up-to-date and patients allowed to register with GPs outside their local PCT. Owing to this, proportions of numbers registered (and not registered) cannot be accurately calculated by dividing the numbers presented here by resident population statistics. 3. The numbers shown here represent GP patient registrations to national health service GPs only. 4. The Information Centre for health and social care seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality where changes impact on figures already published. This is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed. Source: General and Personal Medical Services Statistics, The Information Centre for health and social care | |
| Number of patients seen in the previous 24 months by an NHS dentist in the Gateshead PCT area, and as a percentage of the population, as at 30 June 2010 (including orthodontic patients) | ||
| Number of patients seen in the previous 24 months | Patients seen in the previous 24 months as a percentage of the population | |
| Notes: 1. Under the new dental contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006, patients do not have to be registered with an NHS dentist to receive NHS care. The closest equivalent measure to 'registration' is the number of patients receiving NHS dental services ('patients seen') over a 24-month period. 2. The NHS dental statistics contain data by trust level only. Gateshead constituency is serviced by Gateshead PCT. 3. Patients seen are allocated to a PCT via the dentist which they attend for treatment and not by the home postcode of the patient. Most patients will live within the PCT in which they receive primary care dental services, but some will attend a dentist further afield (near their place of employment, for example). Source: NHS Dental Statistics for England 2009-10, The Information Centre for health and social care | ||
Epilepsy
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many epilepsy specialist nurse (a) posts and (b) full-time equivalent staff there were in the NHS in (i) 2006-07, (ii) 2008-09, (iii) 2009-10 and (iv) 2010-11. [14479]
Mr Burstow: The number of epilepsy specialist nurse posts and full-time equivalent staff are not held centrally, as they are not separately identifiable in the Non Medical Workforce Census available from the NHS Information Centre.
Food: Cloning
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) evaluation and (b) authorisation is required for the marketing of (i) foodstuffs and (ii) milk produced from cloned animals. [13590]
Anne Milton: Any food obtained from cloned animals is regulated as a "novel food" under regulation (EC) No. 258/97(1). According to this regulation, novel foods may not be marketed in the European Union without an authorisation. Applications for authorisation of novel foods are evaluated by national authorities against criteria of safety, nutritional quality and not misleading the consumer. The Food Standards Agency is the competent authority for novel foods in the United Kingdom and expert advice on applications is provided by the independent advisory committee on novel foods and processes. This advice would form the basis of the agency's risk assessment which would be subject to review by all 26 other EU member states before an authorisation is issued. To date, the agency has not received any applications for the authorisation of food produced from cloned animals.
(1) Regulation of the European Parliament and the Council concerning novel foods and novel food ingredients.
General Practitioners
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to his Department's proposals for GP commissioning, whether the Government plan to encourage competition for health-care provision between existing NHS providers and private providers. [14386]
Mr Simon Burns: 'The Coalition: our programme for government' sets out a commitment to give every patient the power to choose any health care provider that meets national health service standards, within NHS prices. This includes independent, voluntary and community sector providers.
In addition the White Paper 'Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS' set out the proposals to create an economic regulator for the health and social care sectors. A key responsibility of the regulator will be to ensure that competition works effectively in the interests of patients and taxpayer.
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to his Department's proposals for GP commissioning, what will happen if a GP practice fails to achieve the quality and financial standards needed to make it viable; and how such a failing GP practice will be managed. [14387]
Mr Simon Burns:
Where a general practitioner (GP) practice is unable to meet its contractual commitments, the NHS Commissioning Board would be responsible for making decisions about the actions it might take, under existing GP contractual arrangements, to rectify
the position. This can range from putting in additional temporary support arrangements to termination of a contract because of serious and substantive breach of the contract.
Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the oral answer of 7 September 2010, which organisations he expects to take a lead on recent reconfigurations of (a) maternity, (b) cancer and (c) other health services not subject to a national framework in conurbations which will be covered by more than one GP consortium; and if he will make a statement. [14654]
Anne Milton [holding answer 13 September 2010]: The White Paper, "Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS", set out the Government's intention to devolve power and responsibility for commissioning services to local consortia of general practitioner (GP) practices. Decisions taken now about the reconfiguration of services should therefore be consistent with commissioning intentions for the future.
We expect that, in most cases, local GP commissioners will lead the reconfiguration process, working in partnership with providers, local authorities, patients and the public. Consortia will have the freedom to decide which aspects of commissioning activity they undertake fully themselves and which aspects require collaboration across several consortia, for example where proposed reconfigurations cross consortia boundaries. As existing consortia structures vary across the country, and until GP commissioning arrangements are fully established, primary care trusts will have an important role in supporting practices to prepare for these new arrangements.
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has sent a copy of the consultation document "Liberating the NHS: Commissioning for Patients" to every GP practice in England. [15255]
Mr Simon Burns: "Liberating the NHS: Commissioning for Patients" was published on the Department's website on 22 July. The Department has issued notification of and provided links to the White Paper and related consultation documents, including "Commissioning for Patients", through targeted publications, including the July edition of the "GP and Practice Bulletin".
This information was also provided to local NHS communications teams to share with their local general practitioner community and to professional bodies including the Royal College of GPs, the British Medical Association, NHS Alliance and National Association of Primary Care among others.
Health Professions: Insurance
Mr David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to respond to the recommendations of the Finlay Scott review on the requirement to have insurance or indemnity as a condition of registration as a healthcare professional. [13711]
Anne Milton:
Finlay Scott has delivered his report "Independent review of requirement to have insurance or indemnity as a condition of registration as a healthcare
professional" to the Secretary of State and other United Kingdom health Ministers. This was published on the Department's website on 14 July 2010 at:
The Government welcome the report, which contains a comprehensive appraisal of the issues and clear recommendations. The report requires careful consideration and we intend to publish a substantive response in due course, after Ministers in all four UK countries have had the opportunity to consider its content.
Hepatitis
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [14412]
Anne Milton: Data on diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis are not collected centrally. Information on autoimmune hepatitis is available on the NHS Choices website:
or from the Autoimmune Hepatitis Support Group
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on autoimmune hepatitis in the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [14413]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department has neither commissioned nor evaluated research, in the last five years, specifically on autoimmune hepatitis.
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre in Newcastle has a research theme on "Liver Disease in Aging". The NIHR Biomedical Research Unit in Birmingham conducts research on gastrointestinal disease and hepatology.
Herbal Medicine: Regulation
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to provide for the statutory regulation of practitioners of herbal medicines; and if he will make a statement. [14435]
Anne Milton: The Department consulted in 2009 on whether, and if so how, to regulate practitioners of acupuncture, herbal medicine and traditional Chinese medicine. The results of the consultation are being considered in light of the Government's overall strategy on the regulation of health care professions, and we expect a report to be published shortly.
HIV Infection: Health Services
Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the future commission of outpatient services for people with AIDS and HIV. [13835]
Anne Milton: Together with the White Paper "Liberating the NHS" this will provide the framework for the future commissioning of services for people living with HIV and AIDS.
A public health White Paper will be published by the end of 2010, which will set out plans for a new public health service.
Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people with HIV and AIDS have been treated in NHS facilities in each of the last three years. [14002]
Anne Milton: The information requested is provided in the following table.
| Number of HIV-infected individuals seen for HIV care and number of individuals receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) in national health service facilities in the United Kingdom, 2007-09 | ||
| Total number of HIV-infected individuals seen for HIV care | Number of HIV-infected individuals receiving ART | |
Maternity Services: Finance
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much was spent on NHS maternity services in each region in the 2008-09 financial year; [13951]
(2) how much his Department spent on (a) the NHS and (b) NHS maternity services in the 2008-09 financial year. [13952]
Anne Milton: Figures for the commissioning of secondary health-care relating to maternity services by primary care trusts, aggregated to each strategic health authority area in 2008-09, are shown in the following table.
| Strategic health authority | 2008-09 Maternity spend (primary care trusts) £000 |
| Source: Audited summarisation schedules of primary care trusts, 2008-09 | |
The figures are for secondary health-care only as information relating to primary health-care expenditure on maternity services is not held centrally.
Total national health service expenditure in 2008-09 (outturn) was £94.017 billion while total NHS revenue expenditure in 2008-09 (outturn) was £90.744 billion.
Medical Treatments: EU Countries
Robert Halfon:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent estimate he has made of the cost
of issuing European Health Insurance Cards in respect of (a) postage, (b) staff (i) salaries and (ii) on-costs and (c) card production; [14439]
(2) what the EU regulatory basis is for the requirement that the UK issue European Health Insurance cards to the public free of charge. [14440]
Anne Milton: The criteria governing the provision of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) are contained in European social security regulations (EC) 883/2004 and 987/2009. The regulations do not state explicitly that a member state must provide the EHIC free of charge. For the financial year 2009-10, the cost of producing each card, as shown in the table, was £1.55. If a member state charged for the card a cost much greater than that to produce the card, it could be considered a barrier to free movement of people within the European Union.
The costs of postage, the production of cards, staff salaries, on-costs and overheads for 2009-10 for the EHIC are shown in the following table.
| NHS Business Services Authority EHIC costs for financial year 2009-10 | |
| Cost type | Cost (£) |
| (1) Postage-Estimate of cost incurred for use of a postal service. This figure does not include the cost of stationery, (2) Staff salaries-Estimated cost of staff salaries directly involved in the process. (3) Staff on costs-Estimated cost of pension and national insurance contributions for staff who are directly involved in the process. This has been calculated as 22% of staff salaries. (4) Overheads-This includes all the related administrative expenditure including the NHS BSA Prescription Pricing Division management, information technology maintenance and estates. Capital expenditure including Information Technology development costs and depreciation are not included in the on cost/overhead figure. (5) On cost-includes internal printing costs, cost of stationery, travel expenses etc. (6 )Production of 2,237,553 cards includes: (i) Materials: cards paper and envelopes (ii) Card manufacture (iii) Card personalisation (iv) Printing and personalisation of carrier letter (v) Matching and attaching the card to the carrier letter (vi) Sorting of mail (vii) Provision of management information Costs relating to producing, distributing and promoting EHIC application forms as well as processing medical expenses claims are not included. Source: NHS Business Services Authority (BSA) costing model, invoice spreadsheet and contract management information. | |
Mental Health Services
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to increase the proportion of his Department's annual expenditure which is allocated to mental health services. [14497]
Mr Burstow: It is the responsibility of the local national health service to commission health care services for their local populations, including mental health care services, using the funds allocated to them in their baseline allocations
However, at a national level, the Government have invested significant resources as part of the improving
access to psychological therapies programme. This investment was £173 million in 2010-11. The £173 million per annum funding will be recurrent following the end of the current comprehensive spending review period.
The NHS budget is protected and we know cuts in mental health services would be a false economy leading to greater costs in the future.
Mental Health Services: Regulation
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received from psychotherapists and counsellors on regulation by the Health Professions Council. [14171]
Anne Milton: Since May, the Department has received at least 197 pieces of correspondence regarding the regulation of psychotherapists and counsellors by the Health Professions Council. It is unclear how many of these pieces of correspondence may have been written by people who are psychotherapists or counsellors.
Mental Illness
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has made a recent estimate of the number of people in (a) England, (b) the north-east, (c) Tyneside and (d) Newcastle Central constituency who have a mental illness. [14492]
Mr Burstow: The information is not available in the format requested. However, numbers of people accessing mental health services by geographical area have been published by the Office for National Statistics and are available at:
www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/instanceSelection.do;jsessionid=ac1f930b30d8271167909ccf454b9795 al5021083727?JSAllowed=true&Function=&%24ph=60_61&Current PageId=61&step=2&datasetFamilyId=2207&instanceSelection =025929&Next.x=15&Next.y=6&nsjs=true&nsck=true&nssvg =false8tnswid=1055
Methadone: Prescriptions
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the NHS drugs budget was of prescribing methadone in the latest period for which figures are available. [15398]
Mr Simon Burns: In the latest 12-month period for which figures are available, July 2009 to June 2010, the net ingredient cost of methadone prescriptions prescribed and dispensed, in the community, in England, was £39 million.
Methadone is used for analgesia, for cough suppression in palliative care and for treatment of substance dependence. Methadone, particularly for the treatment of substance dependence, may also be provided to patients by other routes not included in the figure provided.
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what analysis has been undertaken by his Department of the age profile of those being prescribed methadone. [15399]
Anne Milton: Methadone is prescribed for a variety of clinical conditions, including the treatment of opioid (heroin) dependency, chronic pain and cough in terminal illness.
There has been no specific analysis done on the age profile of those prescribed methadone, however the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) collects information on the number of people receiving substitute prescribing interventions for substance misuse in England which can be broken down by age. The data do not distinguish between methadone and the other drugs such as buprenorphine which are also recommended for that purpose by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.
The following table shows the NDTMS data on the numbers receiving substitute prescribing for substance misuse broken down by age for 2008-09.
| Age | Number | Percentage |
| Source: NDTMS operated by the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse. | ||
Midwives: Manpower
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) stand-alone midwife-led units and (b) midwife-led units situated alongside consultant-led units there are in each region. [13950]
Anne Milton: There are currently 256 maternity units in England. 176 are consultant-led and 80 are midwife-led. There are 20 co-located midwife-led and consultant led units. The co-located units are in the strategic health authority areas:
| Number | |
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many places for student midwives there were in each region in the (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10 academic year. [13953]
Anne Milton: This information is not available by academic year. The number of midwifery commissions placed by each strategic health authority in the last two financial years is shown in the following table.
| Number of Midwifery training commissions in 2008-09 and 2009-10 | |||||||||||
| National health service | |||||||||||
| North East | North West | Yorkshire and the Humber | East Midlands | West Midlands | East of England | London | South East Coast | South Central | South West | England Total | |
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many student midwives were in receipt of a bursary in the (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10 academic year; what the average bursary paid to a student midwife was in each such year; and what the cost to his Department was of bursaries paid to student midwives in each such year. [13954]
Anne Milton: The number of midwifery students who held a bursary, the average bursary paid to those students and the total cost of all bursaries paid to student midwives in academic year 2008-09 can be found in the following table.
Information for academic year 2009-10 is not yet available.
| 2008-09 | |
| (1 )Includes EU students who are not eligible for a bursary and those who receive a nil award after income assessment. (2 )Includes the basic award, all supplementary allowances and one off payments. Note: All figures are round to the nearest pound. Source: NHS Business Services Authority | |
Motor Neurone Disease
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce a national strategy on motor neurone disease; and if he will make a statement. [14427]
Mr Burstow: Motor neurone disease is a long-term neurological condition; the national service framework for long-term neurological conditions (NSF) was developed to address long-standing issues in neurological care, e.g. inequity in access to services; work force shortages and variable quality of care across the country. The NSF's quality requirements include a separate section on addressing the needs of people with rapidly progressing conditions, such as motor neurone disease, where services need to respond quickly.
We have no plans to introduce a national strategy for motor neurone disease.
Multiple Sclerosis: Employment Services
Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to assist those who are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis between the ages of 20 and 40 years to remain in employment. [13544]
Mr Burstow: It is the responsibility of local health and social care bodies to ensure that they commission services to meet the needs of those living with multiple sclerosis (MS) and ensure that they are enabled to continue working as long as possible.
In the future, outcomes, which the national health service and social care will be expected to achieve, will be set via the NHS Outcomes Framework and its social care equivalents. We will not tell the NHS how to achieve these outcomes but will hold the NHS Commissioning Board to account for delivery through the framework. Similarly, we will not direct local government how to achieve social care outcomes.
The NHS Framework, which is currently out for consultation, contains domains specifically relevant to long-term neurological conditions such as MS:
patient reported outcome measures for specific long-term conditions; and
proposed indicators for emergency hospital admissions for both acute and chronic ambulatory care sensitive conditions.
Officials are working with the Neurological Alliance to ensure that these outcomes are relevant to those living with long-term neurological conditions. We will set out, for consultation, an outcomes framework for social care later this year.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has published a guideline on the management of multiple sclerosis in primary and secondary care in the NHS. It offers best practice advice on the diagnosis and care of patients with MS, focusing on the quality and configuration of services for patients and their carers, emphasising the need for flexible services to address the whole range of patient needs across primary, secondary, tertiary and social care. The guideline offers advice on rehabilitation services specifically designed to allow those living with multiple sclerosis to remain active and in work as long as possible.
The White Paper 'Equity and Excellence liberating the NHS' proposes that NICE will take the responsibility for devising quality standards that cover both health
and social care. This will support commissioning collaboration to ensure a more personalised and integrated approach to health and care.
NHS: Disclosure of Information
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the use of the provisions of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 by NHS staff; and whether he has any plans to bring forward proposals to change NHS policies on whistleblowing. [14446]
Anne Milton: Our assessment is that the legislative framework provided by the Public Interest Disclosure Act is robust, but that staff are not always confident to raise concerns with their employers.
In making an announcement on 9 June 2010, Official Report, column 333, to the House about the inquiry into events at Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State set out a range of proposals to give teeth to the current safeguards for whistleblowers in the Public Interest Disclosure Act.
New guidance has been issued to the national health service about supporting staff and taking action on concerns raised by staff. Agreement has recently been reached within the NHS Staff Council to provide NHS staff with a contractual right to raise concerns. Amendments to the NHS Constitution will also be published for public consultation in the near future.
NHS: Manpower
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many maternity support workers there were in each NHS trust at the latest date for which figures are available. [13958]
Anne Milton: The following table shows the number of maternity support workers in each NHS trust as at 31 May 2010 which is the latest date available.
| NHS hospital and community health services: maternity support staff by strategic health authority area and organisation level as at 31 May 2010 | ||
| headcount | ||
| Number | ||
|
Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | ||
|
University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust | ||
|
Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | ||
|
Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | ||
|
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | ||
|
Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust | ||
|
The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | ||
| Monthly data: As from 21 July 2010 The Information Centre has published experimental, provisional monthly NHS work force data. As expected with provisional, experimental statistics, some figures may be revised from month to month as issues are uncovered and resolved. The monthly work force data is not directly comparable with the annual work force census; it only includes those staff on the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) (i.e. it does not include Bank staff). There are also new methods of presenting data (headcount methodology is different and there is now a role count). This information is available from September 2009 onwards at the following website: www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/provisionalmonthlyhchsworkforce Data Quality: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality where changes impact on figures already published. This is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses. Note: Maternity Support staff are: Nursery nurses, Nursing Assistant/auxiliary's, Health Care Assistants and Support Workers in the Maternity Services area of work. Source: Provisional Monthly NHS Hospital and Community Health Service Workforce Statistics | ||
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