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22 Nov 2010 : Column 160W—continued
Mental Health Services: Regulation
Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had on the regulation of hypnosis and psychotherapy services. [25202]
Anne Milton: There have been no recent discussions with external organisations specifically with regards to the regulation of hypnosis and psychotherapy services. The Government are considering their overall strategy in relation to professional regulation for health and social care workers, in the light of written representations from interested parties.
Multiple Sclerosis
Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of stem cell transplants in the treatment of patients with multiple sclerosis. [25154]
Anne Milton: The Department is not aware of any proven treatment for multiple sclerosis incorporating stem cell transplants.
National Specialised Services Advisory Group
Ian Swales: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how often the Advisory Group for National Specialised Services will be required to review its decisions on treatments and services for specialised commissioning. [25404]
Mr Simon Burns: The Advisory Group for National Specialised Services will regularly review its recommendations on highly specialised services and treatments that are commissioned nationally, usually every five years.
Ian Swales: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the relationship between the Cancer Drugs Fund and his Department's new Advisory Group for National Specialised Services. [25405]
Paul Burstow: Plans for the Cancer Drugs Fund from April 2011 are currently subject to consultation, but it is not our intention that the fund should be used for drugs that form part of a service designated for specialised commissioning following advice from the Advisory Group for National Specialised Services.
NHS: Food
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department encourages NHS organisations to provide food of domestic origin. [25549]
Mr Simon Burns: Under public sector procurement rules, the national health service is prohibited from placing a geographical restriction on the origin of food in any food procurement exercise.
Some 60% of food ingredients supplied to the NHS is procured under contracts negotiated at a national level by NHS Supply Chain and the Department encourages NHS organisations to utilise these contracts where this helps them realise best value. In 2008-09, 64.5% of food ingredients provided through NHS Supply Chain contracts was grown or reared in the United Kingdom.
The Department issued guidance to the NHS on the procurement of sustainable food in April 2009 in the document, "Sustainable Food: A Guide for Hospitals". This guidance advises food procurers how they can take account of sustainability, seasonal and local sourcing issues, in line with public sector procurement rules.
A copy of this document has been placed in the Library.
NHS: Leasing
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 27 October 2010, Official Report, column 332W, on NHS leasing, how much the NHS spent on the rental of each type of equipment in the last three years. [25375]
Mr Simon Burns: The information requested is not held centrally.
NHS: Local Government
Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many meetings he has had with local authorities to discuss the Health White Paper. [25352]
Paul Burstow:
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and ministerial colleagues have met with local authority representatives, including local authority chief executives and directors of adult's and children's social
services, at a number of events held over the summer to hear from key partners about the proposals set out in the White Paper, "Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS".
NHS: Voluntary Organisations
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of (a) voluntary partnerships with industry and (b) regulation in reducing the incidence of (i) obesity, (ii) alcohol abuse and (iii) tobacco smoking; [24825]
(2) what plans he has to reduce the incidence of (a) obesity and (b) alcohol abuse; and what account he plans to take of the views of industry representatives in formulating his Department's policy in these areas. [24827]
Anne Milton: The forthcoming public health white paper will set out the Government's strategy for improving the public's health, including tackling the challenges of smoking, obesity and alcohol misuse. Consultation with stakeholders, including industry representatives, is an important part of the formulation Government policy and it will continue as normal.
The Public Health Responsibility Deal brings industry, the retail sector, the voluntary sector, non governmental organisations and local government together in a forum to consider and agree on a voluntary basis the actions that they will take to support the Government's public health ambitions.
Government engagement with the tobacco industry on public health matters is governed by Article 5.3 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and its supporting guidelines. The guidelines specifically state that meetings with the industry or its proxies should be take place only when strictly necessary.
There is a role for regulation to achieve health improvement. For example, on alcohol, the Government have already set out their intention to review the Licensing Act and implement a ban on below cost sales and on tobacco, legislation to stop tobacco sales from vending machines is due to come into effect on 1 October 2011.
Nurses: Vacancies
Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many specialist nurse posts were vacant on 1 October 2010. [25348]
Anne Milton: The numbers of specialist nurse posts that were vacant on 1 October 2010 is not collected by the Department.
However, the NHS Information Centre for health and social care publish the NHS Vacancy Survey in England as at 31 March on a yearly basis. The following tables detail the number of qualified specialist nursing posts split by strategic health authority as at 31 March 2009, which is the most recent data available.
| NHS Information centre for health and social care vacancies survey March 2009: vacancies by NHS strategic health authority area for qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff | ||||||
| Total vacancy numbers and rates (percentage) | ||||||
| Total qualified nurses | Acute, elderly and general care | Paediatrics | Community learning disabilities | Other learning disabilities | Community psychiatry | |
| Other psychiatry | Midwives | District nurses | Health visitors | Qualified school nurses | Other qualified nurses | |
| Total vacancy numbers and rates (percentage) | ||||||
| Total qualified nurses | Acute, elderly and general care | Paediatrics | Community learning disabilities | Other learning disabilities | Community psychiatry | |
| Other psychiatry | Midwives | District nurses | Health visitors | Qualified school nurses | Other qualified nurses | |
| Notes: 1. Total vacancy rates are vacancies expressed as a percentage of total vacancies plus staff in post from the previous September non-medical workforce census (full time equivalent). 2. A vacancy is defined as one which employers are actively trying to fill as at 31 March. Source: The NHS Information Centre Vacancy Survey | ||||||
Prescription Drugs: Imports
Mr Robin Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which bodies are responsible for enforcing legal requirements in respect of the import of prescription drugs; and whether he plans to review legislation in this area. [25060]
Mr Simon Burns: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) an Executive agency of the Department, regulates medicines for human use in the United Kingdom through the Medicines Act 1968 and other supporting regulations.
Offences under medicines legislation are criminal. The MHRA has powers to take action against manufacturers, which includes the activity of import from a third country (non European economic area member state) and distributors that fail to meet the provisions of medicines legislation and appropriate standards. The MHRA will take regulatory action where breaches are identified. This may take the form of revoking licences or the instigation of criminal proceedings and bring a criminal prosecution if and when necessary.
The MHRA completed its last review of the licensing arrangements for pharmaceutical manufacturers and wholesale distributors of medicines for human use in October 2005.
A further review of the supply chain of medicines for human use in the UK is currently being conducted. This further review will take account of the outcome of the European Commission's own proposal for preventing counterfeit medicines entering the supply chain.
If the prescription medicine for importation is also a controlled drug, importers also require a licence from the Home Office, under misuse of drugs legislation.
Respiratory Disease: Health Services
Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether respiratory disease will be included as an improvement area in the NHS outcomes framework. [25030]
Mr Simon Burns: We are developing an NHS outcomes framework, which will measure the overall progress of the national health service in delivering better health outcomes for patients. The Department is currently analysing responses to the recent consultation, and will be publishing a full consultation response and the first NHS outcomes framework in due course.
Sheffield Children's Hospital: Tariff
Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has made an assessment of the likely effects on Sheffield Children's Hospital of the implementation of his Department's proposal to reduce the tariff for specialist children's services. [24794]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department is engaging constructively with the specialist children's hospitals to understand the impact of the proposed tariff for 2011-12 and the costs incurred in providing specialist children's services. The outcome of this work will help inform the tariff for 2011-12 and beyond.
Social Services: Transport
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of social care providers receive funding for transport as part of individual service users in long-stay homes care packages. [25234]
Paul Burstow: The information requested is not collected centrally. Local councils will contract with providers of care according to the needs of individual service users. The details of these contracts are not collected centrally by the Department or the NHS Information Centre for health and social care.
Tobacco: Sales
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make an assessment of the findings of the recent report by the Institute of Economic Affairs on the tobacco display ban in Canada; and if he will make a statement. [25161]
Anne Milton: We are aware of the report by the Institute of Economic Affairs on the tobacco display ban in Canada. We are also aware of a number of other reports on the promotional role of tobacco displays, for example, Professor McNeil's reports evaluating the removal of tobacco promotional displays in Ireland on 1 July 2009 which were published on 19 November 2010.
Departmental officials consider carefully all the evidence made available to them on tobacco control.
Winter: Health Services
Julie Hilling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to provide for public health responses to winter weather in an addition to the existing NHS winter planning system. [24986]
Anne Milton: There is substantial planning in England before and during the winter season to protect the public's health.
Effective planning is dependent on joint partnerships with local government, the local civil society, and the national health service. The Department also works with the Met Office on winter cold weather warning systems and a respiratory disease warning system for those working with vulnerable people.
We also routinely provide a range of public information for people and professionals through funding the 'Keep Warm Keep Well' initiative.
As part of our further work on effective public health for winter, we are working with the Met Office and public health champions in a number of regions to improve the way we communicate with people in local settings to accurately predict cold weather and provide an appropriate and effective response.
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