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2 Feb 2011 : Column 843Wcontinued
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps the Department plans to take to ensure that pathfinder GP consortia are able to share best practice over the next two years. [37349]
Mr Simon Burns: I have been asked to reply.
The Health and Social Care Bill 2011 will provide for general practitioner (GP) consortia to be established from April 2012, prior to taking on full statutory responsibilities from April 2013. The Department has established a rolling programme of GP consortia pathfinders to test the different elements involved in GP-led commissioning and enable emerging GP consortia to get more rapidly involved in current commissioning decisions. A Pathfinder learning network has been established to support the development of emerging consortia and to facilitate shared learning during the transition. The shadow NHS Commissioning Board will produce and publish an analysis of the findings of the pathfinder programme and set out the lessons learned that will be applied as consortia become formally established during 2012-13.
Mr Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what response he plans to make to the report of the Henley Review of Music Education. [34786]
Mr Gibb [ holding answer 27 January 2011]: We expect the Henley Review of Music Education to be published shortly. The Government will respond as fully as possible to the recommendations at that time.
Dr Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he made of the ability of other organisations to perform the role allocated to the New Schools Network. [35050]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 24 January 2010]: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 24 November 2010, Official Report, columns 379-80W to the hon. Member for Wigan (Lisa Nandy).
Pat Glass: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many pupils in (a) North West Durham constituency, (b) the North East and (c) England he expects to receive the pupil premium in each of the next five years. [32954]
Mr Gibb: The deprivation pupil premium for 2011-12 will be allocated to local authorities and schools with pupils that are known to be eligible for free school meals (FSM) as recorded on the January 2011 School Census, Pupil Referral Unit Census and Alternative Provision Census. Each pupil known to be eligible for free school meals will attract £430 of funding which will go to the school or academy, via the local authority or YPLA if the pupil is in a mainstream setting, or will be managed by the responsible local authority if the pupil is in a non-mainstream setting. The level of the pupil premium will be the same for every deprived pupil, no matter where they live.
The same level of premium is available for looked after children who, at some point in the year to 31 March 2010, were looked after continuously for at least six months, and who were aged four to 15 on 31 August 2009 as recorded on the April 2010 local authority return.
The service child premium for 2011-12 will be allocated to local authorities and schools with pupils who are registered as service child on the January 2011 School Census.
Each pupil known to be eligible will attract £200 of funding which will go to the school or academy via the local authority or YPLA.
The amounts allocated in 2011-12 will depend on the numbers of FSM pupils recorded on the January 2011 Censuses, so it is not possible to give figures for 2011 and subsequent years. We aim to extend the coverage of the pupil premium from 2012-13 onwards to pupils who have previously been known to be eligible for free school meals. We intend to consult on this, including the question of which deprivation indicator to use, in the summer.
It is possible to provide estimated figures for 2011-12 based on the number of FSM pupils in 2010, and these are given below. However, these are estimates only and are not necessarily indicative of how the pupil premium will be distributed as the number of eligible pupils in 2011 could be higher or lower. Numbers of pupils are rounded to the nearest five. Please note suppressed figures have not been included in any of the totals.
North West Durham c onstituency
In North West Durham in January 2010 there were 1,865 pupils known to be eligible, which would give rise to a pupil premium of £801,950. These figures do not include looked after children or service children. Data limitations prevent alternative provision being presented at constituency level, so these figures also do not include an estimate for the number of eligible children in such provision.
In the North East in January 2010 there were 76,100 pupils known to be eligible, which would give rise to a pupil premium of £32,723,000. The above estimates include pupils in maintained schools, alternative provision, pupil referral units and looked after children. In addition there were 810 pupils known to be eligible for the service child premium, which would give rise to a premium of £162,000.
In England in January 2010 there were 1,223,465 pupils known to be eligible, which would give rise to a pupil premium of £526,089,950. However, we expect the number of eligible pupils to rise appreciably in 2011 as schools and local authorities encourage parents who have failed to register in the past to register for free school meals, and therefore estimate that total expenditure
for 2011-12 will be £625 million. The above estimates include pupils in maintained schools, alternative provision, pupil referral units and looked after children. In addition to this there were 37,915 pupils known to be eligible for the service child premium, which would give rise to a premium of £7,583,000.
Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) primary, (b) secondary and (c) special school pupils are eligible for free school meals in each ward in Sevenoaks constituency. [35986]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 25 January 2011]: The number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals is shown in the following table. This includes full-time pupils aged 0 to 15 and part-time pupils aged five to 15.
Maintained primary( 1) , state-funded secondary( 1, 2) and special( 3) schools: School meal arrangements( 5) -As at January 2010 by each ward within Sevenoaks parliamentary constituency | |||||||||
Primary( 1) | State-funded secondary( 1, 2) | Special( 3) | |||||||
Number on roll( 4, 5) | Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals( 4, 5) | Percentage known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals | Number on roll( 4, 5) | Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals( 4, 5) | Percentage known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals | Number on roll( 4, 5) | Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals( 4, 5) | Percentage known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals | |
n/a = Not applicable. No schools of this type. (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes city technology colleges and academies. (3) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools, excludes general hospital schools. (4) Includes sole and dual (main) registrations. (5) Pupils who have full-time attendance and are aged 0 to 15, or pupils who have part-time attendance and aged five to 15. (6) A percentage greater than 95.0, or the numerator for this percentage. (7) One or Two pupils, or a percentage based on one or two pupils. Source: School Census |
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in (i) England, (ii) Yorkshire and (iii) Leeds North West constituency employ biometric identity technology. [34520]
Mr Gibb: We do not collect data on the number of schools, whether primary or secondary, that use biometric identity technology but we estimate that approximately 30% of secondary schools and 5% of primary schools use such systems. Legislation will be introduced in the Freedom Bill to ensure that no children's biometric data is taken, in schools or colleges, without parental permission. The Freedom Bill will also give children the right to refuse to use biometric systems and ensure that alternatives are provided for children who opt out or whose parents opt out of using biometric technology.
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what arrangements he proposes to put in place to monitor the effect of ending education maintenance allowance and starting enhanced discretionary learner support funding. [34212]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 18 January 2010]: We will work with representatives of schools, colleges, training providers and interested bodies to develop the monitoring arrangements for the enhanced fund and further information will be available in due course.
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his policy is on taking into account a decision to enter into an agreement with teaching unions on the pay and conditions of staff when determining whether a school is granted academy status; and if he will make a statement. [35459]
Mr Gibb: [holding answer 21 January 2011]: The Secretary of State for Education will take a range of factors into account in deciding whether to enter into a funding agreement with an Academy. A school's intention to take advantage of key academy freedoms, which include the ability to set the pay and conditions of staff, is a relevant factor in the decision.
Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effects on levels of experience in the workforce of planned redundancies in teaching staff in schools. [34406]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 18 January 2011]: No such assessment has been made centrally. It is for schools and employers to make their own decisions.
The Department would expect schools to have regard to the capacity and capability, as well as skills and experience of the workforce in making such decisions. The funding settlement for 2010-11 protects funding per pupil for schools in cash terms, and provides additional funding for the Pupil Premium on top of that. We
would expect schools to look to make efficiency gains in areas such as procurement and back office before they consider reducing their teaching staff.
Dr Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to reply to question 29342, on the IGCSE, tabled on 3 December 2010 for ordinary written answer. [35984]
Mr Gibb: A response was issued to my hon. Friend on 27 January, Official Report, column 412W.
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what regulations his Department has removed since 6 May 2010. [37378]
Gregory Barker: Since 6 May 2010, the Department has removed the Aviation Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading scheme Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2301), which were replaced by the Aviation Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme Regulations 2010 (SI 2010/1996).
In June 2010, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, my noble Friend Lord Marland, responsible for the Department's regulatory agenda, wrote to 250 of the Department's key stakeholders asking for their views on ways to reduce DECC's regulatory burden. Following on from this exercise, DECC plan to repeal 28 regulations. The exact process for repealing these is still being explored (a suitable vehicle for repeal is being considered, and consultation with relevant parties such as the devolved Administrations needs to take place for certain policies). The response letter from my noble Friend and a summary of responses to this exercise was published in November 2010 on the DECC internet site:
In addition, in July 2010 DECC introduced two deregulatory statutory instruments which prescribe a power to allow local authorities to sell electricity generated from renewable as well as combined heat and power sources:
The Sale of Electricity by Local Authorities (Scotland) Regulations 2010 (SI 2010/1908)
The Sale of Electricity by Local Authorities (England and Wales) Regulations 2010 (SI 2010/1910)
Finally, the Energy Bill, introduced into the House of Lords in December 2010, sets out proposals to repeal the Home Energy Conservation Act 1995 (HECA) in England, Scotland and Wales. This will reduce regulatory burdens, support the Government's localism agenda and remove redundant legislation from the statute book.
John Cryer:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what secondments (a) EDF Energy, (b) British Gas, (c) ScottishPower, (d) E.ON Energy and (e) Scottish and Southern Energy have made to his
Department since 2008; for what (i) periods and (ii) jobs such secondments were made; what secondments of staff from his Department have been made to each such firm; and for what (A) periods and (B) jobs such secondments were made since 2008. [37078]
Gregory Barker: The following tables show details of people who are or have been on secondment from or to the relevant bodies since October 2008 when Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) was created. There have been no secondments into DECC from either Scottish Power or Scottish and Southern Energy. There no have been no secondments out of DECC to EDF Energy, Scottish Power or Scottish and Southern Energy.
Secondments into DECC from 2008 | ||
DECC grade | From which organisation | Secondment period (months) |
Secondments out of DECC from 2008 | ||
DECC grade | To which organisation | Secondment period (months) |
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent representations he has received on domestic heating oil from (a) members of the public, (b) Members of Parliament and (c) consumer organisations. [37863]
Charles Hendry: As I noted in the Fuel Poverty debate on 19 January, Official Report, columns 255-279WH, there have been a significant number of representations on the domestic oil market from the public and hon. Members of Parliament. I fully recognise the difficulties people have experienced with rising prices and supply problems, as set out in my written ministerial statement on 21 January, Official Report, columns 55-56WS. I welcome the independent assessment of the off-grid market by the Office of Fair Trading, and I look forward to seeing its conclusions in advance of next winter so the lessons from this winter can be learned and any necessary changes made.
Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress his Department has made in reviewing the health and safety regulations for which it is responsible since his appointment. [36974]
Charles Hendry:
DECC is responsible for nuclear policy matters including the specific legislation relating to the regulation of safety in the nuclear industry-Nuclear Installations Act 1965 (NIA 65). The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has responsibility for
establishing the overall Health and Safety statutory framework to regulate industrial and workplace safety.
There are currently no plans to review the Nuclear Installations Act as a whole though some specific amendments are currently being developed to give effect to European legislation and international conventions.
Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of households who have used (a) liquefied petroleum gas and (b) oil for domestic purposes in each of the last five years. [38068]
Charles Hendry: The following table shows the number of households in England that use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and the number that use heating oil as their main fuel for space heating for each of the years 2006 to 2008, which is the latest year for which this information is available.
Thousand | ||
Number of households in England using LPG | Number of households in England using heating oil | |
In Wales in 2008, the latest year for which this information is available, around 22,000 households used LPG and around 143,000 households used oil. Similar data are not available for 2006 and 2007.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will ask the Committee on Climate Change to examine the potential effects of the extraction of shale gas and coal bed methane in the UK (a) on achieving the UK's energy policy objectives and (b) on the development of renewable energy. [37478]
Charles Hendry: In the UK shale gas has not yet been commercially proven and coalbed methane has not yet been commercially proven on a large scale. Analysis of the potential effects of extraction on UK energy policy objectives and development of renewable energy would in the circumstances be subject to large uncertainties. There are no plans to ask the Committee on Climate Change to carry out such an examination.
Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the likely proved global reserves of natural gas in each of the next 20 years. [36983]
Charles Hendry: DECC does not produce a statistic for the likely proved global reserves of gas.
However, the International Energy Agency estimates global proven reserves and recoverable resources in their World Energy Outlook Report. These place proven reserves at 184 tcm at the end of 2008.
Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 25 January 2011, Official Report, column 216W, on Urenco: mutual societies, what criteria the Government has applied in its assessment of the options in respect of the one third stake in Urenco. [37844]
Charles Hendry: The Government's assessment of the future options for the UK shareholding in Urenco will take account of the need to maintain protections in the areas of nuclear non-proliferation, safety and security, as well as the need to deliver value for money for the tax payer.
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people in the London borough of Bexley who are alcohol-dependent. [37463]
Anne Milton: The information requested is not held centrally. However, the information is available from the National Patient Treatment Agency.
Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to work with charities and the third sector to deliver improved health outcomes for patients with rheumatoid arthritis; and if he will make a statement. [37202]
Paul Burstow: The recently published "NHS Outcomes Framework 2011-12" sets out the national outcome goals that will be used to hold the proposed NHS Commissioning Board to account for delivering improved outcomes, including those for rheumatoid arthritis. Although, there is not a specific outcome indicator for rheumatoid arthritis in the NHS Outcomes Framework, we would expect progress to be captured under Domain 2: "Enhancing the quality of life for people with long-term conditions". This domain of the framework deliberately takes a generic approach to long-term conditions so as to ensure that no patients are excluded.
However, the Secretary of State for Health will not be setting out how these outcomes should be delivered, it will be for the NHS Commissioning Board to determine how best to deliver improvements by working with general practitioner (GP) commissioning consortia, drawing on the advice and expertise of charitable and third-sector organisations.
The NHS Commissioning Board will have various tools and levers at its disposal to help deliver improved outcomes, which include the library of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence Quality Standards; the Commissioning Outcomes Framework, which the NHS Commissioning Board will use to hold GP commissioning consortia to account; and other payment mechanisms between the NHS Commissioning Board, commissioners and providers. We expect the
NHS Commissioning Board will want to draw on the expertise of charities and third sector organisations when designing these mechanisms.
The tools and levers available to the NHS Commissioning Board are described more fully in both "The NHS Outcomes Framework 2011-12", and "Liberating the NHS: legislative framework and next steps", which can be accessed via the following links:
Copies have already been placed in the Library.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he has taken to ensure an adequate supply of Femara (letrozole) to local community pharmacists; [37459]
(2) what discussions he has had with the devolved Administrations on the supply of Femara (letrozole); [37460]
(3) what assessment he has made of the effects on the adequacy of supply of pharmaceutical drugs to the NHS of the purchase of such drugs by private companies for sale abroad. [37461]
Mr Simon Burns: We have been in contact with Novartis, the suppliers of Femara (letrozole) tablets. They have confirmed that there are supplies of this medicine available for United Kingdom patients. If pharmacists have problems obtaining it from their wholesaler, they can contact Novartis Customer Services to arrange a direct supply to the pharmacy. We have had discussions about Femara tablets with the devolved administrations, and have made them aware of the supply situation.
The Department, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and pharmaceutical supply chain stakeholders are working collaboratively to better understand and mitigate the impact of supply difficulties so that patients receive the medicines they need in a timely manner, and any arrangements take account of the time needed by pharmacists to source the medicines.
John Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether former officials of his Department have asked for permission to join (a) Care UK, (b) BUPA, (c) Roche, (d) Ellipse, (e) Grunenthal, (f) IMS Health, (g) Janssen-Cilag, (h) Lundbeck and (i) PharmaMar in the last two years. [37080]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department has no record of former officials requesting permission to join Care UK, Priory Group, BUPA, Roche, Ellipse, Grunenthal, IMS Health, Janssen-Cilag, Lundbeck or PharmaMar.
All civil servants must obtain Government approval before taking any form of full-time, part-time or fee-paid employment in the United Kingdom, or overseas, with a public or private company or in the service of a foreign Government or its agencies. This rule also applies to any former civil servant within two years of their leaving Crown employment.
Since January 2009, 36 departmental employees or former employees submitted applications seeking approval to take up outside business appointments. Of these, 13 applications were approved unconditionally and 24 had restrictions imposed. Restrictions imposed are usually in the form of a period of delay between leaving the civil service and taking up the external post.
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) certified and (b) chartered librarians his Department has employed in each year since 2000. [37655]
Mr Simon Burns: The information requested is not collected. Such information as is available is in the following table:
Number of qualified librarians employed in the Department 2000 - 10 | |
Number | |
Notes: 1. The figures refer to the number of qualified librarians employed in corporate information services on library, web services, information assurance, records and knowledge management. Qualified librarian refers to holders of a Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) accredited qualification many of whom, but not all, were chartered. It is not possible to differentiate between the two categories of qualified or chartered, as chartered status is not an entry requirement for professional posts in government. 2. The Department did not employ any CILIP "Certified", paraprofessional Library staff during the specified period. Source: Staff-in-post returns for January of each year. |
Conor Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the public purse was of the manufacture and distribution of Department branded drinks coasters in the last financial year for which figures are available. [37239]
Mr Simon Burns: In the last financial year for which figures are available, the communications directorate has not purchased or distributed any Department branded drinks coasters.
The Department does not hold central records on items such as drinks coasters and attempting to gather such information would incur disproportionate costs.
John Cryer:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many employees, including permanent and temporary contracted staff, are seconded from his Department and its agencies to (a) Care UK, (b) Priory Group,
(c) BUPA, (d) Roche, (e) Ellipse, (f) Grunenthal, (g) IMS Health, (h) Janssen-Cilag, (i) Lundbeck and (j) PharmaMar. [37077]
Mr Simon Burns: No employee of the Department or its agency-the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency-is currently seconded to Care UK, Priory Group, BUPA, Roche, Ellipse, Grunenthal, IMS Health, Janssen-Cilag, Lundbeck or PharmaMar.
John Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many employees, including permanent and temporary contracted staff, are seconded to his Department and its agencies from (a) Care UK, (b) Priory Group, (c) BUPA, (d) Roche, (e) Ellipse, (f) Grunenthal, (g) IMS Health, (h) Janssen-Cilag, (i) Lundbeck and (j) PharmaMar. [37079]
Mr Simon Burns: Neither the Department nor its agency-the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency-have any individuals seconded to them who are employees of Care UK, Priory Group, BUPA, Roche, Ellipse, Grunenthal, IMS Health, Janssen-Cilag, Lundbeck or PharmaMar.
John Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what secondments (a) Care UK, (b) BUPA, (c) Roche, (d) Ellipse, (e) Grunenthal, (f) IMS Health, (g) Janssen-Cilag, (h) Lundbeck and (i) PharmaMar have made to his Department since 2008; for what (i) periods and (ii) jobs such secondments were made; what secondments of staff from his Department have been made to each such firm; and for what (A) periods and (B) jobs such secondments have been made since 2008. [37081]
Mr Simon Burns: Since 2008, there have been no secondments to-or from-the Department and Care UK, BUPA, Roche, Ellipse, Grunenthal, IMS Health, Janssen-Cilag, Lundbeck or PharmaMar.
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of day care centres for people with personality disorders. [37622]
Paul Burstow: The number of personality disorder (PD) services is collected centrally, but this is not disaggregated into type of service. The following table shows dedicated PD services, which includes day hospital places, in England over the past three years:
Personality disorder services | |
(1) In 2007 there may have been some double counting. Source: Adult Mental Health Service Mapping Atlas 2009. |
Andrew Griffiths:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the National Treatment Agency will publish figures on the number of clients treated through
(a) residential rehabilitation and (b) community-based rehabilitation who subsequently required drug treatment services. [37767]
Anne Milton: Data input to the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) by treatment providers recorded that 61,384 individuals left treatment in 2008-09. Of this total:
1,506 received residential rehabilitation as part of their treatment journey of whom 510 (34%) re-presented to treatment services in 2009-10; and
59,878 did not receive residential rehabilitation as part of their treatment journey of whom 16,488 (28%) re-presented to treatment services in 2009-10.
Almost all general practitioners providing prescribing and shared care services and almost all community treatment providers submit NDTMS returns. However, only around two thirds of residential rehabilitation providers submit NDTMS returns which limits the scope for monitoring outcomes for users of their services.
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the representations received on his Department's White Paper on GP commissioning consortia. [37456]
Mr Simon Burns: The White Paper "Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS" was published in July 2010, and set out our long-term vision for the national health service. Shortly after, we set out further details of our proposals to devolve power and responsibility for commissioning services to local consortia of general practitioner practices in "Liberating the NHS: Commissioning for Patients", with the consultation on these proposals running from July to October.
In December, we published our response to the consultation in "Liberating the NHS: Legislative framework and next steps" setting out our plans in further detail. This document set out a full analysis of the responses to the consultation and how our proposals were modified in light of the consultation.
All of these documents are available in the Library.
Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many applications for GP consortia have been received from Makerfield constituency. [37181]
Mr Simon Burns: The Health and Social Care Bill 2011 will provide for general practitioner (GP) consortia to be established from April 2012, prior to taking on full statutory responsibilities from April 2013. A rolling programme of GP pathfinder consortia has been established to test the different elements involved in GP-led commissioning and enable emerging GP consortia to get more rapidly involved in current commissioning decisions.
Groups of GP practices keen to participate in the pathfinder programme put themselves forward to their strategic health authority. There are currently no pathfinder consortia in Makerfield.
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GPs there are in Blackpool North and Cleveleys constituency. [37610]
Mr Simon Burns: General practitioner (GP) workforce census figures are not collected at constituency level. The following table shows the numbers of agreed general and personal medical services contracts within the Blackpool primary care trust (PCT) and the North Lancashire Teaching PCT, both of which serve the Blackpool North and Cleveleys constituency.
Contract count | |
Notes: 1. Data as at 30 September 2009. 2. Data are for GPs (excluding retainers and registrars). 3. GP workforce census figures are not collected at constituency level. Blackpool North and Cleveleys constituency is contained within and serviced by Blackpool PCT and North Lancashire Teaching PCT. 4. 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. Source: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care, general and personal medical services statistics |
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which clotting factor products were in use (a) on and (b) off licence in the UK in 1994; and if he will make a statement. [37568]
Mr Simon Burns: Information held by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) confirms that the following clotting factor products had a valid authorisation in 1994 and were therefore available for use in the United Kingdom at that time, under the terms of their licence. Neither the MHRA nor the Department has any information regarding the extent of on-licence or off-licence use of these products. Additionally, the MHRA does not hold commercial information and therefore is unable to confirm which of these products were actually placed on the market by the marketing authorisation holders at this time.
Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultation he plans to undertake on the provisions of the Health and Social Care Bill. [37457]
Mr Simon Burns: The Health and Social Care Bill takes forward the proposals contained in the White Paper "Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS". The Government undertook an extensive process of consultation and engagement around these proposals from July-October 2010. A variety of discussion and engagement events were held throughout this period and some 6,000 responses were received, which formed the basis for the Government's response, "Liberating the NHS: Legislative Framework and Next Steps", published on 15 December 2010. As the Bill progresses through Parliament, there will be an opportunity for hon. Members to debate the reforms and propose amendments.
Ms Bagshawe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve information to the public on NHS services for ex-service personnel. [37100]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department is working closely with service charities such as the Royal British Legion, Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association, Combat Stress and others to improve information to veterans and the wider public on national health service services for ex-service personnel. A leaflet, "Meeting the Healthcare Needs of Veterans in England" was produced by the Department in partnership with the Royal British Legion and was distributed widely through general practitioner surgeries and through the Royal British Legion. In addition, the NHS Choices Website contains several pages dedicated to veterans health issues, including mental health.
The hon. Member for South West Wiltshire (Dr Murrison) was asked by the Prime Minister to review mental health services for serving personnel and veterans. His report, published in October 2010, made a number of recommendations that will be delivered over the coming year. The Department will ensure that as new services are introduced to meet the mental health needs of veterans that these are publicised through media outlets.
Ms Bagshawe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what rates of travel and subsistence expenses can be claimed from the NHS by war pensioners; when the current rates were implemented; and whether he has plans to review the rates in the light of increases in the cost of travel and subsistence. [37098]
Mr Simon Burns: Patient transport services (PTS) are maintained by national health service commissioners (primary care trusts) and generally booked by relevant secondary or community services medical professionals. Eligibility for non-urgent transport is based upon clinical need and available to all NHS patients.
The Hospital Travel Cost Scheme (HTCS) is designed to help with travel costs and arrangements for all NHS patients on low incomes. HTCS is for those who do not medically require PTS but require help in meeting the
cost of travel to and from NHS medical care. The HTCS is means tested for low income earners with those on a range of low income benefits automatically entitled. This scheme is constituted under the National Health Service (Travelling Expenses and Remission of Charges) Regulations 1988 as amended.
The HTCS will reimburse all or some of the travel costs depending on eligibility. If the patient is entitled to qualifying benefits or allowances they will get back the full travel costs by using the cheapest form of public transport available, including any concessions or promotions. If the patient uses a private car, a claim for petrol and car parking charges where unavoidable, can be made at the mileage rate specified under the local HTCS.
The HTCS does not apply in cases where war pensioners incur travelling expenses when obtaining treatment of conditions caused by service. Such expenses may be met by the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency who apply their eligibility criteria to individual cases.
Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether he expects the 30 mental health nurses for veterans announced in the Fighting Fit report to be in post by March 2011; [37412]
(2) whether he expects the 24-hour support line for ex-service personnel to be operational by the end of January 2011. [37414]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department of Health is working with the national health service, Ministry of Defence (MOD) and service charities to deliver in England the recommendations put forward by the hon. Member for South West Wiltshire (Dr Murrison) in his report to the Prime Minister, 'Fighting Fit' that was published in October 2010. The specification for delivery of 30 additional mental health nurses is currently being developed through the armed forces networks. These are led by strategic health authorities and bring together primary care trusts with local representatives of the armed forces community, service charities and others. Commissioning for the service will commence in April 2011. There will be flexibility within the specification to ensure that additional resources are placed where they will have the most impact for veterans with mental health problems. This specification will ensure that those employed will have the right competencies to deliver this service. Wider training on veterans' issues will also be provided.
The Department of Health is working with the charity Combat Stress to provide a 24 hour helpline service for veterans seeking help. A tender process for this has recently been completed and work is in hand to put this in place by the end of February.
Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to take steps to reduce stigma associated with veterans experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder. [37413]
Mr Simon Burns:
The Government are committed to reducing the stigma associated with all forms of mental ill health. For veterans in particular, we have begun a
pilot of mentoring for service leavers; are planning an on-line counselling service and are asking each part of the national health service to make access to treatment for veterans a priority. We are taking all the steps we can to reduce the reluctance to seek help that is so characteristic of young men.
Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of including transplants on the list of medical conditions that grant exemption from prescription charges; [37311]
(2) what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of amending the list of medical conditions that grant exemption from prescription charges in line with the recommendations of Professor Sir Ian Gilmore's review. [37313]
Mr Simon Burns: No estimate has been made of the cost to the public purse of providing an exemption from prescription charges to patients who have undergone a transplant.
Professor Sir Ian Gilmore's report, "Prescription charges review: implementing exemption from prescription charges for people with long term conditions", recommended an approach to exemption that was based on a broad definition of a long-term condition rather than amending the existing list of medical conditions. The review estimated that once fully implemented, exempting people with long term conditions from prescription charges could cost £430 million per annum. The report was published on 27 May 2010 and a copy has already been placed in the Library.
Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether his Department is taking steps to maintain the management of the support functions for family health services will continue to be managed on a local basis after the abolition of primary care trusts; [37101]
(2) what plans he has for the future management of family health services; and if he will make a statement. [37102]
Mr Simon Burns: Subject to the passage of the Health and Social Care Bill presented to Parliament on 19 January 2011, the Bill will make the NHS Commissioning Board responsible for commissioning family health services including primary care, pharmacy, dental and ophthalmic services.
The NHS Commissioning Board will decide how to carry out its responsibilities.
Mr Ronnie Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what consultations he undertook with medical practitioners in the field before issuing his proposed changes to the Best Practice Tariff for laser treatment of the enlarged prostate; [37315]
(2) what assessment he has made of the compatibility of the proposed Best Practice Tariff for laser treatment of the enlarged prostate with his Department's obligations for choice in day care and treatment options for the most vulnerable patients. [37316]
Mr Simon Burns: The 2011-12 Best Practice Tariff for laser treatment of the enlarged prostate has been developed with the support of clinicians, including the President of the British Association of Urological Surgeons.
The draft 2011-12 tariffs were shared for 'sense check' in October 2010, and changes were subsequently made to the levels of the proposed tariff for resection of prostate by laser to reflect concerns that a day case rate target of 90% was overly ambitious for delivery in one year. A revised target of 30% was therefore agreed, and the draft 2011-12 tariff prices were increased accordingly.
The 2011-12 tariff prices were published for 'road test' on 22 December, since when it has been brought to the Department's attention that the published Best Practice Tariff price for resection of prostate by laser contained a typographical error. The October 2010 'sense check' prices for this procedure had been inadvertently included, rather than the revised prices that were agreed for 'road test'.
The agreed prices for resection of prostate by laser will appear in the final tariff package for 2011-12 when it is published in February.
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what training the London Ambulance Service gives to ambulance staff on the (a) symptoms and (b) emergency treatment of sickle cell anaemia; and if he will make a statement. [37527]
Mr Simon Burns: National guidance on the symptoms and emergency treatment of people with sickle cell was published in the "UK Ambulance Service Clinical Practice Guidelines (2006)". All frontline London Ambulance Service staff receive training in the assessment and management of patients with sickle cell conditions, in line with these guidelines. Further national guidance was issued to staff in 2009. Copies of the guidance have been placed in the Library.
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the London strategic health authority is taking to improve the emergency care of patients with sickle cell disease; and if he will make a statement. [37540]
Mr Simon Burns: The planning, delivery and improvement of services for people with sickle cell, including emergency care, are the responsibility of local commissioners and providers. It is not the responsibility of the strategic health authority.
Mr Robin Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions officials in his Department have had with officials in the Department for Education on the role of speech and language therapy services in developing communication skills and literacy. [37484]
Anne Milton: The Department of Health and the Department for Education are jointly engaged in discussions with the Communications Trust, the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and others on how best to achieve the right services for children with speech, language and communications needs, in the context of the Government's wider programme.
Officials from both Departments are working closely together on a range of issues affecting children and families, for example on health visiting and early years services where improvements will support early identification of speech and language needs, as will be outlined in the forthcoming special education needs and disability Green Paper.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many improvised explosive device attacks there were on UK forces in Afghanistan in each month between June 2006 and December 2007. [36154]
Nick Harvey: Records of incidents for the whole of Afghanistan are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Data is more readily available for attacks within the Task Force Helmand area of operations in Helmand province, which includes the majority of UK forces deployed to Afghanistan. The figures refer to an explosion that has subsequently been reported by units operating within the taskforce Helmand area of responsibility. This includes both 'laid' improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and suicide (both vehicle and person-borne) devices. These figures do not include IED finds with no detonation or IED false alarms.
Month | IED attacks |
This data is based on information derived from a number of sources and can only be an estimate, not least because of the difficulties in ensuring a consistent interpretation of the basis for collating statistics in a complex fast-moving multinational operational environment. It is modified over time as more information becomes available.
Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the capital costs are of (a) constructing and (b) extending the runway at Kandahar Airfield for military purposes; what proportion of these costs will be recoverable to the UK on departure; and if he will make a statement. [36588]
Nick Harvey: The reconstruction at Kandahar airfield is being undertaken by NATO and is US-led.
Mr Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement. [37066]
Dr Fox: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 31 January 2011, Official Report, columns 578-9, to my hon. Friend the Member for Salisbury (John Glen).
Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the UK's ability to mount (a) humanitarian and (b) peacekeeping interventions following the implementation of the Strategic Defence and Security Review in (i) Sierra Leone, (ii) Ivory Coast and (iii) other African countries where opposed intervention is deemed necessary. [36587]
Dr Fox: It would be inappropriate to outline specific plans for individual countries and regions considered in the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) and in routine departmental planning. The SDSR established force structures for both the near-term and longer-term that would be capable of conducting overseas operations across the spectrum of operations.
Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what programmes have been (a) planned and (b) initiated to train fast-jet pilots and supporting carrier personnel to retain the skills necessary to operate the Queen Elizabeth-class carriers; where such personnel will receive their training; under whose command they will be placed; and if he will make a statement. [36616]
Nick Harvey: Service personnel will be trained in the skills required to operate the Queen Elizabeth class carrier and the Joint Combat Aircraft as the UK Carrier Strike capability is generated. Royal Navy and Royal Air Force fast-jet pilots and supporting personnel will require new skill-sets which will be developed through co-operative programmes with allied nations who operate aircraft carriers. Once the introduction to service dates have been confirmed, further engagement will take place with partner nations to identify training opportunities for both ship-based and flying-related personnel.
Thomas Docherty:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 20 January 2011, Official Report, columns 45-47WS, on armed forces allowances, what estimate he has made of the savings which will result from changes to (a)
motor mileage allowance, (b) commitment bonus and (c) specialist pay reserve banding in the financial years (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13, (iii) 2013-14 and (iv) 2014-15; [36818]
(2) what estimate he has made of the savings which will result from changes to (a) recruitment and retention allowance (London), (b) disturbance allowance, (c) daily subsistence, (d) get you home (early years) and (e) get you home (seagoers) in the financial year (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13, (iii) 2013-14 and (iv) 2014-15; [37005]
(3) what estimate he has made of the savings which will result from changes to (a) incidental expenses allowance, (b) local overseas allowance, (c) food and incidentals allowance and (d) living out supplemental rates of local overseas allowance in (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13, (iii) 2013-14 and (iv) 2014-15. [37006]
Mr Robathan [holding answer 31 January 2011]: Estimates have been made in respect of proposed savings against the allowances budget and these are presented in the following table. These are predicated on such factors as a constant exchange rate, a consistent number of claimants in their current locations, manpower reductions being actioned within planned timescales and other factors such as the Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs' current mileage rates, none of which is guaranteed and therefore such estimates are liable to fluctuate.
£ million | ||||
2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 | |
Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of people who will be affected by the proposed increase in payments for ex-service personnel with mental health disorders. [37732]
Mr Robathan: The increased payments for service personnel with mental health disorders will be paid through the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS).
As at 30 September 2010, 360 individuals had been awarded compensation for a mental health condition. As a result of the review and in line with all personnel who have previously claimed, those diagnosed with a mental health disorder suffered as a result of their service will receive an uplift to their compensation award.
Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultation, with which organisations, he has had on the preparation of the Military Covenant Annual Report; and if he will make a statement. [37415]
Mr Robathan: We intend to consult key stakeholders, including the members of the External Reference Group (ERG), in the preparation of the Armed Forces Covenant report. The ERG is chaired by the Cabinet Office and attended by Government officials (Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Advocates across Whitehall), the Devolved Administrations, Professor Hew Strachan (Oxford University), Service charities (COBSEO, RBL, SSAFA Forces Help and the War Widows Association of Great Britain) and the three Service Families Federations.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many reported break-ins to service personnel accommodation there have been in each year since 2008. [37333]
Mr Robathan: The following table shows the number of break-ins recorded on the Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) crime database, to Service personnel accommodation in each year since 2008.
Calendar year | Number of break-ins (Burglaries) |
The term "break-ins" has been interpreted to mean "burglaries". These figures include barrack room accommodation, cabins on ships and in accommodation blocks and married quarters (both occupied and unoccupied), including sheds and garages.
Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people living in (a) Brecon and Radnorshire constituency, (b) Wales and (c) the UK have left the armed forces as a result of injury or disability sustained during their military service. [37523]
Mr Robathan: Data on the residential location of discharged service personnel are not held centrally.
886 Royal Navy personnel, 2,799 Army personnel and 424 RAF personnel were medically discharged with musculoskeletal disorders and injuries between 2005 and 2009. Not all of these would have sustained their conditions as a result of their military service.
John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department maintains a budget for the relocation of members of the armed forces from base to base. [37532]
Mr Robathan: The Ministry of Defence does not maintain a specific central budget for relocations. However, top level budget (TLB) finance officers at the Headquarters of Fleet Command, Land Forces, Air Command and other TLBs monitor cost trends within their areas.
Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what studies his Department has commissioned on the mental health of serving and former armed forces personnel in the last five years. [37338]
Mr Robathan: The Ministry of Defence has commissioned a number of high quality research projects which relate to the mental health of current and ex-Service personnel. These include the prevalence of suicide in veterans, delayed-onset post traumatic stress disorder and evaluation of the NHS community veterans' mental health pilots.
Highly acclaimed large scale research by the King's Centre for Military Health Research (KCMHR) has been undertaken on the experiences of members of HM armed forces who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. A full list of papers that have been produced by KCMHR to date can be found on their website at:
and then click on the 'publications' tab.
I shall place a copy of this list in the Library of the House.
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many new starters joined (a) the Armed Forces Pension Scheme, (b) Disablement Gratuity Scheme and (c) the Armed Forces Disablement Pension Scheme in each year from 1981 to 2000; [37601]
(2) how many individuals were in receipt of payments from the (a) Armed Forces Pension Scheme and (b) Armed Forces Disablement Scheme in each year from 1981 to 2000. [37724]
Mr Robathan [holding answer 1 February 2011]: The Armed Forces Pension Scheme is the occupational pension scheme for the armed forces, including reserve forces. The War Pension Scheme provides no fault compensation to former service personnel and their dependants for injuries and death as a result of service, from the start of world war one until 5 April 2005. The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme has provided compensation since 6 April 2005.
The information sought on Armed Forces Pension Scheme payments is not held on the current IT system and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The War Pension Scheme payments information is only available from April 1995 onwards. The following table provides a breakdown of claims by the year in which the claim was cleared:
Claim awarded | Ongoing war pension | gratuity award | Nil award | Total |
Notes: 1. A gratuity award is a single payment where war disablement has been accepted as a result of service, but the disablement is assessed at less than 20%. 2. A nil award is where it is accepted that a particular disablement is as a result of service, but no monetary compensation is given because the resulting disablement is less than 20%. 3. All figures have been rounded to the nearest five, including totals. |
As at 31 December 2000, there were a total of 235,785 disablement pensioners in receipt of war pensions under the War Pension Scheme. At the same date, there were a total of 64,130 gratuity awards recorded.
Payment figures for the years 1981-1999 are not available.
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many 16 and 17 year olds have died while on service or training in the armed forces since 1997; and what the (a) cause of death and (b) country where death took place was in each case. [36285]
Mr Robathan:
It is not the practice of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to release full details on the cause of death and the country in which the death took place after the initial incident. The numbers involved are so small that individuals could be easily identifiable and as such this information could well be distressing to the relatives of the deceased, to whom the MOD has a
residual duty of care. In the light of this, the information that can be provided is presented in the following table.
Armed forces personnel-deaths of 16 and 17 year olds by cause, duty status, location, 1997-2010 | |||||||
All | UK | Rest of World | |||||
Cause o f death | All | On duty | Off duty | On duty | Off duty | On duty | Off duty |
Conor Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost to the public purse was of the manufacture and distribution of Department-branded drinks coasters in the last financial year for which figures are available. [37245]
Mr Robathan: The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what senior civil service staff moves there have been in his Department since May 2010; and what the (a) name and (b) salary is of each person (i) moving posts within and (ii) leaving his Department. [37021]
Mr Robathan: The total number of moves into and out of senior civil service posts since May 2010 is 66 as summarised in the following table.
Pay band | Retirement/ resignation | Loan/ transfer out | Internal move | Temporary promotion | New joiners/ inward loan |
In line with central Government policy guidance adopted under the Transparency agenda, Departments are not releasing the names or banded salaries for those in the lowest (Pay Band 1) grade of the SCS, nor those at more senior levels who have not consented to the release of their names. In addition, the exact salary of any individual is personal data and as such cannot be released. The following is a link to the MOD Transparency page:
The following table details moves at SCS Pay Band 1 since May 2010, using the job title rather than the name of the individual. For all the moves quoted I can confirm that the salary of individual officers fell within the SCS Pay Band 1 range of £58,200 to £117,750:
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