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7 Feb 2011 : Column 96W—continued
Social Enterprises
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) not-for-profit and (b) community interest companies were registered in each of the last five years. [38462]
Mr Davey: Companies House does not differentiate between not for profit and other companies, therefore the information is not available. The number of community interest companies registered in each of the last five years is as follows.
| Number of community interest companies | |
Student Loans Company: Complaints
Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many disputes between the Student Loans Company and individuals in (a) Romsey and Southampton North constituency and (b) England were pending a resolution in the latest period for which figures are available. [38204]
Mr Willetts: Disputes raised with the Student Loans Company (SLC) are dealt with under the SLC's complaints handling procedures. The SLC does not organise complaints figures by constituency, but is able to identify complaints raised by individual Members of Parliament.
SLC records show my hon. Friend raised three disputes on behalf of your constituents in Romsey and Southampton North. These were dealt with in July and September 2010 and in January 2011 and there are currently no cases known to be pending a resolution.
As of 3 February, the latest date for which figures are available, a total of 149 complaints were awaiting a response from the SLC. The SLC is not readily able to say how many of these are in relation to English domiciled students.
Students: Finance
Mr Robin Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to allocate additional funding for student finance to university courses in (a) early years education, (b) emergency care and (c) other strategically important subjects. [37529]
Mr Willetts: The Higher Education Funding Council allocates funding for teaching at the institutional and course level. The Government will set out its proposals on how it sees funding for university teaching operating in future in our forthcoming White Paper. This will include proposals on the future funding of strategically important and vulnerable subjects.
Students: Loans
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 31 January 2011, Official Report, column 600W, on overseas students: EU nationals, how many judgments in UK courts secured by the Student Loans Company were being actively enforced through court orders in other EU countries in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [38558]
Mr Willetts [holding answer 4 February 2011]: EC Regulation 44/2001 enables the Student Loans Company (SLC) to obtain judgments in UK courts, which can be enforced by courts in other EU countries. These judgments can be enforced against any borrower who has moved to another EU member state, regardless of nationality. This route would not be available in the event that a graduate tax was implemented.
Tuition fee loans have been available for EU students since 2006/07. The first main cohort of these students commenced their repayments in April 2010, provided that their income was above the appropriate threshold.
In 2009, the SLC successfully raised nine judgments against EU borrowers. The SLC enforced some in Scottish courts and some in other EU countries. This group of borrowers were those who had left their courses and who came into repayment earlier than the first main cohort. We cannot break the information down further as it could compromise the confidentiality of individuals.
Working Hours: EU Law
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will assess the effect of the operation of the European working time directive on levels of wellbeing. [38386]
Mr Davey: The working time regulations give all workers an entitlement to regular rest and annual leave and ensure that workers cannot be forced to work more than 48 hours a week on average but can agree to work beyond this limit.
Many factors contribute to well-being of which one of the most important is that people have access to employment, so it is critical that European employment measures enhance and do not undermine prospects for
employment and for growth. This will continue to be one of the key assessments of any consideration of the European working time directive.
Energy and Climate Change
Carbon Emissions
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has had discussions with (a) his officials, (b) Ministerial colleagues and (c) industry representatives on the potential effects on (i) carbon reduction targets and (ii) costs to business of changes to the carbon reduction commitment system. [38473]
Gregory Barker: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I have discussed and continue to discuss the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme with a range of stakeholders, including participants in the scheme. My officials are also meeting a wide range of interested parties. We published a consultation paper on a first tranche of simplifications to the CRC in November last year which was produced in close co-operation with Whitehall and devolved Administration colleagues.
The changes to the scheme announced last year including the initial simplification measures set out in the consultation paper will not impact on the emissions savings potential of this scheme nor the capacity for the UK to meet its carbon budgets.
The cost impact on business of our initial changes to the CRC will depend on the extent to which participants reduce their energy consumption before they are required to purchase and surrender allowances in 2012. As previously announced, it is our intention to deliver further simplification of the CRC and detailed options are being discussed with CRC participants.
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent progress he has made on the implementation of the carbon reduction commitment. [38522]
Gregory Barker: The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme went live on 1 April 2010. To date, 2,772 organisations have registered as full participants and over 12,812 organisations have made information declarations. Participants will need to submit their footprint reports and first annual reports in July this year, to inform the publication of the first Performance League Table in October. Government intend to hold the first sale of allowances, to cover emissions year 2011-12, in 2012 and to begin registration for the second phase of the scheme in 2013.
Energy Supply
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has made an estimate of the number of (a) owners of private electricity and gas networks and (b) tenants receiving electricity from private networks who will be affected by the ruling of the European Court of Justice on third party access. [38275]
Charles Hendry: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Poplar and Limehouse (Jim Fitzpatrick) on 7 December 2010, Official report, column 130W.
Energy: Meters
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has received representations on the protection of data gathered from domestic smart meters. [38284]
Charles Hendry: As part of the Prospectus consultation on Smart Meters, published in July 2010 we have received a number of responses covering data protection. In addition industry and consumer organisations have also raised this issue in discussions.
DECC and Ofgem are currently preparing the response to the Prospectus consultation, which will cover data protection issues in relation to the rollout of smart meters.
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the implications of the Data Protection Act 1998 for the use of data gathered from smart meters by energy companies. [38575]
Charles Hendry [holding answer 4 February 2011]: The Data Protection Act (DPA) establishes a framework of rights and duties which are designed to safeguard personal data. A person who handles data (a data controller) must comply with the DPA.
As part of the Smart Meters Programme there has been a rigorous approach to assessing and managing data privacy issues. We are building on the safeguards already in place, particularly the DPA, to develop a privacy policy framework for smart meters.
The DPA applies to energy consumption data if a data controller is able to identify a living person from the data itself, or other data they may hold, eg address details. This applies to conventional and prepayment meters as well as smart meters.
Fuel Oil: Prices
Ms Bagshawe: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he is taking steps to increase (a) competition and (b) accountability in the heating oil market. [38687]
Charles Hendry: The Government are sympathetic to the plight of many heating oil consumers who were hit hard by high prices and supply issues this winter.
I refer the hon. Member to my written ministerial statement laid before Parliament on 21 January 2011, Official Report, column 55WS. I am keen that the reasons for the high heating oil prices and supply issues this winter are thoroughly investigated by an independent authority. I wrote to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) in to ask it to bring forward its competition and consumer study into off-grid energy. I also asked the OFT if the study could explore the longer term consumer issues such as lifetime payback, consumer standards and labelling for alternative energy sources or supplies. Such a study
would provide an independent assessment of the off-grid market and establish what further action may be necessary to ensure it works properly.
I welcome the independent assessment of the off-grid market to be made by the OFT, and we 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.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to achieve its target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the UK by at least 34 per cent. by 2020. [39059]
Gregory Barker: Latest emissions projections, published in June 2010, show that the UK is on track to meet its 2020 target, and has already reduced emissions by over 26% against 1990 levels, taking into account the effects of emissions trading. Additional policies to be implemented by the Government, such as the Green Deal, support for the world's first commercial scale CCS demonstration, and the roll-out of smart meters and a smart grid will build on this progress. Further information on the actions to take forward these policies can be found in DECC's business plan (published November 2010).
Nuclear Power Stations
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effects on the timetable for delivery of new nuclear build of his proposal to increase the liability cost per nuclear site on generators to cover the consequences of accidents. [38474]
Charles Hendry: A public consultation was published on 24 January, setting out our proposals to implement the amended Paris and Brussels conventions on nuclear third party liability. It included the proposed increase in liability levels that existing nuclear and prospective new build operators would be expected to cover in the event of a nuclear incident. We await responses to the consultation, however, we currently have no evidence to suggest that the proposed increases in liability will affect the pathway to the commercial operation of the first new nuclear power station by 2018.
Renewable Energy
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the use of used cooking oil in the provision of renewable and sustainable energy (a) for transport, (b) for heat and (c) in combined heat and power. [37880]
Charles Hendry: Figures from the Renewable Fuels Agency and Ofgem for the use of used cooking oil in 2009-10 in renewable energy are as follows:
(a) 43 million litres of biofuel for transport was derived from used cooking oil, representing about 3% of the total volume of biofuels supplied.
(b) data are not collected which would identify the use of used cooking oil in heat only applications.
(c) 960,000 litres have been used in combined heat and power applications, which represents about 70% of used cooking oil in the renewables obligation.
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which energy-from-waste producers and project developers have been contacted by his Department as part of its review of the renewables obligation banding system with regard to the deployment potential and generation costs of renewable electricity targets. [37998]
Charles Hendry: The following energy from waste producers and project developers have been contacted by consultants acting on DECC's behalf to collect data on technology costs and deployment potential as part of the current Renewables Obligation Banding Review:
Covanta
Veolia
Sita/Cofely
Viridor
WRG
Amey
Orchid-environmental
Fichtner
Other organisations with an interest in the Banding Review are welcome to contact DECC, either now or as part of the statutory consultation later this year.
Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many installations of (a) solar photovoltaic panels, (b) wind turbines and (c) mini hydro-generators have occurred in (i) Glasgow, (ii) Scotland, (iii) England, (iv) Wales and (v) Northern Ireland since the establishment of the feed-in tariff scheme. [38521]
Charles Hendry: Data from Ofgem show that, since the establishment of the feed-in tariffs (FITs) scheme, the number of solar photovoltaic (PV), wind and hydro installations accredited for FITs in Glasgow, Scotland, England and Wales up to 31 December 2010 are:
| Glasgow | Scotland | England | Wales | |
These exclude schemes transferred into the FITs from the RO which were in operation before 15 July 2009. Information for Glasgow refers to the area covered by Glasgow council local authority. The data also exclude an additional 55 stations for which the location is yet to be identified.
Figures are not provided for Northern Ireland because the FITs scheme applies only to England, Scotland and Wales.
Sheffield Forgemasters: Finance
Huw Irranca-Davies:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether any concerns were raised with him by (a) his officials and (b) other individuals and organisations in respect of the likely
effects on the supply chain of the decision to withdraw the loan to Sheffield Forgemasters (i) before and (ii) after the loan was withdrawn. [38472]
Charles Hendry: The number of representations received from individuals and organisations on the decision to withdraw the loan to Sheffield Forgemasters were included in my written ministerial statement laid before Parliament on 3 February 2011, Official Report, column 49WS.
Officials provide me with advice on a wide range of issues including this.
I meet regularly with energy companies and reactor vendors who have not said that this decision will impact on the plans they have announced for new nuclear in the UK. Ultra heavy forgings for items such as pressure vessels need to be ordered a long time in advance and vendors already have slots booked with existing suppliers to ensure that when they are building reactors around the world the necessary elements are available.
Health
Cancer: Screening
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of implementation of the provisions of the Health and Social Care Bill on the time taken by GPs to refer patients for diagnostic tests for cancer. [38107]
Paul Burstow: The Department has established a rolling programme of general practitioner (GP) consortium pathfinders to test the different elements involved in GP-led commissioning, such as the commissioning of diagnostic services, and to enable emerging GP consortia to get more rapidly involved in current commissioning decisions. The shadow National Health Service 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, subject to the passage of the Health and Social Care Bill 2011.
'Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer', published on 12 January, set out how the coalition government's reforms of health and care services will improve outcomes for all cancer patients. A copy has already been placed in the Library. To support the NHS to diagnose cancer earlier, we are providing £450 million over the next four years that will give GPs direct access to a range of diagnostic tests to confirm or rule out cancer and fund associated cancer treatments in secondary care. It will be the role of GP consortia to commission these additional tests.
The strategy also confirmed that the current cancer waiting time standards are clinically justified and should be retained. This means patients urgently referred with suspected cancer by their GP should be seen by a specialist within two weeks, and should receive their first treatment within 31 days from the decision to treat being made.
Carers
Dr Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had on the provision of carers' services in England; and if he will make a statement. [38165]
Paul Burstow: Ministers have had internal discussions, including the Inter-Ministerial Group in July 2010, about future support for carers in addition to meetings with voluntary and statutory sector organisations, and carers themselves. These included: a visit to BT to discuss flexible working in the workplace in August 2010; a visit to a Princess Royal Trust for Carers Centre in the North West in November 2010; a speech and question and answer at the Carers UK National Carers Summit in November 2010; and attendance at the Social Care Reference Group in December 2010, with the next meeting planned for March 2011.
The Standing Commission on Carers (SCOC) is an independent advisory body, which meets quarterly, and provides expert advice to Ministers and the Carers Strategy Cross-Government Programme Board on improving support for carers and on the longer-term strategic challenges. SCOC's membership reflects a broad range of interests and expertise from across the public, professional and voluntary sectors. The Minister plans to attend the next SCOC meeting in March 2011.
In respect of the call for views leading to the development of "Recognised, valued and supported: Next steps for the Carers Strategy", we received responses from 764 individuals and organisations. We took account of these responses when we were drafting the new strategy and deciding on our priorities for carers over the next four years.
Cataracts: Medical Treatments
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding has been made available for the NHS for eye lens treatments in financial year 2011-12; and if he will make a statement. [38188]
Mr Simon Burns: Treatment services for ophthalmic conditions are funded from primary care trusts' (PCTs) general recurrent revenue allocations, in common with most other elements of health care. General allocations are not attributed to specific services centrally. Individual PCTs decide the distribution of resources, after taking account of local and national priorities.
Dental Services
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of primary dental care providers had registered with the Care Quality Commission by 31 December 2010. [38217]
Mr Simon Burns: Primary dental care providers are required to be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) from 1 April 2011. To qualify for suspension of the offence of carrying on a regulated activity without being registered if CQC does not reach a registration decision by 1 April, transitional regulations specified that providers should submit their application by a specific date. In the case of national health service providers of primary dental care, CQC sets this date. In the case of independent sector providers, this date was set in the regulations at 31 December 2010. As CQC set the application date for the majority of providers, figures are not available for the numbers of providers who had submitted an application by 31 December 2010.
As at 2 February 2011, 7,005 primary dental care providers had submitted an application for registration. Of the 8,498 primary dental care providers in England invited to apply for registration, 82% have submitted an application to register with the Commission.
Doctors: Training
Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that junior doctors receive adequate time for training. [38209]
Anne Milton: We are aware of the concerns that implementing the European working time directive (EWTD) might have adverse implications for postgraduate medical training. Medical Education England (the Government's independent advisory body on medical education and training) commissioned a report on the impact of EWTD on the quality of training. We welcomed the publication of 'Time for Training' by Professor Sir John Temple, available at:
and Medical Education England have been asked to take the lead in implementing the changes to improve training practices in line with the recommendations. We will also support colleagues from the Department for Business Innovation and Skills in taking a robust approach to future negotiations on the directive to achieve greater flexibility.
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the availability of hospital placements for trainee doctors. [38291]
Anne Milton: Strategic health authorities (SHAs) are responsible for commissioning training places. SHA plans for specialty medical training posts in hospitals for 2011 were agreed in November 2010, with recruitment commencing in December, taking into account the report from the Centre for Workforce Intelligence "Recommendations for medical specialty training 2011", which can be found at:
SHA plans are received and reviewed by a joint working group of clinical and service leads who advise the Medical Education England Medical Programme Board.
Family Practitioner Services
Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements his Department proposes for the future of (a) pay and (b) provision for (i) GP practices, (ii) dentists, (iii) opticians and (iv) pharmacists under his proposals to reform the NHS. [37995]
Mr Simon Burns:
We set out our view on the future of pay and terms and conditions in the NHS White Paper, "Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS". In the short term those staff directly employed by the national health service will be covered by the Government's pay policy for all public sector workers, with a pay freeze proposed for two years from 2011-12 for those earning more than £21,000. In the longer term, the Government believes that pay decisions should be led by health care employers rather than imposed by the Government and
that, in the future, all individual employers will have the right to determine pay for their own staff, as is the case now with foundation trusts.
The majority of general practitioners (GPs) are independent contractors who hold contracts for providing services. Their pay is determined within the Doctors and Dentists Review Body recommendations on their contract values. These contract values have been frozen for two years in line with the Government's pay freeze.
Like GPs, dentists are, for the most part, self-employed contractors, and their pay is determined within the Doctors and Dentists Review Body recommendations on their contract values.
The funding provided for the community pharmacy contractual framework is currently determined by the Department, informed by negotiations with the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee.
The level of reimbursement to opticians for NHS sight tests is determined following consultation by the Department with bodies representative of optical providers.
In the longer term, the NHS Commissioning Board will take on responsibility for contracting with all independent sector primary care contractors and through their commissioning decisions will determine fees and reimbursements to these contractors. In doing so, they will continue to be informed by relevant independent pay review bodies.
Staff employed by independent contractors are subject to local pay and conditions as determined by the contractor. It is a matter for the contractor to determine if a contract is offered in line with model recommendations or a separately negotiated pay agreement is made.
General Practitioners
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether (a) civil servants, (b) special advisers and (c) other individuals employed by his Department have had discussions with (i) any private healthcare companies and (ii) Tribal on GP commissioning consortia. [38787]
Mr Simon Burns: Senior civil servants and special advisers have had discussions with a wide range of interested parties on general practitioner (GP) commissioning consortia, including GPs, charitable organisations, professional organisations and private companies, including Tribal.
Health Education
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what expenditure his Department has incurred on the Change4Life programme in each of the last five years; and what contributions to the programme were received from private sector organisations in each such year. [38092]
Anne Milton: In the past two financial years (2008-09 and 2009-10) for which there are complete records of, approximately £50 million was spent on Change4life by the Department.
The Change4Life 'One Year On' report states that in the 2009-10 financial year the in-kind contributions to the Change4Life campaign by private sector organisations were valued at £7.5 million.
Heart Diseases: Health Services
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make pulse checks a routine procedure within the NHS Health Check programme as a means of identifying arrhythmia; and what steps he is taking to raise awareness of this issue. [38443]
Mr Simon Burns: The NHS Health Check programme is a national risk assessment and management programme that assesses people aged 40 to 74 for their risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and chronic kidney disease. Everyone having a NHS Health Check will be supported to manage their risk of these diseases through individually tailored lifestyle advice and support, and appropriate follow up to help them stay well for longer. Those diagnosed with previously undetected disease will receive earlier management, improving their health outcomes for the future.
The modelling undertaken by the Department that underpins the programme shows it to be clinically and cost-effective. A test for atrial fibrillation-the most common arrhythmia-is not currently included as part of the set of tests and measurements for the NHS Health Check programme.
Primary care trusts (PCT) may however decide to extend the range and scope of their programmes to include taking the pulse in older age groups to identify atrial fibrillation. In making this decision, PCTs will need to consider the costs incurred balanced with the potential benefits.
NHS Improvement is undertaking a programme of work to improve the detection and treatment of atrial fibrillation (characterised by a fast and erratic heartbeat).
Hospices: Children
Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the future of (a) funding for children's hospices under section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968 and (b) the Hospice-at-Home Grant. [37837]
Anne Milton: The Department is supportive of the children's hospice movement and has given an annual hospice grant to the sector for five years. A review of palliative care funding is being undertaken to make palliative care more equitable and to better enable patients to choose how and from whom they receive their care. This is due to report in the summer. Professor Sir Alan Craft leads on the children's element of this review.
£10 million for 2011-12 has been allocated to support hospices during the transition to this new scheme.
Up to £30 million has been made available to the children's palliative care sector for 2010-11-this funding is directly supporting local services, including hospices.
The Department does provide some grant funding to the voluntary sector, using section 64 powers, principally through the Innovation, Excellence and Service Development (IESD) Fund. The fund is open to organisations who can apply annually, providing they meet the relevant criteria.
Hospitals: Waiting Lists
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much his Department spent on waiting list initiatives in the latest quarter for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement; [38103]
(2) how many posts of (a) surgeons, (b) anaesthetists, (c) nurses, (d) consultant surgeons and (e) registrars were funded through waiting list initiatives in the latest quarter for which information is available; and if he will make a statement. [38105]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department has not centrally funded waiting list initiatives in the last quarter. It is for the national health service to agree locally with clinicians any incentive or reward schemes designed to support the overall aim of ensuring that patients receive the care that best suits their needs.
The Department does not collect information on how much has been spent on local waiting list initiatives or on how many posts were funded by such initiatives.
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the future (a) collection and (b) publication of data on waiting times for operations and diagnostic tests. [38206]
Mr Simon Burns: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Wigan (Lisa Nandy), the hon. Member for St Helens North (Mr Watts), and the hon. Member for Makerfield (Yvonne Fovargue) on 31 January 2011, Official Report, column 630W.
Infant Foods
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the effects on infant health of (a) synthesised forms of docosahexaenoic acid used in formula milk and (b) docosahexaenoic acid in breast milk. [38516]
Anne Milton: The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition and the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment assessed the effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and other long chain omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC n-3 PUFA) on infant health, specifically on early human growth and cognitive function. They concluded that evidence to support a relationship between intake of infant formula supplemented with DHA and other LC n-3 PUFA and cognitive function and behavioural development in healthy full term infants is unclear. A further research study commissioned by the Food Standards Agency in 2004 also reported similar findings that are consistent with these conclusions. The Department has not specifically assessed the effect of DHA in breast milk on cognitive function and development of healthy infants.
Malaria: Drugs
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the availability of prescriptions for malaria prophylaxis on the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [38057]
Anne Milton: Malaria prophylaxis are a travel medicine and are not routinely available for free on the national health service. Anti-malarial medicines are a prescription only medicine and general practitioners (GPs) normally provide access to these medicines by way of private prescriptions. The same drugs that are used for prophylaxis are also used for treatment. In those circumstances, they are available on NHS prescriptions.
Maternity Services
Mr Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent assessment he has made of the take-up of perinatal healthcare by (a) socio-economic group and (b) ethnicity; [37847]
(2) what arrangements are in place to advertise the availability of perinatal care in (a) Haringey, (b) London and (c) England. [37852]
Anne Milton: The best measure of take up of maternity services available is from the NHS maternity statistics. Details of hospital deliveries by ethnicity are in the following table. The NHS maternity statistics do not include details of socio-economic status.
| Ethnic group | Number of deliveries( 1) | Percentage of total deliveries |
| (1) Deliveries where ethnic group of mother is unknown have been excluded. Source: NHS Maternity Statistics 2009-10, NHS Information Centre. | ||
Maternity services are available to women in Haringey via direct access or referral from a general practitioner (GP). Information about direct access to midwifery services is available on hospital trust websites and has been widely disseminated via children's centres, general practice and related services such as contraceptive and sexual health services. GPs are aware of local maternity services as well as the importance of early access, receiving regular training and updates from the maternity and obstetric teams through GP meetings and educational sessions. GPs discuss access to specialised services with women according to need as they progress through the perinatal service. Patterns of provision and advertising of services are local matters but similar patterns exist throughout England.
Maternity Services: Greater London
Mr Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made provision for specialist perinatal healthcare in (a) the London borough of Haringey and (b) Greater London. [37848]
Anne Milton: The best measure of take-up of maternity services available is from the NHS maternity statistics. Details of hospital deliveries by ethnicity are in the following table. The NHS maternity statistics do not include details of socioeconomic status.
| Ethnic group | Number of deliveries( 1) | Percentage of total deliveries |
| (1) Deliveries where ethnic group of mother is unknown have been excluded. Source: NHS Maternity Statistics 2009-10, NHS Information Centre | ||
Maternity services are available to women in Haringey via direct access or referral from a general practitioner (GP). Information about direct access to midwifery services is available on hospital trust websites and has been widely disseminated via children's centres, general practice and related services such as contraceptive and sexual health services. GPs are aware of local maternity services as well as the importance of early access, receiving regular training and updates from the maternity and obstetric teams through GP meetings and educational sessions. GPs discuss access to specialised services with women according to need as they progress through the perinatal service. Patterns of provision and advertising of services are local matters but similar patterns exist throughout England.
Midwives: Manpower
Simon Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of midwife numbers in (a) Norfolk, (b) the East of England and (c) England. [38164]
Mr Simon Burns: Midwives in Norfolk are employed at either the Norfolk and Norwich University hospital or the Queen Elizabeth hospital, King's Lynn. The numbers of midwives at the two hospitals are as follows:
Norfolk and Norwich University hospital
Establishment: 161.76 whole time equivalent (WTE) midwives.
Vacancies: 2.24 WTE fixed-term vacancies caused by secondments to other organisations
Unfilled vacancies: 1.07 WTE.
Three newly created specialist midwife posts are currently being advertised.
The current ratio of midwives to patients at Norfolk and Norwich University hospital is 1:32, which will improve once the small number of vacancies is filled.
Queen Elizabeth hospital, King's Lynn
Establishment: 72 WTE midwives
Vacancies: Two specialist midwives are being recruited.
Once the two specialist midwives have been recruited, the hospital anticipates it will meet the 1:30 ratio.
Information on the number of midwives in the East of England is shown in the following table. The table shows the starting staff in post as at September 2008, the target based on the local Birth Rate Plus (BRP) assessment and the current staff in post numbers as at December 2010. The table also shows the growth achieved so far and further growth required.
| Staff in post, full-time equivalent (FTE) | |||||||
| Staff in post FTE census 2008 | Required establishment FTE by November 2011 as per BRP | Current staff in po st FTE as per the SHA monitoring returns | Growth actual between September 2008 and December 2010 | Growth required to achieve BRP target by November 2011 from December 2010 | |||
| Trust | September 2008 | November 2008 | December 2010 | FTE | Percentage | FTE | Percentage |
| Note: None of the above figures are Department of Health-verified. Source: DoH census 2008 data sourced by East of England SHA and the SHA's own information. | |||||||
The latest NHS Workforce census as at 30 September 2009 shows there 26,451 (20,236 FTE) midwives working in the national health service in England. The next NHS Workforce census showing the September 2010 figures will be published in late March 2011.
The number of midwives in training in 2009-10 is 2,482, which is a record level. The planned number of trainees in 2010-11 is 2,493 and we expect this level to be maintained into the future subject to further changes in the forecast birth rate and changes in the way services are delivered.
This will result in a sustained increase in new midwives available to enter the service over the next few years.
Simon Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vacant places there were on midwifery courses in each of the last five years. [38162]
Anne Milton: This information is not collected centrally.
The nearest information we have available is the number of midwifery training places commissioned over the last 10 years.
The following table shows the number of national health service midwifery training places commissioned since 1999.
| 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |
| Source: Quarterly Monitoring Returns. | ||||||||||||
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence
Mr Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions his Department has had with representatives of the pharmaceutical industry on potential changes to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence as proposed in the Health and Social Care Bill. [38886]
Mr Simon Burns: Ministers and departmental officials meet frequently with representatives of the pharmaceutical industry and issues relating to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence are often among those discussed.
NHS Commissioning Board
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether an ophthalmic services specialist will be appointed to the proposed NHS Commissioning Board. [38184]
Mr Simon Burns: The Health and Social Care Bill sets out details about the membership of the NHS Commissioning Board.
The board itself will determine its own appointments but will include people with a range of skills and experience.
NHS: Contracts
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of cancelling operating contracts for (a) 2011, (b) 2012, (c) 2013 and (d) 2014. [38450]
Mr Simon Burns: Records are not held centrally for all contracts entered into with other national health service bodies, private sector companies or the voluntary sector for the provision of goods and services in the NHS or estimates of future cancellation costs on these contracts. To collect this information from all local NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) would incur disproportionate cost.
All NHS trusts and the Department must report all abortive costs over £250,000 in value incurred in abandoned or scaled down projects in their annual report and accounts which are available locally.
NHS: Finance
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to increase the uptake of personal budgets and direct payments for the purposes of encouraging integration between care services. [38087]
Paul Burstow: The "Vision for Adult Social Care: Capable Communities and Active Citizens" sets the context for the future direction of adult social care in England. It states that councils should provide personal budgets, preferably as a direct payment, for everyone eligible, by 2013.
Reflecting the commitments in the vision, the Department has committed to various actions. The Department is planning to issue directions to councils later this year, to strengthen legislation requiring councils to make direct payments in respect of the person securing provision of a relevant service, where the conditions are satisfied, and with the person's consent. Building on this expansion, we want to make it possible to combine personal health budgets with personal budgets in the future, subject to the evaluation of the pilot sites in 2012.
Local government and the provider sector have produced the partnership agreement "Think Local, Act Personal" in January. The agreement, focusing on personalisation of services, consolidates lessons learned over the past three years within a new financial context that requires efficient, effective and integrated service delivery, including personal budgets, across health and social care.
In future, councils will take the lead role in drawing up joint strategic needs assessments, which will shape the commissioning of health, social care and health improvement services. This may include aligning funding streams locally, including personal health budgets and personal budgets.
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding he has provided for integration between health services and social care services since May 2010. [38088]
Paul Burstow: The Government have announced various policy and legislative changes to support integration between health and social care. The Department has made available a number of new funding streams to support the coalition programme commitment on integration, including as part of the 2010 spending review, which have been allocated to the national health service in order to support social care and improve joint working between the two systems.
Details about this funding have been set out in a letter from David Behan and David Flory to NHS and local authority chief executives, which can be found at:
A copy of this letter has been placed in the Library.
The following table summarises the funding which has been allocated for joint working.
For 2013-14 and 2014-15, the health system has been allocated £1.1 billion and £1 billion respectively to support social care. Details of how this funding will be allocated will be announced in due course.
The NHS Operating Framework for 2011 reinforces the coalition government's commitment to integration and joint working. It sets out some specific areas where joint working with local authorities is important and where pooled budget arrangements should be considered. It sets out a requirement for NHS organisations to make progress on the National Dementia Strategy including the four priority areas set out in the implementation plan published in September 2010. Recognised, valued and supported: next steps for the Carers Strategy should also be considered, with PCTs pooling budgets to provide carers breaks, as far as possible, via direct payments or personal health budgets. An additional £400 million is being made available over four years for this purpose.
NHS: Overtime
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of overtime payments for (a) consultants, (b) surgeons and (c) other NHS staff in the most recent quarter for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [38104]
Mr Simon Burns: National health service staff earnings estimates are published by the NHS Information Centre for health and social care. The published information covers earnings of medical staff and only those non medical staff under Agenda for Change contractual arrangements. Reliable information on cost to the NHS of overtime payments for consultants, surgeons and other NHS staff is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
NHS: Re-organisation
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the future viability of NHS trusts which will become foundation trusts in cases where the trust would not have met the existing criteria of Monitor to do so. [38448]
Mr Simon Burns: The coalition government are committed to all national health service trusts achieving foundation trust status by April 2014. The requirements trusts must demonstrate to achieve the foundation trust status will not be reduced in any way.
For those trusts who for some reason may not be financially or clinically viable as a stand-alone organisation, and thus unable to meet the criteria to achieve foundation trust status, action plans are being developed.
These plans may include organisational change, such as a merger or acquisition with another trust or foundation trust, where this will support the trust achieving foundation status, as part of another organisation, by April 2014.
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the likely cost of redundancy payments following the proposed abolition of (a) primary care trusts and (b) strategic health authorities under the provisions of the Health and Social Care Bill. [38449]
Mr Simon Burns: The Government estimates the redundancy costs as £768 million for primary care trusts and £84 million for strategic health authorities. Fuller details are given in the "co-ordinating document" for the impact assessment for the Health and Social Care Bill, which is available at:
A copy has already been placed in the Library.
NHS: Training
Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent discussions he has had with stakeholder organisations on the potential effects of the (a) Higher Education (Basic Amount) (England) Regulations 2010 and (b) Higher Education (Higher Amount) (England) Regulations 2010 on the NHS Bursary Scheme; and if he will make a statement; [38210]
(2) what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on the NHS Bursary Scheme; and if he will make a statement. [38212]
Anne Milton:
The Secretary of State for Health has had discussions with the Minister of State for Universities and Science and my officials have met with stakeholder organisations about the proposed changes to the funding arrangements for undergraduate education and the impact on students who are eligible for an NHS bursary. We
will continue to work together with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to understand the impact of the changes and consider if the NHS bursary scheme arrangements remain appropriate.
Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to make an announcement on the NHS Bursary Review; and if he will make a statement. [38211]
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the existing NHS bursary arrangements; and if he will make a statement. [38581]
Anne Milton: The review of NHS student support considered the existing NHS Bursary Scheme arrangements and whether changes to the scheme are required. We plan to make an announcement on the outcome of the review in due course.
Obesity: Departmental Coordination
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Education and (b) the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport on the effect of activity levels on obesity in children. [38505]
Anne Milton: The Secretary of State for Health has met with the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport on 25 November 2010. Following on from this discussion the Department of Health agreed to provide up to £20 million over the next two years to support levels of participation in the School Games by primary schools, and to create further opportunities for those who are least active and to deliver important health benefits associated with physical activity.
Palliative Care: Drugs
Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that the NHS takes a systematic and safe approach to the prescribing of terminal care drugs. [37950]
Mr Simon Burns: Guidance for prescribers on the appropriate use of medicines for patients whose disease is not responsive to curative treatment is included in the British National Formulary, which is made available free of charge to national health service prescribers. This includes advice on the medicines that can be used for terminal care patients and the training that staff are required to undertake before administering them.
Plastic Surgery
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the (a) level of availability and (b) effects on NHS budgets of cosmetic surgery on the NHS in the most recent quarter for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [38055]
Mr Simon Burns:
Very few, if any, purely cosmetic surgery treatments are undertaken on the national health service. The only information available at national level relates to the total number of treatments by plastic
surgeons, of which the vast majority will be for reasons of genuine clinical need. The information for the most recent available quarters is in the following table.
| Count of finished consultant episodes (FCEs)( 1) for consultants in plastic surgery( 2) . Provisional data( 3) for quarters ending June 2010 and September 2010 and full year 2009-10 (April to March) | |
| Activity in English NHS hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector | |
| Period | Count of FCEs |
| (1) FCE A FCE is a continuous period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FCEs are counted against the year in which they end. Figures do not represent the number of different patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the same stay in hospital or in different stays in the same year. (2) Consultant main specialty The specialty under which the consultant responsible for the care of the patient at that time is registered. (3) Provisional data The data are provisional and may be incomplete or contain errors for which no adjustments have yet been made. Counts produced from provisional data are likely to be lower than those generated for the same period in the final dataset; the data shown have not been adjusted to allow for this possible shortfall, which will be most pronounced in the final month of the latest period. It is also probable that clinical data are not complete, which may in particular affect the last two months of any given period. There may also be errors due to coding inconsistencies that have not yet been investigated and corrected. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care | |
Post-natal Depression
Mr Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women were diagnosed with post-natal depression in each year since 2000. [37851]
Paul Burstow: The majority of women diagnosed with post-natal depression will be treated in primary care. Information is not collected centrally about diagnoses for any condition in primary care, so reliable data is not available about the number of women with post-natal depression. However, the NHS Information Centre's mental health minimum dataset (MHMDS) focuses on adults accessing secondary mental health care. The following table shows the number of women who have been diagnosed with either post-natal mental health problems or post-natal depression in the MHMDS.
| Mental disorders associated with the puerperium (commencing within six weeks of delivery) that do not meet the criteria for disorders classified elsewhere | Depression: postnatal( 1) , postpartum( 1) | |
| (1) Not otherwise specified. Source: MHMDS annual returns. | ||
Primary Health Care: North East
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the change in the number of posts in primary care trusts and their successor bodies in the North East following implementation of his healthcare reforms. [38171]
Mr Simon Burns: The Government estimate that, on average across the country, around 60% of existing staff in primary care trusts and strategic health authorities would transfer to jobs in general practitioner consortia, the NHS Commissioning Board, and other bodies. We do not have a breakdown of the figures by region.
The full assumptions are described in the "co-ordinating document" for the impact assessment for the Health and Social Care Bill, which is available at:
A copy has already been placed in the Library.
Public Health England: Finance
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate he has made of the likely funding allocation to Public Health England in each of the first five years following its inception; [38846]
(2) what estimate he has made of NHS expenditure on areas which are to be the responsibility of Public Health England in each of the last 10 years. [38847]
Mr Simon Burns: We are currently consulting on the functions and services to be funded through the public health budget and commissioning routes in 'Healthy Lives, Healthy People: consultation on the funding and commissioning routes for public health'. The responses to the consultation on functions and services will be important in helping determine the future budget for Public Health England.
The Department is working to establish baseline spending on activities that will be funded from the public health budget in the future. Building on the proposed commissioning responsibilities in the consultation document, early estimates suggest that current spend by the Department, its arm's length bodies, strategic health authorities and primary care trusts on areas that are likely to be the responsibility of Public Health England could be over £4 billion. However, this estimate is subject to further significant revision. In particular, as responses to the consultation on the responsibilities to be funded from the public health budget lead to revisions in the design of the service, the estimated spend and future budgets will be revised. Comparable data for earlier years are not available.
Strokes
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his contribution of 31 January 2011, Official Report, column 605, on the Health and Social Care Bill, what the evidential basis is for his estimate that 4,000 lives could be saved every year if NHS outcomes for stroke were as good as the European average; and if he will place in the Library a copy of such evidence. [38746]
Mr Simon Burns: The information requested has been placed in the Library.
Strokes: Health Services
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ask the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to extend the provisions of the Stroke Quality Standard to cover community-based rehabilitation, longer-term support and social care services for stroke patients. [38303]
Mr Simon Burns: It is for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to determine the content and scope of its stroke Quality Standard. It does so after a public consultation and within a remit set by the Secretary of State.
The stroke standard was developed with input from clinicians and patients. Details of the process NICE used can be found on the Institute's website at:
The current Health and Social Care Bill includes provision to extend NICE'S role to cover social care when it is re-established.
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to ensure that GP consortia are skilled in the commissioning of strategic stroke services. [38304]
Mr Simon Burns: The NHS Commissioning Board will support general practitioner consortia in their commissioning decisions. The board will provide leadership for quality improvement through commissioning. This will include setting commissioning guidelines on the basis of clinically approved quality standards developed with advice from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and in the case of stroke, the national stroke strategy, in a way that promotes joint working across health, public health and social care.
Furthermore, the Health and Social Care Bill provides for consortia to work collaboratively on commissioning by, for example, entering into lead commissioner and pooled budgetary arrangements.
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to incorporate the main elements of the National Stroke Strategy into future guidance issued by the National Commissioning Board. [38305]
Mr Simon Burns: The NHS Commissioning Board will have a vital role in providing national leadership for driving up the quality of care across health commissioning, including stroke services. The board will do this by supporting general practitioner consortia in a number of ways including:
publishing evidence based commissioning guidance and model care pathways building on the national stroke strategy and the recently published National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence quality standard for stroke as appropriate; and
designing the Commissioning Outcomes Framework and the new quality premium.
It will be for the board to determine the details of its work programme and the content of commissioning guidance.
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy that the provision of stroke services remains a priority for the NHS following the implementation of his plans to reform the NHS. [38306]
Mr Simon Burns: Stroke remains a priority for the national health service and as such features in the 2011-12 NHS Operating Framework.
Stroke also features in a number of domains of the NHS Outcome Framework. This is the mechanism by which the Secretary of State for Health will hold the NHS Commissioning Board to account when it is established.
These measures will ensure that tackling stroke and improving stroke care will remain firmly on the NHS's agenda.
Cabinet Office
EU Grants and Loans
Mark Reckless: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will bring forward proposals to publish details of each UK project in receipt of over £25,000 of EU funds. [35600]
Mr Maude: There are currently no plans to bring forward specific proposals to publish details of each UK project in receipt of over £25,000 of EU funds. However we are currently arguing for the domestic principles of transparency, value for money and sound financial management to be applied at EU level.
In the interim, a Consolidated Statement on the use of EU funds in the UK is published annually. Indeed the 2008-09 financial year Consolidated Statement was laid before Parliament on 19 January 2011.
Gross National Product
John Stevenson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of gross national product was accounted for by the (a) financial and (b) manufacturing sector in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10. [36591]
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 January 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question regarding the proportion of Gross National Product accounted for by the financial and manufacturing sectors in 2008-2009 and 2009-2010. [36591]
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has replaced Gross National Product as the main indicator of output of the economy. The figures requested are shown in the table below for the calendar years 2008 to 2010.
| Contribution to total GDP | |||
| Percentage | |||
| 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |
Public Bodies
Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 26 January 2011, Official Report, column 315W, on public bodies, what consideration he gave to including (a) efficiency and (b) value for money as criteria to be applied in the review of public bodies. [37846]
Mr Maude: The first stage of the review process was to consider whether the functions currently carried out by public bodies should be delivered by government. Ensuring government do not undertake activities which are not needed must be the first step in delivering value for money. Reducing duplication of effort and simplifying structures, as this review is doing, are also key tenets of efficiency and value for money.
Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 19 January 2011, Official Report, column 827, on public bodies, how much more than £500 million a year he expects to save in each year from 2011-12 to 2014-15. [37861]
Mr Maude: Departments are currently working through the estimated costs and savings related to this complex package of reforms with support from HM Treasury and Cabinet Office. These are the most significant reforms of public bodies for a generation and we need to ensure implementation is carried out effectively and systematically.
Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 19 January 2011, Official Report, column 828, on public bodies, what steps he plans to take to make the code for public bodies watertight. [37862]
Mr Maude: The Public Administration Select Committee in their report "Smaller Government: Shrinking the Quango State" make a number of recommendations on strengthening the rules relating to public bodies and lobbying. We will respond formally to the committee's recommendations, setting out our proposals in full, in due course.
Public Sector: Procurement
Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he has taken to encourage public sector bodies to give priority to local businesses in their procurement policies. [37778]
Mr Maude: To safeguard the public purse, procurers are required to seek value for money through fair and open competition. Through our membership of the European Union and as a signatory to international agreements, our contracting authorities are required to treat suppliers from Europe and various other countries on an equal footing with UK suppliers. This is a two-way street, however, as it gives our suppliers access to public procurement markets overseas.
The Government of course want UK companies, including our small businesses, to be successful in public procurement. To that end, I announced on 1 November a series of measures to make it easier for small firms to compete for government business. Details can be found on the Cabinet Office website:
Unemployment: Young People
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many unemployed young people aged 16 to 25 years there were in each region in each of the last 12 months; and what proportion of young people this represented in each such month. [38577]
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 February 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many unemployed young people aged 16-25 years there were in each region in each of the last 12 months; and what proportion of young people this represented in each such month. (38577)
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
Table 1 shows the levels and proportions of young people aged 16-24 years who were unemployed and resident in each government office region. Data has been provided for the most recent APS period, July 2009 to June 2010. APS proportions have been calculated using 16-24 economically active population.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
Because the APS only provides an annual figure additionally Table 2 shows the number and proportions of young people aged 16 to 24 claiming Jobseeker's Allowance resident in each government office region during the last 12 months up to the latest period available in December 2010. JSA proportions have been calculated using 16-24 resident population.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
| Table 1 Number and proportions of people aged 16 to 24 unemployed in each government office region | ||
| July 2009 to June 2010 | ||
| Level (thousand) | Proportion (%) | |
| Note: Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality below. Guide to Quality : The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV-for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 ≤ CV<5%-Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 ≤ CV <10%-Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 ≤ CV <20%-Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ≥ 20%-Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes CV = Coefficient of Variation Source: Annual Population Survey | ||
| Table 2 Number and proportions (%) of people aged 16 to 24 claiming jobseeker's allowance resident in each Government office region | ||||||||||||
| North East | North West | Yorkshire and the Humber | East Midlands | West midlands | East | |||||||
| 2010 | Level | % | Level | % | Level | % | Level | % | Level | % | Level | % |
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