29 Mar 2011 : Column 308W

Manufacturing Industries: Apprentices

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to encourage employers in the process and manufacturing sector to employ apprentices. [49119]

Mr Prisk: Apprenticeships are good for businesses, good for growth and good for young people who want to get on. This Government want to support more apprenticeships than any previous Administration. We know that apprenticeships are valued by employers and individuals, providing real productivity benefits.

As part of Budget 2011, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £180 million package for 50,000 extra apprenticeship places, including 10,000 advanced level and higher apprenticeships targeted at smaller employers. This means that this Government will deliver at least 250,000 more apprenticeships over the next four years, compared to the previous Government's plans.

This package was developed as an outcome of the growth review and although it is aimed at all business sectors, it is expected to particularly benefit the advanced manufacturing industry and its supply chain.

Micro-business

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will estimate the number of (a) micro-businesses and (b) employees of micro-businesses in each (i) region, (ii) local authority area and (iii) parliamentary constituency. [48320]

Mr Prisk [holding answer 23 March 2011]: Estimates of the number of micro-businesses are published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills at Government office regional (GOR) and country level and shown in the following table. Local authority area and parliamentary constituency estimates on the same methodology are not available.

Number of micro-businesses in 2009 (1)
Government office region and country Number of micro-businesses (2)

North East

133,365

North West

460,845

Yorkshire and the Humber

329,325

East Midlands

292,800

West Midlands

346,200

East of England

482,665

London

809,460

South East

714,380

South West

446,895

Wales

191,905

Scotland

308,815

Northern Ireland

116,930

Total

4,633,580

(1) In the UK, an estimated 3,764,000 employees work in micro-businesses. No estimates of the number of employees working for micro-businesses are available at regional, local authority or parliamentary constituency levels. (2) A micro-business is defined here as a private sector business with fewer than 10 employees.

Midwifery: Training

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many enrolments there were in midwifery courses at Northumbria university in each academic year between 2005-06 and 2010-11. [49712]

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Mr Willetts: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects information on students in UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The most recent data available relate to the 2009/10 academic year. Figures for 2010/11 will be available in January 2012.

HESA use the Joint Academic Coding System (JACS) to code a student’s subject of study, and Midwifery falls within the most detailed level of this coding system. However, it was only in 2009/10 that HEIs were required to record at this detailed level of coding. Therefore figures for years prior to 2009/10 will not accurately record the number of Midwifery students, as some HEIs may have coded these students as Nursing, rather than choosing the code at the more detailed level of Midwifery.

The figures in the following table show the number of enrolments on Nursing courses at Northumbria university between 2005/06 and 2009/10, and for 2009/10 only, the number of Midwifery enrolments.

Nursing and midwifery enrolments (1) at Northumbria university academic years 2005/06 to 2009/10
Academic year Nursing Midwifery

2005/06

5,740

n/a

2006/07

5,720

n/a

2007/08

3,855

n/a

2008/09

3,795

n/a

2009/10

3,785

145

(1) Covers postgraduate and undergraduate students of all domiciles enrolled on full-time and part-time courses, and students in all years of study. Note: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded to the nearest five. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

NHS: Unfair Practices

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many investigations the Office of Fair Trading has conducted in relation to NHS-funded health care provision under its powers under the Competition Act 1998; and what remedies were imposed where such investigations identified breaches of prohibitions under that Act. [49313]

Mr Davey [holding answer 28 March 2011]: The Office of Fair Trading has conducted no investigations into NHS-funded health care provision in England, Wales or Scotland using its powers under the Competition Act 1998 (the Act).

The Office of Fair Trading has conducted an investigation into the purchasing arrangements of a Health and Social Services (HSS) Trust in Northern Ireland using its powers under the Act. This 2003 investigation followed a ruling by the Competition Appeal Tribunal which held that the HSS Trust in question was acting as an ‘undertaking’ for the purposes of the Act. In its final decision (Decision of the Office of Fair Trading No CA98/09/2003), the OFT found no breaches of the Act, and closed the case without imposing any remedy.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many market references to the Competition Commission the Office of Fair Trading has made in relation to NHS-funded health care provision under its powers under the

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Enterprise Act 2002; and what remedies were recommended by the Competition Commission following each such reference. [49314]

Mr Davey [holding answer 28 March 2011]: The Office of Fair Trading has made no market references to the Competition Commission in relation to NHS funded health care provision under its Enterprise Act 2002 powers.

Overseas Students: Loans

Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the costs incurred by the Student Loans Company on prosecuting those from (a) European economic area and (b) non-EEA states who did not repay a student loan (i) wholly and (ii) partially in the latest period for which figures are available. [49115]

Mr Willetts: Student loans in England are only available to those who meet the relevant residence requirements. The Student Loans Company (SLC) applies the same mechanisms to all borrowers who move overseas after leaving their course.

The Student Loans Company (SLC) piloted arrangements in 2009 for collecting repayments from overseas borrowers, including options for legal action with the first group of EU borrowers who left their courses earlier than expected.

The SLC successfully raised nine judgments against EU borrowers with tuition fee loans. The SLC enforced some in Scottish courts and some in other EU countries. To date no action has been taken against other groups of students.

The costs incurred by the SLC on prosecuting those included within the pilot, who did not repay a student loan was £17,495.

Parental Leave

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what assessment his Department has made of the position of the UK in international comparator tables for the length of paid (a) maternity and (b) paternity leave; [48505]

(2) what assessment he has made of the relative position of the UK in international comparator tables measuring parental leave; and if he will make a statement. [48507]

Mr Davey: The UK provides 52 weeks maternity leave to all employed women, 39 weeks of which may be paid. The first six weeks are paid at 90% of average earnings; the remaining weeks are paid at 90% of average earnings, capped at £124.88 per week. Employed fathers who meet the qualifying criteria, are entitled to two weeks paternity leave, paid at £124.88 per week. Employed parents with one year's service of employment are entitled to 13 weeks unpaid parental leave, per parent per child, to be taken before their child's 5th birthday.

Due to the different schemes in place across the world; with different mixes of maternity, paternity and parental leave available to parents; it is difficult to make a sensible assessment of the UK's position in international comparator tables.

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Post Offices

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with Post Office Ltd on the future of sales of (a) insurance, (b) foreign currency and (c) vehicle excise duty through the Post Office network; and if he will make a statement. [49858]

Mr Davey: Government have been clear that they support the Post Office’s ambition to become a ‘front office for government’ and the important role the Post Office intends to play in the provision of financial services. However, decisions on individual products are a commercial matter for Post Office Ltd and its partners.

Regional Growth Fund: Yorkshire and the Humber

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many organisations in Yorkshire have (a) applied for and (b) been awarded funding from the Regional Growth Fund since its inception. [49683]

Mr Prisk: 464 bids have been received in Round 1 of the Regional Growth Fund (RGF). Of these, 56.5 (.5 comes from a project that overlaps with another region) bids have been received from Yorkshire and the Humber region.

Final decisions on how to allocate funds available in Round 1 of the Regional Growth Fund have not yet been made. My noble Friend Lord Heseltine's Independent Advisory Panel has made recommendations to Ministers, who are considering the bids submitted in Round 1. Announcement on successful bids from Round 1 will be made soon.

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which York-based organisations have applied for funding from the Regional Growth Fund since its inception; how much was sought in each case; whether the applications (i) were successful, (ii) were unsuccessful and (iii) are under consideration; and how much was awarded in respect of each successful application. [49684]

Mr Prisk: 464 bids were received in round 1 of the Regional Growth Fund (RGF). Of these, three bids were based in York. The Department is unable to provide the amount requested in each of these cases as to do so would risk disclosure of the bids which were received in confidence and could adversely effect the commercial position of the applicants.

Final decisions on how to allocate funds available in round 1 of the Regional Growth Fund have not yet been made. My noble Friend Lord Heseltine’s Independent Advisory Panel has made recommendations to Ministers, who are considering the bids submitted. I do, however, expect that announcements will be made soon.

Students: Loans

Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2011, Official Report, columns 718-19W, on students: loans, how much was owed by those

29 Mar 2011 : Column 312W

people prosecuted for non-repayment of their student loan; and what the cost to his Department was of raising such judgments. [49234]

Mr Willetts: The total amount owed by those prosecuted for non-repayment of their student loan was £28,573.52.

The costs incurred by the Student Loans Company (SLC) on prosecuting those who did not repay a student loan was £17,495.

Students: Reading Berkshire

Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students aged between 16 and 19 years normally resident in the Reading West constituency were in further and higher education in each of the last 10 years. [49720]

Mr Hayes: Table 1 shows the number of 16 to 18-year-old learners participating in Government-funded further education in Reading West parliamentary constituency from 2002/03 to 2009/10 (near-final).

This includes participation across all further education learning routes, including further education, apprenticeships, Train to Gain, Adult Safeguarded Learning and University for Industry funding streams.

The latest figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) are shown in table 2. Figures for the 2010/11 academic year will be available in January 2012.

Table 1: Further education participation by learners aged 16 to 18 in Reading West constituency, 2002/03 to 2009/10 (near-final)

Total

2002/03

1,340

2003/04

1,320

2004/05

1,320

2005/06

1,400

2006/07

1,400

2007/08

1,620

2008/09(1)

1,570

2009/10 (near-final)(1)

1,630

(1 )Figures for 2008/09 onwards are not directly comparable to earlier years as the introduction of demand led funding has changed how data are collected and how funded learners are defined from 2008/09 onwards. More information on demand led funding is available at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/businessdefinitions/Demand+Led+Funding.htm Notes: 1 Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Geography information is based upon the home postcode of the learner. 3. Information in this table is based on all government funded learners. 4. These data include FE, apprenticeships/Work Based Learning, Train to Gain, Adult Safeguarded Learning and University for Industry funding streams. 5. Age is based on age at the start of the academic year. Figures include a small number of learners aged under 16-year-olds. 6. Figures for 2005/06 onwards are based on geographic boundaries of parliamentary constituencies as of May 2010, figures for 2002/03 to 2004/05 are based on earlier geographic boundaries. Figures for 2005/06 onwards cannot be directly compared with figures for earlier years, due to boundary changes within parliamentary constituencies—even for constituencies with similar names. Source: Individualised Learner Record

Information on further education and skills participation and achievement is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 27 January:

http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current

Final further education and skills participation data by geography for 2009/10 are due to be published in a supplementary table on the 31 March, available from the SFR at the above link.

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Table 2: Higher education enrolments (1) . Aged 16 to 19 from Reading West parliamentary constituency (2) . English . Academic years 2000/01 to 2009/10
Academic year Enrolments

2000/01

445

2001/02

450

2002/03

445

2003/04

470

2004/05

480

2005/06

515

2006/07

555

2007/08

530

2008/09

545

2009/10

615

(1) Covers enrolments to full-time and part-time courses at postgraduate and undergraduate level. (2) Excludes students whose parliamentary constituency could not be established due to missing or invalid postcode information. Note: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded to the nearest five. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Timesharing

Dr Thérèse Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what representations he has received on long-term and in-perpetuity management fee obligations on timeshare properties where the owner is (a) alive and (b) deceased. [48578]

Mr Davey: Since the general election I have received eight items of correspondence on the matter of long-term contractual obligations to pay for the management of timeshare property. This includes one response to this Department’s consultation on draft regulations which came into effect on 23 February 2011 (SI 2010/2960) to implement the directive on timeshare, long-term holiday product, resale and exchange contracts (2008/122/EC). Of these, three contained concerns that the correspondents believed or were led to believe that their descendants would be bound by their contract.

The Department passes these concerns to the Office of Fair Trading for any action it may deem appropriate under the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999.

Tobacco

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will assess the effects on small businesses of the European Commission's re-appraisal of the tobacco control directive; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on the effects of the reappraisal on the implementation of the Government's proposed tobacco display ban. [47267]

Mr Prisk: I am fully aware of the European Commission's reappraisal of the tobacco control directive and the outline proposals for this on which the Commission recently publicly consulted. BIS officials will work with Department of Health colleagues to ensure that the potential effects on small businesses are fully understood and that these are avoided or mitigated as much as possible while still delivering any agreed public health policy objectives. Domestically the Secretary of State has had several discussions with my the Secretary of State for Health

29 Mar 2011 : Column 314W

and other Ministers in respect of implementing the Government's tobacco display ban; the Secretary of State for Health made a statement to Parliament setting out our agreed position on 9 March 2011,

Official Report

, columns 66-69WS.

Deputy Prime Minister

Eelectoral Law: Convictions

Mr Dodds: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many people were (a) charged with and (b) convicted for offences under electoral law in England and Wales in each year since 1997. [48816]

Mr Harper: The Government do not keep statistics on charges and convictions for offences under electoral law in England and Wales. The figures cited as follows are extracted from reports prepared by the Electoral Commission rather than from central Government records. Accordingly, those reports do not necessarily constitute a complete record of the number of charges and convictions during the period referred to.

Information is not available for the period 1997 to 1999.

The Electoral Commission's report “Further analysis of CPS files on allegations of electoral malpractice in England and Wales 2000-2006” gives details of prosecutions for electoral malpractice under the Representation of the People Act 1983 during that period. The report noted that convictions do not necessarily occur in the same year that proceedings are initiated and found that the number of convictions in each year from 2000 to 2006 was as follows:


Number of cases with guilty verdict

2000

5

2001

11

2002

1

2003

4

2004

0

2005

1

2006

1

Though statistics are not recorded on charges and convictions brought under common law fraud offences in England and Wales, I am aware that subsequently five people were convicted under the common law offence of conspiracy to defraud at the 2005 general election in the Bradford West constituency and all received a custodial sentence.

With regard to the Welsh Assembly election of 2007, and local government elections in England in 2007, the Electoral Commission's report “Electoral malpractice in England and Wales—2007 trends” found that at the 2007 elections 129 allegations of electoral malpractice were recorded in England and Wales. Subsequently six people were convicted of committing a number of electoral offences at the May 2007 local government elections in Slough and all received a custodial sentence. Charges that were brought against some of these six individuals also included the common law offence of conspiracy to defraud.

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At elections in 2008, 2009 and 2010 there was systematic monitoring by the Electoral Commission and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) of allegations of electoral malpractice reported to the police during the election period.

With regard to local government elections in England and Wales in 2008, the Electoral Commission and ACPO report “Allegations of electoral malpractice at the May 2008 elections in England and Wales” found that one case led to prosecution, which resulted in the conviction of one person on a charge of making a false application to vote by proxy and a fine of £1,015.

With regard to the European elections of 2009 and local government elections in England in 2009, the Electoral Commission and ACPO report “Analysis of allegations of electoral malpractice at the June 2009 elections” found that two people pleaded guilty to three charges of false registration and other non-electoral fraud charges in Bournemouth, and each received a sentence of one month's imprisonment for the registration offences. The report identifies that, in mid-December 2009, one person pleaded guilty to two charges of personation at the European parliamentary and local government elections in Cannock, and was sentenced to four months in prison. The Commission's report also provided updated information about the outcome of allegations of fraud at the May 2008 elections. The report found that a further two cases relating to the May 2008 elections had led to charges or prosecutions. The first additional case resulted in two people pleading guilty to personation at a polling station, and were both given the maximum community service order penalty of 300 hours. In the second additional case, charges were brought against one person for two false applications to vote by proxy in Calderdale. This person was subsequently found guilty and in August 2010 was given a suspended sentence of 12 months: six months for each offence of falsely applying to vote by proxy, with the suspension to last for 12 months.

With regard to the UK general election and local government elections in England in 2010, the Electoral Commission and ACPO report “Analysis of cases of alleged electoral malpractice in 2010” found that one case of alleged electoral malpractice in Manchester relating to the distribution of leaflets without an imprint and making false statements about a candidate resulted in a prosecution and conviction, leading to a fine of £200. Court proceedings had been initiated in one other case. The Commission's report also provided updated information about the outcome of allegations of electoral fraud at previous elections. The report found that at the 2008 elections, additionally, two people were charged with falsely applying to vote by proxy in Walsall. The first was acquitted following trial at the magistrates court. The second pleaded guilty to two charges of falsely registering for a proxy and was given a custodial sentence of six weeks on each charge to run consecutively.

Elections: Council of Europe

Priti Patel: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the UK was consulted in advance of the adoption by the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe of its code of good practice in electoral matters in July 2002; whether the code has an effect on UK domestic law; and if he will make a statement. [46850]

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Mr Lidington: I have been asked to reply.

The Venice Commission is an advisory body in the Council of Europe (COE) with no executive powers. The Venice Commission’s code of good practice in electoral matters was approved in 2003 by two other advisory and consultative bodies of the COE: the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities. The executive and principal decision taking body of the COE, the Committee of Ministers, adopted a declaration in 2004 calling on COE member states’ Governments to take account of the code when drafting electoral legislation. The UK is represented on all these bodies. The code is not legally binding.

International Development

Departmental Redundancy

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many civil servants in his Department have been offered voluntary redundancy since April 2010; and if he will make a statement. [49180]

Mr Duncan: 31 civil servants within the Department for International Development (DFID) have accepted offers of voluntary redundancy since April 2010. These early exits were in line with the terms of the Civil Service Compensation scheme applicable at the time of offer.

Developing Countries: Leprosy

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will allocate funding to reduce leprosy in the developing world. [49236]

Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) is providing £12.5 million to the World Health Organisation's core budget in the 2010-11 financial year, which includes an element for leprosy control. We also provide £14 million over the period 2008-13 to the WHO special programme on tropical disease research (TDR).

DFID also supports the strengthening of health services in several countries, including India, so as to provide services for all major causes of ill health, including leprosy.

Developing Countries: Water

Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding his Department provided to UNICEF’s sanitation and water relief for all campaign in the latest period for which figures are available. [49289]

Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) has provided £250,000 in 2010-11 to support the work of the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) secretariat to ensure SWA contributes to tangible progress in water and sanitation in the most off-track countries over the next year. This support contributed to six developing countries committing to increasing their domestic spending on the water and sanitation sector; Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mauritania and Senegal.

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Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has with his international counterparts to encourage donor countries to support UNICEF’s sanitation and water relief for all campaign. [49290]

Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) has taken a leadership role in encouraging other donors to participate in the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) initiative. This resulted in 13 donors attending the first high level meeting (HLM) in March last year. Austria, France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland and the African Development Bank have now become official partners in the initiative alongside the UK. DFID now holds the position of vice-chair.

The Secretary of State personally attended the water and sanitation event, organised by SWA, at the United Nations summit on the millennium development goals. At that event he confirmed DFID’s support for the initiative and emphasised how DFID would work with other donors to use the initiative to improve the impact, sustainability and value for money of aid spending in water and sanitation.

Export Credits Guarantee Department

Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) pursuant to the answer

29 Mar 2011 : Column 318W

of 10 March 2011,

Official Report

, columns 1254-5W, on Export Credits Guarantee Department, for which Export Credits Guarantee Department transactions his Department has provided case-by-case assessment in each of the last five years; [49149]

(2) pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2011, Official Report, columns 1254-5W, on the Export Credits Guarantee Department, what definition of poorest countries his Department uses to determine when to provide a case-by-case assessment of an Export Credits Guarantee Department transaction. [49150]

Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) assesses projects where the recipient country is able to borrow from the World Bank only on highly concessional terms because of their very low incomes or lack of creditworthiness, or where it is able to borrow from the International Monetary Fund on concessional terms. Further details of this commitment are available on the OECD website:

http://www.oecd.org/department/0,3355,en_2649_34179_1_1_1_1_1,00.html

Since the summer of 2006, 15 projects have been submitted to DFID for assessment by the Export Credit Guarantees Department (ECGD), including one project currently under review. These projects are set out in the following table.

ECGD Projects Assessed by DFID
Date a ssessed Importing country Project description Sector

March 2011 (under review)

Sri Lanka

The project is to design, supply, and install 196 bridges in rural locations in Sri Lanka

Public

March 2011

Kenya

The Supply of 700 Land Rover Discovery Vehicles for police use

Public

December 2010

Nigeria

Supply of a Compressed Natural Gas Delivery System to Green Fuels Ltd, Nigeria

Private

July 2009

Nigeria

Design and supply of water treatment and distribution systems for Cross RiverState Water Board, Nigeria

Public

December 2009

Nigeria

Sale of equipment to “Crushing Dragon” (Nigeria) to expand production from a granite quarry.

Private

September 2008

Nigeria

Delivery of three Airbus A340-500 aircraft to Arik Air Limited, to support fleet development by the airline and purchase of two Rolls Royce engines.

Private

July 2008

Nigeria

The supply of aluminium can manufacturing equipment by Carnaud Metalbox Engineering plc to GZ Industries Ltd, Nigeria.

Private

June 2008

Nigeria

Sale of a second-hand business jet from the UK to a Nigerian private sector operator, Easy Jet Nigeria. The aircraft will be used for charter flights between the UK and Nigeria.

Private

October 2007

Sri Lanka

A project for the survey, design, supply and implementation of 222 bridges, including emergency bridges and technical assistance

Public

August 2007

Nigeria

400 London Taxis to the Abuja Leasing Company

Private

August 2007

Sri Lanka

Coastal Zone Mapping

Public

April 2007

Ghana

Rehabilitation and development of Kotoka International Airport, Accra.

Public

November 2006

Ghana

Groundnut processing plant in Northern Ghana

Public

October 2006

Vietnam

Acquisition of ten Airbus A321 aircraft by Vietnam Airlines.

Public

June 2006

Kenya

Supply of two Rolls Royce aero engines for a new Boeing 777 to be supplied to Kenya Airways

Private

International Assistance

Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his policy is on the reform of the Millennium Development Goals in 2015. [49287]

Mr O'Brien: The Secretary of State has made it clear that the Department for International Development's attention is focused on accelerating progress towards the current Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) over the four remaining years. It is important that thinking on what should come next does not distract international effort away from this.

Formal processes to consider what happens after 2015, at the UN and in other forums, are yet to start. When they do, we will work to ensure that the best aspects of the current framework are carried forward, and that we adapt those aspects that have worked less well.

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Sub-Saharan Africa: Water

Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much (a) multilateral and (b) bilateral aid his Department plans to provide to increase access to running water and sanitation in sub-Saharan Africa in the next four financial years. [49279]

Mr O'Brien: Providing clean water and sanitation was identified as a priority in the recent Bilateral Aid Review. The Department for International Development (DFID) has allocated an indicative budget of £396 million in bilateral aid to be spent through our country programmes over the next four financial years to increase access to water and sanitation in nine off track countries in sub-Saharan Africa. DFID will also fund multilateral organisations, such as the World Bank and the African Development Bank, that will also provide assistance to increase access to water and sanitation in sub-Saharan Africa. Figures for this multilateral expenditure are not currently available.

Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will assess the progress made in sub-Saharan Africa in achieving the millennium development goal on water provision and sanitation. [49288]

Mr O'Brien: Sub-Saharan Africa is the only region that is off-track in meeting the Millennium Development

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Goal target for water. 330 million people, or 40% of the population, did not have safe drinking water in 2008. Only four sub-Saharan countries (South Africa, Rwanda, Angola and Botswana) are on track for meeting the sanitation target. The UK will support programmes in nine off-track countries of sub-Saharan Africa to provide people with access to clean water and improved sanitation, as well as support through multilateral organisations.

Health

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many admissions to hospital with an alcohol-related diagnosis via accident and emergency departments there were in (a) the East of England Strategic Health Authority area and (b) the Suffolk Primary Care Trust area in each year since 2008-09. [49139]

Anne Milton: An estimate of the number of alcohol-related(1) emergency admissions to hospital via accident and emergency(2) that are (i) wholly attributable to alcohol or those that are (ii) wholly or partially attributable to alcohol for East of England strategic health authority (SHA) (residence)(3) and Suffolk primary care trust (PCT) (residence)(3) from 2008-09 to 2009-10 is given in the following table.

Activity in English national health service hospitals and English NHS-commissioned activity in the independent sector
  2009-10 2008-09

Estimated admissions wholly attributable to alcohol Estimated admissions partially or wholly attributable to alcohol Estimated admissions wholly attributable to alcohol Estimated admissions partially or wholly attributable to alcohol

East of England SHA

14,116

165,191

12,433

147,679

Suffolk PCT

1,535

16,668

1,222

13,894

(1) Estimate of alcohol-related admissions : The number of alcohol-related admissions is based on the methodology developed by the North West Public Health Observatory (NWPHO), which uses 48 indicators for alcohol-related illnesses, determining the proportion of a wide range of diseases and injuries that can be partly attributed to alcohol as well as those that are, by definition, wholly attributable to alcohol. Further information on these proportions can be found at: www.nwph.net/nwpho/publications/AlcoholAttributableFractions.pdf The application of the NWPHO methodology was updated in summer 2010 and is now available directly from Hospital Episode Statistics (HES). Information about episodes estimated to be alcohol-related may be slightly different from previously published data. (2) Accident and emergency: Admission method codes 21 and 28 were used: 21: Emergency via Accident and Emergency (A&E), including the casualty department of the provider; 28: Emergency: Other means, including patients who arrive via the A&E department of another health care provider. (3) SHA/PCT of residence: The SHA or PCT containing the patient’s normal home address. This does not necessarily reflect where the patient was treated as they may have travelled to another SHA/PCT for treatment. Notes: 1. Assessing growth through time: HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in NHS practice. For example, apparent reductions in activity may be due to a number of procedures which may now be undertaken in out-patient settings and so no longer include in admitted patient HES data. 2. Data quality: HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and PCTs in England and from some independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), the NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

Dr Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate he has made of the number of deaths (a) directly attributable to alcohol consumption, (b) where alcohol consumption was an attributable factor and (c) where alcohol consumption was named on the death certificate as a contributory cause in each of the last three years; [49281]

(2) what estimate he has made of the proportion of deaths from (a) oesophageal cancer, (b) colorectal cancer, (c) breast cancer, (d) pancreatic cancer and (e) liver cancer that were attributed to alcohol consumption in the last year for which figures are available; [49282]

29 Mar 2011 : Column 321W

(3) what estimate he has made of the number of (a) suicides and (b) accidental deaths that were attributed to alcohol in the last year for which figures are available. [49283]

Mr Hurd: I have been asked to reply.

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.

Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated March 2001:

As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent questions.

Table 1 provides the number of deaths where an alcohol-related cause was (i) the underlying cause of death, or (ii) mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, either as the underlying cause or as a contributory factor, in England and Wales, for 2007 to 2009 (the latest year available). The National Statistics definition of alcohol-related deaths only includes those causes regarded as being most directly due to alcohol consumption, as shown in Box 1.

It is not possible to provide figures for the number or proportion of deaths from (a) oesophageal cancer, (b) colorectal cancer, (c) breast cancer, (d) pancreatic cancer or (e) liver cancer which were caused by alcohol, from the information collected at death registration.

Internationally accepted guidance from the World Health Organisation requires only those conditions that contributed directly to the death to be recorded on the death certificate. Medical practitioners and coroners are not supposed to record all of the diseases or conditions present at or before death, and whether a condition contributed is a matter for their clinical judgment. Lifestyle and behavioural factors, such as the deceased’s alcohol consumption, are not recorded.

Estimates of alcohol-attributable mortality for specific causes of death in England have been published in a collaborative report by the Centre for Public Health at Liverpool John Moores University and the North West Public Health Observatory, The report, titled ‘Alcohol-attributable fractions for England: Alcohol attributable mortality and hospital admissions’, is available at the following link:

http://www.nwph.net/nwpho/Publications/AlcoholAttributableFractions.pdf

Table 2 provides the number of deaths where alcohol poisoning was the underlying cause of death, where the intent was (a) intentional (suicide), (b) accidental, or (c) undetermined, in England and Wales, for 2009 (the latest year available). The figures do not include deaths caused by suicide, accidents or other circumstances where the deceased had consumed alcohol before the event, as this information is not routinely recorded in coroner inquest reports or at death registration.

Table 1: Number of deaths where an alcohol-related cause was the underlying cause of death, or was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, England and Wales , 2007- 09 (1, 2, 3, 4)
Deaths (persons)

Underlying cause Mentioned

2007

7,042

11,988

2008

7,344

12,417

2009

7,099

12,550

(1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). The specific conditions which are included in the National Statistics definition of alcohol-related deaths, and their corresponding ICD-10 codes, are shown in Box 1. (2) Deaths were included where an alcohol-related cause was the underlying cause of death, or was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, either as the underlying cause or as a contributory factor. (3) Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents. (4) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.
Table 2: Number of deaths where alcohol poisoning was the underlying cause of death, by intent, England and Wales, 2009 (1, 2, 3)
Intent Deaths (persons)

Intentional

2

Accidental

179

29 Mar 2011 : Column 322W

Undetermined

8

(1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes X65 (intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to alcohol), X45 (accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol), and Y15 (poisoning by and exposure to alcohol, undetermined). (2) Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.
Box 1: National Statistics definition of alcohol-related deaths
International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes

Definition

F10

Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol

G31.2

Degeneration of nervous system due to alcohol

G62.1

Alcoholic polyneuropathy

I42.6

Alcoholic cardiomyopathy

K29.2

Alcoholic gastritis

K70

Alcoholic liver disease

K73

Chronic hepatitis, not elsewhere classified

K74

Fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver

 

(Excluding K74.3-K74.5—Biliary cirrhosis)

K86.0

Alcohol induced chronic pancreatitis

X45

Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol

X65

Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to alcohol

Y15

Poisoning by and exposure to alcohol, undetermined intent

Aniridia: Children

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children of ethnic minority background have been diagnosed with the eye condition aniridia. [49224]

Mr Simon Burns: The Department does not collect data on all those diagnosed with aniridia.

Information produced by the Information Centre for Health and Social Care shows that for 2009-10 there were 35 finished consultant episodes involving children aged 0-14 where ‘absence of the iris’ was the primary diagnosis. The data are not sufficiently detailed to show the ethnic background of those children.

Note:

A finished consultant episode is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. It should be noted that the figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year.

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department issues to ophthalmologists on the diagnosis of aniridia in children from ethnic minority backgrounds. [49225]

Mr Simon Burns: No guidance has been issued by the Department on the diagnosis of aniridia.

Departmental Redundancy

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many civil servants in his Department have been offered voluntary redundancy since April 2010; and if he will make a statement. [49182]

Mr Simon Burns: In preparation for the proposed changes in the Civil Service Compensation scheme, the Department did not launch or offer any open early exit

29 Mar 2011 : Column 323W

schemes during 2010. There were 16 business as usual exits between April and October 2010, where clear evidence had been provided of limited postability or limited efficiency.

Since the launch of the new compensation arrangements in December, the Department launched a voluntary exit scheme in January 2011. This is still part way through its administration, with exits taking place between 31 May 2011 and 31 March 2012. These standard tariff terms have been offered to 263 members of staff but final numbers may change as staff decide whether to accept or decline the terms on offer.

Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of his Department’s staff have taken early retirement in each of the last five years; and at what cost to his Department in each such year. [49311]

Mr Simon Burns: The information presented in the following table provides the numbers and costs of those taking early retirement under the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme arrangements. The total costs include annual compensation payments paid to individuals until they reach normal retirement age.

Information about 2010-11 reflects the position to 24 March 2011.


Number of staff Total cost (£ million)

2006-07

27

5

2007-08

42

6.6

2008-09

15

2.6

2009-10

17

2.1

2010-11

10

1.5

Drugs: Developing Countries

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward proposals to enable sealed and unused surplus medicines which are returned by patients to be provided for use in developing countries rather than being destroyed. [49426]

Mr Simon Burns: The Government do not promote the reuse of returned medicines from patients in this country, as it is not possible to guarantee the quality of a returned medicine by physical inspection alone.

This is in line with the World Health Organisation’s Guidelines for Drug Donations, which recommends that no drugs should be donated that have been issued to patients and then returned to a pharmacy.

Food: Packaging

Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effects of toxins from food packaging on food. [49636]

Anne Milton: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has commissioned a wide range of research and surveillance into the possibility of chemicals, that might be toxic to human health; migrating from food packaging into food.

29 Mar 2011 : Column 324W

The results of the research and surveillance are evaluated to determine whether there are potential food safety issues, the FSA has taken immediate action to protect the public where a potential food safety issue has been identified.

Further information is available on the FSA website at:

www.food.gov.uk

Fruit: Schools

Ben Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for future funding for the provision of free fruit in primary schools. [49376]

Anne Milton: The School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme will remain unchanged until 31 March 2012, when its position will be reviewed in light of new public health priorities and developing work on the ring-fenced budget for Public Health England, which will operate from 2012-13.

General Practitioners

Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the British Medical Association on his Department’s proposals for GP consortia. [49138]

Mr Simon Burns: Since July 2010, the Secretary of State for Health has met with representatives of the British Medical Association on five occasions.

Mr Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has considered the merits of amending the list of services to GP practices funded by the NHS to cover the provision of letters written to refer patients to private practices. [49141]

Mr Simon Burns: Under the terms of their contract with the national health service, general practitioners (GPs) are required to refer patients for other services as appropriate. GPs are also prevented from charging their patients a fee for NHS or private treatment under the contract except in certain prescribed circumstances.

However, GPs also provide a variety of other services which successive Governments have regarded as private matters between the patient and the doctor providing the service. The doctor is free to make a charge for these non-NHS services if he or she wishes.

We feel that it is important that services provided by GPs, which are funded by the NHS, are delivered to, and for the benefit of, the majority of patients. Therefore there are no plans include the provision of letters for referral to private practices in the list of items which are provided free of charge.

Mr Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has considered the merits of reviewing the professional fees charged by GP practices for letters written to refer patients to private practices. [49142]

Mr Simon Burns: The provision of services by general practitioners (GPs) outside those contracted for under GP contractual arrangements is not a matter for the Department or for Government. As independent

29 Mar 2011 : Column 325W

contractors this is something for the individual practice to determine. The Professional Fees Committee of the British Medical Association (BMA) suggests fees for such services to help doctors set their own professional fees. However, these fees are guidelines only, not recommendations, and a doctor is not obliged to charge the rates suggested. Where doctors intend to charge for services to patients, the BMA advises them to forewarn patients, at the earliest opportunity, of the likely level of fees.

Gynaecology: Medical Treatments

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment has been made of the (a) economic effects and (b) effects on patients of uterine fibroid embolisation as an alternative to hysterectomy; [49228]

(2) what plans he has to improve GP training on uterine fibroid embolisation to enable women with fibroids to choose such therapy as an alternative to hysterectomy; [49229]

(3) what information he plans to make available to patients with fibroids to enable them to make an informed decision about their treatment and care based on the different options available; [49230]

(4) whether he plans to encourage GPs to offer uterine fibroid embolisation to women with fibroids as an alternative to hysterectomy in line with the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence's clinical guideline 44 on heavy menstrual bleeding. [49231]

Anne Milton: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence published guidelines in November 2010. It is for the national health services to take account of the National Institute for Health and Clinical

29 Mar 2011 : Column 326W

Excellence guideline on uterine fibroid embolisation. We have no plans for further action.

The content of curriculum and quality and standard of training for medical professions is the responsibility of the appropriate professional regulatory body. The content and standard of medical training is the responsibility of the General Medical Council (GMC), which is the competent authority for medical training in the Unite Kingdom. GMC is an independent professional body.

The NHS Choices website:

www.nhs.uk

includes detailed information for patients on fibroids, treatment options and where treatment is available. Information for patients with fibroids can be found at:

www.nhs.uk/conditions/fibroids/Pages/Introduction.aspx

However, while it is not practicable or desirable for the Government to prescribe the exact training that any individual doctor will receive we are, of course, aware of the need to ensure perceived areas of weakness in training curricula are addressed. For that reason, we are liaising with the Regulators and the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges about how best to ensure curricula do meet requirements.

Hip Replacements: Waiting Lists

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was for a hip replacement operation in (a) Bolton, (b) Greater Manchester and (c) England in each of the last 10 years. [49605]

Mr Simon Burns: The median time waited, in days, for hip replacement procedures, is shown in the following table.

Median time waited (in days) for hip replacement procedures in Bolton Primary Care Trust (PCT) of residence , Greater Manchester PCTs of residence (1) and England from 2000-01 to 2009-10 (2)

2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10

Bolton PCT

                   

Median

254

348

341

262

218

168

159

72

63

64

                     

Greater Manchester

                   

Median

233

251

241

217

178

140

126

90

79

83

                     

England

                   

Median

212

220

229

217

182

158

148

107

75

77

(1) The data include activity in the following PCTs: Salford PCT, Stockport PCT, Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT, Bolton PCT, Oldham PCT, Bury PCT, Tameside and Glossop PCT, Manchester PCT, Trafford PCT and Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT. (2) Data from 2006-07 onwards are not directly comparable with previous years due to changes in PCT boundaries. Notes: 1. The data include activity in English NHS hospitals and English national health service commissioned activity in the independent sector. Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) provides counts and time waited for all patients between decisions to admit and admission to hospital within a given period. 2. Hip replacement is defined as a main procedure with OPCS4 code W37 to W39, W46 to W48 or W93 to W95. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care

Hyperactivity: Drugs

Stephen Mosley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will amend the guidance on the use of methylphenidate for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in order to reduce levels of prescribing of methylphenidate. [49457]

Mr Simon Burns: The Department has not issued any guidance to the national health service on the use of methylphenidate (Ritalin).

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published technology appraisal guidance in March 2006 which recommended methylphenidate within its licensed indication as an option for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). NICE

29 Mar 2011 : Column 327W

also published a clinical guideline in September 2008 on the diagnosis and management of ADHD in children, young people and adults which also recommends methylphenidate as a treatment option subject to certain criteria.

We understand that NICE plans to consider the need to review the clinical guideline in October 2011. Further information is available at:

http://guidance.nice.org.uk/CG72

Local Government Finance

Mr Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much each local authority received from each (a) revenue and (b) capital funding stream from his Department in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; how much funding his Department allocated from each such stream in each year; and what the change was in the level of funding in each such stream between those years in (A) cash and (B) real terms. [49250]

Paul Burstow: Revenue and capital grant allocations from the Department to local authorities for 2010-11 were contained within Local Authority Social Services Letter LASSL(DH)(2008)4. The Department also made a contribution to the Single Capital Pot for 2010-11, details of which are contained within Local Authority Social Services Letter LASSL(DH)(2008)3. A copy of each of these letters has been placed in the Library.

At the time of the spending review, the Department announced that revenue grant funding had been maintained in real terms for 2011-12. We have also allocated an additional £1 billion by 2014-15, through local government, to support social care. In order to support local flexibility and to reduce administrative burdens, these funding streams will go to authorities through the general local government formula grant. It is therefore not possible to provide a local authority level breakdown.

The value of the social care revenue grant funding which is rolling into formula grant is as follows:

£ million

2010-11 2011-12

AIDS support

25.50

27.70

Preserved rights

235.40

228.84

Ongoing Personal Social Services(1)

752.34

767.02

Recycled Personal Social Services(2)

303.00

318.15

New Personal Social Services Funding

(3)

530.00

Total

1,316.24

1,871.71

(1) Previously formed from: Mental Health Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Learning Disability Development Fund Mental Capacity Act and Independent Mental Capacity Advocate Service Carers Adult Social Care Workforce LINKs (2) Previously formed from: Social Care Reform Learning Disability Campus Closure Programme Stroke Strategy (3) New

From 2011-12, the Department will be also allocating the Learning Disabilities and Health Reform grant to local authorities. This is a new grant, reflecting the transfer of commissioning responsibility for specialist

29 Mar 2011 : Column 328W

services for people with learning disabilities from primary care trusts to local authorities. This grant will be worth £1,325.58 million in 2011-12.

At the time of the spending review, the Department announced that capital grant funding for social care had been maintained in real terms for 2011-12, and would be allocated as a single funding stream. The capital grant will be worth £124 million in 2011-12.

Details of the allocations for the Learning Disabilities and Health Reform grant, and the social care capital grant, are contained within Local Authority Social Services Letter LASSL(DH)(2010)2. A copy of this letter has been placed in the Library.

Finally, the Department has made available £162 million for 2010-11 and £648 million for 2011-12 within 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:

www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Lettersandcirculars/Dearcolleagueletters/DH_123460

A copy of this letter has been placed in the Library.

Lorazepam

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of the Gold File for Ativan tablets (refs: PL00011/0034R and PL00011/0036R). [49086]

Mr Simon Burns: The term “Gold File” refers to old paper files with a yellow cover which were held for each medicine on the United Kingdom market by the Medicines Control Agency (succeeded in 2003 by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)). These files are no longer used and cannot be considered a comprehensive record of the regulatory history of these products. They contain correspondence about the particular product licences and documents associated with routine regulatory procedures.

The marketing authorisation holder, not the MHRA, has a legal responsibility to retain all documents related to the product licence. Under MHRA record management policy, all files and data for licences are held for 15 years.

Exceptionally, there are some older documents in archives which have not yet been destroyed. This includes the file of interest related to Ativan which covers the period from July 1981 to June 1993. To redact this large file to make it public would incur disproportionate cost.

Medical Records

Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward proposals to allow NHS patients greater access to their health records. [49137]

Mr Simon Burns: The ambition to give people greater access and control of their healthcare records was central to our consultation “Liberating the NHS: An Information Revolution”.

The responses (742) to the broader Information Revolution consultation have now been analysed and in spring we will set out the Government’s response to the consultation, prior to publishing the Information Strategy for health and adult social care in England.

29 Mar 2011 : Column 329W

Mental Health Services: Nurses

Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) where the 30 additional mental health nurses in mental health trusts announced in the Strategic Defence and Security Review are to be deployed; and what the rationale is for the locations chosen for deployment; [48985]

(2) whether the 30 additional mental health nurses in mental health trusts announced in the Strategic Defence and Security Review are to be recruited from outside the NHS; [48986]

(3) whether the 30 additional mental health nurses in mental health trusts announced in the Strategic Defence and Security Review are to receive specialist training; [48987]

(4) at what grade the 30 additional mental health nurses in mental health trusts announced in the Strategic Defence and Security Review are to be paid; [48988]

(5) to what standard the 30 additional mental health nurses in mental health trusts announced in the Strategic Defence and Security Review are to be trained. [48989]

Mr Simon Burns: The Government have made additional funds available from 2011-12 to allow the recruitment of 30 whole-time equivalent additional staff to better meet the mental health needs of veterans. There is now an armed forces network in each English region and these networks, working with the Department, will determine in detail how these additional staff are to be deployed.

NHS: Drugs

Mr Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what discussions he had with (a) patient, (b) clinical and (c) industry representatives during the consultation period on his Department's proposals for introducing value-based pricing; [49274]

(2) what plans he has to consult with (a) patient, (b) clinical and (c) industry representatives on the development of his Department's proposals for value-based-pricing following the close of the public consultation; [49275]

(3) what recent discussions he has had with the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence on its role in assessing new medicines under his value-based pricing proposals. [49418]

Mr Simon Burns: Our public consultation “A new value-based approach to the pricing of branded medicines” set out our proposals for reforming the pricing system for new medicines. During the consultation period, we engaged with a range of partner organisations including patient, clinical and industry representatives and other interested parties including the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to highlight the consultation process.

The consultation closed on 17 March 2011 and we are currently considering the responses, which will inform our work to plan future engagement processes. We intend to continue to work with patient, clinical and industry representatives and others who have an interest as our work to develop value-based pricing progresses.

29 Mar 2011 : Column 330W

NHS: Per Capita Costs

Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the level of spending on NHS services per head of population in the (a) Bexley primary care trust area, (b) NHS Greenwich area and (c) NHS West Kent area was in the last three years for which figures are available. [49079]

Mr Simon Burns: The amount spent per head of population in 2007-08 to 2009-10 by Bexley primary care trust (PCT), Greenwich Teaching PCT and West Kent PCT are shown in the following table.

£
Organisation 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10

Bexley PCT

1,321

1,362

1,518

Greenwich Teaching PCT

1,557

1,712

1,902

West Kent PCT

1,256

1,362

1,476

The net operating cost figures used to calculate the spend per head are taken from the audited summarisation schedules of the PCTs for 2007-08 to 2009-10.

NHS: Theft

Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will estimate the monetary value of medication which has gone missing or been stolen from NHS hospitals in each of the last three years; [49449]

(2) if he will estimate the monetary value of (a) computer and (b) other equipment which has gone missing or been stolen from NHS hospitals in each of the last three years. [49450]

Mr Simon Burns: The information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS received from prescription charges in each of the last five years. [49147]

Mr Simon Burns: The following table provides the revenue raised from prescription charges collected by pharmacists, appliance contractors and from prescription pre-payment certificate fees for each of the last five years in England. The figures exclude prescription charges collected by dispensing doctors and in hospitals, as this is not collected centrally.


£ million

2005-06

427

2006-07

412

2007-08

432

2008-09

440

2009-10

432

Sources: Department of Health Resource Accounts 2009-10 and Accounts of the NHS Business Services Authority: 2009-10 Pharmaceutical Accounts (outturn figures)

29 Mar 2011 : Column 331W

Professor Malcolm Lader

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on which regulatory authorities sponsored by his Department Professor Malcolm Lader (a) has served in the last 30 years and (b) is serving; and on what date each such appointment (i) commenced and (ii) ended. [49226]

Mr Simon Burns: The information requested would be available only at disproportionate cost.

Professor Lader is currently Professor of Clinical Psychopharmacology at the Institute of Psychiatry, university of London and in the past has been a member of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs and the Committee on the Review of Medicines. Neither body is classed by the Department as a regulatory authority.

Radiotherapy

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) with reference to section 6.12 of his Department’s publication, Improving outcomes: a strategy for cancer, January 2011, how much additional funding his Department expects to make available to maintain radiotherapy services in the next four years; and whether some of this additional funding can be used to install the South West Cyberknife in Plymouth Derriford Hospital; [49562]

(2) with reference to section 6.13 of his Department’s publication, Improving outcomes: a strategy for cancer, January 2011, what steps he is taking to ensure that NHS patients have access to the most recent radiotherapy techniques comparable to those used in other European countries, including Cyberknife. [49563]

Paul Burstow: “Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer” sets out our commitment to expand radiotherapy capacity by investing around £150 million in additional funding over the next four years. This will increase the utilisation of existing equipment, establish services where patients currently have long distances to travel for treatment and ensure that all high priority patients with a need for proton beam therapy treatment get access to it abroad.

Decisions to purchase high value equipment are made locally, and cases for procurement should take account

29 Mar 2011 : Column 332W

of the available clinical evidence, potential demand and the costs of the different machines available that are capable of meeting the operational need. Cyberknife is a machine that delivers stereotactic body radiotherapy, and there are other machines on the market with similar capabilities.

We recognise that ensuring patients have access to high quality modern radiotherapy techniques can deliver improved patient outcomes. We are investigating the potential development of a range of tariffs to incentivise high quality, cost-effective services, including the newest radiotherapy techniques.

Smoking

Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the number of (a) males and (b) females aged (i) nine to 12, (ii) 13 to 15 and (iii) 16 to 17 who regularly smoke (A) one to nine, (B) 10 to 19 and (C) 20 or more cigarettes per day; and what the equivalent figures were in (1) 1990, (2) 1995, (3) 1997 and (4) each year between 2001 and 2008. [48870]

Anne Milton: Information is not available in the format requested. We hold information for adults (aged 16 and over) and children (aged 11 to 15) but we do not hold information for children under 11.

Table 3.3a of ‘Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England in 2009’ shows the percentage of pupils who were regular smokers aged 11 to 15 by gender for the period 1982 to 2000. Table 3.3b shows the same information for the period 2001-09. Table 3.6 shows mean and median number of cigarettes smoked in the last week, by sex and smoking status from 2003-09. The survey has already been placed in the Library. It is available at:

www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/sdd09fullreport

Table 7 of the ‘Health Survey for England—2009 trend tables’, as follows, shows self-reported smoking status by survey year. Information is provided for adults (men and women) aged 16 and over in England for the years 1993 to 2009. This information for those aged 16 to 17 (part iii) is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. This information is available at:

www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/hse09trends

Self-reported cigarette smoking status, by survey year and sex: Adults aged 16 and over —1993 to 2009
Percentage
  Survey year
Cigarette smoking status 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

Men

               

Never regularly smoked cigarettes(2)

39

39

40

40

40

40

42

42

Used to smoke cigarettes regularly

33

32

31

30

31

31

30

30

Current smoker

28

28

29

30

29

28

27

28

Cigarette smokers

               

Under 10 cigarettes a day

7

7

7

7

7

7

8

7

10 to under 20 cigarettes a day

10

11

10

11

11

11

10

10

20 or more cigarettes a day

11

11

12

11

11

10

10

10

Number smoked a day not known

0

0

0

0

0

0

Median per current smoker per day

15

15

15

15

15

15

15

15

29 Mar 2011 : Column 333W

29 Mar 2011 : Column 334W

Bases:

               

All men

7,678

7,159

7,321

7,479

3,891

7,163

3,543

3,639

                 

Women

               

Never regularly smoked cigarettes(2)

52

51

52

52

52

52

52

56

Used to smoke cigarettes regularly

22

22

21

21

21

21

21

19

Current smoker

26

27

27

27

27

27

26

25

Cigarette smokers

               

Under 10 cigarettes a day

8

8

8

8

8

8

8

8

10 to under 20 cigarettes a day

11

11

12

11

11

11

12

10

20 or more cigarettes a day

8

7

7

8

8

8

7

7

Number smoked a day not known

0

0

0

0

0

Median per current smoker per day

13

12

13

13

13

13

12

12

Bases:

               

All women

8,873

8,609

8,706

8,939

4,676

8,694

4,224

4,315

                 

All adults

               

Never regularly smoked cigarettes(2)

46

46

47

46

47

47

48

50

Used to smoke cigarettes regularly

27

27

26

25

26

26

25

24

Current smoker

27

27

28

29

28

28

27

26

Cigarette smokers

               

Under 10 cigarettes a day

7

8

7

8

8

7

8

7

10 to under 20 cigarettes a day

10

11

11

11

11

11

11

10

20 or more cigarettes a day

9

9

9

9

9

9

8

8

Number smoked a day not known

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Median per current smoker per day

15

15

15

15

15

14

13

13

Bases:

               

All adults

16,551

15,768

16,027

16,418

8,567

15,857

7,767

7,954

Percentage
  Survey year
Cigarette smoking status 2001 2002 2003 (1) 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Men

                 

Never regularly smoked cigarettes(2)

43

44

45

47

45

49

48

49

49

Used to smoke cigarettes regularly

31

29

28

29

28

27

28

27

27

Current smoker

26

27

27

24

27

24

24

24

24

Cigarette smokers

                 

Under 10 cigarettes a day

7

7

7

7

8

8

7

7

8

10 to under 20 cigarettes a day

9

10

10

9

11

9

9

10

10

20 or more cigarettes a day

9

10

9

7

8

7

7

7

6

Number smoked a day not known

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Median per current smoker per day

15

15

14

13

13

13

13

13

11

Bases:

                 

All men

6,919

3,303

7,148

3,225

3,659

6,791

3,339

7,256

2,314

                   

Women

                 

Never regularly smoked cigarettes(2)

53

54

56

56

56

57

58

58

58

Used to smoke cigarettes regularly

22

20

20

22

20

22

21

22

22

Current smoker

25

26

24

23

24

21

21

20

20

Cigarette smokers

                 

Under 10 cigarettes a day

8

8

7

7

8

8

7

7

7

10 to under 20 cigarettes a day

10

11

10

10

9

9

9

9

9

29 Mar 2011 : Column 335W

29 Mar 2011 : Column 336W

20 or more cigarettes a day

7

6

7

6

6

5

4

4

5

Number smoked a day not known

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Median per current smoker per day

12

11

13

12

11

11

11

11

11

Bases:

                 

All women

8,642

4,056

7,599

3,416

3,899

7,258

3,513

7,626

2,425

                   

All adults

                 

Never regularly smoked cigarettes(2)

48

50

51

51

51

53

53

54

53

Used to smoke cigarettes regularly

26

24

24

25

24

24

25

25

24

Current smoker

25

26

25

23

25

23

22

22

22

Cigarette smokers

                 

Under 10 cigarettes a day

8

8

7

7

8

8

7

7

7

10 to under 20 cigarettes a day

10

11

10

10

10

9

9

9

9

20 or more cigarettes a day

8

8

8

7

7

6

6

5

6

Number smoked a day not known

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Median per current smoker per day

13

13

13

13

12

12

12

11

11

Bases:

                 

All adults

15,561

7,359

14,747

6,641

7,557

14,049

6,853

14,882

4,739

(1) Data up to 2002 are unweighted; from 2003 onwards data have been weighted for non-response. (2) In the 1996 Health Survey Report, the ‘Never regularly smoked cigarettes’ category was split into ‘Never smoked cigarettes’ and ‘Used to smoke cigarettes occasionally’. The data presented in the 1996 HSE report were calculated incorrectly, and therefore the categories are shown recombined in this table. Source: The Health and Social Care Information Centre, Lifestyle Statistics