Coroners: Appeals
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the average cost of appealing against a coroner's decision through judicial review in each of the last five years. [62150]
Mr Djanogly: No analysis of the cost of judicial review applications against coroners’ decisions has been made by this Department. This is because the Ministry of Justice would not be a party to judicial review proceedings which name the coroner as the defendant.
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Costs incurred during judicial review proceedings against a coroner will be usually met by the coroner’s local authority and the applicant bringing the proceedings.
Coroners: Dismissal
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on what grounds an individual holding the post of HM Coroner can be removed from that office. [61814]
Mr Djanogly: The Constitutional Reform Act 2005 gives the Lord Chancellor and the Lord Chief Justice joint responsibility for the system for considering and determining complaints about the personal conduct of all judicial office holders in England and Wales including Coroners. The Office for Judicial Complaints supports the Lord Chancellor and the Lord Chief Justice in this role.
The only ground for the removal of a Coroner is personal misconduct or behaviour. It is not possible to provide a definitive list of offences that would result in removal from office as each case is considered on its own merits. The Lord Chancellor may only exercise his power to remove a Coroner from office with the agreement of the Lord Chief Justice.
Coroners: North-East
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was paid to HM Coroner for the Cleveland area in remuneration in the last 12 months. [61815]
Mr Djanogly: Coroners are independent judicial office holders who are appointed and paid for by the relevant local authority. The remuneration of the Teesside coroner is a matter for the coroner and his local authority.
Court Cases
Elizabeth Truss: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average number of defendants per case was in England and Wales in the last year for which figures are available. [62239]
Mr Blunt: In 2010, the average number of defendants involved in committed and sent for trial cases completed the Crown court was 1.2 defendants. During the same period, on average, there was 1.01 defendants involved in cases committed for sentence and 1.0 defendant involved in cases appealing against decisions made in the magistrates courts.
Information on the average number of defendants in criminal cases in completed at the magistrates courts can be provided only at disproportionate cost. Since 2009, information on cases is collected on central systems, but cannot be readily extracted and collated at the present time due to the way the data are held.
Crime and Security Act 2010: Prosecutions
Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were prosecuted for a qualifying offence under section 7 of the Crime and Security Act 2010 between (a) 2006-07 and (b) 2009-10. [62200]
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Mr Blunt: The available information required to answer this question is currently being collated. I will write to the right hon. Member as soon as it is available. A copy will be placed in the House Library.
Crown Courts
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many unrepresented defendants in the Crown court there were between June 2009 and June 2010; and how many there have been since the roll-out of means testing for representation in the Crown court in June 2010. [61666]
Mr Djanogly: Between June 2009 and December 2009, there were 972 unrepresented defendants in the Crown court.
Statistics for 2010 are not available but these will be published by the Ministry of Justice in the statistical bulletin “Judicial and court statistics” on 30 June 2011, which will be available on the Ministry’s website at:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-and-data/courts-and-sentencing/judicial-annual.htm
Drugs: Custodial Sentences
Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people received a custodial sentence for drug offences in (a) Kent and (b) Dartford constituency in each of the last five years. [61938]
Mr Blunt: Defendants sentenced to immediate custody for drug offences in Kent police force area, 2006-10 can be viewed in the table.
It is not possible to identify from data collated centrally by the Ministry of Justice the number of defendants sentenced for drug offences in Dartford constituency; as court proceedings data are not collated at parliamentary constituency level.
| Number of persons sentenced to an immediate custody for drug offences in Kent police force area, 2006-10 (1, 2) | |||||
| Drug offences | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| (1 )The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice. | |||||
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Employment and Support Allowance: Appeals
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 18 March 2011, Official Report, columns 686-87W, on appeals: employment and support allowance, for what reasons it is not possible to identify the number of live employment support appeals in (a) Wrexham and (b) Wales. [62469]
Mr Djanogly: To ensure the consistency and integrity of data, Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service only provides data based upon published statistics which, in the case of social security and child support (SSCS) appeals, are now published on a regular monthly basis. It is only possible to obtain specific local data on the number of live cases in the system which is consistent with the official statistics when the data run for those statistics is generated. I will therefore arrange for the UK, Wales and Wrexham information as at the end of June to be supplied to the hon. Member when that month’s SSCS data are published.
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many appeals against decisions on applications for (a) disability living allowance and (b) employment and support allowance there have been in each of the last three years. [62470]
Mr Djanogly: The following table shows the number of appeals received at Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) against decisions on applications for disability living allowance and employment and support allowance in each of the last three years.
| Appeals received | ||
|
|
Disability living allowance | Employment and support allowance |
| (1) Employment and support allowance (ESA) was introduced in October 2008 and replaced incapacity benefit (IB). The first appeals against ESA decisions were not received until January 2009 and this is reflected in the figure above. | ||
In response, HMCTS has significantly increased its capacity and published management information shows that 38% more social security and child support appeals were cleared nationally in April 2011 compared to April 2010 (65% more when compared with April 2009). Further capacity increases are in hand.
Harassment: Custodial Sentence
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many persons convicted of an offence under the terms of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 in each of the last three years were placed on a perpetrator's programme as part of a community or custodial sentence. [61915]
Mr Blunt: The information would require a manual search of court records at a disproportionate cost, as MOJ do not centrally hold data on persons placed on a perpetrator’s programme.
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Immigration: Greater Manchester
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many immigration matter starts are allocated in the Greater Manchester access area. [61642]
Mr Djanogly: The Legal Services Commission (LSC) is responsible for administering the legal aid scheme in England and Wales. Following a tender process between 30 November 2009 and 28 January 2010, the LSC awarded contracts to nine organisations to deliver a total of 2,410 matter starts in asylum services and 2,386 matter starts in immigration services across the Greater Manchester access point.
Legal Aid: Domestic Violence
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what definition of domestic violence his Department uses for the purposes of its White Paper on legal aid reform. [62196]
Mr Djanogly: The Legal Services Commission does not currently use any particular definition of domestic violence. Funding is not limited just to persons who have suffered actual physical violence. Similarly, we did not include a specific definition of domestic violence in the consultation paper “Proposals for the Reform of Legal Aid in England and Wales” nor in the Government’s response to the consultation. Legal aid will remain available for applications for civil remedies for domestic violence under the Family Law Act 1996, and for injunctions to restrain abusive behaviour, as at present. For private family law cases, such as disputes about children or finance following the breakdown of a relationship, legal aid will be available for victims of domestic violence where there is objective evidence of the need for protection. The circumstances that will be accepted as evidence of the need for protection are not restricted to physical violence.
National Offender Management Service: Procurement
Elizabeth Truss: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much funding each division of the National Offender Management Service spent on commissioning and contracting activities in the latest period for which figures are available. [62237]
Mr Blunt: The National Offender Management Service central accounting system does not routinely record data in this format. To obtain information requested on costs on commissioning and contracting activities would therefore incur disproportionate cost.[62471]
Prison Sentences
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people received immediate custodial sentences for breach of trust offences of theft, false accounting and fraud in each of the last five years.
Mr Blunt: The number of persons sentenced to an immediate custody at all courts for offences relating to theft, false accounting and fraud offences in England and Wales from 2006 to 2010, can be viewed in the following table.
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| Persons sentenced to an immediate custody at all courts for offences of theft, false accounting and fraud, England and Wales, 2006-10 (1,2) | |||||
| Offence | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 (3) | 2009 (4) | 2010 |
| (1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3)Excludes convictions data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. (4 )Revisions have been made to 2009 figures to account for the late receipt of a small number of court records. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice | |||||
Prisoners: Disciplinary Proceedings
Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners have lost remission for disciplinary offences in the last 12 months; and how many such prisoners lost remission of (a) up to one month, (b) one to three months, (c) three to six months or (d) more than six months. [61397]
Mr Blunt: The latest available Offender Management Caseload Statistics, which may be accessed on the Ministry of Justice website at:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-and-data/prisons-and-probation/omcs-annual.htm
show that in 2009 the disciplinary punishment of additional days was imposed on 11,550 occasions. The statistics do not show how many prisoners this figure relates to, since a punishment may be imposed on the same prisoner more than once, whenever he or she is found guilty of a disciplinary offence. The maximum number of additional days that may be imposed for an offence is 42, but prisoners may accumulate additional days for a number of proven offences during their sentence. Statistics on the total number of days that have been imposed on prisoners are not available centrally, and could be obtained only by examining the records of every prisoner who has undergone an adjudication over the last year.
Prisoners: Mental Health
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department and its predecessor have spent on measures to improve the mental health of prisoners in each year since 1995. [60001]
Paul Burstow: I have been asked to reply.
We do not have any information for the period prior to 2003 when the Home Office was responsible for the funding of all health care for prisoners.
National health service primary care trusts have been responsible for commissioning offender health services including mental health since 2006. Primary care trusts
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base their decisions about funding on joint strategic needs assessments. The Department does not collect the total amount spent on mental health services for offenders.
In addition to money spent by NHS primary care trusts the Government have also funded some initiatives centrally including the dangerous and severe personality disorder programme where funding from the NHS and National Offender Management Service currently stands at £69 million. The Government will shortly be responding to the consultation on the offender personality disorder pathway implementation plan.
From 2006 to 2009 over £600,000 was invested to provide prison officers with training and the skills to better understand and support prisoners with mental health problems.
The Government's spending review committed us to taking forward proposals to invest in mental health diversion services at police stations and courts to intervene at an early stage, diverting offenders with mental health problems away from the justice system and into treatment where appropriate. These services will be rolled out nationally over the spending review period, subject to business case approval.
At a joint Health and Criminal justice Programme/Revolving Doors Agency conference in March, I announced a programme of diversion pathfinder sites, supported with a £5 million investment in the coming year:
£3 million investment in 40 adult diversion sites in 2011-12; working with 20 of these diversion pathfinders to help build the business case for diversion; and
£2 million towards up to 60 youth sites for diversion and extending pilots to other areas of the country.
Prisons: Gyms
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent on gymnasium and sporting equipment in each prison establishment in each of the last five years. [62546]
Mr Blunt: The National Offender Management Service's central accounting system does not hold separate expenditure details on gymnasium or/and sporting equipment. In order to obtain the costs, local records would need to be examined at each establishment. The costs would then need to be extracted, disaggregated and then centrally collated and reviewed. To establish these costs would therefore incur a disproportionate cost.
Representation Orders
Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many applications for Representation Orders at the Crown Court have been outstanding after 28 days in 2011 to date. [61395]
Mr Djanogly: Since the implementation of Crown court means testing (completed at the end of June 2010), all applications for legal aid in Crown court cases are processed by the relevant magistrates court except for the following very limited cases;
Proceedings in the Crown court which are referred to in section 12(2)(f) Access to Justice Act 1999 (contempt proceedings) or
An alleged breach of an order of the Crown court, where it appears to the court there is no time to instruct a litigator.
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Where an individual is brought before the court in pursuance of a warrant (Bench Warrant) issued under section 81 of the Senior Courts Act 1981
HMCTS does not centrally collate specific data on the time taken to process applications for representation orders where the case is already in Crown court or on the number of applications for representation which have taken more than 28 days.
Squatting
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to launch a consultation on proposals for reform of the law on squatting. [62423]
Mr Blunt: We are aiming to publish the consultation paper before the summer recess.
Trespass: Railways
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) arrests, (b) charges and (c) convictions for offences related to (i) trespass and (ii) vandalism on the railway system there have been in each of the last 10 years. [62101]
Mr Blunt: It is not possible to identify from data collated centrally by the Ministry of Justice the number of defendants convicted for offences in relation to trespassing and vandalism on the railway system.
The information on arrests and charging are the responsibility of the Home Office and Crown Prosecution Service.
Vandalism: Sentencing
Mr Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions he has had with the Magistrates' Association on sentencing policy for vandalism, trespass or graffiti-related offences on railway lines. [62043]
Mr Blunt: Ministers have had no discussions with the Magistrates' Association about sentencing for offences on railway lines. There is a wide range of offences which may be applicable to criminal behaviour on railway lines, from minor vandalism to very serious offences such as obstructing lines with intent to endanger passengers. Sentencing is entirely a matter for the courts, taking account of all the circumstances of each case and any relevant sentencing guidelines. There are, for example, magistrates sentencing guidelines on criminal damage, which the courts must follow.
Young Offender Institutions
Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which wings within HM Young Offender Institution (a) Rochester and (b) Portland are to be re-rolled to provide accommodation for prisoners aged over 21 years; and how many places this will create for adult prisoners in each establishment. [61925]
Mr Blunt:
Young adults sentenced to detention in a young offender institution (DYOI) are detained in young offender institutions (YOIs) as required by section 98 of the Powers of the Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000. These are normally self-contained but in some
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establishments that have a dual designation (designed both as a prison and a YOI) young adults are held alongside adults with which they share the majority of their facilities. Whatever the location, young adults detained in YOIs have separate sleeping accommodation.
At HMP/YOI Portland, Nelson wing has been assigned to hold adult prisoners and will provide around 70 adult places.
At HMP/YOI Rochester, F, G, H and R wings have been assigned to hold adult prisoners and will provide around 300 adult places.
Health
Bed Bugs: Wales
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions his Department has had with the Welsh Government on a potential outbreak of cimex lectularius. [61481]
Anne Milton: The Department has not had any discussions with the Welsh Government on this issue.
Blood Transfusion Services: Wales
Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions the NHS blood transfusion service has had with the Welsh Blood Service on the assumption of responsibility by the Welsh Blood Service for collection of blood in the area of Mid and North Wales currently covered by the NHS Blood and Transfusion Service based in Liverpool. [61612]
Anne Milton: The responsibility for blood donation and transfusion in Wales is a matter for the Welsh Government. I understand that no discussions have taken place between NHS Blood and Transplant and the Welsh Blood Service about collecting blood in Mid and North Wales. On 15 June 2011, the Minister for Health and Social Services for Wales said that local health boards, through their collective work on the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee, are continuing their review of the costs and benefits of securing a blood transfusion service for the whole of Wales from Velindre NHS Trust. The outcome of the review is expected in the autumn.
Cancer: Drugs
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much each primary care trust has received from the Cancer Drugs Fund; [62139]
(2) how much was spent from the Cancer Drugs Fund in each region in the latest period for which figures are available. [62140]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department does not collect this information at primary care trust level. We have made £200 million available to strategic health authorities (SHAs) for the Cancer Drugs Fund in 2011-12.
SHA shares have been calculated using the national weighted capitation formula and these are set out in the following table.
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| Region | Allocation (£ million) |
It is for SHA regional clinically led panels to make decisions on the use of the funding.
Information on expenditure from the Cancer Drugs Fund since 1 April 2011 is not yet available.
Departmental Manpower
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to publish monthly information on changes in the numbers of employees of his Department's agencies, categorised by (a) seniority, (b) voluntary redundancy, (c) natural wastage and (d) involuntary redundancy. [61712]
Mr Simon Burns: The Cabinet Office has recently commissioned monthly workforce management reports from Departments and their agencies across Whitehall, which include numbers of, and expenditure on, permanent and non-permanent workers. This forms part of the Government's cross-departmental transparency agenda. This information will be made publicly available in due course.
The Department's agency, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), already publishes its annual resource accounts, which includes workforce information. The MHRA also provides quarterly returns (Quarterly Public Sector Employment Surveys) to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and an annual return to ONS for its Annual Civil Service Employment Survey. The MHRA also publishes, again, as part of the Government's transparency agenda, organograms (organisational structure charts) which include staffing structures, numbers and pay levels.
Departmental Procurement
Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provisions in respect of behavioural standards have been included in procurement contracts issued by his Department since May 2010. [61676]
Mr Simon Burns: All contracts issued by the Department are subject to terms and conditions of purchase specific to the category of goods and services to be procured.
The terms and conditions cover the obligations of the procuring authority (ie the Department) and the supplier as defined by the Department's own financial instructions, current United Kingdom legislation and, where applicable, European Union legislation. These include:
discrimination and human rights;
health and safety;
corrupt gifts or payments;
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intellectual property rights; and
data protection.
requirements with a value in excess of £10,000 are subject to the Department's formal tender process; and
requirements with a value in excess of £101,000 are subject to a tender process that is compliant with EU legislation in the form of the Public Contract regulations 2006 ("PCR 2006"), as amended.
Such tenders contain supplier appraisal questions in the form of a pre-qualification questionnaire and/or a formal invitation to tender. The PCR 2006 contains mandatory and discretionary requirements for contracting authorities to exclude organisations from public contracts when they or their Officers have been convicted of certain offences. Other legal and ethical criteria are also included, eg to identify conflicts of interest.
Departmental Redundancies
Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of redundancies in its non-departmental bodies (a) in 2011-12 and (b) over the comprehensive spending review period. [61725]
Mr Simon Burns: Government estimates of the costs of the proposals for reform to the Department and the national health service are contained in pages 11-14 of the “co-ordinating document” for the impact assessment for the Health and Social Care Bill, published alongside the Bill on 19 January 2011. These include figures for the Department's arm's length bodies, which are comprised of its Executive non-departmental public bodies, special health authorities and agencies. The document is available at:
www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsLegislation/DH_123583
The document has already been placed in the Library.
The Government will publish a revised impact assessment for the Health and Social Care Bill in due course, reflecting the changes we propose to make in response to the NHS Future Forum.
Departmental Reorganisation
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much was saved through his Department’s modernisation process in each month since May 2010; [61483]
(2) if he will publish monthly reports on the savings made under his Department’s modernisation process. [61484]
Mr Simon Burns: Estimates of the future savings from our proposals for modernising the national health service—including from a one third reduction in the cost of administration—were set out in an impact assessment published in January 2011. Following the report of the NHS Future Forum and the Government’s response, an updated impact assessment will be published in due course. The Department will report regularly on progress towards delivering those savings but we have no plans to publish monthly reports.
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While most savings will accrue in the years of this spending review, some elements of modernisation have already delivered savings in 2010-11. In January 2011, we announced savings of £162 million had been made by applying controls over central spending on consultancy, information technology, administration and advertising. Those savings were made available to reinvest in services to support people leaving hospital.
Doctors
Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of secondary care doctors working for the NHS undertook no private work in the last financial year for which figures are available. [61573]
Mr Simon Burns: This information is not held centrally. Contractual arrangements are matter for the individual doctor and their employer.
Doctors: Standards
Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with the General Medical Council on assessing the competence of doctors in their proposed health commissioning role through the revalidation process. [62460]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department is working in partnership with the General Medical Council to deliver an effective system of revalidation for doctors in England. Annual appraisals will underpin the revalidation process and these appraisals should be based upon the whole of a doctors' practice. For some doctors, this will include an element of commissioning health services.
In addition, under our proposals the NHS Commissioning Board will hold clinical commissioning groups to account for stewardship of national health service resources and the outcomes they achieve.
Drugs: Safety
Margot James: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the outcome of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency consultation on unlicensed medicines; [61734]
(2) when he expects the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency review of unlicensed medicines to publish its conclusions; [61776]
(3) what progress the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has made in its review of the regulatory arrangements for unlicensed medicines. [61777]
Mr Simon Burns: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is currently reviewing the United Kingdom's regulatory arrangements for unlicensed medicines established under Article 5 (1) of Directive 2001/83/EC taking account of the informal consultation which took place in 2009 and subsequent engagement with a range of interested parties in 2010 and in March 2011. Work continues on assessing the impact of the possible options for reform with a view to undertaking a public consultation exercise to take place later in 2011 on formal proposals for reform.
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Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs’ recommendation that foil be exempted from section 9A of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971; what his policy is on the use of foil as a harm reduction technique among injecting heroin users; and when he expects to reach a decision on the council’s recommendation. [61741]
Anne Milton: The issues raised in the Advisory Council’s recommendation relate both to the Home Office and more widely to the policy on patient health and harm reduction lead by the Department of Health. Departmental officials are working closely with Home Office officials to ensure that our joint interests are recognised in the Government’s response to the recommendation, which will be published soon.
Drugs: Side Effects
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate his Department has made of the number of deaths due to adverse reactions to prescribed drugs in the last three years for which figures are available; [62059]
(2) what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of treating patients who have had adverse reactions to prescribed treatments in the latest period for which figures are available. [62060]
Mr Simon Burns: Reports of 'suspected' adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are collected by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Commission for Human Medicines (CHM) through the spontaneous reporting scheme; the Yellow Card Scheme. The scheme collects ADR reports from across the whole United Kingdom and includes all medicines, including those from prescriptions, over-the-counter or general retail sales. Reports are also received for herbal medicines and other unlicensed medicines.
The following table provides a breakdown of the total number of UK spontaneous 'suspected' ADR reports received by the MHRA during the last three years with a fatal outcome.
|
|
Number of reports |
It should be noted these data represent all UK spontaneous 'suspected' ADR reports with a fatal outcome received through the Yellow Card Scheme. The data cannot be stratified according to how the medicine was obtained.
The fourth Patient Safety Observatory report estimated that preventable harm from medicines could cost more than £750 million each year in England. This figure includes what is known of litigation costs.
The estimate of cost to the national health service of avoidable harms related to taking prescribed medicines was calculated from the best available evidence of the incidence of side effects and most recent hospital activity and cost data. It excludes costs of harm in the community (where the majority of drugs are prescribed, dispensed
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and administered) which did not result in hospital admissions. As such, it is likely to underestimate the scale of the problem.
Addressing the impact of adverse drug reactions on public health is a key concern for the MHRA. A study funded by the MHRA and published in the British Medical Journal on 2 July 2004(1) was conducted in two large hospitals in Merseyside in order to ascertain the current burden of ADRs in the NHS. The study found that of 18,820 patients aged over 16 years admitted to hospital over a six month period, there were 1,225 admissions judged to be related to an ADR, giving a prevalence of 6.5%. Of these 1,225, the ADR was judged to lead directly to the admission in 80% of cases. The median bed stay was eight days, accounting for 4% of the hospital bed capacity. The projected annual cost of such admissions to the NHS was £466 million.
(1) BMJ. 2004 Jul 3;329(7456):15-9 Adverse drug reactions as cause of admission to hospital: prospective analysis of 18,820 patients. Pirmohamed M, James S, Meakin S, Green C, Scott AK, Walley TJ, Farrar K, Park BK, Breckenridge AM. Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GE.
General Practitioners
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 7 June 2011, Official Report, column 76W, on general practitioners, what mechanism his Department has put in place to monitor the capacity of GPs to achieve good clinical care by assessing a patient's history including the symptoms and psychological and social factors; and if he will make a statement. [61665]
Mr Simon Burns: Primary medical services are provided by general practitioners (GPs) under contracts with local primary care trusts, in England, and local health boards, in Wales. Under the terms of these contracts, GPs are required to provide appropriate ongoing treatment and care to their patients taking account of their specific needs. In line with General Medical Council guidance, this should include taking account of psychological and social factors.
It is for local primary care trusts, or local health boards, to monitor the delivery of primary medical services under the contractual arrangements. Any patient who is not happy with the treatment provided by their GP practice can raise a complaint through the national health service complaints procedure.
Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of whether his proposals on GP commissioning will result in the employment of more GPs by the NHS in the next five years. [62306]
Mr Simon Burns:
We have proposed that it would be a requirement for every general practitioner (GP) practice to be part of a clinical commissioning group and to contribute to its goals. However, our proposed model will mean that not all GPs have to be actively involved in every aspect of commissioning. Their predominant focus will continue to be on providing high quality primary care to their patients. It is likely to be a smaller
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group of GPs and clinicians who would lead a clinical commissioning group and play an active role in the clinical design of local services.
Health Services: Alcoholic Drinks
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people completed alcohol treatments provided by the NHS in each region in the last 12 months; how much was spent on such treatment in each region in that period; and what criteria his Department uses to determine whether a course of alcohol treatment has been completed. [61798]
Anne Milton: The number of people completing alcohol treatments in each region of England is provided in the following table. The amount of money spent on treatment by each region of England is not collected centrally. Successful completion is a clinical decision that the client no longer requires structured alcohol treatment interventions, because either they are abstinent from alcohol, or any alcohol use is judged by the clinician not to be problematic or not to require treatment.
| Successful completions, 2009-10 | |
| Region | Number |
| Notes: 1. The National Alcohol Treatment Monitoring System figures provided are for 2009-10, the most recent period in which independently verified national statistics are available. 2. Figures relate to alcohol treatment provided by national health service and voluntary and independent sector providers. | |
Health Services: Drugs
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people completed drug treatments provided by the NHS in each region in the last 12 months; how much was spent on such treatment in each region in that period; and what criteria his Department uses to determine whether a course of drug treatment has been completed. [61799]
Anne Milton: The number of adults who completed drug treatment in each English region in 2009-10 is set out in the following table.
| Region | Number of successful completions 2009-10 |
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Figures provided here are for 2009-10, the most recent period in which independently verified national statistics are available.
| £ | ||
| Region | Central funding: Pooled treatment budget 2010-11 | Local funding: Mainstream funding 2010-11 |
| Note: Numbers are rounded to the nearest thousand. | ||
These figures represent drug treatment commissioned by the NHS from NHS and independent sector providers.
Successful completion is a clinical decision that the client no longer requires structured drug treatment interventions (including any prescription of substitute drugs), because they are abstinent from the drug for which they were treated, not using heroin (or other opioids) or crack cocaine, and any other drug use (either illicit or licit) is judged by the clinician not to be problematic or to require treatment.
Health Services: Hearing Impairment
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what support his Department provides to deaf and hard of hearing people for translation services during hospital appointments. [61432]
Paul Burstow: National health service organisations must assure themselves that they have complied with the Equality Act 2010. This includes advancing equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic, including a disability such as hearing loss, and those who do not. Advancing equality involves, for example, taking steps to meet the needs of people from protected groups where these are different from the needs of other people.
It would be for local NHS organisations to make appropriate translation services available during hospital appointments. However, the NHS Equality and Diversity Council chaired by Sir David Nicholson, NHS chief executive, has a strategic role to support the NHS to deliver better outcomes for patients, comply with the Equality Act 2010 and ensure services and work places are personal, fair and diverse with equality of opportunity and treatment for all.
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Health Services: Warrington
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the potential effects on patient safety of reductions in services being implemented by Warrington and Halton NHS trust. [62349]
Mr Simon Burns: No assessment has been made by the Department. It is for the national health service locally to ensure local health services offer the best quality care for patients, including patient safety.
The Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has said it is working to identify potential efficiencies and savings, through productivity improvements, use of technology, efficient use of facilities such as operating theatres and more effective and efficient staff planning.
We are supporting the NHS to meet the efficiency challenge by focusing on areas where it is possible to simultaneously increase quality and productivity. In areas where the NHS has requested support, the Department has developed national workstreams to aid the service to meet this challenge.
Liver Diseases
Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the number of people who will be diagnosed with (a) liver disease and (b) hepatitis C in (i) 2015, (ii) 2020 and (iii) 2025; and if he will make a statement. [61560]
Anne Milton: The Department has not made estimates of future numbers of individuals with liver disease in 2015, 2020 and 2025.
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) published estimates of the number of individuals with hepatitis C related liver disease in 2015 in “Hepatitis C in the UK: The Health Protection Agency Annual Report 2009” (December 2009), a copy of which has been placed in the Library. The HPA is due to publish updated estimates, including for 2020, on World Hepatitis Day (28 July 2011).
Medical Equipment
Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the NHS takes to reclaim assistance equipment loaned to patients on discharge from hospital and out-patient clinics at the end of its use; which NHS trusts (a) reclaim and (b) reissue equipment; and what the cost to the NHS was of issuing such equipment in (i) 2009 and (ii) 2010. [61419]
Paul Burstow: It is the responsibility of the local national health service to monitor and arrange for the recovery of assistance equipment, where this is safe and cost-effective.
Information on the expenditure, reclaims and reissuing of assistance equipment by the NHS is not held centrally as it is Government policy to reduce burdens on local councils and primary care trusts who would be the bodies responsible for collecting these data.
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Medicine: Education
Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with representatives of universities on the teaching of skills that medical students will need to deliver his proposed health commissioning responsibilities. [62463]
Anne Milton: The content and standard of undergraduate medical education is the responsibility of the General Medical Council (GMC). There is no national curriculum for medical schools. Each medical school is responsible for developing its own curriculum, subject to meeting the requirements of the GMC. The GMC is committed to ensuring that doctors are equipped with the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to meet all the demands which will be placed on them in practice.
Mental Health Services
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the compliance of National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines on access to psychotherapy services with his policy on NHS access. [61607]
Paul Burstow: No such assessment has been made. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is an independent body and does not make recommendations based on Government policy, but on evidence. NICE does not produce guidelines on access to psychotherapy services. Guidelines are produced on a range of conditions for which certain types of psychotherapy may be appropriate, and they recommend such treatments according to the evidence.
However, should a patient be referred to a consultant-led psychotherapy service, the NHS constitution maximum waiting times rights would apply.
NHS: Disciplinary Proceedings
Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the NHS was of providing staffing cover for (a) doctors and (b) nurses suspended pending disciplinary investigation or action in each year between 2000 and 2010. [61905]
Mr Simon Burns: The cost for providing staffing cover for doctors and nurses suspended pending disciplinary investigation or action in each year between 2000 and 2010 is not available. As national health service trusts, foundation trusts, primary care trusts and strategic health authorities are independent employers in their own right they have the responsibility for all employment decisions about their staff and this includes suspension.
We do however have information from the National Clinical Assessment Service (NCAS) a national service that supports local health care managers to understand, manage and prevent performance concerns with practitioners (doctors, dentists, pharmacists). They provide general advice on performance management and good practice. NCAS does not collect information on nurses.
NCAS has been monitoring numbers of exclusion and suspension episodes since 2005. NCAS has provided such information as is available in the following table:
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| Use of exclusion and suspension from work among for doctors only in England | |||
|
|
H&C exclusions | GP suspensions | All new episodes |
| Note: In the NHS, primary care organisations ‘suspend’ general practitioner doctors and dentists (GPs) while employed hospital and community (H&C) practitioners are ‘excluded’. Both measures mean that practitioners are separated from their work. Source: National Clinical Assessment Service | |||
NHS: Reorganisation
Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to ensure that independent contractors to primary care trusts are remunerated according to the terms of their contract under his proposals for reorganisation of the NHS; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the NHS complies with Government guidance on prompt payment to suppliers. [61554]
Mr Simon Burns: As part of the preparation for the new national health service landscape, the Department is taking forward a workstream to ensure that the contractual obligations of primary care trusts are taken into full consideration in the development of the new health bodies.
As set out in the Better Payment Practice Code for NHS trusts, primary care trusts and strategic health authorities, the Government recognise the importance of paying suppliers promptly and in line with contractual requirements, and this will continue to be the case under our proposals for modernising the NHS.
North West Strategic Health Authority
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of the notes and minutes of (a) his meeting with NHS North West on 15 February 2011 and (b) meetings held by the Managing Director of Provider Development and the Director of Provider Delivery for the North West to discuss plans for trusts to achieve foundation status. [62350]
Mr Simon Burns: A copy of the note from the meeting with NHS North West on 15 February 2011 has been placed in the Library. Copies of the notes of the meetings held by the Managing Director of Provider Development and the Director of Provider Delivery for the North West will be placed in the Library once the tripartite formal agreements have been signed for the remaining NHS trusts in the region. To release these documents ahead of these agreements being signed could prejudice the decisions and plans currently being finalised.
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Out-patients: Attendances
Mr Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 9 June 2011, Official Report, column 443W, on out-patients: attendances, for how long the measures to reduce non-attendance rates for hospital appointments specified in the answer have been in place; and what the change has been in the proportion of patients not attending during the period such measures have been in operation. [62531]
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Mr Simon Burns: The Department does not collect information on local measures to reduce non-attendance rates for hospital appointments.
There is no standard for preventing missed appointments however national health service organisations will wish to minimise missed appointments, to make best use of staff time and NHS resources.
Data on missed appointments have been collected since 1996-97 and missed appointments as a proportion of activity is shown in the following table:
|
|
Quarter | Total out-patient appointments | Total DNA | DNA rate (percentage) |
| Note: DNA = Did not attend. Source: Department of Health; Quarterly Activity Return | ||||
Perinatal Mortality: Research
Dr Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much funding allocated by his Department for research into stillbirth causes and prevention was spent on research on the role of the placenta in stillbirth in the last 10 years; what research projects were carried out; and at which institutions; [61425]
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(2) how much funding allocated by his Department for research into stillbirth was spent on research on (a) understanding unexplained stillbirths and (b) growth restriction in the last 10 years; what research projects were carried out in each case; and at which institutions; [61426]
(3) how much his Department has spent on each research project on stillbirth causes and prevention which it has sponsored in the last 10 years; and which institutions carried out such research. [61429]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and Policy Research Programme (PRP) fund a range of research relating to stillbirth causes, risk factors and prevention.
The NIHR Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programme is currently funding a £6.0 million trial of an intelligent system to support decision making in the management of labour using the cardiotocogram. The study started in 2009 and is led by University College London. It will test whether an intelligent computer program can help midwives and doctors improve the care they give in response to abnormalities of the baby's heart rate and whether this will lead to fewer babies being harmed because of a lack of oxygen.
The HTA programme is also funding a £1.4 million trial of nicotine replacement therapy in pregnancy led by the University of Nottingham, and a £1.2 million trial of physical activity as an aid to smoking cessation during pregnancy led by St. George's, University of London.
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust has been awarded a £1.1 million NIHR Programme Grant for Applied Research on improving pregnancy outcome in obese women.
The NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre has an ongoing programme of research on women's health. A major focus of this research is understanding the determinants of stillbirth risk. The researchers are building on basic science studies in oxidative stress, placental transport, genomic imprinting, maternal-fetal immune reactions and application of genomic technology in order to develop an integrated method of screening pregnant women. This will both determine their risk of adverse perinatal outcomes and identify novel genetic and molecular markers for adverse perinatal outcomes.
Details of projects funded through programmes managed by the NIHR Central Commissioning Facility (CCF) can be found on the CCF website at:
www.ccf.nihr.ac.uk/Pages/FundedProgrammes.aspx
Details of projects funded through programmes managed by the NIHR Evaluation, Trials and Studies Centre (NETSCC) can be found on the NETSCC website at:
www.netscc.ac.uk/
Details of studies hosted by the NIHR Clinical Research Network can be found on the UK Clinical Research Network portfolio database at:
http://public.ukcrn.org.uk/search
Details of research funded by the PRP are available on the Department's website at:
www.dh.gov.uk/en/Aboutus/Researchanddevelopment/Policyresearchprogramme/index.htm
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Prior to the establishment of the NIHR in April 2006, the main part of the Department's total health research expenditure was devolved to and managed by national health service organisations. From April 2006 to March 2009, transitional research funding was allocated to these organisations at reducing levels. Records of individual NHS supported research projects collected up to September 2007 are available on the archived national research register (NRR) at:
www.nihr.ac.uk/Pages/NRRArchiveSearch.aspx
Psychotherapy
Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on the methodologies used by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in the formulation of its guidelines on psychotherapy. [61608]
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the consultation of professional organisations in the field of psychotherapy by National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence on its guidelines on psychotherapy; and if he will make a statement; [62023]
(2) what discussions he has had with professionals in the fields of psychotherapy and counselling on the formulation by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence of its guidelines on psychotherapy; and if he will make a statement. [62094]
Paul Burstow: As an independent body, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is responsible for developing and reviewing its own processes and methods for the development of guidance. We have not had any discussions with professionals in the fields of psychotherapy and counselling on this issue.
Since 1 June 2011, the Department has so far received around 25 representations, including the hon. Members’ questions, on NICE guidance which addresses the use of psychotherapy.
Radiotherapy
Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to section 6.12 of his Department’s document, “Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer,” whether this funding can be used for the acquisition of new radiotherapy equipment by hospitals. [61353]
Paul Burstow: “Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer” sets out our commitment to expand radiotherapy capacity by investing over £150 million in additional funding over the next four years.
Commissioners can use this funding to purchase additional radiotherapy services from providers through locally negotiated tariffs or other payment mechanisms. Providers may use this income to purchase additional radiotherapy equipment to meet the increased demand.
Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will take steps to ensure that any stereotactic body radiation therapy commissioning consortium established as a result of the recommendations of the National Radiotherapy Advisory Group Implementation Group's report on stereotactic body radiation therapy contains patient representatives; [61422]
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(2) what consideration the National Radiotherapy Advisory Group Implementation Group gave to including in its report on stereotactic body radiation therapy an assessment of the most recent technological advances in radiotherapy equipment for the treatment of cancer tumours that move during irradiation; and if he will request the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to assess the potential use of such technologies; [61428]
(3) for what reason the report of the National Radiotherapy Advisory Group Implementation Group did not set a tariff for the treatment of lung cancer by stereotactic body radiation therapy. [61430]
Paul Burstow: The National Radiotherapy Implementation Group (NRIG) report, “Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) Guidelines for Commissioners, Providers and Clinicians in England 2011”, which has been made available on the National Cancer Action Team website, made a comprehensive assessment of the technology capable of delivering SBRT. A copy of the NRIG report has been placed in the Library.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) can now use the report to identify whether there are any indications for SBRT that would be appropriate for them to evaluate further via the Medical Technologies Advisory Committee or other programmes at NICE.
The assessment undertaken in the report included consideration of whether the technology could deliver radiotherapy that takes account of the movement of tumours during treatment (intra- and inter-fraction motion management). It was not within the scope of the group tasked with producing the report to set a tariff for the treatment of lung cancer with SBRT. However, the report does recommend the development of a tariff for SBRT, and, in our new cancer strategy, we have said we will investigate the potential development of a range of tariffs to incentivise high quality, cost-effective services, including the newest radiotherapy techniques.
SBRT is commissioned as a specialised service by regional Specialised Commissioning Groups and as informed by the Specialised Services National Definitions Set. Our intention, subject to parliamentary approval, is that in the future services such as SBRT for people with rare and complex cancers should be directly commissioned by the National Health Service Commissioning Board (NHS CB).
The Government's response to the Future's Forum report re-confirmed and strengthened ‘no decision about me without me’ as a principle that will be central to how the new organisations operate. A Specialised Services Transitional Oversight Group has been formed, supported by a Specialised Services Patient and Public Engagement Steering Group, to make sure that public and patient voice informs the proposed NHS CB's plans for commissioning Specialised Services.
Women and Equalities
State Retirement Pensions: Age
Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what recent discussions she has had with her ministerial colleagues on changes to the state pension age for (a) men and (b) women; and if she will make a statement. [61638]
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Lynne Featherstone: I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues on a range of issues.
As the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr Duncan Smith), said during the debate on the Second Reading of the Pensions Bill on 20 June 2011, the Government are committed to the state pensions age being equalised in 2018 and rising to 66 by 2020. However, as he also said:
“I recognise the need to implement the change fairly and manage the transition smoothly. I hear the specific concern about a relatively small number of women, and I have said that I will consider it. I say to my colleagues that I am willing to work to get the transition right, and we will”.
Defence
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Gordon Birtwistle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of armed forces personnel serving on operations in Afghanistan are members of the Territorial Army. [60599]
Nick Harvey: As at 31 May 2011 approximately 3% of UK armed forces personnel identified as deployed on overseas operations in Afghanistan were members of the Territorial Army.
The precise figure will vary on a daily basis due to a number of factors, including, but not limited to, mid-tour rest and recuperation, temporary absence for training, evacuation for medical reasons, visits and the roulement of forces.
Armed Forces: Council Tax
Gordon Birtwistle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has any plans to (a) encourage local authorities to extend the exemption from council tax for members of the armed forces on operational duty and (b) increase the council tax rebate provided by his Department. [60598]
Mr Robathan: Council tax for properties other than service accommodation is a local authority matter. However, we encourage local authorities to give due discretion where possible and to assist members of the armed forces deployed on operations overseas.
The Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox), announced on 16 May 2011, Official Report, columns 25-27, that we will increase the rate of council tax relief, provided by the Ministry of Defence, for military personnel serving on operations overseas, from 25% to 50%.
Armoured Fighting Vehicles
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to take a decision on the future procurement of a second tranche of the Light Protected Patrol Vehicle Foxhound. [62152]
Peter Luff: The Ministry of Defence's wider requirement for Foxhound is currently under consideration. A decision on the second tranche will be made in due course and announced to the House in the usual way.
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Libya: Armed Conflict
Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces are deployed on the ground in territory controlled by the Libyan Transitional National Council. [61482]
Nick Harvey: There are fewer than 20 members of the UK armed forces temporarily based in Benghazi, as the Defence advisory team to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office diplomatic mission and the mentoring team in support of the National Transitional Council.
The precise number of personnel overseas fluctuates on a daily basis for a variety of reasons, including the roulement of forces, visits and a range of other factors. We do not, therefore, publish actual figures for personnel deployed.
Nuclear Weapons
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the UK nuclear deterrent on the level of nuclear proliferation; and what steps he is taking to discourage and reduce nuclear proliferation. [61391]
Nick Harvey: There is no evidence to suggest that the UK nuclear deterrent has any bearing on the pursuit of nuclear weapons by those who currently seek to develop them. The UK maintains a minimum credible deterrent and is committed to working towards the long term goal of a world without nuclear weapons.
The nuclear non-proliferation treaty remains the cornerstone of the non-proliferation regime, and the primary basis for our efforts to tackle proliferation. We support multilateral efforts to reduce the threat of proliferation such as through the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Nuclear Suppliers Group, by promoting high standards for sensitive transfers of materials and technology and engaging with key partners on a bilateral basis. We remain determined to work with the international community to control proliferation, to build trust and confidence between nuclear and non-nuclear weapon states, and to take tangible steps towards a safer and more stable world where countries with nuclear weapons ultimately feel able to relinquish them. We strongly believe that sustainable global disarmament can be achieved only through a multilateral process.
International Development
Bangladesh: Overseas Aid
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent representations he has received on the use of UK development aid by the Government of Bangladesh. [61649]
Mr Duncan:
I have just returned from a visit to Bangladesh, where I met the Honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and a number of her Ministers. The Government of Bangladesh strongly welcomed the UK's continued and growing support to achieving development results in Bangladesh. The Prime Minister particularly welcomed the focus on social services and improving
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the status of women. Specific representations from the Government included discussion of literacy rates and providing basic health services, disaster management, climate change adaptation and the Food Security Country Investment Plan.
Conflict Prevention
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when his Department plans to publish its Building Stability Overseas strategy. [62149]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Department for International Development and the Ministry of Defence are working together on the coalition Government's Building Stability Overseas strategy. The new strategy will be published before the Houses rise for the coming summer recess.
Developing Countries: Biofuels
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment his Department has made of the effects of biofuel production on developing countries; and if he will make a statement. [61735]
Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development recognises the need for the UK and developing countries to balance the competing demands on land for fuel and food. We also recognise the need to ensure that bio-energy production does not jeopardise food security of poor people in developing countries.
DFID encourages the development of biofuels in consumer and producer countries which is compatible with a broader development agenda. Together with other Government Departments, DFID has been successful in ensuring that UK and EC policy takes into account the impact (positive and negative) of biofuels on developing countries.
Developing Countries: Education
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding his Department is providing to assist in the achievement of the millennium development goal in respect of universal access to education for all children in each of the next four financial years. [61593]
Mr O'Brien: The coalition Government are committed to supporting access to basic services in the developing world, and education—particularly for girls—is a critical part of this. Earlier this year, the Department for International Development reviewed its bilateral and multilateral aid programmes, examining the impact and effectiveness of its programmes. The results have informed our future education policy to ensure that we help as many children as possible into a quality education. By 2014 we will be supporting at least 11 million children in school (9 million in primary and 2 million in secondary).
Detailed information on education expenditure by country programme over the comprehensive spending review period is set out in operational plans for each DFID country office. These are available on the DFID website:
www.dfid.gov.uk
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Additional allocations will also be made through multilateral channels contingent on sustained performance and results over the period.
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations he has made at the (a) G20 and (b) UN on the future of the millennium development goal in respect of universal access to education for all children. [61594]
Mr O'Brien: My Department is in regular dialogue with all key international organisations to galvanize activity towards the millennium development goal (MDG) of universal primary education. My Department is involved with the G20 Development Working Group, which is committed to improving the levels of skills development in low income countries. We are also involved in various United Nations bodies and use these to push for progress on the education MDGs when appropriate.
Developing Countries: Health Services
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations he has made to his UN counterparts on the number of frontline nurses, midwives and doctors employed in developing nations. [61599]
Mr O'Brien: The UK fully recognises the central importance of health workers in accelerating progress towards our health goals. The UK is a strong supporter of the UN Secretary-General's Global Strategy for Women and Children, launched at the UN General Assembly in New York in September 2010, which sets out the need for between 2.5 and 3.5 million additional health workers. This commitment to health workers is reflected in DFID's own corporate performance framework and operational plans.
The Deputy Prime Minister stressed the importance of health workers in a speech at the "Every Woman Every Child" event to launch the Global Strategy, which took place during the UN General Assembly in 2010. DFID Ministers and officials will continue to raise the issue with their UN counterparts in the appropriate fora.
Developing Countries: Vaccination
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department plans to contribute to measures to increase the numbers of children in developing countries vaccinated or immunised against disease in each of the next four financial years. [61600]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: Over the next five years the British taxpayers will vaccinate a child in the poorest countries every two seconds and save a child's life every two minutes. Total UK support to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations (GAVI) over the next four years is as follows:
| Financial year | £ million |
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UK support will help GAVI vaccinate over 55 million children over 2011-14. Our full support up to 2015 will vaccinate over 80 million children and save more than 1.3 million lives in the world’s poorest countries.
DFID has also committed £40 million in 2011-12 and up to the same amount in 2012-13 to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and is contributing to improving children's access to lifesaving immunisations through our work with individual countries, where we have programmes to strengthen the capacity of countries' own health systems to provide vital services including childhood immunisation.
Somalia: Overseas Aid
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what priorities his Department has set in respect of Puntland. [61373]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: For the period covering 2011-15, DFID’s support to Puntland will focus on programmes in health, governance and security, employment generation and humanitarian assistance. For example, this assistance will increase access to skilled birth attendance for an additional 10,000 women in Puntland, support the development of the fisheries sector contributing to the creation of long-term jobs, and increase court use by 50% with over a fifth of Puntland’s judges receiving professional training.
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development to what extent resilience is to be integrated into his Department’s operational plan for Somalia. [61427]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: My Department is currently supporting pastoralists and farmers to strengthen their resilience through emergency livelihood protection activities.
Following publication of the Department’s Operational Plan for Somalia, officials are appraising measures to increase the resilience of households and communities through more predictable funding. This will encourage partners to plan their work over a longer term, in line with Government’s response to the recent Humanitarian Emergency Response Review.
Somalia: Water
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department plans to spend on water and sanitation in Somalia in 2011-12. [61372]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: My Department is providing emergency water and sanitation services to pastoralists and farmers in 2011-12 through humanitarian agencies such as Oxfam, the United Nations Common Humanitarian Fund for Somalia and International Committee of the Red Cross. These activities are part of a wider package of assistance which responds to urgent needs.
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We aim to provide 450,000 people with clean water, sanitation and hygiene services in 2011-12. We do not yet have a firm figure for spend. Our total humanitarian budget for Somalia for 2011-12 is currently £19 million.
Treasury
Air Passenger Duty: Northern Ireland
Mr Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) when he expects to announce the outcome of his Department's review of the effects of air passenger duty on Northern Ireland; [62212]
(2) what recent assessment he has made of the effects of air passenger duty on the competitiveness of airports in Northern Ireland. [62510]
Justine Greening: The Government undertook a consultation on air passenger duty from 23 March to 17 June 2011. The Government will consider the views and evidence submitted by interested parties and will publish a summary of responses in the autumn.
Armed Conflict: Libya
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the reserve provided for the purposes of implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1973 remains. [61565]
Danny Alexander: The Treasury has been working with MOD to refine the estimate of net additional military costs for operations associated with the UK commitment to UN Security Council Resolution 1973. MOD Ministers provided an updated estimate of the net additional costs of the operation to the House on 23 June 2011, Official Report, column 24WS.
All net additional costs of military operations in Libya will be fully met from the reserve and there is therefore no fixed budget. Costs should however be modest compared to other operations such as Afghanistan.
Banks: Finance
Chris Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent steps his Department has taken to secure (a) EU and (b) G20 agreement on (i) the baseline proportion of equity capital that banks should hold relative to their assets, (ii) separation between retail banking and wholesale and investment banking and (iii) the bank levy rate. [59378]
Mr Hoban: The information is as follows:
Proportion of equity capital relative to assets
The G20 leaders endorsed the Basel Committee's recommendations for reforms to the prudential and liquidity frameworks at the November 2010 meeting in Seoul. The Government are expecting European Commission proposals on the implementation of the Basel reforms through further amendments to the capital requirements directive (CRD) later this year. The Government have had several discussions with the European Commission and member states on this issue.
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The Financial Stability Board's (FSB) current work programme is focused on improving the loss absorbency and resolvability of global systemically important banks.
This work is vitally important to ensuring long-term financial stability and economic growth. We are engaging actively on this project and working closely with the FSA, bank and international partners as the debate intensifies in the run up to the Cannes G20 summit in November.
The Independent Commission on Banking (ICB) published its interim report in April. The Government expect ICB's findings to contribute to the international debate and they look forward to the publication of the final report in September.
Bank levies have been discussed regularly at ECOFIN since May 2010. However, the Government believe it is right that the detailed design of such levies should be determined by member states to reflect different domestic circumstances and tax systems.
Banks: Regulation
Mr Love: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he had with the Independent Commission on Banking on the proposals contained in its interim report, Consultation on Reform Options, prior to 15 June 2011; and if he will make a statement. [62220]
Mr Hoban: The Government set up the Independent Commission on Banking to enable an open, public dialogue about the complex issues of banking reform and the Commission has led an open debate on these issues. The Government are continuing to actively engage with the Commission and other interested parties ahead of the publication of its final report.
I made a statement to the House on 16 June 2011, Official Report, columns 959-61, on regulatory and banking reform. The Government will now await the Commission's complete report on 12 September before making any final decisions.
Budgets
Mr Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many interim Government budgets are set by reference to a proportion of gross national income. [61105]
Danny Alexander [holding answer 21 June 2011]: The Government have not set any Department's budget solely by reference to gross national income (GNI). However, the Government did set out plans in the 2010 spending review to increase official development assistance (ODA) spending to 0.7% of GNI from 2013, in line with the UK's international commitments to help the very poorest in the world. ODA spending is divided between a number of Departments.