Schools: Vocational Guidance
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what future arrangements he plans to make to ensure impartial student-centred careers advice is available to all students in schools. [58543]
Mr Gibb: Schools will be placed under a duty to secure access to independent careers guidance for their pupils from September 2012, subject to the passage of the Education Bill. The guidance must be presented in an impartial manner and in the best interests of the pupils concerned. Schools are otherwise free to determine how to fulfil the duty. This approach recognises that education professionals are best placed to make arrangements for careers guidance that fit the needs and circumstances of their students.
We will look to schools to ensure their pupils achieve and progress, and monitor this by publishing data on the destinations that pupils move on to after school.
Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what arrangements are in place to provide careers advice in schools and sixth-form colleges. [58547]
Mr Gibb: Under section 68 of the Education and Skills Act 2008, local authorities have a duty to assist, encourage and enable the participation in education and training of young people and relevant young adults, including through the provision of careers guidance in schools and sixth-form colleges. It is for local authorities to determine how best to fulfil this duty, taking into account local priorities and the needs and circumstances of young people in their area.
From September 2012 (subject to the passage of the Education Bill through Parliament) schools will be under a duty to secure access to independent and impartial careers guidance for their pupils in years 9 to 11. This summer, we will consult on extending the duty to young people up to the age of 18 studying in schools, sixth-form colleges and further education institutions.
Schools and colleges will be free to make arrangements for careers guidance for young people that fit the needs and circumstances of their students, including determining the appropriate balance between web-based, telephone and face-to-face support.
Science: GCSE
Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what longitudinal research his Department has commissioned into existing interventions to encourage students to take up science subjects at GCSE level; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of such interventions. [60882]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 21 June 2011]: The Department has not commissioned any longitudinal research into the existing interventions to encourage students to take up science subjects at GCSE level.
However, the Department part-funds the Targeted Initiative on Science and Mathematics Education (TISME) along with the ESRC in partnership with the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, The Institute of Physics and the Association of Science Education. The aim of the initiative is to help find new ways to encourage children and young people to greater achievement and understanding of Science and Mathematics- related subjects. TISME is made up of five research projects, which will examine the effectiveness of past and current initiatives and what new interventions and policies offer the potential to improve participation in science (and mathematics) up to and including A level.
The Department has published its own research from the longitudinal National Pupil Database in “Maths and science education: the supply of high achievers at A level”. This publication shows trends in entries for GCSE science and progression to A Level.
Secondary Education: Teachers
Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of (a) history, (b) geography and (c) religious education lessons at Key Stage (i) 3 and (ii) 4 were taught by a teacher specialising in the subject in the latest period for which figures are available. [61140]
Mr Gibb: Information on the qualifications and deployment of teachers in the secondary sector was collected in the annual School Workforce Census, which took place in November 2010 for the first time. Data are presented on the proportion of hours taught by teachers with a relevant post-A Level qualification in the subject, as at November 2010.
28 Jun 2011 : Column 767W
| Proportion of history, geography and religious education hours taught, in a typical week, to Key Stages 3 and 4 by teachers with a relevant post A level qualification in the subject (1) | ||
| Percentage | ||
|
|
Key Stage 3 | Key Stage 4 |
| (1) Percentages are based on the number of hours being taught by teachers for whom curriculum and qualifications information was provided. Source: School Workforce Census, November 2010 | ||
A full list of subjects and the proportion of hours taught by teachers with a relevant qualification is available in the School Workforce Statistical First Release, available at:
http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000997/index.shtml
28 Jun 2011 : Column 768W
Students: Finance
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what funding his Department has allocated to Care to Learn for financial years (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13 and (c) 2013-14. [59418]
Mr Gibb: The funding allocated to the Care to Learn programme will be £38.6 million in 2011-12. Subsequent years' budgets will be confirmed in due course.
Teachers: Training
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of people entering teacher training programmes in each year since 2005. [60865]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 20 June 2011]: The requested information is given in the table:
| Recruitment to initial teacher training (ITT), 2005/06 to 2010/11, England | ||||||
|
|
2005/06 | 2006/07 | 2007/08 | 2008/09 | 2009/10 | 2010/11 |
| Notes: 1. Recruitment figures are subject to change. This table presents the latest available data. 2. Figures for college-based courses include universities, other higher education institutions, school-centred ITT and Open university. Figures for employment-based courses include the Graduate Teacher Programme, Registered Teacher Programme, Overseas Trained Teacher Programme and Teach First. 3. Totals may not appear to equal the sum of component parts as numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. Source: TDA's ITT Trainee Numbers Census. | ||||||
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many teachers graduated from teacher training programmes (a) in each region and (b) from each institution in each year since 2005. [60869]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 20 June 2011]: The number of teachers gaining qualified teacher status (QTS) in each region via (a) college-based courses and (b) employment-based routes is provided in the table.
The same information for each individual provider has been placed in the Library.
| (a) Teachers gaining QTS via college-based courses, by Government office region, 2005/06 to 2008/09 | ||||
|
|
2005/06 | 2006/07 | 2007/08 | 2008/09 |
| Notes: 1. Includes universities and other higher education institutions, school-centred ITT and Open university but excludes employment-based routes. 2. Totals may not appear to equal the sum of component parts as numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. Source: TDA's Performance Profiles. | ||||
| (b) Teachers gaining QTS via employment-based routes, by Government office region, 2005/06 to 2008/09 | ||||
|
|
2005/06 | 2006/07 | 2007/08 | 2008/09 |
| Notes: 1. Excludes universities and other higher education institutions, school-centred ITT and Open university. 2. Totals may not appear to equal the sum of component parts as numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. Source: TDA's Performance Profiles. | ||||
Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to maintain future numbers of teachers trained to deal with pupils' hearing impairments. [61693]
Sarah Teather
[holding answer 23 June 2011]: Since 2009, additional funding has been provided for 190 teachers to acquire mandatory qualifications (MQ) in teaching pupils with sensory impairments, including
28 Jun 2011 : Column 769W
pupils with hearing impairments. Of the 190 teachers, 44 will receive funded hearing impairment MQ training this academic year at a cost of £13,000 per place.
Our policy is to enable all schools, whether they are mainstream or special schools, to develop their capacity to meet the needs of children who have special educational needs or are disabled. We announced measures in the Green Paper to build professional development which included support specialist SEN training across clusters of schools. This will include further opportunities for teachers to develop skills and knowledge in teaching children with sensory impairments.
Youth Services: Finance
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much local authorities spent on the provision of youth services for the purposes of fulfilling their obligations under the Education and Inspections Act 2006 in 2010-11. [61032]
Tim Loughton: Information on local authority spend on youth services for 2010-11 has yet to be collected. The deadline for local authorities to submit their Section 251 outturn returns for 2010-11 is 25 August 2011. The Department expects to publish these data by January 2012.
Health
Botulism
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of cases of foodborne botulism poisoning in each of the last five years. [62114]
Anne Milton: There have been no reported cases of foodborne botulism in the United Kingdom over the last five years, that is illness resulting from the ingestion of food containing toxin. However, there have been seven cases of infant botulism over the last five years in which food containing bacterial spores may have been a possible source.
Cancer Drugs Fund: Kent
Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients received support from the Cancer Drugs Fund in the West Kent Primary Care Trust area in the latest year for which figures are available. [61939]
Paul Burstow: Information on the number of patients receiving support from the Cancer Drugs Fund is not collected centrally at primary care trust level.
The Cancer Drugs Fund was launched on 1 April 2011 to help thousands of cancer patients access the drugs their clinicians believe will help them. We made an additional £50 million available to strategic health authorities in 2010-11 which has already helped over 2,400 patients in England to access the cancer drugs their clinicians recommended.
Information on the use of the interim funding by each strategic health authority will be made available when confirmed.
28 Jun 2011 : Column 770W
Chiropody: Health Hazards
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many persons in each (a) age group and (b) local authority area contracted an infection in the course of receiving a pedicure in each of the last 10 years; and how many persons died as a consequence. [62086]
Anne Milton: The information requested is not available.
Cystic Fibrosis: Research
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps his Department is taking to support gene therapy research for cystic fibrosis; [61995]
(2) what consideration he has given to the merits of funding the UK Cystic Fibrosis Gene Therapy Consortium trials. [61997]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is providing funding for the work of the UK Cystic Fibrosis Gene Therapy Consortium, including investment through the Respiratory Biomedical Research Unit at Imperial College and the NIHR Clinical Research Network.
The Department supports the development of innovative technology in all types of genetic and genomic research, including cystic fibrosis, that it believes will bring health benefits to national health service patients. It set up the Human Genomics Strategy Group to monitor developments and technological advances in genetic and genomic research and to provide advice on the potential health care benefits.
Departmental Allowances
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what expenses were claimed by (a) paid and (b) unpaid special advisers working in his Department in the last 12 months. [62069]
Mr Simon Burns: The special advisers at the Department have claimed no expenses in the last 12 months, although of course there has been some expenditure incurred on their behalf, for example on travel. There are no unpaid special advisers employed by the Department.
Depression
Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve the (a) rate of diagnosis and (b) treatment of those with depression by primary care professionals; and if he will make a statement [62166]
Paul Burstow: The Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Programme has created online guides for general practitioners (GPs) to help them better diagnose depression and anxiety disorders. These guides were developed with the Royal College of GPs and are currently available on the college's website.
Also, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence published a guideline, “Common Mental
28 Jun 2011 : Column 771W
Health Disorders: Identification and Pathways to Care”, a copy of which has been placed in the Library and is also available at:
http://guidance.nice.org.uk/CG123
which includes advice on the diagnosis and treatment of depression.
Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has assessed the accuracy of data on the prevalence of depression contained in the Quality and Outcomes Framework. [62183]
Anne Milton: Primary care trusts are currently responsible for verifying evidence for Quality and Outcomes Framework achievement. As part of this process, they should analyse recorded prevalence and compare the reported prevalence on disease registers with the expected prevalence of depression in the local population.
Depression: Kent
Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people diagnosed with depression in (a) Chatham and Aylesford constituency and (b) England in each of the last five years. [62116]
Paul Burstow: The information is not available in the format requested. However, the following table shows the numbers of people with a diagnosis of depression in England, the South East Coast Strategic Health Authority (SHA), Medway Primary Care Trust (PCT) and West Kent PCT.
| Total number of people on general practitioner (GP) lists who are aged 18+ with a diagnosis of depression | ||||
| 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | ||
|
|
Number | Number | Number | Percentage |
These figures refer to patients aged 18+ on GP practice lists who are diagnosed with depression. Figures are taken from Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) registers. Depression was introduced to the QOF in 2006-07, and depression registers have been published by the NHS Information Centre since 2007-08. QOF depression registers were presented in 2009-10 for the first time as percentages of estimated numbers of people aged 18+ on GP lists. Source QOF data do not include the number of patients aged 18+ on GP lists, only total lists sizes, hence the need for estimates.
Health
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps his Department plans to take to (a) monitor and (b) evaluate responsibility deals; [62018]
(2) what estimate he has made of the likely cost to the public purse of (a) establishing, (b) implementing, (c) monitoring and (d) evaluating food and drink responsibility deals. [62019]
28 Jun 2011 : Column 772W
Anne Milton: Partner organisation progress on the Public Health Responsibility Deal's pledges will be monitored through a combination of self-reporting and annual updates to the Department and may include monitoring by third parties. The exact approach taken to monitoring will vary according to the nature of the pledges.
The Department's Policy Research Programme is currently investigating the feasibility of an independent evaluation of some elements of the Responsibility Deal. Up to £1 million may be available for this work.
All administration costs incurred by the Department in facilitating the Public Health Responsibility Deal are met from existing budgets.
Implementation of the Public Health Responsibility Deal pledges will be carried out by partner organisations and the costs of doing this will be incurred by these organisations.
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Government plans to respond to the consultation contained in the Public Health White Paper. [62021]
Anne Milton: We intend to publish the Government's response to the public health consultations shortly.
Health Education
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the name is of each company involved in funding his Department's Change4Life initiative; how much his Department expects to receive in such funding; and what assessment his Department makes of companies funding its campaign prior to the provision of funding. [62029]
Anne Milton: No partners provide direct funding for the Change4Life campaign, but they do contribute in- kind support through centrally or locally-led activity, reinforcing Change4Life behaviour messages.
The Change4Life campaign has over 200 national and 50,000 local supporters from the commercial, charity and public sectors. All national partners agree in writing to the campaign terms of engagement, in order to use the Change4Life brand assets and/or campaign tools. All partners must submit applications for any activity they wish to run, and all activity requires clearance in advance from the Department.
Health Education: Marketing
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on his Department's social marketing strategy entitled Changing Behaviour, Improving Outcomes; and how much has been allocated for expenditure on this programme. [61902]
Anne Milton: A total of £44 million has been allocated for this activity, divided between four key programmes: youth, Change4Life, older people and tobacco. Detailed plans for the delivery of these four programmes are being submitted to the Cabinet Office Efficiency and Reform Group as is our usual practice.
28 Jun 2011 : Column 773W
Hepatitis
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many patients (a) of each sex and (b) in each socio-economic group have received treatment for hepatitis C in the last five years; [62007]
(2) how many people aged (a) under 15, (b) between 15 and 59 and (c) over 59 years in each (i) strategic health authority, (ii) primary care trust and (iii) parliamentary constituency received active treatment for hepatitis C in each year since 1997. [62012]
Anne Milton: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is shown in the following table.
|
|
Estimated number of patients treated for hepatitis C in England, 2004-09 |
| Notes: 1. The estimates are based on financial data supplied by Intercontinental Medical Statistics for each year between 2004 and 2009. 2. Data for 2004 and 2005 are provided as a range because both treatment with a single drug or two drugs were in use. 3. There are no data available on patients' socio-economic group. Source: Health Protection Agency | |
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the prevalence of hepatitis C in people aged (a) under 15, (b) 15 to 59 and (c) over 59 years in each (i) strategic health authority, (ii) primary care trust and (iii) parliamentary constituency. [62009]
Anne Milton: The information is not available in the format requested. Such estimates as are currently available from the Health Protection Agency are shown in the following table.
28 Jun 2011 : Column 774W
| Numbers of individuals aged 15-59 estimated to be hepatitis C antibody positive in England in 2005, divided by three regions | |
|
|
Number |
| Source: Health Protection Agency | |
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients (a) of each sex and (b) in each socio-economic group have been diagnosed with hepatitis C in the last five years. [62010]
Anne Milton: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is shown in the following table.
| Hepatitis C Laboratory Reports by Sex, England and Wales, 2005-09 | ||
|
|
Male | Female |
| Source: Health Protection Agency | ||
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people aged (a) under 15, (b) between 15 and 59 and (c) over 59 years in each (i) strategic health authority, (ii) primary care trust and (iii) parliamentary constituency were diagnosed with hepatitis C in each year since 1997. [62011]
Anne Milton: The available information is shown in the following tables.
| Hepatitis C laboratory reports (age specific), England by region and year, 1997-2009 | ||||||||||||||
| Under 15 years | ||||||||||||||
|
|
1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | Total |
| 15 to 59 years | ||||||||||||||
|
|
1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | Total |
28 Jun 2011 : Column 775W
28 Jun 2011 : Column 776W
| 60 years or above | ||||||||||||||
|
|
1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | Total |
| Note: Information on hepatitis C diagnoses is only currently available down to regional level. Source: Health Protection Agency | ||||||||||||||
Hepatitis: Mortality Rates
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what data his Department collects on the (a) incidence of and (b) mortality rates from hepatitis C in England; and if he will make a statement. [62008]
Anne Milton: The Health Protection Agency (HPA) does not routinely collect data on the incidence of hepatitis C because cases are difficult to detect, as they usually occur without symptoms, and there are no reliable laboratory assays to identify them.
The HPA analyses mortality data collected by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to monitor the number of deaths coded both to hepatitis C and to end-stage liver disease or hepatocellular carcinoma. As these data are likely to be subject to some under-ascertainment (due to incomplete coding), the HPA estimates mortality from hepatitis C related liver disease using both ONS death registrations and Hospital Episode Statistics data. This information is shown in the following tables:
| ONS registered deaths from hepatitis C related end stage liver disease or hepatocellular cancer, England, 2005-09 | |
| HPA estimated deaths from hepatitis C related end stage liver disease or hepatocellular carcinoma | |
Hospitals: Attendance
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of missed appointments in each of the last five years; [61985]
(2) if he will introduce financial penalties for missing NHS appointments. [61986]
Mr Simon Burns: No estimates have been made centrally of the cost to the national health service of missed appointments. The financial cost of “did not attends” is notoriously difficult to calculate as NHS staff can use missed appointment time productively, seeing other patients; catching up on ‘paperwork’ or spending time on personal development and training.
Across the NHS, organisations should be seeking to understand and address how best to achieve reductions in their areas. The introduction of new technologies that allow patients to book and cancel appointments on-line, combined with improved telecommunication systems with the use of SMS texts, email and appointment reminder systems can all help to reduce missed appointments. We believe that encouraging patients to use the NHS sensibly and responsibly is the right approach; and have no plans for imposing financial penalties on patients.
Hospitals: Safety
Mr Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS spent on safety and control measures in respect of patients and their visitors in each hospital in the latest period for which figures are available. [62697]
Mr Simon Burns: The information requested on how much the national health service spent on safety and control measures in respect of patients and their visitors in each hospital is not available.
28 Jun 2011 : Column 777W
Learning Disability
Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has for the provision of services for people with a learning disability who develop dementia in later life; and what plans he has for provision of support to families and carers of older people who have a learning disability; [61877]
(2) what plans he has for future support of the ageing population of people with a learning disability; and what assessment his Department has made of trends in the life expectancy of people with a learning disability. [61878]
Paul Burstow: The Department is committed to improving services for all people with dementia including those with learning disabilities. They should be helped to live well with dementia, no matter what the stage of their illness or where they are in the health and social care system.
A revised outcomes focused Implementation Plan for the National Dementia Strategy was launched in September 2010, and this has a greater focus on local delivery and accountability in four key areas:
good quality early diagnosis and intervention for all;
improved quality of care in general hospitals;
living well with dementia in care homes; and
reduced use of antipsychotic medication.
In the updated Carers Strategy, ‘Recognised, valued and supported: Next steps for the Carers Strategy’, we announced additional funding of £400 million to the national health service between 2011 and 2015 to enable more carers including those caring for people with learning disabilities to take breaks from their caring responsibilities.
From 1 April, the Government have made £150 million available for re-ablement and £650 million for social care spend for front line services. This money will help people to leave hospital more quickly, get settled back at home with the support they need, and to prevent unnecessary admissions to hospital.
The Department has not conducted analyses of trends in life expectancy of people with learning disabilities, in our analyses of demographic pressures on services for learning disabilities. However we do take account of expected future rises in the numbers of people with learning disabilities as projected by the Centre for Disability Research at the university of Lancaster.
Leukaemia: Drugs
Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on the approach of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to the funding of drugs for people diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia. [61879]
Paul Burstow: Since May 2010, we have received around 300 representations, including the hon. Member's question, regarding the ongoing National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) appraisal of dasatinib, high-dose imatinib and nilotinib for the treatment of imatinib-resistant chronic myeloid leukaemia.
NICE'S consultation on its draft guidance closed on 27 May, and NICE will now consider the comments received before publishing its final guidance later in the year.
28 Jun 2011 : Column 778W
Multiple Sclerosis
Mr Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many multiple sclerosis specialist nurses are employed by the NHS; [62035]
(2) how many people (a) have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and (b) are receiving NHS care for this condition; [62036]
(3) whether his Department issues guidance on the maximum patient case load number for which a multiple sclerosis specialist nurse should be responsible; [62037]
(4) what plans his Department has for future numbers of multiple sclerosis specialist nurses in the NHS; [62038]
(5) which health service organisations will be responsible for the commissioning of hospital and community based specialist services for people with multiple sclerosis under the new organisational structures to be implemented in the national health service; [62039]
(6) what his policy is on the future of multiple sclerosis specialist nurses in the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [62040]
Paul Burstow: Information on the number of multiple sclerosis specialist nurses employed by the national health service is not collected centrally,
Information on the number of people diagnosed and receiving care for multiple sclerosis is not collected.
The Department does not issue guidance on the maximum patient case load number for which multiple sclerosis specialist nurses should be responsible.
It is the responsibility of primary care trusts to decide on the most appropriate work force levels, including specialist nursing posts, for their local population.
It is proposed that clinical commissioning groups will have responsibility for the commissioning of services, including specialist nurses, to meet the health needs of those living with multiple sclerosis.
Multiple Sclerosis: Drugs
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of primary care trusts funding Sativex in the latest period for which figures are available. [62292]
Mr Simon Burns: Information on primary care trust funding policies on Sativex is not held centrally.
For information on the number of prescription items for Sativex (including prescriptions written generically) that were prescribed in England and dispensed in the community in the United Kingdom, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Ipswich (Ben Gummer) on 13 June 2011, Official Report, column 646W.
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 7 June 2011, Official Report, column 84W, on multiple sclerosis, whether he expects the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to produce any guidance on the use of Sativex. [62380]
28 Jun 2011 : Column 779W
Paul Burstow: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) announced on 22 June 2011 that it plans to update its clinical guideline on multiple sclerosis, Sativex is one of the new interventions which NICE has identified for inclusion in its updated guideline.
NHS: Competition
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the future of the (a) principles and rules for co-operation and competition and (b) Co-operation and Competition Panel in the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [62783]
Mr Simon Burns: To emphasise the evolutionary nature of our approach to competition we are retaining the existing Principles and Rules for Co-operation and Competition—which reflect the principles of procurement and competition law—and the Co-operation and Competition Panel that advises on their application, as a body with a distinct identity within Monitor.
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the potential effect on (a) competition, (b) the role of the private sector and (c) the retention of experienced managers in the NHS of the proposed changes to his NHS reform proposals following the report of the NHS Future Forum. [62784]
Mr Simon Burns: Following the Future Forum's recommendations, the Government's response makes clear that the role of competition in the national health service must be as a means to improving services for patients, ‘never an end in itself’ and as a result of the changes we have proposed, Monitor would not have a duty to promote competition.
The Government are committed to giving patients greater choice and creating a level playing field, in which the best providers flourish, whether from the public, voluntary or private sector. We will make sure that what matters is the quality of care provided, not who owns the organisation providing it. As a result of the changes we have proposed, Monitor, the NHS Commissioning Board and the Secretary of State for Health would not be able to exercise their functions for the purpose of increasing the market shares of private providers.
The Government response to the Future Forum's recommendations also confirmed that we will ensure high quality management is valued across the NHS, with a commitment to retaining the best talent across primary care trusts and strategic health authorities.
NHS: Standards
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has conducted research on levels of confidence among NHS staff in the adequacy of future care to be delivered by the NHS. [62782]
Mr Simon Burns: There are no current plans to conduct specific research with national health service staff into their views about the adequacy of future care to be delivered in the NHS.
28 Jun 2011 : Column 780W
However, the Department recognises that measuring and acting on staff experience information is an important factor in delivering improvements for staff and in turn patients.
Information concerning a wide range of staff opinions on their work and workplaces is collected annually through the NHS staff survey, with data received and analysed from around 120,000 respondents nationally every year.
The NHS staff survey is well established within the annual activities of the NHS and is recognised as the key source for robust staff feedback information.
Prescription Drugs: Misuse
Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the public purse was of the reviews on addiction to prescribed drugs and over-the-counter medicines conducted by the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse and the National Addiction Centre; and how much was paid to each organisation. [62097]
Anne Milton: The contract to produce the literature review on addiction to medicines was granted following a competitive bidding process. We will therefore not be releasing information on the cost of the report, commissioned from the National Addictions Centre on grounds of commercial confidentiality.
The Department transferred funds to the National Treatment Agency (NTA) for their report “Addiction to Medicines—An investigation into the configuration and commissioning of treatment services to support those who develop problems with prescription only or over-the-counter medicine”. The NTA has spent £66,000 on producing their report.
Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which organisations his Department considered to review addiction to prescribed drugs and over-the-counter medicines prior to commissioning the National Addiction Centre and National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse to complete this work. [62098]
Anne Milton: Three organisations submitted formal bids to undertake the literature review on addiction to medicines. The Department will not be releasing the names of these organisations due to commercial confidentiality.
Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons (a) patient groups and (b) charitable and not-for-profit groups were not consulted as part of the recent reviews on addiction to prescribed drugs and over-the-counter medicines conducted by the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse and the National Addiction Centre. [62099]
Anne Milton: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement I gave on 11 May 2011, Official Report, column 38WS.
I will be leading work to involve relevant organisations and interested individuals to discuss the future action that is necessary in the light of the information contained in the reports. I look forward to discussions with Members of both Houses who have shown a long interest in this important area.
28 Jun 2011 : Column 781W
Prescription Drugs: Waste Management
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to reduce the amount of medicine which is wasted. [61987]
Mr Simon Burns: Following research into the scale, causes and cost of waste medicines in England, the Department and key interested parties took part in a round table event hosted by the King's Fund on 20 January 2011 to discuss possible actions that could be taken forward either nationally or locally.
There was agreement among all who attended that medicines wastage is a serious issue for the national health service and that action must be taken to tackle avoidable wastage of medicines as well as optimising medicines use to improve health outcomes. We will continue to work with the interested parties on this issue.
The report of the event will be published shortly.
Psychiatry
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the potential effect of National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines on psychotherapy on the provision on the NHS of the full range of psychotherapies for patients; and if he will make a statement. [62022]
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 has not produced guidelines on psychotherapy. 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.
NICE'S clinical guidelines represent best practice and are based on the best available evidence and developed through wide consultation. They relate to a whole pathway of care and can make a large number of recommendations spanning all stages of care from diagnosis to treatment of a condition.
28 Jun 2011 : Column 782W
In view of their complexity and because of the different states of readiness for implementation in the national health service, clinical guidelines are not subject to the same statutory funding direction as NICE'S technology appraisals.
Sex: Health Education
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department's Sex, Worth Talking About campaign material will be available for use locally. [61901]
Anne Milton: The Department's Sex, Worth Talking About campaign ran from November 2009 to the end of March 2010. The materials from the campaign have been available since April 2011 for local areas to use should they wish to and can be obtained from the NHS Choices Sexual Health Professional web pages, together with a guide on how the materials can be used. These can be found at:
www.nhs.uk/sexualhealthprofessional/Pages/campaign-resources.aspx
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Government plans to issue a sexual health strategy. [62020]
Anne Milton: The Department plans to publish a sexual health policy document later this year.
Varicose Veins: Medical Treatments
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the availability of NHS treatment for varicose veins; and if he will make a statement. [61916]
Mr Simon Burns: Ministers have made no assessment of the availability of national health service treatment for varicose veins. It is for local commissioners, in consultation with patients and the general public, to commission services that will best meet the needs of their population within the resources available to them. In doing so, they will wish to take account of available professional guidance on the clinical and cost effectiveness of particular procedures.