Leicestershire: 26,648
East midlands: 125,296
England: 844, 293.
Company Accounts
Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make it his policy that the level of fines imposed on small businesses for late filing of accounts with Companies House should reflect the annual turnover of that business. [87401]
Mr Davey: The level of fines imposed on companies for the late filing of accounts with Companies House is set in legislation, not policy, and depend on how late the accounts are when they reach Companies House. Neither the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, nor the Registrar of Companies can change the level of fines to reflect the annual turnover of the business incurring the fine.
The level of fines was carefully reviewed by Parliament during the passage of the Companies Act 2006, and it decided to have two penalty scales; one for public companies and one for private companies. Apart from this, Parliament decided to make no distinction between companies based on their size or trading status.
Advisory Services
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what contribution his Department has made to the cross-Government review of advice funding announced in July 2011. [84325]
Mr Davey: BIS continues to support the advice sector through maintained funding of the national umbrella bodies for the Citizens Advice service in England, Wales and Scotland. We will be working with colleagues across Government on the review of advice funding led by Cabinet Office.
Departmental Manpower
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff in his Department are working on the Green Investment Bank. [87089]
Mr Prisk: A Green Investment Bank team, which comprises 10 people, has been set up to manage the establishment of the bank and is supported by other areas of the Department such as legal and economic advice.
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff in his Department have duties which involve liaising with the Department of Energy and Climate Change. [87090]
Mr Prisk: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and the Department of Energy and Climate Change work closely together across a wide range of policy and operational areas and so a considerable number of officials are involved in liaising with the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff in his Department are working in the UK Green Investments team. [87096]
Mr Prisk: We have made the first senior appointments to the UK Green Investments team, comprising eight people, and expect to make further appointments shortly.
Procurement
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many contracts his Department has advertised on the Contracts Finder website in each month since May 2010; what the value was of such contracts; what proportion was awarded to (a) third sector organisations and (b) small businesses; and if he will make a statement. [75117]
Mr Davey: Following clarifications on system capabilities I can confirm that this information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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Company Directors: Disqualification
Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many D1 reports on the required conduct of directors under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 have been received by the Insolvency Service; and how many directors were disqualified under this Act in each year from 2005-06 to 2010-11. [86949]
Mr Davey: The information is as follows.
Disqualification orders and undertakings (section 2, 6 and 8 of the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 cases):
2005-06: 1,173
2006-07: 1,200
2007-08: 1,145
2008-09: 1,281
2009-10: 1,102
2010-11: 1,437.
2005-06: 3,675
2006-07: 4,107
2007-08: 3,991
2008-09: 4,752
2009-10: 7,030
2010-11: 5,373.
Export Credits Guarantee Department: Finance
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what consideration his Department has given to providing funding to the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) to ensure that new trade finance products offered by ECGD are marketed and accessible to small and medium sized enterprises. [86534]
Mr Davey: ECGD's operating costs are authorised through parliamentary vote, including the cost of its marketing services.
I also refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne Central (Chi Onwurah) on 9 November 2011, Official Report, column 377W.
Exports
Mr Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to encourage small and medium-sized enterprises to increase exports to emerging markets; and if he will make a statement. [87322]
Mr Prisk: UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) has identified 20 priority high growth and emerging markets which we are encouraging small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to export to. These are: Brazil, China, Colombia, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, and Vietnam.
UKTI is encouraging SMEs to increase exports to these markets by:
19 Dec 2011 : Column 1024W
raising greater awareness amongst UK business of these markets through events like 'Doing Business in Asia', 'Journey through Latin America', and 'Partner Middle East' around the UK; and through the launch last week of a new campaign (announced by the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague)), to encourage more British companies to export to Asia's high growth and emerging markets.
communicating to SMEs the specific business opportunities in high growth and emerging markets through a programme of research, and via UKTI's network of teams in the UK and in these markets.
launching a UK-ASEAN Business Council in November to help UK SMEs
succeed in these markets, and to sit alongside the China-Britain Business Council and UK-India Business Councils.
campaigning for better access for UK companies in these markets, including engaging in Government-to-Government trade dialogues, and also backing plans for ambitious EU free trade agreements with a number of these markets.
ensuring there are targeted services and advice available for businesses considering these markets.
To underpin this work, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, recently announced that UK Trade & Investment will double to 50,000 the number of companies it helps to export each year. A very substantial proportion of these will be trading with the top 20 high growth and emerging markets identified by UKTI. UKTI will plan to focus sufficient resources on these markets in order to deliver on this ambition.
Green Investment Bank
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills from what budgetary source the running costs of the Green Investment Bank will be paid. [87088]
Mr Prisk: We will establish an institution which is effective and affordable. We are still in the process of finalising the cost estimates. Reasonable running costs of the Green Investment Bank over the spending review period will be funded from BIS budgets.
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the Green Investment Bank will be a public authority for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. [87095]
Mr Prisk: This issue has not yet been finalised.
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 12 December 2011, Official Report, columns 61-63WS, on the Green Investment Bank, what form of support will be provided by the Green Investment Bank for the Green Deal. [87175]
Mr Prisk:
The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills explained in his written statement of 12 December 2011, Official Report, columns 61-63WS, that support for the Green Deal will be one of the priority sectors in the spending review period to 2015-16.
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This applies to both the Green Investment Bank and UK Green Investment (UKGI). We expect to commence discussions shortly with potential providers of Green Deal finance. All investment decisions will be made against a double bottom line of green impact and financial return.
Green Investment Bank: Pay
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what estimate has been made of the likely annual salary of the Green Investment Bank's chief executive officer; and what remuneration the board members of the Green Investment Bank are expected to receive; [87092]
(2) what the recruitment process will be for the Green Investment Bank's (a) chief executive officer and (b) other staff; [87093]
(3) whether the Green Investment Bank's staff will be paid annual performance-related bonuses. [87094]
Mr Prisk: The Green Investment Bank will be established as a Companies Act company following best practice corporate governance and operate at arm's length from Government. Odgers Berndtson has been retained to advise on recruitment strategy and remuneration levels relating to the Green Investment Bank. We will begin the formal recruitment process for the board and senior management team next month, with a view to appointing the Chair in spring 2012.
Green Investment Bank: Recruitment
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the recruitment process for UK Green Investments (a) staff and (b) fund managers will be. [87097]
Mr Prisk: BIS is committed to recruiting a high quality UK Green Investments team while ensuring that appointments provide value for money. The team is currently a mix of secondees and fixed term appointments.
On 12 December UK Green Investments launched a call for expressions of interest from experienced fund managers in the waste infrastructure sector.
Higher Education
Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many adults of each gender aged 24 and over took level 3 or higher qualifications in each further education establishment in the latest year for which figures are available. [86219]
Mr Hayes [holding answer 12 December 2011]: Table 1 shows the number of adult (aged 24+) learners participating on further education courses, Level 3 and above, in England by gender and provider type in 2009/10, the latest year for which final data are available.
| Table 1: Adult (aged 24+) participation on level 3 and above further education courses by gender and provider type, 2009/10 | |||
| Participation | Male | Female | All |
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| Notes: 1. All figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Information in this table is based on all government-funded learners. 3. These data include Apprenticeships, Train to Gain, University for Industry, Adult Safeguarded Learning and Further Education/Learner Responsive Provision funding streams. 4. General further education colleges include Tertiary. 5. Special colleges include agricultural and horticultural colleges, art, design and performing arts colleges and specialist designated college. 6. Other public funded includes central Government Department, central Government NDPB, public corporations and trading funds, local education authority (LEA), social services, other local authority, police authority, fire authority, local authority dept, local authority, NHS-English foundation trust, NHS-English non foundation trust, NHS-other organisations, independent school or college, UFI directly funded hub, dance and drama school, external institution, higher education organisation, school sixth form (not college), special learning needs establishment, other public organisation, charitable, non-charitable, other voluntary organisation, LSC region, special college academy. 7. Private Sector Public Funded includes Community Interest Company, Company Incorporated by Royal Charter (England/Wales), Employer Association, Independent Association, Industrial/Provident (England/Wales), Limited Liability Partnership, Limited Partnership, PRI/LBG/NSC/S.30, PRI/LTD BY GUAR/NSC, Private Limited Company, Private Unlimited Company, Public Limited Company, Sole Trader, Trade Union, Chamber of Commerce/Trade, Organisation in Business in its own right, other private organisation, business link. Source: Individualised Learner Record | |||
Information on the number of learners participating in further education is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 27 October 2011:
http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statistical firstrelease/sfr_current
Higher Education: Admissions
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (a) what discussions he had and (b) what research was carried out before he decided to allow the unrestricted recruitment by universities of students achieving AAB and above; and if he will publish information relating to any such discussions and research carried out. [85521]
Mr Willetts [holding answer 8 December 2011]:The Higher Education (HE) White Paper Students at the Heart of the System published in June, included a proposal to allow institutions to compete freely for students with AAB+ or equivalent grades at 'A' level. This proposal aims to free up the current restrictive approach to allocating student places to Higher Education Institutions and allow more students to go to the institution of their choice. Alongside the HE White Paper an impact assessment of the proposals was published on the BIS website which includes modelling of that policy. This impact assessment is available at:
http://discuss.bis.gov.uk/hereform/all-documents/
The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) consulted over the summer on the operation of teaching funding and student number controls in 2012/13 which included the freeing up of restrictions on the recruitment of new entrants with AAB+ or equivalent
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grades at 'A' level. The outcomes from the consultation including responses are available on the HEFCE website at:
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/learning/funding/201213/
HEFCE is committed to monitoring closely the impacts of the new policy and will offer formal advice as soon as is practicable.
Housing: Carbon Emissions
Margot James: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has any plans to allocate further funding to the Retrofit for the Future scheme. [86068]
Mr Prisk: The Retrofit for the Future programme is managed and delivered by the Technology Strategy Board, a BIS sponsored NDPB. The Technology Strategy Board is currently in the latter stages of a £17 million Retrofit for the Future competition which will see the retrofit of 115 homes to a target 80% carbon reduction and includes monitoring of the actual performance of the homes and reporting both the performance data and the practical construction findings through a number of channels including the Green Deal PAS2030 group.
In addition, the Technology Strategy Board has a programme of work on non-domestic retrofit which includes the support of projects, through its Building Performance Evaluation competition, to monitor the in-use performance of new and retrofit buildings, providing a feedback loop to close the performance gap between designed and in-use performance.
In terms of further activities, the Technology Strategy Board is currently in the final stages of offering £1 million worth of contracts to seven UK companies, who will be collaborating with European partners, to scale-up and product-ise the Retrofit process; delivering quicker and at lower cost.
Further work will also involve the Technology Strategy Board working in collaboration with the UK Green Building Council to look at the demand side of Retrofit, including understanding the marketplace packages and offers that will trigger consumers to retrofit their homes and create business opportunities for the construction sector. In 2013/14, the Technology Strategy Board proposes to allocate a further £8 million of funding to support Retrofit projects, the exact scope of which will depend on the outcome of current activities and the needs of business and Government at the time.
Insolvency Service: Disclosure of Information
Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many requests the Insolvency Service has received under the Data Protection Act 1998 to view D1 reports submitted by insolvency practitioners under the provisions of the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986, in each year since 1998. [86947]
Mr Davey:
Statistics of recorded requests for D Reports under both the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000 have been maintained by the Insolvency Service since 1 April 2005. No distinction
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is made between requests for a D1 or a D2 report so the following figures may include requests for each type of report.
2005-06: 26
2006-07: 33
2007-08: 4
2008-09: 0
2009-10:42
2010-11: 105
2011 to date: 89.
Investment Trusts: Environment Protection
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether UK Green Investments fund managers will be eligible for performance-related bonuses. [87098]
Mr Prisk: Proposed fee structures and levels will be taken into account when assessing potential fund managers.
Investment: Environment Protection
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the proposed £775 million funding for UK Green Investments in the next financial year will come from the £3 billion proposed to capitalise the Green Investment Bank. [87099]
Mr Prisk: Investments made by UK Green Investments will be funded from the £775 million allocation for 2012/13 made available in the Budget, which is part of the £3 billion allocated to the bank. Assets built up by UK Green Investments will transfer to the Green Investment Bank when it becomes operational.
Local Enterprise Partnerships: Local Nature Partnerships
Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on the involvement of local enterprise partnerships in the work of local nature partnerships. [87153]
Mr Prisk: Local enterprise partnerships will choose to work with partners on issues which align with economic and geographical priorities.
Manufacturing Industries: Finance
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the announcement of 6 December 2011 on the advanced manufacturing supply chain initiative, whether there is a closing date for applications to the fund. [87123]
Mr Prisk: It is expected that the initiative will be open for applications early in the new year. A closing date for applications will be set out when the full criteria for the initiative are published soon on the Technology Strategy Board website:
www.innovateuk.org
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Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the announcement of 6 December 2011 on the advanced manufacturing supply chain initiative, which manufacturing sectors will be eligible for funding under the initiative. [87124]
Mr Prisk: The scheme is open to bids from all advanced manufacturing sectors including both established sectors such as aerospace, automotive and chemicals, and newer growth areas such as energy renewables with a focus on sectors where barriers to entry are high and there is minimal risk of any public support displacing activity that would happen in any case. Further details of eligibility will be set out soon when the full criteria for the initiative are published on the Technology Strategy Board website:
www.innovateuk.org
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the announcement of 6 December 2011 on the advanced manufacturing supply chain initiative, when he expects monies to be distributed from the fund. [87125]
Mr Prisk: Distribution of funding under the initiative will depend in part on the spend profile of successful bids but it is expected that monies will start to be available before the end of the financial year.
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the announcement of 6 December 2011 on the advanced manufacturing supply chain initiative, how many firms he expects to receive funding under the scheme. [87126]
Mr Prisk: Up to £125 million is available under the initiative and a minimum bidding threshold of £2 million has been set in order to encourage projects of sufficient scale and depth to make a genuine competitive difference across supply chains. There is no restriction on the number of firms able to apply and small and medium enterprises and other supplier companies will be invited to work together where possible on project packages that together meet or exceed the bidding threshold.
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the announcement of 6 December 2011 on the advanced manufacturing supply chain initiative, what criteria he plans to use to assess applications made under the scheme. [87127]
Mr Prisk: Applications will be assessed by the Government's Technology Strategy Board which has a strong track record in supporting credible advanced manufacturing projects. Assessments will be based on the potential to leverage significant private investment; buy-in from the prime manufacturers at the top of the supply chains and potential to strengthen and provide better join-up across whole supply chains. Further details will be provided on the Technology Strategy Board's website shortly.
www.innovateuk.org
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Overseas Trade: Advisory Services
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the proposal by the British Chambers of Commerce to restructure the Overseas Market Introduction Service to a variable rate system depending on business size. [86533]
Mr Prisk: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne Central (Chi Onwurah) on 14 November 2011, Official Report, columns 629-30W.
Phoenix Companies
Mr Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to prevent companies, the directors of which have previously been convicted of fraud, from being resurrected as phoenix companies under the same management. [87762]
Mr Davey: A conviction for fraud against a director (even assuming that the fraud conviction relates to the person acting as a director of the relevant company) does not mean that the company of which s/he is a director is automatically closed after such a conviction.
Limited companies are separate legal entities from those who run and own them. There is nothing in law to prevent a director of a company who may have been convicted of fraud from acting as a director of a company or from forming a new company to carry on a business similar to, or even identical to, that of any other company providing he has not been disqualified from acting in the management of a limited company and is not personally bankrupt.
A criminal court may disqualify a director under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 at the time of a conviction for fraud. If a director has a conviction for fraud, and a company of which he is director subsequently enters formal insolvency, any misconduct may result in a disqualification which will prevent the director, without permission of the court, from acting as a director of any subsequent companies.
Post Offices
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many post offices in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland he expects to be converted into Post Office Locals. [87013]
Mr Davey: The Government's policy statement, “Securing the Post Office Network in the Digital Age” made clear that by the end of this Parliament over half the existing network of post offices will have been modernised, offering customers longer opening hours, shorter queues, and an enhanced retail environment. The Government expect around 2,000 branches to be converted to the new Post Office Local model by 2015 as part of this network transformation.
The exact location of new Post Office Local branches is dependent on the suitability of the Local model to the location concerned, the views of existing sub-postmasters on how the model can assist their business going forward, and the requirement by Post Office Ltd to both maintain a network of at least 11,500 branches and to continue to
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comply with the strict access criteria whereby, for example, over 99% of the national population must be within three miles of a post office outlet.
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) how many Post Office Locals in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland he expects will operate on a part-time basis; [87014]
(2) where Post Office Locals are located in premises which are open 24 hours a day over what period he expects post office services to be available. [87015]
Mr Davey: The Government's policy statement, “Securing the Post Office Network in the Digital Age”, made clear that the Post Office Local model will provide improved post office opening times related to the hours that the retail shop is open. To date, there are over 130 Post Office Local pilot branches in operation.
Findings from the pilot locations show that, on average, post office services provided through a Post Office Local branch have been available for around 35 more hours per week over and above traditional opening hours of Post Offices. This flexibility has been valued by customers, with over 20% of them conducting transactions outside traditional post office opening hours.
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills at which locations Post Office Local services have been trialled; and what feedback his Department has received. [87017]
Mr Davey: The Post Office Local model is currently being trialled in 134 locations across the country, with a further 38 planned by the end of the current financial year. This extensive piloting is enabling Post Office Ltd to comprehensively examine the model to make sure that it is fit for purpose in delivering a high quality customer experience, a reasonable return for the operator, and the long-term sustainability of the Post Office network.
In October 2010, Post Office Ltd commissioned independent research into the pilots, which showed over 90% of customers are extremely or very satisfied with their overall experience of the Local model, with around 80% of customers greatly appreciating the longer opening hours. In May 2011, Consumer Focus published independent research that found that 83% of customers found the overall experience at a Post Office Local—when compared with any alternative post office—at least as good, with a majority (61%) saying that the overall experience at a Post Office Local was better than an alternative post office.
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether (a) large parcel services, (b) applications for driving licences, (c) applications for passports, (d) issue of car tax discs, (e) cash withdrawals using cash books and (f) payments of benefits and pensions will be available at post office locals. [87018]
Mr Davey:
The availability of specific products is an operational matter for the Post Office and I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, the managing director of Post
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Office Ltd, to respond directly to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his proposed timetable is for the introduction of post office locals. [87019]
Mr Davey: The Government expect there to be around 2,000 post office locals by the end of this Parliament.
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many sub-postmasters in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland have applied to convert their post office to a post office local. [87020]
Mr Davey: The choice to seek to convert to the post office local model is for the individual sub-postmaster, and is voluntary. The exact location of new post office local branches is dependent on the suitability of the local model to the location concerned, the views of existing sub-postmaster on how the model can assist their business going forward, and the requirement by Post Office Ltd to both maintain a network of at least 11,500 branches and to continue to comply with the strict access criteria whereby, for example, over 99% of the national population must be within three miles of a post office outlet. I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, the managing director of Post Office Ltd, to respond directly to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what arrangements will be put in place to provide post office services during the transition to post office local; [87021]
(2) what public information campaign his Department plans to conduct on service changes associated with the introduction of post office local. [87022]
Mr Davey: Decisions on how branches will be converted to the post office local model are an operational matter for the Post Office. I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, the managing director of Post Office Ltd, to respond directly to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
However, the hon. Member should know that there is a code of practice in place, agreed between Post Office Ltd and Consumer Focus, which clearly sets out the steps that Post Office Ltd must follow to keep customers fully aware and to mitigate and minimise any disruption, where a sub-post office relocates to new premises.
Post Offices: Training
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether staff at Post Office locals will receive the same training as Post Office staff. [87024]
Mr Davey: Decisions relating to staff training for those operating Post Office local branches is an operational matter for the Post Office. I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, the managing director of Post Office Ltd. to respond directly to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
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Post Offices: Vetting
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what security vetting will be undertaken of post office local staff. [87023]
Mr Davey: Arrangements relating to the security vetting of staff are an operational matter for the Post Office. I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, the managing director of Post Office Ltd, to respond directly to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Regional Growth Fund: Higher Education
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many higher education institutions participated in Regional Growth Fund bids in both rounds 1 and 2 which were (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful. [85773]
Mr Hayes: Information on whether a project involved higher education institutions was not specifically requested from applicants. Based on the information received through the bids, 50 higher education institutions participated in Regional Growth Fund bids in both rounds. Of these, 18 were successful and 32 were unsuccessful.
Shipping: Southampton
Mr Denham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect on businesses of the ability of the
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Port of Southampton to accommodate
(a)
Maersk Triple E Class and
(b)
other larger container ships. [87173]
Mr Prisk: The Department has made no assessment of the effect on businesses.
Trade Unions: Training
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding from (a) his Department, (b) the Skills Funding Agency and (c) the European Social Fund has been made available to fund courses included in the TUC education union professional development programme in 2011-12. [86491]
Mr Hayes: The Skills Funding Agency is responsible for funding post-19 further education (FE) and skills provision delivered through FE colleges and training organisations.
Each academic year, FE colleges and training organisations receive a post-19 funding allocation at the programme level (for example budgets for adult skills, adult safeguarded learning and/or offender learning and skills). As funding is not allocated at the learning aim level the amount of money spent on TUC learning aims is not recorded centrally by the Skills Funding Agency.
The following table provides information on 2009/10 academic year funding rates for learning aims offered through the TUC Education union professional development programme, and funded by the Skills Funding Agency.
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19 Dec 2011 : Column 1036W
UK Green Investment Committee
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills who the members of the UK Green Investments Committee are. [87100]
Mr Prisk: I have established an Investment Committee, including members of the Industrial Development Advisory Board, to advise me on investment proposals made by UK Green Investments. The Investment Committee, which will be chaired by Fred Maroudas, currently BAA Treasurer, will have members from both the private sector and government with expertise in project finance.
Health
Accident and Emergency Departments: Waiting Lists
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate his Department has made of average accident and emergency waiting times at (a) South London Healthcare NHS Trust, (b) Lewisham Healthcare NHS Trust and (c) Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust. [86751]
Mr Simon Burns:
The information requested is not collected in the format requested. The following table sets out the median time, in minutes, spent by patients in accident and emergency (A&E) departments at the
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three trusts. All figures shown are the latest available and are for the month of July 2011.
| Minutes | ||
| Trust | Median | 95th percentile |
| Source: These data are published every month by the NHS Information Centre for health and social care on behalf of the Department of Health. The data extraction and analysis is done by Urgent and Emergency Care Team analysts in the Department of Health. This information is available from the NHS Information Centre's website at: www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/hospital-care/accident-and-emergency-hospital-episode-statistics-hes/provisional-accident-and-emergency-quality-indicators-for-england-experimental-statistics-by-provider-for-july-2011. | ||
A&E Clinical Quality Indicators (CQIs) were announced and implemented from April 2011. These are a broad set of measures on A&E performance including patient experience and clinical outcomes as well as waiting times. The CQIs were developed with input from senior clinicians and other stakeholders and were designed to move away from the previous narrow focus on time spent in A&E.
The median average is the middle value of a list of values sorted from lowest to highest and shows how long on average patients spend in A&E from arrival to discharge, admission or transfer. The 95th percentile is the waiting time for the 95th patient out of every 100, where patients are ordered from lowest waiting time (patient 1) to highest waiting time (patient 100). Therefore, 95% of patients have a waiting time equal to or below the 95th percentile.
Anti-depressants
Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether anti-depressants are included in the review of policy on addiction to prescribed medication; and for what reasons. [87386]
Anne Milton: The Government’s Drugs Strategy seeks to tackle dependence on all drugs, including prescription and over-the-counter drugs. We are leading work to prevent and tackle addiction to prescribed and over-the-counter medicine, including anti-depressants.
Winter Deaths
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has held with (a) the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and (b) the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on the contribution of energy-efficient housing to the Government's strategy to reduce excess winter deaths. [86962]
19 Dec 2011 : Column 1038W
Anne Milton: The benefits of improved housing energy efficiency have been discussed by officials during development of the Cold Weather Plan and Warm Homes, Healthy People Fund.
The Warm Homes, Healthy People Fund will support local authorities, working with their local community, the voluntary sector and statutory organisations in the coming winter to reduce the levels of death and morbidity which are due to vulnerable people living in cold housing.
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many applications for Warm Homes, Healthy People funding his Department has received from local authorities; and how many grants will be awarded. [86964]
Anne Milton: The Department has received 167 proposals for funding from top tier local authorities and departmental officials are currently sifting and examining the applications. We will be looking at the proposals and will decide which ones are suitable to be authorised.
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to provide Warm Homes Healthy People funding in (a) 2012, (b) 2013, (c) 2014 and (d) 2015; and what assessment he has made of whether in future years there should be an earlier closing date for applications. [86965]
Anne Milton: The Department continually examines all policies and will look at the effectiveness and success of the Cold Weather Plan, including Warm Homes, Healthy People fund, as part of that process. We will examine how effective the programme is in targeting help at the most vulnerable people in order to reduce death and morbidity this winter and in future years. Departmental officials will aim to ensure that adequate time is available for applications to be received and processed.
Dementia: Health Services
Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the likely effect of his proposed reforms of the NHS on dementia care for the elderly. [87211]
Paul Burstow: Improving the quality of care for people with dementia and their carers is a priority for this Government. Last year we launched a new outcomes focused implementation plan for the National Dementia Strategy. This makes clear our commitment to accelerate the pace of improvement through a greater focus on local delivery and local accountability and empowering citizens to hold local organisations to account.
Food Procurement
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on food purchased through its food and catering services in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [86998]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department has spent £501,676 on food and beverages in the year October 2010 to September 2011.
19 Dec 2011 : Column 1039W
Official Hospitality
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on hospitality since May 2010. [87156]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department has spent £785,510 on hospitality since May 2010. This figure includes that spent by arm’s length bodies and other sponsored visitors using the Department’s buildings.
Epilepsy: Health Services
Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of whether the West Midlands Specialised Commissioning Group is following expert clinical opinion in its commissioning policy on vagus nerve stimulation for patients with refractive epilepsy. [87115]
Paul Burstow: Regional specialised commissioning groups are accountable to their primary care trusts on all matters of governance.
Health Services: Internet
Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to promote access to online health care services for (a) patients and (b) informal carers and family members. [87420]
Mr Simon Burns: Further to our public consultation on an Information Revolution for health and adult social care, the Department is working to publish the subsequent Information Strategy by April 2012. Access to online health care services for patients and other service users, as well as carers, is being considered as part of the development of the Information Strategy.
Health Services: Private Sector
Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which organisations that provide private healthcare services (a) he and (b) each other Minister in his Department has met since May 2010; and on what date each such meeting took place. [87076]
Mr Simon Burns: Details of all ministerial meetings with external parties are published quarterly in arrears on the Department's website. Data from 1 January 2010 up to the end of June 2011 can be found at:
www.dh.gov.uk/en/Aboutus/MinistersandDepartmentLeaders/Departmentdirectors/DH_110759
Health Services: Cold Weather
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the potential effect that the provisions of the Health and Social Care Bill will have on his Department's Cold Weather Plan. [86963]
Anne Milton:
The Cold Weather Plan (CWP) sets out a series of actions to be taken by the national health service, social care and other public agencies; as well as by individuals and local communities, to minimise the
19 Dec 2011 : Column 1040W
effects of severe cold weather on health. The reforms in the Health and Social Care Bill should ensure that delivery of the CWP is more effective in the future.
At a national level, the Secretary of State for Health, will have responsibility for the protection of health. In practice, Public Health England (PHE) will exercise these functions. PHE will bring together a fragmented system, strengthen the national response on health protection and support delivery across the three domains of public health through information, evidence, surveillance and professional leadership. PHE will have a key role in producing future CWPs and advising local organisations on implementation.
At a local level, the Bill gives local authorities responsibility for setting up health and wellbeing boards which will strengthen the strategic co-ordination of services between local authorities and the NHS. Excess seasonal mortality planning at national level will be supported by PHE to complement delivery of services locally.
Herbal Medicine
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether (a) he and (b) his officials have met representatives of (i) Schwabe Pharma UK Ltd and (ii) the Safer Herbal Medicines Campaign in the last six months. [87621]
Mr Simon Burns: Ministers and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have not held a meeting with the Safer Herbal Medicines Campaign or Schwabe Pharma UK in the last six months. MHRA has periodic meetings with representative bodies, including trade associations, from the herbal sector and such organisations will sometimes be represented by individuals from specific companies.
HIV Infection
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government plan to take to tackle HIV stigma; and if he will make a statement. [87122]
Anne Milton: Tackling the stigma that can be associated with HIV is very important. Men who have sex with men and people from Black African communities are most at risk from HIV and the Department funds organisations that produce innovative programmes of work to help tackle stigma directed towards these groups.
The African Health Policy Network, through the Department's national HIV prevention programme has developed resources for Christian and Muslim faith leaders and African community based organisations. These faith toolkits are used to increase levels of awareness around HIV and to change perceptions of HIV and Africans in the United Kingdom.
In addition, the Department's new Sexual Health Policy Framework planned for next year will consider how work can be undertaken at all levels to reduce and challenge HIV stigma.
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Hospitals: Infectious Diseases
Dr Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average rate of incidence of (a) MRSA and (b) other hospital acquired infections was in each strategic health authority in each year since 1997. [86754]
Mr Simon Burns: The information requested is not available.
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The annual numbers of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bloodstream infections and Clostridium difficile infections (CDI) attributed to primary care organisations within each strategic health authority are provided for the periods for which they are available.
| MRSA bloodstream infections attributed to primary care organisations by strategic health authority | |||
| Number | |||
| Strategic health authority | April 2008 to March 2009 | April 2009 to March 2010 | April 2010 to March 2011 |
| Total reported C. difficile infections attributed to primary care organisations by strategic health authority | ||||
| Number | ||||
| Strategic health authority | April 2007 to March 2008 | April 2008 to March 2009 | April 2009 to March 2010 | April 2010 to March 2011 |
| Notes: 1. All included data cover financial years 2008-09 to 2010-11 for MRSA bloodstream infection and 2007-08 to 2010-11 for CDI. These are the time periods when it has been possible to estimate trust apportioned cases. Estimates of trust apportioned cases use patient location and specimen date and require patient level data. Collection of these data was introduced for MRSA and CDI in 2008 and 2007 respectively. 2. Data for methicillin sensitive Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli bacteremias are not provided as mandatory patient level surveillance only commenced in 2011 (January and June respectively) and full year data are not yet available. 3. Primary care organisation and SHA rates are not routinely produced. Source: Health Protection Agency's Healthcare Associated Infections Data Capture System on 21 April 2011. | ||||
Dr Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many incidences of (a) MRSA and (b) other hospital acquired infections there have been in (i) Ipswich hospital, (ii) West Suffolk hospital, (iii) Suffolk Primary Care Trust and (iv) the East of England Strategic Health Authority since 1997. [86755]
Mr Simon Burns: The information requested is not collected.
Data available from 2008 for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bloodstream infections and from 2007 for Clostridium difficile (CDI) infections are given in the following tables.
| Annual counts and rates (per 100,000 bed days) for MRSA bloodstream infections attributed to Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust and West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust | ||||||
| NHS Trust | April 2008 to March 2009 | April 2009 to March 2010 | April 2010 to March 2011 | |||
|
|
Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Count | Rate |
| MRSA bloodstream infections reports attributed to Suffolk Primary Care Trust (PCT) | |||
|
|
April 2008 to March 2009 | April 2009 to March 2010 | April 2010 to March 2011 |
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19 Dec 2011 : Column 1044W
| MRSA bloodstream infections reports attributed to the East of England Strategic Health Authority (SHA) | |||
|
|
April 2008 to March 2009 | April 2009 to March 2010 | April 2010 to March 2011 |
| Annual counts and rates (per 100,000 bed days) for Clostridium difficile reports for patients aged two and over attributed to Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust and West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust | ||||||||
| April 2007 to March 2008 | April 2008 to March. 2009 | April 2009 to March 2010 | April 2010 to March 2011 | |||||
|
|
Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Count | Rate | Count | Rate |
| Clostridium difficile reports attributed to the Suffolk PCT | ||||
|
|
April 2007 to March 2008 | April 2008 to March 2009 | April 2009 to March 2010 | April 2010 to March 2011 |
| Clostridium difficile reports attributed to the East of SHA | ||||
|
|
April 2007 to March 2008 | April 2008 to March 2009 | April 2009 to March 2010 | April 2010 to March 2011 |
| Notes: 1. All included data cover financial years 2008-09 to 2010-11 for MRSA bloodstream infection and 2007-08 to 2010-11 for CDI infections. These are the time periods when it has been possible to estimate trust apportioned cases. Estimates of trust apportioned cases use patient location and specimen date and require patient level data. Collection of these data was introduced for MRSA and CDI in 2008 and 2007 respectively. 2. Data for methicillin sensitive Staphylococcus aureus and E. Coli bacteraemias are not provided as mandatory patient level surveillance only commenced in 2011 (January and June respectively) and full year data are not yet available. 3. Primary care organisation and SHA rates are not routinely produced. Source: Health Protection Agency's Healthcare Associated Infections Data Capture System on 21 April 2011. | ||||
Mass Media
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 8 December 2011, Official Report, column 417W, on mass media, how much his Department has spent on media monitoring in each of the last five years. [86959]
Mr Simon Burns: The amount the Department’s media centre spent on media monitoring in each of the last five years is provided in the following tables.
| Department of Health | |
| Financial year | Spend on press cuttings (1) (£) |
| (1) The figures provided above are all inclusive of VAT. | |
| Department of Health | |
| Financial year | Spend on media monitoring (£) |
The figures for press cuttings and media monitoring from 2009-10 onwards also include spend for Connecting for Health, which joined the Department’s media centre from NHS Connecting for Health, following the merger of the media relations functions of the two organisations in April 2009.
Mental Health: Patients
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 have been released in each of the last five years. [86687]
Paul Burstow: The only central data collection on detention under the Mental Health Act 1983 (the Act) collects the number of uses of detention under the various sections of the Act each year. Therefore, the number of patients whose status has changed from detained to voluntary in each of the last five years has been provided in the following table:
| Changes in legal status of patients detained under Mental Health Act 1983 and to an informal (voluntary) status in national health service facilities and independent hospitals, 2006-07 to 2010-11 | |||||
| Number of changes in status | |||||
|
|
2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
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19 Dec 2011 : Column 1046W
| Note: The full KP90 publication is available here: www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/inpatientdetmha1011 Source: Tables 6a and 6b from the Inpatient Reference Tables 1011, KP90 2010-11, The NHS Information Centre. | |||||
NHS Foundation Trusts: Finance
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to ensure that Monitor properly exercises its role as a regulatory body in respect of NHS foundation trusts assessed as being at high financial risk; and if he will make a statement. [86969]
Mr Simon Burns: Monitor is the independent regulator of NHS foundation trusts and is directly accountable to Parliament. It was established in 2004 and its current powers of intervention, including the means by which finance is regulated and risk is assessed, are determined by section 52 of the NHS Act 2006. Giving NHS foundation trusts autonomy in how they operate to deliver responsive and locally shaped services is underpinned by this independent and proportionate regulatory model.
NHS Litigation Authority
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what discussions (a) he and (b) his officials have had with the Cabinet Office on the mutualisation of the NHS Litigation Authority; and if he will make a statement; [87055]
(2) what plans he has for the mutualisation of the NHS Litigation Authority; whether those plans include proposals to ask doctors to take out individual insurance for legal expenses; and if he will make a statement. [87069]
Mr Simon Burns: There have been no discussions between the Department and Cabinet Office Ministers on this issue.
Officials from the Cabinet Office and the Department held very limited and provisional discussions on the issue of possible mutualisation of the NHS Litigation Authority. Similar preliminary discussions were held between the Cabinet Office officials and the NHS Litigation Authority's senior management.
There are no plans to mutualise the NHS Litigation Authority, and no plans for further discussions on the issue between the Department and the Cabinet Office.
NHS: Pay
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether any (a) Chief Executives, (b) Chairs or (c) Board members of an NHS Trust in London are paid by means of payments to a limited company in lieu of a salary; and if he will make a statement. [87137]
Mr Simon Burns: The arrangements for paying executive and non-executive directors in national health service trusts are matters for the trusts themselves and their independent remuneration committees. Trusts are required to disclose the remuneration of their board members in their annual accounts.
NHS: Private Patients
Mr Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of referrals to the NHS from private health providers being made via the patient's GP without any unconnected conditions having been identified during treatment. [86808]
Mr Simon Burns: The information requested is not collected centrally.
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Mr Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of NHS appointments that resulted from a referral to the NHS from private health providers being made via a GP, in the most recent period for which figures are available. [86809]
Mr Simon Burns: Data relating to the number of national health service appointments that resulted from a referral to the NHS from private health providers being made via a general practitioner are not collected centrally.
Mr Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what his Department's policy is on the referral of patients to the NHS from private health providers via a GP without any unconnected conditions having been identified during treatment; and if he will make a statement; [86810]
(2) what representations he has received on the practice of acute trust managers requiring referrals to the NHS from private health providers to be made via a GP when no unconnected conditions have been identified during treatment. [86811]
Mr Simon Burns: Referrals to national health services where treatment will be funded by the NHS—other than for emergencies—should involve the patient's general practitioner. A trawl of the Department's correspondence database has not identified any representations on this matter.
Nurses: Standards
Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to increase the standard of hospital nursing care. [86830]
Anne Milton: At the heart of the health care reforms is a focus on improving the quality and outcomes of health care for patients. One of the NHS Commissioning Board's roles will be to provide national leadership in driving up the quality of care. The board, along with clinical commissioning groups, will have a legal duty to secure continuous improvement in the quality of services and outcomes. The chief nursing officer will have a specific remit to improve the safety and people's experience of nursing care.
There is a great deal of best practice guidance and resources in place that support the delivery of high quality, safe and effective care. The Energising for Excellence Framework being taken forward by the strategic health authority chief nurses, is a total quality approach to improving care. The ‘Operating Framework for the NHS in England 2012/13’ includes requirements to improve the care of older people and dignity and respect; a national Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN) goal relating to the use of the safety thermometer will help focus commissioners and providers on reducing the harm from pressure ulcers, falls, catheter-related infections and blood clots.
Nutrition
Jo Swinson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will assess the research conducted by the Schools Health Education Unit on the number of women aged
19 Dec 2011 : Column 1048W
between 14 and 15 years who would like to lose weight; and if he will consider the implications of its findings for public health policy. [87447]
Anne Milton: The Department takes relevant research into account in developing public health policy and will consider the research by the Schools Health Education Unit.
Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions (a) he, (b) his Ministers and (c) officials in his Department have had with Monitor on the Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust's financial deficit for 2011-12; and if he will make a statement. [86970]
Mr Simon Burns: The Secretary of State for Health, discussed Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in a telephone conversation with the chairman of Monitor on 29 November 2011. The Department's Ministers have not had discussions with Monitor. Richard Douglas, Director General Policy, Strategy and Finance has regular contact with the chairman of Monitor and other Monitor officials and Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been part of those discussions. Meetings and telephone calls specifically to discuss the trust have been held on 6 October, 18 October, 25 October, 28 November and 8 December 2011. The later two were meetings attended by Richard Douglas and David Flory, deputy NHS chief executive. Sir David Nicholson, NHS chief executive discussed the trust with the chairman of Monitor on 6 December 2011.
The independent regulator, Monitor, is working with the Peterborough and Stamford NHS Foundation Trust to ensure that the trust has a financial recovery plan and moves to a position where it will meet its terms of authorisation.
Rehabilitation Centres
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to develop and promote vocational rehabilitation services. [85761]
Maria Miller: I have been asked to reply.
We have cross-Government programmes of activity to help working-age people with a health condition or disability remain in or return to work.
Access to Work assists people with a disability or health condition to stay in work or start paid employment. Access to Work provides support towards the cost of equipment an individual needs at work; including a communicator at job interviews, adapting premises to meet an individual's needs, or paying a support worker. It can also pay towards the cost of getting to work if an individual cannot use public transport.
The Health, Work and Wellbeing programme is a co-ordinated approach to health and employment issues, and includes action to support:
Employers—support to deal effectively with health issues and sickness absence among employees, including Health, Work and Wellbeing Co-ordinators, occupational health advice services for
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small and medium-sized businesses and the Department of Health's Public Health Responsibility Deal Health at Work Network which aims to reinforce the positive link between health and work;
Individuals—support to remain in or return to work when health issues arise, such as the case-managed multidisciplinary Fit for Work Service pilots. The Royal Colleges of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, of Psychiatry, and of Surgeons have developed, in partnership with my Department, guidance for individuals and healthcare professionals about returning to work following a surgical procedure or a period of mental ill health; and
Healthcare Professionals—support for provision of good quality back-to-work advice to patients, such as the “fit note” which allows the GP to provide a greater focus on what people can do rather than what they cannot. In addition, the Royal College of General Practitioners has rolled out a programme of GP health and work training, following a successful pilot delivered in partnership with my Department.
Skin Cancer
Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will consider including skin checks in the NHS Health Check for adults over the age of 40; and if he will make a statement. [87415]
Mr Simon Burns: The NHS Health Check programme is a national public health programme for people in England aged 40 to 74. The purpose of the programme is to identify an individual's risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and diabetes, and for that risk to be managed through appropriate follow up. We continue to keep the components of the NHS Health Check under review but have no plans to include skin checks at this time.
Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps his Department is taking to raise awareness of the long-term consequences and severity of skin damage caused by regular exposure to the sun; [87416]
(2) what information his Department holds on the primary causes of (a) non-melanoma and (b) malignant melanoma skin cancer; and if he will make a statement; [87417]
(3) what steps his Department is taking to improve early diagnosis of conditions that are potential markers for skin cancer; and if he will make a statement; [87418]
(4) what information his Department holds on the cost to the NHS of treatment and management of (a) non-melanoma and (b) malignant melanoma skin cancer; and if he will make a statement. [87419]
Paul Burstow: The primary cause of both non-melanoma and malignant melanoma skin cancer is exposure to ultra-violet radiation from the sun or from artificial sources, such as sunbeds.
In 2011-12, to provide information and advice to the public and health professionals, we have funded SunSmart, the national skin cancer prevention campaign. SunSmart activities have included producing and distributing educational materials, organising a schools campaign, providing support to local providers working on skin cancer prevention and a major targeted marketing campaign in conjunction with a popular music festival.
19 Dec 2011 : Column 1050W
The SunSmart website also provides additional information about how to reduce your risk of skin cancer as well as how to spot the symptoms of the disease at:
www.sunsmart.org.uk
Information on the causes of non-melanoma and malignant melanoma can also be found on the NHS Choices website at:
www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Cancer-of-the-skin/Pages/Causes.aspx
www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Malignant-melanoma/Pages/Causes.aspx
The Department has also published implementation guidance for local authorities on the Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010 and information for sunbed businesses. The purpose of the Act is to prevent those under 18 years from being allowed to use sunbeds in commercial premises.
To support the national health service in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with skin cancer, in 2006 the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published ‘Improving Outcomes for People with Skin Tumours Including Melanoma’. We have made it clear that this NICE guidance will continue to be a feature of all commissioned cancer services.
The following table shows the estimated NHS expenditure on the treatment and management of skin cancer in England for financial years 2006-07 to 2010-11. This figure includes expenditure on both non-melanoma and malignant melanoma but it is not possible to break this figure down to identify expenditure on a particular type of skin cancer. It is also not currently possible to estimate expenditure on chemotherapy and radiotherapy by cancer type. Expenditure on these treatments is therefore included within the ‘Cancers and Tumour—Other’ category.
In addition, expenditure on some services areas or activities is excluded if it is not possible to make a reasonable estimation of expenditure by specific disease area. For this reason expenditure on general practitioner (GP) services, diagnostics and some out-patient services are excluded from estimates of expenditure on cancers and tumours.
Expenditure figures are from estimated England level programme budgeting data, which are calculated using primary care trust and strategic health authority programme budgeting returns and Department resource accounts data. Figures also include an estimation of special health authority expenditure.
| Gross expenditure (£ billion) | |||||
| Programme budgeting category | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
As part of our programme of work to deliver earlier diagnosis of cancer, to improve survival rates, a range of actions has been undertaken to support GPs in referring appropriate patients to secondary care. We are also in
19 Dec 2011 : Column 1051W
the process of considering further possible action to improve the public's awareness of the symptoms of the less common cancers.
Smoking: Motor Vehicles
Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what targets he has set for the Tobacco Control Plan; whether a behaviour change plan has been produced to reduce smoking in cars around children; and what steps he plans to take to evaluate the effect of such a plan on parents’ behaviour; [86974]
(2) what steps his Department is taking to work with the national media to raise awareness of the risks in exposing children to second-hand smoke. [87224]
Anne Milton: The Tobacco Control Plan, published in March, sets out three national ambitions: to reduce adult (aged 18 or over) smoking prevalence in England to 18.5% or less by the end of 2015 (from 21.2%); to reduce rates of regular smoking among 15-year-olds in England to 12% or less (from 15%) by the end of 2015; and to reduce rates of smoking throughout pregnancy to 11% or less (from 14%) by the end of 2015 (measured at time of giving birth).
19 Dec 2011 : Column 1052W
The plan also includes a number of commitments to help drive down smoking rates and reduce the harms from tobacco over the next five years. These include the launch of a national marketing campaign, planned for spring 2012, to remind smokers of the risks of exposing children and adults to second-hand smoke so that they take action to make their homes and cars smokefree. We will evaluate the impact of the campaign on smokers’ behaviour.
Social Enterprises
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 18 October 2011, Official Report, column 839W, on the public sector, when each of the 45 staff-led social enterprises was established; and if he will make a statement. [87572]
Mr Simon Burns: Since its introduction in 2008, 40 social enterprises have been established under the right to request policy by national health service staff working in primary and community care.
These social enterprises comprise approximately 10% of community staff and 11% of the community services budget. The following table lists the organisations and their go-live dates (as of 30 November 2011).
| Right to request waves (1) | ||
| First wave | ||
| Trust | Social enterprise | Go live date |
| Second wave | ||
| Trust | Social enterprise | Go live date |
|
Care and Support Partnership (SEQOL—Social Enterprise Quality of Life) |
||
| Third wave | ||
| Trust | Social enterprise | Go live date |
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19 Dec 2011 : Column 1054W
| (1) Data accurate is as of 30 November 2011 and is subject to change. | ||