Pakistan
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has raised with his Pakistani counterpart the death of Abdul Qudoos Ahmad; what steps he is taking to promote human rights around the world; and if he will make a statement. [105198]
Alistair Burt: I am aware of the allegations that Abdul Qudoos, a member of the Ahmadi community in Pakistan, was tortured to death while in police custody. Her Majesty's Government have made clear their concern about the treatment of minority religious groups such as the Ahmadiyya community and the wider human rights situation in Pakistan. While we have not raised this individual case we regularly discuss issues of religious freedom with the Government of Pakistan and the importance of perpetrators of human rights abuses being brought to justice. These issues were covered during the visit of the Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar in February. They also form part of the regular human rights dialogue the EU have with the Government of Pakistan.
Retirement
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) civil servants and (b) senior civil servants have retired from his Department since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [104151]
Mr Bellingham: According to our records, a total of 208 civil servants have retired in the period May 2010-31 March 2012. This includes 37 staff in the SMS (senior civil service equivalent) level.
The figures are for those members of staff who have left during the period and who have had immediate access to a pension. These figures do not include retirements from FCO Services.
Russia
Jo Swinson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to his Russian counterpart on (a) the Abuyeva
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judgment and
(b)
other outstanding European Court of Human Rights judgments relating to human rights violations in Chechnya; and if he will make a statement. [105679]
Mr Lidington: At Council of Europe Committee of Ministers Human Rights meetings we have urged Russia to demonstrate concrete progress on implementation of European Court of Human Rights judgments relating to Chechnya, and have specifically raised the Abuyeva v . Russia judgment. We supported the Committee of Ministers resolution, adopted in September 2011, which strongly urged the Russian authorities to take necessary measures to implement judgments. The UK has recently become a contributor to the Council of Europe's Human Rights Trust Fund, which is running a project to assist implementation of judgments concerning action of security forces in Chechnya.
We remain deeply concerned about grave human rights violations in Chechnya, and the entire North Caucasus region, including allegations of extrajudicial killings, torture and disappearances of individuals. We have made clear to the Russian Government that putting an end to human rights violations is a vital element in the achievement of a long-term solution to the North Caucasus' problems.
Sudan
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has had any recent discussions with representatives of the Chinese Government on arms sales to Sudan. [105144]
Mr Jeremy Browne: We are concerned by recent reports that the Government of Sudan may have transferred Chinese-made equipment to Darfur in violation of the UN arms embargo. We have raised our concerns about possible violations of the arms embargo, during discussions on arms sales to Sudan, in the Sudan Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council.
Syria
Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with its international counterparts on potential measures in respect of Syria in the event that it does not abide by the ceasefire. [105447]
Alistair Burt: As the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) said on 21 April we remain extremely concerned that the Syrian regime is still failing to meet its commitments, and that there has been further violence including the use of heavy weapons since 12 April when the Syrian regime said it was implementing a ceasefire.
We regularly hold discussions on Syria with our international partners. Most recently in New York, on 24 April, the Joint UN/Arab League Special Envoy, Kofi Annan, briefed the UN Security Council on the unacceptable levels of regime violence continuing in Syria. This followed a unanimous vote in the Security Council on 21 April to authorise a full mission to monitor the end of violence in Syria. On 19 April the
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Friends of Syria Core Group met in Paris, making clear their support for the Annan Plan and need for the full monitoring mission to deploy as soon as possible.
Western Sahara
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of recent developments in Western Sahara. [105461]
Alistair Burt: The political status of the territory of Western Sahara remains under dispute between Morocco and the Polisario Front. I am pleased to note the reduction in violations of the ceasefire by both parties as outlined in this year's United Nations Secretary-General's report. I also welcome the establishment of regional offices of the National Council of Human Rights in Laayoune and Dakhla and the visit by the UN Special Rapporteur for Cultural Rights in September 2011.
UK officials continue to visit Western Sahara on a regular basis to assess the situation there first hand.
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's policy is on renewal of the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara. [105465]
Alistair Burt: I continue to support the UN-led political process to encourage Morocco and the Polisario Front to reach a long-lasting and mutually acceptable political solution that provides for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. It will also be important to hold both parties to account for the human rights commitments they have made as noted in UN Security Council Resolution 1979 and to ensure that the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) is able to fulfil its mandated tasks unhindered.
Education
Children Act 1989
Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will publish data setting out the nationality and immigration status of all (a) children and (b) family members receiving public assistance under section 17 of the Children Act 1989 in local authorities in England in each of the last five years. [105309]
Sarah Teather: Section 17 of the Children Act 1989 refers to “Provision of services for children in need, their families and others”. Information on children in need has been collected annually from local authorities via the Children in Need (CIN) Census from 2008-09, and through the CPR3 survey before that. However the CIN Census and the CPR3 survey collect neither information on children's nationality or immigration status, nor information regarding the families of children in need.
Dyslexia
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what proportion of (a) children and (b) adults are diagnosed with dyslexia; [104883]
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(2) if he will estimate the proportion of children in each (a) socio-economic and (b) ethnic group who are dyslexic. [104884]
Sarah Teather: Data on formal diagnoses of dyslexia are not collected centrally. In January there were 78,135 pupils who were identified as having a specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia or dyspraxia) as their primary need at school action plus or with a statement of special educational need (SEN). This represents 1% of all pupils.
This figure is broken down by (a) eligibility for free school meals and (b) ethnic group in the following tables. These figures do not include pupils who are receiving support for dyslexia or other forms of special educational need at school action, as this data is not broken down by type of need.
| Table B: State-funded primary, state-funded secondary and special schools (1,2,3,4) : Number and percentage of pupils with a specific learning difficulty by ethnic group (5,6,7) , January 2011, England | ||
| Primary SEN need (7) : | ||
| Specific learning difficulty | ||
| Number | % (8) | |
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| (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes primary academies. (3) Includes city technology colleges and secondary academies. (4) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools. Excludes general hospital schools. (5) Includes pupils who are sole or dual main registrations. (6) Pupils of compulsory school age and above were classified according to ethnic group. (7) Pupils at School Action Plus and with a statement of SEN provided information on their primary need and, if appropriate, their secondary need. Information on primary need only is given here. (8) Number of pupils with a primary need of specific learning difficulty expressed as a percentage of all pupils of the same ethnic group. (9) Information was refused or not obtained. (10) Includes all pupils classified as belonging to an ethnic group other than White British. (11) All pupils of compulsory school age and above according to primary need. Note:Totals may not appear to equal the sum of the component parts because numbers have been rounded to the nearest 5. Source: School Census. | ||
Education Welfare Officers
Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many education welfare officers and exclusion officers were employed by local authorities in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many were employed in (a) 2009, (b) 2010 and (c) 2011. [105282]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 24 April 2012]:The information requested is not collected centrally.
Free Schools
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent discussions he has had with private sector providers on the establishment of for-profit free schools. [103351]
Mr Gibb: The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), meets a range of organisations each month and the discussions in these meetings cover a wide variety of topics.
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Human Rights: Children
Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what training departmental staff receive on the rights of children and child protection. [104299]
Alistair Burt: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) provides several levels of human rights training from introduction to advanced. A two day introduction course aims are to ensure that staff: have a basic knowledge of key components of international human rights institutions and how they operate; understand the relevance of their Department's work to the FCO's Human Rights and Democracy Strategy; and are able to identify and respond to potential human rights issues in their work area.
Consular staff are trained in the procedures they must follow when helping British nationals abroad. This includes what the FCO can and cannot do to assist those affected by child abduction in line with our publication “Support for British Nationals Abroad: A Guide”. In cases involving children and young people, particular attention is paid to issues covered in the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the “Fraser Guidelines” which recognises decision making capabilities in children in line with their evolving maturity. Staff are kept up to date with any changes to procedures and legislation through online information and workshops. FCO consular officers are not trained social workers or lawyers. Matters regarding the rights of the child and child protection are left to the appropriate professional bodies.
Staff overseas working for the UK Border Agency (UKBA) as entry clearance officers (ECOs) or managers (ECMs) are required to complete a mandatory e-learning training course, “Keeping Children Safe”. Further sessions on keeping children safe, which highlight the importance of child welfare and protection are included on the entry clearance officers /managers training courses.
FCO staff working as part of UKBA's International Group as Risk and Liaison Overseas Network (RALON) officers are required to complete a mandatory e-learning course, “Protection of Minors and Human Trafficking”. RALON training also includes a four-hour session on Children's Duty delivered by senior officers involved in Operation Paladin, a joint child protection team of Metropolitan police and UKBA officers at Heathrow.
For FCO staff working for the Identity and Passports Service there is specific guidance about issuing passports for children, including legislation on adoption and surrogacy.
Numeracy
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to improve numeracy in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools. [105205]
Mr Gibb:
Numeracy is the core foundation of mathematics. We are currently undertaking a review of the national curriculum at primary and secondary level in order to provide children with the essential mathematical knowledge needed when they leave school. At primary level, we are working with the professionals in the sector to promote an effective, proven way of teaching arithmetic. This will ensure that children leave primary school
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proficient in using efficient, written methods of calculation and with a good understanding of mathematical concepts to prepare them for the more complex mathematics they will encounter in secondary school.
At secondary level, we are increasing the number and quality of mathematics teachers with bursaries of up to £20,000 to attract the best mathematics graduates into teaching and we are expanding participation in the Teach First scheme. We are providing £6 million over three years to fund the National Centre for Excellence in the teaching of Mathematics (NCETM) to coordinate and quality assure continuing professional development (CPD) activities for mathematics teachers at both primary and secondary phases.
Private Education
John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many recipients of the education maintenance allowance were enrolled at independent schools in academic year 2010-11. [104960]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 23 April 2012]: 10,280 recipients of education maintenance allowance in the academic year 2010/11 were enrolled at independent schools.
Schools: Hygiene
Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will undertake an assessment of the effect of streamlining the School Premises Regulations on the standard of school toilets and washing facilities, and children's health. [104234]
Mr Gibb: The main effect of streamlining the School Premises Regulations will be greater clarity about what the requirements for all school premises are. To assess the impact of this simplification, and any other effects of streamlining, we carried out a public consultation on the new regulations. In it, we asked whether respondents agreed that the wording of the proposed standard adequately covers the requirements for toilet and washing facilities. Responses are being taken into account in finalising the regulation.
Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will take steps to ensure the new School Premises Regulations contain standards for toilets and washing facilities equivalent to those in the Workplace Regulations. [104235]
Mr Gibb: The Workplace Regulations cover adult employees and therefore apply to the toilet and washing facilities in schools used by teachers and other staff. Some of their requirements, adapted where necessary to suit use by children, will be included in the standards for toilet and washing facilities for pupils and in the supplementary guidance that supports them.
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Schools: Vocational Guidance
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the likely cost to schools of providing impartial face-to-face sessions of information, advice and guidance in (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14 academic years. [105228]
Tim Loughton [holding answer 24 April 2012]: Schools will be free to determine how best to meet their new duty to secure independent careers guidance, in accordance with the needs and circumstances of their pupils. Recently published statutory guidance requires schools to secure access to independent, face-to-face careers guidance where it is the most suitable support for young people to make successful transitions, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds or with special educational needs, learning difficulties or disabilities.
The Dedicated Schools Grant for 2012-13 has been announced. Together with the pupil premium, this forms the level of schools budgets. Schools should determine how much they wish to spend on careers guidance, including face-to-face provision. Costs will vary and are a matter for schools and the careers providers they choose to contract with. We do not hold details of these financial arrangements.
Teachers: First Aid
Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of teachers in Salford and Eccles constituency have received first aid training. [103589]
Mr Gibb: This information is not collected centrally.
Teachers: Pay
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will estimate the mean pay of (a) school teachers and (b) sixth form college teachers in each age group in (A) Portsmouth, (B) Hampshire and (C) England and Wales taking account of employment length and job-related responsibilities. [104426]
Mr Gibb: The information requested is not available in the format requested.
The following table provides the average salaries by grade and age group of full-time qualified teachers in service in publicly funded schools in Portsmouth and Hampshire local authorities and England in November 2010, the latest period for which information is available.
Teacher statistics for Wales are available from the Welsh Government at the following web link:
http://wales.gov.uk/topics/statistics/headlines/schools2011/?lang=en
| Average salaries (1) of full-time regular qualified teachers in service in publicly funded schools by age and grade. November 2010 , Portsmouth and Hampshire local authorities and England | ||||||||||
| £ | ||||||||||
| Age | ||||||||||
| Under 25 | 25-29 | 30-34 | 35-39 | 40-44 | 45-49 | 50-54 | 55-59 | 60 and over | All ages (2) | |
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| n/a = Not applicable. (1) The average is calculated using the mean. (2) Includes those where age is not known or unspecified. (3) Salaries have not been provided where the number of teachers are less than 10. Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest £100. Source: School Workforce Census | ||||||||||
Departmental Travel Costs
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many journeys (a) Ministers and (b) officials from his Department made by (i) train, (ii) coach and (iii) Government car in an official capacity in each of the last six months. [103632]
Tim Loughton: The number of rail journeys undertaken in each of the last six months (from October 2011 to March 2012) by Ministers and officials respectively is as follows:
| Rail journeys | ||
| Ministers | Officials | |
The number of journeys in Government cars is as follows:
| Journeys in Government cars | ||
| Ministers | Officials | |
This does not include all journeys made by the Secretary of State, as he uses an allocated departmental car and driver, and the journeys are not recorded individually. The Department does not have a contract for coach travel and therefore does not hold a central record of such journeys.
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Health
Accident and Emergency Departments
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was in the accident and emergency ward at Kings Mill Hospital in Nottinghamshire in each of the last three years. [105496]
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Mr Simon Burns: The data is not available in the format requested. Mean and median time waited (in minutes)(1) for all accident and emergency (A&E) attendances(2) at Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust(3) for the years 2008-09 to 2010-11(4) is available in the following table:
| 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |||||
| Provider code | Provider description | Mean | Median | Mean | Median | Mean | Median |
| (1) The time (expressed as a whole number of minutes) between the patient's arrival and the time the A&E attendance has concluded and the Department is no longer responsible for the care of the patient. (2) A&E Attendances in Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) relate to the number of recorded attendances. A&E attendances do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. HES A&E figures exclude planned follow up attendances. (3) A provider code is a unique code that identifies, an organisation acting as a health care provider (eg NHS trust or primary care trust). (4) HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in national health service practice. For example, apparent reductions in activity may be due to a number of procedures which may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and so are no longer included in admitted patient HES data. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, The Information Centre for health and social care. | |||||||
Ambulance Services
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) genuine and (b) malicious emergency calls were received by Nottinghamshire Ambulance Service in each of the last three years. [105498]
Mr Simon Burns: The data are not available in the format requested. Nottinghamshire Ambulance Service is part of East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust. Genuine and malicious calls received by the East Midlands Ambulance Trust are included within category C in the following table:
| Emergency calls for East Midlands Ambulance Service (1) | ||
| 31 March to 1 April | Calls | Category C |
| (1)Also includes urgent calls. (2 )During 2010-11 submission it was found that a trust had miscoded category A calls as category C. The 2010-11 data was resubmitted and is correct as published. The impact at national level in 2010-11 was 0.1%. This issue may have affected previous years submissions however the impact cannot be confirmed (a revised dataset for previous years is not readily available). Source: The Information Centre for health and social care | ||
Anti-depressants
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has made an assessment of the effect of long-term use of anti-depressants on the libido of patients. [105259]
Mr Simon Burns: Clinical trials submitted at the time of licensing have examined the safety and efficacy of anti-depressants. These data are carefully evaluated by the independent scientific advisory committee, the Commission on Human Medicines, and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) prior to licensing to ensure that the products work and are acceptably safe.
A reduction in libido is associated with the underlying condition of depression and anxiety and related disorders for which the anti-depressants are used to treat.
As with all effective medicines, anti-depressants may cause side effects in some individuals and it is recognised that the majority of anti-depressants can be associated with changes in libido and other sexual problems. Most cases resolve once the depression is treated and the anti-depressant medication is stopped. Where libido changes are known to be a side effect of an anti-depressant this is reflected in the product information for prescribers and included in the Patient Information Leaflet.
The longer term safety of the use of anti-depressants in routine clinical practice is closely monitored by the MHRA including reports of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) submitted by health professionals through the “Yellow Card” scheme. All new data, including data relating to the effects of anti-depressants on libido and sexual function, are carefully evaluated. Where appropriate, product information for prescribers and patients is updated and advice issued.
Care Quality Commission
Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for reform of the Care Quality Commission. [105503]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department has recently undertaken a performance and capability review of the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The report of the review, which was published on 23 February 2012, recognised the progress that the CQC has made in the past three years, and sets out recommendations to support its continuing improvement by providing a clearer strategic direction, strengthening the CQC board and developing and delivering the regulatory model.
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A copy of the report “Performance and Capability review of the Care Quality Commission” has already been placed in the Library and the report can be found on the Department's website at:
www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/02/cqc-performance-review
The Health and Social Care Act 2012 will make a number of changes to the CQC's functions. These changes will allow the CQC to focus more strongly on its key role in assuring the safety and quality of health and adult social care services.
Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Care Quality Commission's (CQC) Performance and Capability Review will assess the merits of (a) creating different inspection regimes to reflect the different types of providers inspected and (b) more clearly separating the roles and responsibilities of the former Mental Health Act Commission section of the CQC. [105560]
Mr Simon Burns: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care providers in England. Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the 2008 Act), all providers of regulated activities, including national health service and independent providers, have to register with the CQC and meet a set of essential requirements of safety and quality.
The Department published the report of its Performance and Capability Review of the CQC on 23 February.
A copy of the report “Performance and Capability review of the Care Quality Commission” has already been placed in the Library and the report can be found on the Department's website at:
www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/02/cqc-performance-review
The CQC will now respond in full to the recommendations made. The CQC has advised us that it intends to provide its response by the end of this month.
The CQC is responsible for developing and consulting on its methodology for assessing whether providers are meeting the registration requirements and published its guidance about compliance in March 2010. This sets out how providers in different sectors can demonstrate they are meeting the requirements.
The CQC has advised the following:
The CQC has a statutory duty to monitor how services exercise their powers under the Mental Health Act, to provide a safeguard for patients.
At the moment the CQC has a clear written protocol to ensure that its two primary methods of monitoring mental health services are effective and relate to one another. The first relates to the role of its Mental Health Act Commissioners and the second relates to its wider enforcement and inspection role.
Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many inspections of (a) acute and (b) secure mental health facilities were undertaken by the Care Quality Commission in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [105561]
Paul Burstow: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England.
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The CQC took over the regulation of health and adult social care under the Care Standards Act 2000 on 1 April 2009. National health service providers were brought into the new regulatory framework under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 on 1 April 2010. Since 1 October 2010, independent health care providers and adult social care providers have been regulated under the new framework.
The CQC has provided the following information:
In 2009-10 there were 117 inspections of independent healthcare services with mental health provision. NHS providers were not required to register with the CQC in 2009-10. The CQC is not able to break the figure down into acute and secure.
The following table shows the numbers of inspections for each type of provider for the years 2010-11 and 2011-12.
| Registered acute services categorised within the 'mental health' service user band | Registered secure mental health services categorised within the appropriate regulated activity | |
| Notes: 1. These figures do not include Mental Health Act commissioner visits for the period, which are: 2009-10: 1,709 visits 2010-11: 1,565 visits 2011-12: 1,502 visits 2. The number of inspections is against locations rather than providers. 3. Independent healthcare providers were registered under Care Standards Act until October 2010 when they came into registration under the Health and Social Care Act 2008. The figures for the two years are not comparable. | ||
The information in this table is correct at 24 April 2012.
Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many specialist mental health inspectors were employed by the Care Quality Commission in each of the last three years for which figures are available; [105562]
(2) following the announcement of the Care Quality Commission's (CQC) new judgement and enforcement framework, what plans the CQC has to recruit additional inspectors with a specialism in mental health. [105563]
Mr Simon Burns: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care providers in England.
The CQC is implementing a new regulatory model, which will see providers inspected more frequently. The Department has already agreed that the CQC will receive additional funding for staff recruitment in 2012-13. As an independent body, the CQC is responsible for the recruitment of its own staff.
The CQC has provided the following information:
The CQC does not employ compliance inspectors solely on their health and social care sector experience. Although many of its inspectors have specialist health and social care professional backgrounds, this is not an absolute requirement as all CQC inspectors are fully trained.
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Where specific clinical expertise is required the CQC can call upon clinical associates to assist in making regulatory judgements which have a specialist mental health element. The CQC is currently expanding this scheme and working with sector specialists and clinicians on revising its specialist guidance to inspectors on mental health.
The CQC engages over 90 Mental Health Act commissioners, who do not work as inspectors, but monitor services that provide a safeguard for patients detained under the Mental Health Act.
Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment the Care Quality Commission has made of its ability to inspect accurately (a) acute and (b) secure mental health services. [105564]
Mr Simon Burns: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care providers in England and it is responsible for developing and consulting on its methodology for assessing whether providers are meeting the registration requirements.
The CQC has provided the following information:
The CQC has conducted several assessments since 2009 and has sought to build on what it has learned in the last two years and listen to the feedback it receives. As part of the CQC's field force restructure in 2010 the design and delivery of all its inspections, including acute and secure mental services was taken into account. The CQC has also been working to align Mental Health Act functions with the work of the rest of the organisation, which has progressed but is still ongoing. In reporting its activity, the CQC will continue to maintain the distinction between MHA monitoring visits to individual patients and compliance inspections which assess how organisations are meeting essential standards. The CQC consulted in late 2011 on changes to its compliance model and judgment framework to simplify and strengthen its regulatory model. These changes are being implemented.
As part of its strategic review the CQC is considering how it might adapt its generic model to particular specialisations more effectively. This is to be piloted in mental health.
Where specific clinical expertise is required for inspections, the CQC can call upon clinical associates to assist in making regulatory judgments which have a specialist mental health element. The CQC is currently expanding this scheme and working with sector specialists and clinicians on revising its specialist guidance to inspectors on mental health.
Dental Services
Mr Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what requirement Birmingham and Solihull primary care trusts have to provide an out-of-hours dental service; and whether the National Health Service Commissioning Board will have responsibility for the provision of out-of-hours dental services from April 2013. [105149]
Mr Simon Burns: Primary care trusts (PCTs) are required by legislation to ensure out of hours services are available to the extent they consider reasonable. PCTs contract with local high street dental practices and/or the community dental service to deliver this care. This is part of their general legal duty to commission dental services to meet local need. As of April 2013 all PCT responsibilities for dentistry, including ensuring out of hours dental services, will pass on to the National Health Service Commissioning Board.
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Food Labelling
Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he plans to take in respect of food outlets which do not sign up to his Responsibility Deal agreements on calorie labelling; [105506]
(2) how many of the top 10 high street restaurant chains have complied with the Responsibility Deal agreement on providing calorie labelling on menus. [105507]
Anne Milton: A range of high street businesses are signed up to the Responsibility Deal Out of Home Calorie Labelling pledge including quick service restaurants, takeaways, coffee and sandwich shops, and casual dining restaurants.
All partners signed up to this pledge are listed on the Department's Responsibility Deal webpages at:
www.responsibilitydeal.dh.gov.uk
Annual updates from each business reporting on its progress will also be available on this website in the summer.
We will continue with an active programme of engagement and persuasion to secure continued growth in the number of signatories to the Out of Home Calorie Labelling pledge and other food pledges.
Food Safety
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for (a) Education and (b) Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on public education in relation to the role of anti-angiogenic foodstuffs in preventing (i) cancer and (ii) obesity; [105253]
(2) whether his Department has incurred expenditure on raising the awareness of (a) GPs and (b) the general public on specific benefits of foods that promote anti-angiogenic growth; and what the amount of any such expenditure was in each recent year for which data is available; [105256]
(3) if he will consider rating and labelling foods in respect of their anti-angiogenic properties. [105257]
Anne Milton: I refer the hon. Member to the written answers I gave him on 16 April 2012, Official Report, column 113W.
Given the lack of evidence to support a role for anti-angiogenic foods in prevention of cancer and obesity, we have not had any discussions with the Secretary of State for Education or the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, nor has the Department incurred any costs for raising awareness of foods which claim these properties.
Claims that a food can treat, prevent or cure any disease or medical condition are not permitted under European food labelling legislation, and this would include foods claiming to reduce cancer or obesity through anti-angiogenic properties.
General Practitioners
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the ratio is of male to female GPs. [105475]
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Mr Simon Burns: The annual workforce census shows that at 30 September 2011 there were 35,318 full-time equivalent general practitioners (GPs) employed by the national health service in England and there were 19,686 men and 15,632 women. The ratio of men to women GPs is 1.26 : 1.
Industrial Relations
Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many working days were lost in the NHS due to industrial action in each of the last five years. [104781]
Mr Simon Burns: Since April 2008, days lost to industrial action in the national health service are recorded on the Electronic Staff Record Data Warehouse. As this particular data field is not centrally validated, any analysis is subject to an element of uncertainty, particularly when identifying absences specific to local action.
The number of full-time equivalent days lost to industrial action is estimated to be around 200 in April to December 2008, around 20 in each of 2009 and 2010 and around 72,000 in 2011.
Liver Diseases
Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to publish the Government's liver strategy. [105315]
Mr Simon Burns: Professor Martin Lombard, National Clinical Director for Liver Disease continues to lead work with the national health service and public health stakeholders to improve outcomes for liver disease. The Government's alcohol strategy published 23 March 2012 and “Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A Call to Action on Obesity in England” published on 13 October 2011 will contribute to addressing liver disease. The liver strategy will be published in due course.
NHS: Foreign Workers
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) nurses and (b) doctors from each overseas country are working in England. [105476]
Anne Milton: This information is not collected by the Department.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) collects data on the number of admissions to the NMC register by overseas country.
The NHS information centre for health and social care collects data on the number of medical staff in England broken down by country of primary medical qualification.
The information has been placed in the Library.
NHS: Private Sector
Andy Burnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the NHS budget has been spent in the private sector, including contracts awarded to the private sector, since May 2010. [105501]
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Anne Milton: Patients have the right to be treated at a private sector provider, if that option is available and it is agreed with their clinician, provided that the provider meets national health service standards and NHS costs.
The proportion of the NHS budget spent purchasing health care from the private sector In 2010-11 was 4.8%.
As the following table shows, in cash terms, this represented an increase of 14% over the level of spending in 2009-10. This compares to the annual increase of 21% in the last year of the previous Government, when the right hon. Member was Secretary of State for Health.
| 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |
| Notes: 1. These figures represent the purchase of health care by primary care trust (PCTs) from Independent Sector Treatment Centres and other private sector providers. 2. The figures are taken from the audited summarisation schedules of PCTs, from which the NHS (England) Summarised Accounts are prepared. 2010-11 is the latest period for which statutory accounting figures are available. | |||
The table also shows that the level of spending on Independent Sector Treatment Centres declined in 2010-11 compared 2009-10. The right hon. Member will wish to be reminded that contracts with ISTCs, negotiated under the previous Government, included guarantees of payment regardless of how many patients were treated. The Health and Social Care Act 2012 will prohibit future Governments from favouring the private sector in such a way.
NHS: Screening
Mr Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer to Lord Walton of Detchant of 26 March 2012, Official Report, House of Lords, column 208WA, on in-vitro diagnostic tests, whether he has any plans to require health institutions to report adverse incidents with in-house pathology tests in the same manner as for commercial pathology tests. [105530]
Mr Simon Burns: Directive 98/79/EC on in vitro diagnostic medical devices (IVDs) includes an exemption from the provisions of the legislation for IVDs manufactured ‘in-house’ by health institutions. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) does not currently have any plans to extend the provisions of the directive relating to the requirement to report adverse incidents to cover IVDs manufactured ‘in-house’ by health institutions.
However, Directive 98/79/EC is currently the subject of a revision by the European Commission and revised legislation is expected to be published in autumn 2012, for agreement through the ordinary legislative procedure. The revised legislation is expected to maintain an exemption for health institutions manufacturing IVDs ‘in-house’; albeit with additional requirements for those health
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institutions to meet certain standards and an exclusion from the exemption for the highest risk devices. It is not yet clear whether the revised legislation may also include a requirement for adverse incidents to be reported to the MHRA by health institutions manufacturing devices ‘in-house’, although the MHRA will give careful consideration to the merits of such a proposal when finalising the United Kingdom negotiating position for the revision of the directive.
Nurses: Training
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has of the numbers (a) employed and (b) in training as (i) health visitors, (ii) school nurses, (iii) district nurses and (iv) community psychiatric nurses; how many full-time equivalents were in training in these groups; and how many were employed in each of these groups in each region of England in September of each year since 1990; and if he will make a statement. [105271]
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Anne Milton: The numbers of health visitors, school nurses, district nurses and community psychiatric nurses employed by the national health service in each strategic health authority in England for each year from 1995 have been placed in the Library. The data prior to 1995 is not comparable.
Information on the total population of non-medical trainees in the system is not collected by the Department every year. The number of non-medical trainees is monitored by the number of new commissions going into training in each financial year. However, as community nurse training is usually a one-year programme, the number of commissions in each year can be used as a proxy for the total number of full-time equivalent community nurses in training.
The number of community nursing commissions has only been collected from 2006-07 onwards. The number of health visitor, school nurse, district nurse and community psychiatric nurse commissions in England are shown in the following table:
| Number of commissions in each financial year since 2006-07 | |||||||||||
| NHS | |||||||||||
| North East | North West | Yorkshire and the Humber | East Midlands | West Midlands | East of England | London | South East Coast | South Central | South West | England | |
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| Source: Multi professional education and training monitoring returns. | |||||||||||
Nutrition
Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when Ministers in his Department next plan to travel to Jersey to discuss the implementation of the Food Supplements Directive and the Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation; [105210]
(2) whether his Department received a timetable from the representatives of the Jersey and Guernsey Governments on implementing the Food Supplements Directive and the Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation in their respective states; [105211]
(3) when Ministers in his Department last discussed the Food Supplements Directive and the Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation with representatives from the Jersey and Guernsey Governments. [105212]
Anne Milton: As policy responsibility for the Crown dependencies lies with the Ministry of Justice, Health Ministers have not had discussions with the authorities in Jersey and Guernsey and have no plans to visit either Crown dependency at this time.
Officials in the Ministry of Justice have received information from both Crown dependencies that they are taking the necessary steps to implement these European Union Regulations at the earliest opportunity and continue to treat this legislation as a priority.
Organs: Donors
Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to support organ donation. [105036]
Anne Milton: Since the publication of the Organ Donation Taskforce report in 2008, a great deal of work has taken place to strengthen the donation programme and increase the number of organs available for patients. Since then organ donor rates have increased by around 35% and continue to rise.
We have a number of initiatives to encourage people to add their name to the Organ Donation Register (ODR). Much of this work is led by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) in conjunction with a number of partners in the private, public and third sectors. For example, people may sign up to the ODR when they register with a new general practitioner, when applying for a new passport, when applying for a European Health Insurance Card and when applying for a Boots advantage card. We have established a prompted choice scheme, working in partnership with the Department of Transport and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, which requires people applying for a driving licence online to answer a question about organ donation.
NHSBT have also begun preparations for Transplant Week 2012, which will run from 9 to 15 July 2012. The week provides the opportunity to drive public awareness of the need to sign up to the ODR.
There are now over 200 highly trained Specialist Nurses for Organ Donation based in hospitals across the country. Clinical Leads for Organ Donation have also been appointed in every acute hospital working closely with hospital Organ Donation Committees to increase donation rates.
A Transitional Steering Group (TSG) has been established to help maintain the momentum. The TSG will be focusing on the six big wins—optimising deceased donation rates through undertaking Brainstem Death Testing and considering Donation after Cardiac Death in all appropriate circumstances, increasing consent rates, increasing donation from emergency medicine, timely referral of donors and better donor management.
Primary Care Trusts: Foreign Nationals
Dr Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what information his Department holds on the number of primary care trusts in England that have failed to recover money owed by foreign nationals for NHS treatment in each year between 1997 and 2011; [105121]
(2) how much was owed to Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust in unpaid bills incurred by foreign nationals in each year between 1997 and 2011; [105122]
(3) if he will publish a breakdown by region of the number of primary care trusts in England that have failed to recover money owed by foreign nationals for NHS treatment in the latest period for which figures are available. [105123]
Anne Milton: National health service trusts and foundation trusts make and recover charges from overseas visitors who are not entitled to free NHS hospital treatment under regulations.
The Department does not hold information on the number of NHS trusts that have failed to recover money owed by overseas visitors nor the amount owed to Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust in unpaid bills by overseas visitors. The Department does hold information on the total amounts by year that NHS trusts have invoiced overseas visitors for NHS hospital treatment, and the total amounts by year of debt relating to overseas visitors that NHS trusts have written off, but the written off debt figure may relate to invoices raised in earlier financial years.
My hon. Friend may wish to approach Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust for information on how much was owed to it in unpaid bills by overseas visitors.
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Sleep Apnoea
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of NHS services for people with sleep apnoea; and if he will make a statement. [105450]
Mr Simon Burns: It is for national health service organisations to determine the needs of their local population, including those in relation to sleep apnoea.
The Department is working with the British Lung Foundation, who have set up an expert group to research the issues that affect patients and health care professionals in relation to services for people with sleep apnoea.
Speech Therapy: Children
Sir Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress he has made on implementing the recommendations of the Bercow Review on speech therapy for children; and if he will make a statement. [105240]
Anne Milton: The Government has taken forward the recommendations in the “Better Communication Plan”, the Government's response to the Bercow Review. This has included: the appointment of a communication champion; the establishment of a communications council; commissioning a programme of research through the Centre for Educational Development and Research at the university of Warwick; a programme of grants to support the alternative and augmentative sector; a commissioning support programme; and support for voluntary sector led national year of communication in 2011.
We are also taking action to support the delivery of universal services that promote language development. For example, we are committed to growing, by 2015, the health visitor workforce by 4,200 through a four year transformational programme of recruitment and retention, professional development and improved commissioning linked to public health improvement.
In addition, on 26 January 2012 the Government launched the children and young people's health outcomes strategy. The strategy will identify a set of measurable outcomes that are meaningful to children, young people and families and that have the potential to drive real improvements in the system, including services for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs.
Surgery: Waiting Times
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was for an operation at Kings Mill Hospital in Nottinghamshire in each of the last three years. [105497]
Mr Simon Burns: The data is not available in the format requested. Referral to Treatment (RTT) waiting times for Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for March 2009 to February 2012 is available in the following table:
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| Average (median) 'time waited' for RTT patients that started admitted treatment during the month (in weeks) | |
| Note: Median waiting times are calculated from aggregate data, rather than patient level data, and therefore are only estimates of the position on average waits. Source: Department of Health RTT waiting times statistics (Unify2 data collection) | |
Tobacco: Packaging
Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the evidential basis is for his policy that the introduction of plain packaging for all cigarette brands will reduce the number of smokers; [105588]
(2) what assessment he has made of whether the introduction of plain packaging for all cigarette brands will comply with intellectual property law; [105589]
(3) whether he has discussed with the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the introduction of plain packaging for all cigarette brands may lead to an increase in smuggling of contraband cigarettes; [105590]
(4) whether he has discussed with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills the potential effect that the introduction of plain packaging for all cigarette brands may have on jobs and businesses involved in tobacco production. [105591]
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Anne Milton: On 16 April 2012, the Government published a “Consultation on the standardised packaging of tobacco products”, a copy of which has already been placed in the Library. The consultation is being undertaken, with the agreement of the devolved Administrations, on a United Kingdom-wide basis.
The Government have an open mind about standardised packaging. Through the consultation, we want to understand whether there is evidence to demonstrate that the standardised packaging of tobacco products would have an additional public health benefit, over and above existing tobacco control initiatives. The consultation asks whether standardised packaging could improve public health by:
reducing the appeal of tobacco products to consumers;
increasing the effectiveness of health warnings on the packaging of tobacco products;
reducing the ability of tobacco packaging to mislead consumers about the harmful effects of smoking; and
having a positive effect on smoking-related attitudes, beliefs, intentions and behaviours, particularly among children and young people.
Through the consultation, we are also seeking views on whether there might be legal or other implications if standardised packaging requirements were introduced.
A consultation-stage Impact Assessment (IA) has also been published alongside the consultation document, which sets out our initial assessment of the potential impacts of the policy. Interested parties are invited to also provide views on this IA, including the impact that standardised packaging could have on businesses.
The consultation will be open from 16 April to 10 July 2012. Any person, business or organisation with an interest is encouraged to respond.
To inform responses to the consultation and any subsequent policy-making, the Department commissioned a systematic review of the evidence on plain tobacco packaging, “Plain Tobacco Packaging: A Systematic Review”. The review was supported through the Public Health Research Consortium (PHRC), a network of researchers funded by the Department's Policy Research Programme. The evidence review was published by the PHRC at the same time as the consultation and is available on the internet at:
http://phrc.lshtm.ac.uk/project_2011-2016_006.html
Discussions on health policy issues take place regularly between Ministers, and the potential unintended consequences of standardised tobacco packaging have been discussed at official level during the development of the consultation document.
We will await the outcome of the consultation and analysis of the responses before any decision is made whether to proceed with a policy of standardised packaging for tobacco.
Copies of the IA and the PHRC's evidence review have been placed in the Library.