Congenital Abnormalities

Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many live births occurred of infants with (a) spina bifida, (b) hydrocephalus and (c) other neural tube defects in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement. [105896]

Anne Milton: These data are not held centrally by the Department, but are collected and published by the British Isles Network of Congenital Anomaly Registers (BINOCAR).

The following information gives the numbers of live born babies with neural tube disorders and hydrocephalus in the English registers for 2001-10.

These data are for the following five English regional congenital anomaly registers:

Berkshire and Buckinghamshire (CAROBB);

East Midlands and South Yorkshire (EMSYCAR);

Northern region (NorCAS);

South West region (SWCAR), and

Wessex (WANDA).

They cover 32% of the births in England. All registers except SWCAR provided data for all years; SWCAR have provided data for 2005-10.

There are two other registers in England that have not yet provided data to BINOCAR but are developing the processes to be able to shortly. The registers therefore cover 49% of the births in England but BINOCAR currently only has data for 32% of births.

Spina bifida
Anomaly   Number of cases (live births)

Spina Bifida

2001

11

 

2002

19

 

2003

18

 

2004

21

 

2005

22

 

2006

26

 

2007

24

 

2008

34

30 Apr 2012 : Column 1293W

 

2009

34

 

2010

40

Hydrocephalus
Anomaly   Number of cases (Live births)

Hydrocephalus

2001

35

 

2002

39

 

2003

23

 

2004

27

 

2005

50

 

2006

69

 

2007

65

 

2008

72

 

2009

61

 

2010

70

Other neural tube defects
Anomaly   Number of cases (Live births)

Anencephalus and similar

2001

(1)

 

2002

(1)

 

2003

(1)

 

2004

(1)

 

2005

7

 

2006

7

 

2007

8

 

2008

10

 

2009

6

 

2010

(1)

     

Encephalocele

2001

(1)

 

2002

(1)

 

2003

5

 

2004

7

 

2005

(1)

 

2006

(1)

 

2007

5

 

2008

(1)

 

2009

7

 

2010

6

(1) Numbers have been suppressed where there were less than five cases recorded

Consultants

Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many management consultants were employed by his Department and its agencies in (a) the most recent period for which figures are available and (b) each of the last two years; and what the total cost to his Department has been. [105369]

Mr Simon Burns: The core Department, Connecting for Health and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), do not employ management consultants. They contract for the delivery of consultancy services from companies and do not keep central

30 Apr 2012 : Column 1294W

records of the number of management consultants used by those companies to deliver the services for each contract.

The Department does not keep central records on ‘management consultancy’ expenditure in the specific form requested. The total expenditure on all consultancy services by the core Department, Connecting for Health and the MHRA for financial years 2009-10 and 2010-11 is set out in the following table; validated full year expenditure on consultancy services for 2011-12 is not yet available. The figures are based on the definition of consultancy services provided by the Government Procurement Service (formerly the Office of Government Commerce).

£
  2009-10 2010-11

Core Department

108.3 million

9.8 million

Connecting For Health

6.3 million

5.0 million

MHRA

264,755

14,400

Dental Services: X-rays

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what discussions he had with Ministers in the Home Department on the UK Border Agency’s trial of dental X-rays for age assessment purposes prior to the commencement of that trial on 29 March 2012; [105989]

(2) whether he has raised concerns with Ministers in the Home Department about the UK Border Agency’s trial of dental X-rays for age assessment purposes; [105990]

(3) what representations his Department has received about the UK Border Agency’s trial of dental X-rays for age assessment purposes; [105991]

(4) whether his Department gave approval for the age assessments dental X-ray pilot. [106037]

Anne Milton: The Department of Health’s approval was not formally sought for this study.

Concerns about the trial were raised by the chief medical officer on behalf of the Department of Health. As currently presented, the study would be deemed to be a research trial, falls within the research governance framework and does require approval from an ethics committee of the National Research Ethics Service.

Department of Health officials have had discussions with Department for Education and UK Border Agency officials about the proposed trial. We have also received representations from a number of organisations.

Diabetes

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps his Department has taken to improve education and health checks in schools on the risks associated with both types of diabetes. [106317]

Paul Burstow: The Department has worked in partnership with school nurses, professional bodies and young people as part of the School Nursing Development Programme. We have developed a new vision and model for the profession covering many elements of health and wellbeing

30 Apr 2012 : Column 1295W

for children and young people aged. 5-19. The report and call to action from this programme, “Getting it right for children, young people and families” was published in March 2012. A copy of the report has been placed in the Library and is available at:

www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_133011

This will assist in the delivery of the Healthy Child Programme and will help local areas to shape their school nursing services.

The Department has also this year introduced a Best Practice Tariff (BPT) for Paediatric Diabetes. The BPT sets out a number of criteria that diabetes services must fulfil in treating and caring for children and young people with diabetes in order to receive a payment. One of the criteria is for additional visits to be made to the child by a diabetes specialist nurse or dietitian during a year, which may include school visits.

Epilepsy: Health Services

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 27 March 2012, Official Report, column 1106W, on epilepsy: health services, what information (a) his Department and (b) the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence holds on compliance with the recommendation that a review by an epilepsy specialist should take place within two weeks of presentation. [105899]

Paul Burstow: This information is not collected.

To support implementation of its clinical guideline on the diagnosis and management of the epilepsies in adults and children in primary and secondary care, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has produced guidance and tools to determine the level of service need that might be needed locally. This includes a baseline assessment tool that can be used by organisations to identify if they are in line with practice recommended in NICE guidance and to help them plan activity that will help them meet the recommendations.

General Practitioners

Dr Phillip Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to ensure GPs communicate the changes to health and social care to NHS patients. [104389]

Mr Simon Burns: Communicating the changes to health and social care to national health service patients is not the responsibility of general practitioners (GPs). This is part of the role of strategic health authorities

30 Apr 2012 : Column 1296W

and primary care trusts and, going forward, the NHS Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs).

We are working with emerging CCGs to put in place development opportunities and support for those individual GPs (and other health care professionals) who are coming forward to take on leadership roles.

We are also working with stakeholder organisations to understand what support member practices would like as they develop their CCG—including sharing best practice, and providing support material.

Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what checks are made on whether an applicant to register with a GP is entitled to NHS care. [105929]

Mr Simon Burns: Applications to general practitioners to join their lists of national health service patients are at the discretion of individual practices. Many practices request proof of identity and confirmation of address when considering applications.

Health and Social Care Act 2012

Mr George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons he has not published his Department's risk assessment in relation to the Health and Social Care Bill. [106231]

Mr Simon Burns: No Government of any persuasion has routinely made risk registers of this type public for the very reason that to do so would undermine open and frank discussion among policy makers. It has been our firm view, and that of other Departments, that for risk registers of this type to fulfil their function, civil servants must be free to “think the unthinkable” and record potential risks and mitigations fully, frankly and with absolute candour, confident in the knowledge that this information will not be publicly disclosed. These arguments were put to the Information Tribunal in this matter and the Department is now considering its response to the tribunal's reasoned decision.

Health Services

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) applications were made and (b) posts were available for (i) acute medicine, (ii) obstetrics and gynaecology, (iii) general surgery and (iv) anaesthesia in each year since 2002. [106385]

Mr Simon Burns: The Department does not hold comparable data prior to 2010 when a significant amount of specialty recruitment was locally co-ordinated and delivered. Data from 2010 onwards are presented as follows. It should be noted that the number of applications exceeds the number of applicants.

  2010 2011 2012
  Posts Applications Ratio Posts Applications Ratio Posts Applications Ratio

Acute Medicine (ST3)

65

351

5.4

100

351

3.5

72

247

3.4

Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O&G) (ST1)

249

1,252

5.03

226

597

2.6

211

607

2.9

General Surgery (ST3)

110

3,968

36.07

97

548

5.6

119

555

4.7

30 Apr 2012 : Column 1297W

30 Apr 2012 : Column 1298W

Anaesthesia (ST3)

336

875

2.60

317

1118

3.5

277

595

2.1

Notes: 1. Acute Medicine, General Surgery and Anaesthesia are uncoupled specialties so competition ratio is for recruitment at the ST3 level. 2. O&G is a run-through speciality and therefore ST1 entry data have been provided. 3. General Surgery became a nationally recruited and co-ordinated specialty in 2011 hence the difference in applications between 2010 and 2011. 4. Note that the number of applications to General Surgery 2010 is not comparable with data from 2011 and 2012 due to it being locally co-ordinated that year thus making competition ratio higher.

Hospitals: Accidents

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds on the number of falls at (a) the West Cumberland hospital and (b) the Cumberland infirmary in September and October (i) 2010 and (ii) 2011; and what steps he is taking to reduce the number of falls. [105861]

Mr Simon Burns: The Department does not hold information on the number of falls at specific hospital sites. The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) holds data on falls reported by the North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust. The information is shown in the following table.

Number of falls reported by North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust in September and October 2010 and 2011 and the annual total of reported falls
  September October Total falls reported per year

2010

71

80

1,058

2011

84

84

1,067

Note: An increase in incidents reported does not necessarily mean an increase in the number of incidents occurring. NPSA encourages NHS trusts to report patient safety incidents to enhance learning and embed a patient safety culture. The NPSA regularly sees an increase in incidents reported year on year, which is actually a sign of a culture that is growing in awareness of patient safety. Source: NPSA.

A number of guidance documents designed to reduce the risk of harm from falls in the NHS have been produced by the NPSA, or as part of the NPSA’s Patient Safety First initiative, including:

‘slips, trips and falls in hospital’;

‘How to’ guide for reducing harm from falls’

‘Using bedrails safely and effectively in hospitals/mental health units’;

‘How to’ guide for reducing harm from falls in mental health in-patient settings’; and

‘Essential care after an in-patient fall’.

These documents have been placed in the Library.

The Department has asked the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to develop a quality standard on falls in a care setting, as part of a library of approximately 170 NHS quality standards.

In addition, we are encouraging use of the ‘NHS Safety Thermometer’ which records patients who suffer four common ‘harms’ in health care, including harm from a fall.

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department conducted an equality impact assessment on the introduction of the Gardasil form of the human papillomavirus vaccination (HPV) for the HPV programme; and if he will make a statement. [106159]

Anne Milton: An equality impact assessment was completed in 2008 for the introduction of the national human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme. The Department announced in November 2011 that, following a competitive tendering exercise, Gardasil will be the vaccine used in the national HPV vaccination programme from September 2012. In taking this decision, the Department considered the public sector equality duty but did not produce a new equality impact assessment as no changes to service delivery are anticipated.

Information and Communications Technology

Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on IT projects within the Department of Health and its agencies in the last two years. [105365]

Mr Simon Burns: The following table sets out expenditure in the Department, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and NHS Connecting for Health on IT projects. NHS Connecting for Health spent £178,000 on additional resources which included transport and movers as part of the Data Centre Migration.

£
  2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12

Department of Health

4,317,785

4,954,683

3,328,790

1,285,144

MHRA

4,705,686

2,513,089

4,723,977

2,033,671

NHS Connecting for Health

(1)n/a

(1)234,000

1,221,317

526,156

(1) Further expenditure exists but could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether any requests have been made to his Department's IT department from (a) officials and (b) special advisers working within his Department for information about the process of erasing data from (i) computer hard drives and (ii) other forms of storage devices in the last two years. [105367]

Mr Simon Burns: The Department does not collect data on requests for information on this process. Guidance on the safe destruction of such devices and the information on them is available to all staff on the Department's intranet.

Information Officers

Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the five most senior media advisers and press officers in his Department; what their job titles are; and what the salary is of each individual. [105368]

30 Apr 2012 : Column 1299W

Mr Simon Burns: Defined as the five most senior members of staff with responsibility for media relations, and excluding other officials with roles in associated disciplines such as public health marketing and NHS communications, the relevant members of staff are as follows:

Name Job title Salary band

Sam Lister

Director of Communications

SCS2: £115,000 - £119,999

Tim Jones

Head of News

SCSI: £80,000 - £84,999

Paul Stephenson

Media Special Adviser

The salary ranges of special advisers are published routinely by the Cabinet Office. The most recent such publication, dating from April is available at the Cabinet Office website: www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/sites/default/files/resources/LIST-APRIL.pdf

Grade 6(1)

Deputy Head of News

G6: £60,575 - £75,035

Grade 6(1)

Deputy Head of News

G6: £60,575 - £75,035

(1)It is the Departments policy that staff at grades below senior civil service are not named.

Manpower

Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) agency staff, (b) contractors and (c) consultants were employed by his Department (i) in each pay band and (ii) for each length of contract in the most recent period for which figures are available. [105444]

Mr Simon Burns: As at 31 March 2012, the Department employed a total of 353.1 full-time equivalent agency staff, contractors and consultants—a reduction of 654.5 (65%) on the number employed at 31 March 2010.

The following table shows this figure broken down by agency workers and specialist contractor/consultants employed by the Department on 31 March 2012.

Department of Health, 31 March 2012
  Number

Agency Workers

217.0

Specialist Contractor/Consultant

136.1

Total

353.1

The following table shows information requested for Connecting for Health (a part of the Department's Informatics Directorate) on 25 April 2012.

Pay band (NHS agenda for change) Type of employees Length of contract (months)

3

1 x Agency Staff

3

4

1 x Agency Staff

9

4

1 x Agency Staff

11

5

2 x Agency Staff

2 x 12

5

1 x Agency Staff

8

6

1 x Agency Staff

9

7

4 x Contractors

4 x 13

7

1 x Contractors

14

8A

4 x Agency Staff

4 x 2

8A

1 x Agency Staff

5

8A

1 x Agency Staff

3

8A

1 x Contractors

3

8A

12 x Contractors

12 x 12

8A

1 x Contractors

17

8A

2 x Contractors

2 x 18

8A

1 x Contractors

10

30 Apr 2012 : Column 1300W

8A

1 x Contractors

13

8A

1 x Contractors

9

8A

1 x Contractors

11

8B

5 x Contractors

5 x 12

8B

1 x Contractors

6

8B

1 x Contractors

9

8B/8C

1 x Contractors

17

8B/8C

2 x Contractors

2 x 11

8C

1 x Contractors

9

8C

4 x Contractors

4 x 18

8C

2 x Contractors

2 x 17

8C

1 x Contractors

8

8C

8 x Contractors

8 x 10

8C

1 x Contractors

27

8C

1 x Contractors

12

8C

2 x Contractors

2 x 6

8C/8D

2 x Contractors

2 x 17

8D

3 x Contractors

3 x 28

8D

2 x Contractors

2 x 16

8D

3 x Contractors

3 x 10

8D

3 x Contractors

3 x 17

8D

2 x Contractors

2 x 3

8D

1 x Contractors

11

8D

1 x Contractors

5

8D

1 x Contractors

8

9

1 x Contractors

10

9

1 x Contractors

9

The Department has provided staffing figures as at 31 March 2012. Data on the equivalent pay band and each length of contract are managed by each individual business unit and are not routinely maintained centrally. Obtaining these data centrally would incur disproportionate costs and would require new functionality to be developed on the Department's information systems. Agency workers are typically individuals with admin/clerical skills up to the pay band of SEO equivalent, whereas specialist contractors/consultants are considered to be higher skilled workers and likely to be more senior.

To support the achievement of the Government efficiency savings targets, the Department has introduced a number of controls to stop or limit expenditure on contingent labour. A business case is required for any professional services procurement and each case is considered for operational necessity, ensuring the requirement is specifically linked to the delivery of a ministerial priority. The business case is only approved if the case for operational necessity has been proven. These internal approval processes have made a substantial impact on reducing departmental expenditure on non-permanent workers.

Medical Records

Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which hospital trusts send confidential patient records abroad for processing. [105442]

Mr Simon Burns: This information is not held centrally.

National health service trusts are individually responsible for compliance with data protection legislation in respect of the processing of patient information. This legislation requires trusts to ensure that they only authorise the processing of personal data in countries where there is an adequate level of protection for the data and for the

30 Apr 2012 : Column 1301W

rights and freedoms of individuals. Trusts are also required by data protection legislation, when utilising data processors either at home or abroad, to. ensure that the data processor is bound by a contract to meet appropriate standards of confidentiality and security and not to process the data in ways that have hot been authorised by the trust.

Mental Health: Males

Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the public purse was of programmes providing support for men with mental health problems between the ages of 21 and 27 years old in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [105905]

Paul Burstow: It is not possible to disaggregate spend on mental illness by either sex or age from the statutory accounting collected by the Department.

Ministerial Policy Advisers

Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what expenses were claimed by (a) paid and (b) unpaid special advisers working in his Department in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [105366]

Mr Simon Burns: According to the Department's business management system a total of £128.00 was claimed in expenses by special advisers for travel and accommodation on official business between April 2011 and the end of March 2012. There are no unpaid special advisers working in the Department.

National Childbirth Trust

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will protect public funding of the National Childbirth Trust’s practitioner training. [106359]

Anne Milton: The Department has not provided any funding to the National Childbirth Trust’s practitioner training.

NHS: Bureaucracy

Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what average number of hours was spent on administrative tasks per week by (a) a nurse and (b) a doctor in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii) the latest period for which figures are available. [105453]

Anne Milton: Information about the time spent by health care professionals on administrative tasks is not collected centrally and will depend on the type of role, the needs of patients and the requirements of the organisation. Some administrative tasks are an essential part of health care in delivering safe and effective patient care.

Figures for general practitioners (GPs) are available from the latest (2010) GP worklife survey conducted by the National Primary Care Research and Development Centre, which showed that GPs worked an average of 41.4 hours per week and on average, 11.1% of their time was spent on administration. This equates to 4.6 hours per week being spent on administration. The sample size was approximately 1,000 GPs.

30 Apr 2012 : Column 1302W

On 6 January we announced a series of measures to improve the quality of nursing care and free up nurses to provide the care patients and relatives expect. This included rolling out the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement's Productive Series ‘Releasing Time to Care’ initiative to free nurses from non-essential paperwork and excessive bureaucracy.

Further details about ‘Releasing Time to Care’ are available on the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement's website at:

www.institute.nhs.uk/quality_and_value/productivity_series/the_productive_series.html

We understand that the Royal College of Nursing are looking at this issue.

NHS: Drugs

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions he has overruled a National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence recommendation on the availability of a drug on the NHS; and what the circumstances were in each such case. [106232]

Mr Simon Burns: None. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is an independent body and must be allowed to develop its guidance free from political interference.

NHS: Manpower

Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate has been made of the total number of staff who left employment in the NHS in the last year for which figures are available. [105445]

Mr Simon Burns: Between January 2011 and January 2012, the latest data available, the NHS Information Centre monthly publication showed that 95,574 staff left the national health service.

NHS: Pensions

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent by the NHS on pensions in each year since 1997. [105647]

Mr Simon Burns: The NHS Business Services Authority (BSA) manages the NHS Pension Scheme and administers employer and employee contributions received from NHS organisations. The following table sets out the total amount of employer contributions the BSA has received between 1996-2011 from employers with access to the NHS Pension Scheme.

Financial year Employer contributions (£000)

1996-97

554,202

1997-98

605,053

1998-99

663,982

1999-2000

723,950

2000-01

925,169

2001-02

1,504,273

2002-03

1,632,536

2003-04

3,588,337

2004-05

3,890,167

2005-06

4,301,122

2006-07

4,579,685

30 Apr 2012 : Column 1303W

2007-08

4,686,588

2008-09

5,006,587

2009-10

5,330,140

2010-11

5,553,234

Source: The NHS Pension Scheme and NHS Compensation for Retirement Scheme Resource Accounts.

Obesity

Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on obesity management in the NHS in each of the last five years. [105484]

Anne Milton: The Department does not hold this information. It is up to primary care trusts to commission a range of health care services for their population, based on clinical need and effectiveness.

The Foresight team which is part of the Government Office for Science published ‘Tackling Obesities: Future Choices in 2007’. The Foresight team estimated the cost of obesity and overweight to the national health service (in terms of the cost of treating the conditions and diseases attributable to obesity) to be £4.2 billion in 2007; more recent research suggest that this could be as high as £5.1 billion.

Obesity: Children

Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of children likely to be obese in the next 10 years. [105452]

Anne Milton: Data from the Health Survey for England show a flattening of the previous upward trend in childhood obesity. The overall rate remains high at 16% for two to 15-year-old children. The ‘Call to action’ sets out a new national ambition for reversing the trend in the level of excess weight in children by 2020.

A copy of the ‘Call to action’ has already been placed in the Library.

Prescription Drugs: Shortages

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people waited more than 24 hours to receive prescription medication due to medicine stock shortages in (a) Coventry and (b) England in March 2012. [105539]

Mr Simon Burns: This information is not available centrally.

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what measures his Department has put in place to ensure that UK medicine stocks are protected from the effects of international economic factors; [105540]

(2) what assessment his Department has made of the effect of Euro exchange rate fluctuations on medicine stock shortages in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [105541]

Mr Simon Burns: The export of medicines to other member states can be carried out legally by anyone who holds the necessary licences under medicines legislation.

30 Apr 2012 : Column 1304W

However, a provision of European medicines legislation (Article 81 of Directive 2001/83/EC), requires that the person who holds an authorisation to market a medicine and the relevant distributor must ensure appropriate and continued supply of the product to pharmacies and other authorised suppliers, so that the needs of patients are met. This requirement has been implemented into United Kingdom medicines legislation.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the government body responsible for the safety and licensing of medicines in the UK, investigates all reports of suspected breaches of medicines legislation including matters relating to Article 81. The MHRA has reminded distributors of their duties in this area, and continues to undertake targeted inspections to ensure compliance with the regulations.

The Department carefully monitors shortages of medicines, which are influenced by many factors including the exchange rate, and continues to work closely with supply chain stakeholders to ensure patients receive the medicines they need.

Prescriptions

Mr George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department provides to prescribers on the practice of issuing prescriptions without physically examining the patient. [106230]

Mr Simon Burns: The Department has not issued guidance on this issue. Doctors and other prescribers are governed by their professional regulators, who ensure proper standards in prescribing. The General Medical Council (GMC), Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and General Pharmaceutical Council have all issued guidance on prescribing, with the GMC and NMC including specific standards on remote and repeat prescribing.

Public Expenditure

Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the five largest pieces of internal expenditure have been within his Department since May 2010. [105364]

Mr Simon Burns: The five largest single payments made in the period 1 May 2010 to 31 March 2012 are as follows.

Supplier Payment date Value (£)

CSC Computer Sciences Ltd

22 December 2011

21,227,693.97

Bytes Technology Group Ltd

22 July 2010

35,583,169.99

Computacenter UK Ltd

22 July 2010

23,474,946.22

Oxfordshire county council

30 June 2011

19,224,138.00

Staffordshire county council

7 July 2011

19,648,908.00

These single payments made to the commercial organisations may represent a number of individual invoices. The payments to Oxfordshire and Staffordshire county councils are for social care grants.

30 Apr 2012 : Column 1305W

Schizophrenia: Prisoners

Mr Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the treatment pathway and services to support prisoners with schizophrenia following their release from prison. [105554]

Paul Burstow: Former prisoners have a lower than average level of engagement with primary care services and this means they are less likely to be in touch with community and specialist mental health services. In many areas assertive outreach teams have been commissioned to improve engagement with mental health services. The Government's mental health outcomes strategy, ‘No Health Without Mental Health’, makes it clear that consideration of equality of access to mental health services for offenders should be part of the planning and development of services.

Mr Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the number of suicides related to schizophrenia amongst (a) prisoners and (b) people released from prison in the last five years. [105555]

Paul Burstow: In the last five years 15 people in prison have committed suicide where there was a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia or other delusional disorder.

Similar information is not available for people after they leave prison.

Sick Leave

Mr Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many sick days were taken by staff in his Department in each of the last three years. [105815]

Mr Simon Burns: The information requested is given in the following table. Also included are the average working days lost (AWDL) per staff member for comparison.

  Total number of (working) absence days due to sickness AWDL per staff per year

January 2011 to December 2011

9,962

4.1

January 2010 to December 2010

11,810

4.5

January 2009 to December 2009

11,262

4.6

Social Services

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the funding allocated for primary care trust spending on social care was spent on (a) prevention services, (b) communicating equipment and adaptations, (c) telecare, (d) crisis response services, (e) maintaining eligibility criteria, (f) re-ablement and (g) mental health by each primary care trust in England in the latest period for which figures are available. [106114]

Paul Burstow: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 13 March 2012, Official Report, columns 194-95W.

30 Apr 2012 : Column 1306W

Speech Therapy

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance and support he expects clinical commissioning consortia to receive to ensure that they commission an appropriate range of services for people with speech, language and communication needs. [106150]

Mr Simon Burns: As commissioners, clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) will need to have strong relationships with a range of health partners to provide them with access to information, advice and knowledge to help them make the best possible commissioning decisions. They will be under a statutory duty to seek advice in commissioning services from a broad range of professionals, such as those who are well placed to understand the speech, language and communication needs of local populations. They will also be able to access advice from clinical senates and networks.

The NHS Commissioning Board will have a duty to publish commissioning guidance to which CCGs must have regard. In addition, CCGs will work with local authorities to develop a comprehensive analysis of health and social care needs in each local area, and to translate these into action through the joint health and wellbeing strategy and their own commissioning plans.

Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to raise awareness of spinal muscular atrophy among health care professionals and the public. [105826]

Paul Burstow: There is information available for both the public and health care professionals concerning spinal muscular atrophy available on the NHS Choices website at:

www.nhs.uk/conditions/spinal-muscular-atrophy/pages/introduction.aspx

There is also information on the NHS Evidence website, with a number of resources published by clinicians, charities and professional organisations available at:

www.evidence.nhs.uk/search?q=Spinal+Muscular+Atrophy

Furthermore, the Department has referred for development a quality standard for relatively uncommon neurological problems to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in March 2012, following advice from the National Quality Board. The primary purpose of NICE quality standards is to make it clear what quality care is by providing patients, carers and the public, health and social care professionals, commissioners and service providers with definitions of high-quality health and social care.

Spinal Muscular Atrophy: Pregnancy

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give consideration to routinely offering blood tests to all pregnant women to test for the presence of spinal muscular atrophy and genetic abnormalities. [105827]

Mr Simon Burns: The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) advises Ministers and the national health service in all four countries about all aspects of

30 Apr 2012 : Column 1307W

screening policy and supports implementation. Using research evidence, pilot programmes and economic evaluation, the committee assesses the evidence for programmes against a set of internationally recognised criteria.

The UK NSC has not reviewed the evidence for antenatal spinal muscular atrophy screening. However, where stakeholder organisations feel that there is enough evidence published in peer reviewed journals to consider screening for a condition, they can submit a policy proposal to the UK NSC. Further information is available on the UK NSC’s website at:

www.screening.nhs.uk/policyreview

Surgery

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations have been cancelled by hospitals in Barnsley metropolitan borough in the last 12 months. [105866]

Mr Simon Burns: Information is not centrally held in the format requested. The number of elective operations cancelled at the last minute for non-clinical reasons

30 Apr 2012 : Column 1308W

between quarter 4 of 2010-11 and quarter 3 of 2011-12 for Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is shown in the following table.

Last minute elective operations cancelled for non-clinical reasons
  Number

Quarter 4 2010-11

48

Quarter 1 2011-12

49

Quarter 2 2011-12

31

Quarter 3 2011-12

56

Total

184

Note: A last minute cancellation is one that occurs on the day the patient was due to arrive, after they have arrived in hospital or on the day of their operation. Source: Department of Health dataset Quarterly Monitoring Cancelled Operations.

Surgery: Males

Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many male breast reduction operations were carried out in the last three years, broken down by age of patient. [105485]

Mr Simon Burns: The information requested is given in the following table.

Number of finished consultant episodes (1) where a main or secondary procedure (2) of breast reduction was carried out and the patient was male for 2008-09 to 2010-11 by patient age at start of the episode
Activity in English NHS hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector
Age group 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 Total

10-19

7

4

6

17

20-29

13

6

11

30

30-39

3

3

5

11

40-49

6

1

4

11

50-59

1

1

60-69

3

3

3

9

70+

1

2

3

Total

33

18

31

82

(1 )Finished Consultant Episode (FCE) A finished consultant episode (FCE) is a continuous period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. FCEs are counted against the year in which they end. Figures do not represent the number of different patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the same stay in hospital or in different stays in the same year. (2 )Number of episodes with a (named) main or secondary procedure The number of episodes where the procedure (or intervention) was recorded in any of the 24 (12 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and four prior to 2002-03) procedure fields in a hospital episode statistics (HES) record. A record is only included once in each count, even if the procedure is recorded in more than one procedure field of the record. Note that more procedures are carried out than episodes with a main or secondary procedure. For example, patients under going a ‘cataract operation' would tend to have at least two procedures—removal of the faulty lens and the fitting of a new one—counted in a single episode. Notes: 1. OPCS 4 Codes used 2. B31.1—Reduction mammoplasty 3. Data quality: HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts in England and from some independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre

Surgery: Waiting Lists

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of waiting times for elective surgery. [105477]

Mr Simon Burns: National health service referral to treatment (RTT) waiting times data published on 19 April 2012 show that the average (median) time waited for patients completing an RTT pathway in February 2012 was 8.7 weeks for admitted patients.

Work and Pensions

Child Tax Credit

Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many families received the child element of the child tax credit in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency in (a) 2009, (b) 2010 and (c) 2011. [105157]

Mr Gauke: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Treasury.

For 2009-10, this information is available in the HMRC publication ‘Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics

30 Apr 2012 : Column 1309W

Finalised annual awards. Geographical Analyses’ (this is the latest year for which data are available; 2010-11 data will be published 31 May 2012), available at:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-final-awards-may11.pdf

Table 3 has the requested information for Bexleyheath and Crayford. The numbers benefiting from the child element of child tax credit are those out of work(1), those receiving WTC and CTC, and those receiving CTC only more than the family element. This is approximately 4,800 households.

(1) The statistics for out of work families include households who were administered by DWP and claimed their child support through benefits. In addition, a small number (<30) of those classified as out of work had income high enough to be on or below the family element plateau and therefore were not technically beneficiaries of this element.

Child Maintenance

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what advice and recommendations has the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission received to date from the independent panel it has established to consider child maintenance arrears. [102655]

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.

Letter from Noel Shanahan:

In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.

You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what advice and recommendations has the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission received to date from the independent panel it has established to consider child maintenance arrears. [102655]

The independent advisory panel on arrears has reported and made a number of recommendations as to how the Commission could more effectively manage and collect the £3.8 billion of child maintenance arrears outstanding. The report is due to be published soon.

The Commission is presently in the process of implementing the report including measures for improving collections and enforcement and mechanisms for making the treatment of different categories of arrears more transparent.

One aspect of the panel's report where we have already made significant progress concerns the bringing into force of powers contained in the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008, which would enable the write off of arrears in some (limited) circumstances, and the ability to accept a part payment of arrears from the non-resident parent in lieu of the full amount owed. The Government has recently consulted publicly on the implementation of these powers, and will publish its response in due course.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission's main objective will remain to support separated families and securing children's futures by maximising the number of children living in separated families who receive fair and regular financial support from the non-resident parent when the Commission becomes an executive agency. [103278]

30 Apr 2012 : Column 1310W

Maria Miller: The Government restated our continued commitment to maximising the number of effective maintenance arrangements during the passage of the Welfare Reform Bill.

The change we are proposing in abolishing the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission and transferring its functions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr Duncan Smith), will enable Ministers to have more direct control; responsibility and accountability for the delivery of child support strategic and operational policy as well as ongoing and future reforms to child maintenance.

The Government's consultation on the proposals ended on 3 January 2012 and our response can be found here:

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/consultations/2011/cmec-abolition.shtml

Mr Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much is owed to parents in unpaid Child Support Agency claims (a) nationally and (b) in South Swindon constituency. [105568]

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. 1 have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to my hon. Friend with the information requested and I have seen the response.

Letter from Noel Shanahan:

In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.

You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much is owed to parents in unpaid Child Support Agency claims (a) nationally and (b) in South Swindon constituency. [105568]

As at March 2012, the total outstanding arrears of child maintenance owed by non-resident parents stood at £3.799 billion. Approximately £2.24 billion of this is owed to parents with care with the remainder owed to the Secretary of State.

As at March 2012, there was a total of £6.9 million outstanding arrears of child maintenance owed by non-resident parents to a parent with care residing in South Swindon Parliamentary Constituency. £4.3 million of this is owed specifically to the parent with care with the remainder owed to the Secretary of State.

Mr Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many parents used the Child Support Agency to arrange maintenance payments for their children (a) nationally and (b) in South Swindon constituency in the latest period for which figures are available. [105578]

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to my hon. Friend with the information requested and I have seen the response.

Letter from Noel Shanahan:

In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.

30 Apr 2012 : Column 1311W

You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many parents used the Child Support Agency to arrange maintenance payments for their children (a) nationally and (b) in South Swindon constituency in the latest period for which figures are available. [105578]

In the quarter to March 2012, 1,128,400 cases were being handled by the Child Support Agency. Of these, 2,100 cases involved a parent with care residing in South Swindon Parliamentary Constituency.

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of the Child Support Agency's assessed caseload is constituted by individuals who are in employment and pay their child maintenance liabilities via a deduction from earnings order. [105789]

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to my hon. Friend with the information requested and I have seen the response.

Letter from Noel Shanahan:

In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.

The Child Support Agency does not hold information on the actual method of collection, but does record the non-resident parent's preferred method of collection.

In the quarter to March 2012, 28% of employed non-resident parents on live and assessed cases had a preferred method of collection of Deduction from Earnings Order/Request.

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what information his Department holds on the financial circumstances of Child Support Agency-assessed cases where the non-resident parent is not employed. [105790]

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to my hon. Friend with the information requested and I have seen the response.

Letter from Noel Shanahan:

In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.

You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information his Department holds on the financial circumstances of Child Support Agency-assessed cases where the non-resident parent is not employed. [105790]

Financial information in respect of the income for a non-resident parent (NRP) is required by the Child Support Agency (CSA) to determine how much child maintenance a NRP should pay in respect of their children.

The information recorded is dependant upon the individual NRP's circumstances and what income they receive. For example, if an NRP is employed or self-employed information regarding income from wages the NRP receives and employment details will be recorded.

The financial details that the CSA holds on non-resident parents who do not receive income from employment will again vary depending on an individual's circumstances. If the NRP is in receipt of benefit(s) then the CSA will have on record information

30 Apr 2012 : Column 1312W

relating to the benefit, they receive. If the non-resident parent is not in receipt of benefit then the financial information the CSA will have on record will be in relation to what income, if any, they, do have or if they have no income how they are supported financially. For example, records may include details of pensions, income from dividends, savings, or, if they are supported by a partner and have no other income.

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission has to charge for the collection of old child maintenance arrears which have accumulated under the previous two child support schemes when fees to use the new statutory child maintenance system are introduced from July 2013. [105823]

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.

Letter from Noel Shanahan:

In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.

You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission has to charge for the collection of old child maintenance arrears which have accumulated under the previous two child support schemes when fees to use the new statutory child maintenance system are introduced from July 2013. [105823]

There are no such plans. Historical arrears from the two current schemes that are collected under the new scheme will not have a collection or enforcement charge levied against them. They will continue to be collected regardless of whether or not a parent to whom the debt is owed decides to open a case in the new child support scheme.

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had on assisting the Child Support Agency in tracing non-UK citizens who are non-resident parents of children in the UK. [105847]

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to my hon. Friend with the information requested and I have seen the response.

Letter from Noel Shanahan:

In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.

You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had on assisting the Child Support Agency to trace non-UK citizens who are non-resident parents of children in the UK. [105847]

The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (the Commission) has jurisdiction, i.e. legal authority, to make a maintenance calculation and collect child support maintenance only when the parent with care, the non-resident parent and the qualifying child are all habitually resident in the United Kingdom (UK). Habitual residence is a legal concept which means more than simply 'where you live'. A person can habitually reside in more than one country or in none. Habitual residence can continue during an absence from the UK.

30 Apr 2012 : Column 1313W

In instances where we have jurisdiction, the Commission can use its information seeking powers enshrined in child support legislation to identify and trace the non-resident parent. Caseworkers can use a range of tools to trace non-resident parents. For example our Common Enquiry Service enables caseworkers to consider information from Income Support; Incapacity Benefit/Severe Disablement Allowance/Maternity Allowance; Working Families Tax Credits and Job Seekers Allowance systems. If the Caseworker is unable to locate a non-resident parent using the Common Enquiry Service, they will use a system that provides links to credit reference agency data. Caseworkers can also approach the HM Revenue and Customs to request a search on their tax and other databases.

We presently do not have arrangements in place for tracking non-resident parents who travel into and out of the UK. Where a non-resident parent is not habitually resident in the UK, then the mechanism for securing child maintenance is the Reciprocal Enforcement of Maintenance Order (REMO). The REMO system is operated by the Ministry of Justice for England and Wales and by the devolved administrations in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Mr Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the March 2009 IT contract agreed between the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission and Tata Consultancy Services, what links to other IT systems were required to be built into the new IT system for the future statutory child maintenance system; and which those systems were. [105987]

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to my hon. Friend with the information requested and I have seen the response.

Letter from Noel Shanahan:

In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.

You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the March 2009 IT contract agreed between the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission and Tata Consultancy Services, what links to other IT systems were required to be built into the new IT system for the future statutory child maintenance system; and which those systems were. [105987]

The new computer system which is being developed by Tata Consultancy Services has links to 17 other IT systems. Seven of these systems are owned by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP); the other ten are to systems external to the DWP.

The seven DWP systems include: the Income Support Computer System, the Jobseekers Allowance Computer Systems (incorporating Employment Support Allowance), the Programme Accounting Computer System, the Central Payment System, the Customer Information System (for verifying clients) and the two existing child support computer systems—CSCS and CS2.

The ten external systems include those for: statements and transfers between accounts (operated by the Commission's bank), direct credits and debits to and from clients bank accounts, employment information and taxable income records, post opening and document scanning, processing debit and credit card payments, debit and credit card charge-backs, Simple Message System (SMS) provision, credit reference checks, telephony services and the Government Gateway (for authentication of self-service customers—clients and employers).

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much in child support arrears is owed by non-resident parents to parents with care, in each parliamentary constituency, in the most recent period for which figures are available. [106022]

30 Apr 2012 : Column 1314W

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and arrange for a copy of the table to be placed in the Library. I have seen the response.

Letter from Noel Shanahan:

In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.

You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much child support arrears are owed by non-resident parents to parents with care, by parliamentary constituency, in the most recent period for which figures are available. [106022]

The collection of child maintenance arrears continues to be a priority. It is children who lose out when parents do not live up to their responsibilities. We are determined to get to grips with the £3.8bn debt which has accumulated over the last 19 years and we want to collect as much as we possibly can.

However, it is important to recognise that not all arrears can be collected. Much is very old and much is no longer actually wanted by the parent with care. A significant proportion is likely to be revised downwards very substantially at the point the debtor finally agrees to pay and provides full information on their financial position, as it reflects interim maintenance assessments made in the 1990s which were artificially inflated.

Finally, only 59% of arrears are actually owed to parents with care; the remainder is owed to the Secretary of State rather than parents with care in lieu of benefits paid out in the past. This is properly owed and should be. paid, but its collection is subject to different considerations from that owed directly to parents with care.

The table, which has been placed in the Library, shows the amount of child maintenance arrears owed by non-resident parents as of March 2012, for cases administered on the Child Support Agency's computer systems, based on the parliamentary constituency of the parent with care, and the subtotal which is actually owed to parents with care.

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the special teams established by the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission in 2010 to target historic child maintenance arrears, what work those teams have undertaken since their establishment to reduce historic arrears; and what assessment he has made of their success to date in collecting arrears owed. [106023]

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.

Letter from Noel Shanahan:

In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.

You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the special teams established by the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission in 2010 to target historic child maintenance arrears, what work those teams have undertaken since their establishment to reduce historic arrears; and what assessment he has made of their success to date in collecting arrears owed. [106023]

In 2010 the Child Support Agency implemented a strategy to recover arrears from cases that had been dormant for some considerable time. Around 40,000 cases were identified and reviewed

30 Apr 2012 : Column 1315W

against HM Revenue and Customs data to establish employment details with the work to recover arrears being prioritised on those cases where positive employment information had been returned.

Teams were created in all areas of the country to focus on this work. There was around 400 caseworkers involved in the project.

The teams contacted parents with care, non-resident parents and employers. We found that many families had made their own arrangements, that many parents with care did not want to re-open cases and that much of the HM Revenue and Customs data was no longer current and we were still unable to trace many of the non-resident parents listed.

However, our caseworkers have made considerable progress. As a result of this action we have cleared 21,000 cases and collected maintenance for 30,000 parents with care benefiting 39,000 children with payments totalling £23,000,000.

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much is outstanding in child maintenance payments, and by how many people, in respect of sums owed to (a) the Secretary of State and (b) parents with care, broken down by cases dealt with under (i) the CSCS computer systems, (ii) the CS2 computer system and (iii) off-main-systems arrangements. [106024]

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.

Letter from Noel Shanahan:

In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.

You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much is outstanding in child maintenance payments, and by how many people, in respect of sums owed to (a) the Secretary of State and (b) parents with care, broken down by cases dealt with under (i) the CSCS computer system, (ii) the CS2 computer system and (iii) off-main-systems arrangements. [106024]

At March 2012, the total amount of outstanding child maintenance arrears was £3.8bn.

The table below shows the total number of cases with arrears and the amount of arrears split by computer system and creditor.

Computer system Arrears owed to the Secretary of State Arrears owed to parents with c are
  Arrears amount (£ million) Number of cases Arrears amount (£ million) Number of cases

CSCS

798

172,500

684

194,400

CS2

760

370,700

1,558

854,300

Arrears for the majority of cases managed off the computer system will be included in the CS2 information. It is not currently possible to report off system arrears information separately.

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average non-resident parent child maintenance debt is that is owed to (a) parents with care and (b) the Secretary of State. [106025]

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.

30 Apr 2012 : Column 1316W

Letter from Noel Shanahan:

In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.

You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average non-resident parent child maintenance debt is that is owed to (a) parents with care and (b) the Secretary of State. [106025]

As at March 2012, the average amount of child maintenance arrears owed to parents with care is £2,100 and the average amount of arrears owed to the Secretary of State is £2,900.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of existing customers of the live and assessed caseload of the Child Support Agency, who will not be invited to reapply to the future scheme; and what his criteria is for making such decisions. [106200]

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.

Letter from Noel Shanahan:

In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.

You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of existing customers of the live and assessed caseload of the Child Support Agency, who will not be invited to reapply to the future scheme; and what his criteria is for making such decisions. [106200]

We will run the new scheme for new cases only for at least six months, to ensure it is working and delivering an improved client service. At that point, we will begin to close all existing Child Support Agency cases, provide support to them to enable them to make a family-based arrangement and, if they are unable to do this, to choose whether to apply to the new scheme. It will take about three years for us to complete the closure process for all relevant clients.

The only CSA clients who will not be invited to make a choice between a family-based arrangement and an application for the new scheme are those whose cases will close naturally, usually because the child or children have grown up before the end of the case closure period.

We are in the process of refining assumptions as to the number of clients whose cases will be closed and the estimates will be published alongside the impact assessment covering charging and case closure later this year.

Disability Living Allowance

Mrs McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many people who have identified restricted growth as their primary disability are currently in receipt of disability living allowance broken down by higher/lower rate mobility and higher/middle and lower rate care components for the latest period for which figures are available; [104127]

(2) how many people with restricted growth identified as their primary disability have had their entitlement to disability living allowance withdrawn in (a) the last financial year and (b) the latest period for which figures are available. [104128]

30 Apr 2012 : Column 1317W

Maria Miller: The information requested is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is included in the following table. National Statistics datasets available for analysis do not hold information on disability living allowance recipients who have had their entitlement withdrawn.

Disability living allowance (DLA) cases in payment by disabling condition and mobility and care award type: August 2011
  All Disease of the Muscles, Bones or Joints Metabolic disease

All

3,222,690

196,510

10,540

Higher Rate Mobility

1,788,340

142,330

7,180

Lower Rate Mobility

1,014,850

8,390

1,160

Nil Rate Mobility

419,500

45,790

2,220

Higher Rate Care

760,000

32,990

3,020

Middle Rate Care

1,087,620

45,760

3,520

Lower Rate Care

903,380

82,430

2,670

Nil Rate Care

471,700

35,330

1,340

Notes: 1. Case loads are rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 2. Totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital. 3. Where more than one disability is present only the main disabling condition is recorded. Main disabling condition is published on the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS 100%) tabulation tool from May 2011. 4. There are many causes of restricted growth, only the commonest is coded separately by the DWP, this is ‘Achondroplasia [O42]'. The DWP records two other categories separately that may include people whose primary disability relates to their restricted growth, these are ‘Growth hormone deficiency [S02]' and ‘Other genetic disorders, dysplasias and malformations [O50]'. 5. Prior to October 2008 recipients of disability living allowance (DLA) were classified to one of 50 disabling conditions. After October 2008 claimants were allocated to a disabling condition using a more detailed range of more than 500 classifications however the department does not publish these finer classifications. For publication purposes the classifications are mapped to the broader classifications as approximately 60% of disabling condition codes on the system are currently recorded under the previous classifications. 6. ‘Achondraplasia' and ‘Other genetic disorders, dysplasias and malformations' form part of the Disease of the Muscles, Bones or Joints group. ‘Growth hormone deficiency' forms part of the Metabolic Disease group. 7. Figures are published on the tabulation tool: http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Mr Frank Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Motherwell and Wishaw constituency who have identified sight impairment as their primary disability are currently receiving disability living allowance in each higher and lower rate mobility and higher and middle and lower rate care components for the latest period for which figures are available. [104973]

Maria Miller: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is contained in the following table.

Disability living allowance (DLA) cases in payment in Motherwell and Wishaw parliamentary constituency where the main disabling condition is blindness or deaf/blind by care and mobility rate: August 2011
  Number

Total

140

Higher Rate Care Component

10

Middle Rate Care Component

50

Lower Rate Care component

60

Nil Rate Care Component

20

Higher Rate Mobility Component

30

Lower Rate Mobility Component

100

Nil Rate Mobility Component

10

30 Apr 2012 : Column 1318W

Notes: 1. Case loads are rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 2. Totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital. 3. Where more than one disability is present only the main disabling condition is recorded. Information on the main disabling condition is published on the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS 100%) tabulation tool from May 2011. 4. Prior to October 2008 recipients of disability living allowance (DLA) were classified to one of 50 disabling conditions. After October 2008 claimants were allocated to a disabling condition using a more detailed range of more than 500 classifications however the department does not publish these finer classifications. For publication purposes the classifications are mapped to the broader classifications as approximately 60% of disabling condition codes on the system are currently recorded under the previous classifications. 5. Blindness and deaf/blind encompass a range of sight impairments and visual diseases. 6. These figures include a small number of people who may have a visual disease but not a sight impairment. We cannot disaggregate this information. 7. Figures are published on the tabulation tool: http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool Source: DWP Information. Governance and Security Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Glasgow North constituency who have identified sight impairment as their primary disability received disability living allowance in each higher and lower rate mobility and higher and middle and lower rate care components in the latest period for which figures are available. [105270]

Maria Miller: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is contained in the following table.

Disability living allowance (DLA) cases in payment in Glasgow North parliamentary constituency where the main disabling condition is classified as blindness or deaf/blind by care and mobility rate: August 2011
  Number

Total

90

Higher Rate Care Component

Middle Rate Care Component

30

Lower Rate Care component

40

Nil Rate Care Component

10

Higher Rate Mobility Component

20

Lower Rate Mobility Component

70

Nil Rate Mobility Component

Notes: 1. Case loads are rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not sum due to rounding. ‘—’ denotes nil or negligible. 2. Totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital. 3. Where more than one disability is present only the main disabling condition is recorded. Information on the main disabling condition is published on the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS 100%) tabulation tool from May 2011. 4. Prior to October 2008 recipients of disability living allowance (DLA) were classified to one of 50 disabling conditions. After October 2008 claimants were allocated to a disabling condition using a more detailed range of more than 500 classifications however the department does not publish these finer classifications. For publication purposes the classifications are mapped to the broader classifications as approximately 60% of disabling condition codes on the system are currently recorded under the previous classifications. 5. Blindness and deaf/blind encompass a range of sight impairments and visual diseases. 6. These figures include a small number of people who may have a visual disease but not a sight impairment. We cannot disaggregate this information. 7. Figures are published on the tabulation tool: http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool Source: DWP Information, Governance and Security Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study

30 Apr 2012 : Column 1319W

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many representations his Department has received on the complexity of the disability living allowance application form; and how many appeals against decisions taken have resulted from this. [106136]

Maria Miller: Disability living allowance (DLA) is a complex benefit and the claim form has been developed to ensure that all the necessary information is gathered to allow the correct entitlement to be assessed.

DLA has, over the last five years, introduced a cycle of continuous improvement in the enhancement and development of its claim forms.

Feedback and ideas are sought from the Pension, Disability and Carers Service Advisory Forum, customer representative groups and staff.

We do not collect data on the number of appeals that are received as a result of customers finding the claim form difficult to complete. Where a customer is unhappy with a decision they are encouraged to seek a reconsideration prior to any appeal and at this stage concerns over claim form completion should be identified and resolved.

We acknowledge that the DLA application form is long and complex and that is why as part of the introduction of personal independent payment from April 2013—we are seeking to simplify the application process, make it more accessible and easier to understand.