Welfare Tax Credits
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much tax credit has been claimed by people running public houses in each of the last five years. [136363]
Sajid Javid: This information would be available only at disproportionate cost.
Defence
Afghanistan
Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many posts in Afghanistan were subject to tour lengths of longer than six months for each year since 2005. [131177]
Mr Robathan [holding answer 3 December 2012]:The Ministry of Defence does not hold this information centrally for the period before 2010.
The average number of planned postings subject to tour lengths longer than six months (known as 'continuity postings') for the first 11 months of 2012 and the previous two years is available. Due to changing requirements, the number of postings fluctuated throughout these periods so averages for each calendar year have been calculated. These are broken down as follows:
| 2010 | |
| Length of continuity posting | Number of personnel(1) |
| (1 )To the nearest 10. | |
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| 2011 | |
| Length of continuity posting | Number of personnel(1) |
| (1) To the nearest 10 | |
| 2012(1) | |
| Length of continuity posting | Number of personnel(2) |
| (1) As at 30 November 2012. (2 )To the nearest 10. | |
All posts with a duration of greater than six months do not have a direct combat role. The posts are a mixture of staff officer, advisory, and command appointments. The length of the posts have been specifically designed to ensure that the UK maintains continuity and influence with both international security assistance force partners and Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan at the most appropriate levels.
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the UK spent on its military commitments in Afghanistan in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; how much he estimates it will spend in (i) 2013, (ii) 2014 and (iii) 2015; and how much of this expenditure in each year came, or will come, from his Department's core budget and how much from additional resources provided by the Government to pay for operational costs. [136684]
Mr Robathan: The Ministry of Defence establishes the net additional cost of military operations in Afghanistan and these are subsequently funded by the Treasury Special Reserve. The costs are represented, by financial year, in the following table:
| Financial year | Outturn/Forecast (£ billion) |
The figures for 2009-10 to 2011-12 are the actual costs, as published in the MOD annual report and accounts. The figures for 2012-13 to 2014-15 are estimates, as published in the 2010 spending review. Revised figures will be published in the parliamentary supplementary estimate for the relevant year.
The parliamentary supplementary estimate for 2012-13 is currently scheduled from publication during the week commencing 11 February 2013.
Expenditure is expected to reduce due to smaller force levels in theatre and operations predominantly in a support role with Afghan forces leading most security operations.
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the value of equipment that will be left in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of British troops. [136778]
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Mr Robathan: The Ministry of Defence is still in the process of determining what pieces of equipment and materiel should be repatriated from Afghanistan and what should be left in the country. We are therefore currently unable to give accurate figures for the value of the equipment that will not be repatriated.
Defence School of Photography
Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the potential capacity of the Defence School of Photography to provide services to other government departments. [136932]
Mr Robathan: A review will commence shortly to examine the enduring Defence requirement for photography training, the options for meeting this requirement and the capability of the Defence School of Photography to do so. This review will also allow us to determine how to use any irreducible spare capacity that may exist.
European Defence Agency
Mr Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department intends to announce its decision on the UK's continuing membership of the European Defence Agency; and if he will make a statement. [136785]
Dr Murrison: Ministers are considering the case for UK membership of the European Defence Agency and will be making an announcement shortly.
Gibraltar
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to prevent unlawful incursions of Spanish vessels in Gibraltar territorial waters. [136818]
Mr Robathan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 23 October 2012, Official Report, column 808W.
The Royal Navy patrols and continues to challenge all unlawful incursions into British Gibraltar territorial waters by Spanish state vessels by issuing appropriate warnings. This forms an important part of Her Majesty's Government's commitment to uphold our sovereignty against unlawful incursions with a range of proportionate naval, police and diplomatic responses.
Gulf of Guinea
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to combat piracy off the coast of Togo and the Gulf of Guinea. [136819]
Mr Robathan: The UK Government take a cross-government, holistic regional approach to combating piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. There are a number of work streams contributing to tackling threats to maritime security in this region. The MOD has specifically supported this by:
Building a Joint Maritime Shared Training Centre (JMSTC) in Nigeria and Sierra Leone and having a warrant officer based there to support the tactical level training it provides. We have also supplied the JMSTC with rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIBS) to support their work.
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Financing a maritime liaison officer to support the creation and implementation of an integrated maritime strategy by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Providing a defence adviser in Sierra Leone who has a remit to cover maritime security for West Africa.
Contributed to US led project in Nigeria to build radar along the coast to improve their national information capability.
Places on UK courses like the exclusive economic zone and single services courses in the UK and sometimes in the region.
In addition, last year, HMS Dauntless and HMS Edinburgh were involved in tactical training and manoeuvring exercises in the region, activity which we will replicate this year.
Nuclear Disarmament
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration he has given to the proposal made by the British Pugwash Group in December 2012 that the Government should establish an international disarmament institute in the UK. [137027]
Mr Robathan: The Ministry of Defence asked British Pugwash to undertake a peer review of its programme on the verification of nuclear weapons dismantlement in March 2011. The report was submitted to the Department in December 2012, and its recommendations are being considered.
Persian Gulf
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Royal Navy ships are currently deployed in the Gulf; and on what duties. [137400]
Mr Robathan: There is typically at least one Royal Navy destroyer or frigate deployed in the Gulf region, supported by a tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), plus a four-strong squadron of minehunters with an RFA support ship at short notice, in the Gulf region.
The maritime presence in the Gulf will vary over time dependent upon the operational requirement and exercises such as those involving the Navy's high readiness Response Force Task Group which might be taking place in the region.
Maritime forces are inherently flexible and can conduct multiple tasks simultaneously. Tasks may typically include supporting maritime security operations including counter piracy, training, surveying and logistical support. Operations may be conducted on a national basis, under European Union or NATO aegis, or as part of a multinational taskforce.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Ash Dieback Disease
Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will revise the projected strength of the Forest Carbon Sink in the UK's greenhouse gas inventory through to 2020 to reflect the impact of Chalara fraxinea. [136704]
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Mr Heath: It would not be appropriate, at this stage, to revise the projected strength of the forest carbon sink due to scientific uncertainty about the future progression of the outbreak of Chalara fraxinea, the period over which trees may die and the limited contribution that ash makes to the UK's woodland carbon sink. Furthermore, ash constitutes only 4.9% (0.5 MtCO2e) of the forest carbon sink; even if this carbon sink was lost in its entirety, the change in the total forest carbon sink strength would be well within the bounds of uncertainty associated with its estimation, as published in the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report.
Community Development: Finance
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much of the £50,000 for local and community projects announced in April 2012 has been allocated. [136771]
Richard Benyon: All of the £50,000 for local and community projects has been allocated.
Dangerous Dogs
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people were (a) killed or (b) hurt by dog attacks in 2012. [136768]
Mr Heath: There are no central records of the numbers of people killed or hurt in dog attacks. However, Hospital Episode Statistics (the national statistical data warehouse of NHS care provision for England) recorded that 6,450 people required admission to hospital during the 2011-12 period for injuries caused by dogs.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many dog attacks in 2012 could not be prosecuted because they took place on an owner's private property. [136773]
Mr Heath: Records of the number of cases that are not pursued are not held centrally. However, we estimate that there are around 250 incidents per annum that take place on private property (where the dog has a right to be) that currently fall outside the scope of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. The Government have proposed extending the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 to all places, including those where the dog has a right to be.
Flood Control
Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to autumn statement 2012, what estimate he has made of the cost of simplifying flood consents and moving them to a single website; and if he will make a statement. [137069]
Richard Benyon: An initial estimate of simplifying flood consents by integrating them into the Environmental Permitting framework in England was published in July 2012. This assessed costs at £1.3 million and benefits at £3.6 million over 10 years.
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DEFRA and the Environment Agency are investigating the benefits of setting up a single website to handle flood defence consent applications but an estimate of the costs of this has not yet been made.
Flood Control: Dredging
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Environment Agency on the dredging of main rivers in order to reduce the risk of flooding; and if he will make a statement. [136380]
Richard Benyon: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson), and I have recently had a number of discussions with the Environment Agency on the role of dredging and maintenance of watercourses in flood risk management.
The Environment Agency spends around £20 million per year on dredging, de-silting, removing gravel and obstructions from watercourses, along with weed control to clear channels. This maintenance activity is focused on those areas where it will achieve the greatest benefit in reducing flood risk.
Floods
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what dates he has held meetings with the devolved administrations to discuss the issue of flooding. [136218]
Richard Benyon: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson), met with the devolved Administrations on 19 November 2012, when flooding was discussed. In addition to this DEFRA officials share experience and have regular discussions with their counterparts in the devolved administrations.
Industrial Waste
Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to autumn statement 2012, when he expects to review the trade effluents permitting regime; and if he will make a statement. [137070]
Richard Benyon: An outline of the plan to review the consenting of trade effluent discharges to sewers can be found in ‘Red Tape Challenge (RTC)—Water & Marine Theme: Water proposals’ which was published in December 2012. DEFRA officials are already working with the water and sewerage companies to evaluate the proposals they put forward. Once this work is complete we will consult on those proposals we believe will reduce the burden on business while continuing to protect the safety of sewerage infrastructure and the environment.
Ivory: South East Asia
Mark Pritchard:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will discuss with (a) the Holy See and (b) his counterparts in
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South East Asia the rise in the number of Catholic religious icons made from ivory in the South East Asia region. [134578]
Richard Benyon: This Government made a coalition commitment to press for a ban on ivory sales and we remain focused on ensuring that the existing global ivory ban stays firmly in place. In addition to the general trade prohibition, strict trade controls exist in relation to international trade in ivory products, including religious icons, which allow limited trade, for example, in worked antique ivory. The UK supports full compliance with these controls. Domestic production of, and trade in, ivory products is, however, a matter for the countries concerned and is governed by their own national legislation.
If there is evidence of illegal trade in religious ivory icons made in south east Asia, we would encourage the relevant Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to take the necessary action to tackle this. At the current time we have no specific plans to raise the production of religious icons made from ivory with the Holy See or counterparts in south east Asia.
Although not specifically focused on religious icons made from ivory, international trade in ivory will be discussed at the 16th Conference of Parties to CITES in March 2013. Although we have not yet adopted a final position, we will support trade controls and enforcement action which will reduce elephant poaching and illegal trafficking of ivory.
Livestock: Transport
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which ports take the live trade in animals; and what the amount of the trade was conducted in each such port in each of the last five years. [135714]
Mr Heath: Sea ports and airports handling the movement of live animals (i.e. livestock and non-livestock species, both imports and exports) are not generally required to be authorised or approved by the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA). (The only exceptions in Great Britain are those ports/airports accepting imports from outside the EU operating as Border Inspection Posts and those ports/airports accepting animals being imported under the Rabies Order.) Therefore there are no comprehensive records held by the AHVLA on which port/airports are involved in handling live animals. Consequently, neither do they hold comprehensive records of the volumes of animals involved.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to answer the letter sent to him by the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on 1 November 2012 with regard to Ms Ann Carter. [134200]
Richard Benyon: The Secretary of State replied to the right hon. Member's letter on 21 December 2012.
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National Wildlife Crime Unit
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has for the future of the National Wildlife Crime Unit; and if he will make a statement. [136637]
Richard Benyon: The Government take the matter of wildlife crime very seriously and appreciate the contribution made by the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) in tackling these crimes. Decisions on NWCU funding beyond 2012-13 will be taken as soon as possible.
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding his Department plans to allocate to the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit in each of the next two financial years; and if he will make a statement. [137068]
Richard Benyon: I refer the hon. Member to the response I gave the hon. Member for Huddersfield (Mr Sheerman) on 10 December 2012, Official Report, column 158W.
Public Houses: Halifax
Mrs Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many pubs have closed in Halifax in each of the last five years. [136636]
Brandon Lewis: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government.
My Department does not hold this information.
Rhinoceros Products and Ivory: Africa
Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to tackle the escalation in the rhino horn and elephant ivory trade across Africa. [136755]
Richard Benyon: Illegal trade in rhino horn and elephant ivory is of great concern to the Government given the alarming rise in poaching and trafficking across Africa in recent years. We work closely with other nations and international organisations to tackle this and play an active role in the convention on international trade in endangered species (CITES), whose next Conference of the Parties (CoP16) will take place in March. Through this convention we have been able to strengthen the advice, assistance and tools provided to help range states enforce CITES controls, conserve wildlife threatened by unsustainable levels of trade and combat illegal wildlife trafficking.
The Government also support a wide range of specific action to tackle illegal wildlife trade, including: contributing financially towards Interpol-led projects which build enforcement capacity in range states to conserve elephants and rhino; funding a post in the CITES Secretariat to help combat wildlife crime; and chairing the CITES Rhino Working Group tasked with investigating the drivers behind, and possible solutions to, the dramatic rise in rhino poaching. In order to reduce the amount of rhino horn entering into illegal trade in Asia, the UK
15 Jan 2013 : Column 680W
has also been instrumental in the introduction of a stricter approach across the EU to the issue of CITES licences for the re-export of rhino horn.
CoP16 presents an important opportunity to explore with the wider international community ways of securing better protection for species subject to unsustainable levels of trade and to combat illegal trade more effectively. We have yet to finalise our positions in respect of CoP16 proposals but elephants and rhinos will be high priorities for the UK during the conference.
Salmon: Northumberland
Sir Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 19 December 2012, Official Report, column 513W, on salmon: Northumberland, what figures for salmon stocks in the river Coquet he used when considering his decision on the Net Limitation Order. [135384]
Richard Benyon: Figures used for salmon stocks on the Coquet were derived from electric fishing surveys, fish counters and rod catch data, alongside assessments of fish communities used for Water Framework directive purposes and compliance with salmon management targets.
Electric fishing data from five sites indicated that there were around 40 juvenile salmon per 100 sq m on the Coquet in 2011. However, there is wide variability in the results between sites. No significant differences in juvenile salmonid densities were found between the periods 1993-03 and 2004-11.
Rod catch and rod effort (days fished) data have been submitted by anglers over several years and provide some indication of trends in stock levels. In 2010, the most recent year for which data was available at the time of the report, the declared salmon rod catch was 978.
Fish counters on the Coquet have recorded returning adult salmon and sea trout from 1994 to 2007, in order to calculate a minimum estimate of upstream migration. In 2007, 10,176 fish were recorded passing upstream.
The Coquet is split into 23 separate water bodies for Water Framework directive purposes and 78 sites were electric fished in assessing the 'ecological status' of these water bodies. Of the water bodies, 19 were assessed as being at 'good' or better status for fish, including salmon, meaning that these fish stocks were healthy. Of the four water bodies that failed to achieve 'good' status or better, the absence of salmon was one of the reasons for this failure in two cases.
Further data was also available to us on the stocks in the other north east rivers contributing to the fishery and, relating to compliance with requirements under the habitats directive, on stocks in rivers in eastern Scotland.
In coming to our decision, we took into consideration our obligations to promote the conservation, restoration, enhancement and rational management of salmon stocks in the North Atlantic ocean under the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation convention.
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Water Charges
Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the proportion of households where the price of plumbed water will be charged according to the rateable value of their home in each of the next five years. [137061]
Richard Benyon: In 2009, the water industry regulator, Ofwat, set price limits for all of the regulated water companies in England and Wales, covering the period from 2010-11 to 2014-15. As part of that process, it forecast the proportion of each company's household customer base that would be charged on a metered basis and the proportion that would be charged on an unmetered basis. These forecasts were based on information in the companies' business plans. That information did not distinguish between unmetered customers who would be charged according to the rateable value of their properties and unmetered customers who would be charged on another basis, such as an assessed charge.
The following table shows the proportion of household customers charged on a metered basis across England and Wales over the current price review period. The next price review will take place in 2014 for the period 2015-20.
| Proportion of households in England and Wales charged on a metered basis | ||
| Percentage | ||
| Actual | Forecast | |
| Note: Figures for 2011-12 are provisional while those for 2012-13 to 2014-15 are forecast. | ||
Water Supply
Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on which occasions the High Level Group on Water Market Reform has met. [137041]
Richard Benyon: The High Level Group met on 7 September 2012, 16 November 2012 and the 10 January 2013. In addition to which, a further six sub-group meetings have taken place drawing in expertise from across the industry in order to progress the groups' work on developing a timetable for market opening and defining the structure of the market. At its most recent meeting the High Level Group scheduled a further eight meetings for later in 2013.
Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of projected economic growth in the water sector in the next 12 months. [137042]
Richard Benyon: Ofwat, the water industry regulator, conducts a price review every five years, for a five-year period. The last price review was in 2009 for the period 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2015. Ofwat has approved water company plans to invest £22 billion on improving services for customers between 2010 and 2015.
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Economic growth/value of the water companies is represented by the level of the regulated capital value (RCV). Growth in the RCV reflects the continued capital enhancement programme.
At the review Ofwat's calculations said that the RCV of the sector will grow from £48 billion at the beginning of the current price period (1 April 2010) to £53 billion at the end of the price review period (31 March 2015). All numbers are quoted in 2007-2008 prices. Annual growth in the RCV is calculated between 1 April and 31 March. The RCV for 2011-12 was forecast to be £50.76 billion, growing to £52.22 billion in 2012-13.
Water: Lancashire
Mr Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to monitor changes in water quality in Bleasdale, Lancashire caused as a result of fracking. [135940]
Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency's understanding is that there are no proposals to carry out hydraulic fracturing in Bleasdale. Furthermore, the groundwater around the sites which have so far been granted planning permission to carry out exploratory fracturing in western Lancashire is not used for drinking water supply in these areas.
The Environment Agency must make an assessment on the risk of pollution to groundwater on a case by case (site by site) basis. The Environment Agency has assessed that there is no risk of pollution of groundwater for the existing sites but this could be different for other sites in Lancashire.
The Environment Agency would require an operator to apply for an Environmental Permit for a groundwater activity before hydraulic fracturing could commence, if they determine that there could be a risk of pollution of groundwater at a site. This permit would put conditions on their operation, which would control the risks of pollution in order to safeguard the groundwater and water quality.
Culture, Media and Sport
Broadband: Rural Areas
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent progress her Department has made on rolling out broadband in rural areas; and if she will make a statement. [137422]
Mr Vaizey: We are making very good progress. Nine local projects have agreed contracts, and the first street cabinet supported by the rural broadband programme was switched on at Ainderby Steeple in North Yorkshire on 13 December. Three further projects are aiming to agree contracts this month and, if they stick to the timetable, all projects should have completed procurement by the summer.
Culture: Olympic Games 2012
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the economic return from the Cultural Olympiad. [136965]
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Mr Vaizey: The Department is delighted with the huge impact that the Cultural Olympiad has made. The final evaluation is due to be published in the spring, which, as well as assessing the cultural and social impact, will provide some evidence on the economic impact of the Cultural Olympiad.
Individual regions have conducted economic impact assessments. For example, the west midlands recorded a net economic impact of £27.4 million from the Cultural Olympiad.
Digital Broadcasting: Radio
Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department is taking ahead of the switchover to digital radio; and if she will make a statement. [136575]
Mr Vaizey [holding answer 14 January 2013]: No decision has been taken at this time by Government to implement a radio switchover policy. Since 2010 the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has been working with Ofcom, broadcasters, manufacturers, infrastructure operators and consumer representatives to consider a range of issues to ensure any decision on radio switchover is well informed. Progress is reported in the Digital Radio Action Plan, which is published on the DCMS website:
http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/broadcasting/7228.aspx.
We have always been clear that the timing of any switchover will be determined by the consumer. No date for a switchover will be set until 50% of all radio listening is already to digital. We have also said that DAB coverage at national and local level will need to be comparable to FM.
Insurance
Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had with insurance companies on age limits in respect of access to their services. [136593]
Jo Swinson: I have had no such discussions. However, the Government have an agreement with the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and the British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA) that requires their members to help older customers find motor and travel insurance to meet their needs and the ABI to publish information on insurers' use of age in the assessment of risk for these types of insurance. Officials are working with the industry to monitor the agreement's effectiveness and it will be formally reviewed no later than 2015. Details on the agreement can be found at:
http://www.abi.org.uk/Facts_and_Figures/Data_by_Age_and_Gender.aspx
Music: Young People
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of levels of participation in projects funded by Youth Music from 2009 to 2012. [136953]
Mr Vaizey:
The Department does not record this information. As a delegated lottery distributor of Arts
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Council England (ACE), ACE has advised that Youth Music monitors levels of participation in the projects it funds, and have provided the following participation rates since 2009:
| Participants | |
Youth Music funding focuses on increasing musical participation among early years children, economically disadvantaged or otherwise excluded groups of children and young people.
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the report published by Sound Connections in November 2012 on pilot music rehearsal spaces for young people. [136955]
Mr Vaizey: UK Music, the umbrella organisation representing the collective interests of Britain's commercial music industry, now has responsibility for the pilot music rehearsal spaces. According to the report into the spaces, commissioned by Sound Connections, there were approximately 33,000 visits to the spaces, with three quarters of those participants aged between 11 and 18 years. Many spaces supported young people from poorer socio-economic neighbourhoods in to employment, education and training.
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether Youth Music is working with all 122 music hubs. [136956]
Mr Vaizey: As a delegated lottery distributor of Arts Council England (ACE), Youth Music's Musical Inclusion grant holders ensure opportunities exist for children and young people in challenging circumstances to access and progress through high-quality music making. There are currently 26 Musical Inclusion grant holders across England working with 118 Music Education Hubs. Youth Music is working to identify and develop appropriate partners in order to achieve full coverage and establish links with the remaining four Music Education Hubs.
Newspaper Press: Complaints
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make an assessment of the value of establishing an arbitration system modelled on the Court of Arbitration for Sport to resolve press complaints; and if she will make a statement. [136273]
Mr Vaizey: The Government welcomed Lord Justice Leveson's report, which proposed a system of independent self-regulation for the press. As such, the challenge of developing the new self-regulator, which Lord Justice Leveson recommended should include an arbitration service, has been taken up by the press. Detailed proposals are currently being developed by the industry.
Olympic Games 2012
Mr Umunna:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of
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17 December 2012,
Official Report
, column 554W on Olympic Games,
(a)
what progress has been made in the discussions with the British Olympic Association and the International Olympic Committee on a framework to give London 2012 suppliers greater freedom to promote their work on the Games,
(b)
by what date she expects an outcome to these discussions and
(c)
what (i) deadlines, (ii) milestones and (iii) timescales she has put in place for this process. [137141]
Hugh Robertson: The Government are completely committed to delivering a legacy from the London 2012 Games, which includes helping businesses that were involved in the project benefit from their outstanding work. We are making good progress in discussions on new arrangements with the British Olympic Association (BOA) and hope to make an announcement about the new arrangements in the very near future.
Permanent Secretaries
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether she has any plans to downgrade the permanent secretary position in her Department. [136995]
Maria Miller: I have no plans to downgrade the permanent secretary position in my Department.
Leader of the House
Business Committee
Mr Chope: To ask the Leader of the House whether the Government intend to introduce a House Business Committee by the third year of this Parliament; and if he will make a statement. [137249]
Mr Lansley: The coalition's programme for government contained a commitment to establish a House Business Committee by the end of the third year of the Parliament.
As I explained in my evidence to the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee on 10 January, in developing proposals we will want to take into account the developments in the work of the Backbench Business Committee and consider how a House Business Committee will add value in the management of business.
We will give careful consideration to any views put forward by the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee on the implementation of this.
Government Bills: Free Votes
Mr Burrowes: To ask the Leader of the House further to his oral answer of 10 January 2013 to the hon. Member for Enfield, Southgate, on issues of conscience, which Government Bills since 2001 were not included in the Queen's Speech but were put to the House for decision on the basis of a free vote. [137348]
Mr Lansley: Whipping is a matter for individual parties and not a matter that the Government can comment on.
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Women and Equalities
Marriage
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities if she will publish the responses to the Government's consultation on equal marriage. [137423]
Mrs Grant: We have already published the summary of responses and data in relation to the specific questions asked in the Government response. This can be found at:
www.culture.gov.uk/equalities
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities when she intends to reply to the letter sent to her by the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on 28 November 2012 with regard to Ms K Jones. [136124]
Maria Miller: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 14 January with regards to this matter.
Energy and Climate Change
Data Protection
Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on how many occasions each Minister in his Department carried classified documents on public transport in the last 12 months for which information is available. [137109]
Gregory Barker: This information is not held by the Department. Ministers handle official information in accordance with Government guidance.
Eaga
Mr Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the salaries of the Chief Executive of Eaga and the head of Xtrawarm are; and whether bonuses are paid to those individuals. [137201]
Gregory Barker: Carillion Energy Services was previously known as Eaga. All executive directors remuneration details are recorded as part of Carillion annual accounts. Full details are available from:
http://annualreport2011.carillionplc.com/governance/remuneration_report.php
Details of individual employees' salaries are commercially sensitive information and as such cannot be provided.
Mr Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will ask Eaga to ensure that full information, including the name of the head of Xtrawarm, is published on its website. [137202]
Gregory Barker: Xtrawarm is an optional commercial service offered to Warm Front customers by Carillion Energy Services (CES) at the end of the aftercare period provided by Warm Front. Decisions about marketing for Xtrawarm are the responsibility of CES. The CES website is at:
www.carillionenergy.com
and CES's managing director is Nigel Taylor.
15 Jan 2013 : Column 687W
CES makes Xtrawarm available only to previous Warm Front customers and it is not marketed through a website. A website does not exist to publish information about Xtrawarm. All Xtrawarm customers are provided with a welcome pack with information about the service and full contact details.
Mr Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the working relationship between Eaga and Xtrawarm is; and if he will make a statement. [137203]
Gregory Barker: Xtrawarm is an aftercare insurance-backed product owned by Carillion Energy Services.
Government Procurement Card
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many (a) staff and (b) special advisers in his Department have use of a Government Procurement Card. [137261]
Gregory Barker: The number of Department of Energy and Climate Change (a) staff holding Government Procurement Cards (GPCs) is 186; (b) there are no special advisers holding GPCs.
Press: Subscriptions
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department spent on newspapers and periodicals in 2011-12. [137283]
Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change spent £22,000 on its electronic press cuttings service during the 12 month period ending March 2012. The equivalent expenditure for the period 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011 was £80,000.
The Department does not record expenditure on newspapers, periodicals and trade profession magazines separately from overall expenditure on publications which includes the cost of the Department's own publications as well as purchased publications of all types. It would incur disproportionate costs to scrutinise all publication transactions to identify relevant amounts.
Procurement
John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many research contracts commissioned by his Department were not subject to a tendering process in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012. [135968]
Gregory Barker: The Department for Energy and Climate Change does not record centrally the numbers of contracts commissioned outside of a tendering process and this would be available only at a disproportionate cost.
Procurements under £10,000 are competed by obtaining competitive quotes and are not subjected to a tendering process. The Department complies with Cabinet Office guidance, competing all work over £10,000 unless there are extenuating circumstances.
Urenco
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress has been made in selling off the Government's stake in Urenco. [136957]
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Mr Hayes: The Government are continuing to discuss the possibility of a sale of some or all of the UK shareholding in Urenco with the Dutch and German Governments and shareholders. These discussions are being supported by legal and financial advisers. No final decisions have yet been taken and any decision to sell will be subject to maintaining protections in the areas of nuclear non-proliferation, safety and security, as well as ensuring any transaction delivers value for money for the tax payer.
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much income has been received by the Exchequer from its stake in Urenco in each of the last three years. [137062]
Mr Hayes: The Government have a 33% shareholding in Urenco via Enrichment Holdings Ltd. The only income received is in the form of dividends, which are received and recorded in DECC's resource accounts under programme income. The following table summarises the amounts received in each of the last three financial years as well as the amount received to date in the financial year 2012-13:
| £000 | |
Health
Cancer Services: Expenditure
15. Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of real-terms expenditure on cancer services in each of the last five years. [136846]
Mr Jeremy Hunt: It is not possible to compare real terms expenditure on cancer services over the last five years. As the Cancer Research UK report stated:
“In order to improve the quality of the data, continual refinements have been made making year-on-year comparisons very difficult.”
As part of our commitment to increase the national health service budget, we are investing £750 million to support early diagnosis and improve access to treatment.
Primary care trusts have local discretion as to how they spend their overall baseline allocations, including in the area of cancer care, to allow commissioning to best reflect the needs of local populations.
HIV Infection Rates
16. Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to reduce HIV infection rates. [136847]
Norman Lamb:
The Department funds the Terrence Higgins Trust to undertake a national programme called HIV Prevention England, for communities at increased
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risk of HIV. This includes promoting testing, condom use and developing the evidence base for effective HIV prevention.
Hospital Building
17. Mr Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assistance is available to NHS trusts for the building of new hospitals. [136848]
Dr Poulter: Individual national health service trusts and NHS foundation trusts are responsible for developing and taking forward their own capital investment proposals. An NHS foundation trust can apply to the Department's Foundation Trust Financing Facility for a capital investment loan. Plans are assessed against the Foundation Trust's Prudential Borrowing Limit set by Monitor.
Non-EU Patients: Costs
18. Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to recover costs in respect of non-EU patients who are not entitled to free NHS care. [136850]
Norman Lamb: National health service hospitals have a statutory duty to make and recover charges for any visitors not otherwise exempted.
We have recently undertaken a comprehensive review of current rules and practices on charging visitors for NHS care and expect to make further announcements shortly.
Elective Operations: Non-Clinical Cancellations
22. Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many elective operations have been cancelled for non-clinical reasons in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [136854]
Dr Poulter: In the 12 months to 30 September 2012, elective operations cancelled at the last minute for non-clinical reasons represented 0.8% of all elective activity compared to 0.8% at the time of the last election.
In 2011-12, the last full year's worth of data available, elective operations cancelled at the last minute for non-clinical reasons represented 0.8% of all elective activity compared to 0.9% in 2009-10, the year prior to the last election.
Liverpool Care Pathway
23. Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to maintain the integrity of the Liverpool Care Pathway. [136855]
Norman Lamb: We expect to announce the Chair for the independent review into use of the Liverpool Care Pathway very soon. The Review will examine patients’ and professionals’ experience of the Liverpool Care in practice, and will consider the role of financial incentives in its use. It will report by the summer.
Tuberculosis
24. Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of rates of tuberculosis infection. [136856]
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Norman Lamb: Although cases of tuberculosis (TB) have increased slightly in 2011, the overall TB incidence rates in the United Kingdom appear to have stabilised since 2005.
The stabilisation of TB rates, the rising proportion of patients completing treatment and the increasing proportion of laboratory confirmed cases are encouraging trends.
Accident and Emergency Departments
Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many operational urgent care centres there were in (a) London and (b) England in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii) 2012; [136922]
(2) how many urgent care centres (a) opened and (b) closed in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii) 2012 in (A) London and (B) England; and if he will make a statement. [137050]
Dr Poulter: The Department does not collect the information requested.
Aerials: Health Hazards
Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the public health implications of cumulative radiation from telecommunications masts. [137242]
Dr Poulter: The Department refers to the Health Protection Agency (HPA) for scientific advice on non-ionising radiation, including radiation from telecommunications masts. The 2012 report prepared by the HPA's independent Advisory Group on Non-ionising Radiation is a recent and comprehensive assessment of the evidence of health effects from radiofrequency radiation, such as that emitted from telecommunications masts. It is available on the HPA's website at:
www.hpa.org.uk/webw/HPAweb&HPAwebStandard/HPAweb_C/1317133826368
Alcoholic Drinks: Females
Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate he has made of the number of alcohol-dependent women in (a) Chatham and Aylesford constituency and (b) England in the last five years; [136447]
(2) what estimate he has made of the number of women in each (a) socio-economic group, (b) ethnic group and (c) age group classed as alcohol-dependent since 2010. [136448]
Anna Soubry: Estimates are not available for each of the last five years.
National and regional estimates on alcohol dependence are included in the adult psychiatric morbidity survey, ‘Adult Psychiatric Morbidity in England, 2007’ (APMS), which was published in January 2009. A copy has been placed in the Library.
The next APMS Survey is expected in 2014.
Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of women (a) currently in treatment and (b) who have received treatment for alcohol misuse in the last five years. [136449]
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Anna Soubry: Estimates are not available for each of the last five years and could be made only at disproportionate cost.
The following table shows the number of female clients in contact with structured alcohol treatment at any point in the year for the three years: 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11. Clients who were in treatment during a period which crosses into more than one year, are counted once in each year their treatment journey crosses into.
The National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse will be publishing the 2011-12 statistics on 17 January.
| Female clients in treatment, 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 | ||
| Number | Percentage | |
| Source: National Alcohol Treatment Monitoring System Statistics Report, 1 April 2010 to 31 March. | ||
Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress the chief medical officer has made in developing guidelines on alcohol consumption for women. [136450]
Anna Soubry: The chief medical officer has appointed two expert committees to review the evidence, one on the evidence on health risks from alcohol, chaired by Professor Mark Petticrew, and the other on behavioural issues, chaired by Professor Sally Macintyre.
Subject to the outcome of the review of evidence, which should take about 12 months, this will be followed by a second phase involving the development of new guidelines.
The evidence review will include consideration of health risks for women from alcohol consumption.
Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of minimum unit pricing of alcohol on the levels of alcohol consumption by women. [136451]
Dr Poulter: On 28 November, the Government launched a consultation on key policies within the Alcohol Strategy, seeking views on a proposed minimum unit price of 45 pence. The Government also published a consultation stage impact assessment.
Consistent with the consultation stage impact assessment, we have used the university of Sheffield's School of Health and Related Research alcohol policy model to estimate the effects on alcohol consumption by men and women following introduction of a minimum unit price level of 45 pence per unit of alcohol as follows:
| Percentage | |||
| England | Moderate drinkers | Harmful drinkers | |
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| Notes: 1. Moderate drinkers are those drinking within NHS guidelines—for statistical purposes, these are taken as a weekly equivalent of no more than 21 units for men and no more than 14 units for women. 2. Harmful drinkers are those drinking more than double the weekly equivalent of the NHS guidelines, i.e. more than 50 units weekly for men and more than 35 units weekly for women. | |||
Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of women admitted for the treatment of alcohol-related conditions or injuries in (a) Chatham and Aylesford constituency and (b) England in the last five years. [136452]
Anna Soubry: The table contains the sum of the estimated alcohol attributable fractions for admissions for women in Chatham and Aylesford parliamentary constituency of residence and England for the years 2007-08 to 2011-12.
It should be noted that a parliamentary constituency breakdown is not possible before 2008-09.
These numbers provide an estimate of the numbers based on the proportion of diseases and injuries that can be wholly or partially attributed to alcohol, rather than a count of episodes with an alcohol related diagnosis or cause code.
It should be noted that these data should not be described as a count of people as the same person may have been admitted on more than one occasion.
| Sum of the alcohol attributable fractions(1) for women in Chatham and Aylesford parliamentary constituency of residence(2) and England for the years 2007-08 to 2011-12(3) | ||
| Chatham and Aylesford parliamentary constituency of residence | England | |
| (1)Alcohol-related admissions The number of alcohol-related admissions is based on the methodology developed by the North West Public Health Observatory (NWPHO), which uses 48 indicators for alcohol-related illnesses, determining the proportion of a wide range of diseases and injuries that can be partly attributed to alcohol as well as those that are, by definition, wholly attributable to alcohol. Further information on these proportions can be found at: http://www.nwph.net/nwpho/publications/AlcoholAttributableFractions.pdf The application of the NWPHO methodology has recently been updated and is now available directly from HES. As such, information about episodes estimated to be alcohol related may be slightly different from previously published data. Alcohol attributable fractions are not applicable to children under 16. Therefore figures for this age group relate only to wholly-attributable admissions, where the attributable fraction is one. (2)Parliamentary constituency of residence The parliamentary constituency containing the patient’s normal home address. This does not necessarily reflect where the patient was treated as they may have travelled to another parliamentary constituency for treatment. This field is only available from 2008-09 onwards. (3)Assessing growth through time 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 NHS practice. For example, changes in activity may be due to changes in the provision of care. Note: Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre | ||
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Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the average number of alcohol units consumed by women (a) in employment, (b) in education, (c) not in work and (d) who are retired since 2010. [136532]
Dr Poulter: Information on the average number of alcohol units consumed by women aged 16 or over in England in 2010, broken down by economic status, is given in the following table.
| Average (mean) number of alcohol units per week | ||
| Per person(1) | Per drinker | |
| (1) Includes abstainers and those who have not drunk in the last year. (2) Based on the International Labour Organisation definition. (3) Excludes those students who are also economically active (e.g. in employment). (4) Includes those who are permanently unable to work and those 'keeping house'. Source: Office for National Statistics, General Lifestyle Survey | ||
Ambulance Services: East of England
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many ambulance or response-car call-outs in the East of England (a) have and (b) have not been staffed with a paramedic in each of the last 24 months. [136516]
Dr Poulter: The information requested is not available in the format requested.
Incidents that resulted in an emergency response arriving at the scene in the East of England for the years 2010-11 and 2011-12 are shown in the following table:
| Table 1: Emergency incidents (calls resulting in response arriving at the scene of the incident), East of England Ambulance trust, 2010-11 to 2011-12 | ||
| Thousand | ||
| Ambulance Service | 2010-11 | 2011-12 |
| Source: Form KA34, Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) | ||
The Department does not collect data on whether these responses were staffed by paramedics or not. My hon. Friend may wish to approach the East of England Ambulance Trust, which might hold the information requested.
Cancer
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to help the NHS Commissioning Board address premature mortality linked to cancer. [136609]
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Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he has put in place to support the NHS Commissioning Board to avoid premature mortality linked to cancer; [137034]
(2) what steps he is taking to support the NHS Commissioning Board in saving more lives through diagnosing cancer earlier. [137035]
Dr Poulter: In the Government's mandate to the NHS Commissioning Board, we set an objective for the Board to work towards making England, through the NHS, one of the most successful countries in Europe at preventing premature deaths. The aim is to make significant progress in supporting the earlier diagnosis of illness, ensuring people have access to the right treatments, reducing unjustified variation between hospitals and focusing the NHS on preventing illness.
The NHS Outcomes Framework, will be used to assess progress against the mandate objectives. Domain 1 of the Framework focuses on measuring how the NHS is performing in preventing people from dying prematurely and includes mortality and survival rates for cancer.
As we have highlighted in the second annual report for Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer published in December 2012, good progress is being made in improving cancer outcomes. We are investing over £450 million in early diagnosis of cancer, including funding direct general practitioner access to key tests to help them rule out or confirm cancer in symptomatic patients, funding more testing and treatment in secondary care and running campaigns to raise awareness of symptoms of cancer,
We are investing over £173 million to expand radiotherapy services up to 2014-15 to support the utilisation of existing radiotherapy equipment; provide for new services; support increased access to proton beam therapy abroad: and deliver a £23 million Radiotherapy Innovation Fund (2012-13). The Department has set aside up to £250 million of public capital to be invested by the national health service in building proton beam therapy facilities at The Christie Hospital and University College London Hospital. These facilities will treat up to 1,500 patients a year and the first is due to become operational from the end of 2017.
Since October 2010, over 25,000 patients in England have benefited from the additional £650 million funding for cancer drugs that this Government has committed to providing.
Cancer: Drugs
Sarah Newton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the number of people in each strategic health authority area who have received treatment following the introduction of the Cancer Drugs Fund. [137207]
Norman Lamb: Information on the number of patients who have had cancer drugs funded by strategic health authorities (SHAs) under the interim cancer drugs funding arrangements in 2010-11 (from October 2010 to the end of March 2011).and under the Cancer Drugs Fund (from April 2011 to the end of November 2012) is shown in the table.
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| Strategic health authority | Number of patients funded 2010-11(1) | Number of patients funded in 2011-12 | Number of patients funded from April 2012 to end November 2012 | Total number of patients funded since October 2010(2) |
| (1) Some individual patients may be double-counted where a patient has received more than one drug treatment through the Cancer Drugs Fund. (2) The number of patients recorded to end November 2012 in the North West SHA area has fallen since October 2012 figures were initially released. This follows a review by the SHA which identified that a number of patients did not in practice require the funding that had been agreed. Source: Information provided to the Department by SHAs. | ||||
Care Homes
Chris White: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to provide support to assist persons to visit relatives in care homes; and if he will make a statement. [136524]
Norman Lamb: The Care Quality Commission guidance on compliance with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010, “Essential standards of quality and safety” (March 2010), sets out a number of outcomes service users should experience. Outcome 4 includes an expectation that care providers will help maintain the resident's welfare and promote their wellbeing, by taking account of all their needs, including for personal relationships.
If the person visiting a care home resident has social care needs, there may be a role for their local council social services in assisting them. However, other needs, such as help with the cost of travel for the person visiting the resident, fall outside the responsibilities of the Department or social services.
The White Paper, “Caring for our future”, which set out the vision for the reform of the care and support system, included a commitment to involve communities in decisions around health and care services, through local Healthwatch and health and wellbeing boards.
From April 2013, the Government is establishing new local Healthwatch organisations, which will champion the views of people using health and care services. Local Healthwatch will help to connect care home residents to their communities, by talking with them about their experiences and scrutinising how care homes are working.
This will help ensure that care home residents are not at risk of being isolated from their local communities and give them the opportunity to discuss their views and experiences.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will commission an independent inquiry into UK Government policy on, and matters concerning, myalgic encephalomyelitis. [136498]
Norman Lamb: We have no plans to commission an independent inquiry on this matter. However, the Department acknowledges that services have not always been sensitive to the needs of people with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME).
The Health and Social Care Act 2012 sets out a range of reforms that will improve outcomes, improve access to services and give people, including those with CFS/ME, more choice and control over the services they receive.
People with CFS/ME should be involved in decisions about their care and we expect NHS professionals to ensure that they fully involve patients and their family and carers to enable them to be part of that decision-making process.
Drugs: Babies
Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many pregnant women have been prescribed methadone in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement; [136918]
(2) how many instances of infant mortality were attributed to neo-natal withdrawal symptoms as a result of maternal use of illicit or therapeutic drugs in each of the last five years; [136919]
(3) pursuant to the answer of 8 November 2012, Official Report, column 674W, on drugs: babies, from which illicit or therapeutic substances babies born with neonatal withdrawal symptoms attributable to maternal use of illicit or therapeutic drugs were withdrawing in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [136963]
Anna Soubry: Data on the number of pregnant women prescribed methadone are not collected centrally.
The International Classification of Diseases system (ICD-10) is used to classify diseases treated in hospital. The ICD-10 code used to identify neonatal withdrawal symptoms from maternal use of drugs, P96.1, does not allow for the identification of individual drugs.
Between 2007 and 2011, the latest year for which data are available, there were no deaths attributed to neo-natal withdrawal symptoms from maternal use of drugs.
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General Practitioners: Prescription Drugs
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether penalties are imposed on GPs who frequently prescribe drugs for which cheaper alternatives are available; [136511]
(2) what guidance his Department issues to GPs on limiting the cost of prescription drugs where cheaper options are available; [136512]
(3) what estimate he has made of the potential savings that could accrue from GPs routinely prescribing cheaper alternative drugs. [136513]
Norman Lamb: General practitioner (GP) contracts include a clause in relation to excessive prescribing, setting out that they shall not prescribe drugs, medicines or devices where the cost is in excess of that which is reasonably necessary for the treatment of an individual patient. The NHS Information Services Portal provides local NHS prescribing advisers with prescribing data to enable monitoring of GP prescribing rates. These data can also be used locally to estimate potential savings opportunities.
Primary care organisations may challenge GPs who are routinely identified as having excessive rates of prescribing of expensive branded medicines, without proper justification and who do not change their behaviour, as they could be in breach of their contract. However, there will always be circumstances where the prescribing of branded medicines will be appropriate and GPs must always use their clinical judgment to determine the appropriate treatment for an individual patient.
The Department issued guidance to primary care trusts on strategies to achieve cost effective prescribing in 2007, and this was revised in 2010, entitled ‘Strategies to achieve cost-effective prescribing: guidance for primary care trusts and clinical commissioning groups’. A copy has been placed in the Library and is available at the Department's website:
www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_120214
Through the Quality Innovation Productivity and Prevention Programme, the Department has also worked with partner organisations to develop practical guidance and prescribing support tools to enable local NHS organisations to deliver prescribing savings while ensuring that patients continue to receive appropriate, high quality care. In April 2012, the NICE Medicines and Prescribing Centre produced the latest version of their guide 'Key Therapeutic Topics—Medicines management options for local implementation.'
http://www.npc.nhs.uk/qipp/key_therapeutics_topics.php
The National Audit Office (NAO) estimated in their 2007 report 'Prescribing costs in primary care.' that £200 million could be saved through a more consistent use of generic medicines, in four commonly prescribed groups of drugs. For 2010, the NAO calculated that £415 million was saved, relative to 2005 prescribing patterns, through better use of lower cost generic medicines in these four groups of drugs.
Glaucoma
Tracey Crouch:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with his
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counterparts in France regarding granting them a licence to allow the NHS to import Timoptol and Azpot for UK distribution. [137072]
Norman Lamb: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), an Executive agency of the Department of Health, regulates manufacturers, importers and wholesale dealers of medicinal products for human use in the United Kingdom on behalf of the UK Licensing Authority, through a system of licences. The MHRA has no jurisdiction in any another European economic area (EEA) member states to licence their exporters of medicines.
In the UK, importers of unlicensed medicines sourced from another EEA member state must hold a wholesale dealer's licence and are legally required to notify the MHRA in advance of the importation.
The MHRA has received notifications for the importation of preservative free unlicensed Timolol (the active ingredient of Timoptol) preparations and has not objected to them. No notifications have been received for Brinzolamide (the active ingredient of Azopt).
Health and Social Services: Expenditure
Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his latest estimate is of the total expenditure on (a) national health services and (b) social care services in England in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12. [136345]
Dr Poulter: Historic health spending data is published within the Department of Health's annual reports and accounts 2011-12 (HC66) and can be found in Core Table 1 Public Spending (see p22 in the annual report section). This is available in the Library.
Also, it is important to note that for the years prior to 2011-12, total departmental spending included Personal Social Services (PSS) expenditure. However, as part of the 2010 spending review negotiations, the Department agreed to the transfer of responsibility for PSS spending to the Department for Communities and Local Government. Note 4 to Core Table 1 shows the PSS spending for those years and for consistency, these figures should be removed from the total departmental spending when comparing to subsequent years.
Spending on adult social care services is a matter for councils to decide on. The NHS Information Centre publishes data on the money spent by councils in England on adult social care. Their latest publication, “Personal Social Services: Expenditure and Unit Costs—England 2011-12—Provisional Release” (published November 2012), shows historic spend on adult social care by councils, along with historic data In the annex entitled “Personal Social Services, Expenditure and Unit Costs, England, 2011-2012: Annex—provisional national gross current expenditure 1994-2012”. Copies have been placed in the Library.
Health Centres: Christchurch
Mr Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has disposed of its interest in Christchurch Health Centre; and if he will make a statement. [137248]
Dr Poulter: It is anticipated a disposal of the Department's interest in the property will occur shortly.
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Health Services: Ethnic Groups
Sir Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration he has given to incentivising the collection of ethnicity data in primary and secondary care; and if he will make a statement. [136439]
Norman Lamb: There are national coding systems for data collection, which include race and ethnicity in place. Additional codes can be included as appropriate at a local level to reflect the demographic make-up of the local population. This allows local monitoring to take place in a way that supports service planning and decision-making and key processes such as the joint strategic needs assessments, but also allows national comparisons to be made.
The Department, in collaboration with key stakeholders, is producing a short document that provides practical guidance for the national health service and councils (with social services responsibilities) on the collection of equality monitoring data about patients, service users, communities and staff. The document focuses on the equality characteristics, including race and ethnicity, given protection under the Equality Act 2010, as well as carer status and language.
Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements
Dr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how long on average have UK nationals claiming for reimbursement under the E111 and European Health Insurance Card Management Programme waited for receipt of payment, in each of the last five years; [136364]
(2) how much has been received by UK nationals applying for reimbursement under the E111 and European Health Insurance Card programme in each of the last five years; [136365]
(3) how many applications were made by UK nationals for reimbursement under the E111 and European Health Insurance Card programme in each of the last five years. [136366]
Dr Poulter: Under the European Health Insurance Card scheme,, citizens from one member state are able to access state provided healthcare in another member state on the same basis as local residents, while on a temporary visit.
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In some countries, local residents are required to make a financial contribution towards their care (typically around 30%); if this is the case, then so would United Kingdom citizens. The Department for Work and Pensions, on behalf of the Department of Health, currently processes reimbursement claims from UK residents who incur such costs and those who for whatever reason have been incorrectly charged.
The total amount paid to UK residents and the total number of applications received over the past three years is shown in the following table. Figures prior to 2009 are not held centrally:
| Amount reimbursed (£) | Number of applications received | |
The operational target for processing claims for reimbursement of medical costs, which includes, verification with other member state authorities, is 90 working days.
Case load is monitored in relation to the percentage of cases cleared within the 90 day target, which is as follows:
| Percentage of cases cleared within 90 days | |
Health Services: Yorkshire and the Humber
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what unweighted cash allocation per head was provided for each primary care trust in Yorkshire and the Humber in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12 and (d) 2012-13 (i) in cash terms and (ii) at 2012-13 prices. [137052]
Dr Poulter: Allocations per head for each primary care trust (PCT) in the Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority in cash terms and in 2012-13 prices are shown in the following table.
| £ | ||||||||
| Per head allocation in cash terms | Per head allocation at 2012-13 prices | |||||||
| PCT | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 |
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| Notes: 1. Allocations have been put into 2012-13 prices using the projected gross domestic product (GDP) deflators for 2012-13 and the actual GDP deflator for earlier years. 2. PCT allocations show recurrent allocations only are not comparable across all years due to changes in services to be funded through these allocations. 3. The populations used to calculate allocations per head are Office for National Statistics estimates (unweighted). Source: Resource Allocation Team, Department of Health | ||||||||
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the unweighted cash allocation per head is which will be provided for each care commissioning group in Yorkshire and the Humber in 2013-14 in (a) cash terms and (b) 2012-13 prices. [137053]
Dr Poulter: Allocations per head, for each clinical commissioning group (CCG) in Yorkshire and Humberside for 2013-14 in cash terms and in 2012-13 prices are shown in the following table.
| CCG | Cash prices (£) | 2012-13 prices (£) |
| Notes: 1. CCG allocations are not comparable with allocations to primary care trusts up to 2012-13 as the services for which CCGs have commissioning responsibilities are different, in particular CCGs are not responsible for commissioning primary care services and-specialised services. 2. 2013-14 allocations have been put into 2012-13 prices using the projected gross domestic product deflators for 2012-13 and 2013-14. 3. The population used to calculate allocations per head is the number of general practitioners (GP) registrations in each GP practice in each CCG in April 2012. Source: NHS Commissioning Board | ||
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what surplus or deficit was returned by each primary care trust (PCT) in Yorkshire and the Humber at the end of (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12; and what outturn is expected for each such PCT at the end of 2012-13 in (i) cash terms and (ii) 2012-13 prices. [137054]
Dr Poulter: The final accounts position of primary care trusts (PCTs) in the Yorkshire and Humber Strategic Health Authority (SHA) region at the end of 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12, and their 2012-13 forecast outturn position is shown in the following table:
| £000 | ||||
| PCT name | 2009-10 Annual Accounts Surplus/(Deficit) | 2010-11 Annual Accounts Surplus/(Deficit) | 2011-12 Annual Accounts Surplus/(Deficit) | 2012-13 Quarter 2 Forecast Outturn Surplus/(Deficit) |
15 Jan 2013 : Column 703W
15 Jan 2013 : Column 704W
| (1) Bassetlaw PCT is being reported under the Yorkshire and Humber SHA region from 1 April 2011. Prior to this, it was reported under the East Midlands SHA region. (2) North East Lincolnshire Care Trust Plus was formed following the dissolution of North East Lincolnshire PCT on 1 September 2007. | ||||