State Retirement Pensions: Northern Ireland
Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the decision to bring forward the date of introduction of the single tier pension. [159500]
Steve Webb: Regular contact on social security and pensions matters is maintained between the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Social Development in Northern Ireland at both official and ministerial level.
I met with the Minister for Social Development for Northern Ireland and officials in April to discuss the single-tier pension reforms and the proposed Pensions Bill.
Unemployment Benefits
Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he intends to release figures on the number of children in out-of-work benefit households. [159742]
Mr Hoban: Subject to suitable quality assurance, DWP statisticians expect to publish the figures on 17 July 2013.
Universal Credit
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the effect of increasing the first and subsequent child elements of universal credit by (a) 5%, (b) 10% and (c) 15% on the proportion of (i) children and (ii) working age adults living in households of below 60% of median income. [159790]
Mr Hoban: The aim of universal credit is to encourage work. Figures in the most recent Households Below Average Income series show that children in workless families are at greater risk of being in poverty than those in working families.
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(i) If the child elements in universal credit were increased by: (a) 5%, we would expect to see a one percentage point reduction in the proportion of children living in households below 60% of median income; (b) 10%, we would expect to see a one percentage point reduction in the proportion of children living in households below 60% of median income; (c) 15%, we would expect to see a two percentage point reduction in the proportion of children living in households below 60% of median income.
(ii) If the child elements in universal credit were increased by: (a) 5%, we would expect to see a zero percentage point change in the proportion of working age adults living in households below 60% of median income; (b) 10%, we would expect to see a zero percentage point change in the proportion of working age adults living in households below 60% of median income; (c) 15%, we would expect to see a one percentage point reduction, in the proportion of working age adults living in households below 60% of median income.
Note that the results have been derived using the Family Resources Survey. Due to sample size issues, results are being rounded to the nearest percentage point.
These figures do not take account of any anticipated increase in employment as a result of universal credit. It is designed to encourage work, which is the best route out of poverty for most people.
This analysis is consistent with the impact assessment published in December 2012.
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the effect of increasing the earnings disregard for lone parents in universal credit by (a) 10%, (b) 20% and (c) 30% on the proportion of (i) children and (ii) working age adults living in households of below 60% of median income. [159791]
Mr Hoban: The aim of universal credit is to encourage work. Figures in the most recent Households Below Average Income series show that children in workless families are at greater risk of being in poverty than those in working families.
Universal credit will significantly improve the incentives to enter work and progress through the labour market.
Increasing the universal credit work allowance by (a) 10%, (b) 20% or (c) 30% for lone parents would have a zero percentage point impact on both (i) the proportion of children and (ii) the proportion of working age adults living in households under 60% of median income.
Note that the results have been derived using the Family Resources Survey. Due to sample size issues, results are being rounded to the nearest percentage point.
These figures do not take account of any anticipated increase in employment as a result of universal credit. It is designed to encourage work, which is the best route out of poverty for most people.
This analysis is consistent with the impact assessment published in December 2012.
Stephen Timms:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the effect of a second earner disregard in universal credit set at (a) 30% and (b) 50% of the first earner
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disregard, on the proportion of (i) children and (ii) working age adults living in households of below 60% of median income. [159792]
Mr Hoban: The aim of universal credit is to encourage work. Figures in the most recent Households Below Average Income series show that children in workless families are at greater risk of being in poverty than those in working families.
Universal credit will significantly improve the incentives to enter work and progress through the labour market.
Introducing a second earner disregard in universal credit set at (a) 30% and (b) 50% of the work allowance would have a zero percentage point impact on both (i) the proportion of children and (ii) the proportion of working age adults living in households under 60% of median income.
Note that the results have been derived using the Family Resources Survey. Due to sample size issues, results are being rounded to the nearest percentage point.
These figures do not take account of any anticipated increase in employment as a result of universal credit. It is designed to encourage work, which is the best route out of poverty for most people.
This analysis is consistent with the impact assessment published in December 2012.
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the effect of increasing the universal credit earnings disregard levels by (a) 10%, (b) 20% and (c) 30% on the proportion of (i) children and (ii) working age adults living in households of below 60% of median income. [159793]
Mr Hoban: The aim of universal credit is to encourage work. Figures in the most recent Households Below Average Income series show that children in workless families are at greater risk of being in poverty than those in working families.
Universal credit will significantly improve the incentives to enter work and progress through the labour market.
Increasing all universal credit work allowances by (a) 10% would have a zero percentage point impact on both (i) the proportion of children and (ii) the proportion of working age adults living in households under 60% of median income.
Increasing all universal credit work allowances by (b) 20% or (c) 30% would reduce the proportion of children living in households under 60% of median income by one percentage point and have a zero percentage point impact on (ii) the proportion of working age adults living in households under 60% of median income.
Note that the results have been derived using the Family Resources Survey. Due to sample size issues, results are being rounded to the nearest percentage point.
These figures do not take account of any anticipated increase in employment as a result of universal credit. It is designed to encourage work, which is the best route out of poverty for most people.
This analysis is consistent with the impact assessment published in December 2012.
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Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the effect of reducing the taper for universal credit to (a) 60% and (b) 55% on the proportion of (i) children and (ii) working age adults living in households of below 60% of median income. [159794]
Mr Hoban: The aim of universal credit is to encourage work. Figures in the most recent Households Below Average Income series show that children in workless families are at greater risk of being in poverty than those in working families.
Universal credit will significantly improve the incentives to enter work and progress through the labour market. Financial support under universal credit is reduced at a consistent and predictable rate.
Setting the taper at (a) 60% or (b) 55% would have a zero percentage point impact on both (i) the proportion of children and (ii) the proportion of working age adults living in households under 60% of median income.
Note that the results have been derived using the Family Resources Survey. Due to sample size issues, results are being rounded to the nearest percentage point.
These figures do not take account of any anticipated increase in employment as a result of universal credit. It is designed to encourage work, which is the best route out of poverty for most people.
This analysis is consistent with the impact assessment published in December 2012.
Universal Credit: Barnsley
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when jobcentres in Barnsley will start to accept applications for universal credit. [160243]
Mr Hoban: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 3 June 2013, Official Report, column 1052W, to the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Hodge Hill (Mr Byrne).
Universal credit will progressively rollout in a carefully managed and controlled way from October 2013 with all those who are entitled to UC claiming the new benefit by 2017.
Vacancies: Barrow in Furness
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many job vacancies there are in Barrow and Furness constituency; and how many vacancies there were on the first day of each month in the last five years. [159931]
Mr Hoban: Headline figures on the number of unfilled vacancies at a point in time are published by the Office for National Statistics, based on a regular survey of employers. The sample size of the survey is, however, too small to allow information to be published below national level.
Administrative data on the number of unfilled vacancies held locally by Jobcentre Plus were published until the end of last year and can be accessed by following this link:
http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/query/construct/summary.asp?mode=construct&version=0&dataset=89
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and selecting the ‘live unfilled’ vacancies variable and the relevant geography and time period. The figures relate to the first or second Friday of each month.
Any snapshot of unfilled Jobcentre vacancies at a point in time misses the regular turnover of new vacancies that are notified as existing opportunities are filled. It also misses jobs available in the wider labour market, including those outside the local constituency, and those coming up through other recruitment channels or filled by direct approaches to employers or word of mouth.
Universal Jobmatch has now replaced the previous Jobcentre Plus system of taking vacancies. Information on vacancies reported through the new service is not currently available for parliamentary constituencies. Some information, including notified vacancies at local authority level, is available via a Universal Jobmatch management information tool:
https://jobsearch.direct.gov.uk/Reports/Reports.aspx
DWP is working with Monster Worldwide Limited, the Universal Jobmatch supplier, on a timetable for prioritising and implementing improvements to the available MI, including breakdowns by parliamentary constituency, subject to funding.
Winter Fuel Payments
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in receipt of winter fuel payments in each (a) region of the UK and (b) parliamentary constituency are (i) higher rate taxpayers and (ii) additional rate taxpayers. [159458]
Steve Webb: The information requested is not available.
Health
Animal Experiments
Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on reducing the number of animals used in scientific procedures; what steps he is taking to reduce the number of animals used in such procedures; and if he will make a statement. [159405]
Dr Poulter: The Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), has had no discussions on this issue with the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May).
The National Institute for Health Research does not fund scientific procedures on animals as it focuses on clinical and health services research.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is involved in a science-led programme of work led by the National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) to reduce the use of animals in scientific research. The NC3Rs closely involves Government Departments and agencies, the Home Office Inspectorate, the research community in both academia and industry, and others with relevant animal welfare interests.
Significant developments have been made in the validation of new assays that provide substantial advantages in terms of reduction in animal numbers or alternative
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procedures that do not rely on animal use. In the meantime, some in vivo procedures will continue to form an essential aspect of ensuring the safety of medicines, but work continues to reduce those requirements by refining the assays while still ensuring the highest possible safety standards for the public and animals.
Public Health England has provided the following statement:
“The vast majority of public health research is carried out without using animals. In certain areas, however, such as the development of new vaccines to prevent life threatening conditions including TB, influenza and meningitis, animal research remains, essential if we are to understand and combat infectious diseases.
“Public Health England only uses animals in its research when there is no alternative and when this is necessary we work within the stringent guidelines laid down by Home Office regulations and are committed to high standards of animal welfare. We maintain a very active 3R (Reduction, Refinement, Replacement) research programme aimed at reducing where possible the need for animals in our research.”
Big Society Network
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (a) how much funding his Department allocated to and (b) what contracts his Department held with the Big Society Network in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12, (iii) 2012-13 and (iv) 2013-14 to date. [160113]
Dr Poulter: The Department has not allocated any funds to the Big Society Network, nor has it held any contracts with this organisation.
Blood: Donors
Mr Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the performance of NHS Blood and Transplant in Devon; [159838]
(2) what proportion of transplant blood used in (a) Devon and (b) across the UK was sourced from abroad in each year since 2008; [159839]
(3) what recent steps he has taken to ensure that blood donors in Devon have access to local blood donation stations. [159840]
Anna Soubry: NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is accountable to the Secretary of State for Health. However, local performance issues are a matter for the NHSBT Board.
NHSBT advises that it has seen a reduction in the demand for blood across the national health service. Therefore it is making changes in some areas in order to continue to run an efficient service, keep down costs to the NHS and collect the right amount of blood of the right blood type to meet patient needs. As part of this, NHSBT recently announced changes to its blood collection programme in North Devon, which will start in autumn 2013. There will still be donation sessions in the area, they will be less frequent, and for some donors this may involve longer journeys to donate.
Blood donors in North Devon, and across England and North Wales are extremely important to NHSBT and it wishes to encourage donors to continue giving, albeit less frequently in some cases. NHSBT has written to all donors affected by its proposed plans in North
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Devon and will write again shortly with details of new, alternative sessions to enable donors to continue their life saving donations.
NHSBT is able to meet all hospital demand for blood in England and North Wales from its blood collections. However, to reduce the potential risk of transmitting variant Creutzfeldt Jakob disease (vCJD) through transfusion, NHSBT imports plasma from countries with low prevalence of vGD for some patient groups. 20,000 units of plasma have been sourced from abroad each year since 2008.
Cancer: Drugs
Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how he intends to continue the principle of clinically-led decision-making that has been implemented through the Cancer Drugs Fund once that fund closes in January 2014; [160048]
(2) what assessment he has made of the potential for regional variations in patients' access to medicines when the current Cancer Drugs Fund arrangements end; [160049]
(3) what estimate he has made of future demand for medicines currently funded through the Cancer Drugs Fund and which will not be covered by the new value-based pricing scheme from January 2014; [160050]
(4) when he last had discussions with NHS England about the future of the Cancer Drugs Fund. [160051]
Norman Lamb: In the context of developing new pricing arrangements for branded medicines, we are exploring ways in which patients can continue to benefit from innovative cancer drugs at a cost that represents value to the national health service. NHS England is involved in this work.
NHS England has taken on responsibility for commissioning specialised services, including chemotherapy. Direct commissioning to a national specification should lead to improved consistency in the commissioning of and access to national health service chemotherapy services across England.
Cancer: Scotland
Mr McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cancer sufferers resident in Scotland travel to England to gain treatment using cancer drugs denied to them in Scotland; and whether he has any plans to prevent such cross-border treatment. [159767]
Anna Soubry: The Department holds no information on the number of people resident in Scotland who travelled to England to receive drugs for cancer treatment, free of charge, that were not available in Scotland.
Local commissioners should satisfy themselves that the patients they fund treatment for are eligible to receive that treatment.
Care Homes: Abuse
Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of local authorities in dealing with instances of abuse or neglect of the elderly in residential care. [159499]
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Norman Lamb: The Secretary of State for Health, the right hon. Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), has not carried out assessments on the effectiveness of local authorities in dealing with instances of abuse or neglect of older people in residential care.
The Health and Social Care Information Centre published the “Abuse of Vulnerable Adults (AVA) Final Data Report 2011-12 (England)”, which found that councils reported a number of changes to staffing, training and recording systems during the reporting year and an increase in public awareness campaigns has resulted in effective reporting of abuse.
Through the Care Bill, recently introduced into Parliament, we are putting Safeguarding Adults Boards on a stronger, statutory footing, better equipped both to prevent abuse and to respond when it occurs.
We expect local authorities to ensure that the services they commission are safe, effective and of high quality. We also expect those providing the service, local authorities and the Care Quality Commission to take swift action where anyone alleges poor care, neglect or abuse.
The Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care will work with local authorities as the commissioners of care and support. The Local Government Association, along with the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, the Social Care Institute for Excellence and the NHS Confederation, has developed a peer challenge process. This aims to assess the effectiveness of local authorities’ safeguarding adults arrangements and identify any areas for improvements. Local authorities' involvement in the Safeguarding Adults Peer Challenge is on a voluntary basis.
Carers
Mr Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the effect on the level of the UK's gross domestic product of people giving up work to care for older people in each of the last five years. [159526]
Norman Lamb: This information is not available centrally.
However, the Department funded the National Institute for Health Research School for Social Care Research to undertake a longitudinal analysis of unpaid care and employment in England. Initial results from a scoping study undertaken by the London School of Economics and Political Science found that the estimated public expenditure costs of carers leaving employment is around £1.3 billion a year. Further results will be available next year.
Dental Services
Mr Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what role local representative committees are to have in shaping primary care dentistry services. [159505]
Dr Poulter: NHS England has formally recognised local dental committees. As local representative groups for dentists they have an important role to play in engaging with area teams and with the dental local professional networks in developing NHS dental services.
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Dental Services: Greater London
Angie Bray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the number of people using out-of-hours dental care in London in the last year. [160056]
Dr Poulter: NHS England has advised the Department that approximately 113,500 patients accessed out-of-hours dental services in London during 2012-13.
Angie Bray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the availability of out-of-hours dental care in (a) Ealing borough and (b) London. [160057]
Dr Poulter: This is a matter for NHS England. We understand that its London region is the commissioner of the out-of-hours (OOH) dental care service in London. OOH dental care in Ealing is provided as part of a joint service covering eight boroughs in north-west London. Calls are forwarded to a dental nurse triage service, which is available from 6 pm to 10 pm on Monday to Friday and from 9 am to 10 pm at weekends and on bank holidays.
OOH dental services elsewhere in the capital are provided via call handling, triage and appointments through a variety of different providers.
NHS England is currently reviewing the OOH dental care system in London to ensure that capacity is sufficient to meet demand for the service.
Dental Services: West Midlands
Mr Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what input general dental practitioners in the local area team in Birmingham, the Black Country and Solihull will have into clinician-led commissioning using additional funding; [159503]
(2) what change in the number of units of dental activity will be needed to achieve the improved access requirements for the local area team in Birmingham, the Black Country and Solihull for 2006 to 2016; [159506]
(3) what the net funding allocation to general dental service contracts for the local area team in Birmingham, the Black Country and Solihull is for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16; [159527]
(4) how many net units of dental activity are required from the local area team in Birmingham, the Black Country and Solihull in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16; [159528]
(5) what change in the budget for dental services has been allocated to meet the access targets for the local area team in Birmingham, the Black Country and Solihull for (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16; [159563]
(6) what estimate he has made of the likely additional funding arising from NHS efficiency savings to be allocated to the local area team in Birmingham, the Black Country and Solihull in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16. [159568]
Dr Poulter:
The information is not held centrally by the Department. Since 1 April 2013, NHS England has been responsible for commissioning dental services,
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including primary, secondary, community, out of hours and urgent care. This includes commissioning dental services provided in high street dental practices, community dental services, and dental services at general hospitals and dental hospitals.
NHS England will commission NHS dental services under a single operating model, based on the local oral health needs assessment, which will be developed by public health teams in local authorities and will help determine the needs of local populations.
NHS England published “Securing excellence in commissioning NHS dental services” in February 2013, which sets out the national operating model for dental commissioning.
A copy of this document has been placed in the Library.
Disability Aids: Communication
Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent estimate he has made of the number of people who require augmentative and alternative communication aids; [159406]
(2) what recent assessment he has made of the commissioning arrangements for augmentative and alternative communication aids; [159407]
(3) what resources he plans to make available to support the diagnosis and care of people who require augmentative and alternative communication aids. [159408]
Norman Lamb: NHS England is responsible for the direct commissioning of specialised assessment and provision of augmentative and assistive communication aids (AAC) for adults, children and young people. Services which do not fall within the definition of specialised AAC are commissioned locally by clinical commissioning groups.
Given significant historic variation in the commissioning of specialised communication aids in England in the past and equity in access, a key priority is to ensure that commissioning arrangements for this specialised service are placed on a much more robust and equitable footing across England.
We are advised that NHS England Clinical Reference Groups and Area Teams are working to identify areas where there may be inequities and where additional resources may be required to bring about better access to services. NHS England will prioritise areas that require investment but this will need to be considered within the context of its fixed budget.
Food: Hygiene
Andrew Stephenson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the
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NHS of food poisoning occurring as a result of poor hygiene in businesses serving food and drink. [159328]
Anna Soubry: The Food Standards Agency, which has policy responsibility for food safety, advises that although cost to the national health service of microbiological food borne disease in England and Wales has been estimated, it is not possible to reliably determine the proportion of this cost that can be attributed to poor hygiene in businesses serving food and drink.
The overall estimated burden of food borne disease in England and Wales in 2011, which is the most recent estimate available, was £1,564 million. This comprised £31 million of costs to the NHS, £136 million from loss of earnings and other direct costs, and £1,397 million in pain and suffering.
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment his Department has made of the costs to businesses of making the display of Food Standards Agency hygiene ratings compulsory in England; [159329]
(2) what representations he has received on making the display of Food Standards Agency hygiene ratings compulsory in England; [159330]
(3) what proportion of businesses assessed by the Food Standard's Agency's hygiene rating scheme have chosen to display their rating. [159331]
Anna Soubry: The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme is a Food Standards Agency (FSA)/local authority partnership initiative for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Businesses included in the scheme are given a sticker and certificate showing their rating and encouraged to display these at their premises.
A number of representations for making display at premises compulsory in England have been made by individuals. The consumer body, Which?, has also called for this and independently-conducted research commissioned by the FSA indicates strong consumer and local authority support.
Compulsory display would require new legislation and a full assessment of the costs of introducing this in England has not been undertaken at this stage. Instead, the FSA's focus is on working with businesses to encourage greater voluntarily display. The FSA is also delivering a communications strategy to promote the scheme more widely so that consumers more routinely search for ratings online and look for them at premises and draw their own conclusions where they do not see a rating on display.
The FSA is monitoring the proportion of businesses voluntarily displaying their rating. The findings show an increase from 2011-12 to 2012-13, mainly as a result of more businesses with a rating of 4 (good) or 5 (very good) displaying these.
| Percentage businesses with a rating displaying at premises | ||||||
| England | Northern Ireland | Wales | ||||
| Rating | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2011-12 | 2012/13 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 |
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Fractures
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many local authorities offer access to fracture liaison services linked to every hospital in a local area involved in the care of people with fragility fractures; and if he will make a statement. [159525]
Norman Lamb: The information on fracture liaison services linked to every hospital is not held centrally by the Department or NHS England. Local commissioners are primarily responsible for determining what steps are needed to improve the health and care of people with fragility fractures.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents published on 13 June 2013 an on-line handbook ‘Delivering Accident Prevention at local level in the new public health system’ funded by the Department and supported by Public health England.
It aims to assist local authorities and local commissioners with information to improve injury prevention including strategies and services to reduce falls and the risk of accidental injury.
General Practitioners: Location
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department issues guidance on whether a GP should inform his or her patients if he or she moves to a different practice. [159412]
Dr Poulter: The Department does not issue guidance on this. General practitioners are independent contractors who work under contracts with NHS England to provide NHS services.
Health
Rebecca Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the data gathered under indicator 4.12 of Part 1B of the Public Health Outcomes Framework 2013-16 Appendices, broken down by (a) local authority, (b) age, (c) disability, (d) ethnicity, (e) gender and (f) socio-economic group; and if he will make a statement. [159320]
Dr Poulter: The data for 2010-11 gathered under indicator 4.12 of Part IB of the Public Health Outcomes Framework 2013-16 Appendices (Preventable sight loss) were published in November 2012 broken down by local authority. They are available to search at:
www.phoutcomes.info/public-health-outcomes-framework#gid/1000044/par/E12000004
The data for this indicator have not been published by disability, ethnicity, gender and socio-economic group.
The sub-indicators for indicator 4.12 refer to different age groups appropriate to the cause of the sight loss. For age-related macular degeneration this is aged 65 and over, for glaucoma aged 40 and over and for diabetic eye disease age 12 and over. No further breakdown by age was published.
Currently data on ethnicity, disability and socio-economic group are not collected for this indicator. The Department will consider publishing further data for this indicator broken down by age and gender subject to patient confidentiality restrictions and availability of funding.
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Health and Wellbeing Boards
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the budget for each Health and Wellbeing Board in England is. [159937]
Norman Lamb: Health and wellbeing boards are statutory committees of English local authorities. While health and wellbeing boards have no statutory responsibility for holding commissioning budgets, local areas are able to delegate to a health and wellbeing board if they so wish. The boards are however under a duty to encourage integrated working between commissioners of services across health, social care, public health and children's services. Health and wellbeing boards are encouraged to explore how the mechanisms for integration included in the NHS Act 2006, such as pooled budgets or lead commissioning arrangements, can be used to provide more integrated commissioning across health and social care.
Health Services
Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to introduce a new out of hospital care test to include a requirement that proposals that include the closure of accident and emergency departments also include the publication of an independently evaluated, costed plan for investing in enhanced primary care, community health and social care before proceeding to consultation with the public and other interested parties; and if he will make a statement. [159872]
Anna Soubry: The reconfiguration of local national health service services is a matter to be determined by the NHS.
Any changes must be supported by this Government’s four tests for service change, namely:
support from clinical commissioners;
clarity on the clinical evidence base;
robust patient and public engagement; and
support for patient choice.
As such, we would expect any local plans for changes to acute services to take full account of the impact on surrounding primary, community and social care provision.
Health: Peterborough
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to reduce health inequalities in Peterborough constituency; and if he will make a statement. [159926]
Anna Soubry: Tackling health inequalities is a Government priority. We are committed to reducing inequalities by tackling the differences in access to, and outcomes of, national health service treatment; and by addressing the wider social causes of ill health and early death.
Within a broad strategy to tackle health inequalities across the country, we are addressing the needs of the most vulnerable people through the Inclusion Health programme, which is focusing on improving access and outcomes for vulnerable groups.
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Peterborough’s Health and Wellbeing Board has been established as part of the requirements of the Health and Social Care Act (2012) to bring key organisations together to improve the health and well-being of its local population. Peterborough’s strategy specifically addresses health inequalities.
Public Health England is working in close support of the local authority and its partners to meet local objectives.
Health: Screening
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with NHS England on increasing the uptake of NHS health checks. [159927]
Anna Soubry: During 2012-13, 2.57 million offers were made and 1.26 million NHS Health Check appointments were received: an uptake of 49%. Since the national programme is in its second year of implementation following a phased roll-out, uptake levels are promising.
Increasing uptake and onward referral for the NHS Health Check programme is a priority for local government, Public Health England and NHS England. Public Health England is leading an implementation review and action plan of the programme and working with multiple partners, including NHS England and local authorities to implement action that will increase uptake.
Heart Diseases: Children
Stuart Andrew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the reasons are for the difference between the audited number of cases for each children's heart surgery centre produced by the Central Cardiac Audit Database in 2009-10 and 2010-11 and used in the decision-making business case for the safe and sustainable review of children's congenital heart services, and those numbers published by the National Institute for Cardiovascular Outcomes Research in April 2013; and if he will make a statement. [159676]
Anna Soubry: On 12 June 2013, Official Report, columns 343-44, the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), delivered a statement to the House which confirmed the suspension of implementing the proposals of the Safe and Sustainable review of children's congenital heart services.
Having commissioned a full review from the Independent Reconfiguration Panel, the Secretary of State for Health agreed with the panel's conclusion that the proposals of the Safe and Sustainable review cannot go ahead in their current form.
As part of his statement, the Secretary of State asked NHS England to move forward on the basis of the panel's recommendations, and the recent court judgment in favour of Save Our Surgery Ltd.
NHS England is currently working up a detailed plan on all aspects of the process, including the use of data, and will give an interim report on progress to the Secretary of State by the end of July 2013. We will keep the House updated.
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Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make an assessment of the ethical standards applied in the Safe and Sustainable review of children's congenital heart services. [159677]
Anna Soubry: On 12 June 2013, Official Report, columns 343-44, the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), delivered a statement to the House which confirmed the suspension of implementing the proposals of the Safe and Sustainable review of children's congenital heart services.
Having commissioned a full review from the Independent Reconfiguration Panel, the Secretary of State for Health agreed with the panel's conclusion that the proposals of the Safe and Sustainable review cannot go ahead in their current form.
As part of his statement, the Secretary of State for Health asked NHS England to move forward on the basis of the panel's recommendations, and the recent court judgment in favour of Save Our Surgery Limited.
NHS England is currently working up a detailed plan on all aspects of the process, including the ethical standards, and will give an interim report of progress to the Secretary of State for Health by the end of July 2013. We will keep the House updated.
Herbal Medicine: Regulation
Mr Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress he has made towards developing a framework for statutory regulation of herbalists. [159918]
Dr Poulter: The legislation around this policy is complex and there are a number of issues that have arisen which we need to work through. We appreciate that the delay in going out to consult on this matter is causing concern; however, the Department will make an announcement on the progress of this policy once the issues have been resolved.
Maternity Services
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many individuals have submitted a notification of intention to practise as a midwife in each of the last five practice years. [159570]
Dr Poulter: The Nursing and Midwifery Council collects data on the notifications of intentions to practise as a midwife. The following table shows the number of individuals who have submitted a notification of intention to practise as a midwife in each of the last five years.
| Year (1 April) | Number of intentions to practise |
| Source: Nursing and Midwifery Council. | |
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Maternity Services: Wales
Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions his Department has had with the Welsh Government regarding plans to relocate neo-natal care services into England. [159595]
Dr Poulter: The Department has not had any recent discussion with the Welsh Government regarding plans to relocate neonatal care services into England. We understand discussions have taken place with the national health service at a local level.
Medical Records: Disability
Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what his policy is on measures to ensure that patients with disabilities receive personal information from GPs and hospitals in a format that is accessible to them; [159520]
(2) what discussions he has had with (a) individuals and (b) organisations on making personal information from GPs and hospitals accessible to patients with disabilities. [159521]
Norman Lamb: The Equality Act 2010 requires national health service bodies, and those carrying out public functions on their behalf, to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people which may include providing information in alternative formats. This statutory duty aims to ensure that a disabled person can use a service as close as reasonably possible to the standard usually offered to non-disabled people. NHS bodies must think in advance and on an on-going basis about what disabled people with a range of impairments who use their services might reasonably need.
The Department has received representations from both voluntary and community organisations and individuals about the performance of local NHS bodies in making reasonable adjustments for their service users. Most recently, the Department has agreed to explore with its partners what more can be done to accommodate the communication needs of disabled service users. Subsequently, NHS England has agreed to develop and implement a new statutory information standard that should help ensure that patients' communication preferences are recorded and adhered to more consistently.
The Department is currently in discussions with its partners about publishing further guidance on making reasonable adjustments in health care settings with a view to making a decision before the end of July. Two reminders about reasonable adjustments for disabled service users were also issued to NHS bodies through the Department's regular bulletins in 2012.
Mitochondrial DNA Disease
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the conclusions of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority public consultation on preventing mitochondrial DNA disease; and if he will make a statement. [159860]
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Anna Soubry: We are currently considering the advice that we received on 28 March 2013 from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and will respond in due course.
Musculoskeletal Disorders
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment (a) his Department and (b) Public Health England have made of the effect on public health of musculoskeletal conditions; and if he will make a statement. [159522]
Norman Lamb: We are aware of the wide prevalence of musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions and their impact on an individual's quality of life. Local commissioners are primarily responsible for determining what steps are needed to improve the health of people with MSK conditions.
NHS England is responsible for work on MSK conditions. It appointed the first National Clinical Director for MSK conditions, Professor Peter Kay.
The Department's mandate to the national health service set an objective to improve the quality of life for people with long-term conditions, such as MSK conditions. The NHS Outcomes Framework contains the indicators that are used to hold NHS England to account for making progress.
The Public Health Outcomes Framework sets out the desired outcomes for public health and how these will be measured. Domain 2, ‘Health Improvement' contains the indicator, ‘Injuries due to falls in people aged 65 and over', and Domain 4, ‘Healthcare, Public Health and Preventing Premature Mortality', contains the indicator, ‘Hip fracture in people aged 65 and over'. Both of these indicators are relevant to people with MSK conditions, such as osteoarthritis.
Public Health England (PHE) is actively engaged in exploring ways in which the new public health system can support older people with long-term conditions and disabilities to maximise their health and well-being. PHE is working with NHS England and UCL Partners to develop a major conference in early October on this topic.
NHS 111
Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the public purse will be of running the NHS 111 service in (a) England, (b) Kent and (c) Swale borough in 2013-14. [159460]
Anna Soubry: Information on the cost of running NHS 111 in England is not held centrally by either NHS England or the Department. NHS 111 is a locally commissioned service and the cost of running it during 2013-14 will depend on a number of factors such as call volume and roll-out dates in different parts of the country. Costs are reimbursed to providers on a price per call basis, so the final costs will depend on the number of calls received over the course of 2013-14.
NHS 111 services for Kent are provided as part of a wider contract which includes Kent, Surrey and Sussex. The 111 service has one overall host clinical commissioning group (CCG) lead, which sits with the Swale CCG and is supported by a project and contract team purchased via the Kent and Medway Commissioning Support Service.
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The contract value of the NHS 111 services across Kent, Surrey and Sussex for the three years of the initial contract term is £28.6 million. Information on the exact proportion of that money to be spent in Kent or Swale is not available. There are costs locally associated with the set-up and commissioning of the service, as well as ongoing project support costs. These costs are shared with other contracts from within the CCG commissioning budgets for each area, and are therefore not directly quantifiable.
NHS: Complaints
Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry, what steps he is taking to ensure that the NHS complaints procedure is transparent and fit for purpose. [159589]
Dr Poulter: In response to the public inquiry chaired by Sir Robert Francis into incidents at the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, the Prime Minister announced to Parliament in February that an independent review of national heath service complaints handling in hospitals would be undertaken. This review will be co-chaired by the right hon. Member for Cynon Valley (Ann Clwyd) and Professor Tricia Hart, chief executive of South Tees NHS Foundation Trust.
The review will consider how the issues raised about NHS care by individual patients, their carers, representatives and stakeholders are listened to and acted upon. It will also identify existing best practice for handling of NHS complaints, and make recommendations for a set of common standards by which all NHS hospitals will be assessed and held to account.
The review is due to report by summer recess.
NHS: Energy
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the potential for greater energy efficiency in the NHS. [159988]
Dr Poulter: National health service organisations are responsible for the procurement of their facilities, including addressing energy efficiency and sustainability matters. Overall, the NHS is becoming more sustainable and is informed by its Sustainable Development Unit at:
www.sdu.nhs.uk
on the potential to be more efficient. Improved energy efficiency and more sustainable practices have resulted in the NHS in England’s carbon emissions per area (kilogrammes of carbon per square metre) reducing by 14% between 1999-2000 and 2010-11. This is during a period when the size (area) of the NHS has increased by 23%.
The Department is committed to supporting the NHS to meet the requirements of the Climate Change Act and has launched in January 2013 a £50 million energy efficiency fund to enable the NHS to go further, faster. Details can be found at:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/call-for-expressions-of-interest-for-funding-to-improve-energy-efficiency-in-the-nhs
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NHS: Finance
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the oral answer to the hon. Member for York Central of 11 June 2013, if he will place in the Library a table showing (a) the cash allocation for 2013-14 for each care community group (CCG) in England and (b) the figures provided to his advisory panel on NHS funding which illustrated how much each CCG would have received for 2013-14 if the money had been distributed according to the NHS funding formula used in previous years to determine the level of funding for each primary care trust. [159675]
Dr Poulter: We have been advised by NHS England that:
(a) The cash allocations for 2013-14 for each clinical commissioning group (CCG) in England are available on the NHS England website:
www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/ccg-allocations-13-141.pdf
A copy has been placed in the Library.
(b) There are no figures provided by the Advisory Panel which illustrate how much each CCG would have received for 2013-14 if the money had been distributed according to the NHS funding formula used in previous years.
NHS: Pay
Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many employees in the NHS earn less then the national living wage. [159393]
Dr Poulter: The Department estimates that there are around 17,500 out of 1.2 million Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS) staff earning less than the national living wage.
These estimates are based on unvalidated data from the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) Data Warehouse. These estimates apply to HCHS staff only. There may be some general practitioner or dental practice staff earning below the living wage.
Information provided by the ESR Data Warehouse is a monthly snapshot of the live ESR system. ESR is the human resources and payroll system used by most national health service employers.
NHS: Staff
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his most recent estimate is of the average cost to the NHS of employing a (a) nurse, (b) midwife and (c) doctor; and what forecast he has made of the equivalent cost in each year from 2013-14 to 2016-17. [159457]
Dr Poulter: Validated data on the historical average pay bill cost per full-time equivalent (FTE) member of staff are not available, but estimates can be produced using information from the NHS Electronic Staff Record (ESR) Data Warehouse(1). The latest available estimates relate to 2011-12.
In 2011-12 the average annual pay bill per full-time equivalent member of staff, for Hospital and Community Health Services in England, was estimated at around £95,300 for doctors, around £41,700 for qualified nurses, and around £46,000 for qualified midwives.
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This includes all earnings, employer national insurance contributions and employer pension contributions.
Considerable uncertainties surround future staff cost estimates. The reasons for this include: the future level of headline basic pay awards as informed by the independent pay review body process; the outcome of future spending reviews; the results of NHS pension scheme revaluations and the associated impact on employer pension costs; the impact of future changes to employer national insurance rates and thresholds; the employment decisions of local employers and the impact on the skill experience, and cost mix, of their work forces; future patterns in attrition and retirement, which may be easier to anticipate at local level; the impact of the upcoming introduction of locally managed conditional progression for Agenda for Change staff; and the impact on earnings beyond basic pay, of local decisions and pressures, around factors such as the use of overtime and other additional payments.
As such, the Department does not produce central pay bill per FTE forecasts. Financial planning by the Department considers potential costs under many potential scenarios to assess affordability prospects and risks and to assess decision making. This is an ongoing process with frequent updates to reflect newly available information or to consider the impact of a changed planning assumption. The outcomes under each scenario are not definitive, but reflect only the planning assumptions specific to that scenario, and do not constitute a reliable best forecast—particularly for several years into the future.
(1) The ESR Data Warehouse is a monthly snap shot of the live ESR system. This is the human resources and payroll system that covers all NHS employees (other than those working in general practice, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and some NHS staff who have transferred to local authorities, social enterprises, etc.). ESR was fully rolled out across the NHS in April.
NHS: Training
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what responsibility NHS England has to assess the quality of clinical training; and if he will make a statement. [159515]
Dr Poulter: This is not a matter for NHS England.
The Government have established Health Education England to work towards providing national leadership and strategic direction for high quality education, training and work force development in the national health service. A key requirement of the Government's mandate to Health Education England is to ensure the development of an NHS work force with the right behaviours, values and skills to deliver quality patient care and be responsive to the diverse and changing needs of patients and the public.
Health Education England's mandate is aligned with and reflective of the Government's mandate for NHS England. It recognises the Francis report recommendations, reflects the increasing importance of public health and will require Health Education England to take into account the development of the Public Health England strategy and the Secretary of State's four priorities on preventable mortality; long-term conditions; ‘being caring’ and dementia.
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Along with relevant professional bodies, Health Education England will work to assure the quality of clinical training programmes.
Nurses: Training
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to monitor the effect on nurse training of the inclusion of care quality improvement projects. [159516]
Dr Poulter: Innovations through projects that improve the quality of care are important to the national health service. Although they are not monitored by the Department, universities regularly review their curricula in collaboration with NHS leaders and within the Nursing and Midwifery Council framework to ensure they respond and adapt to service demands and delivery models. In the reformed NHS, Academic Health Science Networks and Health Education England will play important parts in this.
Obesity
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of access to and availability of weight management services funded from the public purse; and if he will make a statement. [159523]
Anna Soubry: No assessment has been made centrally of publically funded weight management services. Local authorities are now responsible for commissioning weight management services. To help with this role, we have given them a ring-fenced budget of £5.4 billion over two years to help tackle public health issues such as obesity. We have also published best practice guidance to help improve the commissioning of weight management services: Developing a specification for lifestyle weight management services. A copy has been placed in the Library.
Obesity: Arthritis
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the potential relationship between osteoarthritis and obesity; what steps his Department is taking to encourage the appropriate level of physical activity for people with osteoarthritis; and if he will make a statement. [159524]
Anna Soubry: Obesity is a strong risk factor for the development of knee osteoarthritis. The mechanism linking the two is complex, involving both biomechanical (due to increased strain on the joints) and metabolic factors. Prolonged elevated Body Mass Index (BMI) throughout adulthood carries a high risk of knee osteoarthritis. Obese people are almost four times more likely to develop knee osteoarthritis than those with a BMI below 25 kg/m2. There is less evidence on the relationship between obesity and hip or hand osteoarthritis.
The UK chief medical officers provided guidelines on the levels of physical activity required for general health benefits across the life-course in 2011 as part of their report Start Active, Stay Active. These guidelines remain relevant for people with osteoarthritis. However, patients should select activities that are low impact, not painful, and do not have a high risk of joint injury.
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In addition, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence's Clinical Guidance 59 on Osteoarthritis recommends that exercise should be a core treatment irrespective of age, co-morbidity, pain severity and disability.
Arthritis Research UK has pledged through the Public Health Responsibility Deal to communicate and promote the UK physical activity guidelines.
Physiotherapy
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many people have received physiotherapy treatment for sports-related injuries in each of the last five years; [159301]
(2) what level of funding has been allocated for physiotherapy in each of the last five years. [159302]
Dr Poulter: The information requested is not collected centrally. It is for local clinical commissioning groups to determine how best to use funding to meet national and local priorities for improving health and to commission services accordingly. This process provides the means for addressing local needs within the health community including the provision of physiotherapy services.
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Primary Care Trusts: Merseyside
Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the underspend was for each Merseyside primary care trust in each of the last five financial years; [160173]
(2) what guidance his Department issued to primary care trusts in Merseyside on dealing with underspends before their dissolution; [160174]
(3) whether each Merseyside primary care trust provided reasons to his Department for their return of underspent funds for 2011-12. [160175]
Dr Poulter: The underspends in the financial years 2008-09 to 2011-12 were not lost to the national health service. Each was made available to the NHS in the following financial year, as the 2012-13 underspend has been made available to NHS England, for high quality sustainable health services.
The latest published surpluses, for financial years 2008-09 to 2012-13, for primary care trusts (PCTs) in Merseyside are shown in the following table:
| £000 | |||||
| Merseyside PCTs | 2008-09 annual accounts surplus | 2009-10 annual accounts surplus | 2010-11 annual accounts surplus | 2011-12 annual accounts surplus | 2012-13 Quarter 3 forecast surplus |
The Operating Framework for the NHS in England 2012-13 provided the following guidance on financial planning and surplus management:
“Strong financial management and control during 2012/13 will be crucial to ensure successful delivery through transition and into the reformed NHS landscape.
As with previous years, the aggregate 2011/12 SHA and PCT surplus will be carried forward into 2012/13. We shall continue to draw down the surplus generated from previous years in a planned and managed way.
The expected level of the national SHA and PCT surplus drawdown will be £150 million, based on the 2011/12 quarter one forecast. It is expected that the surplus deployment will be primarily available to SHA clusters to support the successful delivery of transition.
It is a requirement that no PCT or SHA will plan for a deficit in 2012/13. PCTs carrying legacy debt into 2012/13 must clear it.”
Local financial plans were constructed and agreed with strategic health authority clusters, in line with the strategic requirements set out in the Operating Framework for the NHS in England.
None of these PCTs added significant further underspends to their cumulative underspend position in 2011-12. Liverpool PCT specifically utilised £5,564,000 of its cumulative underspend in 2011-12.
Radiotherapy
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the maximum travel time for cancer patients to receive radiotherapy treatment. [159680]
Anna Soubry: The Department has made no estimate of the maximum travel time for cancer patients to receive radiotherapy treatment.
The National Radiotherapy Advisory Group report Radiotherapy: developing a world class service for England, published in 2007, stated that 45 minutes travel to time should be seen as best practice, although it recognised that this is not achievable in all areas. The report also found the vast majority of the population already live within 45 minutes of a radiotherapy centre. A copy of this report has already been placed in the Library.
Radiotherapy: Rural Areas
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to introduce flexibility on the tariff for radiotherapy to enable smaller satellite radiotherapy units to meet demand in rural areas. [159679]
Dr Poulter: A mandatory national tariff was introduced in 2013-14 for external beam radiotherapy services. The tariff is being introduced in a staged way, with a requirement for commissioners to move at least half way from local to national prices in what they pay providers in 2013-14. Types of radiotherapy other than external beam continue to be subject to local agreement on price setting.
However, a national payment system can never reflect the reality of the most innovative care delivered locally. In 2013-14, where commissioners and providers find
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that the payment by Payment for Results rules prevent them from doing the best for patients, local variation is permitted. Flexibility in the national price paid is permitted where there are plans to redesign services to support better care for patients, whether it is close to home, more convenient or of higher quality. The application of any flexibility requires agreement by the commissioner and provider.
Under the Health and Social Care Act, responsibility for payment system design and price-setting transfers from the Department to NHS England and Monitor for the 2014-15 national tariff and beyond. The national tariff will continue to include provisions for local commissioners and providers to agree to vary the national price or establish a new unit of payment, under the rules for local payment variation. The circumstances when these will be permitted is under review, but local payment variations will be promoted where these will be in the best interests of local patients.
The Act also provides for ‘local modifications’ to be made to national prices in circumstances where it would be uneconomic for the provider to provide the service at the national price. It is anticipated that these arrangements will come into force from April 2014.
Slaughterhouses: Horses
Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many horses, in which abattoirs, have been slaughtered without the presence of a Government vet in the last five years. [159855]
Anna Soubry: Official veterinarians, on behalf of the Food Standards Agency (FSA), are present during processing of all horses presented for slaughter in FSA approved establishments in the United Kingdom.
University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions hospitals operated by University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust have declared a black alert in (a) each of the last three years and (b) 2013 to date. [159801]
Anna Soubry: This information is not collected centrally.
We have written to John Cowdall, chair of the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust informing him of the hon. Member’s inquiry. He will reply shortly and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.
Visual Impairment
Rebecca Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to tackle preventable sight loss in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [159321]
Dr Poulter:
Early detection is essential to tackling preventable sight loss. A range of treatment and services are in place in the national health service to deal with the key causes of preventable sight loss. The provision of free sight tests for children, older people and those at risk of eye disease remains central to our plans, with 12.3 million NHS sight tests provided in England in
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2011-12. A comprehensive programme of diabetic retinopathy screening in England has ensured that in the 12 months up to March 2013, 99% of people with diabetes were offered screening. The NHS continues to provide a range of successful treatment for cataracts, wet age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma. The Public Health Outcomes Framework for 2013-16 will include an indicator on preventable sight loss. This will support commissioners in planning eye care services for local populations.
Rebecca Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the level of preventable sight loss in the UK; and if he will make a statement; [159322]
(2) what assessment he has made of the variations in levels of preventable sight loss in the UK by (a) local authority, (b) age, (c) disability, (d) ethnicity, (e) gender and (f) socio-economic group; and if he will make a statement. [159323]
Dr Poulter: No assessment of this information has been made centrally in the format requested.
There is a range of information already available about levels of preventable sight loss. The new indicator currently under development as part of the 2013-16 Public Health Outcomes Framework will bring this together in a single place. The indicator is made up of four sub-indicators which will measure the crude rates of age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, and of the rate of sight loss certifications per 100,000 population. These data are being collected from 1 April 2013.
The sub-indicators for this indicator refer to different age groups appropriate to the cause of the sight loss. For age-related macular degeneration this is aged 65 and over, for glaucoma aged 40 and over, and for diabetic eye disease age 12 and over.
Baseline data for 2010-11 were published in November 2012 broken down by local authority. They are available at:
www.phoutcomes.info/public-health-outcomes-framework#gid/1000044/par/E12000004
Business, Innovation and Skills
Accountancy
Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many officials of his Department are currently seconded to any of the four largest accountancy firms; and what the (a) job title and (b) pay grade is of any such secondee. [159846]
Jo Swinson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills does not currently have any officials out on secondment to the four largest accountancy firms.
Advertising Agencies: Conditions of Employment
Mr Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 on advertising agencies. [159633]
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Jo Swinson: The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) 2006 Regulations (TUPE) are currently being reviewed under the Red Tape Challenge and the Government’s Employment Law Review. The consultation ran from 17 January to 11 April 2013. We received around 180 responses to our recent consultation, including responses from organisations representing the advertising and marketing industries. We are now assessing all the evidence we have received.
The Government intend to issue their response to the consultation in early July.
Apprentices
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many of the apprentices employed by his Department are aged (a) under 19, (b) 19 to 25, (c) 26 to 30, (d) 31 to 59 and (e) over 60 years old. [159804]
Jo Swinson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills currently employs apprentices in the following age ranges:
| Age range | Number of apprentices |
Apprentices: Transport
Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what support his Department makes available for apprentices to ensure that the cost and availability of transport is not a barrier to their taking up placements. [159489]
Mr Willetts: There is no central Government support available towards travel costs, but some local authorities do offer discounts or concessions for young people on apprenticeships, as they do for those in other forms of learning.
Apprentices who were unemployed before joining the programme may benefit from a travel discount card operated by Jobcentre Plus.
The key distinction between apprenticeships and other forms of learning is that they are real paid jobs and as an employee, apprentices earn as they learn.
Arts
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what guidance his Department has given to local enterprise partnerships on support for the arts and creative industries. [160183]
Michael Fallon:
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills recognises the growth potential of creative industries and works with local partners to secure these opportunities. Local enterprise partnerships themselves determine local economic priorities and plans, free from Government intervention, in keeping with the Government's
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localism agenda. However, Government are ready to assist by securing a competitive fiscal and regulatory environment through the industrial strategy.
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the contribution made by local enterprise partnerships to growth in the creative industries. [160184]
Michael Fallon: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has made no estimate of the contribution made by local enterprise partnerships to growth in the creative industries. Local enterprises partnerships are best placed to understand how best their local economies can support growth.
Big Society Network
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (a) how much funding his Department allocated to and (b) what contracts his Department held with the Big Society Network in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12, (iii) 2012-13 and (iv) 2013-14 to date. [160109]
Jo Swinson: The Department has not provided any funding and has not held any contracts with the Big Society Network in the years in question.
Business: Education
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to encourage greater partnership between the business community and educationalists. [159392]
Mr Willetts: We are actively encouraging employers to engage with educationalists in schools and the further and higher education sectors. We want to ensure that the skills required to aid the UK's growing economy are delivered and that those in education are inspired by employers.
Current activities include the Employer Ownership Pilot which tests new ways for employers to lead vocational skills training in close collaboration with sector partners, further education (FE) colleges, schools and others.
BIS, along with partner organisations, provided development funding for a National Centre for Universities and Business which was launched in January 2013. The NCUB
http://www.ncub.co.uk/
will gather evidence, bring together university and business leaders, and share best practice. It will cover all aspects of HE-business working, including skill needs, work experience and graduate recruitment.
We also encourage young people to consider the options open to them in industry and business by showing them the possibilities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) through STEM ambassadors and apprenticeship ambassadors, who promote higher learning through the vocational route to young people. Organisations such as Business in the Community promote the world of work in schools and the changes we have brought in the recent Skills Strategy “Rigour and Responsiveness” will make FE colleges even more responsive to local business needs.
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The challenge is for Government, employers and educationalists to work together and we are already playing our part in that.
Business: Government Assistance
Mr McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what guidance his Department offers to small and medium-sized enterprises who want to expand in the (a) EU and (b) rest of the world. [159769]
Michael Fallon: UKTI help for companies seeking to export to the EU and the rest of the world includes the support of a network of international trade advisers in the UK regions; access to UKTI teams in almost 100 overseas markets; help with market visits, trade missions and overseas exhibitions; market-specific information on nearly 100 markets on the UKTI website; and advice on how to access 100 specifically selected high value opportunities. An expected 20,000 companies will attend the 400 activities delivered by UKTI in 2012-13.
These activities are complemented by specific campaigns and focussed on key markets. For instance, UKTI support for UK companies who want to expand in the EU, includes an ‘Emerging Europe' campaign, focused on opportunities in Central and Eastern Europe; and a Nordic and Baltic Network, launched by the Lord Mayor in May 2013.
Outside the EU, UKTI identified 20 key emerging markets where it particularly focuses its efforts, by undertaking outreach events throughout the UK; working with business-led partner organisations such as the China-Britain Business Council and UK-India Business Council; and tackling barriers to trade, for instance, through Government-to-Government dialogues, such as those held with India, Russia, UAE, and Vietnam in 2012. For example, Export Week in May 2013 saw over 80 events across the UK attended by more than 3,600 businesses focussing on business opportunities in 20 high growth markets.
Green Investment Bank
John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many projects have been allocated financial support through the Green Investment Bank; and what the value of such projects is. [160234]
Michael Fallon: Details of the commitments made to date by the Green Investment Bank are available on the bank's website at:
www.greeninvestmentbank.com/what-we-do/
Higher Education
Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of accepted undergraduate students enrolled in 2012-13 who received credit and advanced standing as a result of credit earned in other higher education institutions in previous years. [159711]
Mr Willetts:
There are no data available to inform such an estimate. It is for individual higher education institutions to determine whether and how they use academic credit and the extent to which they accept
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credit earned in other higher education institutions. We understand however that the majority of institutions use the “Higher education credit framework for England” to align credit values for their programmes.
Higher Education: Sunderland
Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people resident in Sunderland Central constituency applied to attend university in academic year (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and how many such applicants were successful. [159691]
Mr Willetts: The table shows the number of students who applied via the UCAS application system.
Applicants who were not accepted for entry will include: individuals who did not receive any offer; individuals who received an offer (conditional or unconditional) but decided not to go to university; individuals who received a conditional offer and failed to meet the specific conditions (e.g. they did not achieve certain grades); and individuals who decided to withdraw from the UCAS system.
| Applicants and accepted applicants to full-time undergraduate courses at UK institutions from Sunderland Central constituency | ||
| Academic year | Applicants | Accepted applicants |
| Source: UCAS | ||
Local Enterprise Partnerships: Arts
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with local enterprise partnerships to discuss the arts and the creative industries. [159614]
Michael Fallon: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable) regularly meets with local enterprise partnerships and those meetings cover a wide range of issues relevant to any locality in which the creative industries might feature.
Manufacturing Industries: Government Assistance
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will amend the criteria for successful consideration of bids to the Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative to include explicit reference to (a) sustainability and (b) industries using high levels of resources such as water and energy. [159784]
Michael Fallon: In designing AMSCI Rounds 3 and 4 we drew on feedback from a wide range of eligible companies and other organisations. The Competition Brief for AMSCI Rounds 3 and 4, which set out the criteria to be applied for the forthcoming competitions, was published on 28 February. It would be inappropriate to make changes to the criteria at this stage with the competitions in progress.
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Post Offices: Rural Areas
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will support the re-location of post offices to new premises in rural villages where this is necessary to ensure the long-term viability of the post office. [159710]
Jo Swinson: Post Office Ltd's Network Transformation programme is designed to strengthen the long-term sustainability of the network and specifically provides for the relocation of post office services to new premises nearby where the incumbent sub-postmaster wishes to leave the network.
Property
Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the (a) location and (b) value is of each property his Department owns in Scotland. [160215]
Jo Swinson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills does not own any properties in Scotland.
Regional Growth Fund: North West
Mr Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of jobs created in (a) Bury North constituency and (b) Greater Manchester as a result of grants made from Round 2 of the Regional Growth Fund. [159728]
Michael Fallon: There are no Rounds 1 and 2 Regional Growth Fund (RGF) projects located in Bury North constituency. 17 (four in Round 1 and 13 in Round 2) projects and programmes in Greater Manchester were awarded RGF support and between them they have pledged to deliver 20,500 jobs. The majority of these schemes started during 2012-13, have just finished their first year and are committed to deliver these jobs between now and 2021-22 in a way that is sustainable in the long term.
Mr Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what estimate he has made of the number of jobs that will be created as a result of loans made from (a) Round 1 and (b) Round 2 of the Regional Growth Fund to companies in (i) Bury North constituency and (ii) Greater Manchester; [159746]
(2) how many companies in (a) Bury North constituency and (b) Greater Manchester have been given a loan from (i) Round 1 and (ii) Round 2 of the Regional Growth Fund. [159747]
Michael Fallon: No loans have been made to companies in (a) Bury North constituency and (b) Greater Manchester in rounds 1 and 2 of the Regional Growth Fund.
Mr Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what estimate he has made of the number of jobs that will be created as a result of grants made from Round 1 of the Regional Growth Fund to companies in (a) Bury North constituency and (b) Greater Manchester; [159748]
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(2) how many companies in (a) Bury North constituency and (b) Greater Manchester have been awarded a grant from (i) Round 1 and (ii) Round 2 of the Regional Growth Fund. [159749]
Michael Fallon: There are no Rounds 1 and 2 Regional Growth Fund (RGF) projects located in Bury North constituency. 17 (four in Round 1 and 13 in Round 2) projects and programmes in Greater Manchester were awarded RGF support and between them they have pledged to deliver 20,500 jobs. The majority of these schemes started during 2012-13, have just finished their first year and are committed to deliver these jobs between now and 2021-22 in a way that is sustainable in the long term.
Shipping: Training
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the potential effect that applications from the maritime sector to the Employer Ownership of Skills Fund could have on (a) the maritime skills base, (b) seafarer training and (c) ratings training. [159882]
Mr Willetts: Applications are appraised against the published investment criteria, which include, for example, consideration of the quality and impact of the training proposed: applications must set out a convincing, evidence-based case to demonstrate how they will prove an effective way to make significant progress on the skills needs identified.
Round 1 of the pilots received no applications from the maritime sector. Round 2 applications are currently in the assessment process and are confidential, so we cannot comment on the specifics of any proposals.
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which applications have been submitted to the Employer Ownership of Skills Fund from the maritime sector; what decision was taken on each such application; and when he expects decisions to be reached on any outstanding applications from the maritime sector. [159883]
Mr Willetts: Round 1 of the pilots received no applications from the maritime sector.
There has been a very high interest in the second round of the competition. No lead employers are from the maritime sector, but there are bids that cover multiple sectors, for example the marine sector, that may have a maritime element. These are still under appraisal. Ministerial decisions on projects selected to progress are expected in July, with public announcements to follow later in the year.
Tesco
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what (a) local authority and (b) Government grants Tesco Stores Ltd received in the last 10 years; and what information his Department holds on Tesco Stores Ltd receiving grants from the EU in the same time period. [159776]
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Michael Fallon: We have not found any record of grants made to Tesco Stores Ltd by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).
BIS does not hold information on grant payments by local authorities, other central Government Departments or from the EU.
Vocational Training
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment is made of the effect that applicants to the Employer Ownership of Skills Fund will have on the industrial skills base when making a decision to grant funds. [159884]
Mr Willetts: All applications have been individually appraised and the effect on the skills base of the sector(s) concerned has been considered, with applications needing to demonstrate that they provide an effective way to make significant progress on the skills needs identified.
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of the Employer Ownership of Skills Fund has been allocated to date, in each industry. [159930]
Mr Willetts: A final figure for grant allocations is not yet available. The information following is our estimate and is still subject to change.
| Round 1 estimate of funding allocations by sector | |
| Funding (£) | |
Vocational Training: Scotland
Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he has taken to promote the Employer Ownership of Skills Fund amongst employers in Scotland. [159845]
Mr Willetts: While the Employer Ownership Pilot (EOP) is open to employers based anywhere, the benefits must focus solely on England. This is because training is a devolved matter. No specific steps were therefore taken to promote EOP in Scotland.
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Wind Power: Seas and Oceans
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the planning process for offshore wind farm applications and the involvement in that process of businesses in the UK; and what discussions he has had with the Secretaries of State for (a) Energy and Climate Change and (b) Communities and Local Government to ensure that UK businesses are able to benefit from an efficient and streamlined planning policy application. [159397]
Michael Fallon: BIS has not made any separate or specific assessment of the process. The cost reduction task force (CRTF) made recommendations in this area and BIS is part of the Offshore Wind Programme board which is overseeing the implementation of the CRTF report.
Planning consents for offshore wind farms of more than 100MW are handled through the Planning Act 2008. The Government have already introduced a range of improvements to the consent regime through changes made in the Localism Act 2011, to the Growth and Infrastructure Act 2013, and to secondary legislation and guidance. A formal review of the Planning Act consent regime is planned for 2014. BIS officials keep in close touch with their counterparts in the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Department of Energy and Climate Change on matters relating to the operation of the planning regime.
Prime Minister
Accountancy
Austin Mitchell: To ask the Prime Minister how many officials in No. 10 Downing Street are currently seconded to any of the four largest accountancy firms; and what the (a) job titles and (b) pay grade is of each such secondee. [159910]
Mr Maude: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
The Prime Minister’s Office is an integral part of Cabinet Office. Cabinet Office does not have any staff on secondment to the four largest accountancy firms.
Departmental Responsibilities
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Prime Minister whether he has any plans to abolish the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. [159621]
Culture, Media and Sport
Accountancy
Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many officials in her Department are currently seconded to any of the four largest accountancy firms; and what the (a) job titles and (b) pay grade is of each such secondee. [159906]
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Maria Miller: No officials from either DCMS or the Government Equalities Office, which as a result of the machinery of government change in September 2012 was brought under my control, are currently seconded to any of the four largest accountancy firms.
Big Society Network
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many times she or her Department's Ministers and officials have met the Big Society Networks to discuss the funding or activities of the Britain's Personal Best project and its subsidiary in (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13 and (c) 2013-14 to date; and if she will make a statement. [160046]
Hugh Robertson: All external meetings are published on the departmental website, in accordance with Cabinet Office guidelines:
http://www.transparency.culture.gov.uk/category/foi-releases/
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (a) how much funding her Department allocated to and (b) what contracts her Department held with the big society network in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12, (iii) 2012-13 and (iv) 2013-14 to date. [160111]
Hugh Robertson: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not made any payments to the big society networks; neither do we hold any existing contracts with them.
Culture
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what information her Department holds on the proportion of people that engaged with or participated in cultural activities at least three times in each year for which figures are available. [159012]
Mr Vaizey: Data on engagement and participation in the arts, heritage, museums, archives and libraries are published quarterly in our Taking Part Statistical release at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/taking-part-2012-13-quarter-3-statistical-release
We do not regularly publish a combined measure of cultural activities; however, we do provide ONS with a combined measure which they publish as part of the ONS National Well-being measure under the “What we do” domain at:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?edition=tcm%3A77-303186
| Percentage of people who have engaged with, or participated in, arts or cultural activity at least three times in the last year(1) | |
| (1 )The measure covers arts, heritage, museums, archives and libraries. | |
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Government Departments: Telephone Services
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether she has any plans to require Government Departments to reduce their use of 0844 and 0845 numbers. [158987]
Mr Vaizey: This is an administrative decision that each Department needs to make for itself. DCMS does not have a role in co-ordinating such a course of action across Government.