Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many officials at what grades are employed to provide direct support to special advisers in his Department. [174053]

Gregory Barker: Four junior officials at Executive Officer (EO) or Higher Executive Officer (HEO) grade currently provide administrative support to special advisers in the Department. The members of staff involved carry out other work for DECC Ministers as part of the Private Office group, so these are not all ‘full-time' roles.

In line with the Special Adviser code and civil service guidance, none of these staff are managed by Special Advisers.

Plutonium

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which (a) nuclear projects and (b) reactors used for long-term plutonium management he expects to come online in the UK in the next 20 years. [173671]

Michael Fallon: The Government's position on long- term plutonium management was set out in our December 2011 consultation response. Our preferred option is to convert the plutonium into MOX fuel for use in new nuclear build reactors. Under this option, long-term plutonium management is dependent on the progress of new nuclear build and therefore on future commercial negotiations with new build operators. There will be many steps to go through before we reach the point of being able to take a final decision and say how our plutonium will be managed. Only when the Government are confident that our preferred option can be implemented

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safely and securely, and that it is affordable, deliverable, and offers value for money, will it be in a position to proceed.

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what changes his Department is making to its plans for plutonium management as part of its plans for nuclear new build. [173672]

Michael Fallon: There are no changes to plans for plutonium management as part of plans for nuclear new build. The Government's preferred option for long- term plutonium management, as set out in our December 2011 consultation response, is to convert the plutonium into MOX fuel for use in new nuclear build reactors, as this is the most credible and technologically mature option for plutonium management.

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many tonnes of civilian-sourced plutonium the UK has had in its possession in each of the last 10 years; what changes in this amount he anticipates; and what plans he has to deal with this stockpile. [173673]

Michael Fallon: Data on the amount of civil plutonium in the UK are published each year by the Office for Nuclear Regulation. Data on the amount of civilian plutonium as of 31 December 2013 will be published around spring 2014.

The amount of civil plutonium is expected to increase to about 140 tonnes by the end of reprocessing operations.

The Government's position on long-term plutonium management was set out in our December 2011 consultation response. Our preferred option to manage the plutonium is to convert it into MOX fuel for reuse in new nuclear build reactors.

Health

Air Pollution

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the World Health Organisation’s 2013 review of evidence on health aspects of air pollution. [173202]

Jane Ellison: The Department recognises that air pollution has important effects on public health and welcomes the World Health Organisation's review of evidence on health aspects of air pollution (REVIHAAP). The scientific evidence now available and described in REVIHAAP provides additional support for adverse health effects associated with long- and short-term exposures to air pollutants.

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The REVIHAAP report has been used to inform the work of the Department's Expert Advisory Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants, for example in its recent discussions of the health effects associated with different components and sources of particulate air pollution. It will also inform the prioritisation of items on the Committee's work programme and associated work at Public Health England's Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Oldham East and Saddleworth of 8 October 2013, Official Report, column 85W, on alcoholic drinks: misuse, (1) what steps he is taking to encourage the industry to deliver rapid action on (a) tackling the high strength or high volume products that can cause the most harm and (b) promoting and displaying alcohol responsibly in shops; [173844]

(2) what steps he is taking to encourage the industry to deliver rapid action on (a) improving education around drinking and (b) supporting targeted local action. [173845]

Jane Ellison: The Government expect a plan from industry by the end of the year on how they will respond to this challenge as part of the Responsibility Deal.

Autism

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to ensure that provisions on autism are included in the mandate of Health Education England. [173708]

Dr Poulter: Health Education England (HEE) is required to have regard to national outcomes and priorities when carrying out its core functions of workforce planning and the commissioning of education, training and development activity.

The Government's mandate to HEE will be reviewed for 2014-15 to ensure that the objectives are current and meaningful to the needs of our health and care systems.

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether autism will be included as part of the curriculum for the proposed additional year of training for GPs. [173832]

Dr Poulter: The content and standard of medical training is the responsibility of the General Medical Council (GMC).The GMC is an independent professional body. It has the general function of promoting high standards of medical education and co-ordinating all stages of medical education to ensure that students and newly qualified doctors are equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes essential for professional practice.

The Government have mandated Health Education England (HEE) to provide national leadership on education, training and work force development in the national health service. This mandate includes a commitment that HEE will ensure that general practitioner (GP) training produces GPs with the required competencies

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to practise in the new NHS. Consequently, HEE will work with stakeholders to influence training curricula as appropriate.

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ensure that health and wellbeing boards are aware of the duties imposed on them by the statutory guidance issued under the provisions of the Autism Act 2009. [173833]

Norman Lamb: The second national exercise on evaluating progress in relation to the 2010 Adult Autism Strategy for England—‘Fulfilling and Rewarding Lives’ and its subsequent guidance, which followed the 2009 Autism Act, has recently been undertaken by local authorities and their partners. The exercise focused on the main duties that the Act said that the guidance must cover. The Public Health England learning disabilities observatory will analyse the information submitted and an initial report and copies of all the individual returns will be available before the end of the year. Local responses should also be discussed by health and wellbeing boards by the end of January 2014 to support autism work and as evidence for local planning and health needs assessment strategy development.

Brain: Donors

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he is taking to encourage more people to sign up to brain donation schemes; [173169]

(2) if he will take steps to link the NHS organ donation scheme with selected brain donation schemes; [173170]

(3) what steps he is taking to ensure that hospitals and care homes sign death certificates in a timely manner to better facilitate brain donation. [173172]

Dr Poulter: The Medical Research Council held a workshop on brain donation on 14 October 2013. The workshop aimed to address and make progress in a number of areas. In particular this meeting agreed that simply encouraging people to sign up as brain donors was no longer desirable and instead there is a need to approach people whose health and disease are carefully characterised during life about donation. These people are often part of existing population or disease focused cohorts. In order to maximise the progress researchers using brain tissue can make, they need to know all of this clinical information about the person who donated brain tissue to best understand what co-existing diseases the person had. This helps with diagnosis and is essential for delivery of real molecular pathology insights into disease.

The NHS Organ Donor Register exists to record people's agreement to use their organs and tissue for transplantation after their death. Currently, brain donation is not included as an option on the register, and donors of brain tissue for research purposes are not routinely asked about organ donation more broadly; the NHS Organ Donor Register and brain banks fulfil different purposes. In addition, in view of the existing capacity for dealing with brain donations, and the fact that the new strategy of the UK Brain Banks Network is to focus on individuals who are well characterised in life, linkage between the NHS Organ Donor Register and brain donation schemes is not viewed as the major challenge for brain donation in the United Kingdom.

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The notes for doctors in the guidance that accompanies books of Medical Certificates of Cause of Death state that prompt and accurate certification of death is essential. Brain banks encourage patients who are on an ‘end of life care’ pathway and their families to remind their doctor that arrangements have been made for brain donation, to help avoid delays at the time of death.

Breast Cancer

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what further steps his Department is taking to help men and women suffering from breast cancer. [173216]

Jane Ellison: Since 1 April 2013, NHS England has been responsible for improving outcomes for cancer patients, including men and women with breast cancer. Our Mandate to NHS England set out an ambition to make England one of the most successful countries in Europe at preventing premature deaths from illnesses like cancer.

In January 2011, we published “Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer”. Backed by over £750 million of funding, the strategy set out actions to tackle preventable cancer incidence; improve the quality and efficiency of cancer services; improve patients' experience of care; improve quality of life for cancer survivors; and deliver outcomes that are comparable with the best in Europe.

In order to drive and measure priority quality improvements in a breast cancer care, in 2011 the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published the breast cancer quality standard. This sets out for commissioners, providers and patients what high-quality breast cancer services should look like.

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department will hold discussions with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to ensure that any update to the NICE guideline on early and locally advanced breast cancer diagnosis and treatment takes account of evidence that a significant proportion of women fail to regularly take their recommended prescriptions following their initial treatment. [173240]

Norman Lamb: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is responsible for developing independent guidance for the national health service. NICE keeps its published guidance under review to take account of the latest evidence, and any stakeholder can draw NICE's attention to new evidence that they believe it should consider.

Alongside its clinical guideline on early and locally advanced breast cancer, published in February 2009, NICE has published a clinical guideline on medicines adherence, issued in January 2009. We understand that NICE currently plans to review the need to update both guidelines in 2015.

Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and NHS England on its plans to support women with breast cancer to complete their post-operative drug treatment. [173366]

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Norman Lamb: Ministers have had no such discussions.

It is important that patients take their medicines as prescribed to get the best health outcomes from them. Patients experiencing problems with their medicines are encouraged to seek advice from their healthcare professionals or from their local community pharmacist.

Healthcare professionals should ensure women with breast cancer are fully involved in decisions about their medicines and provided with information about how to get the best from them, including any possible side effects, taking National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance into account.

Cystic Fibrosis

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the level of (a) psychological, (b) dietary and (c) social care that cystic fibrosis patients receive. [173842]

Norman Lamb: No recent assessment has been made of the level of psychological/ dietary and social care that cystic fibrosis patients receive. Since 1 April NHS England has responsible for delivering cystic fibrosis (CF) services as part of the specialised commissioning arrangements.

NHS England's CF Clinical Advisory Group has published service specifications for both children and adults with CF. These set out what needs to be in place for providers to offer evidence-based, safe and effective services for CF patients.

NHS England's service specifications for CF set out requirements for the provision of psychological and dietary support that CF patients should receive. While NHS England is not responsible for the provision of social care, the specification also highlights the role of social care in supporting these patients. The specifications also set out that regular audit of services will be performed and specific audits may be requested by the commissioner. Both service specifications can be found at the following link:

www.england.nhs.uk/resources/spec-comm-resources/npc-crg/group-a/a01/

Information on the provision of social care services is not collected on the basis of the conditions service users may be suffering from or are affected by. Councils with adult social services responsibilities are required to submit annual returns detailing the provision of social care services to Health and Social Care Information Centre. The data are only broken down according to the type of services provided, such as residential care, domiciliary care or day care.

Dietary Supplements: EU Law

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will seek to repatriate to the UK the EU competence in the setting of maximum permitted levels for vitamins and minerals under the provisions of Article 5 of the food supplements directive; [173206]

(2) what recent discussions Ministers in his Department have had with (a) Consumers for Health Choice and (b) the National Association of Health Stores; and what assessment he has made following such representations on the effect on Article 5 of the food supplements directive on UK natural health retailers; [173207]

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(3) what steps he intends to take to ensure that maximum permitted levels for vitamins are not set under the provisions of Article 5 of the food supplements directive. [173208]

Jane Ellison: There are no current plans to seek to repatriate the European Union competence in the setting of maximum permitted levels for vitamins and minerals under the provisions of Article 5 of the food supplements directive to the United Kingdom.

Consumers for Health Choice and the National Association of Health Stores have made representations to Health Ministers on the impact of setting maximum permitted levels on consumer choice and the specialist health food business sector. I attended and spoke at the Consumers for Health Choice parliamentary reception on 22 October 2013.

Until further details of any future proposals are issued by the European Commission, it is not possible to anticipate the full impact that the setting of maximum levels may have on consumer choice and the health food sector, including independent health food shops.

The Government's position is that any future decisions on vitamin and mineral food supplements need to be proportionate and based on evidence, so that consumers have confidence in what they buy, while maintaining a wide choice of safe products. Where there is clear evidence that there are no safety concerns for a vitamin or mineral then the decision might be to set no maximum level.

Disease Control

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the publication of the Five Year Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy, whether he plans to bring forward proposals to amend or repeal the Therapeutic Substances (Prevention of Misuse) Act 1953. [173203]

Jane Ellison: The Therapeutic Substances (Prevention of Misuse) Act 1953 is no longer in force. The Veterinary Medicine Regulations 2005, which control veterinary medicines and medicated feeds, classify all antibiotics authorised for use in animals as prescription-only medicines.

Food: Research

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of recent research findings which appear to challenge its advice to eat a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet. [173215]

Jane Ellison: Public Health England (PHE) is aware of an article recently published in the British Medical Journal disputing Government advice to consume a diet which is low in saturated fat. The article provides a brief commentary on the issue but is based on a limited evidence base.

PHE's dietary advice is based on a wide range of evidence which consistently shows that reducing the amount of saturated fat in the diet decreases blood cholesterol which in turn lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease. PHE will not be changing its advice based on this article.

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Health Services: Disability

Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve future care provision for deafblind people; and if he will make a statement. [173520]

Norman Lamb: The Care Bill will reform the care and support system, and will improve future care provision for deafblind people.

The Bill has been co-produced with a wide range of stakeholders, including people with sensory impairments. Following consultation, the Government included a requirement on local authorities to make information and advice accessible and proportionate to whoever needs it, including those with sensory impairments.

There is also a new duty to provide independent advocacy to the people who need it most, so that they can be fully involved in the assessment and care planning processes rather than simply being told what is best for them by the state.

Personal budgets will enable people to purchase the care and support they want to meet their needs. This is combined with the new duty to ensure the diversity and quality of local services so that people are able to exercise choice.

Implementation of the reforms in the Bill will include the production of statutory guidance, and this will help ensure newly registered people with sight impairments, including those who are deafblind, can get access to the support they need.

We will continue to work very closely with representative organisations, such as Sense and the Royal National Institute for the Blind, to ensure that our reforms address the needs of deafblind people using care and support.

Health Visitors

Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health visitor weight tests were conducted on two-year-olds in England in the six months from April 2013; and what the (a) take-up rate of and (b) reasons given for not taking up such tests were in that period. [173496]

Dr Poulter: This information is not held centrally.

The Healthy Child Programme is the key universal public health service for improving the health and well- being of children, through health and development reviews, health promotion, parenting support, screening and immunisation programmes.

Measuring and assessing the growth of young children is included in the Healthy Child Programme at a number of stages including at two to two and a half years if there is parental or professional concern about a child's growth or risk to normal growth (including obesity).

The Healthy Child Programme is a multi-faceted, universal service and as such should be offered to all children.

In Vitro Fertilisation

Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether Monitor and NHS England are planning to develop a national tariff for IVF treatment. [173252]

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Jane Ellison: NHS England has advised that there are currently no plans to develop a national tariff for in vitro fertilisation services. However, NHS England and Monitor are jointly working on plans for the future development of pricing across the national health service and will be engaging with a wide range of stakeholders in the course of the work.

Jimmy Savile

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what inquiries are currently running in relation to the Jimmy Savile sexual abuse allegations; and when they expect to report. [173848]

Norman Lamb: There are currently 13 investigations in progress relating to the following national health service hospitals:

(1) Leeds General Infirmary (including St James's Hospital as it is part of the same trust as LGI)

(2) Stoke Mandeville Hospital

(3) Broadmoor Hospital

(4) High Royds Psychiatric Hospital

(5) Dewsbury Hospital

(6) Great Ormond Street Hospital

(7) Moss Side Hospital (previously part of Ashworth Hospital)

(8) Exeter Hospital

(9) Portsmouth Hospital

(10) St Catherine's Hospital Birkenhead

(11) Cardiff Royal Infirmary

(12) Rampton Hospital

(13) Saxondale Hospital.

An investigation has also been commissioned by Sue Ryder in relation to Wheatfields Hospice in Leeds.

The final reports of all the investigations will now aim to be completed by June 2014, with publication sooner if that is possible.

Liver Diseases

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to publish the National Liver Disease Outcomes Strategy. [173286]

Jane Ellison: Responsibility for determining the overall national approach to improving clinical outcomes from healthcare services lies with NHS England.

NHS England advises that it is adopting a broad strategy for delivering improvements in relation to premature mortality. It is working with commissioners and Public Health England to support clinical commissioning groups to understand where local challenges lie and to identify the evidence in relation to the priorities for reducing mortality at a national level. It is generally avoiding trying to work in a condition-specific way and has no plans to produce a liver-specific strategy.

Maternity Services

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects full implementation of the Maternity and Children's Data Set to be completed. [173843]

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Dr Poulter: The Maternity and Children's Dataset has three components: the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services data set (CAMHS); the Children and Young People's Health Services data set (CYPHS); and, the Maternity data set.

The collection of the CAMHS data set has been mandatory since 1 April 2013 for all providers of national health service-funded child and adolescent mental health services. Providers will be expected to extract data and enable electronic file submissions to the Health and Social Care Information Centre from spring 2014.

The collection of the CYPHS data set has been mandated locally since May 2012. Providers will shortly be mandated to flow the data to the Health and Social Care Information Centre. A six-month implementation period will be permitted so it is anticipated that the providers will begin to submit data to the Health and Social Care Information Centre in summer 2014.

The Maternity data set applies to all NHS-commissioned maternity services in England that have electronic data collection systems, including acute trusts, foundation trusts and private services commissioned by the NHS. The maternity care pathway covers antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal/postpartum episodes. The collection of the Maternity data set has also been mandated locally since May 2012. The time scales for submission of this dataset to the Health and Social Care Information Centre are in the process of being finalised and will be communicated by the end of the year.

Further details can be found on the Health and Social Care Information Centre's website:

www.hscic.gov.uk/maternityandchildren

Mental Health

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many (a) male adults, (b) female adults and (c) children have been diagnosed with depression in each of the last 10 months; [173155]

(2) what assessment he has made of the effect of a drop in living standards on mental health and wellbeing. [173156]

Norman Lamb: While we have not made an assessment of the effect a perceived drop in living standards on mental health and wellbeing, a number of recent publications consider the effect of the recent economic recession on the mental well being of the population. The Office for National Statistics Survey, “Analysis of Experimental Subjective Well-being Data from the Annual Population Survey, April to September 2011” presents initial estimates of subjective wellbeing from six months of the Annual Population Survey (APS) carried out between April and September 2011. The survey asks four questions about wellbeing and the results of this can be found in, “Analysis of Experimental Subjective Well-being Data from the Annual Population Survey, April to September 2011” P, a copy of which has been placed in the Library.

The “Health and the 2008 Economic Recession: Evidence from the United Kingdom Force” Survey looked at the economic downturn and its impact on health status. The survey was published in 2013 and found that about 6% more people reported poor health in 2010 compared with 2008. However, it found no increase in depression

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or mental illness. The increase in poor health was reported across all socioeconomic groups and occupations. A copy of the survey has been placed in the Library.

The study “The Mental Health Consequences of the Recession: Economic Hardship and Employment of People with Mental Health Problems in 27 European Countries”, published in 2013, studied the impact of economic recession on people with mental health problems. It studied the impact of the recent economic recession on unemployment rates in people with mental health problems. A copy of the survey has been placed in the Library.

Action to combat economic exclusion and to promote social participation of individuals with mental health problems is even more important during times of economic challenge, and these efforts should target support to the most vulnerable groups.

The data on diagnoses of depression are not available in the format that has been requested. However, the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) provides annual data from general practitioner (GP) practices on the prevalence of unresolved depression in patients aged 18 or over.

The following table shows the list size (the numbers of people registered with a GP) as at 31 March 2013, the number of participating GP practices, the number of patients on the depression register as at 31 March and the prevalence that this represents.

Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to publish a response to the recommendations of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry. [173476]

Dr Poulter: In March 2013 the Government published our initial response to the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry, ‘Patients First and Foremost’, a collective response from England's health and care system with a shared statement of common purpose. The Government will publish our further response this autumn.

Mortuaries

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that mortuaries are fully staffed at all times. [173171]

Jane Ellison: Staffing mortuaries appropriately is a matter for either the relevant local authority or the national health service, depending on who manages the mortuary.

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NHS: ICT

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what key milestones his Department has set for the allocation of the £100 million fund for nursing and midwifery technology announced on 8 October 2012; and what progress his Department has made on such allocation; [173344]

(2) which individuals and organisations are members of the project committee for the £100 million fund for nursing and midwifery technology announced on 8 October 2012; and on what dates this committee has met; [173347]

(3) which external stakeholders and NHS bodies have been consulted during the development of plans for the £100 million fund for nursing and midwifery technology announced on 8 October 2012. [173348]

Dr Poulter: The £100 million nursing and midwifery technology fund is designed to ensure that nurses and midwives have access to technology that will allow them to have more time to spend with patients and which will support the transformation of key services such as those delivered in the community. Our objective is to launch the fund in this quarter of this financial year, with £30 million earmarked this year for those trusts which are able to utilise and expand on existing technology arrangements to support nurses and midwives in their work. A second stage will make a further £70 million available in the 2014-15 financial year.

The work of the fund is being managed through a Delivery Board, consisting of officials from the Department of Health, NHS England, Health and Social Care Information Centre and NHS officials. There is significant nursing and information technology expertise represented on the Delivery Board. It has met five times since it was established, on 7 August, 11 September, 2 October, 15 October and 30 October 2013.

To oversee delivery, a new Programme Board has been established. It met on 18 October 2013. It has the following membership:

Director General, Informatics and Group Operations Directorate, Department of Health;

Director, Partnerships and Information Directorate, Department of Health;

Director, Group Financial Management, Department of Health;

Director of Nursing, Department of Health;

Chief Nursing Officer for England, NHS England; and

Director of Strategic Systems and Technology, NHS England.

Nursing and midwifery engagement is at the heart of the fund's work. As well as senior nursing representation on both the Delivery Board and Programme Board, a nursing stakeholder forum has been set up. The Stakeholder Forum was established in order to review the objectives and processes being developed for the fund and will also provide leadership, advice and support on the fund's allocation process. Membership includes nursing representatives from NHS England's Regional and Area Teams, as well as clinical commissioning groups.

NHS: Recruitment

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which headhunters his Department use for NHS vacancies; and how much money was paid to such firms in (a) 2011, (b) 2012 and (c) 2013. [173834]

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Dr Poulter: For appointments for which the Secretary of State has responsibility the Department has used two executive search agencies, Russell Reynolds Associates and Saxton Bampfylde. Expenditure for each of the three years is as follows. It covers recruitment to chair, non-executive and the most senior executive roles in the Department's arm's length bodies, including both NHS and related health and care organisations.

2011: £120,000 (Russell Reynolds Associates)

2012: £445,500 (Russell Reynolds Associates)

2013: £399,000 (Russell Reynolds Associates)

2013: £14,000 (Saxton Bampfylde).

NICE

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent discussions he has had with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on how it reviews and reports on the implementation of its guidelines, and on how frequently it reviews its guidelines; [173573]

(2) what discussions he has had with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on its plans to monitor the implementation of the breast cancer familial guideline. [173574]

Norman Lamb: Ministers have had no such recent discussions. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is an independent body and is responsible for ensuring that its guidance is periodically reviewed and, where necessary, updated to ensure that it reflects the latest available evidence. NICE does not routinely monitor the uptake or implementation of guidance by national health service organisations.

Orthopaedics: Footwear

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to allow people to obtain repeat orthopaedic shoes from consultants without the need for orthotic referral by GPs; and if he will make a statement. [173587]

Norman Lamb: Clinical commission groups (CCGs) are responsible for commissioning orthotic services locally. Referrals for orthotics (footwear or otherwise) can be made by a consultant or a general practitioner. Arrangements for self-referral for repeat footwear depend on the local commissioning arrangements.

Radiotherapy

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to his Department's announcement of 8 October 2012, what discussions his Department has had with NHS England to ensure that there is sufficient investment in intensity modulated radiotherapy technology to guarantee access to innovative radiotherapy where clinically appropriate, safe and cost effective. [173452]

Jane Ellison: Since 1 April 2013, radiotherapy treatment has been planned and paid for nationally by NHS England. This means for the first time, cancer patients will be considered for the most appropriate radiotherapy treatment regardless of where they live, guaranteeing access to innovative radiotherapy where clinically appropriate, safe and cost-effective.

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The Government invested £23 million aimed at increasing the capacity of radiotherapy centres in England to deliver intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) so that it can be offered to all patients who might benefit from April 2013.

This funding brought the Government's additional investment in radiotherapy over the spending review period to £173 million and resulted in a significant increase in IMRT activity.

NHS England will continue to monitor progress and local action plans closely, updating the Department as appropriate.

School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has made an assessment of the potential effect on public health of the withdrawal of free school fruit schemes by certain local authorities. [173683]

Jane Ellison: The Government are focused on preventing and tackling health inequalities. Reduction of early death from chronic diseases, such as cancer and coronary heart disease is high on the agenda, with poor nutrition as a key factor in their prevention. As part of this strategy, the Government have developed a Five-a-Day Programme.

The School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme (SFVS) is a key strand in this programme. All four to six-year-old children in fully state funded infant, primary and special schools throughout England are eligible to receive a free piece of fruit or vegetable every school day. The scheme not only provides children with one of their five a day portion but also helps to increase the awareness of the importance of eating fruit and vegetables, encouraging healthy eating habits that can be carried into later life.

Withdrawal of the SFVS locally may mean the affected children no longer receive these health benefits.

Take-up of the schemes among eligible schools is 99% and over 2 million children are now receiving a free piece of fruit or vegetable every school day.

School Milk

Pat Glass: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the capability of childcare providers to store and serve milk other than in single-serve measures. [173394]

Dr Poulter: To explore the potential impact of the proposed changes on child care providers, in parallel with the Nursery Milk consultation, the Department asked all child care providers currently registered with the Nursery Milk Scheme to complete a simple survey about how the scheme works for them and how potential changes might affect them and the children they care for. This included specific questions about packaging and individual portions of milk.

The Department is conducting a comprehensive analysis of all the responses to the survey of child care providers.

Skin Piercing: Children

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department issues on what proof of

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consent of a parent or legal guardian should be required for the purpose of body piercings on a minor. [173362]

Jane Ellison: The Department's primary interest in respect of body piercing is in the issue of infection control and the avoidance of harm. In July 2013 Public Health England (PHE) published guidance, together with the Chartered Institute for Environmental Health, the Health and Safety Laboratory, and the Tattoo and Piercing Industry Union, “Tattooing and body piercing guidance: Toolkit”. This makes it clear that there is no statutory minimum age of consent for ear or body piercing, and includes advice on consent issues, including documentation of consent, and recommends that in the case of body piercing of minors they should have a parent or other responsible adult present when aftercare advice is given. A copy of the guidance has been placed in the Library, and can be accessed via a PHE press release at:

www.gov.uk/government/news/phe-supports-new-tattooing-and-body-piercing-guidance

Social Services

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in each local authority have accessed funding for social care in the last three years; and how many such claimants were asked to provide a third-party top-up fee. [173688]

Norman Lamb: In financial year 2012-13, 583,735 older people received funding from their local authority for social care. The Department does not monitor the data by local authority area, nor the number who provide a third-party top-up fee.

However, Laing and Buisson reports that in 2012, over 40,000 residents provided third-party top-ups (Care of Elderly People, UK Market Survey 2012-13).

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the implementation of the guidance on the control, issuing, monitoring and recording of third-party top-up fees for local authority funded social care placements; and if he will make a statement. [173689]

Norman Lamb: Guidance on the use of third-party top-up fees for local authority funded social care placements is contained in Section 11 of Charging for Residential Accommodation Guide (CRAG) in support of the National Assistance (Assessment of Resources) Regulations 1992 (S.I. 1992/2977).

The implementation of this and other statutory guidance is a responsibility for local authorities. The Department does not performance manage or monitor local authorities, control and recording of third-party top-up fees for local authority social care placements.

Tobacco: EU Law

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the Government's full negotiating position on all Articles included in the revisions of the EU Tobacco Products Directive proposed by the European Commission. [173352]

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Jane Ellison: The United Kingdom Government welcomed the intention behind the European Commission's proposal, published in December 2012, to revise the directive; namely to improve the functioning of the European Union market in tobacco products and thereby protect health, particularly children's, from the harms of tobacco.

We have been working to ensure a final text which best meets the UK's public health objectives while remaining evidence-based and proportionate. This has been reflected by our correspondence with, and during oral evidence to, the two parliamentary EU scrutiny committees.

It would not help to secure the UK's objectives for the Government to make public our detailed negotiating position on the tobacco products directive, particularly while negotiations with other member states, the European Parliament and the European Commission are continuing.

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations the Government have made to the European Commission on negotiations on the final text for the revised Tobacco Products Directive. [173575]

Jane Ellison: Following the European Parliament plenary vote on the Tobacco Products Directive on 8 October, ‘trilogue' negotiations between European Union member states, the European Parliament and the European Commission have commenced with the aim of agreeing a final text. The United Kingdom is playing an active role in formal working group discussions with other member states in order to give the current EU presidency, Lithuania, a mandate to take to its trilogue discussions with the Parliament and the Commission.

Business, Innovation and Skills

Apprentices

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what impact assessments his Department carried out at the start of its apprenticeship scheme. [173200]

Matthew Hancock: A full impact assessment of Apprenticeships Review Policies, including the creation of the National Apprenticeship Service, was carried out and published in July 2008. A further apprenticeship growth review equality impact assessment was published in November 2011.

Apprentices: Pay

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many recent representations he has received on the issue of pay for apprentices; and from whom each such representation was received. [173242]

Matthew Hancock: According to central records the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), has not recently received any representations on the issue of pay for apprentices.

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Business: Closures

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many businesses ceased trading in each (a) parliamentary constituency and (b) region of the UK in each month since January 2008. [173354]

Jo Swinson: Official statistics covering corporate insolvencies for England and Wales are not currently available at sub-national level. While individual insolvency statistics are available down to the level of Westminster parliamentary constituencies, these are only compiled on an annual basis and they do not separately identify business failures.

Quarterly totals for corporate insolvencies in England and Wales are presented in the Quarterly Insolvency Statistics, the latest publication of which can be found on the Insolvency Service website at:

http://www.insolvencydirect.bis.gov.uk/otherinformation/statistics/insolvency-statistics.htm

Regional individual insolvency statistics down to Westminster parliamentary constituency level, annually from 2000 to 2011, have been placed in the Libraries of the House. An update to these statistics covering 2012 will be published in December 2013 on the Insolvency Service website at:

http://www.insolvencydirect.bis.gov.uk/otherinformation/statistics/regionalstatisticsmenu.htm

Employment Appeal Tribunal

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills for what reasons no representative of his Department attended the Employment Appeal Tribunal hearing in relation to Usdaw v. Woolworths on 1 July 2013. [173716]

Jo Swinson: The Department did not make representations at the Employment Appeal Tribunal hearing on 1 July 2013 as the Department is not in a position to know the extent to which the company consulted with employees.

EU External Trade: Canada

Mr McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between the EU and Canada on (a) Scotland and (b) Inverclyde constituency; and if he will make a statement. [173470]

Michael Fallon [holding answer 1 November 2013]:The Department's economic analysis of the likely UK-wide impacts shows that the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement could be worth up to £1.3 billion annually to the UK economy. Given the comprehensive nature of the trade agreement, the benefits for the Scottish and the constituency economy are likely to be proportionate to the UK-wide figure.

Higher Education: EU Grants and Loans

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much income from EU institutions each UK university received (a) in 2010-11,

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(b)

in 2011-12 and

(c)

in 2012-13, and is expected to receive in 2013-14; what the regional distribution of such funding is; and if he will make a statement. [173118]

Mr Willetts: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes data on the finances of higher education institutions (HEIs) in the United Kingdom.

The most up-to-date information on the income received through research grants and contracts from EU sources in the academic years 2010/11 and 2011/12 by individual HEI and region of HEI will be placed in the Libraries of the House. Information on income from other EU sources is not available. Definitions on the sources of EU income to UK HEIs can be found at the following link:

http://www.hesa.ac.uk/content/view/2868/278/#oth

Finance data for the academic year 2012/13 will become available from the Higher Education Statistics Agency in March 2014. Projections for future income from EU sources is not available.

Cabinet Office

Business

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many empty Government-owned properties have been made available to entrepreneurs to date. [173696]

Mr Maude: The Space for Growth initiative has made around 1,600 workstation spaces available to entrepreneurs.

Cybercrime

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what recent assessment he has made of the level of security from cyber-attack of industrial control systems used by critical national infrastructure operators; [173497]

(2) when he expects the UK Computer Emergency Response Team to be fully operational; and if he will make a statement. [173504]

Mr Maude: In the National Cyber Security Strategy we committed to bolstering defences in our critical national infrastructure (CNI) against cyber-attack. Through our investment in the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure and GCHQ, as well as lead Government Departments, we are supporting CNI companies to identify and address the cyber-risks they face, including improving the security of critical industrial control systems.

The current focus for the establishment of the new national Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) is on securing appropriate accommodation, technology and staff, with the aim that it will become operational early next year.

The new CERT will build on and enhance the existing CERT capability that is in place for the Government, CNI and our defence forces.

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Dove Trust

Alec Shelbrooke: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what discussions his Department has had with the Dove Trust since administration proceedings were started against Charity Giving. [173253]

Mr Hurd: The Department has had no discussions with the Dove Trust regarding the problems surrounding the Charity Giving website. This issue falls within the remit of the Charity Commission; the charity is subject to a statutory inquiry and an interim manager has been appointed to take control of the charity's affairs.

The interim manager is providing regular updates on the Charity Giving website with the necessary information for donors, charities and fundraisers.

Employment

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) how many people between the ages of 25 and 40 have entered work in each of the last three years; [173211]

(2) how many people over the age of 40 have entered work in each of the last three years; [173213]

(3) how many people under the age of 25 have entered work in each of the last three years. [173214]

Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.

Letter from Director, Chief Economic Advisor, dated November 2013:

On behalf of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions:

(a) how many people between the age of 25 and 40 have entered work in each of the last three years. 173211

(b) how many people over the age of 40 have entered work in each of the last three years. 173213

(c) how many people under the age of 25 have entered work in each of the last three years. 173214

Information regarding the number of people who have entered work is not available for the age groups. As an alternative, using the ONS' Labour Force Survey, estimates relating to the net change in the number of people in employment for the requested age groups have been provided.

Stephen Timms: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the current employment rate is among (a) all people, (b) young people, (c) women, (d) over 50s, (e) parents, (f) lone parents and (g) ethnic minorities; and what each such rate was in May 2010. [173726]

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Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.

Letter from Glen Watson, dated November 2013:

As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the current employment rate among (a) all people, (b) young people, (c) women, (d) over 50s, (e) parents, (f) lone parents and (g) ethnic minorities; and what each such rate was in May 2010. 173726

The table compares the latest available estimates of employment rates for the requested categories with those at May 2010. These are derived from ONS's Labour Force Survey. Since this is a three-monthly survey, the reference period April-June 2010 has been used to provide May 2010 estimates.

Please note the latest available period for the categories: parents, lone parents and ethnic minorities is April-June 2013. Other Categories are based on June-August 2013. Parents and lone parents rates are based on parents aged 16 to 64 with dependent children. Dependent children are children under 16 and those aged 16 to 18 who are never-married and in full-time education.

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Exports

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which countries had the fastest rate of growth in consumption of UK exports of (a) goods and (b) services in each of the last five years. [173450]

Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.

Letter from Glen Watson, dated November 2013:

As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking which countries had the fastest rate of growth in consumption of UK exports of (a) goods and (b) services in each of the last five years. [173450]

The five countries with the largest percentage growth in each year from 2008 to 2012 for UK exports of goods and services are shown in table 1. These rankings are based on percentage growth, which can be influenced by the level of exports e.g. an increase from £1 million to £2million will show an increase of 100 per cent, despite the level remaining low.

Therefore table 2 has also been included, which shows the five countries with the largest growth in exports in term of value, which you may also find useful.

These are based on estimates from tables 9.4 and 9.5 of the UK Balance of Payments Pink Book, which can be found at the link below.

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/bop/united-kingdom-balance-of-payments/2013/index.html

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Graduates: Employment

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many graduates have successfully applied for a paid job within one year after leaving university in (a) Lancashire and (b) the UK in the last five years. [173583]

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Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.

Letter from Director, Chief Economic Advisor:

On behalf of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many graduates have successfully applied for a paid job within one year after leaving university in (a) Lancashire and (b) the UK in the last five years. (173583)

Unfortunately, due to small sample sizes, the requested information is not available for Lancashire. But the attached table shows the number of graduates who were in employment within one year of completing full-time education for the North West, the closest available geography to Lancashire, and the UK, according to survey responses from the Annual Population Survey (APS) for the 12 month periods ending in December from 2008 to 2012.

As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates is given in the table.

National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:

http://www.nomisweb.co.uk

Infant Mortality

Tim Loughton: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many children under one year have died suddenly in each of the last 10 years; and what reasons have been attributed to these deaths. [173846]

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Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.

Letter from Glen Watson, dated November 2013:

As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many children under one year have died suddenly in each of the last ten years, and what reasons have been attributed to these deaths. [173846].

Table 1 provides the number of infant deaths where the underlying cause was unexplained in each year from 2004 to 2011 (the only years for which this breakdown is available). Unexplained infant deaths are those where sudden infant death was mentioned on the death certificate, and those for which the cause remains unascertained after a full investigation. Figures for unexplained deaths in infancy in England and Wales are published annually on the ONS website:

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/child-health/unexplained-deaths-in-infancy--england-and-wales/2011/stb---unexplained-deaths-in-infancy--england-and-wales--2011.html

More broadly, unexpected infant deaths can be defined as deaths which were certified by a coroner. Table 2 provides the number of neonatal (under 28 days) and postneonatal (between 28 days and one year) deaths certified by a coroner, by ONS cause group, in each year from 2002 to 2011. Further information about how infant deaths are certified is available in the Child Mortality Statistics Metadata report on the ONS website:

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/user-guidance/health-and-life-events/child-mortality-statistics-metadata.pdf

Postneonatal deaths are also coded using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). Table 3 (following) provides the number of postneonatal deaths certified by a coroner, by broad underlying cause group, in each year from 2002 to 2011.

Figures for childhood, infant and perinatal (stillbirths and deaths under seven days) mortality are published annually on the ONS website at:

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/vsob1/child-mortality-statistics--childhood--infant-and-perinatal/index.html

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