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Written Answers to Questions
Monday 14 July 2014
Health
Air Travel
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what occasions each Minister within his Department has taken domestic flights on official business since May 2010. [204296]
Dr Poulter: The available information is as follows:
The Secretary of State for Health (Mr Jeremy Hunt)
24 February 2014-London to Aberdeen and return flight.
Former Minister of State (Mr Paul Burstow)
3 January 2012-London to Newquay.
Minister of State (Norman Lamb)
25 February 2014-London to Newquay.
26 February 2014-Newquay to London.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Dr Daniel Poulter)
10 April 2014-London to Newquay.
To provide information for other former Ministers since 2010 would incur disproportionate cost.
Apprentices
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many apprentices have been employed by contractors and sub-contractors to his Department in each year since 2010-11; and what proportion of the total work force of such contractors is made up by apprentices. [204065]
Dr Poulter: The information requested is not held centrally.
The Department’s central procurement system does not have categories to determine the number of apprentices employed by contractors and subcontractors within the Department and the proportion of the total Department’s work force of such contractors made up by apprentices since 2010-11.
Brain: Tumours
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 1 April 2014, Official Report, column 711, on brain tumours (children), what proportion of the £450 million which the Government have committed to enable earlier diagnosis of cancer has been allocated to reduce the delay of diagnosis of brain tumours in children. [204635]
Jane Ellison:
None of the £450 million has been allocated to a specific cancer. A small part of the additional funding was held centrally for Be Clear on Cancer (BCOC) symptom awareness campaigns and for some work to help support general practitioners
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(GPs). The rest was allocated to the national health service to meet the additional costs associated with tackling late diagnosis of cancer, specifically to enable increased general practitioner (GP) access to four key diagnostic tests, including magnetic resonance imaging scans to support diagnosis of brain tumours and; the increased testing, and treatment costs in secondary care associated with more people being referred and diagnosed.
In 2012, to increase the awareness of cancer among GPs and support GPs to assess patients more effectively, the Department funded the British Medical Journal Learning to provide an e-learning tool for GPs. Four modules were developed including diagnosing osteosarcoma and brain tumours in children and young people.
This module helps GPs to understand the main types of brain tumours in children and young people, and their common presentations, and to recognise when patients need urgent referral.
To date the Department and Public Health England (since April 2013), have run national BCOC campaigns to raise awareness of the following cancers-bowel, lung, bladder and kidney, and breast. Regional campaigns have also been run for ovarian and oesophago-gastric cancers. A campaign was piloted at local level to raise awareness of four key symptoms of cancer and a local skin cancer pilot is running from 16 June to 27 July in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset. Decisions on further BCOC campaign activity in 2014-15 are being made over the summer, based on the evidence and learning from previous campaigns. We will continue to keep these campaigns under review and work with relevant experts to see what might be done to tackle other cancers.
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which neuro-oncology centres in the UK have the highest survival rates for patients with brain tumours. [204863]
Jane Ellison: NHS England has advised that this information is not held centrally.
Care Act 2014
Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will include forming and developing relationship in the eligibility criteria of the Care Act 2014 Part 1 regulations. [204705]
Norman Lamb: The Care Act 2014 will introduce a modern system that will promote and maintain the well-being of people who have care and support needs and support them in living independent lives. These enhance the areas of action set out in the 2010 Autism Strategy and reaffirmed recently in “Think Autism”.
The Care Act includes a power to make regulations to set the national eligibility criteria for adult care and support. The national eligibility threshold will provide a similar level of access to care and support when we move from the current system to the reformed system in April 2015.
The Department is currently consulting on the draft regulations and statutory guidance that will support the implementation of the Care Act. This includes the draft eligibility regulations which set the level of the threshold, and your comments will be considered when we finalise
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and publish the regulations in October. The public consultation started on 6 June and runs until 15 August 2014.
Care Homes: Disability
Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the effect on people with physical impairments and learning disabilities of the proposals by third sector providers to close residential care homes available to them. [204095]
Norman Lamb: The Department has not made an assessment of the effect on people with physical impairments and learning disabilities of the proposals by third sector providers to close residential care homes available to them.
The Department is aware that some providers of residential care for disabled people are reviewing their services and consulting with people who use services and their families.
The Department appreciates that some people who use services and their families may be concerned and encourages them to engage fully with the consultation process to ensure their views are taken into account.
The Government believe that people who wish, and who are able to live in their communities should be given the support they need to do so. People who use services whose care is provided or arranged by their local council should be supported to exercise choice regarding where they receive services.
The Care Act 2014, which will come into force in 2015, will give local authorities a core duty to promote their local market in care provision, with a particular focus on ensuring diversity, quality and sustainability which, importantly, will mean there should be sufficient high quality services available to meet the needs of individuals in their local area.
Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the availability of a range of housing and care options for people with physical disabilities and learning difficulties. [204096]
Norman Lamb: The Department has not made any assessments of the availability of a range of housing and care options for people with physical disabilities and learning difficulties.
The new Care Act, which will come into force in 2015, will give local authorities a core duty to promote their local market, with a particular focus on ensuring diversity, quality and sustainability which, importantly, will mean there should be sufficient high quality services available to meet the needs of individuals in their local area.
The Department has worked with stakeholders, including provider organisations, to develop draft statutory guidance to support the implementation of the Care Act. The guidance will describe how local authorities must meet these new duties, including encouraging sustainability through appropriate fee levels. The draft guidance was published as part of a 10-week public consultation on the full package of regulations and guidance under part 1 of the Care Act on 6 June.
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The Government believe that people who wish and who are able to live in their communities, rather than in an institutional care setting, should be given the support they need to do so.
Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the future of residential care for people with complex needs including physical impairments and learning difficulties; and if he will make a statement. [204097]
Norman Lamb: The Department has made no assessment of the future of residential care for people with complex needs.
Local authorities are responsible for assessing the needs of their populations and for providing or arranging social care services, including residential care, to meet eligible needs.
Local authorities have a responsibility, through good commissioning strategies, to ensure a healthy local care home sector. The new Care Act, which will come into force in 2015, will give local authorities a core duty to promote their local care market, with a particular focus on ensuring diversity, quality and sustainability. This will mean that there should be sufficient high quality services available to meet the needs of individuals in their areas.
The Care Act provides a new legislative focus on personalisation, increasing opportunities for greater choice, control and independence, so that people can choose the services best suited to meet their care and support needs.
Dementia
Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on non-pharmaceutical dementia treatments in each year since 2004. [204548]
Norman Lamb: The Department does not directly commission non-pharmaceutical treatments for people with dementia. Local national health service and social care commissioners should consider the needs of their local population when commissioning services for people with dementia.
The Department is working to reduce the inappropriate prescribing of antipsychotic medication to people with dementia. In November 2013, the Department published an interactive online map to show members of the public data on the quality of dementia care and support in their local area, which can be used to hold local organisations to account. The data include how often antipsychotic drugs are prescribed to people with dementia.
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of whether childhood exposure to lead can lead to the early onset of dementia. [204967]
Norman Lamb: Lead is a known neurotoxicant and has been shown to affect cognitive function, especially following exposure during early life. However, the causes of dementia are multifactorial and it would be very difficult to investigate whether exposure to lead in childhood leads to early onset of dementia.
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Diabetes
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department will re-establish the NHS Diabetes website. [R] [204231]
Jane Ellison: NHS Improving Quality has taken over the functions of NHS Diabetes and has no plans to establish a diabetes specific website. However, the archived NHS Diabetes website can still be viewed.
NHS Improving Quality has a number of programmes of work under way to reduce premature mortality from diabetes and improve the care of people with diabetes including:
piloting new pathways of care to detect and manage asymptomatic coronary heart disease in patient groups with diabetic foot disease. The aim is to reduce premature mortality in this group of patients by 600 lives per year from 2015-16;
supporting the NHS Health Check programme's ambition to achieve a 66% uptake rate within the eligible population for 2014-15. A key component of these checks is looking for risk factors for diabetes;
supporting the implementation of the Cardiovascular Disease Outcomes Strategy;
working to achieve patient centred, co-ordinated services for people living with long-term conditions, including diabetes; and
providing signposting and links to useful improvement resources relating to diabetes.
More information on this work can be found on the NHS Improving Quality website at:
www.nhsiq.nhs.uk
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to include a diabetes-related indicator in the Health Premium Incentive scheme; if he will consult the diabetes community on the design of that scheme; and if he will make a statement. [R] [204232]
Jane Ellison: The independent advisory group, the Health Premium Incentive Advisory Group (HPIAG), was set up as a sub-group of the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation to advise Ministers on which indicators from the Public Health Outcome Framework (PHOF) would be suitable for inclusion in the Health Premium Incentive Scheme (HPIS). HPIAG developed a list of technical criteria to guide this assessment and reviewed all the indicators in the PHOF, including those indicators relevant to diabetes, against these criteria. HPIAG concluded that the diabetes-related indicators did not meet the criteria and so would not be appropriate for inclusion in the HPIS. HPIAG's report showing which indicator met the criteria has been placed in the Library and can be found at:
www.gov.uk/government/groups/health-premium-incentive-advisory-group
The PHOF itself was subject to a full public consultation and the report of PHOF consultation has been placed in the Library and can be found at:
www.gov.uk/government/collections/public-health-outcomes-framework
Ministers are currently considering options for introducing the scheme.
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Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how the Care Quality Commission plans to use the findings from its thematic data review of diabetes care; [R] [204234]
(2) what progress the Care Quality Commission has made in its thematic data review of diabetes care; and if he will make a statement; [R] [204235]
(3) when the Care Quality Commission plans to publish its thematic data review of diabetes care. [R] [204236]
Norman Lamb: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care providers in England and has a key responsibility in the overall assurance of safety and quality of health and adult social care services.
The CQC has provided the following information.
The CQC has completed its thematic data review of diabetes care. A summary report which includes findings of the CQC’s work and that of others has been shared with the Diabetes Thematic Review External Advisory Group that is supporting the project.
The CQC’s plan is to publish the key national findings from this work as a short stand-alone report this summer.
Results from the data review will be used to inform the CQC’s regular inspection regimes. The second phase will begin later in 2014 and will involve inspection activities and bespoke information gathering to follow up on the findings from the data review. It will also explore at the local level the causes behind variations in care and outcomes for different people.
Eating Disorders
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much the NHS has spent on specialist eating disorder clinics in each of the last five financial years; [204136]
(2) what assessment he has made of the sufficiency and geographical distribution of NHS specialist eating disorder clinics. [204137]
Norman Lamb: Information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is shown in the following table and is from reference costs, which are the average cost to national health service trusts and NHS foundation trusts of providing defined services in a given financial year to NHS patients.
| Estimated cost of specialist eating disorder clinics to NHS providers in England, 2011-12 and 2012-13 | |
| Total cost (£ million) | |
| Notes: 1. Costs are reported for adult, and child and adolescent, eating disorder services. 2. Costs relate to activity occurring in admitted patient, out-patient and community settings. Source: Reference costs, Department of Health. | |
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Specialist eating disorders units for both adults and children have been, since April 2013, commissioned by NHS England. Specialist eating disorder services for children are part of tier 4 child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).
On 10 July, NHS England published the findings of its recent report on tier 4 CAMHS. NHS England is currently working on a review of specialist commissioning. This will include both specialised children’s and adult mental health services.
EU External Trade: USA
Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the likely effects of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership on the National Health Service. [204141]
Jane Ellison: The Government have no intention of opening up National Health Service services to further competition through the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), and this is not a focus of the negotiations. Our focus for health is to enable our world-class pharmaceutical and medical devices sectors to benefit from improved access to the United States market, increasing growth and employment in the United Kingdom.
The UK has already undertaken long-standing agreements on trade, including in health services, since the 1995 General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATs). The UK’s objective in Fair Trade Agreement negotiations, including TTIP, is to maintain commitments in health services that are broadly in line with our existing obligations under GATS. These agreements have not impacted on our ability to provide public services to date and we do not consider that TTIP will change this. As is the case now, to work or operate here any overseas health care professionals or companies would have to comply with UK standards and regulations, in just the same way as UK health care providers do.
We have made clear to the European (EU) Commission, who is negotiating the TTIP on behalf of member states, that it must always be for member states to decide for themselves whether or not to open up public services to competition, and this is the approach that the EU Commission is taking. The TTIP should not reduce the ability of member states to make future decisions about whether and to what extent to involve the private sector in the provision of public services.
If investment provisions are included in the TTIP, they will strike an appropriate balance between protection for UK investors abroad, and ensuring that the Government are not prevented from acting in the public interest in areas such as public health and the NHS.
The Government are committed to an NHS that is always there for everyone who needs it, funded from general taxation, free at the point of use. The TTIP could not change this.
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Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of (a) fetal alcohol syndrome and (b) fetal alcohol syndrome disorders. [204669]
Jane Ellison: The Department has made no estimate of costs to the NHS for fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), because estimates of prevalence for these conditions are so uncertain.
The diagnosis for babies born with FAS may not be made easily at birth, and problems may present only later in childhood, for example at school. Estimates for the incidence of FASD are still more uncertain and relate to the lack of consensus on diagnostic criteria for these conditions.
Freedom of Information
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on legal fees in cases relating to the release of information requested under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in each of the last five years. [204278]
Dr Poulter: Figures taken from the Department's Business Management System categorised as spend on legal services from the Freedom of Information Team's central budget, show that £2,346.40 was spent in the 12 months between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2014, and £22,627.71 in 2012-13. There was no spend in 2011-12, 2010-11 or 2009-10.
General Practitioners
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of children who were not registered with a GP in each year since 2010. [204670]
Dr Poulter: The requested information is not collected centrally.
Babies born in England are issued with a national health service number at birth and their carers are given a General Medical Services (GMS)1 form to enable them to register their child with their local general practitioner.
General Practitioners: Warrington
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many full-time equivalent GPs were working in Warrington in each year since 2007-08. [204865]
Dr Poulter: The information requested is shown in the following table.
| All practitioners (including retainers and registrars) | |||||||
| Full-time equivalents | |||||||
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | |
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| Data Quality: The Health and Social Care Information Centre seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality where changes impact on figures already published. This is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses. Notes: 1. Data as at 30 September each year. 2. In 2013 NHS Warrington CCG was made up of the same practices as Warrington PCT in 2012. Source: The Health and Social Care Information Centre General and Personal Medical Services Statistics | |||||||
Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome
Mr O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to his answer of 19 June 2014, Official Report, column 278W, on haemolytic uraemic syndrome, when the next meeting of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence's evaluation committee will take place; and how soon after that meeting he expects to place a copy of NHS England's response in the Library. [204175]
Norman Lamb: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has advised that the next meeting of its highly specialised technology evaluation committee will take place on 24 July 2014. If the committee agrees final draft recommendations on eculizumab for the treatment of atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome, NICE will aim to make them available in September in line with its interim process guide. NHS England's response will form part of the documentation published and a copy will be placed in the Library at this time.
Health Professions: Travel
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial assistance the NHS provides to NHS staff who have to (a) drive and (b) take public transport to work. [204359]
Dr Poulter: The national health service does not usually provide financial assistance to NHS staff who have to drive or take public transport to work.
The reimbursement of excess travelling costs when employees are required to change their base of work as a result of a reorganisation or merger of NHS employers or when employees accept another post as an alternative to redundancy will be for local determination between employers and staff representatives.
NHS employers only reimburse travel costs if employees make journeys in the performance of their duties eg to provide care in a patient’s home.
A number of trusts operate salary sacrifice schemes in respect of car parking, bikes for work, bus passes and car lease. Under a salary sacrifice scheme, an employee agrees to a contract variation to give up a proportion of their salary in exchange for a benefit.
Some of the NHS organisations offer free shuttle services from train stations and between sites for patients, visitors and staff.
Health Services: International Cooperation
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria he uses when considering whether to invite his counterparts from the devolved Administrations to international health summits hosted by his Department. [204176]
Jane Ellison: Foreign affairs is a reserved matter. Nevertheless, the Department consults with the devolved Administrations in respect of international health summits hosted by the Department. Participation in such summits is considered on a case by case basis.
Health Services: Private Sector
Mr Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the proportion of funding from the NHS's budget which goes to private sector companies and which is spent on (a) health care and (b) shareholder dividend. [204856]
Jane Ellison: The information requested is not held centrally.
All providers—whether from the national health service, voluntary or independent sector—need to reinvest surpluses in their services in order for them to be sustainable.
The Government are clear that where NHS commissioners decide to use competition this must always be as a means to improve the quality of NHS services and achieve best value, as opposed to being driven by price alone.
Health: Screening
Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps his Department has taken to provide a separate follow-up service to the NHS Heath Check Programme; [R] [204230]
(2) if he will make it his policy to impose a duty on local authorities to commission follow-up services to the NHS Health Check. [R] [204237]
Jane Ellison:
The Government have no plans to mandate local authorities to commission follow-up services following an NHS health check. It is for local authorities, supported by Public Health England, to work closely with their partners across the health care system, including through health and wellbeing boards, to ensure the different elements of the programme, including follow-up services link together. The Department, jointly with Public Health England, have issued guidance to support local authorities
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in delivering NHS health checks, including follow-up services. NHS England is also producing an action plan to improve patient management following an NHS health check by March 2015.
Healthcare UK: Northern Ireland
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent work Healthcare UK has done to encourage health care providers in Northern Ireland to work with their British counterparts on bidding for overseas projects. [204194]
Norman Lamb: Healthcare UK informs us that they have provided support to a Northern Irish digital health care company to progress contract negotiations with a Chinese partner. At the request of the company, two Healthcare UK officials travelled to Belfast to meet with the company directors in order to understand the project and the support required from Healthcare UK. A second trip occurred soon after, again at the request of the company, to offer United Kingdom Government support in the presence of the Chinese partners who were visiting Northern Ireland at the time. The Northern Irish company has expressed thanks for the support that it required from Healthcare UK in addition to what it has received from Invest Northern Ireland and Northern Ireland's Health Minister, Mr E. Poots. Healthcare UK has also provided advice to the Office of the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister on their overseas engagement.
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the chief executive of Healthcare UK has met with officials from the Northern Ireland Executive to promote his organisation’s work in Northern Ireland. [204195]
Norman Lamb: Healthcare UK informs us that Howard Lyons, managing director, met with a delegation from the Northern Ireland Executive at an event in Brazil in May 2013, including Arlene Foster MLA, Minister for Enterprise Trade and Investment in the Northern Ireland Legislative Assembly.
Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with his ministerial counterpart in the Northern Ireland Executive on promoting in Northern Ireland the support and services offered to health care providers by Healthcare UK. [204196]
Norman Lamb: None. The Secretary of State for Health, the right hon. Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), has not held any discussions with his ministerial counterpart in the Northern Ireland Executive on promoting in Northern Ireland the support and services offered to health care providers by Healthcare UK.
Hearing Aids
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of progress by the NHS in making available to patients new types of bone-anchored hearing aid. [204558]
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Norman Lamb: NHS England commissions bone anchored hearing aids for patients with hearing loss as set out in its clinical commissioning policy,‘Bone Anchored Hearing Aids’, published in April 2013. This national commissioning policy ensures equity of access for patients in England, subject to them meeting the necessary criteria. The commissioning policy can be viewed on the NHS England website at the following link:
www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/d09-p-a.pdf
Heart Diseases: Children
Stuart Andrew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy that all children's heart surgery units should be subject to the same level of scrutiny. [204553]
Jane Ellison: Clinical audit is an important tool for driving up standards in the delivery of treatment and care. The National Institute for Cardiovascular Outcomes Research regularly provides clinical audit data to NHS England and the regulators which they use to monitor the outcomes at all children's cardiac centres. As part of the Congenital Heart Disease review, NHS England is currently reviewing the type of information that it analyses to monitor the outcomes of these services.
Hospitals
Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many non-specialist trust acute hospitals were in financial deficit at the end of the 2013-14 financial year. [204958]
Dr Poulter: At the 2013-14 financial year-end, there were 102 national health service trusts and 147 foundation trusts, each of which produced their own financial accounts. Of which, the Department recognises 62 non-specialist acute NHS trusts and 83 non-specialist foundation trusts, 145 organisations in total.
Of these 145 organisations, the majority (i.e. 87) reported a financial surplus while 58 reported a financial deficit.
NHS providers are required to deliver a break-even position. Where deficits occur they must be tackled in the right way. The NHS Trust Development Authority and Monitor, the independent regulator for foundation trusts, have a robust process for ensuring that trusts in deficit put a plan in place to recover their position, which in some instances will only be achieved in the medium-term.
Medical Records: Databases
Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 26 June 2014, Official Report, column 280W, on medical records: databases, for what reason the Health and Social Care Information Centre did not seek or obtain section 251 of the NHS Redress Act 2006 support for the trial survey. [204407]
Dr Poulter: The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) can confirm that Section 251 approval for the use of contact details from the Medical Research Information Service Integrated Database and Administration System for the Trial stage was not needed. This is because Ipsos Mori was contracted to work as data processors on the HSCIC’s behalf and were in effect working as the HSCIC.
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As the main stage of the survey would be including additional elements (telephone and face to face follow ups) which had not been part of the ethical approval received by Ipsos Mori, advice was sought from the Confidentiality Advisory Group (CAG) on these additional elements and this resulted in CAG suggesting that an s251 application be made for the main stage. This application was not approved, on the basis that the HSCIC had received approval in the meantime from the Department of Education, to use the National Pupil Database for the survey.
Meningitis: Vaccination
Sir Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the approval of his Department's business case for the meningococcal B vaccine. [204486]
Jane Ellison: Senior officials in the Department and Her Majesty’s Treasury have discussed the business case for meningococcal B immunisation.
Mental Health Services: Young People
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 16 June 2014, Official Report, column 494W, on mental health services: young people, when NHS England's review of Tier 4 Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services provision will be published. [204667]
Norman Lamb: The report of the review, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Tier 4 Report, was published on 10 July 2014 and a copy has been placed in the Library.
NHS: Innovation
Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which Minister in his Department approved the transfer of commissioning responsibility for NHS Innovations hubs from the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement to strategic health authorities in 2009. [204167]
Dr Poulter: It is a matter of public record that these issues fell within the portfolio of the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health (the right hon. the Lord Darzi of Denham KBE).
Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 17 June 2014, Official Report, column 566W, on NHS: innovation, what outputs and outcomes he uses to judge NHS England's compliance with its legal duty to promote innovation. [204186]
Dr Poulter: The national health service's obligation to promote innovation is principally delivered through NHS England's innovation, health and wealth programme. NHS England reports progress on this programme to the Cabinet Office Implementation Unit, the innovation, health and wealth implementation board and the Department as part of its business plan.
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Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 17 June 2014, Official Report, column 566W, on NHS: inovations, to whom in the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit the Innovation, Health and Wealth programme has been reporting during the last 12 months. [204247]
Dr Poulter: In my answer of 17 June 2014, Official Report, column 566W, I referred to the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit in error. My answer should have referred to the Cabinet Office Implementation Unit.
NHS England has advised that it reports centrally to the Cabinet Office Implementation Unit and is not aware of the named individuals within the Unit who receive its monthly reports on the Innovation, Health and Wealth programme.
Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) pursuant to the answer of 17 June 2014, Official Report, column 566W, on NHS: innovation, if his Department will publish the sunset review of innovation and improvement bodies before the House rises for the summer recess; [204249]
(2) pursuant to the answer of 18 June 2014, Official Report, column 617W, on the NHS, if he will ensure that his Department's proposals arising from the Innovation, Health and Wealth review of NHS intellectual property that was completed in Autumn 2012 will be published before the summer recess. [204841]
Dr Poulter: We currently have no plans to do so.
Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 17 June 2014, Official Report, column 566W, on NHS: innovation, when the Innovation, Health and Wealth Implementation Board has met during the last 12 months; what assessment he has made of progress on the Innovation, Health and Wealth programme; and if he will make a statement. [204307]
Dr Poulter: The Innovation, Health and Wealth Implementation Board met on:
2 July 2013
16 August 2013
30 September 2013
5 November 2013
3 December 2013
13 January 2014
17 February 2014
24 March 2014
28 April 2014
There were no meetings in May and June 2014 and the next meeting is scheduled for 8 September 2014.
NHS England has been conducting a ‘refresh’ of the Innovation Health and Wealth programme to reflect on progress made, identify what more needs to be done and ensure that the programme continues to fit with the new health services landscape. We understand that NHS England plans to publish the outcomes from this process later in the year.
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NHS: Intellectual Property
Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the answer of 17 June 2014, Official Report, columns 566-67W, on NHS: intellectual property, what returns have been made by commissioners determining which providers have passed or failed the Commissioning for Quality and Innovation pre-qualification thresholds in 2012-13 and 2013-14 since April 2013. [204180]
Dr Poulter: Local commissioners are responsible for assessing whether providers meet the pre-qualification criteria. NHS England has advised that the information requested is held by individual clinical commissioning groups and is not collected centrally.
Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to the answer of 17 June 2014, Official Report, columns 566-7W, on NHS: intellectual property, whether the Innovation, Health and Wealth board will publish the review of NHS intellectual property before 23 July 2014. [204182]
Dr Poulter: NHS England has advised that its review of NHS intellectual property has not yet been completed.
Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received on the future of intellectual property in the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [204188]
Dr Poulter: The Department has received no representations on this matter through its ministerial correspondence unit during the period 1 January to 30 June 2014.
We have received a number of questions on this subject from the hon. Gentleman.
Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 17 June 2014, Official Report, columns 566-7W, on NHS: intellectual property, what the name and job title is of the official in NHS England responsible for the intellectual property strategy of the NHS; and what the name and job title is of that official's line-manager. [204248]
Dr Poulter: Pursuant to my answer of 17 June 2014, Official Report, columns 566-67W, I would like to clarify that overall policy for intellectual property rests with the Intellectual Property Office.
Intellectual property as it affects health services rests with the Department of Health, within the portfolio of Will Cavendish in his capacity as Director General for Innovation, Growth, and Technology, working closely with other health service bodies, including NHS England, wherever relevant.
Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 17 June 2014, Official Report, columns 566-7W, on NHS: intellectual property, what data have been collected by NHS England on the effectiveness of the existing NHS intellectual property strategy to inform its review. [204250]
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Dr Poulter: We understand that NHS England has not considered the effectiveness of an overall intellectual property strategy for the national health service. The work under way on the existing NHS intellectual property strategy as part of Innovation Health and Wealth is discrete and is looking solely at intellectual property from a commissioning and innovation perspective.
NHS: Management Consultants
Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what fees have been paid to (a) Apposite Capital LLP, (b) The Orchard Down Consultancy Ltd, (c) Mike Farrar Consulting Ltd and (d) the NHS Confederation for their work on the NHS Accelerator Fund project; [204164]
(2) for what reason the NHS Accelerator Fund and the development project were not put out to public tender. [204192]
Dr Poulter: We understand that the NHS Accelerator Fund is a NHS Confederation-led initiative and matters relating to its development and operation are for the NHS Confederation. The Department and NHS England have not been involved in the development of this fund.
Obesity
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS spent on (a) Weight Watchers programmes, (b) Slimming World programmes and (c) any other branded weight loss programme in each of the last five financial years. [204135]
Jane Ellison: The Department and Public Health England do not hold the financial details on national health service expenditure on branded weight loss programmes. The determination as to what lifestyle weight management services are commissioned remains a local consideration.
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of branded weight loss programmes in achieving healthy and sustainable weight loss; [204139]
(2) how his Department evaluates the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of branded weight loss programmes. [204138]
Jane Ellison: The Department and Public Health England (PHE) have not made a direct assessment of the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of branded weight management programmes.
The Department and PHE supports the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) public health guidance on ‘Managing overweight and obesity in adults—lifestyle weight management services’, which makes recommendations on the provision of effective multi-component lifestyle weight management services for adults who are overweight or obese. This includes the recommendations that the commissioning of such services is based on the effectiveness of the programme as outlined in the NICE guidance.
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Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence was (a) received and (b) commissioned by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence prior to its recommendation to recommend the commissioning of branded weight loss programmes by NHS agencies. [204140]
Norman Lamb: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published public health guidance on lifestyle weight management services in May 2014 which recommends the use of weight management programmes where certain criteria apply.
Evidence considered by NICE is published alongside its guidance. Further information can be found at:
www.nice.org.uk/Guidance/PH53
Obesity: Surgery
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much the NHS spent on bariatric surgery in each of the last five financial years; [204132]
(2) what assessment he has made of the role bariatric surgery has in achieving healthy and sustainable weight loss; [204133]
(3) how his Department evaluates the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of bariatric surgery. [204134]
Jane Ellison: Information about national health service spending on bariatric surgery is not available in the format requested. Information is available from reference costs, which are the average cost to NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts for providing defined services in a given financial year to NHS patients. Reference costs for acute care are collected by Healthcare Resource Groups (HRGs), which are standard groupings of clinically similar treatments that consume common levels of health care resource. The HRGs in the attached table are specific to bariatric surgery and were introduced in 2011-12. For previous years, costs data are not available because the costs of bariatric surgery were included in HRGs which also covered other stomach procedures.
The Department has not undertaken an assessment of the potential benefits of bariatric surgery or evaluated its efficacy and cost-effectiveness.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued “Guidance on the prevention, identification, assessment and management of overweight and obesity in adults and children”. This includes recommendations on when to consider bariatric surgery for people who are obese. These recommendations were informed by an evidence review process, conducted by NICE, on the benefits and effectiveness of surgery. NICE is currently consulting on this guidance.
| Estimated cost of bariatric surgery to NHS providers in England by HRG, 2011-12 and 2012-13 | |||
| Total cost (£ million) | |||
| Code | Healthcare Resource Group | 2011-12 | 2012-13 |
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| Note: Data include the cost of procedures performed in day case, ordinary elective, non-elective and outpatient settings. Other costs outside of these settings are not included. Source: Reference costs, Department of Health | |||
Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome
Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 7 July 2014, Official Report, column 43W, on ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, what information the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) collects about the (a) identity of drugs used in treatment and (b) dosage used and the associated regimen for ovarian stimulation at each clinic; and what comparative assessment he has made of the collection of such data by the HFEA and by other countries that report data to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. [204590]
Jane Ellison: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has advised that it does not collect information on the identity of drugs used in treatment, the dosage used and the associated regimen for ovarian stimulation at each licensed centre. As a result, no comparison has been made with data collected by countries submitting information to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology.
Pregnancy: Alcoholic Drinks
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of voluntary labelling to warn against drinking in pregnancy. [204668]
Jane Ellison: As part of the Public Health Responsibility Deal, alcohol retailers and producers committed to putting an agreed warning or a pregnancy warning logo on 80% of labels on bottles and cans by the end of 2013. This level of coverage should allow the majority of consumers to see the pregnancy warning and logo.
Campden BRI will shortly publish its independent report on the progress towards this goal.
School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has allocated to the school fruit and vegetable scheme for the 2015-16 school year. [204446]
Dr Poulter: The Department allocates budgets including, for the school fruit and vegetable scheme on the basis of financial years (beginning in April) rather than academic years (beginning in September). The Department has not yet set its central budgets, which include the school fruit and vegetable scheme, for the 2015-16 financial year which covers the first seven months of the 2015-16 academic year. The remaining five months of the 2015-16 academic year fall into the 2016-17 financial year which will be subject to the next spending review.
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Self-Harm: Birmingham
Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people aged under 18 have presented at accident and emergency departments in need of treatment for self-harm at hospitals in the Greater Birmingham area in each of the last five years. [204952]
Norman Lamb: The information is not available in the format requested.
Information on the number of accident and emergency (A&E) attendances for 0 to 17-year-olds, with a patient group of deliberate self harm and with a primary care trust (PCT) of treatment within Greater Birmingham in each of the last five years, is shown in the following table:
| PCT of Treatment | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-141 |
| 1 Provisional. Notes: 1. Self-harm: A&E Patient Group—a code that indicates the reason for the A&E episode. Group 30 indicates those attending because of intentional self-harm. There were no A&E attendances recorded with a patient group for deliberate self-harm for Wolverhampton PCT in 2009-10. Patient group is a non-mandatory field and nil entry may indicate that the PCT did not submit any data for patient group for this year. 2. PCT of main provider: This indicates the PCT area within which the organisation providing treatment was located. The following PCTs were identified as having an A&E department located within Greater Birmingham: 5PG—Birmingham East and North PCT 5PE—Dudley PCT 5MX—Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT 5M1—South Birmingham PCT 5M3—Walsall Teaching PCT 5MV—Wolverhampton City PCT Data for Sandwell and Solihull PCTs are not included due to the PCTs not submitting A&E data to Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES) for the time period covered. 3. PCT of treatment 2013-14 data: Although PCTs ceased to exist after 31 March 2013, HES A&E data for 2013-14 still contain data for PCT of treatment. The relationship between providers and their respective PCTs as at the end of 2012-13 has been propagated through to 2013-14 data to allow the relevant PCT to be reported, continuing a time series. 4. Provisional data: The data are provisional and may be incomplete or contain errors for which no adjustments have yet been made. Counts produced from provisional data are likely to be lower than those generated for the same period in the final dataset. This shortfall will be most pronounced in the final month of the latest period, i.e. November from the (month 9) April to November extract. It is also probable that clinical data are not complete, which may in particular affect the last two months of any given period. There may also be errors due to coding inconsistencies that have not yet been investigated and corrected. 5. Accessing growth through time (A&E): HES figures are available from 2007-08 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage and changes in national health service practice. For example, changes in activity may be due to changes in the provision of care. 6. Official Source of A&E data: HES is not the official source of total A&E activity, this is the NHS England situation reports collection: www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ However, HES permits further analysis of A&E activity as there are a range of data items by which HES can be analysed. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES),Health and Social care Information Centre (HSCIC) | |||||
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Senior Civil Servants
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many senior civil servants appointed to positions in his Department since 2010 were previously (a) political appointees within that Department and (b) employed by a political party. [204326]
Dr Poulter: The Department does not keep a central record of its officials' previous employment, but is not aware of any senior civil servants appointed, since 2010, who were previously political appointees within the Department or employed by a political party.
Stafford Hospital
Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many young people have been seen in the accident and emergency department at Stafford Hospital in each year since 2009-10. [204593]
Jane Ellison: The information is not available in the format requested.
Information on the number of unplanned accident and emergency (A&E) attendances for Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, where the patient was aged 0-17 years (inclusive) and did not “leave before assessment or treatment”, for each year since 2009-10, is shown in the following table.
| Young people seen in A&E | |
| 1 Provisional. Notes: 1. A&E Attendance: A count of the number of attendances at A&E. This does not represent the number of patients as an individual may attend on more than one occasion in any given period. 2. Hospital Provider: A provider code is a unique code that identifies an organisation acting as a health care provider (eg NHS trust or primary care trust). Data from some independent sector providers, where the onus for arrangement of dataflows is on the commissioner, may be missing. Care must be taken when using this data as the counts may be lower than true figures. 3. Assessing growth through time (A&E): HES figures are available from 2007-08 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage and changes in national health service practice. For example, changes in activity may be due to changes in the provision of care. 4. Provisional data 2013-14: The data are provisional and may be incomplete or contain errors for which no adjustments have yet been made. Counts produced from provisional data are likely to be lower than those generated for the same period in the final dataset. This shortfall will be most pronounced in the final month of the latest period, ie November from the (month 9) April to November extract. It is also probable that clinical data are not complete, which may in particular affect the last two months of any given period. There may also be errors due to coding inconsistencies that have not yet been investigated and corrected. 5. Official source of A&E activity data: HES is not the official source of total A&E activity, this is the NHS England situation reports collection: http://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae- waiting-times-and-activity/ However, HES permits further analysis of A&E activity as there are a range of data items by which HES can be analysed. NHS England situation reports do not collect data by age range. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC). | |
Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many young people have attended the accident and emergency department at Stafford Hospital in each year since 2009-10. [204595]
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Jane Ellison: The information is not available in the format requested.
Information on the number of unplanned accident and emergency (A&E) attendances for Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, where the patient was aged 0-17 years (inclusive), for each year since 2009-10, is shown in the following table.
| Young people attending A&E | |
| 1 Provisional. Notes: 1. A&E Attendance: A count of the number of attendances at A&E. This does not represent the number of patients as an individual may attend on more than one occasion in any given period. 2. Hospital Provider: A provider code is a unique code that identifies an organisation acting as a health care provider (eg NHS trust or primary care trust). Data from some independent sector providers, where the onus for arrangement of dataflows is on the commissioner, may be missing. Care must be taken when using this data as the counts may be lower than true figures. 3. Assessing growth through time (A&E): HES figures are available from 2007-08 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage and changes in national health service practice. For example, changes in activity may be due to changes in the provision of care. 4. Provisional data 2013-14: The data are provisional and may be incomplete or contain errors for which no adjustments have yet been made. Counts produced from provisional data are likely to be lower than those generated for the same period in the final dataset. This shortfall will be most pronounced in the final month of the latest period, ie November from the (month 9) April to November extract. It is also probable that clinical data are not complete, which may in particular affect the last two months of any given period. There may also be errors due to coding inconsistencies that have not yet been investigated and corrected. 5. Official source of A&E activity data: HES is not the official source of total A&E activity, this is the NHS England situation reports collection: http://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ However, HES permits further analysis of A&E activity as there are a range of data items by which HES can be analysed. NHS England situation reports do not collect data by age range. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) | |
Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many total bed nights children and young people stayed overnight at Stafford Hospital in each of the years (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12, (d) 2012-13 and (e) 2013-14. [204596]
Jane Ellison: The information is not available in the format requested.
Information on the number of bed days for patients aged between 0 and 17 (inclusive) treated at Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust for each year in 2009-10 to 2013-14 is shown in the following table.
| Count of bed days | |
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| Notes: 1. Episode duration (Bed days): Episode duration is calculated as the difference in days between the episode start date and the episode end date, where both are given. Episode duration is based on finished consultant episodes and only applies to ordinary admissions, i.e. day cases are excluded (unless otherwise stated). 2. Hospital Provider: A provider code is a unique code that identifies an organisation acting as a health care provider (e.g. National Health Service trust or primary care trust). Data from some independent sector providers, where the onus for arrangement of dataflows is on the commissioner, may be missing. Care must be taken when using this data as the counts may be lower than true figures. 3. Assessing growth through time (Admitted patient care): HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in NHS practice. For example, changes in activity may be due to changes in the provision of care. 4. Provisional Data: The data are provisional and may be incomplete or contain errors for which no adjustments have yet been made. Counts produced from provisional data are likely to be lower than those generated for the same period in the final dataset. This shortfall will be most pronounced in the final month of the latest period, i.e. November from the (month 9) April to November extract. It is also probable that clinical data are not complete, which may in particular affect the last two months of any given period. There may also be errors due to coding inconsistencies that have not yet been investigated and corrected. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre | |
Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children and young people were treated as inpatients at Stafford Hospital in each of the years (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12, (d) 2012-13 and (e) 2013-14. [204597]
Jane Ellison: The information is not available in the format requested.
Information on numbers of finished admission episodes (FAEs) of patients aged between 0 and 17 (inclusive) that were treated at Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust for each year in 2009-10 to 2013-14 is shown in the following table.
| Count of FAEs | |
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| Notes: 1. FAEs: An FAE is the first period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. FAEs are counted against the year or month in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the period. 2. This is a total of admissions and will therefore include those admitted as a day case. 3. Hospital Provider: A provider code is a unique code that identifies an organisation acting as a health care provider (eg national health service trust or primary care trust). Data from some independent sector providers, where the onus for arrangement of dataflows is on the commissioner, may be missing. Care must be taken when using this data as the counts may be lower than true figures. 4. Assessing growth through time (Admitted patient care): HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in NHS practice. For example, changes in activity may be due to changes in the provision of care. 5. Provisional Data: The data are provisional and may be incomplete or contain errors for which no adjustments have yet been made. Counts produced from provisional data are likely to be lower than those generated for the same period in the final dataset. This shortfall will be most pronounced in the final month of the latest period, ie November from the (month 9) April to November extract. It is also probable that clinical data are not complete, which may in particular affect the last two months of any given period. There may also be errors due to coding inconsistencies that have not yet been investigated and corrected. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre | |
Training
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what professional development courses are made available to staff of his Department; and what the cost to the public purse is of each such course. [204345]
Dr Poulter: The Department provides a range of development courses for all staff via Civil Service Learning, the recognised supplier for all training. The options predominantly fall under the main categories of Core Skills, Leadership and Management, Working in the Civil Service and Talent, as well as a range of training across a number of professions eg statisticians, Human Resources etc.
Full details of all training activities and exercises engaged in by staff are not held centrally. Some activities are arranged individually or locally. For us to contact each member of the Department's local business teams to obtain such information would entail contacting a large number of staff and asking them to search for and retrieve such data. Therefore, while the Department does hold some information relevant to the hon. Gentleman’s request, extracting the totality of this data would require a significant amount of manual searching which would incur disproportionate costs.
Tuberculosis
Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Collaborative TB Strategy for England will be jointly published and delivered by Public Health England and NHS England. [204226]
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Jane Ellison: Public Health England and NHS England are working jointly to assess the responses to the consultation on the draft strategy and the impact of these proposals on the national health service. They will also be agreeing the arrangements for publication.
Ulipristal Acetate
Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that drug retailers accurately describe the operations of their products; if he will require retailers of the drug Ulipristal acetate to detail accurately its abortifacient effects; and if he will make a statement. [204592]
Norman Lamb: Ulipristal acetate is the active ingredient in the emergency contraceptive known as EllaOne.
Following a High Court ruling in 2002, emergency contraception is defined as a method of contraception not abortion. The decision confirms the Government’s long held position that a pregnancy begins at implantation and not fertilisation. This judgment means that this position is now established in law and is not a matter of policy.
EllaOne is a contraceptive, it is not an abortifacient. It exerts its contraceptive action by preventing or delaying ovulation.
EllaOne is used to prevent pregnancy for up to five days after unprotected intercourse or contraceptive failure. It is specifically contraindicated for use during an existing or suspected pregnancy.
The information provided in each pack of EllaOne clearly informs women and health care professionals that it should not be taken by a woman who knows or suspects she is pregnant.
Warrington Hospital
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the mean and median waiting time for treatment in Warrington Hospital's accident and emergency department was in 2007-08 and in each year since. [204864]
Jane Ellison: The information requested is shown in the following tables:
| The mean and median duration (in minutes)1 to assessment,2 treatment3 and departure4 for Warrington And Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust,5 by year for the years 2007-08 to 2012-136 | |||
| Number of attendances with a valid duration to assessment | Mean duration to assessment** | Median duration to assessment** | |
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| Number of attendances with a valid duration to treatment | Mean duration to treatment | Median duration to treatment | |
| Number of attendances with a valid duration to departure | Mean duration to departure | Median duration to departure | |
| * Prior to 2008-09, Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was known as North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust, however the provider code remained as "RWW" and therefore the same code was used throughout the time series. ** Caution should be used when interpreting these figures which are based on a small number of records in the period 2007-08 to 2010-11. The total number of attendances with a valid duration to assessment was recorded on a very small number of records by Warrington And Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in this period. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre. 1Mean and median The mean (average) and median (middle in ranking when all values are sorted in order) duration in minutes to assessment, treatment or duration. 2Duration to assessment The total amount of time in minutes between the patients arrival and their initial assessment in the accident and emergency (A&E) department. This is calculated as the difference in time from arrival at A&E to the time when the patient is initially assessed. 3Duration to treatment The total amount of time in minutes between the patients arrival and the start of their treatment. This is calculated as the difference in time from arrival at A&E to the time when the patient began treatment. 4Duration to departure The total amount of time spent in minutes in the A&E department. This is calculated as the difference in time from arrival at A&E to the time when the patient is discharged from A&E care. This includes being admitted to hospital, died in the department, discharged with no follow up or discharged—referred to another specialist department. 5Hospital provider A provider code is a unique code that identifies an organisation acting as a health care provider (e.g. NHS trust or primary care trust). 6Assessing growth through time (A&E) HES figures are available from 2007-08 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage and changes in NHS practice. For example, changes in activity may be due to changes in the provision of care. Official source of A&E Activity Data: HES is not the official source of total A&E activity, this is the NHS England situation reports collection: http://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ However, HES permits further analysis of A&E activity as there are a range of data items by which HES can be analysed. | |||
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Energy and Climate Change
Energy: Prices
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many people in (a) Ashfield constituency, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) England and Wales are currently using third party deductions to help pay their energy bills; and what steps he is taking to ensure that customer energy prices fall in line with wholesale prices. [203960]
Michael Fallon: The information requested on third party deductions is shown in the table.
In a competitive market, pricing decisions are a commercial matter for companies. Consumers can put pressure on companies to reduce prices by switching to the best deal for them-Ofgem’s Retail Market Reforms to deliver a simpler, clear market combined with Government’s push to significantly reduce switching times and require suppliers to share consumer data with trusted third parties, should make this easier to do.
The Government supported Ofgem’s recent move to write to the largest suppliers, challenging them to explain to consumers the impact of falling wholesale prices on their retail prices. Evidence that large suppliers raise prices more quickly when costs increase than they reduce prices when costs fall was one of the issues underpinning Ofgem’s recent referral of the energy markets to the Competition and Markets Authority.
| Number of claimants who currently have deductions under the third party deduction scheme for gas or electricity, by geography, as at November 2013 | |||
| Income support | Jobseeker’s allowance | Pension credit | |
| '-’ Denotes nil or negligible. Notes: 1. Case loads have been rounded to the nearest hundred. 2. The preferred statistics on benefits are now derived from 100% data sources. However, the 5% sample data still provide some detail not yet available from the 100% data sources. The proportions derived have been scaled up to the overall 100% total for each benefit therefore the data has to be shown separately as shown in the table. 3. Figures below 500 are subject to a high degree of sampling error and should only be used as a guide. 4. There is no data available in respect of deductions from employment and support allowance. 5. Some income-based jobseeker’s allowance claimants may also have entitlement to benefit via the contributory route. Nottinghamshire data are the sum of the following local authorities: Ashfield, Bassetlaw, Broxtowe, Gedling, Mansfield, Newark and Sherwood and Rushcliffe Source: DWP Information, Governance and Security Directorate, 5% Samples | |||
Fracking: Lancashire
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the quantity of shale gas in the Bowland reserve that is located (a) above and (b) below a depth of one kilometre from the surface. [204858]
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Michael Fallon: DECC has published a study estimating the gas resources of the Bowland shale accessible at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/226874/BGS_DECC_BowlandShale GasReport_MAIN_REPORT.pdf
This estimates gas resources at depths of 5,000 ft (approx. 1.5 km) and greater. The report does not consider it likely that any gas resource which might be found at shallower depths could be commercially viable to extract with current technology.
No estimate has been made of shale gas reserves, that is, the proportion of the estimated resource that might be technically and economically producible.
Nuclear Power Stations
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what security evaluation he has made of the proposed designs of the reactors and spent nuclear fuel for small modular reactor nuclear power plants. [204418]
Michael Fallon: The Government are in the early stages of their consideration of small modular reactors (SMRs) and are awaiting the outcome of a feasibility study, led by the National Nuclear Laboratory with the support of a consortium formed from industry. The study will make initial recommendations on the economic, technical and commercial case for SMRs, and will inform the evidence base for any further development or action.
Should industry or any other body propose to deploy an SMR in the UK then the independent regulators will ensure compliance of the design with safety, security and environmental legislation.
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Renewable Energy
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) what the capacity is of hydropower that started generation in (a) May to December 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) January to June 2014 and began construction (i) before May 2010 or (ii) after May 2010; [203743]
(2) what the capacity is of medium and large-scale solar PV that started generation in (a) May to December 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) January to June 2014 and began construction (i) before May 2010 or (ii) after May 2010; [203745]
(3) what the capacity is of renewable energy projects that started generation in (a) May to December 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) January to June 2014 and began construction (i) before May 2010 or (ii) after May 2010; [203749]
(4) what the capacity is of offshore wind that started generation in (a) May to December 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) January to June 2014 and began construction (i) before May 2010 or (ii) after May 2010; [203751]
(5) what the capacity is of onshore wind that started generation in (a) May to December 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) January to June 2014 and began construction (i) before May 2010 or (ii) after May 2010. [203755]
Gregory Barker: The Department does not collect data on when renewable project commences generation or when they start construction.
It does however collect data, through the Renewable Energy Planning Database
https://restats.decc.gov.uk/app/reporting/decc/monthlyextract
on when renewable projects become fully operational. In terms of installed capacity, the figures for renewable energy projects that became fully operational are as follows:
| Capacity (MW) | |||||
| Hydro | Onshore wind | Offshore wind | Solar > 5 MW | All renewables | |
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) what the capacity is of renewable energy projects that started generation in (a) May to December 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) January to June 2014 and received planning consent (i) before May 2010 or (ii) after May 2010; [203746]
(2) what the capacity is of hydropower that started generation in May to December (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) January to June 2014 and received planning consent (i) before May 2010 or (ii) after May 2010; [203742]
(3) what the capacity is of medium and large-scale solar PV that started generation in (a) May to December 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) January to June 2014 and received planning consent (i) before May 2010 or (ii) after May 2010; [203744]
(4) what the capacity is of offshore wind that started generation in (a) May to December 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) January to June 2014 and received planning consent (i) before May 2010 or (ii) after May 2010; [203752]
(5) what the capacity is of onshore wind that started generation in (a) May to December 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) January to June 2014 and received planning consent (i) before May 2010 or (ii) after May 2010. [203754]
Gregory Barker: The Department does not collect data on when renewable project commences generation.
14 July 2014 : Column 459W
It does however collect data, through the Renewable Energy Planning Database:
https://restats.decc.gov.uk/app/reporting/decc/monthlyextract
on when renewable projects become fully operational and when they were consented.
14 July 2014 : Column 460W
In terms of the installed capacity, of those projects that became fully operational between May 2010 and May 2014, the figures are:
(i) Consented before May 2010:
| MW | |||||
| Hydro | Onshore wind | Offshore wind | Solar > 5MW | All renewables | |
(ii) Consented after May 2010:
| MW | |||||
| Hydro | Onshore wind | Offshore wind | Solar > 5MW | All renewables | |
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) how many renewable energy projects that started generation in (a) May to December 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) January to June 2014 received planning consent (i) before May 2010 or (ii) after May 2010; [203748]
(2) how many onshore wind projects started generation in (a) May to December 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) January to June 2014 and received planning consent (i) before May 2010 or (ii) after May 2010; [203753]
(3) how many medium- and large-scale solar pv projects that started generation in (a) May to December 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) January to June 2014 received planning consent (i) before May 2010 or (ii) after May 2010; [203757]
(4) how many hydropower projects that started generation in (a) May to December 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) January to June 2014 received planning consent (i) before May 2010 or (ii) after May 2010; [203759]
(5) how many offshore wind projects that started generation in (a) May to December 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) January to June 2014 received planning consent (i) before May 2010 or (ii) after May 2010. [203761]
Gregory Barker: The Department does not collect data on when renewable project commences generation.
It does however collect data, through the Renewable Energy Planning Database:
https://restats.decc.gov.uk/app/reporting/decc/monthlyextract
on when renewable projects become fully operational and when they received planning consent.
In terms of renewable sites, the number that became fully operational between May 2010 and May 2014, the figures are as follows:
| (i) Consented before May 2010 | |||||
| Sites | |||||
| Hydro | Onshore wind | Offshore wind | Solar > 5 MW | All renewables | |
| (ii) Consented after May 2010 | |||||
| Sites | |||||
| Hydro | Onshore wind | Offshore wind | Solar > 5 MW | All renewables | |
14 July 2014 : Column 461W
14 July 2014 : Column 462W
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) how many onshore wind projects that started generation in (a) May to December 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) January to June 2014 began construction (i) before May 2010 or (ii) after May 2010; [203750]
(2) how many renewable energy projects that started generation in (a) May to December 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) January to June 2014 began construction (i) before May 2010 or (ii) after May 2010; [203747]
(3) how many medium- and large-scale solar pv projects that started generation in (a) May to December 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) January to June 2014 began construction (i) before May 2010 or (ii) after May 2010; [203756]
(4) how many hydropower projects that started generation in (a) May to December 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) January to June 2014 began construction (i) before May 2010 or (ii) after May 2010; [203758]
(5) how many offshore wind projects that started generation in (a) May to December 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) January to June 2014 began construction (i) before May 2010 or (ii) after May 2010. [203760]
Gregory Barker: The Department does not collect data on when renewable project commences generation or when they start construction.
It does however collect data, through the Renewable Energy Planning Database on when renewable projects become fully operational:
https://restats.decc.gov.uk/app/reporting/decc/monthlyextract
In terms of developed sites, the figures for renewable energy projects that became fully operational are:
| Hydro | Onshore wind | Offshore wind | Solar > 5MW | All renewables | |