Energy and Climate Change
Air Travel
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on what occasions each Minister within his Department has taken domestic flights on official business since May 2010. [204293]
Mr Davey:
The majority of domestic travel is by train. From time to time, Ministers take domestic flights where this is required by departmental business. The
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Department does not keep a central record of such visits, but all travel is taken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
Combined Heat and Power
Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consideration he has given to supporting the micro combined heat and power fuel cell industry; and if he will make a statement. [204582]
Mr Davey: The Government believe that micro combined heat and power (micro-CHP), including fuel cell technology, has a part to play in small scale low carbon power supply and heating. Micro-CHP, up to 2kW, is currently supported through the feed-in tariffs. Fuel cell technology, which has the potential to deliver increased power generation, should be well placed to benefit from that scheme. Manufacturers would need to complete the relevant testing and obtain MCS or equivalent certification for their products.
Electricity Interconnectors
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the amount of electricity that passed through interconnections from (a) England to Scotland and (b) Scotland to England in each month since January 2010. [204953]
Michael Fallon: The following table provides a breakdown of the electricity that passed through the interconnector from England to Scotland and Scotland to England in each month since January 2010.
| Transfers (GWh) | |||
| Scotland-England | England-Scotland | ||
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| Source: Aggregated half hourly data supplied by National Grid | |||
Energy Company Obligation
Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he plans to take to ensure the delivery in rural areas of the 15 per cent proportion of the carbon saving community obligation; and if he will make a statement. [204406]
Mr Davey: On 5 March 2014, the Department launched a consultation on the future of the Energy Company Obligation (ECO). The consultation included a proposal designed to increase the delivery of the rural sub-target. The proposal is intended to make the rural sub-target easier to deliver for obligated suppliers by simplifying the rural eligibility criteria to ensure a greater number of households will be eligible to receive support.
The Department will publish the Government response to the consultation shortly.
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 7 July 2014, Official Report, column 66W, on fuel poverty, when his Department intends to publish its response and final assessment of the impact of the consultation on the future of the Energy Company Obligation. [205062]
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Mr Davey: The Department aims to publish the Government response to the consultation, along with the assessment of impacts, shortly.
Energy Supply
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many companies registered outside the UK generate (a) coal, (b) gas, (c) nuclear and (d) renewable energy in the UK; and what proportion of each sector such companies are. [205126]
Mr Davey: DECC does not hold this information centrally and providing it would incur disproportionate cost.
Freedom of Information
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 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. [204275]
Mr Davey: Legal advice is not routinely sought on requests under the Act.
Housing: Insulation
Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of how many low income households in each constituency in Nottinghamshire will not have home insulation in 2015. [205148]
Mr Davey: The Department does not have projections for the numbers of households with and without insulation by constituency.
Members: Correspondence
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans his Department has to increase the number of replies sent electronically to letters from hon. Members. [203527]
Mr Davey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General on 7 July 2014, Official Report, columns 5-6W.
Office of Unconventional Gas and Oil
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many people have been employed full-time by the Office of Unconventional Gas and Oil in each month since June 2010. [204857]
Michael Fallon: The Office of Unconventional Gas and Oil was established in March 2013. The number of full-time equivalent staff (part-timers rounded up to the nearest FTE) in each month since March 2013 is shown in the following table.
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| Number | |
Public Appointments
Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to fill the position of chair of the Energy Efficiency Deployment Office. [204608]
Mr Davey: Following the end of a two year agreement with the Department, Peter Boyd completed his formal role as chair for Energy Efficiency Deployment Office in May 2014.
The Department has decided not to continue a chair role for this office.
Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme
Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many off gas-grid properties have had renewable heating measures installed under the Renewables Heat Incentive. [204416]
Mr Davey: The data are currently not available in the requested format. In the autumn, we will publish this breakdown as part of our monthly release of Renewable Heat Incentive statistics, which are available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/renewable-heat-incentive-renewable-heat-premium-payment-statistics
Ofgem have published a report on the first 1,000 accreditations to the domestic scheme. This is available at:
https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/who-are-domestic-rhis-first-1000-participants
It includes a breakdown of the type of heating the participants were using before they adopted renewable heat technologies; although, the data may not be representative of the scheme as a whole.
Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what further reviews of the non-domestic scheme of the Renewable Heat Incentive tariff rates are planned before April 2016. [204428]
Mr Davey:
During engagement, stakeholders have told us that the scheme changes too frequently, and that this impacts negatively upon market certainty and makes it difficult for stakeholders to stay abreast of the many scheme changes. Therefore, we are intending to move
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the RHI to a programme of annual internal review, leading to an annual work plan and fewer sets of regulatory change.
However, we will monitor deployment, and may undertake reviews outside the annual programme, if necessary. The conditions under which we might undertake such reviews are set out in the Government response to our consultation entitled ‘Providing Certainty, Improving Performance’, published on 27 February 2013 and available at: (paragraphs 97-100, pages 39-40):
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/128679/Gov_response_to_non_domestic_July_2012_consultation_-_26_02_2013.pdf
On 28 February this year, due to evidence of a risk of over-compensation, we announced a review of the bio-methane injection tariff. The Biomethane Tariff Review consultation opened on 30 May 2014 and closed to responses on 27 June 2014.
Training
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 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. [204342]
Mr Davey: DECC would incur disproportionate costs in order to obtain the information.
Uranium
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what forecast he has made of the price of uranium between 2023 and 2058. [204859]
Michael Fallon: No forecasts have been made of the price of uranium. However, reactor fuel forms a low proportion of the cost of nuclear power generation so the cost of generating electricity from nuclear power stations is unlikely to fluctuate greatly as a result of changes in the cost of uranium.
Utilities
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) what proportion of (a) water, (b) electricity and (c) gas companies is owned by (i) private equity and (ii) hedge funds; [205116]
(2) how many and what proportion of (a) water, (b) electricity and (c) gas utility companies operating in each region and constituent part of the UK are owned or part-owned by firms registered outside the UK; [205117]
(3) what proportion of ownership of domestic utilities by companies registered overseas are companies that are (a) state owned or partially owned, (b) public limited companies, (c) private, (d) private equity, (e) hedge fund, (f) unit trust and (g) any other ownership model. [205162]
Mr Davey: DECC does not cover the water sector. Information relating to the ownership of UK electricity and gas companies is available on the relevant company websites.
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Health
Organ Donation: Presumed Consent
17. Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with Ministers of the Welsh Government on the operation of the new Welsh law on presumed consent for organ donation for English residents who are patients in Wales and Welsh residents who are patients in England. [904865]
Jane Ellison: Discussions with the Welsh Government have confirmed that Welsh deemed consent legislation will only apply to people “ordinarily resident” in Wales for at least 12 months and who die in Wales. It will not apply to anyone under the age of 18 or to Welsh residents who die outside Wales.
Statutory Regulation: Healthcare Professionals
18. Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken to act on the recommendations made by the Health and Care Professions Council to extend statutory regulation to new groups of healthcare professionals. [904866]
Dr Poulter: The Health and Care Professions Council made 11 recommendations for professional groups to be brought within the framework for statutory regulation.
Operating Department Practitioners have been regulated. The Modernising Scientific Careers programme provides health care scientists in scope of the recommendations with standardised and accredited education and training that enables formalised regulation, whether voluntary or statutory.
Accredited voluntary registration by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) provides an appropriate and proportionate response to risks presented by many groups to patient safety. It is open to groups whose recommendations have not been progressed to applying to the PSA.
Alcoholic Drinks and Drugs: Rehabilitation
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much each local authority with public health responsibilities in England spent on (a) drug treatment, (b) alcohol treatment and (c) in total in each of the last three financial years; and how much each body is expected to spend in each of the next two years. [205119]
Jane Ellison: A breakdown of drug treatment funding for 2012-13, including allocations to local areas has been placed in the Library and can be found at the Public Health England alcohol and drugs website at:
www.nta.nhs.uk/news-2012-ptb.aspx
In 2012-13, alcohol services were funded from primary care trusts mainstream budgets. As there were no central reporting requirements, there is no equivalent alcohol funding figure.
As part of conditions attached to the public health grant, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) requires local authorities to report projected and actual spend on an annual basis. There
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are categories for spending on adult drug treatment, adult alcohol treatment and young people’s substance misuse interventions.
Local authority spending forecasts against these categories in 2013-14 have been published by the DCLG. The figures are available in the table “Revenue account (RA) budget 2013 to 2014”, which has been placed in the Library and is also available on the gov.uk website at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing-england-2013-to-2014-individual-local-authority-data
However, not all local authorities submitted their forecasts, so these figures are incomplete. DCLG will publish figures on actual spend later this year.
Equivalent figures for projected and actual spend for 2014-15 and subsequent years are not yet available.
Better Care Fund
Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to ensure the exercise of local discretion in the use of the Better Care Fund. [205265]
Norman Lamb: The Better Care Fund has been set up to ensure considerable local discretion. Each plan is developed by local authorities and clinical commissioning groups before being approved by the local health and wellbeing board, to ensure that it is line with local priorities as articulated in joint health and wellbeing strategies. Local areas also have the discretion to put more money than the minimum allocation into the joint fund if this is in the best interest of the community they serve.
This is the biggest ever investment in integrated care and it is important that investing in new community-based services does not destabilise existing health and care provision in the short term. The Government have put in place some national conditions—for example protection of social care services, seven day services to support discharge, an accountable lead professional to co-ordinate care for those at high risk of hospital admissions—as well as a payment for performance element that links payments to achieving good outcomes for local people while sharing financial risk across health and social care commissioners.
Local commissioners, with their partners, are best placed to make decisions about how best to make integrated care a reality in their area. These national conditions are proportionate and allow local discretion whilst ensuring best use of public money to support integrated care for improved outcomes.
Breast Cancer
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of recent research findings published in the Journal of the American Medical Association which indicate that adding tomosynthesis to digital mammography improves the accuracy of breast screening; and whether this new technique will be made available on the NHS. [204560]
Jane Ellison:
The NHS Breast Screening Programme has been keeping up to date with developments in tomosynthesis and a review of the evidence is in preparation.
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The Advisory Committee on Breast Cancer Screening is currently being reconstituted and it is hoped the new committee will meet in the autumn/winter 2014. This item will be on the agenda for the new committee's first meeting.
Cancer
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department’s strategy is to ensure that GPs can detect cancer and refer cancer patients for treatment quicker. [204557]
Jane Ellison: “Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer”, published in January 2011, committed over £450 million over the four years up to 2014-15 to achieve earlier diagnosis of cancer, including funding to support direct general practitioner (GP) access to key diagnostic tests and to cover additional testing and treatment costs in secondary care. The intention is that more people presenting with relevant symptoms will be tested and that, as a result, more cancers will be diagnosed at an earlier stage.
The cancer waiting times two week urgent suspected cancer standard—which is included in the NHS constitution—ensures that, where GPs are concerned that a patient might have cancer, they are seen quickly by secondary care.
The earlier diagnosis money also included funding for centrally-led Be Clear on Cancer campaigns, which aim to raise awareness of the symptoms of cancer and get symptomatic patients to present earlier and for some work to help support GPs.
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 as follows: tackling late diagnosis; risk assessment tools; cancer pathway and the role of primary care; and diagnosing osteosarcoma and brain tumours in children and young people.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is in the process of updating the Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer (2005) to ensure that it reflects latest evidence and can continue to support GPs to identify patients with the symptoms of suspected cancer and urgently refer them as appropriate. NICE’s anticipated publication date for the revised guidelines is May 2015.
Finally, the NHS Outcomes Framework (2014-15), Public Health Outcomes Framework (2013-2016) and the Clinical Commissioning Group Outcomes Indicator Set (2014-15) include cancer indicators to help NHS England and Public Health England assess progress in improving early diagnosis.
Cerebral Palsy: Children
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice and training his Department provides to health visitors for supporting parents with children diagnosed with cerebral palsy; and if he will make a statement. [204524]
Dr Poulter:
The Health Visitor training programme is not a condition specific programme of training. Health visitors are all qualified nurses and/or midwives with a
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broad range of clinical skills. They undertake an additional year of training to be a health visitor during which they specialise in child and family issues, and develop specialist public health knowledge.
Health visitors can support families with a child with cerebral palsy in the management of the clinical aspects of the condition. They can also advise on links to other specialist services, resources and groups to support the needs of the family and the child.
Depressive Illnesses: Charities
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps his Department has taken to raise awareness of charities set up to help people suffering from depression. [204491]
Norman Lamb: The Government consistently recognise the contribution that charities make to the mental health of the people of this country. As recognised in our mental health strategy, “No health without mental health” and in “Closing the Gap: Priorities of essential change in mental health”, charities are integral partners to our drive to improve the mental health and wellbeing of the nation.
The Voluntary Sector Strategic Partner Programme brings together a range of voluntary sector organisations to inform and shape national policy. The programme provides a forum for policy makers to reach hundreds of thousands of voluntary and community sector organisations through the extensive depth and reach of the partners’ networks. The programme includes a number of mental health charities including the Depression Alliance, the leading charity in the United Kingdom for anyone affected by depression. The Depression Alliance is a member of the Mental Health Providers Forum, who represents a number of charities on the Voluntary Sector Strategic Partner Programme.
The “Time to Change” campaign, led by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, seeks to end discrimination against people with mental health problems, including those with depression. Between 2011 and 2015 the Department is providing £16 million to the campaign. “Time to Change” includes a national high-profile marketing and media campaign which has successfully reached 29 million people. Recent research has shown a reduction in the average levels of discrimination since 2008.
The Department, alongside Public Health England and NHS England, is working with voluntary sector stakeholders through the Health and Care Voluntary Sector Strategic Partner Programme, including the Mental Health Consortia, to support voluntary sector organisations in health and social care and help them realise their potential.
Donors: Organs
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will encourage the organisers of the British Transplant Games to hold the games each year in Organ Transplant Week. [204555]
Jane Ellison:
The British Transplant Games are organised and run by Transplant Sport UK. In the course of its stakeholder engagement, NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) regularly communicate with Transplant Sport
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UK to update them on their activities. However, NHSBT has no involvement in how the games are organised and therefore has no direct input as to when and where the games are held.
NHSBT does welcome thoughts from the organ donation and transplantation stakeholder community on potential dates for future Organ Transplant Weeks. However, there are many factors that need to be taken into consideration for a change of date - both operationally from NHSBT and the transplant community, as well as the wider impact of other high profile events in the healthcare arena/wider public interest. There are benefits of retaining two events, including the potential for double the publicity.
General Practitioners
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 3 July 2014, Official Report, column 704W, on general practitioners, what estimate he has made of the effect of projected population growth from overseas immigration on the demand for GP services over the next 10 years. [205120]
Dr Poulter: NHS England has advised that it is not undertaking any work to estimate the impact of immigration on the numbers of general practitioners (GPs)(or other health services). However, there may be local work being carried out by clinical commissioning groups to ensure they can plan for a growing population.
The Department commissioned the Centre for Workforce Intelligence to conduct an in-depth review of the GP work force. The report will be published shortly and will build on the preliminary findings published in March 2013.
current work force numbers to forecast supply;
key drivers affecting work force demand; and
regional variations in demand.
The review will make recommendations for future work force planning. It will also address issues such as GP workload and the 2015 recruitment target and beyond, as well as wider issues around primary care delivery.
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether a GP surgery on an Alternative Provider Medical Services contract can transfer onto a General Medical Services contract without a tendering exercise. [205128]
Dr Poulter: There is no automatic right for a contractor holding an Alternative Provider Medical Services (APMS) contract to transfer to a General Medical Services contract.
It is for a commissioner to decide on the appropriate process for the award of a new contract for clinical services in accordance with the National Health Service (Procurement, Patient Choice and Competition) (No.2) Regulations 2013. There is no requirement to competitively tender all health care service contracts under the regulations and decisions will be based on the local circumstances. Monitor has published guidance for commissioners to support their decision making and is able to provide further advice when requested.
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In addition, the provider would need to satisfy the eligibility criteria set out in the National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts) Regulations 2004. It is not necessarily the case that the holder of an APMS contract will satisfy all of these eligibility requirements.
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GP surgeries in (a) England, (b) Lancashire and (c) Hyndburn constituency are on (i) an Alternative Provider Medical Services contract and (ii) General Medical Services contracts. [205129]
Dr Poulter: The requested information is contained in the following table:
| Number | ||||
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 20131 | |
| ‘—’ denotes not applicable. 1 Hyndburn constituency was held within and serviced by East Lancashire Teaching PCT in 2010-12 and by NHS East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group in 2013. Prior to the formation of the Area Teams in April 2013, the region of Lancashire was contained within the North West Strategic Health Authority. Notes: 1. Data as at 30 September in each year. 2. GP work force statistics are not available at constituency level; figures are shown for those NHS organisations in operation at the time of the relevant census. 3. 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. | ||||
Further details and definitions of GP practice contracts can be found in our annual Census publication:
http://www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB13849
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GP surgeries in (a) England, (b) Lancashire and (c) Hyndburn constituency have transferred from an Alternative Provider Medical Services contract to a General Medical Services contract since 2010. [205130]
Dr Poulter: The requested information is contained in the table:
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Further details and definitions of GP practice contracts can be found in our annual Census publication:
www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB13849
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners (a) excluding retainers and registrars, (b) including retainers but excluding registrars there were in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2013-14. [205201]
Dr Poulter: The annual National Health Service General and Personal Medical Services workforce census, published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre, shows the numbers of general practitioners working in the national health service in England at 30 September each year.
| General Medical Practitioners full-time equivalents 2010 and 2013-England | ||
| Full-time equivalent | ||
| 2010 | 2013 | |
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| 1 GP Registrar count from 2008 onwards represents an improvement in data collection processes and comparisons with previous years should be treated with caution. 2 From 2012 GP Registrars have been removed from the GP Workforce collection where a duplicate record already exists on the Electronic Staff Record (ESR). Due to a change in coding practices in some regions GP Registrars are increasingly recorded on the ESR system rather than the GP Exeter Payment System. All these staff are not shown in the GP Registrar totals but are included in the Hospital and Community Health Service Medical and Dental Registrars total. Notes: 1. These statistics relate to the contracted positions within English NHS organisations and may include those where the person assigned to the position is temporarily absent, for example on maternity leave. 2. Full-time equivalent refers to the proportion of each role’s full time contracted hours that the post holder is contracted to work. 1 would indicate they work a full set of hours, 0.5 that they worked half time. 3. From April 2013 Public Health England was excluded from workforce publications. Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre General and Personal Medical Services workforce census | ||
Health Services: Private Sector
Mr Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment his Department has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) value for money of independent sector treatment centres. [205114]
Dr Poulter: The Department has not carried out a recent formal assessment of the effectiveness and value for money of independent sector treatment centres (ISTCs). Since 1 April 2013, remaining ISTC contracts have been transferred to NHS England. There are six remaining contracts, two of which expire on 31 March 2015 and a further two expiring 31 October 2015. While NHS England continues to make monthly payments to ISTC providers under the remaining contracts and maintains ongoing monthly reporting of value paid to providers, day to day management of the contracts is carried out by local commissioners who have responsibility for budgets and driving value from the contracts.
As three of the contracts have guaranteed minimum amounts paid to providers, the payment to providers can be greater than the sum of the contract price, multiplied by activity, for each type of activity delivered. Reporting for the latest month of activity analysed, May 2014, shows a 99% value being achieved in that month with the shortfall arising from two contracts covering elective care activity in the south-west and Manchester.
Hearing Aids
Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has issued to clinical commissioning groups on the provision of hearing aids free at the point of delivery for patients with mild to moderate hearing loss. [205037]
Norman Lamb: The Department does not issue advice to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) on hearing aid provision.
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Local commissioners are responsible for commissioning the provision of hearing aids for mild to moderate hearing loss, based on the needs of their local population. In doing so, CCGs take into consideration relevant clinical guidance, which may include guidance from appropriate national bodies such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
Heart Diseases
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to improve the medical care for patients suffering from heart disease. [204512]
Jane Ellison: The Cardiovascular Disease Outcomes Strategy, published in March 2013, sets out actions to improve outcomes for patients with cardiovascular disease, including heart disease.
The Strategy recommends that clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) use National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines and NICE Quality Standards to help inform their commissioning intentions in this area. CCGs are being encouraged to implement the Strategy with the support of the 12 Strategic Clinical Networks.
In addition, in December 2013, NHS England published a web based resource, ‘Our Ambition to Reduce Premature Mortality: A resource to support commissioners in setting a level of ambition’,to support CCGs in reducing premature mortality and to inform production of their two and five year strategic plans for improving health outcomes in their own areas. The web based resource encompasses a range of evidence-based clinical interventions, many of which are linked to the actions in the Strategy.
NHS Improving Quality is also focusing its work on the major causes of premature death, including heart disease.
Ibuprofen
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of recent research findings published by Newcastle University which indicate that use of ibuprofen may retard premature ageing and the development of diabetes and dementia. [204554]
Norman Lamb: The Department has made no assessment of these research findings.
ICT
Mr Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many mobile telephones, BlackBerrys and laptops were lost by his Department in (a) 2013 and (b) 2014 to date. [204473]
Dr Poulter: The following table gives details of losses and thefts of mobile telephones, BlackBerrys and laptops for (a) 2013 and (b) 2014 to end June.
The Department cannot always distinguish between items lost or stolen so the information below may cover both.
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| Mobile telephones | BlackBerrys | Laptops | |
Medical Treatments
Mr O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 26 June 2014, Official Report, column 281W, on medical treatments, what the most plausible cost per quality adjusted life-year was for each technology appraisal conducted by the National Institute for Care Excellence since June 2010; what the estimated patient population was for each appraised indication; on which appraisals the end-of-life criteria were applied in each final appraisal determination; and on what dates each appraisal was (a) initiated and (b) concluded. [204436]
Norman Lamb: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer that I gave him on 8 July 2014, Official Report, column 237W.
NHS Foundation Trusts
Mr Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he next plans to meet representatives of NHS foundation trusts plans to discuss measures to address deficits. [904856]
Dr Poulter: The Department, along with NHS England, Monitor and the NHS Trust Development Authority (NHS TDA), are taking a number of actions to tackle the trust deficit position and to drive forward transformation change. Monitor is working with trusts in deficit to draw up action plans and making sure their leaders are doing what they need to do to continue providing excellent patient care. In addition, for 2014-15 NHS TDA, NHS England and Monitor are establishing a package of joint support and challenge to some of the weakest local health economies.
Patients: Transport
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many patients received hospital transport in each of the last five years; [204432]
(2) how much money has been spent on hospital transport in each of the last five years; [204431]
(3) what the average cost is of providing a patient with hospital transport. [204434]
Jane Ellison: The following table shows how many patients received special/planned transport in each of the last five years.
| (millions) | |||||
| 2008-091 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | |
| 1 Data for 2013-14 have not been published yet, therefore 2008-09 data have been included to complete the five year series. | |||||
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The total amount spent on hospital transport in each of the last five years by national health service trusts is shown in the following table:
| NHS Trust spend (£000) | |
| 1 NHS Trust spends for 2013-14 has not been published yet, therefore 2008-09 data have been included to complete the five year series. | |
The total amount spent on hospital transport in each of the last five years by foundation trusts (FTs) is shown in the following table:
| FT Trust spend (£000) | Number of FTs at start of year1 | Number of FTs at end of year1 | |
| 1 The changing amount of spend will be affected by more FTs being authorised each year. These figures include spend from the point at which FTs are authorised, including if mid-year. Clinical commissioning groups also commission patient transport services; however, cost data are not collected centrally. Information on the average cost of providing a patient with hospital transport is not collected centrally. | |||
Primodos
Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on allegations that the Government were warned about the dangers of the pregnancy testing drug Primodos in 1967 but did not ban it until 1978; and what steps he has taken as a result of those representations. [204438]
Norman Lamb: Primodos was a hormonal pregnancy test which became available in the United Kingdom in 1959 and was discontinued by the manufacturer for commercial reasons in 1978. Since June 2010, the Department and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have, between them, received 157 letters related to Primodos and there have been four parliamentary questions. In addition, there have been six meetings on the subject of Primodos in this period. The MHRA has considered the key evidence and concluded that the data are not sufficient to support a causal association between the use of hormonal pregnancy tests and congenital abnormalities. The MHRA assessment was published on its website in April 2014.
Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will instigate a public inquiry into the issuing of prescriptions for Primodos to pregnant women through the NHS before 1978. [204489]
Norman Lamb: Decisions about holding a public inquiry have to be proportionate to the need identified, taking into account the likely benefits, time and expense. The evidence has not established that Primodos and other hormonal pregnancy tests have caused congenital anomalies and the Government do not believe that a public inquiry is justified.
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Prisoner Escapes: Mental Illness
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many offenders who absconded from mental health units in each of the last 10 years remain at large; [204504]
(2) how many offenders of each offence type have escaped from mental health units in each of the last 10 years. [204459]
Norman Lamb: As of 14 July 2014 there are seven restricted patients unlawfully at large. Restricted patients are patients detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 following criminal proceedings and subject to a restriction order or a restriction or limitation direction. Two absconded in the last week in April 2014. The remaining four are long term, one from each of the years 2004, 2006, 2009 and 2010.
The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the following table:
| Restricted patients—absconds and escapes from Mental Health Hospitals 2010-13 | ||
| Absconds | Escapes | |
| Notes: 1. “Abscond” means to leave lawful detention without overcoming a physical barrier, for example, getting away from escorts on community or compassionate leave. 2. “Escape” means to leave lawful detention by overcoming a physical barrier, for example by scaling a perimeter fence. 3. These figures relate to restricted mentally disordered offenders who were detained in hospital at the time of their abscond or escape. Community leave for restricted patients must be agreed by the Ministry of Justice. 4. The increase in the number of recorded Absconds probably reflects the much improved reporting and recording of such incidents, ranging from the patient who is a few minutes late back from a scheduled trip, to a longer term, intentional abscond. 5. The figures include patients who Abscond/Escape more than once. | ||
Prisoners: Veterans
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment has been made of the number of prisoners who have previously served in the armed forces; and how many such people have been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder; [204517]
(2) what medical assessment is made of the mental health of ex-armed forces personal who are imprisoned in order to assess the presence of post traumatic stress disorder. [204516]
Norman Lamb: Data are not collected centrally about the current or previous occupations of those convicted of criminal offences. Information is therefore not available on the number of prisoners who have previously served in the armed forces nor on the number of ex-service personnel who have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. However, in 2010, the Ministry of Justice and Defence Analytical Services and Advice estimated that approximately 3.5% (2,280) of prisoners in England and Wales were ex-service personnel.
All prisoners in England, including ex-service personnel prisoners, are subject to Prison Service Instruction (PSI) 74/2011 “Early days in custody—reception in, first night
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in custody, and induction to custody”
.
This requires that reception screening is provided before the prisoner’s first night, to assess a prisoner’s risk of self-harm and suicide, risk of harm to others, or risk of harm from others. People with a severe mental health problem, or vulnerable to suicide, may be referred for a further mental health assessment. A copy of this PSI has been placed in the Library. NHS England and the National Offender Management Service are reviewing all PSIs, so current guidance is subject to change.
The hon. and learned Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham (Stephen Phillips) is conducting an independent review of ex-service personnel within the criminal justice system (CJS). The mental health needs of veterans in the CJS will be included within the review, which is due to report back to the Ministry of Justice in autumn 2014.
Smoking
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department has spent on anti-smoking awareness campaigns in each of the last four years. [204385]
Jane Ellison: The total Department spend on national anti-smoking campaigns (Smokefree) over the last four years is shown in the following table.
| Financial year | Media spend (£ million) |
It should be noted that the figures for 2013-14 are provisional.
For spend before April 2012, advertising spend is defined as covering only media spend (inclusive of agency commissions but excluding production costs, Central Office of Information (COI) commission and VAT). All figures exclude advertising rebates and audit adjustments and therefore may differ from COI official turnover figures. All figures are rounded to the nearest £10,000. These figures do not include the Department’s recruitment/classified advertising costs and ad hoc spend under £10,000. These figures may include occasional minor spend through COI by national health service organisations, to supplement national campaigns in their area. While this expenditure has been excluded as far as possible so that this reflects central departmental spend, it would incur disproportionate cost to validate that every item of NHS expenditure has been removed.
From April 2012 onward is departmental advertising spend only. Spend from April 2013 onwards is Public Health England advertising spend only. Advertising spend is defined as covering only media spend (inclusive of agency commissions but excluding production costs and VAT). All figures are rounded to the nearest £10,000.
Further information on the harms of smoking can be found on the Smokefree website at:
www.nhs.uk/smokefree
and also in the range of Smokefree support products.
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Stafford Hospital
Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many young people have been admitted as day cases at Stafford hospital in each year since 2009-10. [204574]
Jane Ellison: The information is not available in the format requested.
Information on the number of finished admission episodes (FAEs) with a patient classification of “day case” for patients aged between 0 and 17 (inclusive) treated at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust for each year since 2009-10 is shown in the following table:
| Count of FAEs | |
| Notes: 1. FAE: An FAE is the first period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare 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. 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. 3. Assessing growth through time (Admitted patient care): Hospital Episode Statistics 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, 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 | |
Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children and young people have been seen as outpatients at Stafford hospital in each of the years (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12, (d) 2012-13 and (e) 2013-14. [204576]
Jane Ellison: The information is not available in the format requested.
Information on the number of out-patient attendances for individuals aged 0-17 (inclusive) at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, since 2009-10 is shown in the following table:
| Number of out-patient attendances | |
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| Notes: 1. Out-patient attendances: A patient's treatment in out-patients can consist of a series of attendances; a distinction between the first in the series and subsequent attendances is commonly reported. The data provided here include all episodes, whether it was a first or a subsequent attendance, and also include tele-consultations. 2. Assessing growth through time (Out-patients): HES figures are available from 2003-04 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. 3. 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), The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) | |
Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people attended the accident and emergency department at Stafford hospital in each of the years (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12, (d) 2012-13 and (e) 2013-14. [204577]
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, for each year since 2009-10, is shown in the following table:
| A&E attendances | |
| 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 (e.g. 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 NHS 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, 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. 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 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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Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many young people attending the paediatrics assessment unit were not transferred from the accident and emergency department at Stafford hospital in each year since 2009-10. [204578]
Jane Ellison: The information requested is not collected centrally.
We have written to Alan Bloom, Trust Special Administrator of Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust informing him of your inquiry. He will reply shortly and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.
Supported Housing
Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate he has made of the net cost of supported living in (a) Ribble Valley constituency, (b) Lancashire and (c) the UK; [204689]
(2) what estimate he has made of the net cost of intentional communities in (a) Ribble Valley constituency, (b) Lancashire and (c) the UK; [204690]
(3) how many intentional communities have closed in (a) Ribble Valley constituency, (b) Lancashire and (c) the UK since 2005; and how many remain open in each area; [204691]
(4) how many people were in supported living or intentional communities in (a) Ribble Valley constituency, (b) Lancashire and (c) the UK in 2005. [204692]
Norman Lamb: No estimate has been made of the net cost of supported living in Ribble Valley constituency, Lancashire and the United Kingdom nor of the net cost of intentional communities in Ribble Valley constituency, Lancashire and the UK. Information is not held centrally of the number of intentional communities that have closed in Ribble Valley constituency, Lancashire and the UK and how many remain open in each area.
On 8 July 2014 the Health and Social Care Information Centre published the latest data for the Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework, which is the provisional data release for 2013-14. The data indicated that in 2013-14, 74.8% of people with a learning difficulty in England live in their own home or with their family and 25.2% live in a range of other settings including registered care homes, nursing homes and acute and long stay hospitals. For Lancashire, the provisional figure for adults with a learning difficulty living in their own home or with their family was 91.2% and the provisional figure for those living in a range of other settings including registered care homes, nursing homes and acute and long stay hospitals was 8.8%. For adults in contact with secondary mental health services in England, the provisional data indicated that 60.9% were living independently with or without support and 29.1% were living in a range of settings including registered care homes, nursing homes and long stay hospitals. The provisional figure for Lancashire of adults in contact with secondary mental health services who were living independently with or without support was 32% and the provisional figure for adults in contact with secondary mental health services living in a range of settings including registered care homes, nursing homes and long stay hospitals was 68%.
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Surgery
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ask NHS England to establish a Clinical Reference Group for Robotic Assisted Surgery to consider the use of technology across the full range of specialties where the Da Vinci system can be used; and if he will make a statement. [204683]
Jane Ellison: NHS England, through its Specialised Commissioning structures, which include Clinical Reference Groups (CRGs), is currently developing a commissioning policy for robotic assisted surgery (RAS). As part of the policy development process CRGs were invited to submit potential applications for RAS. These have informed the evidence review and will underpin the development of the commissioning policy.
Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ask NHS England to amend Specialised Services Circular 1407 to allow NHS trusts to continue to train surgeons on the use of robotic assisted surgery in the absence of a national commissioning policy. [204688]
Jane Ellison: NHS England Robotic Assisted Surgery: New Market Entrants (specialised services circular SSC 1407) does not ask national health service trusts to stop training surgeons in the use of robotic assisted surgery; where robotic equipment is in use this should be supported by continuous prospective audit and learning.
Tobacco: Packaging
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy that a final policy announcement on the standardised packaging of tobacco will be made on the floor of the House. [204638]
Jane Ellison: The Government have not yet made a final decision on whether to introduce regulations to require standardised packaging of tobacco products. A consultation is currently underway to inform decision-making and it will close on 7 August 2014. The consultation is available at the following link:
www.gov.uk/government/consultations/standardised-packaging-of-tobacco-products-draft-regulations
If a decision is made to proceed with the policy, regulations for standardised packaging would be subject to affirmative resolution of both Houses of Parliament.
We will give consideration to how an announcement will be made once relevant policy decisions have been taken by the Government.
Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department will conduct a separate consultation into the intellectual property implications of standardised tobacco packaging and its potential effect on the Exchequer. [204639]
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had on standardised packaging of tobacco; and if he will conduct a separate consultation on the potential intellectual property implications of such a policy being introduced in the UK. [204758]
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Jane Ellison: The Government are currently holding a United Kingdom-wide consultation on introducing regulations for standardised packaging of tobacco products, which was published on 26 June. The consultation will run for six weeks and conclude on 7 August and we are seeking any new and relevant information that may help in assessing the wider impact of standardised packaging, including any views on the potential impact on intellectual property. We would encourage anyone with an interest in standardised packaging to respond to the consultation, including responding with any information or evidence relevant to the intellectual property implications of standardised tobacco packaging and its potential effect on the Exchequer.
Translation Services
Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on providing translation and interpretation services in each year since 2010. [204637]
Dr Poulter: The Department’s spend on interpreters and translation costs for each financial year since 2010-11 to latest available year 2013-14 are all contained in the following table:
| Department of Health Spend (excluding VAT) | ||
| Category | Total (£) | |
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Whooping Cough
Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the NHS has taken to address recent increases in the incidence of whooping cough in the UK. [204559]
Jane Ellison: In addition to the national health service routine immunisation schedule, where whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine is offered to all children at two, three and four months of age with a further dose offered at pre-school age, the Department introduced a temporary pertussis vaccination programme for pregnant women in October 2012 following the national outbreak in April 2012.
Providing the vaccine to pregnant women between weeks 28 and 38 of pregnancy, results in high levels of antibody against pertussis being transferred to the baby in the womb, protecting them until they are old enough to receive their first pertussis vaccine at the age of two months. Good vaccine uptake has been achieved with approximately 60% of pregnant women immunised in the six months to March 2014.
The main aim of the NHS routine immunisation schedule and the temporary vaccination programme for pregnant women is to protect young infants who are at greatest risk of serious disease and death. Pertussis is a cyclical disease but overall activity in England has fallen between October 2012 and March 2014. Confirmed cases in infants less than three months were 54% lower in the first quarter of 2014 (12 cases) than the equivalent quarter in 2013 (26 cases).