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Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What action the European Commission has taken against Belgium, Spain, Holland, Italy and Denmark in connection with the export of beef to United Kingdom with spinal cord still attached.[HL1852]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Following the instances in which spinal cord has been found in beef exported from other European Union member states to the United Kingdom, the European Commission has written to member states to remind them of their responsibilities to enforce EU law. The problems have also been discussed in the EU's Standing Veterinary Committee.
Immediate action against the meat plants where the breaches of the law occurred lies with the national authorities of the member states concerned. Following requests from the UK, those national authorities have investigated each case. As a result, operations have been suspended or curtailed in eight plants until identified deficiencies in controls were rectified. Of these plants, four were in Germany and one in each of Denmark, the Republic of Ireland, Italy and the Netherlands.
NHS Bed Survey
Baroness Noakes asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will publish the results of the census of general and acute beds in National Health Service trusts carried out as at midnight on Thursday 29 November.[HL2020]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The results of the census of general and acute beds have been placed in the Library.
Patient Choice Proposals
Baroness Noakes asked Her Majesty's Government:
- In relation to their patient choice proposals published on 6 December:
(a) whether the cost of a patient being treated other than at the hospital on whose waiting list the patient appears will be met by that hospital;
(b) who will pay for travel and support costs for patients and their families;
(c) who will employ and pay for patient care advisers; and
(d) how patient choice trustees will operate and be appointed.[HL2021]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Detailed implementation plans for the proposals set out in the discussion document Extending Choice for Patients will be worked up in discussion with patient representatives, National Health Service clinicians and managers and partner organisations.
Under the funding arrangements set out in the section of the document on heart surgery, it is proposed that funding should flow from NHS commissioners to their local cardiac centres, which will either undertake operations themselves or arrange for patients who have waited longer than six months to be treated elsewhere, if the patients so choose. Funding will transfer to those hospitals which do the extra activity.
Arrangements for travel and support for patients and their families will be considered in more depth with patient representatives and others; this will include reviewing travel cost arrangements to ensure that patients who exercise choice do not lose out.
The detail of the arrangements for cardiac patient care advisers and patient choice trustees will be explored further early in the new year.
A copy of the discussion paper has been placed in the Library.
Lord Chan asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Since the 1999 coronary heart disease survey was carried out, the Government have published the National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease (NSF for CHD). The NSF for CHD was produced with the need to address inequalities in healthcare firmly in mind, and sets out to ensure that top quality treatment and care are available in all parts of the country and to all communities. The NSF for CHD requires National Health Service organisations to take into account the impact of ethnicity on the heart disease risks to which patients are exposed and to ensure that they meet people's needs in ways that are culturally, religiously and linguistically appropriate. Expansion in heart disease services combined with a greater sensitivity to patients' backgrounds will improve both access to services and the experiences of ethnic minority patients.
Baroness Noakes asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is being done in response to the findings of the national surveys of National Health Service patients, Coronary Heart Disease 1999, National Report, published in March 2001, regarding the experience of ethnic minority patients.[HL2050]
(a) for each of the National Health Service trusts mentioned in the National Audit Office's report Inappropriate adjustments to waiting lists published
15 Jan 2002 : Column WA151
- in December 2001, whether the performance ratings published in September need to be revised; and
(b) whether any of those National Health Service trusts remain entitled to any earned autonomy freedoms.[HL2150]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Department of Health is reviewing the performance ratings awarded to the nine National Health Service trusts named in the National Audit Office report.
None of the National Health Service trusts named in the National Audit Office report has been awarded three stars under the performance rating system and they are therefore not entitled to any earned autonomy freedoms.
Specialist Schools: GCSE Achievements
Lord Lucas asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether, and if so by how much, specialist schools achieve higher marks at GCSE in the subjects in which they specialise than in other subjects; and whether those subjects are more popular in such schools than they are in state schools as a whole.[HL1990]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Baroness Ashton of Upholland): The information requested on GCSE achievements in specialist schools, and on the popularity of the specialist subjects in specialist schools compared with all state schools, is shown below:
| "Achievement" | "Popularity" | ||
| % of entries resulting in grades A*–C | subject entries as a % of all entries | subject entries as a % of all entries | |
| Specialist schools | Specialist schools | All state schools(1) | |
| Language (126) | |||
| Any language | 61 | 12 | 10 |
| All other subjects | 64 | 88 | 90 |
| Technology (366) | |||
| Any technology subjects | 55 | 46 | 44 |
| All other subjects | 60 | 54 | 56 |
| Arts (91) | |||
| Any arts subjects | 64 | 9 | 7 |
| All other subjects | 51 | 91 | 93 |
| Sport (101) | |||
| Any PE subject | 54 | 3 | 2 |
| All other subjects | 51 | 97 | 98 |
Notes:
(1) Including specialist and non-specialist mainstream schools and special maintained schools.
Figures in brackets indicate the number of specialist schools in each category.
Baroness Pitkeathley asked Her Majesty's Government:
The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Williams of Mostyn): The United Kingdom Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and Western European Union is as follows:
Baroness Knight of Collingtree DBE
Whether they will announce the full composition of the United Kingdom Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Assembly of Western European Union.[HL2308]
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