To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his strategy is for minimising any adverse impact on the UK air manufacturing sector arising from the proposals within the Defence Industrial Strategy. (76614)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to minimise the impact of the Defence Industry Strategy in reducing air sector jobs; and if he will make a statement. (76955)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what steps the Government are taking to minimise any adverse impact on air sector jobs that may result as a consequence of the proposed re-structuring and rationalisation proposed in the Defence Industrial Strategy; (77537)

The Defence Industrial Strategy identified that once Typhoon and the Joint Combat Aircraft have been introduced into service, there is no requirement for a new-design manned aircraft beyond our extant plans although future procurements of uninhabited and/or manned platforms are envisaged. The consequent long term decline in new programme work is expected to lead to a significant rationalisation of the UK defence aerospace business. That is why MOD is negotiating with BAE Systems on the terms of the business rationalisation and transformation agreement required to facilitate the effective sustainment of the industrial skills, capability and technologies—wherever they may be in the supply chain—that will be important to our ability to operate, support and upgrade our fast jet combat aircraft through life. We aim to work with the company during 2006 to agree the way ahead—and to implement it from 2007.

The MOD is also planning to invest in UAV Technology Demonstrator Programmes (TDP) to better understand technologies that are likely to play an important role in this future military capability. The investment should also help sustain aerospace engineering and design capabilities in the UK, providing further assurance of our ability to operate and support our future fixed wing aircraft. We expect to be in a position to announce the commencement of the TDP later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many hours were worked per week on average at each regular trained junior rank in the Army in (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06. (77130)

The Defence Analytical Services Agency (DASA) carry out a continuous sample survey of working patterns which provides an estimate of the average working hours per person, per week, for each service, but the sample is insufficient to report on average working hours at the level of detail requested.

The results of the 2004-05 survey gave an estimate of an average of 46.7 “hours worked” per week for all regular trained junior ranks in the Army. Data for 2005-06 are not yet available.

“Hours worked” includes time spent carrying out normal work, secondary duties, compulsory fitness training, organised sports and representational activities, but excludes meal and tea breaks and time spent on call. The figures are not therefore comparable to calculations of “hours worked” in civilian professions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the projected capital costs are for the refurbishment of the A-90 and A-45 buildings at the Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston; (76766)

Mature costings are not available for these facilities and disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice commercial interests.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the projected capital costs are for replacement buildings to house the Core Punch Facility at the Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston. (76770)

A number of options are under consideration. Mature costings are not available and disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice commercial interests.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the replacement hydrodynamic testing facility at the Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston will be complete. (76771)

A number of options are under consideration regarding the replacement hydrodynamics testing facility at the Atomic Weapons Establishment. Completion dates are dependent on the option selected.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress of plans to build a new assembly/disassembly facility at Burghfield. (76765)

A number of options are still under consideration for the maintenance of assembly/disassembly facilities at AWE. No decisions have yet been taken.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assistance his Department is giving to British defence companies in helping them to secure export contracts; and if he will make a statement. (76954)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what practical assistance the Government are offering to BAE Systems to help secure export contracts. (77536)

The Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO) co-ordinates Government support for the export of the products and services of the UK defence industry. DESO brings overseas customers and UK suppliers together and provides an integrated approach to markets. In addition DESO provides professional military support, including demonstrations of equipment being considered by customers and organises visits to the UK by senior government and military personnel from overseas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department has taken to improve the Defence Medical Services since 1997. (76640)

In 1997 the Government announced a foreign policy-led strategic defence review (SDR) to reassess Britain’s security interests and defence needs and consider how the roles, missions and capabilities of our armed forces should be adjusted to meet the new strategic realities.

The resulting report, in July 1998, placed a great emphasis on the deployability of our forces, including the requirement to ensure that our armed forces are properly supported in the field—a key aspect of which is the provision of timely, modern and effective medical support.

A medical quinquennial review (MQR) which reported to Parliament in April 2002 developed detailed proposals for the effective delivery of deployable operational medical capability and appropriate, timely health care to maximise the availability of service personnel for deployment.

The MQR identified a need for a much stronger focus on delivery of key outputs, with responsibilities for both central and single service authorities. It recommended new managerial tools (including an annual DMS service delivery plan and a DMS management board) to achieve this.

The MQR also advocated a further strengthening of the partnership between the DMS and the NHS. This was achieved through the MOD and Department of Health signing a formal concordat (in September 2002) at ministerial level and, at official level, the establishment of a MOD/NHS partnership board to oversee effective co-operation.

The MQR also rationalised the existing medical agencies as follows:

An expanded Defence Medical Training Organisation (DMTO), renamed the Defence Medical Education and Training Agency (DMETA), became responsible for all the training and training-related activities of the Defence Secondary Care Agency (DSCA);

Responsibility for the provision of secondary health care to service personnel in the UK, previously handled by DSCA, would now be handled within DMSD;

The Medical Supplies Agency was transferred out of the DMS to become part of the Defence Logistics Organisation.

In terms of improvements to DMS treatment facilities, the DMS no longer run separate military hospitals. The decision was taken to close them because they no longer had sufficient patient volume and case mix to develop and maintain the skills of our medical personnel to the appropriate operational and NHS standards. We created Ministry of Defence hospital units located within NHS hospitals at Birmingham, Derriford, Frimley Park, Northallerton/Middlesbrough, Peterborough and Portsmouth. They provide the most effective way of giving the UK armed forces patients access to the latest advances in medical treatment and the major recent investments in NHS facilities. The integration of service personnel throughout the NHS trust also enables DMS staff to take advantage of NHS expertise and to maintain their own clinical skills in an active, up-to-date environment.

We have also introduced regional rehabilitation units (RRUs). A total of 12 RRUs have been established within the UK, with similar facilities in Germany and Cyprus, to provide assessment and treatment of musculo-skeletal disorders. They were introduced to alleviate pressure on the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court and to provide more accessible regionally-based facilities. Patients are referred from unit medical facilities, where the simpler injuries would be diagnosed and treated. The benefit is that patients are assessed and treated in a timely fashion and receive the optimal high quality treatment and rehabilitation to maximise functional outcome and return to operational fitness when this is clinically possible. Specifically, the RRU system leads to reduced overall patient waiting times, earlier access to diagnosis and therefore quicker treatment and patient monitoring throughout the rehabilitation programme on an individual basis by physiotherapists and remedial instructors at the RRU. For example, most patients who undergo a simple knee arthroscopic procedure are currently being returned fit for task within four months, and patients who undergo an anterior cruciate ligament repair procedure are being returned fit for task in about seven months.

Additionally, to improve our patient care, in 2005 the MOD set up a Defence Medical Rehabilitation Evaluation Co-ordination Cell to support personnel injured on operations. This improves the co-ordination of care from the point of entry into UK until the individual is returned to full fitness or is medically discharged from the service. It also improves the provision of a clinical assessment and decisions on the most appropriate care from a consultant-led multi-disciplinary team.

With regard to mental health care, an independent review of mental health care provision to the armed forces, undertaken by a leading consultancy in the field, recommended that out-patient care be provided in regional departments of community mental health (DCMH) and in-patient care be contracted out to a suitable independent or NHS provider. We have 15 DCMHs across the UK plus satellite centres in Cyprus, Germany and Gibraltar. The Priory Group won the competition to provide in-patient care. Patients can now be admitted much closer to their home or base.

The MOD recently announced a new mental health care initiative for recently demobilised reservists, which will include the opportunity for a dedicated mental health assessment by appropriately qualified members of the DMS. Details of the programme will be confirmed later this year, including the location(s) at which the assessments will be provided, and the date on which the service will commence.

In terms of operational improvements, DMS support to the deployed force has benefited from investment in modern equipment designed to meet the specific needs of deployed medical capability; this uplift in capability has included the development and deployment of a telemedicine capability, digital imaging, CCAST (critical care aeromedical evacuation support team) and haemostatic products. These improvements have been backed by improved operational training, doctrine and through the lessons learnt process.

There are also three current projects which will contribute significantly to improvements in the DMS:

First, the Managed Military Health System for Force Generation project (MMHS) was conceived to improve the pan-DMS management and delivery of health care (medical and dental) to the armed forces and other entitled personnel. MMHS has the threefold aim of maximising the number of armed forces personnel ‘fit for task’, contributing to deployed medical operational capability and improving morale in the DMS. The scope of the MMHS project is to cover the UK non-deployed medical capability only, but many of the changes expected from it will beneficially impact on health and health care provision across the MOD including the overseas Commands.

Second, the director general medical operational capability project (DG Med Op Cap) has been set up to determine how to optimise the delivery of medical capability to support operations and ensure the process will deliver continual quality assurance and improvement in clinical output. The intended outcome of this project is the delivery of properly trained personnel with the right equipment and sustainability, to meet the requirements of the front line commanders-in-chief in the most effective and efficient manner.

Third, the defence medical information capability programme (DMICP) is a major business change programme enabled by IT which will provide an integrated health care information system across the DMS, and will also link to the NHS’s major new national programme for IT. DMICP will provide many benefits with the overarching benefit being more service personnel fit for task. It will provide DMS doctors and dentists with immediate access worldwide to complete, up-to-date electronic medical and dental records, supported by the latest clinical decision support software and online reference material, giving greater support to service clinicians, analysts and administrators in all aspects of their work. In April 2006 my predecessor announced the award of an £80 million contract which aims to have the first stages of DMICP phased in from the beginning of next year, initially to medical and dental units in barracks, air stations, naval bases, and then, after 2008, on military deployments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on the European Defence Agency's plans to create an EU defence research budget; and what contribution the UK will make to such a fund. (73162)

There are no plans for the European Defence Agency (EDA) to create an EU defence research budget. The priority for the Government in relation to the EDA is to increase the amount spent on research and technology within Europe not to centralise these resources. The United Kingdom continues to work with the Agency and partner nations to achieve this aim and to ensure that, through mutually beneficial cooperation, we may leverage the maximum value from the money spent in this important area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect of the European Union's INSPIRE directive on the security of Royal Navy vessels (a) in port and (b) on deployment. (77794)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 15 June 2006, Official Report, columns 1384-85W, to the hon. Member for Aldershot (Mr. Howarth).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions his Department has held with the US Administration on updating the radar complex at Fylingdales; and if he will make a statement. (77465)

Since the Government agreed in 2003 to the US request to upgrade the early warning radar at RAF Fylingdales, officials have had regular and frequent discussions with their US counterparts about the progress of the upgrade; this continues to be the case.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at what time of day, and on what day, the press statement from his predecessor, the right hon. Member for Ashfield (Mr. Hoon), on the appointment of Lord Hutton to conduct an inquiry into the death of Dr. David Kelly was (a) cleared for release and (b) released under embargo to the media. (65234)

My right hon. Friend, the Member for Ashfield (Mr. Hoon) did not issue a press statement on the appointment of Lord Hutton while he was serving as the Secretary of State for Defence. A press notice was issued by the Department for Constitutional Affairs on 21 July 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many casualties were treated on Royal Fleet Auxiliary Argus during the period 18 March 2003 to 18 May 2003; and how many of those were classed as injured in combat; (67171)

[holding answer 8 May 2006]: Records from these two facilities are currently being cross-checked and verified against our existing records from the Shaibah Facility, Aeromed returns and Notification of casualty reporting. I will write to the hon. Member once this process is complete.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many casualties were treated by 33 Field Hospital in the period 18 March 2003 to 18 May 2003; and how many of those were classed as injured in combat. (69450)

[holding answer 8 May 2006]: From the 17 March until the 8 April 2003, 33 Field Hospital was deployed in Iraq as the theatre reserve. It then returned to the United Kingdom. We are currently verifying its records for the period it was deployed to Iraq. I will write to the hon. Gentleman once this process is complete.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many injured personnel were treated (a) aboard (i) RFA Argus, (ii) Royal Navy ships and (iii) Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships and (b) in British field hospitals during Operation Telic; and what type of injury each had sustained; (74971)

As at 28 May 2006, we very much regret that a total of 113 UK military and civilian defence personnel have died, or are missing presumed dead, while serving on Operation Telic since the start of the campaign in March 2003.

Of these, 84 are classed as killed in action, including as a result of hostile action, 29 are known to have died either as a result of illness, non-combat injuries or accidents, or have not yet been officially assigned a cause of death pending the outcome of an investigation. These figures may change as inquests are concluded.

During the period March 2003 to the end of April 2006, the best centrally available, verified, figures show that: around 240 UK military and civilian personnel have been treated at the UK's main Field Hospital in Shaibah for wounds received as a result of hostile action and; up to 4,000 UK personnel were medically evacuated from Iraq from all causes, the majority due to accident, illness, or for routine outpatient activities.

Separate records for the same period from Notification of Casualty reporting (NOTICAS), show that around 40 UK military and civilian personnel have been categorised as Very Seriously Ill/Injured/Wounded (VSI) from all causes, and that around 75 personnel have been categorised as Seriously Ill/Injured/Wounded (SI) from all causes. These figures include some personnel treated for wounds received as a result of hostile action. The figures are only comprehensive, including personnel treated at non-UK facilities, from April 11 2005 onwards. During the early phases of Operation Telic the tempo of operations meant that the paperwork associated with the NOTICAS process was not always completed properly and we cannot be certain our records are complete.

We are working to improve our casualty reporting for Operation Telic. We are currently verifying records from the other Field Hospitals which deployed on Operation Telic including RFA Argus, and are engaging with the US to find out a comprehensive figure on how many personnel were treated at their facilities. As far as we know no UK personnel serving in Iraq were treated on Royal Navy or Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships other than RFA Argus. We are also in the process of transferring the paper records sent back from medical facilities deployed on Telic to the Central Health Records Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at which locations British troops are being treated for injuries sustained in Iraq. (76990)

Role 1 Medical Treatment Facilities (providing Primary Healthcare, specialised first aid, triage, resuscitation and stabilisation) in Iraq are at the following locations:

Al Udeid (Aeromedical Evacuation Liaison Officer and Primary Healthcare Nurse)

Baghdad (Aeromedical Evacuation Liaison Officer and Primary Healthcare Nurse)

Basra air station

Seeb (Medical Admin Primary Healthcare and Aeromedical Coordinator)

Tallil (UK Aeromedical Evacuation Liaison Officer deployed to US 2 Medical Brigade)

A Role 2 Medical Treatment Facilities (reception and triage of casualties, resuscitation and treatment of shock to a higher level than a Role 1 facility) is located at Al Muthanna/Al Amarah.

A Role 3 Medical Treatment Facilities (Field Hospital) is located at Shaibah Logistical Base.

Additional medical provision is also available in theatre from coalition forces.

When patients are aeromedically evacuated to the UK, care can also be provided in Cyprus at The Princess Mary Hospital, RAF Akrotiri, if required.

Since 2001, the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine at Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham, has been the main receiving unit for patients aeromedically evacuated from an operational theatre. Following clinical needs assessment at Selly Oak, if a long hospital stay is expected, patients can be transferred to a hospital closer to their home for less acute treatment, enabling them to be nearer to their family. The decision to do this is based on comparative waiting times and on convenience for the individual patient and their family.

Patients with multiple injuries including amputees and those with brain injury are transferred to Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court.

Patients with moderate or minor musculoskeletal injuries, who have been assessed and given a working diagnosis and a planned care pathway are referred to the appropriate Regional Rehabilitation Unit at: Aldershot, Bulford/Tidworth, Catterick, Colchester, Cranwell, Edinburgh, Halton, Honnington, Lichfield, Headley Court (near London), Plymouth, Portsmouth, Gütersloh (Germany) and Hohne (Germany).

Patients requiring treatment for a mental health condition are referred to one of the MOD's regional Departments of Community Mental Health at Kinloss, Leuchars, Faslane, Aldershot, Brize Norton, Catterick, Colchester, Cranwell, Marham, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Tidworth, Donnington, Woolwich and Lisburn, or satellite centres overseas.

Patients aeromedically evacuated from Iraq by US forces may be treated at US facilities in Ramstein, Germany, before continuing to Selly Oak for treatment in the normal way.

Personnel who are normally based in Germany and who are injured in Iraq will usually be aeromedically evacuated to the UK in the normal way. If, on subsequent return to Germany, they require follow-up treatment, they are treated at the medical facilities used by the garrisons at Mönchengladbach, Paderborn, Osnabrück, Gütersloh or Hohne.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on research into nuclear weapon science in each of the last 20 years. (74426)

A very wide and diverse range of individual research topics might conceivably be interpreted as falling within the scope of the overarching description “nuclear weapons science”. Costs are neither collected nor reported in such a way as to enable the compilation of complete, definitive or reliable totals to meet this description. Such figures could be provided only at disproportionate cost, if at all. Overall Ministry of Defence research statisticsare however published annually by the Defence Analytical Services Agency and can be found at www.dasa.mod.uk/natstats/ukds/2005/ukds.html.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the suitability of the Nyala RG-31 armoured vehicles for use in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Iraq. (76502)

The Ministry of Defence considered the RG-31, alongside a number of alternatives, to supplement our current fleet of vehicles, but concluded that its size and profile did not meet our needs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the projected capital costs are for the production of the Orion laser at the Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston. (76763)

Project Orion has a maximum contract value of £183 million against the current contract deliverables.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans there are to co-ordinate Orion laser production with the National Ignition Facility. (76764)

None. Orion is a UK facility.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will reply substantively to Question 74482 on the classification of al-Qaeda and Taliban forces as insurgents or as terrorists, tabled for named day answer on 8 June. (77793)

I replied to the hon. Member on 15 June.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to answer question 57160, on defensive aids in Hercules aircraft, tabled by the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South on 6 March 2006. (78398)

I hope to be in a position to answer the hon. Member shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what stake (a) the Government and (b) Carlyle retains in QinetiQ following the initial public offering in January. (76987)

The successful Initial Public Offering (IPO) of QinetiQ took place on 10 February 2006. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) continues to own 19.3 per cent. of the ordinary shares of the company and the Carlyle Group 10.5 per cent. The MOD has also retained a special share in QinetiQ to protect the defence or security interests of the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage interest his Department retains in the profits on future disposal or revaluation of property assets of QinetiQ. (76988)

As part of the Vesting Agreement between the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and QinetiQ in 2001 a Property Clawback Agreement was signed, through which the MOD retained an interest in future profits on disposal of QinetiQ property assets, to ensure that the MOD and therefore the taxpayer, gains from past investment. A summary of this agreement, which extends until 2013, was set out in the QinetiQ Global Offer Prospectus, a copy of which was placed in the Library of the House on 26 January 2006 (see p154). Management of the QinetiQ estate is the responsibility of the company.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will visit the former Royal Ordnance sites at Bridgwater and Chorley to discuss future contracts. (77600)

The Secretary of State for Defence has no plans to visit the BAES Land Systems sites at Bridgwater and Chorley.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps the UK has taken to combat terrorism in (a) Djibouti, (b) Eritrea, (c) Ethiopia, (d) Kenya, (e) Somalia, (f) Sudan and (g) Yemen as part of the war on terror. (77695)

The Ministry of Defence has not provided bespoke counter-terrorism assistance to Djibouti, Eritrea or Ethiopia.

The EU arms embargo in Sudan and the UN arms embargo in Somalia prohibit the provision of military assistance and training to those countries.

Some counter-terrorism assistance has been provided to Kenya and Yemen as part of HMG's extensive wider engagement with the region. However, I am withholding details of support provided by the Ministry of Defence because its disclosure would be to the detriment of the safety of individuals and to international relations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding has been provided by her Department for addiction treatment and rehabilitation in each of the last 10 years. (77287)

In 2001, the Government introduced the pooled drug treatment budget (PTB) to spend money directly on delivering suitable drug treatment, as well as improving access to treatment for example for offenders via drug intervention programmes, and supporting drug misusers after they come out of treatment, for example aftercare and supporting people.

This funding has increased yearly since the creation in 2001, along with the Government’s estimated yearly local mainstream spend. Details are shown in table one as follows.

There is no central funding provided for alcohol treatment. It is the responsibility of the local primary care trusts and their partners to fund the treatment needed for their community. We do not routinely collect data on the amount of funding they have provided for alcohol treatment, so we are unable to provide year on year details. However, the alcohol needs assessment research project, published November 2005 conducted a more in-depth survey for 2005 and reached a conclusion that about £217 million is being spent on alcohol treatment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the maximum age adjustment percentage is for areas with a high proportion of people aged over 75 years. (72790)

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 17 May 2006, Official Report, columns 1117-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to introduce a target to reduce waiting times for digital hearing aids. (75895)

We have no plans to introduce a target to reduce waiting times for digital hearing aids.

Information on the 18-week targets, including guidance on the principles and definitions and FAQs: ‘Adult hearing services and 18 weeks’ is available at:

www.18weeks.nhs.uk.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps her Department plans to take to monitor the extent to which public bodies which report to her comply, from October, with their duty to conserve biodiversity in exercising their functions, under section 40 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006. (74401)

Under Section 40 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006, all public bodies have a duty to have regard to the conservation of biodiversity in the exercising of their functions. There is no statutory obligation on Departments to monitor the extent to which public bodies comply with this duty. However, we understand the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is working with a wide range of partners to develop guidance for public bodies to support the implementation of this duty and will involve all relevant Departments on the development of guidance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action her Department is taking to promote positive public attitudes towards care homes. (70130)

The Government believes that care homes are one of a range of options that should be available for supporting people with long-term care needs. Most people want to live in their own home for as long as possible. To this end, there has been substantial investment in other care settings, such as domiciliary care and extra care housing. We believe that no one should be admitted into a care home until all other options have been explored and discussed with the service user, their carers and relatives.

However, we recognise that there will always be people who need or want the type of care that only care homes can provide. For them, care in a care home will be best suited to their needs and wishes and care homes offer them a positive choice.

The Government have introduced national minimum standards (NMS) for care homes, domiciliary care and adult placements. The NMS are intended to ensure vulnerable and older people can live in a safe environment, where their rights and dignity are respected and staff are properly trained. All care homes in England are regulated, registered and inspected by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI). CSCI regulates care homes in accordance with statutory regulations and the NMS. CSCI has strong enforcement powers and will take action to protect the welfare of residents, with the aim of raising the quality of care and level of protection for vulnerable people and ensuring that service users and their families can be confident that their welfare and interests are safeguarded.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the criteria in the letter sent to strategic health authority chief executives of 16 February entitled ‘Moving care closer to home’ apply to mental health and learning disability trusts. (77830)

[holding answer 15 June 2006]: The White Paper, “Our health, our care, our say”, set out a new vision for the future of community health and social care services. Paragraph 6.43 made the following commitment:

“PCTs taking current decisions about the future of community hospitals will be required to demonstrate to their SHA that they have consulted locally and have considered options such as developing new pathways, new partnerships and new ownership possibilities. SHAs will then test PCT community hospital proposals against the principles of this White Paper.”

The Department wrote to strategic health authorities on 16 February reminding them of this commitment and setting out practical arrangements. This letter specifically related to community hospital consultations, rather than those relating to mental health and learning disability trusts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether it is her policy that the removal of specified risk material from cattle is a public health protection measure the costs of which should be met by the Government as defined in recommendation 26 of the Meat Industry Red Tape Working Group Report of December 1999. (77721)

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is responsible for policy on the financing of official controls on the removal of specified risk material from cattle. The FSA has proposed recently that charges should be phased in to gradually recover from the meat industry an increasing amount of the cost of the controls. The FSA is currently in the process of liaising with stakeholders about this matter following which there will be full public consultation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children have been treated for (a) cocaine addiction and (b) cocaine-related illnesses in each of the last five years. (75071)

The Department does not hold this information centrally.

A major national survey conducted with over 9,000 secondary school children aged 11 to 15 showed that in 2005, 2 per cent. of pupils had taken cocaine in the previous year, a figure which has not changed since 2001¹.

¹ “Drug Use, smoking and drinking among young people in England in 2005”, National Centre for Social Research/National Foundation for Educational Research.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research she has commissioned to study influences on childhood eating patterns. (74151)

A key component of the “Choosing Health” white paper is the commitment to develop a healthy living social marketing campaign. We have therefore undertaken an intensive desk research project, reviewing published data, alongside research findings from a range of stakeholders including Government, academia, non-governmental organisations and the commercial sector. The next phase in the development of the social marketing campaign involves commissioning quantitative and qualitative research. The plan is for this research to be completed later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how primary care trusts are providing childhood immunisation services for families in areas where GPs have opted out of providing them; and if she will make a statement. (72769)

If a general practitioner (GP) opts out, then 1 per cent. is removed from the GPs global sum payment. This allows the primary care trust (PCT) to re-provide with another contractor or self-provide.

If a PCT were to re-provide, it would need to specify the performance management of those services. The PCT would be held to account for their performance, through their commissioning arrangements with service providers, by the strategic health authority.

In addition, PCTs could commission a separate local enhanced service, defining the population to be served and routes to achieve uptake.

Supporting local innovation in designing their services, or strengthening existing successes, is a priority for the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment she has made of the relationship between childhood obesity and (a) household income, (b) parental education level, (c) hours of television watched per week and (d) hours of sport provided at school per week. (74155)

The data draw on statistics from the Health Survey for England (HSE) from 1995 to 2004 and comparative work done by the Joint Health Surveys Unit on behalf of the Department.

Table 1, which represents household income, indicates that there is some social class gradient in childhood obesity but no clear trend. There is more obesity in the two lowest quintiles than the highest.

No data are available comparing obesity prevalence and parents' education levels. However, we can use the national statistics social-economic classification (NS-SEC) which provides a social classification system that classifies groups on the basis of employment relations, based on characteristics such as career prospects, autonomy, mode of payment and period of notice.

Table 2 shows that the children of parents in managerial and professional professions are less likely to be obese than those in semi-routine and routine professions, but there is no clear relationship between obese children and their parent's professions in other categories.

Table 3 illustrates that the upward long-term trends in obesity prevalence coincide with the upward long-term trends in time spent playing digital games, including television watching time. These trends cannot be considered in isolation as other activities, for example the number of children driven to school, which may contribute to obesity will also have changed during this time period.

The Department is aware of the research from North America, which demonstrates calorie consumption increasing with number of hours of television watched.

The HSE measures physical activity levels that are categorised as active (active for 60 minutes per day for seven days in the last week—the Government's recommended levels of physical activity) or insufficiently active (active at a lower level). This classification includes activities such as physical education and school sport, structured and unstructured play in and out of school time and active travel to and from school.

Table 4 shows that there is a weak correlation between obesity and physical activity levels, with small differences in the percentage of obese children classified as active or inactive.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) pursuant to the written statement of 5 June 2006, Official Report, column 10WS, on children's hospices, whether additional funding will be provided for non-hospice-based children's palliative care services; (77451)

Children's hospices play a valuable role in the provision of palliative care for disabled children and young people or those with complex health needs and their families and I am pleased that we have been able to provide additional funding to them. But they are only one aspect of children's palliative care. We want to see children and their families have a real choice as to where they receive their care so that they can live as normal a life as possible for as long as possible. Our White Paper, “Our health, Our care, Our say”, expects primary care trusts to ensure that the right model of service is developed by undertaking a review to audit capacity and delivery of integrated pathways against national service framework standards and then to agree service models, funding and commissioning arrangements with their strategic health authorities. The White Paper also restates the Government manifesto commitment to increase funding for end of life care which includes palliative care for children and young people. We will make an announcement about funding this manifesto commitment as soon as we can.

We announced that £9 million per year would be available to voluntary children's hospices for the next three years starting from this financial year and it will be centrally funded. This will enable services funded by the Big Lottery Fund to continue, pending the outcome of a review of children's hospice services and their funding arrangements. We will publish funding criteria and arrangements for allocation as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of Chlamydia there have been in each primary care trust in each of the last five years. (77149)

Data on the number of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV infection are published in Mapping the Issues: HIV and other Sexually Transmitted Infections in the United Kingdom: 2005. The report is available at: www.hpa.org.uk/hpa/publications/hiv_sti_2005/pdf/MtI_FC_report.pdf

A copy has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answers of 4 April 2006, Official Report, column 195W, on clinical negligence, and 25 April 2006, Official Report, column 1080W, on the NHS Litigation Authority, what the reason is for the difference in the answers in relation to whether information on the funding arrangements of claimants is collected by the Litigation Authority. (76306)

[holding answer 12 June 2006]: My previous reply sought to clarify the position set out in my reply on 4 April 2006 to question 62399 concerning whether information on the funding arrangements of claimants is collected by the NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA).

The NHSLA record the legal funding arrangements of claimants when legal proceedings are issued. As a defendant organisation, they will not necessarily know about the funding status of claims that are pre-litigation. Claimants are not required to declare funding arrangements until the litigation process is entered. Information held by the NHSLA on the funding arrangements of claimants is therefore necessarily incomplete.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the timetable is for further guidance identified in the letter sent to strategic health authorities of 16 February entitled “Moving care closer to home”; what impact this will have upon current proposals to reduce provision of community hospitals in Gloucestershire; and how the Secretary of State will ensure that proposals have been fully consulted upon with the people affected by service changes. (76034)

The further guidance identified in the letter sent to strategic health authorities (SHAs) on 16 February entitled “Moving care closer to home” will be published in the coming weeks. It will outline the next steps to be taken in relation to the commitments on community hospitals made in the White Paper “Our health, our care, our say: a new direction for community services”.

The guidance includes information on patient and public involvement, specifically when making changes to community services. However, the principle that making decisions on local healthcare provision, including the closure of community or cottage hospitals, is a matter for primary care trusts and SHAs will remain.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what complementary medicine is provided by the NHS; and if she will make a statement; (76802)

The Government consider that decision making on individual clinical interventions, using either complementary or more orthodox treatments, is a matter for local national health service providers and practitioners. There are therefore no centrally held records on what complementary medicines are provided by the NHS or how much is spent on their provision.

When making any clinical decision, general practitioners are expected to consider safety and effectiveness. In 2000, the Department produced an information pack for both primary care groups and primary care clinicians to provide a basic source of reference on complementary medicine and to support individual clinical judgment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been funded by the NHS on how cost-effective complementary medicine is; and what the conclusions were. (76804)

Over 75 per cent. of the Department’s total expenditure on health research is devolved to and managed by national health service organisations. Details of individual projects, including a number concerned with complementary medicine, are available on the national research register at www.dh.gov.uk/research The register contains no record of NHS-funded research on how cost-effective complementary medicine is.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the implications of the announcement by the Computer Sciences Corporation of a reduction of 1,200 jobs across the UK on its contract with the NHS in the north west and the north Midlands. (71624)

The Department's NHS Connecting for Health agency has sought and received assurances from the Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) that plans to restructure its workforce in the United Kingdom will have no impact on the company's ability to comply with its contractual obligations as local service provider for the national programme for information technology's north west and west Midlands cluster area.

The company has provided the agency with the following statement:

“CSCs current programme of staff reductions will not have any detrimental impact on CSC's work to support the national programme. CSC is fully committed to the national programme, shares the vision, and is determined to continue building on the successes achieved to date. CSC has further strengthened and enhanced the management team this year and fully expects to see the programme at the forefront of its priorities throughout the lifetime of the contract. CSC believes that this intent is demonstrated by the substantial number of projects already deployed, and the current user base of some 30,000 NHS staff. The head of CSCs NHS programme would be quite willing to meet with the MP for Blackpool South to provide further background and confidence.”

Major rollout of new services and systems is well under way in the cluster area, and the pace and scale of deployments continues to accelerate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) budget and (b) outturn was for Connecting for Health in (i) 2004-05 and (ii) 2005-06; and what the proposed outturn is for 2006-07. (75128)

The Department's NHS Connecting for Health agency came into being on 1 April 2005. The agency's primary responsibilities are for delivering the national programme for information technology, and maintaining the critical business systems previously provided to the national health service by the former NHS Information Authority. Outturn running cost expenditure for 2005-06 was £144 million against a budget of £178 million. The equivalent budget for 2006-07 is £168 million.

The pace and scale of deployment of new national programme systems and services is accelerating on a weekly basis, and the budget increase over 2005-06 mainly reflects targets for continuing expansion through the year in support of the Department's plans for developing, procuring and implementing integrated information technology infrastructure and systems in all NHS organisations in England by 2010. In the course of the coming year we anticipate, for example, that choose and book will be effectively deployed, full deployment of release one of the electronic prescription service, further upgrading of NHS care records service software providing ever richer functionality, and complete roll-out of the new broadband connections across the NHS by the end of the financial year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish the progress statistics alongside targets on the Connecting for Health website. (75130)

National programme for information technology cluster deployment statistics are already routinely published on the NHS Connecting for Health website, and updated in a form which provides a comprehensive, at-a-glance snapshot of progress to date. They can be found at:

www.connectingforhealth.nhs.uk/delivery/servicemanagement /statistics/service

A summary of NHS Connecting for Health programme and management activity targets is contained in the agency's annual business plan. The 2005-06 business plan is published on the agency website at:

http://www.connectingforhealth.nhs.uk/publications/busplans

A copy of the 2006-07 business plan will be published shortly.

If suggestions are received for publication of further national programme performance statistics, and how these compare with those of other information technology service delivery organisations, they will be considered.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will reply to the letter of 4 May 2006 from the hon. Member for Walsall, North concerning constituents. (78029)

A reply was sent on Wednesday 14 June 2006.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of services for people with cystic fibrosis. (77234)

We have made no assessment of the effectiveness of services for those living with cystic fibrosis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she has received representations from dentists who have not been paid by their primary care trust for work undertaken under a new general dental services contract or a new personal dental services agreement. (76968)

Primary care trust (PCT) payment functions for dentistry are exercised on PCTs’ behalf by the NHS Business Services Authority (Awdurdod Gwasanaethau Busnes y GIG) Dental Practice Division (BSA DPD). The BSA DPD reports that the vast majority of payments due to dentists since 1 April 2006 have been paid correctly and on the due date. Where dentists have made representations about incorrect or missing payments the BSA DPD has contacted the relevant PCT, checked that the dentist is entitled to payment, and corrected the position.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health who will have access to an individual's detailed care record; and across which NHS boundaries. (75133)

Local national health service organisations have the responsibility for determining which of their staff may access the detailed care records available within the particular deployment of new information technology systems to that organisation. Sophisticated tools are being developed and provided by NHS Connecting for Health to enable local organisations to restrict access to records to those staff involved in an individual's care in accordance with the guidance provided in the Department's publication “Confidentiality: NHS Code of Practice”.

NHS Connecting for Health is implementing e-Government interoperability framework (eGif) level three standards for the registration and authentication of staff. This provides a high level of assurance that only bona fide personnel have access to the care record service. eGif level three requires a face-to-face meeting, and the provision of official documentation and authentication to systems, using a two-factor approach. NHS Connecting for Health use a smartcard and a passcode.

When fully deployed, NHS Connecting for Health-delivered systems will utilise a number of separate mechanisms, including consent/dissent, legitimate relationships, role-based access and sealed envelopes. Consent/dissent provides for patients to formally opt-out of sharing their clinical data. Legitimate relationships restrict access to only those clinicians involved in the patients care. Role-based access identifies the staff role and only allows access to the relevant part of the record, for example, restricting the access a receptionist has to clinical details. Sealed envelopes allow a patient to restrict access further to particularly sensitive parts of their record.

These controls have been designed to put the patient at the heart of care rather than having restrictions based on NHS organisational boundaries.

Initially, as systems begin to be rolled out, access to an individual's detailed care record will still be restricted to the originating organisation. This will gradually be extended to local health communities and eventually across larger areas as the scope of the access controls are extended and the systems capable of utilising them are deployed.

In addition the NHS care record service specifies strict audit requirements that log which individuals have accessed which records. This will provide an unprecedented level of traceability and assurance, and is in very marked contrast to the significant risk of casual and unauthorised inspection associated with current paper-based and electronic systems.

More information can be obtained from www.connectingforhealth.nhs.uk/technical/security.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of how many children aged (a) 0 to 11, (b) 12 to 16 and (c) 17 to 18 years are dependent on (i) cannabis, (ii) nicotine, (iii) heroin and (iv) crack cocaine in (A) England, (B) each English region and (C) the Tees Valley. (73652)

The data requested is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have undergone treatment for drug addiction in programmes designed to get them off drugs entirely and immediately, as opposed to harm reduction and other similar programmes, in each year since the Government's drug strategy was introduced; and how many came off drugs, including substitute prescribed drugs, completely in each year. (71997)

Information about drug services is not collected in a way that allows us centrally to identify treatment programmes in England designed to get drug mis-users off drugs immediately as opposed to an approach of harm reduction and stabilisation. The majority of programmes which are designed to get drug users off drugs entirely and immediately are provided within inpatient treatment, but successful completion of an in-patient programme does not necessary mean immediate abstinence from all drugs.

As part of comprehensive local drug treatment provision we would expect there to be a mix of services to meet the individual needs of all drug mis-users. The Government's overall objective has not changed and remains for as many problem drug mis-users as possible to become drug free over time.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have undergone treatment for drug addiction in each year since the Government's drug strategy was introduced; and how many came off drugs, including substitute prescribed drugs, completely in each year. (71998)

The number of individuals recorded as in contact with structured drug treatment services for the past two years is shown in table one:

The 1998-99 baseline against which these figures are calculated is 85,000. The Department's public service agreement (PSA) is to double the numbers in treatment between 1998 and 2008.

The National Treatment Agency (NTA) introduced a revised and more accurate methodology for counting the numbers in treatment in October 2004. Figures are not available on the new methodology for the years 1999-00, 2000-01, 2001-02, 2002-03. Figures will be available for these years later in autumn 2006.

We are unable to estimate how many people have stopped mis-using drugs including substitute prescribed drugs completely, however figures showing those who have successfully completed treatment, having been discharged from inpatient drug treatment services are given in table two. Numbers for years prior to 2003 are not available. Successful completion of inpatient drug treatment programmes may be the first step to achieving long term abstinence, but will not always mean they are off all drugs immediately.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will reintroduce the Price Increase Mechanism for Part 9 of the Drug Tariff. (77654)

We are considering when it will be appropriate to open discussions on the Price Increase Agreement in the light of the continuing overall review of Part IX of the Drug Tariff.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the time plan is for the proposed business plan for the Eileen Trust. (74298)

The Eileen and Macfarlane Trusts have requested an increase in their funding. This proposal is still being considered and the Minister of State for Public Health hopes to meet the Chairman shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what beacon electronic health record sites were established under her Department’s Information for Health: an information strategy for the modern NHS 1998 to 2005, published in September 1998; and if she will make a statement. (74064)

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 16 May 2006, Official Report, columns 940-1W, to the hon. Member for Northavon (Steve Webb). Beacon sites were those piloted under the electronic records demonstrator and implementation programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) under what powers primary care trusts can make prescription of the morning after pill to children under 16 years without parental knowledge or authority a condition of obtaining a pharmacy licence; and if she will make a statement; (75525)

A primary care trust (PCT) decides applications to provide national health service pharmaceutical services under the NHS (Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2005 (SI 2005/641 as amended). Under Regulation 12, a PCT only grants an application if it is satisfied it is necessary or desirable to do so in order to secure the adequate provision of pharmaceutical services in a local neighbourhood. This is known as the control of entry test.

However, under the reforms we introduced in April 2005, certain types of application are exempt from that test (regulation 13), namely:

premises in an approved retail area which is over 15,000 square metres gross floor space and sited away from town centres;

premises which the applicant will keep open for at least 100 hours a week; or

premises within a new one-stop primary care centre.

It is only in respect of Regulation 13 applications that a PCT can directly specify that a pharmacy provides additional pharmaceutical services, from a list of services set out in the Pharmaceutical Services (Advanced and Enhanced Services) (England) Directions 2005 (as amended). The PCT must have specified what additional services are required in advance of the application. One such service a PCT may specify is the provision of emergency hormonal contraception (EHC) to females of child-bearing age. This is an enhanced service by virtue of Direction 4(1) (k) and possibly (m) if a patient group direction.

It is for the applicant to decide whether or not to make an application under one of these exemptions. If an applicant does not wish to provide the additional services specified by a PCT for an exempt application, it may instead apply to provide services under the conventional route in Regulation 12. This does not allow a PCT to specify additional services that applicants are to provide.

The Department does not collect data on the number of PCTs which have specified the provision of EHC as a required additional service for an application made under Regulation 13, nor the number of refusals of applications by PCTs on these grounds or subsequent appeals. However, The Information Centre for health and social care publishes general data on applications to provide pharmaceutical services and appeals annually. The next bulletin for the year 2005-06 will be published later this year.

The family health services appeal unit of the NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA) deals with appeals relating to these regulations. The NHSLA produces an annual report every autumn. The website of the appeal unit at www.nhsla.nhs.uk reports details of appeal decisions, of which only one up until May 2006 related to EHC. This appeal was dismissed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many morning-after pills were distributed by each primary care trust in Gloucestershire in each of the last five years. (77826)

The information available is shown in the tables. Information on emergency hormonal contraception (EHC) supplied under a patient group direction (PGD) is not held centrally.

Family planning clinic services for Gloucestershire are provided by Cotswold and Vale primary care trust (PCT). The total number of occasions on which clinics run by this PCT prescribed post-coital contraceptives is published annually but the published figures include some instances where an intrauterine device was fitted. Cotswold and Vale PCT was created on 1 April 2002 and data for 2000-01 and 2001-02 relate to its predecessor organisations providing family planning clinic services, East Gloucestershire National Health Service Trust and Severn NHS Trust.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of cases of food poisoning there have been in each of the last five years. (77282)

The number of notified cases of food poisoning in England and Wales reported to the Health Protection Agency (HPA) each year since 2001 is shown in the following table.

Notified cases of food poisoning do not represent the total burden (or numbers of cases) of food poisoning, but they do provide an indication of changes in trends with time. Notifications of food poisoning are based on clinical findings and/or epidemiological links and there is no obligation to identify the causative organism or the vehicle of infection.

Based on laboratory reports and multiplication factors derived from a large study of infectious intestinal disease the HPA estimated that, in 2003, there may have been as many as 843,049 cases of food borne illness acquired in England and Wales, of which around 253,000 consulted a doctor^1,2. In that year, only 70,895 cases of food poisoning were notified. The HPA has not carried out a similar estimate for subsequent years.

¹ A Report on the Study of Infectious Intestinal Disease in England, 2000, The Stationery Office, ISBN 0-11-322308-0.

² This figure is based on (1) an evidence-based estimate provided by the HPA derived from a large study of infectious intestinal disease (IID) carried out in 2000 and (2) the number of laboratory reports of IID in 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will take steps to ensure that the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health defines the distinction between the inclusion in principle of ingredients on the list of ingredients permitted for use under the provisions of the Food Supplements Directive and the subsequent setting of the levels at which such nutrients may be present under the provisions of article 5 of the directive. (76383)

The Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health defines the distinction between the inclusion in principle of ingredients on the list of ingredients permitted for use under the provisions of the food supplements directive and the subsequent setting of the levels at which such nutrients may be present under the provisions of article 5 of the directive. The Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health defines the distinction between the inclusion in principle of ingredients on the list of ingredients permitted for use under the provisions of the food supplements directive and the subsequent setting of the levels at which such nutrients may be present under the provisions of article 5 of the directive.

The European Commission reminded the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health on the 2 December 2005 of the distinction between the inclusion in principle of ingredients on the list of ingredients permitted for use under the provisions of the food supplements directive and the subsequent setting of the levels at which such nutrients may be present under the provisions of article 5 of the directive. This distinction is defined within the Food Supplements Directive 2002/46/EC.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she has received the report of the Foster review of health professions; whether she plans to create a new umbrella regulator for the health professions covered by the Foster review; and what legislative changes would be required to create such a regulator. (77044)

I received a draft of the report of the review of non-medical professional regulation on 30 December 2005 and a further draft on 6 March 2006. A statement will be made in due course when the Department's decision on the report is published.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the impact of the policy of free fruit in primary schools on children's dietary patterns and nutritional intake outside school. (74150)

The big lottery fund, who funded the piloting and roll-out of the school fruit and vegetable scheme (SFVS) into six of the nine English regions, commissioned the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), in partnership with Leeds University to carry out an evaluation of the SFVS. Results published in September 2005 demonstrated that children ate significantly more fruit while participating in the scheme. Analysis also showed that among those participating in the scheme fruit and vegetable consumption declined at home and increased in school, suggesting that the scheme did not encourage additional consumption outside of the direct influence of the SFVS.

A NOP World survey carried out in October 2003 found that over a quarter of children and their families reported that they were eating more fruit at home after joining the scheme, rising to nearly a third in social class C2DE.

The Department plans to carry out a further evaluation of the SFVS later this year. Monitoring the impact of the scheme on the eating habits of children outside school will be an important component of the evaluation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what correspondence her Department has had with (a) members of the public and (b) the General Medical Council (GMC) regarding the lack of a right of appeal by patients against decisions made by GMC case examiners following complaints against doctors. (54095)

In the nine months to 22 May 2006, 13 items of correspondence relating to this issue were received from members of the public.

The Chief Medical Officer has undertaken a review of matters relating to medical regulation which will address this issue. A statement will be made shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many haemophiliacs have been infected by (a) hepatitis C, (b) AIDS and (c) both hepatitis C and AIDS as a result of NHS treatment for their illness. (69581)

Most patients with haemophilia who were treated with blood products before the introduction of virus-inactivation procedures were infected with the hepatitis C virus.

The number of haemophilia patients infected with HIV/AIDS is 1,243. Most patients infected with HIV were co-infected with hepatitis C.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people resident in Stroud were treated at (a) Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, (b) Cheltenham General Hospital, (c) Frenchay Hospital, (d) Southmead Hospital, (e) John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, (f) Stroud Hospital and (g) Berkeley Hospital in each of the last five years, broken down by treatment received. (77828)

Information on the number of patients resident in Stroud is not available in the requested format. However, information on the count of patients residing in West Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust area, by site of treatment, has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many babies were born at Stroud Maternity Hospital in each of the last three years, broken down by constituency of residence of the mother. (77829)

The number of registered deliveries at Stroud Maternity Hospital is shown in the table. However, information on the number of babies born at Stroud Maternity Hospital broken down by constituency is not collected.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the current budget of the Health Professions Council (HPC) is; what plans she has to increase this budget; how many people the HPC employs; whether all professions within the HPC have equal status; and whether professions incorporated into the HPC in the future will have equal status. (76208)

The Health Professions Council is a statutory independent body, which is self-funded through registrants’ fees. All queries pertaining to its budget, employees and the discharge of its statutory functions should be made direct to the Chief Executive, Marc Seale, at the Health Professions Council, Park House, 184 Kennington Park Road, London, SE11 4BU, 020 7582 0866.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the financial position (a) is in 2006-07 and (b) was in 2005-06 of each (i) primary care trust and health trust in Hampshire and (ii) each other health trust used by Hampshire residents. (76609)

There are no figures yet available for the financial year 2006-07. The table shows provisional outturn positions for the financial year 2005-06 of each trust and primary care trust (PCT) in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Strategic Health Authority (SHA) region. It is not possible to identify other health trusts used by residents in Hampshire, as any patient can access any acute hospital in an emergency and the introduction of choose and book means that patients also have access to a wide range of health trusts within England.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what arrangements her Department has made to fund the continuing operation of healthy living centres; (76233)

The continuing funding arrangements for healthy living centres (HLCs) in England are a matter for their local partners, including primary care trusts and local authorities, many of whom do provide resources in cash, or kind, to support them.

In England, 257 grant awards were made by the New Opportunities fund (now the Big Lottery fund) to HLCs. All payments of lottery funding to HLCs will be completed in 2009. I have asked the chief executive of the Big Lottery fund to write to the hon. Member setting out the actual forecast final payment for each HLC.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) financial support and (b) compensation is available to those who have had a hepatitis C infection as a result of a blood transfusion within the NHS but who no longer have the infection. (76550)

The Skipton Fund was established in 2004, to administer the ex-gratia payment scheme for people infected with hepatitis C following national health service treatment with blood or blood products. The scheme became operational on 5 July 2004.

People who have cleared the virus as a result of treatment, or who have cleared it spontaneously after a period of chronic infection, are eligible to apply for payment under the hepatitis C ex-gratia payment scheme. People who have cleared the virus spontaneously in the acute phase of the disease are not eligible for payment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what studies she has commissioned into the health effects of living in very close proximity to high voltage transmission lines; and if she will make a statement. (77040)

The Department’s radiation protection research programme supports a number of studies investigating the possible health effects of electromagnetic fields (EMF). These range from laboratory work on possible cellular effects to large population studies. A study by Dr. Draper and colleagues of childhood leukaemia incidence and distance from power lines, funded under this programme and published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) last year, has added to a large existing body of work in this area (BMJ Vol 330, 4 June 2005). In addition to its own research programme, the Department, along with the Health and Safety Executive, has supported the World Health Organisation’s International EMF Project since it started in 1997.

The Health Protection Agency’s radiation protection division (HPA-RPD) keeps the worldwide research findings on EMF and health under review. In 2004, on the basis of a comprehensive review of the existing body of research to date, the HPA-RPD (previously the national radiological protection board) recommended the adoption of new EMF exposure guidelines in this country. In addition, in view of the scientific uncertainties in relation to power frequency electromagnetic fields, the HPA recommended the Government

“consider the need for further precautionary measures”.

They have also noted that the majority of elevated magnetic fields are due to variations in the electricity supply and distribution system, the presence of substations and equipment in the home rather than proximity to high voltage overhead cables.

Practical precautionary measures are now being considered in detail by a stakeholder advisory group (SAGE) that includes the Government Departments, agencies, electricity industry, specialists and public concern groups. Details of the process can be found on the website at: www.rkpartnership.co.uk/sage.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) NHS staff and (b) nurses had received equipment under the Home Computing Initiative since the scheme was introduced. (63840)

The information requested is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the major hospital building projects in London which (a) are under way and (b) have received building permission; and if she will make a statement. (77488)

[holding answer 15 June 2006]: The major hospital building projects (capital value greater than £25 million) which are under way in London are:

All schemes are required to have secured outline and full planning permission as a condition of approval to proceed to construction.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of indoor pollution on the population; and if he will make a statement. (75567)

The Department has not undertaken a formal assessment of the effects on indoor air pollution on the population. However, the committee on the medical effects of air pollutants (COMEAP) frequently looks at evidence gathered from studies of the effects of indoor air pollution on health. COMEAP has recently published, on its website, a substantial document entitled “Guidance on Indoor Air Quality” which is available at: www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/comeap/PDFs/guidanceindoorairqualitydec04.pdf.

This document reviews the major indoor air pollutants and provides important advice on how to maintain good indoor air quality.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on information technology (IT) sourced from outside her Department in each of the last five years; who is responsible for such projects in her Department; and what IT (a) expertise and (b) qualifications they possess. (71759)

The information that follows pertains to the central Department and does not cover Executive agencies, other arm’s length bodies or NHS Connecting for Health. A de minimis of £100,000 per annum has been applied.

Since June 2002 the Department has spent a total of £88.42 million with Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC), its information technology (IT) service provider through the information management services agreement. This has included the annual support charges and the cost of the transformation programme. It has also included expenditure, which CSC administer on behalf of the Department, for example BT costs for the wide area network and business ports, and audio conferencing and mobile telephone costs. The remainder of the costs over the five years have been apportioned to project work in support of the integrity and resilience of the infrastructure. These two areas are listed as follows as project and pass through charges. Details of other IT spend, corporate software, telecommunications, the finance system and the web content management system and external hosting are shown in the table.

The sponsor of major IT projects would always be a member of the senior civil service with several years of experience in dealing with such projects and with IT suppliers. As project sponsor his or her responsibility would be to draw together project boards and project teams of civil servants and/or consultants with both project management and procurement qualifications, for example PRINCE2 practitioners and members of the Institute of Purchasing and Supply. Procurements and implementation of projects are undertaken in line with Office of Government Commerce best practice and European Union procedures as required.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance is available to the Department on the use of insulins. (76553)

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published a technology appraisal ‘Guidance on the use of long-acting insulin analogues for the treatment of diabetes—insulin glargine’ in December 2002.

However, the choice of insulin prescribed to a patient is a clinical decision made as a result of a joint decision-making process between the patient and their clinician taking into account all available evidence and the individuals specific clinical needs.

From January 2006, the NICE guidance on patient education has required all primary care trusts to implement NICE recommendations by providing all people with diabetes with high quality, structured education which should include information on insulin use.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what resources are being deployed by the Commission for Social Care Inspection to ensure that Liverpool city council social services department complies with national standards of service delivery in (a) care of the elderly and (b) vulnerable adults. [72462]

I understand from the Chair of the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) that it does not hold a numerical quantification of the resources involved.

Liverpool social services is currently judged to be a one star council, serving some adults well, with uncertain prospects for improvement.

CSCI undertook a joint inspection with the Healthcare Commission of older people's services in May 2005. It identified key areas of improvement around strategy and needs analysis and commissioning and performance management.

Liverpool council has produced improvement plans, which are being monitored by CSCI through the regular business meeting process with the director of adult social services, senior managers, front line managers and elected members of Liverpool city council.

The joint ‘Supporting People’ inspection of Liverpool council in June 2004 identified the key areas of development to focus on the improvement of management capacity, commissioning and performance management and partnership and engagement. CSCI is working with partners, including the Audit Commission, to ensure Liverpool council is engaging staff and users in order to positively promote and enhance performance progress.

CSCI, through its regulatory activity, has noted that the council's own regulated services are demonstrating an improvement and that when regulatory requirements are made they are met within the timescales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the local improvement finance trust schemes undertaken in (a) Forest of Dean constituency and (b) Gloucestershire in each year since the initiative was introduced. (73794)

There are no local improvement finance trusts (LIFT) schemes in the Forest of Dean constituency and Gloucestershire. It is for local primary care trusts to decide to seek approval from the Department to establish LIFTs in their areas, and they do this in the light of the health and social care needs of their population. The local primary care trusts have decided not to seek approval to establish LIFTs in their areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much (a) Kennett and North Wiltshire primary care trust and (b) West Wiltshire primary care trust spent on management consultancy in each of the last five years. (75863)

Detailed information about contracts for management consultants engaged by national health service bodies is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times the midwife-led birth unit at Gloucestershire Royal hospital has been closed in (a) 2005 and (b) 2006. (76077)