To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the work undertaken by the Accidental Injury Prevention Programme in his Department; and how many officials in his Department have responsibility for this programme, broken down by (a) pay band and (b) location. (222235)

The Department, in partnership with stakeholders including other Government Departments, has been working to prevent accidental injury and to promote safety. For example, the National Service Frameworks for Children and Older People, through their standards for health and well-being, recognise the importance of unintentional injury and the need for prevention initiatives led by the NHS in partnership with local authorities. The Department has also asked the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to develop a suite of guidance on the prevention of unintentional injury in children under 15 year olds. It is also working with Department for Children, Schools and Families on its cross-government Public Service Agreement to improve children and young people's safety.

There are five officials in the central Department who, as part of their duties, have direct responsibility for the coordination of accident prevention, as shown in the following table .