To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Government's response to the royal commission on long-term care, Cm 4818-II, page 10, whether approval was given to a national survey to monitor trends in health expectancy. (290278)

The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) began in March 2002, funded jointly by Her Majesty's Government and the United States National Institute of Ageing. The Government hope shortly to finalise arrangements to extend the survey for a further five years. The ELSA data can be used to estimate health expectancy in England at older ages.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) regularly produce and publish national estimates of health expectancy at birth and at age 65, using data from the General Household Survey. The most recent estimates are published in Health Statistics Quarterly), winter 2008 (p77), available on the ONS website:

www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=6725