To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to improve the Department's performance in replying to correspondence from members of the public. [21910]

HM Treasury aims to reply to correspondence from the public within 15 working days of receipt. Against that target, performance has improved from 36 per cent. in 1999–2000 to 79 per cent. in 2004–05. This has been achieved through a mix of improving IT support, management information and more robust targeting and monitoring. Systems and processes are continuously under review to identify areas for further improvements.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to improve the Department's performance in replying to hon. Members' correspondence. [21911]

HM Treasury aims to reply to hon. Members' correspondence within 15 working days of receipt. Against that target, performance has improved from 47 per cent. in 1999–2000 to 86 per cent. in 2004–05. This has been achieved through a mix of improving IT support, management information and more robust targeting and monitoring. Systems and processes are continuously under review to identify areas for further improvements.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to evaluate the effectiveness of environmental taxes to inform further policy development on the Government's sustainable development strategy, with particular reference to climate change. [22030]

Chapter 7 of Budget 2005, Investing for our future: Fairness and opportunity for Britain's hard-working families", HC 372 contained assessments of all the main environmental taxes. The Government also published at Budget 2005 an independent evaluation of the Climate Change levy (CCL), Modelling the initial effects of the climate change levy", by Cambridge Econometrics at Budget 2005 which is available at www.hmrc.gov.uk The Climate Change Programme Review, launched by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in September 2004 is looking at Government policies more widely to tackle climate change and aims to report by the end of the year.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to meet the Mayor of London to discuss the renegotiation of the public-private partnership deal for the London underground; and if he will make a statement. [21866]

This is a matter for the Department of Transport. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport made a statement last week.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are employed in the rail sector in each Government region; and if he will make a statement. [21867]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the national statistician who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Karen Dunnell to Lynne Featherstone, dated 28 October 2005

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about employment in the rail sector. (21867)

The attached table contains information from the Annual Business Inquiry on the number of employee jobs in the rail sector in each Government office region in 2003, the latest year for which information is available. The figures for the North East region have been combined with those for Yorkshire and the Humber in order to avoid the potential disclosure of information supplied under the Statistics of Trade Act.

The rail sector has been defined to include Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes 35.20 (manufacture of railway and tramway locomotives and rolling stock) and 60.10 (transport via railways). Other rail sector employee jobs, for example those in maintenance and repair of rolling stock, transportation via metro systems and passenger terminal activities are excluded as they cannot be identified separately from jobs in other sectors.

Employee jobs in the rail sector in each Government Office Region: 2003⁽¹⁾

⁽¹⁾Rail sector defined as SIC codes 35.20 and 60.10.

⁽²⁾This region is formed by combining figures for the North East and those for Yorkshire and the Humber to avoid publishing disclosive data.

Source:

Annual Business Inquiry (2003).

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of (a) new building work and (b) refurbishment of buildings of (i) his Department and (ii) agencies of his Department has since May 1997 been subject to environmental assessment using BREEAM and BREEAM98. [21996]

The HM Treasury building at 1 Horse Guards Road, London was assessed as excellent" under BREEAM 98. The HM Revenue and Customs refurbishment of 100 Parliament Street was rated as very good" under BREEAM 2003. The Office of Government Commerce have BREAAM assessments at good" or above in place for 67 per cent. of their estate.

HM Revenue and Customs do not hold information in the format and covering the time scales requested. Their STEPS PFI contract, which covers the majority of the HMRC estate, includes a requirement that all alternative facilities or refurbishments over £250,000 achieve a very good" or excellent" BREEAM rating.

BREEAM assessments are not held for the Debt Management Office the Government Actuary's Department, Royal Mint or the Office for National Statistics.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will undertake investigations into tax avoidance schemes by British arms of accountancy houses which have admitted unlawful conduct in the creation or selling of such schemes in the United States. [22270]

I refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer to him of 6 July 2005, Official Report, column 436W, concerning promoters of tax avoidance schemes.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of those receiving child care tax credit have had an overpayment in each month since its introduction; and what assessment he has made of the impact of the recovery of overpayments on those receiving child care tax credit. [18868]

Monthly overpayment figures are not available as information on the number of tax credit awards with overpayments is available only after family incomes and circumstances have been finalised.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance he has issued to HM Revenue and Customs in relation to dealing with tax credit overpayments since the Paymaster General's statement to the House on 22 June. [19675]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Leeds, East (Mr. Mudie), on 26 October 2005, Official Report, column's 368–69W.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update table 1 on cost of collection (pence per pound collected) from appendix 1, page 150 of the Inland Revenue Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2004 to include the latest data for tax credits for 2004–05. [22419]

I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 18 October 2005, Official Report, column 949W.

A figure for total tax credits payments made in the financial year 2004–05 can be found in Note 3 to the Trust Statement in the Inland Revenue Annual Report and Accounts for 2004–05.

The Annual Report for HM Revenue and Customs 2004–05 will be published later this year and include an updated cost of collection table for the Inland Revenue showing the 2004–05 figures.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the annual spending by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies on electricity use has been in each year since 1997. [18138]

The Wales Office was established in July 1999. Electricity bills for its premises were paid by the National Assembly for Wales until 2000. Payments made by the Wales Office since are:

Note:

Figures for financial year 2005–06 will be available in April 2006

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department spent on items of art in 2004–05. [23467]

The Wales Office expenditure for items of art in 2004–05 was nil.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with (a) the Welsh First Minister and (b) other Ministers in the Welsh Assembly Government concerning the implementation in Wales of European Commission Directives covering (i) the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and (ii) the setting of standards for efficient energy use. [18269]

My right hon. Friend and I have regular meetings with Assembly Ministers on a variety of matters, including measures to promote energy efficiency. EU Directive on Energy Performance of Buildings will be implemented through revisions to Building Regulations; this is not a devolved matter. ODPM announced on 13 September changes to Parts F and L of the Building Regulations to implement this Directive from April 2006 in England and Wales. The Assembly is represented on the Building Regulations Advisory Committee and is therefore aware of on-going developments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects Herceptin to be available to patients in Wales for the treatment of early stage breast cancer. [19905]

All women in Wales diagnosed with breast cancer can already be tested to see if they might benefit from Herceptin.

Herceptin is currently available in England and Wales for patients in the later stages of breast cancer. It is also available for some patients in the early stages of breast cancer, though only in exceptional circumstances.

The Secretary of State for Health has already asked the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to begin their preparatory work on Herceptin so they will be in a position to produce guidance quickly when the drug is licensed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many volunteering positions his Department has offered in each of the last five years. [17885]

The Wales Office recognises the benefits of volunteering both to the individual and the organisation. Wales Office staff are able to take one day's special leave a year to take part in voluntary and community activities.

The Wales Office considers requests from individuals who wish to volunteer within the Department. The Department does not hold information on the number of volunteering positions offered in each of the last fiveyears. This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farmers have used the farm business advice service, broken down by region. [22178]

The original three day farm business advice service was launched in October 2000 and ended on 31 March 2005.

The original service was delivered to 17,676 farmers, broken down on a regional basis as follows:

Resources for the service were allocated based on the region's share of the total number of holdings in England.

A restructured service focussing on the business implications of the single payment scheme began delivery in October 2005 until March 2007. The restructured service has a target of delivering one-to-one advice to 15,000 farmers over its lifetime.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average income for a hill farmer in (a) Cumbria and (b) England has been in each year since 1997. [19183]

Information on the average income for a hill farmer in(a) Cumbria and (b) England in each year since 1997 is given in the following table:

Net farm income—grazing livestock (LFA) farms -- £

⁽³⁾Excludes farms subjected to compulsory foot and mouth disease cull.

Source:

Farm business survey

Net farm income is defined as the return to the principal farmer and spouse for their manual and managerial labour and on the tenant type capital of the business.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made in meeting the eight key recommendations contained in the 2003 review of policy on non-native species; and if she will make a statement. [19131]

The review of non-native species policy was undertaken by a working group comprising representatives from Government, the devolved administrations, the statutory nature conservation agencies, conservation and animal welfare NGOs and the trade sector. Their report, published in 2003, contained eight key and 34 supporting recommendations.

The review was carried out on a Great Britain basis, however, this answer relates to progress made within England, as responsibility for taking forward the recommendations falls to each of the devolved administrations. In 2003 a joint public consultation was published in England and Wales, containing the Government's response to each of the recommendations made in the report. A separate consultation was published in Scotland during 2004.

In answering your question I will take each of the key recommendations of the working group in turn.

The Government should (1) designate or create a single lead organisation to undertake the role of co-ordinating and ensuring consistency of application of non-native species policies across Government.

In March this year the Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. Bradshaw), announced the setting up of a co-ordinating mechanism to ensure that policy and action on non-natives is joined up across Government and its agencies. The programme board held its first meeting on 12 September and plans further meetings on a quarterly basis. Minutes of the meetings will be published on the Defra website.

(2) Develop comprehensive, accepted risk assessment procedures to assess risks posed by non-native species and identify and prioritise prevention action.

A research contract to develop a comprehensive risk assessment methodology was completed in February of this year. The scheme is based upon the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation (EPPO) pest risk assessment scheme used for plant quarantine purposes, adapted to be applicable to all taxonomic groups. It has been designed to generate an assessment of risk based on a three point scale of high, medium and low risk. A joint programme of peer review and further testing is being agreed between DEFRA and the Scottish Executive and will begin shortly.

(3) Develop codes of conduct to help prevent introductions for all relevant sectors in a participative fashion involving all relevant stakeholders.

The first code of practice, for the horticultural sector, was launched by the Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. Bradshaw) in March 2003. It is published in full on the Defra website, and has been summarised in a leaflet. This code should form a template for other codes—one for each vector of introduction. The programme board has suggested that a code for the pet trade should be the next to be developed in close association with the industry.

The Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill, currently before Parliament, includes a provision to give the Secretary of State the power to issue or approve codes of practice in connection with non-native species. These codes will not be statutory, but may be used as evidence in any court proceedings and may be taken into account by the court when sentencing. A similar power has already been introduced within Scotland.

(4) Develop a targeted education and awareness strategy involving all relevant sectors.

The programme board will establish working groups to take forward the review recommendations, and to fulfil our international obligations. It has suggested that an education and public awareness group should be established immediately. Membership of working groups will be drawn from Government and its agencies, the academic and professional sectors and non-governmental organisations.

(5) Revise and update existing legislation to improve handling of invasive non-native species issue.

A consultation on part I of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, the principal piece of legislation which protects our native wildlife, was carried out in England and Wales last winter. This raised a number of issues associated with the legislative controls on non-native species, and we are taking forward two of these in the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill. In addition to the power to issue or approve codes of practice, mentioned above, the Bill contains a power for the Secretary of State to ban the sale of certain non-native species, to be listed by order. There are no species proposed at this stage; any proposals will be the subject of full consultation in due course. We will develop a coherent package of further proposals for future consideration.

(6) Establish adequate monitoring and surveillance arrangements for non-native species in Great Britain.

A national audit of non-native species has been carried out within Scotland and England, and this will form the basis of a research project to be let shortly to carry out an audit of current monitoring activity in Great Britain in relation to non-native species. This will identify where the most significant gaps lie in existing capacity, and what improvements can be made.

(7) Establish policies with respect to management and control of invasive non-native species currently present or newly arrived in the wild, and develop operational capacity to implement these policies.

It is not possible to take action against all of the non-native species currently present in the wild. A sound risk assessment process will provide the scientific basis for decisions about priorities for management and control of individual species.

(8) Stakeholders should be fully consulted and engaged in development of invasive non-native species policies and actions through a mechanism such as a consultative forum.

The holding of a regular forum, to which all relevant stakeholders are invited, is a valuable way to ensure a wider understanding and ownership of the issues. Two annual events have been held to date, and a further forum is scheduled to take place next spring.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs when the immigration appeal lodged by Mr. Schneider (Ref. 189248) on 11 March 2005 will be determined and if she will make a statement. [22877]

The asylum and immigration tribunal (AIT) has confirmed, from the reference provided in the question, that it is not currently in receipt of appeal papers from a Mr. Schneider.

Further checks made with the immigration and nationality directorate (IND) of the Home Office has confirmed that a Mr. Schneider lodged an appeal on human rights grounds with it on 11 March 2005. This appeal is currently awaiting transfer to the AIT in accordance with the transitional provisions set out in The Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004 (Commencement No. 5 and Transitional Provisions) Order 2005 (SI 2005/565).

The IND has confirmed that the appeal papers will be transferred to the AIT within the next 14 working days. Upon receipt of the appeal papers the AIT will list the case for a hearing and send notice confirming the date to all parties to the appeal.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what measures are in place to ensure that laboratories licensed to perform court admissible DNA tests conform to the standards required by the ISO 17025 Certificate. [20883]

My Department is currently investigating the matters raised in the hon. Member's questions, and I will write when I am in a position to do so.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will break down the number of registered electors by region. [21767]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Karen Dunnell to Chris Ruane, dated 28 October 2005

As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question concerning the number of electors by region. (21767)

Below is a table showing the number of registered electors, as at 1 December 2004, for each country within the UK and for Government Office Regions within England. The table shows both the number of local electors and the number of parliamentary electors.

Number of registered electors by region, 1 December 2004

Source:

Office for National Statistics

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list departments represented on (a) each Cabinet standing committee and (b) special or occasional committees set up in each of the last five years. [20637]

I refer my hon. Friend to the list of Cabinet Committees which is available in the Libraries of the House and on the Cabinet Office website.

To ask the Prime Minister whether the Prince of Wales's next visit to the United States of America is an official visit. [21900]

holding answer 27 October 2005

Yes.

To ask the Prime Minister what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry concerning reform of public sector pension schemes; and if he will make a statement. [21430]

I have regular meetings and discussions with ministerial colleagues and others on a wide range of subjects. Information relating to internal meetings, discussion and advice is not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.

To ask the Prime Minister how many staff in his Office are seconded from accountancy houses; and how many of his officials have worked on secondment to outside accountancy houses. [20552]

None.

To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Paul Flynn) of 19 October 2005, Official Report, column 841, in which years he expects the decision on Trident replacement to be made. [21719]

I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Newport, West (Paul Flynn) at Prime Minister's Questions on 19 October 2005, Official Report, column 841.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health

(1) if she will make a statement on the operation of sections 1 to 4 of the Abortion Act 1967 (as amended by section 37 of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990); [20192]

(2) what assessment she has made of the operation of section 4 of the Abortion Act 1967. [20268]

The Government have a responsibility to monitor the provisions of the Abortion Act and we have no evidence to suggest that sections 1 to 4 of the Act are not being complied with.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health

(1) what records are kept of attempted abortions which fail and where the foetus survives; [20782]

(2) how many attempted abortions in the United Kingdom failed and ended in a live birth in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [20783]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend the then Under-Secretary of State for Health (Melanie Johnson) gave on 24 March 2005, Official Report, column 1043W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health

(1) what assessment she has made of the number of children suffering adverse reactions to off-label medicines; [18810]

(2) what assessment she has made of the number of children suffering adverse reactions to medicines approved for paediatric use. [18811]

The table shows the total number of suspected adverse drug reaction (ADR) reports received from health professionals via the yellow card scheme from 1 January 2001 to 14 October 2005 for each of the last five years, where the patient's age was specified as less than 18 years.

14 October 2005.⁽⁴⁾Data up to

Note:

Data held on the adverse drug reactions on-line information tracking database is dynamic and may be subject to change.

Currently, many drugs that are routinely used to treat children are not licensed for use in this age group. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency pharmacovigilance database does not differentiate between suspected ADRs for drugs that may or may not have a licence for use in children, therefore this breakdown of the data is not provided.

It is important to note that a report of an adverse drug reaction does not necessarily mean that it was caused by the drug. Many factors have to be taken into account in assessing causal relationships including temporal association, the possible contribution of concomitant medication and the underlying disease.

To ask the Secretary of State for Healthwhat steps she is taking to increase awareness of the effects of second-hand smoke on people with asthma. [21514]

The Government's 1998 White Paper, Smoking Kills", made clear that second-hand smoke, also known as passive smoking, was harmful to asthma sufferers and that they were more prone to attacks because of breathing in other people's smoke. We have in place a comprehensive strategy to tackle smoking and reduce the illness and death caused by smoking.

As part of our strategy, we have boosted our tobacco education media campaign, and from 2003, we have run campaigns raising awareness of the health risks of second-hand smoke. Our Smoking Near Children" campaign was the first to raise the general public's awareness of the health risks to children of second-hand smoke.

Our new second-hand smoke media campaign launched on 5 September 2005, which will run until the end of October, focuses on the health risks in the home—as most deaths and harm are due to second-hand smoke in the home.

In September 2005, the national health service updated and reissued the leaflet, Fact-Second-hand Smoke is a Killer", which gives the latest key facts on second-hand smoke. In the leaflet, it states that breathing in second-hand smoke doubles your chances of developing asthma, and if you are one of the 5.2 million people in the United Kingdom who already suffer from asthma, second-hand makes your breathing problems worse. A copy of the leaflet is available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the average cost per primary care trust to implement EU Directive 2002/98/EC on the traceability of blood; and what funding her Department has provided towards meeting these costs. [22115]

A regulatory impact assessment concluded that most of the requirements of the proposed regulations, implementing this directive, are already covered in central guidance and best practice standards in the United Kingdom. Thus, any costs were being, or would be incurred anyway.

The Department has made £200,000 available to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to meet the cost of developing a reporting system for serious adverse events and reactions.

Any additional cost incurred by an individual hospital or primary care trust will depend on how far it is compliant with current requirements and best practice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons screening for bowel cancer in England is limited to people over the age of 60 years; and if she will extend the age range to include people between 50 and 60 years. [21151]

Men and women in their 60s will be invited to take part in the national health service bowel cancer screening programme from April 2006. We will encourage men and women aged 70 and over to self refer if they wish to by seeing their general practitioner or ringing the local screening unit.

The risk of bowel cancer increases with age, with over 80 per cent. of bowel cancers arising in people who are 60 or over. Therefore, the Department has taken a pragmatic approach by inviting the optimal group of men and women who will benefit most from a screening programme. Also, we are determined that the new screening programme should not have a detrimental effect on services for patients with bowel cancer symptoms. When we have rolled out the programme to the whole country, we will make an assessment on whether to expand the programme to other age groups.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of whether there are links between abortion and the incidence of breast cancer; and if she will make a statement. [20293]

holding answer 21 October 2005

The Government believe that any woman considering an abortion must have all the facts to make an informed decision. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists' (RCOG) evidence-based clinical guideline, The care of women requesting induced abortion (2004)", states that professionals involved in abortion care should be equipped to provide women with information on the long-term effects of abortion which are rare or unproven, including breast cancer. The guideline also concluded, following an extensive review of the literature, that the evidence shows that induced abortion is not associated with an increase in the risk of breast cancer.

Cancer Research UK undertook a study of the risk factors associated with breast cancer, including a further international review of the research evidence on abortion and breast cancer. Last year, this study also concluded there is no link.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research her Department has commissioned into the UK's success rate at treating breast cancer compared with other EU member states. [20991]

The Department has not commissioned any research comparing our success rate at treating breast cancer with other Europe Union member states. This research is already under way as part of the Eurocare programme of research.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research she has commissioned into the provision of routine breast checks for women under 50 years of age. [19043]

The Forrest report, on which the breast screening programme is based, recommended further research to assess the clinical and cost-effectiveness of offering routine screening to women under 50. This is under way, entitled UKCCCR randomised controlled trial of the effect of breast cancer mortality of annual mammographic screening of women starting at age 40" (the 'Age' Trial).

The main aim of the study is to evaluate the effect of annual mammographic screening of women starting at ages 40 to 41 on mortality from breast cancer, thus giving a definitive answer to the outstanding question of whether population screening below 50 is beneficial or not. The study began in February 1991, and recruitment to the trial has now stopped at 160,000 women. The results of this study are expected to be submitted by February 2006 to a journal for publication after peer review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures her Department has taken (a) to monitor and (b) to prevent food contamination by brucella viruses; and if she will make a statement. [21555]

Food hygiene legislation places the responsibility on food business operators to produce food safely, and there is no requirement for routine monitoring of the food supply for brucella organisms.

The only specific requirements in respect of brucella and food are in dairy and meat hygiene legislation. Raw milk from cows or buffaloes must be heat treated unless it comes from animals belonging to a brucellosis free or officially brucellosis free herd. Raw milk from ewes or goats must be heat treated unless it has come from animals belonging to a production holding which is either brucellosis free or officially brucellosis free.

All susceptible animals slaughtered for human consumption undergo official post-mortem inspection under official veterinary supervision. Meat from animals suffering from acute brucellosis must be declared unfit for human consumption as must the udder, genital tract and blood from animals that have reacted positively or inconclusively to a brucellosis test.

To ask the Secretary of State for Healthwhat assessment she has made of the reasons for budget deficits in primary care trusts in Oxfordshire for2005–06. [20392]

The budget deficits in primary care trusts (PCTs) in Oxfordshire are the responsibility of the PCTs which are expected to plan for and achieve financial balance each and every year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS patients with breast cancer have been referred to private hospitals for their treatment in the last five years; and how many were treated in NHS hospitals. [18002]

We do not collect information on the number of breast cancer patients referred to private hospital for their treatment. The number of breast cancer patients treated in national health service hospitals in England, for the last five years, is shown in the following table.

Source:

Hospital episode statistics, Health and Social Care Information Centre.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on cancer treatment (a) waiting times and (b) targets in East Sussex in the last 10 years. [20446]

The NHS cancer plan sets out our strategy for reducing cancer waiting times. A two- week outpatient waiting time standard for urgent general practitioner referrals of suspected cancer was introduced in December 2000. Cancer waiting times treatment standards of one month from urgent GP referral to first cancer treatment were introduced for cases of testicular cancer, children's cancers and acute leukaemia in 2001.

Further standards of maximum waits of 31 days from diagnosis to first cancer treatment and 62 days from urgent referral with suspected cancer to first cancer treatment were introduced for patients with breast cancer in 2001 and 2002 respectively. These 31 and 62 day standards will be in place for all cancer patients from December 2005. Performance against the current cancer waiting times targets are published quarterly on the Department of Health website. Performance data showing progress towards the 2005 targets are also available on the Department's website at http://www.performance.doh.gov.uk/cancerwaits/.

The tables show how East Sussex Hospitals National Health Service Trust has made progress in meeting the cancer waiting times targets.

Breast cancer—one month from diagnosis to treatment target from 2002—East Sussex hospitals NHS trust

Breast cancer—two month from urgent GP referral to treatment from 2002—East Sussex hospitals NHS trust

All cancer one month from diagnosis to treatment standard from 2005—East Sussex hospitals NHS trust

All cancer two month from urgent GP referral to treatment standard from 2005–East Sussex hospitals NHS trust

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the average waiting timesfor cancer patients (a) from diagnosis to start of treatment and (b) from urgent general practitioner referral to start of treatment in each of the last 12 quarters. [20852]

Average waiting times for the treatment of cancer patients are not collected. Cancer waiting times treatment standards of one month from urgent general practitioner referral to first cancer treatment were introduced for cases of testicular cancer,children's cancers and acute leukaemia in 2001.

Further standards of maximum waits of 31 days from diagnosis to first cancer treatment and 62 days from urgent referral with suspected cancer to first cancer treatment were introduced for patients with breast cancer in 2001 and 2002 respectively. These 31 and 62 day standards will be in place for all cancer patients from December 2005. Performance against the current cancer waiting times targets are shown in the tables, and are published quarterly on the Department's website. Performance data showing progress towards the 2005 targets was first published for quarter one of 2005–06. Further data will be published on the Department's website at http://www.performance.doh.gov.uk/cancerwaits/ as it becomes available.

Cancer type: children's cancer

Breast cancer—one month from diagnosis to treatment standard

Breast cancer—two months from urgent GP referral to treatment from 2002

All cancers—one month from diagnosis to treatment standard from 2005

All cancers—two months from urgent GP referral to treatment standard from 2005

To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 12 October 2005 Official Report, column 538W, on carbon monoxide poisoning, how many general practitioner surgeries will receive the leaflets; which support groups will be included in the leaflet; and if she will make a statement. [20736]

The patient information leaflet, Indoor air pollution—Carbon monoxide", will be distributed to all general practitioners' surgeries in England—of which there are approximately 93,000—in late November 2005. The leaflet will also be made available on the Department's website with links to pages providing further advice on the prevention and symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, provided by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Heating Equipment Testing and Approval scheme, the Council for Registered Gas Installers and the Solid Fuel Association. The support group, CO-Gas Safety, has been directly involved in the production of this leaflet.

NHS Direct also provides information on carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning in its website at http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/he.asp?articleID=417P, which includes information on causes, diagnosis, prevention, symptoms, treatment and complications. Medical advice on CO poisoning is available on the Chief Medical Officer's (CMO) website in his and the Chief Nursing Officer's letter to GPs, which was sent in February 2002. Further advice will be provided to GPs in the CMO's update in November 2005.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 12 October 2005, Official Report, column 538W, on carbon monoxide poisoning, what the relevant support group is in (a) north and (b) south England for (i) information on awareness of carbon monoxide and (ii) medical advice on carbon monoxide; and if she will make a statement. [21069]

The support groups CO-Gas Safety and AIRSAY, supported by the Department through Section 64 funding cover the whole of England. Section 64 funding is provided by the Department to voluntary organizations in England whose activities support the Department of Health's policy priorities and priority is given to applications with innovative proposals of national significance that will complement statutory services and so help secure provision of high quality health and social care and promote the nation's health.

CO-Gas Safety provides information on awareness of carbon monoxide. Medical advice on carbon monoxide poisoning is provided by NHS Direct in its website at: www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/he.asp?articleID=417, and on the Chief Medical Officer's (CMO) website in his and the Chief Nursing Officer's letter to general practitioners (GPs), which was sent in February 2002. Further medical advice will be provided to GPs in the CMO's update in November 2005.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what changes have taken place in the last two years in the threshold level on sight tests before referrals for cataract operations are made. [19026]

The Sight Testing (Examination and Prescription) Regulations 1989 require optometrists to check for signs of disease or abnormality within the eye and refer the patient on should that be considered necessary for further investigation.

Judgments on when a referral should be made, or when a patient should be listed for a cataract operation, will be made on an individual basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will take steps to ensure Chase Farm Hospital retains its accident and emergency department; and if she will make a statement. [18562]

It is for local primary care trusts working with national health service trusts to determine how the needs of the local population can best be met. Local NHS organisations have a responsibility to engage with local people in formulating proposals and to consult formally on proposals for change.

I understand that a discussion document published by the Barnet and Chase Farm NHS Trust last December has since been re-drafted in light of an earlier engagement process and it is expected to be issued for formal consultation early next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with her medical advisers about possible links between child cancer drugs and deafness. [19023]

There have been no formal discussions with medical advisers about any possible links between child cancer drugs and deafness.

Some drugs used to treat childhood cancers may have long-term side effects including, in a minority of cases, loss of hearing. It would be the norm for the treating clinician to monitor the patient in these cases.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has produced guidance for the national health service which emphasises the need for clinicians to discuss all aspects of treatments, including any adverse side effects, with patients and their parents or carers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has made an assessment of the impact of platinum based chemotherapy drugs on deafness in children. [19024]

Platinum-based medicinal products are effective in the treatment of certain cancers, including childhood cancers. They are, however, associated with a number of serious adverse effects. These are documented in the product information, together with warnings and advice, where possible, on how to reduce or avoid these adverse effects. When treating a patient with cancer, the doctor has to weigh up the risks of the treatment against the potential benefits and prescribe accordingly.

The two platinum-based medicinal products licensed for human use have well-defined safety profiles and both are known to cause damage to hearing in both adults and children. Information relating to this appears in the summaries of product characteristics (SmPC) and the patient information leaflets (PIL) of the two products.

The SmPC for cisplatin, which is authorised for use in children as well as adults, contains statements relating to its potential to cause hearing loss. The SmPC notes that cisplatin should not be given to patients with existing hearing impairment as this may be associated with increased toxicity. It also warns that the damage to hearing caused by cisplatin is cumulative and that audiometric testing should be performed before starting treatment and before each subsequent course of treatment with cisplatin. In addition, the SmPC warns that the simultaneous use of other medicines that cause hearing damage, such as certain antibiotics, may make such damage worse. The SmPC describes in some detail the hearing impairment in patients receiving cisplatin and notes that it is worse in children. This information is also presented in the patient information leaflet.

Carboplatin is not authorised for use in children, but nevertheless, the SmPC contains a warning that clinically significant hearing loss has occurred in children given high doses of carboplatin in combination with other medicines that cause hearing damage. There is also general information about the incidence and degree of hearing loss caused by carboplatin, which is generally less damaging to hearing than cisplatin.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) continually monitors the safety of medicines in clinical use. To date, that is from 1963 to 18 October 2005, the MHRA has received nine reports (of nine suspected reactions) of ear and labyrinth disorders associated with carboplatin. Of these, only one was in a child (one-year-old) who experienced deafness following therapy with carboplatin and gentamycin. During the same time period, a total of 19 reports (of 26 suspected reactions) of ear and labyrinth disorders associated with cisplatin have been received. Of these, three were in children (10 years old and younger) and the reported reactions were deafness for two cases and hearing impaired and tinnitus in the third case.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made in tackling childhood obesity. [18772]

Reducing obesity is one of the six overarching priorities of the Choosing Health" White Paper, published in November 2004. In July 2004, the Government set a Public Service Agreement target 'to halt the year-on-year increase in obesity among children under 11 by 2010 in the context of a broader strategy to tackle obesity in the population as a whole'.

The White Paper delivery plan, Delivering Choosing Health: making healthier choices easier" together with discrete plans focusing on nutrition, Choosing a Better Diet: a food and health action plan" and physical activity, Choosing Activity: a physical activity action plan" published in March 2005 set out how the White Paper commitments will be delivered and how they will contribute to delivery of the obesity target.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to commission research into economic evaluation strategies for contraception and abortion services. [18460]

My Department will shortly be issuing guidance to primary care trusts entitled, Health Economics of Sexual Health: A Guide for Commissioning and Planning". This guidance highlights that there is evidence and consensus that investment in sexual health interventions is good value for money and in many cases, including provision of contraception and early access to abortion services, cost saving. These conclusions are supported by a recent document The Economics of Sexual Health" published by the Family Planning Association.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she has taken to ensure that she does not fetter her discretion in respect of the call in by the London borough of Merton concerning the siting of a critical care hospital. [19976]

The referral to the Secretary of State for Health of the decision to site the future critical care hospital, which will replace Epsom and St. Helier, at Sutton, by Merton council was made in March.

The referral is being considered by the Secretary of State for Health and it would be inappropriate to comment in advance of this decision.

The Secretary of State for Health is considering all relevant and appropriate evidence in relation to the Office of Surveillance Commissioners referral in coming to her decision.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health

(1) if she will extend the time limit for signing the new NHS dental contracts beyond 1 January 2006 to allow time for evaluation of the new contract conditions; and if she will make a statement; [19737]

(2) how many NHS dental practices had signed up to the new NHS dental contract as at 15 October; and if she will make a statement. [19738]

Dental practices cannot yet sign up to the new types of dental contract because the relevant regulations have not yet been laid before the Houses of Parliament. We expect these regulations to be laid by the end of the year. We expect that dentists will be able to agree a new dental contract with their primary care trust from January 2006 onwards.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to ring-fence the budget for dentistry to be administered by local primary care trusts. [20471]

Recent guidance issued by the Department on new dental contracts explained that the Department is looking at options to agree how dental budgets will be monitored to ensure existing investment, uprated for 2006–07 prices, in national health service dentistry is maintained.

Primary care trusts may also contribute additional resources from their general allocation to expand overall funding for dentistry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will reassess the budget for the provision of NHS dentistry in Portsmouth against assessed demand for dental services. [20472]

Resources for primary care dentistry will be devolved to individual primary care trusts (PCTs) from 2006–07. Details of PCTs' dental allocations are expected to be available by the end of November.

Final allocations to PCTs should be based on an equitable distribution of the available resources, taking account of the current level of service provision in each area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health

(1) if she will make it her policy not to implement the new contract for dentists until agreement on it is reached with the British Dental Association; [20473]

(2) what consultation has taken place between her Department and dentists on the proposed new contract; what plans she has for pilot studies before any change of contract; and if she will make a statement. [20474]

The Government intend to implement the new types of dental contracts from April 2006. The draft regulations on patients' dental charges were released for 12-week consultation, ending on 30 September. The draft regulations on the new dental contracts were released for comment during August and September.

The new types of contracts are closely modelled on the new ways of working that have been piloted under personal dental services agreements in operation since 1998. These agreements now cover over 30 per cent. of dentists. These new contracts will be agreed locally between primary care trusts and dentists. The draft regulations governing these local contracts have been designed to address long standing concerns of the British Dental Association and dentists about the current general dental services remuneration system.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list those dentists in (a) Portsmouth and (b) south east Hampshire who are accepting NHS patients. [20475]

Information on which practices are currently taking on new national health service patients is not centrally collected. This information should be available from local primary care trusts or by contacting NHS Direct.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average retention rate of NHS dentists within the Lancaster and Wyre constituency was in each of the past 10 years. [20481]

Average retention rate data is not readily available. The following table shows dentists who have left the national health service during each specific year as a percentage of total dentists as at 31 December each year within the Lancaster and Wyre constituency. However, these figures include dentists who leave for a variety of reasons, including retirements, career breaks and maternity leave.

Dentists who have left the NHS, 1997–2004

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the impact on the registration status of existing NHS patients of the April 2006 dentistry reforms will be; and if she will make a statement. [20620]

Dentists' remuneration, from April 2006, will not be linked to the numbers of patients registered. However, we made clear in recent guidance that the new contracts are not designed to cut across current arrangements for patients to register with a practice and expect to receive ongoing, clinically appropriate care and treatment from that practice, bearing in mind the new National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines on clinical recall intervals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 21 July 2005, Official Report, column 2149W, on dentistry, how many additional NHS dental patient registrations she expects the additional resources allocated by her Department in 2004–05 to 2007–08 to produce in each (a) strategic health authority and (b) primary care trust in each year; and how many people had been registered with an NHS dentist each year since 1997 as at 31 March. [18861]

The additional resources have been used to support the recruitment of 1,000 dentists by the end of October 2005, measured in whole time dentists recruited, and to support a range of other local improvements in dental services. A range of indicators have been used locally to gauge the impact on access to services.

No national targets have been set for registrations in 2000–07 or 2007–08. In keeping with National Standards, Local Action", the dental reforms being introduced in April 2006 devolve responsibility for localcommissioning to primary care trusts and it will be for local health communities to agree appropriate performance measures.

Information on the number of patients registered with a national health service dentist each year since 1997, as at 31 March, has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the rates of employee absence in her Department have been in each year since 1997. [21026]

I refer the hon. Member to the figures contained in the annual report Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service" published by the Cabinet Office. Table A of the report gives details of both the average working days absence per staff year and the number of staff years on which that calculation is based on. The most recent report for the calendar year 2003 was published on 1 November 2004, copies of which are available in the Library. This report and those for 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 are available on the Cabinet Office website at: www.civilservice.gov.uk/management_of_ the_civil_service/conditions_of_service/occupational_ health/publications/index.asp.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many employees have been dismissed from her Department in each of the last five years. [19725]

Over the last five years, the number of staff who have been dismissed by the Department, for either reasons of inefficiency or discipline are shown in the table.

Note:

From 1 October to 30 September.⁽⁵⁾

To ask the Secretary of State for Health

(1) how much has been spent by her Department on promotion of fluoridation of the water supply in each of the last five years; [18851]

(2) what steps her Department is taking to promote fluoridation of the water supply; [18852]

(3) what steps are being taken by primary care trusts in the Surrey and Sussex strategic health authority to promote the fluoridation of the water supply; [18854]

(4) if she will define the threshold for strong local support before strategic health authorities approve fluoridation of local water supplies. [18855]

It is our policy that decisions on fluoridation schemes should be taken locally by strategic health authorities (SHAs), following consultations with the populations they serve. The previous legislation governing fluoridation left water companies responsible for final decisions on fluoridation. The main initiative the Government have taken on fluoridation has been to introduce amending legislation to make SHAs responsible for decisions and to define in greater detail how they should conduct consultations. The Department has also made grants totalling £428,000 over the period 2001–02 to 2005–06 to the British Fluoridation Society to promote the benefits of fluoridation. This forms part of a wider programme of work to improve oral health and reduce oral health inequalities.

The guidance on consultations and ascertaining public opinion is available in the Library. Under this guidance, SHAs are expected to have regard to both the extent of support for the proposal and the cogency of the arguments advanced. Numbers of representations are not to be the sole determinant of the SHA's decision. I am not aware of any primary care trusts in the Surrey and Sussex SHA area that are currently taking steps to promote the fluoridation of the water supply.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will review the provision of services for those with hearing aids at Edgware hospital; and if she will make a statement. [20577]

The Department has invested £125 million into the modernising hearing aid services project since 2000. As a result, from April 2005 all 164 national health service audiology services in England should be routinely fitting digital hearing aids.

The provision of local health services rests with primary care trusts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many individuals in Gravesham suffer from (a) coronary heart disease, (b) stroke and (c) diabetes; and what steps are being taken to reduce the numbers of people suffering from such diseases. [20058]

The number of individuals in Gravesham suffering from coronary heart disease (CHD) and diabetes is collected at primary care trust (PCT) level from the local delivery plan returns. The number of patients diagnosed with CHD identified by practices in Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley PCT is 6,696 and the number of patients with diabetes within the same PCT is 8154. Information on the number of people suffering from strokes is not collected centrally.

The Department has set out plans for tackling CHD, stoke and diabetes in the national service frameworks (NSF for CHD in 2000, stroke as a standard within the NSF for older people in 2001 and NSF for diabetes in 2001.) The Department has convened a vascular programme board to improve co-ordination across, CHD, stroke and diabetes.

The Department's public health campaigns make a significant contribution to reducing the numbers of people suffering from CHD, stroke and diabetes. These include campaigns on smoking and healthy eating, and the Food Standards Agency's campaign on reducing salt consumption.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many centres in England carry out the test for the HER2 protein; what the capacity is of each; and how much each test costs. [20357]

Information on the number and capacity of centres which carry out the test for the HER2 protein is not collected centrally.

HER2 testing kits cost around £40 per patient.

I have asked Professor Mike Richards, the National Cancer Director, to ensure that arrangements are in place to implement HER2 testing in all primary care trusts as quickly as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health

(1) which primary care trusts applied the HER2 test to everyone diagnosed with early breast cancer, prior to her recent announcement on HER2 testing; [20752]

(2) what estimate she has made of the additional cost in this financial year of introducing HER2 tests for early-diagnosed breast cancer patients from October. [20753]

It is estimated that the additional cost to the national health service of expanding HER2 testing is likely to be around £2 million a year.

Information on which primary care trusts applied the HER2 test to everyone diagnosed with early stage breast cancer prior to the recent announcement on HER2 testing is not collected centrally.

I have asked Professor Mike Richards, the National Cancer director, to ensure that arrangements are in place to implement HER2 testing in all primary care trusts as quickly as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in England in each of the last five years for which records are available. [17834]

The information requested is shown in the table.

Number of people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in the United Kingdom in 2000–04

Note:

This data is from reports received by the end of September 2005. However, the surveillance of HIV diagnoses is subject to a time lag because of the time it takes for a report to be completed at the clinic/laboratory and sent to the Health Protection Agency (HPA). This will mean that the number of HIV diagnoses shown in the table for 2004 will rise. To a lesser extent, those shown for 2003 may also rise.

Source:

HPA

To ask the Secretary of State for Health

(1) what estimate she has made of the average amount spent on hospital food per patient per day; and what assessment she has made of whether there is variation in spending in different regions; [18938]

(2) what proportion of total patient main meals in hospitals untouched meals represented in each year from 1997–98. [18943]

The information requested is shown in the table. Data were not collected before 2001–02.

No central assessment is made of spending on main meals in different regions. However, performance indicators on this and related areas are available to all trusts through the estates return information collection system to support local monitoring and decision making.

Data on untouched meals" form part of a wider question on untouched/unserved meals". This includes food delivered to the ward and not served, for example, because a patient has gone home, as well as that served but not eaten.

To ask the Secretary of State for Healthwhat the average cost was of NHS-funded (a) orthopaedic and (b) ophthalmic procedures carried out in (i) NHS and (ii) private healthcare establishments in the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by type. [18912]

The information requested has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the organisations and individuals consulted before the Review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, A Public Consultation was issued; and if she will make a statement. [20698]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 25 October 2005, .Official Report, columns 265–66W

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects the planned stockpiling of anti-viral avian influenza drugs to be complete. [19334]

We placed an order for 14.6 million treatment courses of (oseltamivir) Tamiflu in March 2005. Our delivery schedule indicates that we should have received 2.5 million treatment courses by the end of October, and that our stockpile will be complete by September 2006.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will update the UK influenza pandemic contingency plan to reflect the possibility that a communicable avian influenza strain may emerge in Europe, rather than in China or the Far East. [18075]

The United Kingdom influenza pandemic contingency plan takes into consideration that a flu pandemic may emerge in Europe rather than China or the Far East. A pandemic virus is likely to affect the UK irrespective of where it emerges, and our plan provides a framework to deal with the health impact of a pandemic, and the disruption it may cause to essential services and people's daily lives.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for SouthCambridgeshire of 21 July 2005, Official Report, column 2703W, on the influenza pandemic plan, when the updated UK influenza pandemic contingency plan will be published. [19493]

holding answer 21 October 2005

The revised UK influenza pandemic contingency plan was published on 19 October 2005. This updates the version published in March 2005. The plan is available on the Department's website at:

www.dh.gov.uk/pandemicflu.

Copies have been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding has been allocated to mental health provision in Suffolk in each of the last five years. [19692]

The information is not available in the format requested. However, in 2003–04 and 2004–05, the total mental health spend for all ages in Suffolk was £82 million and £91 million respectively.

Source:

Mental Health Strategies Report

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GP practices offer in-house appointments with a counsellor for those with mental health problems. [18799]

Although the Department does not hold this information centrally, a report published by MACA (the Mental Aftercare Association), now known as Together: Working for Wellbeing, First National GP Survey of Mental Health in Primary Care" (1999) estimated that out of the 1,966 general practitioner practices in England which were surveyed, more than half had attached community psychiatric nurses and counsellors and 10 per cent. had access to a social worker, psychologist and psychiatrist. This report is available online at:

www.together-uk.org/temp/GPspandspmentalsphealth spreport.pdf.

By the end of 2004, 648 graduate workers trained in brief pyschological therapy techniques of proven effectiveness were in place in the primary care mental health workforce, able to help GPs manage and treat common mental health problems in all age groups.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioner practices organise in-house training on mental health. [18800]

This information is not held centrally by the Department. Almost a third of people attending general practitioner (GP) surgeries have mental health problems and mental health occupies approximately one third of a GP's time. Although we are continuing to invest in and improve our services for people with mental health problems at primary and secondary levels, including behavioural as well as drug therapies, GP practices are expected to have a sufficient number of staff who have received appropriate training in mental health issues. In particular, each GP's own training needs will be addressed on an annual basis through the national health service appraisal and personal development process.

It is for each GP practice to decide how it will organise and deliver staff training, working in consultation with its local primary care trust and any appropriate external educational providers.