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Breast Milk Substitutes
Lynne
Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for
Health what surveys she has (a) commissioned and (b)
evaluated into (i) the perception of pregnant women and women with
young children on advertising of
breast milk substitute and (ii) the ability of consumers to distinguish
between infant and follow-on breast milk substitutes.
[81528]
Caroline Flint: The Department commissioned a survey of pregnant women and women with young children in August 2005 to establish whether there was any confusion among consumers relating to advertising of follow-on formula milks.
The results of the survey suggest that there is some confusion among consumers. Of the total respondents surveyed 39 per cent., stated they had seen infant formula advertising, rather than follow-on formula, which is not allowed under European Union law.
Cadbury Schweppes (Chocolate Contamination)
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when Cadbury Schweppes plc first became aware of the risk of contamination of its chocolate at its plant near Leominster; when tests first confirmed the existence of salmonella in its production; when the company first notified (a) the Food Standards Agency and (b) her Department of the (i) risk and (ii) tests results; what requirements are placed on food companies to report such potential contamination; what penalties may be imposed on them for failing to do so in a timely manner; and if she will make a statement. [81092]
Caroline Flint: Cadbury’s Schweppes plc first informed the Food Standards Agency (FSA) on19 June 2006 that, in relation to the current incident, they had detected Salmonella contamination of products from their Marlbrook plant in January 2006. The FSA relayed the information to my Department.
Information subsequently provided by the company indicated that contamination of its products with Salmonella Montevideo had been identified in April 2002, but these products were destroyed.
Since 1 January 2005, food businesses operators have been required to inform the competent authorities if they consider, or have reason to believe, that a food which they have imported, produced, processed, manufactured or distributed, is not in compliance with the food safety requirements as set out in article 14 of EC regulation 178/2002.
Under the General Food Regulations 2004, the maximum penalties for not informing the competent authorities as above are two years imprisonment, an unlimited fine, or both.
Care Costs
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost was of delivering an episode of care in (a) 1979, (b) 1997 and (c) the most recent period for which figures are available, at constant prices. [76948]
Caroline Flint: The average cost of delivering an episode of care allowing for health pay and price inflation is shown in the table:
| Cost per episode (£) | |
A patient admitted to hospital is assigned to a practitioner responsible for their treatment. This period of care is termed an episode.
There are no data available for 1979.
Information is not available on a comparable basis after 2003-04.
Care Homes
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) nursing and (b) residential care homes there were in the London borough of Bexley in (i) 1997, (ii) 2001 and (iii) 2005. [78067]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Information on the number of homes was collected by the Department for the years 1997 and 2001. The table shows the number of residential and nursing care homes in Bexley, as at31 March, in 1997 and 2001.
| Number of residential and nursing care homes in Bexley, as at 31 March, 1997 and 2001 | ||
| Rounded data | ||
| 1997 | 2001 | |
| (1
)Residential data are for Bexley authority. (2)
Nursing data in 1997 are for Bexley health authority, whereas nursing
data for 2001 are for the Bexley and Greenwich health authority. This
followed a merger of the two Health authorities Bexley and Greenwich
health authority; the number of nursing homes in Greenwich was not
recorded in 1997. (3) Nursing data include places in
general nursing homes, mental nursing homes and private hospitals and
clinics. (4) Totals may not equal the sum of parts
due to rounding Sources: Department of Health
RA and RH(N)
returns. | ||
The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) produces data on the number of care homes and places registered as at 31 March each year, beginning with 2003. There are some definitional differences between these data and those for years up to 2001.
I understand from the chair of CSCI that, as at31 March 2005, there were four nursing and 29 residential care homes in Bexley local authority. I am informed by CSCI that the reduction in numbers is due to several factors:
Since 2001, 20 homes in Bexley have de-registered.
Data collected up until 2001 by the Department included private hospitals and clinics, which were counted as nursing homes. These are now registered by the Healthcare Commission and are not included in data on care and nursing home numbers produced by CSCI.
Bexley local authority covers a smaller area than the Bexley and Greenwich health authority.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which organisations (a) inspect and (b) regulate the care home sector. [79673]
Mr.
Ivan Lewis: The Commission for Social Care Inspection
(CSCI), as the independent inspectorate for
all social care services in England, is the statutory body which
inspects and regulates the care home sector. CSCI took over the
regulation and inspection of care homes in England from the National
Care Standards Commission (NCSC) on 1 April 2004, under powers given to
it under the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards)
Act 2003.
Independent healthcare providers in England, including independent nursing homes where care is provided by medical practitioners, must be registered with the Healthcare Commission. To register, they need to demonstrate compliance with the Care Standards Act 2000 and associated regulations.
Care homes are also subject to inspection and regulation by bodies such as local authority environmental health departments, the fire services and the Health and Safety Executive.
Carers
Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the financial cost saving to her Department of voluntary carers in the last year for which figures are available. [82159]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: This Government recognise the valuable and vital role played by the estimated 6 million carers in the United Kingdom. The Government have made no estimate of the savings to public funds resulting from the activities of people who provide care on a voluntary basis.
Carers Champion
Dr. Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent discussions she has had with carers’ organisations on their proposal for a carers’ champion within Government; and if she will make a statement; [82642]
(2) what recent discussions she has had with the Welsh Assembly Government on the implementation of the Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act 2004 in Wales; and if she will make a statement; [82643]
(3) what recent discussions she has had with the Welsh Assembly Government on its decision to appoint a carers champion within government and the implications of that decision in England; and if she will make a statement; [82644]
(4) whether she has made an assessment of the policy towards carers in other EU countries; and if she will make a statement. [82645]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: This Government have noted the call for the establishment of such a post but we believe that existing national directors, for example in relation to social care, older people and disease specific groups such as cancer and diabetes, should already be taking the needs of carers into account.
In addition, we believe it is more appropriate that local health and social care professionals work together to support carers locally. This is why, in the White Paper, we encourage councils and primary care trusts to nominate leads for carers’ services.
We have not made an assessment of the policy towards carers in other European Union countries neither have we had any discussions with the Welsh Assembly Government on the implementation of the Carers Equal Opportunities Act of 2004 in Wales.
Children (Medical Procedures)
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which types of medical procedure may be provided to children under 16 years of age by a medical practitioner (a) without the consent of their parent or guardian and (b) where such consent can be waived by the medical practitioner; and if she will make a statement. [80195]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Valid consent to treatment is central to all forms of healthcare, from providing personal care to undertaking major surgery. If a young person has the capacity to give consent for themselves then health professionals should seek consent directly from them. If a young person does not have capacity then consent should be sought from someone with parental responsibility.
In cases of life threatening emergency where consultation with a person with parental responsibility is impossible, the courts have stated that doubt should be resolved in favour of the preservation of life. In such cases a health professional could undertake treatment to preserve life or prevent serious damage to health without consent.
Community Hospitals
Mr. Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans the Government have to make extra funding available to NHS trusts to prevent the closure of community hospitals. [58921]
Andy
Burnham: Revenue allocations are made directly to primary
care trusts (PCTs) and not to national health service trusts. The
allocations are determined on the basis of the relative needs of
PCTs’ populations. On 9 February 2005, PCTs were informed
of their revenue allocations up to 2007-08. The 2006-07 and 2007-08
revenue allocations represent £135 billion investment in the
NHS, £64 billion to PCTs in 2006-07 and £70 billion in
2007-08. The Department has no plans to make extra funding available to
PCTs.
As outlined in the recently published White Paper “Our Health, our care, our say”: a new direction for community services, the Department aims to provide more care in more local and convenient settings. This will partially be achieved by introducing a new generation of community hospitals and the Department published “Our health, our care, our community: investing in the future of community hospitals and services” on 5 July which describes how the Department intends to invest up to £750 million over the next five years in a new generation of community hospitals.
Correspondence
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire of 31 May, about the NHS dental contract. [81450]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The letter was replied to on 26 June 2006.
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