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Waiting Times
Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the longest waiting time for any patient currently waiting for an orthopaedic operation at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral. [50241]
Mr. Milburn: We are advised that, at present, the longest time that any patient has to wait for an orthopaedic operation at Wirral Hospital (comprising Arrowe Park and Clatterbridge hospitals) is twelve months from the date of being placed on the waiting list. This assumes that the patient is medically fit to undergo an operation.
Asthma
Mr. Barnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the national average, expressed as a percentage, of children with asthma-related illnesses; what is the equivalent figure in Derbyshire; and if he will make a statement. [50205]
Ms Jowell: There are no comprehensive data on the number of children with asthma or related conditions. On the basis of all the information available, it has been estimated that
- "the prevalence of asthma sufficiently severe to require regular medical supervision is from 4-6 per cent. in children".
This estimate is quoted in "Asthma: An Epidemiological Overview" (Central Health Monitoring Unit, 1995), which brought together a broad range of the best statistics on asthma. Copies are available in the Library.
According to the report of the Health Survey for England 1996, which was published in January 1998, 21 per cent. of children at some time in the past had been diagnosed as suffering from asthma. Copies of this report are also available in the Library. Similarly, in a study of asthma in Great Britain among children aged 12 to 14 years, carried out as part of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood, and also published in January in the "British Medical Journal", 20 per cent. of the children surveyed had had a diagnosis of asthma at some time.
The equivalent figures for Derbyshire are not available centrally.
14 Jul 1998 : Column: 158
Mr. Barnes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received concerning section 64 funding; and if he will make a statement. [50221]
Ms Jowell:
The Department receives contact from hundreds of voluntary organisations each year about the section 64 general scheme of grants in a variety of respects. For the 1998-99 grants round, over 700 grant applications were made. In addition to this, we regularly receive feedback from over 400 voluntary organisations throughout the year about progress of their work for which grants have been awarded. We also receive a wide range of general inquiries about the scheme.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received concerning the needs of those who have received radiotherapy mis-dosage; and if he will make a statement. [50360]
Ms Jowell:
Representations have been made by Radiotherapy Action Group Exposure (RAGE), and the Coalition for Unity in Radiotherapy Advice and Guidance (COU-RAGE). These are mutual support groups which have met Ministers and the Chief Medical Officer on several occasions to discuss concerns of their members who have suffered adverse effects following radiotherapy treatment for breast cancer and gynaecological cancers respectively.
The following action has been taken to help women with damage as a result of radiotherapy for breast cancer:
With regard to those suffering adverse effects following pelvic radiotherapy for gynaecological cancers, a working group, which included representatives from a number of Royal Colleges, voluntary organisations and the Department, was set up in 1996 to consider the preparation of patient information material concerning possible adverse effects following pelvic radiotherapy and to raise awareness generally. The first booklet was published this year. A sub-group is devising guidelines for health professionals on the care of women suffering adverse effects as a result of pelvic radiotherapy and it is anticipated that further patient information material will follow on from that.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimates he has made of the long-term cost of private finance of new hospitals relative to the equivalent costs through the public sector. [50378]
14 Jul 1998 : Column: 159
Mr. Milburn:
The full business case (FBC) for each scheme compares the long-term costs of providing the facility using the private finance with the equivalent cost of using public funding. In order to be approved, the FBC must demonstrate that private finance initiative offers better or comparable value for money to the publicly funded alternative. Standard investment techniques are used in the FBC to determine the long-term costs of both options.
Mr. Barnes:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what has been the cost of the maintenance of Century House since June 1996; and what plans there are for the building. [50187]
Mr. Kilfoyle:
Responsibility for this matter has been delegated under the terms of the Framework Document to the Property Advisers to the Civil Estate. I have asked its Chief Executive, Mr. John Locke, to write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from John C. Locke to Mr. Harry Barnes, dated July 1998:
Mr. Sanders:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is his Department's average response time to correspondence from members of the public; and how such response times are monitored. [48664]
Mr. Kilfoyle:
Information is not readily available in the form requested, but one of the six service standards for central government (often known as the Whitehall standards) requires all departments and agencies to set a target for answering letters from the public and to publish information on their performance against it. A report on the performance of the main department and agencies against the six standards is being prepared and will be placed in the Library of the House shortly. This will be the first time such information has been made available. It shows our commitment to open government and to reporting transparently on our performance.
Sir George Young:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on what occasions (a) he, (b) the Parliamentary Secretary and (c) his special advisers have met representatives of (i) GPC Market Access, (ii) Lawson Lucas Mendelsohn and (iii) GJW Government Relations since 1 May 1997; who these representatives were; and what was discussed at the meetings. [50556]
14 Jul 1998 : Column: 160
Dr. David Clark:
Ministers, their special advisers and other civil servants meet many people in the course of their work. This properly includes meetings with interest groups outside Government; indeed one of the specific functions of special advisers is to liaise with such interest groups. This liaison is intended to help Ministers draw upon outside contributions--from academics, think-tanks, trade and industry associations, trade unions, lobby groups and others, as well as relevant experience from other countries--during the process of policy analysis and development. By convention, it is not the practice of governments to make information on such meetings or their content publicly available--a principle reflected in the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information published in January 1997. Special advisers and other civil servants must observe the requirements of propriety: for instance, they must not provide confidential information without authorisation or allow improper influence on policy. Any breach of these requirements could be a disciplinary offence.
in May 1994 the Department issued guidance entitled "Quality Assurance in Radiotherapy--A Quality Management System for Radiotherapy";
the Royal College of Radiologists, at the Department's request, convened a small group of professionals and lay people in autumn 1994 to consider guidelines for care of women who have suffered tissue damage following radiotherapy for breast cancer. This report was issued to the National Health Service by the Department in October 1995;
the Royal College of Radiologists carried out a confidential clinical review of 126 women who had suffered injury following radiotherapy treatment for breast cancer at 15 centres in the period 1980-1993. The report published in 1995 makes recommendations on the management of breast cancer, particularly on radiotherapy, and for further research.
The Parliamentary Secretary of the Office of Public Service has asked me to reply to your Parliamentary Question concerning Century House.
The building became the responsibility of Property Advisers to the Civil Estate from 1 April 1996 and the freehold was sold on 9 December 1997.
The cost of maintenance from 1 June 1996 until the date of sale was £224,186 including fees and VAT.
As the sale was on an unconditional basis, we are unaware of the purchasers' present plans for the building but believe that residential use is proposed.
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