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11 Mar 2003 : Column 239W—continued
Meat Imports
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many instances there have been since January 2003
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of the detection of nitrofuran in poultry meat imported from Brazil; and what steps have been taken to respond to these. [101572]
Ms Blears: Since January 2003, nitrofuran residues have been detected in three consignments of poultry meat imported from Brazil. In each case the consignment was destroyed.
Milk Tokens
David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the likely impact on children's health of the proposal to remove the daily one pint milk token for low income families with children under five. [102430]
Ms Blears: The proposals for the reform of the Welfare Food Scheme are underpinned by the evidence of the scientific review undertaken by the Panel on Child and Maternal Nutrition of the Committee on the Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy (COMA) in 1999. The review concluded that the scheme does not meet the wider nutritional needs of pregnant women, mothers and young children due to its reliance solely upon milk provisions.
The reform proposals, which were published for consultation in October 2002, involve broadening the range of foods under the scheme to include fruit, vegetables, and cereal-based foods, in addition to milk.
Mixed-sex Wards
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which hospital trusts in England operate mixed-sex wards. [92537]
Mr. Hutton: I refer the hon. Member to the statement I made on 14 January 2003, Official Report, column 24WS.
We have no plans to publish the names of trusts which have or have not met the standards for mixed-sex accommodation set in January 1997.
MRI Scanners (Animals)
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has issued guidelines on the use of MRI scanners on animals; and if he will make a statement. [101208]
Ms Blears: The Department has not issued specific guidelines on the use of national health service Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanners on animals, but the local rules of any MRI unit would ensure that scanning of animals did not contravene either health and safety or infection control policies.
The Medical Devices Agency publication, "Guidelines for Magnetic Resonance Equipment in Clinical Use (Dec-02)", is available to all NHS hospitals and these guidelines cover important aspects of MRI equipment in clinical use, with specific reference to safety.
Scanning of animals is very rarely undertaken in most NHS hospitals, but when it does occur, it usually takes place outside of routine working hours so that patient lists are not in any way disrupted.
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Multiple Clinical Symptoms
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what help is available to diagnose and prevent people suffering from multiple clinical symptoms. [97044]
Ms Blears: General medical practitioners are the first point of contact for most people seeking help with symptoms of ill health, regardless of their number or cause. Decisions about treatment or onward referral are then taken in the light of an individualised assessment of needs, the evidence for effective treatment, the wishes of the patient and the resources available.
National Programme for IT
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the recommendations and conclusions of the report commissioned by the Department of Health to assess the capacity of the supplier market in relation to the National Programme for IT. [102080]
Ms Blears [holding answer 10 March 2003]: I refer the hon. Member to the response I gave him on Thursday 6 March, Official Report, columns 1213–14W.
NHS Consultants
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with the National Assembly for Wales' Secretary for Health concerning NHS consultants' contracts in Wales. [101425]
Mr. Hutton: Following the announcement of the British Medical Association referendum on 31 October 2002, no direct discussions have taken place between my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State and the Minister for Health and Social Services in the National Assembly for Wales.
However, officials from the four United Kingdom Health Departments have continued to keep in contact to ensure that developments in each country take place within a consistent framework based on the original objectives of contract reform, namely to provide better rewards for consultants who give most to the National Health Service and to support service reform.
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with the BMA concerning NHS consultants' contracts in Wales. [101426]
Mr. Hutton: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State has had no discussions with the British Medical Association concerning consultants' contracts in Wales. This is a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.
NHS Finance
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the budget overspend was in each year since 1997 in each NHS trust in England. [96096]
Mr. Hutton: The information requested has been placed in the Library.
NHS Fraud
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimates he has made of the level of fraud in the NHS. [102135]
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Mr. Hutton: The National Health Service Counter Fraud Service (NHS CFS) has an ongoing programme of risk measurement exercises designed to reveal levels of losses and, through repeated exercises, reduction in such losses. Phase one of these exercises concentrated on patient fraud. The following table detail the results.
Phase two of the programme will focus on contractor fraud within the NHS. As the measurement programme extends, it will enable NHS CFS to accurately assess the totality of NHS fraud.
| Year data selected | Fraud losses |
|---|---|
| 1998–99 | 117 |
| 1999–2000 | 69 |
| Dental patient fraud | |
| 1999–2000 | 40.3 |
| 2000–01 | 30 |
| Optical Patient Fraud | |
| 1999–2000 | 13.25 |
| 2001–02 | 10.17 |
Total patient fraud losses have reduced from approximately £170 million to £109.17 million per year, a reduction of 36 per cent., since the creation of NHS CFS in 1998.
NHS Funding
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what basis his Department requires each NHS trust to submit a year-end cash balance that equates to the opening balance when the trust was established. [100708]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 5 March 2003]: Section 9(1) of the NHS and Community Care Act 1990, as amended by section 15 of the 1999 Health Act, requires each national health service trust to be set up with originating capital. This must be an amount that represents the excess of the value of the assets transferred to the trust over the value of the liabilities transferred. Originating capital takes
the form of public dividend capital.
Under section 9(7) of the NHS and Community Care Act 1990, the Secretary of State may, with the consent of Her Majesty's Treasury, determine the terms on which public dividend capital is issued. In accordance with a Determination made on 16 November 1999, the Secretary of State may require payments from the NHS trust in discharge of part (but not all) of its initial public dividend capital and in respect of all of its additional public dividend capital.
In practice, capital repayments of public dividend capital are required, where appropriate, to reduce excess end of year cash balances to an acceptable level. Repayment is generally required where an end of year cash balance is forecast to exceed 0.3 per cent. of turnover. There is no specific requirement to reduce cash balances to the level when the trust was established.
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to (a) earmark, (b) hypothecate and (c) ring-fence funding for NHS Trusts. [97395]
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Mr. Hutton: Revenue allocations to primary care trusts (PCTs) for 2003–04 to 2005–06 were announced on 11 December 2002. None of the growth money has been identified for specific purposes. PCTs will be able to use these extra resources to deliver on both national and local priorities.
National health service trusts receive the bulk of their revenue funding from commissioning by primary care trusts. The remainder is linked to contracts for medical staff education services and for research and development.
Smoking
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS hospitals operate a no smoking policy; and what steps the Government are taking to reduce smoking on all NHS sites. [100946]
Ms Blears: No data is held centrally on this issue but many national health service trusts have already banned smoking in their hospitals and hospital grounds and the Government have set milestones for implementing smoking policies across the NHS as part of the national service framework on coronary heart disease.
The Government are currently considering measures they can take to obtain a clear and up-to-date picture of the current situation across the NHS and to assist in determining what further action should be taken.
Any decisions on further action will need to be taken against the background that the purchase and smoking of cigarettes is not illegal in this country.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what policy his Department has adopted on smoking in the workplace. [100938]
Ms Blears: The Department recently reviewed its internal policy on smoking in the workplace. With effect from 1 April 2003, smoking will not be allowed anywhere within buildings which the Department manages.
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