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4 Jun 2007 : Column 291W—continued
Dyspraxia
David Heyes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many children and young people were diagnosed with dyspraxia in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; [139127]
(2) how many children and young people diagnosed with dyspraxia were referred to mental health services in each of the last five years for which records are available; and what the cost was of the use of mental health services by those people to the NHS. [139129]
Caroline Flint: This information is not available centrally.
Electric Cables: Health Hazards
Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what response she has made to the Stakeholder Advisory Group on Extremely Low Frequency Waves and Electric Magnetic Fields report, “Power lines and Property, wiring in homes and electrical equipment in homes”, with particular reference to the building of new homes and schools near power lines; and if she will make a statement. [139875]
Meg Munn: I have been asked to reply.
Government have sought advice from the Health Protection Agency on the recently published report by the Stakeholder Advisory Group on Extremely Low Frequency Electric and Magnetic Fields. Government
are considering the implications of the report’s conclusions and recommendations and will respond in due course.
Electromagnetic Fields: Health Hazards
Dr. Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the recently-published Stakeholder Advisory Group on Extremely Low Frequency Electric and Magnetic Fields report on precautionary measures to protect the public against exposure to extremely low frequency electric and magnetic fields; and if she will make a statement. [137031]
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what account she takes of public concern in determining suitable precautionary measures on power frequency electric and magnetic fields (EMFs); what mechanism she plans to put in place to assess public opinion on the issues raised by the recently published Stakeholder Advisory Group on Extremely Low Frequency Electric and Magnetic Fields report on precautionary approaches to power frequency EMFs; and if she will make a statement. [137663]
Caroline Flint: The Department notes the publication of the report by the Stakeholder Advisory Group on extremely low frequency electric and magnetic fields and acknowledges the hard work that has gone into its production. The Government will need time to consider the implications of the report’s conclusions and recommendations.
Eyesight: Computers
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of how many people working with visual display units take up their entitlement under the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations (1992) for an eye and eyesight test paid for by their employer. [133737]
Mrs. McGuire: I have been asked to reply.
Research commissioned by the Health and Safety Executive estimated in 1997 that nearly 1 million people in Great Britain had received eye and eyesight tests provided by their employer under these regulations.
Food Standards Agency
Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment she has made of the work of the Food Standards Agency. [113790]
Caroline Flint: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is an independent Government Department set up in 2000 by an Act of Parliament to protect the public’s health and consumer interests in relation to food. Its core values include being open and transparent in the work that it does. It is not subject to an assessment by the Department. However, I hold regular meetings with the FSA to review general matters and the organisation is accountable to Parliament through Ministers by means of an annual report.
Food Standards Agency: Smith Institute
Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) value and (b) purpose was of each payment made by the Food Standards Agency to the Smith Institute since 1997. [136322]
Caroline Flint: The Food Standards Agency made a payment of £10,000 to the Smith Institute in 2006. This was to sponsor a seminar on the Effects of Nutrition in School Attainment.
Food: Hygiene
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will delay the decision on implementation of the Hygiene of Foodstuffs Regulation (EC) number 852/2004. [137325]
Caroline Flint: European Union Regulations are directly applicable law and Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004 has applied in the UK since 1 January 2006.
Food: Labelling
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many investigations into falsely labelled food the Food Standards Agency carried out in each year since 1997. [136770]
Caroline Flint: Investigations into falsely labelled food are not carried out directly by the Food Standards Agency (FSA). The FSA has the overall policy responsibility for food labelling, however the enforcement of the legislation is undertaken by food enforcement officers who are employed by local authorities.
It should be noted that the FSA was not formed until 2000, therefore the information between 1997 and 2000 is not available. The FSA does receive annual returns from food enforcement authorities on the work they carry out. The requested information for the period 2001-06 cannot be broken down specifically to false labelling investigations. However, the following table shows the number of food samples taken formally for both labelling and compositional standards.
| Formal samples | Unsatisfactory samples | Formal samples which lead to legal proceedings | Establishments prosecuted | |
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 May 2007, Official Report, column 585W, on food: labelling, what account was taken of typical portion size in developing the Food Standards Agency’s nutrient profiling model; and if she will make a statement. [138424]
Caroline Flint:
The Food Standards Agency’s nutrient profiling (NP) model has been developed solely as a tool for Ofcom to use to redress the
imbalance of foods high in fat, salt and sugar being advertised to children through television. The issue of portion size was discussed by the expert group which advised the FSA on the development of the model, an independently chaired academic workshop and the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition. Each concluded that using a per portion approach would introduce several difficulties since serving sizes and consumption patterns are an individual matter and cannot be standardised.
The FSA’s nutrient profiling (NP) model has not been developed to provide dietary advice or used in labelling.
General Practitioners
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of GP practices in each English constituency have closed their lists to new patients. [138069]
Andy Burnham: The results for the primary care access survey, February 2007, show that in England 214 practices have been reported as having closed lists, this represents 2.5 per cent, of the total.
The Department does not collect or hold this information broken down by constituency but the following table shows these data by strategic health authority (SHA) and primary care trust (PCT). The data were collected in February 2007.
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