15/02/2008 - Answers issued to Members on 15 February 2008

Answers issued to Members on 15 February 2008

[R] signifies that the Member has declared an interest.
[W] signifies that the question was tabled in Welsh.

Contents

Questions to the Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills

Questions to the Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing

Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services

Questions to the Minister for Heritage

Questions to the Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills

Angela Burns (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire): How many deaf children aged 18 or under are educated in a) nursery, b) primary and c) secondary school systems in Wales? (WAQ51237)

The Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (Jane Hutt): The numbers of pupils identified as having a special educational need as a result of hearing impairment (as the single major special need identified) are shown in the following table:

Questions to the Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing

Nick Ramsay (Monmouth): What assessment has the Minister made of the impact that the proposed closure of HM Revenue and Customs’ Valuation Office in Newport will have on the environment, through increased travel by employees? (WAQ51205)

The Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing (Jane Davidson): None. The decision is a matter for the UK Government.

Darren Millar (Clwyd West): Which local authorities in Wales have ceased weekly collections of residual household rubbish according to records held by (a) the Welsh Assembly Government and (b) the Welsh office of the Waste and Resources Action Programme? (WAQ51212)

Jane Davidson: All local authorities in Wales maintain regular and comprehensive waste collection services for their residents. Eight local authorities in Wales have introduced fortnightly collections of residual waste to at least some of the households in their areas alongside alternate collections of recyclable and compostable materials. They are: Conwy, Denbighshire, Newport, Torfaen, Wrexham, the Isle of Anglesey, Gwynedd and Carmarthenshire. Other local authorities in Wales are also considering enhancing their collection services in this way.

I also refer you to my answer to WAQ51189 on 11 February.

WRAP (the Waste and Resources Action Programme) does not keep records of individual local authority services.

Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services

Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire): Will the Minister detail what provisions are available for home care at night for elderly people in Pembrokeshire? (WAQ51234)

The Minister for Health and Social Services (Edwina Hart): The legal responsibility for assessing needs and for planning and commissioning local home care services rests with individual local authorities in collaboration with their health service partners. The provision of home care services at night is a matter for local commissioning decisions that take into account the needs of the local population and resources available.

Angela Burns (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire): How many deaf children aged 18 or under have been recorded as being domiciled in Wales in each year since 1999? (WAQ51235)

Angela Burns (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire): How many deaf children aged 18 or under are domiciled in Wales? (WAQ51236)

Edwina Hart: Information is not held centrally on the numbers of deaf children living in Wales.

Jonathan Morgan (Cardiff North): How many Welsh patients were treated in English hospitals in the most recent year for when figures are available and will the Minister provide an annual breakdown of this figure over the last eight years? (WAQ51239)

Edwina Hart: This information is available on the Health Solutions Wales internet site—Welsh Health Information and Statistics

http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sites3/home.cfm?orgid=527, within the Hospital Data online section and the Headline Figures section.

This gives Welsh Residents Treated in Non-Welsh Trusts (Finished Consultant Episodes) and the information is available for a number of years up to 2005-06. Data are due to be updated shortly for 2006-07.

Jonathan Morgan (Cardiff North): How many specialist renal units operate in Wales and how does this figure compare per capita to the same figure in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland? (WAQ51240)

Edwina Hart: In Wales there are 5 main renal units (Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham, Rhyl and Bangor) and 7 subsidiary units (5 linked to Cardiff and 2 to Swansea). Per capita, this number of renal units is comparable with Scotland, slightly lower than Northern Ireland and slightly higher than England.

However, in Wales, the Renal Networks are planning expansion of dialysis capacity using a comprehensive assessment of disease prevalence, patient demography and journey time, not just population numbers. In addition, the Renal Networks are working to increase the number of patients receiving dialysis in their own homes.

Jonathan Morgan (Cardiff North): How many people are employed by the Assembly Government Health Department and NHS Wales in an administrative or non-clinical role compared to the number employed in clinical positions? (WAQ51241)

Edwina Hart: Information on the numbers and whole-time equivalents of staff directly employed by the NHS by area of work can be found on the StatsWales website.

With regard to the number of people employed by the Assembly Government Health Department I refer you to my answer to Nicholas Bourne’s question of 4 February on WAQ 51080. I attach a link to the record: http://www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/bus-chamber/bus-chamber-third-assembly-written.htm?act=dis&id=74261&ds=2/2008#rhif5

Jonathan Morgan (Cardiff North): Will the Minister provide a) a total revenue figure from car parking charges across Welsh hospitals, b) a breakdown of the trusts where those revenues have originated and c) a total figure for fines imposed in those car parks? (WAQ51243)

Edwina Hart: Information on car parking charges in hospitals in Wales is not generally collated by the Welsh Assembly Government. NHS Trusts are responsible for the operational aspects of parking charges at their hospitals.

Car Parking - Income 2006/07

Source: Estate and Facilities Performance Management System (EFPMS)

(a) Income from staff: Annual gross income in £s from all staff parking spaces within the organisations grounds

(b) Income from visitors/patients: Annual gross income in £s from all visitors parking spaces within the organisation’s grounds

Jonathan Morgan (Cardiff North): Will the Minister make a statement on the Assembly Government’s current and planned future policy of allowing Welsh patients to access treatment a) in England and b) generally outside Wales? (WAQ51244)

Edwina Hart: There are no proposals to change the current arrangements.

Jonathan Morgan (Cardiff North): Will the Minister provide a breakdown of annual LHB debt, broken down by area since their creation? (WAQ51245)

Edwina Hart: This information is available in the audited accounts of LHBs in Wales.

Irene James (Islwyn): What is the Welsh Assembly Government doing to improve paediatric care? (WAQ51249)

Edwina Hart: I have asked Dr Huw Jenkins, Director of Healthcare Services for Children and Young People to establish an Expert Advisory Group on Paediatric Services in Wales.

Nick Ramsay (Monmouth): How many patients are currently awaiting treatment for cancer in Wales? (WAQ51252)

Edwina Hart: I am advised by Statistical Directorate that at the end of December 2007, NHS trusts reported that there were 695 newly diagnosed cancer patients who had not yet received first definitive treatment. This figure includes all patients who have waited any length of time.

Nick Ramsay (Monmouth): Will the Minister make a statement on the provision of chiropody services under the NHS in Wales? (WAQ51253)

Edwina Hart: Provision of podiatry services is a matter for local determination. Most local health services, including podiatry, are at present the responsibility of the local health board. These boards must assess the needs of their local area and working with NHS Trusts, the voluntary sector and others, plan and prioritise their health services through their health, social care and wellbeing strategies to meet that need within the resources available.

Nick Ramsay (Monmouth): Will the Minister make a statement on the funding made available, through her department, for supporting people with multiple sclerosis? (WAQ51269)

Edwina Hart: The majority of services are commissioned by Health Commission Wales. This information is not readily available and will take some time to collate. My officials are therefore working with Health Commission Wales and I will write to you with this information shortly.

Information on spending on services for people with multiple sclerosis that are funded through LHB discretionary allocations is not held centrally.

Nick Ramsay (Monmouth): What assessment has the Minister made of the South Wales Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre? (WAQ51270)

Edwina Hart: My understanding is that the South Wales Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre is a charitably funded organisation that provides therapeutic support for patients. The centre is registered with Healthcare Inspectorate Wales.

Voluntary organisations such as the MS Society Therapy Centre can play an important role in improving the services for the MS community in Wales.

Nick Bourne (Mid and West Wales): Will the Minister provide details of the number of a) NHS hospitals, and b) NHS hospital wards which have closed in Wales in each year since 1999? (WAQ51276)

Edwina Hart: There is no formal mechanism for informing the Assembly Government that a hospital or ward has closed.

Data are not collated centrally by the Assembly Government on ward closures. During the lifetime of a hospital (e.g. possibly a number of decades) the service profile will change and affect the ward numbers. Equally ward numbers often change in response to short term operational issues such as staffing numbers, refurbishments or temporary service changes.

Jonathan Morgan (Cardiff North): What has been the cost of free prescriptions this year since the introduction of universal free prescriptions and will the Minister give an annual breakdown of this figure over the last eight years? (WAQ51277)

Edwina Hart: This information is not collated by the Welsh Assembly Government. I will write to you further on this matter.

Jonathan Morgan (Cardiff North): What assessment or audit does NHS Wales or the Welsh Assembly Government make of wasted prescription medicines provided free in Wales? (WAQ51278)

Edwina Hart: The Welsh Assembly Government does not undertake assessments of wasted prescription medicines. Many local health boards have undertaken work to estimate the amount of medicines wasted through an evaluation of a sample of the medicines returned to community pharmacies. NHS trusts may also make occasional estimates of waste based on a sample of the medicines returned to their hospital pharmacies.

Jonathan Morgan (Cardiff North): What has been the volume and cost of un-used or wasted prescriptions since the introduction of universal free prescriptions and will the Minister give a detailed annual breakdown of these figures over the last eight years? (WAQ51279)

Edwina Hart: I am advised that it is not possible to collect this information.

Jonathan Morgan (Cardiff North): How many prescriptions have been issued in Wales since the introduction of universal free prescriptions and will the Minister provide an annual breakdown of this figure over the last eight years? (WAQ51280)

Edwina Hart: This information isn’t collated by the Welsh Assembly Government but Health Solutions Wales has provided the information in the spreadsheet attached.

The majority of Welsh prescriptions are dispensed in Wales but some are dispensed in England, hence the reference to England and Wales in the data.

Number of Items Prescribed in Wales and Dispensed in the Community (England and Wales)

Jonathan Morgan (Cardiff North): Will the Minister detail the 25 most frequently prescribed medicines in Wales? (WAQ51281)

Edwina Hart: This information is not collated by the Welsh Assembly Government but Health Solutions Wales has provided the information below.

The information relates to the top 25 most frequently prescribed medicines in Wales from April 2006 to March 2007.

Top 25 most frequently prescribed Preparations issued in Wales: April 2006 to March 2007

Description

Aspirin Solb_Tab 75mg

Bendroflumethiazide_Tab 2.5mg

Salbutamol_Inha 100mcg (200 D) Cff

Simvastatin_Tab 40mg

Simvastatin_Tab 20mg

Paracet_Tab 500mg

Frusemide_Tab 40mg

Omeprazole_Cap E/c 20mg

Atenolol_Tab 50mg

Levothyrox Sod_Tab 100mcg

Amlodipine_Tab 5mg

Metformin Hcl_Tab 500mg

Levothyrox Sod_Tab 50mcg

Co-Codamol_Tab 8mg/500mg

Co-Codamol_Tab 30mg/500mg

Lansoprazole_Cap 15mg (E/C Gran)

Levothyrox Sod_Tab 25mcg

Lansoprazole_Cap 30mg (E/C Gran)

Co-Dydramol_Tab 10mg/500mg

Atorvastatin_Tab 20mg

Atorvastatin_Tab 10mg

Citalopram Hydrob_Tab 20mg

Amoxycillin_Cap 250mg

Diclofenac Sod_Tab E/c 50mg

Atenolol_Tab 25mg

Jonathan Morgan (Cardiff North): How many nurse prescribers are there in Wales and will the Minister give an annual breakdown of this figure over the last eight years? (WAQ51282)

Edwina Hart: This information is not collated by the Welsh Assembly Government, however Health Solutions Wales have provided the necessary information in the table below.

Number of nurses registering with Health Solutions Wales to Prescribe in Primary Care (2000- 08)

Notes

1. The above figures exclude nurses who prescribe in hospitals in Wales. This information is not held centrally.

2. Some nurse prescribers may be included in more than one column e.g. a nurse supplementary prescriber may also be a nurse prescriber (practice and community), and/or a nurse independent prescriber.

Jonathan Morgan (Cardiff North): What is the per capita funding for each LHB in this financial year and what was it for each financial year since the LHBs were established? (WAQ51283)

Edwina Hart: The Welsh Assembly Government does not collate the information requested in this format.

Jonathan Morgan (Cardiff North): Does the General Medical Services allocation formula use registered or resident population counts? (WAQ51284)

Edwina Hart: The global sum element of the general medical services contract allocation is the only element directly related to registered population. The other elements of the allocation are largely based on historic funding levels adjusted for contractually agreed changes.

Jonathan Morgan (Cardiff North): Will the Minister set a date for renewing the general medical services allocation formula? (WAQ51285)

Edwina Hart: The formula for funding of general medical services was negotiated as part of the new contract in 2003. A UK review of the formula was conducted by Health Departments, NHS employers and BMA General Practitioners Committee in 2006.

One of the recommendations of the Audit Committee report 'Review of the General Medical Services Contract in Wales’ was the phasing out of the minimum practice income guarantee within five years. I am committed through negotiation between the four Health Departments and BMA to addressing the removal of MPIG and the fair distribution of practice funding.

Jonathan Morgan (Cardiff North): Since August 2007 what discussions have taken place between your officials and Cardiff LHB on the subject of enhanced services? (WAQ51286)

Edwina Hart: Officials meet with Cardiff LHB to discuss primary care issues on a regular quarterly basis. As part of these discussions enhanced services provision did feature. In particular Cardiff LHB’s decision not to continue commissioning services for mental health and learning disabilities as local enhanced services was discussed. This situation was resolved with the agreement of GPC Wales to a package of directed enhanced services in November that included these two services.

Jonathan Morgan (Cardiff North): How many 'black triangle’ drugs are currently available on prescription in Wales and will the Minister provide a list? (WAQ51287)

Edwina Hart: A list of all 'black triangle’ drugs for the United Kingdom can be found on the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency website: www.mhra.gov.uk

Jonathan Morgan (Cardiff North): How many 'black triangle’ drugs have been subsequently withdrawn from use in Wales in the last year and will the Minister give an annual detail of this figure for the last eight years? (WAQ51288)

Edwina Hart: This information is held by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency who determine whether medicines need to be withdrawn from use.

Questions to the Minister for Heritage

Nick Ramsay (Monmouth): What assessment has the Minister made of the impact the Severn crossing tolls have had on tourism in Wales? (WAQ51255)

The Minister for Heritage (Rhodri Glyn Thomas): No assessment of this type has been undertaken or commissioned by the Welsh Assembly Government or the former Wales Tourist Board.