HC Deb 28 November 2001 vol 375 cc986-8W
Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress towards the Public Service Agreement target of a reduction in the death rate from cancer amongst people aged under 75 years by at least 20 per cent. by 2010 [14890]

Jacqui Smith

Latest available data (for the three years 1998–2000) overlap the start of Our Healthier Nation health strategy, in which the mortality target was set, in July 1999. It is therefore too early yet to assess the effects of the strategy. However, movement to date is towards the target. Data for 1998–2000 (three-year average) show a rate of 130.9 deaths per 100,000 population, a reduction of 6.3 per cent. from the baseline (1995–97).

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress towards meeting the public service agreement target of a reduction in the death rate among people aged under 75 years by at least 40 per cent. by 2010. [14889]

Jacqui Smith

This target is to reduce deaths from coronary heart disease and stroke and related diseases in people under age 75. The latest available data (for the three years 1998–2000) overlap the start of the Our Healthier Nation health strategy in July 1999 and the publication of the National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease in March 2000. It is too early yet to assess the effects of these strategies. However, movement to date is towards the target. Data for 1998–2000 (three-year average) show a rate of 120.5 deaths per 100,000 population—a reduction of 13.7 per cent. from the baseline (1995–97).

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on success in meeting the public service agreement target for procurement savings by NHS trusts in 2000–01. [14901]

Mr. Hutton

All national health service trusts achieved procurement savings of 3 per cent. for the financial year 2000–01.

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress towards meeting the public service agreement target that everyone with suspected cancer should be able to see a specialist within two weeks of his or her GP deciding that there is a need to do so. [14949]

Jacqui Smith

Good progress has been made towards meeting the public service agreement target that everyone with suspected cancer should be able to see a specialist within two weeks of urgent referral. In the period April to June this year 92.4 per cent. of all urgent general practitioner referrals for suspected cancer were seen within two weeks. Since April 1999 more than 186,000 women with suspected breast cancer have benefited by being seen within two weeks and over the period January to June 2001 over 114,000 people urgently referred with suspected cancer were seen by a specialist within two weeks.

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress towards meeting the public service agreement target for the reduction of levels of staff absence due to sickness and injury caused by violence. [14912]

Mr. Hutton

The national baseline figure for sickness absence levels in the national health service, set in an exercise carried out in 1999, was 4.9 per cent. The Department is currently analysing data collected earlier this year to monitor progress in meeting the public service agreement target for the reduction in levels of staff absence.

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the public service agreement target for reducing the number of children re-registered on a child protection register. [14009]

Jacqui Smith

There is a National Priorities Guidance target to reduce by 10 per cent., by 2002, the proportion of children who are re-registered on the child protection register, from a baseline of 18 per cent. for the year ending 31 March 1997. Achieving this target would involve a reduction to 16.2 per cent. by March 2002.

This target has already been achieved. The proportion of children who were re-registered on the child protection register fell to 15 per cent. in 1998–99, to 14 per cent. in 1999–2000 and has remained at 14 per cent. in 2000–01, the latest year for which data are available.