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Small Firms

Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what meetings her Department has had since May 1995 with organisations representing small firms to review tendering procedures. [6620]

Mr. Sproat [holding answer 19 December 1995]: Neither my Department nor its two agencies have attended any meetings with organisations representing small firms.

Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what has been the outcome of her Department's review of measures taken to facilitate small firms' access to appropriate areas of Government procurement in the light of best practice. [6664]

Mr. Sproat [holding answer 18 December 1995]: My Department and its agencies will be carrying out this review during the first quarter of 1996.

Private Finance Initiative

Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will provide for schemes so far agreed under the PFI the level of financing costs above the current cost of Government borrowing for the scheme with (a) the highest financing costs and (b) the lowest costs. [5753]

Mr. Sproat [holding answer 14 December 1995]: Schemes are assessed under the private finance initiative for overall best value for money in providing a specified service taking account of design, building, financing and operation as a whole. It is not therefore possible to provide information in the form requested.

Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will provide a breakdown of administration costs incurred to date and forecast for the future of PFI work. [5751]

Mr. Sproat [holding answer 14 December 1995]: Neither my Department nor its agencies have dedicated private finance units, and it is not therefore possible to

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quantify separately from other activity that attributable to the procurement of public services through the private finance initiative. I would not, however, expect procurement through the PFI to increase administrative costs beyond those which would be associated with other means of providing public services.

Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will provide revenue forecasts for the current year and the next five years of expenditure on schemes provided under the PFI. [5752]

Mr. Sproat [holding answer 14 December 1995]: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 7 December 1995, Official Report, column 374.

Departmental Staff (Members' Letters)

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many officials she employed (a) full-time and (b) part-time in her Department in each of the last three years to answer letters sent to her from hon. Members; and what was the estimated overall cost of replying to them in each of the last three years. [5614]

Mr. Sproat [holding answer 18 December 1995]: No staff in this Department are employed exclusively in answering letters from hon. Members, and it is not possible to estimate what the overall cost of replying to letters in each of the last three years would be.

BBC Charter

Mr. Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what further arrangements will be made for (a) public and (b) parliamentary debate on the future of the BBC charter. [7136]

Mr. Sproat [holding answer 19 December 1995]: There has already been substantial debate on the future of the BBC. The Government's consultation document was published in November 1992 and received some 6,600 responses. In the light of those, the Government set out their proposals in a White Paper "The future of the BBC: Serving the nation, Competing world-wide" which generated comments from some 200 individuals and organisations and which was debated in both Houses. On 27 November, the Government published the BBC's draft charter and agreement, designed to put into effect the policies set out in the White Paper. Both Houses of Parliament will have an opportunity to debate these documents when parliamentary business allows and before they come into effect.

HEALTH

St. Mary's Hospital, Isle of Wight

Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the finances of St. Mary's hospital, Isle of Wight. [6235]

Mr. Horam: St. Mary's hospital is currently reviewing its financial position with the help of its local health commission and the national health service regional

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office. The trust is taking the action necessary to meet all its financial duties by the end of 1996-97, as well as producing improvements to service delivery.

Capital Allocations

Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the capital allocation by region in each of the last five years. [6337]

Mr. Horam: The capital allocation by region in each of the last five years is shown in the tables.

£ thousands

Region	1991-92	1992-93	1993-94
Northern	91,954	100,324	107,797
Yorkshire	104,209	123,980	125,598
Trent	140,577	157,142	158,336
East Anglia	56,139	62,913	69,169
North-West Thames	84,254	105,345	105,887
North-East Thames	107,297	124,733	119,041
South-East Thames	109,882	115,261	120,626
South-West Thames	80,339	100,114	94,945
Wessex	85,441	92,330	100,988
Oxford	62,934	70,932	77,383
South Western	94,770	111,399	114,964
West Midlands	166,130	168,182	175,577
Mersey	70,249	79,925	82,670
North Western	120,509	129,269	139,966
Total	1,374,684	1,541,852	1,592,947

£ thousand

Region	1994-95	1995-96
Northern and Yorkshire	225,612	214,806
Trent	153,540	150,370
Anglian and Oxford	143,121	149,131
North Thames	218,158	231,037
South Thames	210,007	206,359
South and West	211,454	199,022
West Midlands	169,008	162,545
North-West	213,869	215,513
Total	1,544,769	1,528,783

1. The above includes allocations both to regional health authorities and to trusts.

2. Totals may vary due to roundings.

Child Psychotherapy

Mr. Callaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many child psychotherapy advisers are currently employed in his Department. [7739]

Mr. Horam: The Department maintains close contact with the child psychotherapy bodies but does not employ any child psychotherapy advisers.

Mr. Callaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many qualified child psychotherapists are practising in the United Kingdom (a) by health authority and (b) in the inner cities. [7740]

Mr. Malone: The table shows the number of qualified child psychotherapists employed by the national health service in England by regional health authority area. Separate information on child psychotherapists employed in inner cities is not available centrally.

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NHS hospitals and community health services qualified child psychotherapists--England by region as at 30 September 1994Whole-time equivalents

	Qualified child psychotherapists
England total	220
Northern and Yorkshire	10
Trent	20
Anglia and Oxford	10
North Thames	80
South Thames	30
South and West	30
West Midlands	(14)--
North-West	10
Special health authorities	20

Notes:

(14) Denotes figures of five and under.

1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 whole-time equivalent.

Source:

Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census.

Information relating to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales and for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

Mr. Callaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the extent to which preventive psychotherapeutic work with young people is likely to reduce the risk of adolescent violence and drug taking. [7738]

Mr. Bowis: Several studies have shown that boys who exhibit aggressive and anti-social behaviour have an increased risk of later alcoholism and drug taking. Cognitive behavioural therapy has shown promise in reducing the duration of a disorder in the treatment of conduct and oppositional disorders which may or may not involve aggressive behaviour. Other psychotherapeutic treatment approaches may be relevant if the aggressive behaviour is associated with another disorder with a specific approach. The age of the young person, the appropriateness of family involvement in the treatment and other individual factors will all play a part in determining the best course of action.

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