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Health Trust Deficits

Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the (a) actual deficits and (b) projected deficits of each health trust as a percentage of their budgets for the last three years. [14273]

Mr. Galbraith: In 1994-95, one Trust reported a retained deficit as a result of a loss on disposal of fixed assets. In 1995-96, two Trusts reported retained deficits, which were technical in nature, as a result of a loss on disposal of fixed assets. In 1996-97, three Trusts reported retained deficits. Fife Healthcare experienced a deficit of £1.9 million as a result of a funding gap and the Victoria Infirmary's deficit of £6 million was caused by a combination of loss on disposal of fixed assets of £4.2 million and £1.8 million due to financial difficulties. One other Trust had a deficit which was technical in nature as a result of loss on disposal of fixed assets.

Computers (Century Date Change)

Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when his Department, its agencies and other public bodies for which he is responsible completed the millennium computer compliance audits of systems; and if he will make a statement. [13595]

Mr. Dewar: My Department and associated agencies completed audits for Year 2000 computer compliance purposes on 8 October 1997. Responsibility for ensuring millennium compliance in other public bodies rests with the bodies themselves.

Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the action plan, due by 1 October 1997, for resolving the computer millennium problem in his Department, its agencies and other public bodies for which he is responsible; if such was fully completed on time; and if he will make a statement. [13592]

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Mr. Dewar: The Scottish Office has sent an updated report on the computer millennium problems to the Central Computing and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA). Reports from all Departments will be analysed by the Central Information Technology Unit and the CCTA. The conclusions will be reported to my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster who will then inform Parliament.

Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what is his latest estimate of the total cost of resolving the computer millennium problem in (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) other public bodies for which he is responsible; if he will give in each case (i) expenditure incurred to date, (ii) expenditure planned for 1997-98, (iii) expenditure planned for 1998-99 and (iv) expenditure planned for 1999-00; and if he will make a statement; [13593]

(2) if he will make a statement on what funding provision has been made to accommodate the expenditure needed to resolve the computer millennium problem; and if he expects to have sufficient funding to pay for the work necessary to achieve complete millennium compliance by 1 January 2000. [13594]

Mr. Dewar: It is not possible at this stage to predict accurately the total cost of resolving the computer millennium problem across my Department, its Agencies and other public bodies. However it is expected that the cost of Year 2000 preventative and remedial action will be met within existing planned financial provision.

Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which (a) Minister and (b) civil servant has overall responsibility for ensuring millennium computer compliance in his Department and its associated public bodies. [13596]

Mr. Dewar: I intend to retain overall responsibility for millennium computer compliance matters within my Department. The Director of Telecommunications is responsible for the compliance programme within The Scottish Office. Responsibility for ensuring millennium compliance in other public bodies rests with the bodies themselves.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

Medical Students

Mr. Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many students applied for admission to medical schools this autumn, and how many were admitted; how many of those admitted, achieved three A grades at A level; how many had lower grades; and how many students with three A grades failed to secure a place. [13310]

Dr. Howells: The information requested is not held centrally or is not yet available. Information on applications received up to May 16 by subject were released by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) in their press notice in June 1997. Fuller information on applicants by subject together with information on acceptances by subject and entry qualifications will be published by UCAS in their annual

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report in spring 1998. These figures will not, however, analyses the entry qualifications held by applicants who were not accepted.

Employment Service

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what assessment he has made of (a) the effectiveness of the Employment Service's preferred supplier system for administering contracts with third-party suppliers and (b) the reaction of the agencies which deal with young people to the administrative processes involved; [13510]

(2) how much it cost the Employment Service on average to place a young person in work through a jobcentre in the last year for which figures are available;[13511]

(3) how many young people the Portsmouth jobcentre has placed in work through jobcentre notices in the latest 12-month period for which figures are available; [13512]

(4) what assessment he has made of the planning undertaken by Employment Service managers in each district in Hampshire in relation to delivery of the new deal. [13513]

Mr. Alan Howarth: Responsibility for the subject of the questions has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for replies to be given.

Letter from Leigh Lewis to Mr. Mike Hancock, dated 4 October 1997:

The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question regarding the average cost of placing a young person into work. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive.

The Employment Service does not separately monitor the average cost of placing a young person into work. It is required, by its annual agreement with the Department for Education and Employment, to monitor and report the average cost of placing an unemployed person into work (regardless of age). The last year for which this figure is available is 1996-97, when the average cost was £234.

In addition to this, the Employment Service also monitors the average cost of placing a long term unemployed person into work (£431 in 1996-97) and the average cost of placing a person with a disability into work (£321 in 1996-97). Neither of these unit costs are analysed by age of client and there are, at present, no plans to do so.

I hope this is helpful.

Letter from Leigh Lewis to Mr. Mike Hancock, dated 4 October 1997:

The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning the effectiveness of the Employment Service preferred supplier system and the reaction of agencies who deal with young people to the administrative processes involved.

I am satisfied that the preferred supplier system being used by the Employment Service is effective in helping both it and potential contractors to make the best use of their resources. The Employment Service benefits from the ability to invite competitive tenders from a manageable number of organisations, while potential contractors benefit from knowing that their bid will be taken seriously.

This approach is being used for Employment Service programmes designed to help unemployed people of all ages to improve their prospects of finding work. The Employment Service, is not, however, operating a preferred supplier system for the New Deal initiative for young people aged 18-24.

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Organisations have generally accepted the rationale behind the preferred supplier system in relation to established programmes, and I am not aware of any problems--either from agencies dealing with young people or from others--about the administrative processes involved. I would, of course, be happy to look into any specific issues of which you are aware.

I hope this is helpful.

Letter from Leigh Lewis to Mr. Mike Hancock, dated 4 October 1997:

The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question requesting information about young people placed into employment by Portsmouth Employment Service Jobcentre during the latest 12 month period. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.

The two Employment Service Jobcentres in Portsmouth--Portsmouth North and Portsmouth Central--placed 920 young people aged 16-24 into employment in the 12 months ending September 1997.

I hope this is helpful.

Letter from Leigh Lewis to Mr. Mike Hancock, dated 4 October 1997:

The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question relating to the planning undertaken by Employment Service managers in each district in Hampshire with respect to New Deal delivery.

All New Deal district plans are due to be assessed by regional assessment panels starting next week. These panels, which will include senior Employment Service management, Government Office Directors and senior employer and voluntary sector representatives, will assess plans against agreed criteria to establish whether they represent robust and realistic proposals to implement New Deal. Where necessary, the panel will require plans to be amended or, in extremis, recast to ensure that this is so.

Delivery planning for New Deal in all Employment Service districts has been subject to progress monitoring and reporting on a fortnightly basis since the end of August 1997. The latest fortnightly progress reports (for the period ending 20 October 1997) show that the Employment Service Hampshire districts of Mid-Hants, Portsmouth, Southampton and Guildford, which covers parts of Hampshire, are all on course to submit their delivery plans on time for regional assessment. All plans, once approved, will be published.

If you have any specific concerns my Director for London and the South East, Richard Foster (tel: [phone]), will be happy to discuss them with you.

I trust that this is helpful.

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