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Expenditure
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his latest estimate of expenditure by (a) his Department, (b) NHS trusts and (c) other health bodies for which he has responsibility, on tax advice; and if he will make a statement. [13236]
Mr. Milburn: For the expenditure on tax advice by the Department, I refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend the Minister for Public Health has given him today. National Health Service trusts and other health bodies provide analyses of their expenditure to the department but expenditure on tax advice is not shown separately.
Tax Avoidance
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his policy on the purchase of tax avoidance advice by the NHS; what directives he has issued on the purchase of tax avoidance advice by the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [13237]
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Mr. Milburn:
Last month we agreed that an Executive Letter should be sent to all National Health Service bodies setting out the Government's policy on this. This will be issued shortly.
Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the (a) actual deficits (b) projected deficits of each health trust in England as a percentage of their budget for the last three years. [14272]
Mr. Milburn:
The information requested has been placed in the Library. Percentages have been given with respect to the income or turnover of each trust.
Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the (a) actual deficits and (b) projected deficits of each health authority in England as a percentage of their budget for their last three years. [14276]
Mr. Milburn:
The information requested has been placed in the Library. Percentages have been given with respect to the income or turnover of each health authority.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the effects on demand for NHS treatment of the decision to abolish the tax relief on private medical insurance payments; and if he will make a statement. [13239]
Mr. Milburn:
We have made available substantial additional resources to the National Health Service, both this year and next, which dwarf any additional demand created by the abolition of tax relief on private medical insurance premiums.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health 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. [13602]
Ms Jowell:
Year 2000 plans covering the Department of Health were sent to the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA) in October 1997. The plans and supporting documentation will be analyzed by the Central Information Technology Unit and the CCTA and their conclusions reported to my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster who will then inform Parliament of his findings. The plans are exempted from disclosure under the Open Government Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, prior to an announcement.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health 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
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for 1997-98, (iii) expenditure planned for 1998-99 and (iv) expenditure planned for 1999-2000; and if he will make a statement. [13603]
Ms Jowell:
Information on planned expenditure by the Department will be sent to the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency as a part of the action plan requested by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and as such will become available once a statement on this activity has been made to Parliament.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health which (a) Minister and (b) civil servant has overall responsibility for ensuring millennium computer compliance in his Department and its associated public bodies. [13606]
Ms Jowell:
The Minister responsible for ensuring Year 2000 compliance is my Noble Friend the Minister of State, Baroness Jay and the work programme within the departments is being coordinated by the head of the applications development and support who reports to a senior departmental information system steering committee on the Year 2000 issue.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department, its agencies and other public bodies for which he is responsible completed the millennium computer compliance audits of the systems; and if he will make a statement. [13605]
Ms Jowell:
The Department and its Agencies have completed their millennium computer compliance audits, with the exception of National Health Service Estates who expect completion by 31 January 1998.
For each separate NHS organisation, by 31 December 1998, all critical systems should be ready and fully tested, or detailed plans made for coping with those systems or equipment that cannot be repaired or replaced in time. We will require that any trust or health authority which has not got its systems ready and fully tested should notify the Department by 31 December 1998.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health 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. [13604]
Ms Jowell:
The Department is committed to resolving any Year 2000 problems on business critical systems by the Central Information Technology Unit recommended deadline. The cost of preventative and remedial action will be met from existing financial provision.
Mr. Laurence Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average time taken by his Department to give full answers to letters received from hon. Members. [13951]
Ms. Jowell:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Wallsall, North (Mr. Winnick) on 3 November, Official Report, column 5.
Figures for 1997 are not yet available.
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Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of trends in hospital waiting lists over the next six months; and if he will make a statement. [13233]
Mr. Milburn:
Our predecessors left the National Health Service with rising waiting times and a record number of patients waiting to be treated. It will take time to turn around the situation we inherited. The £269 million redirected to the NHS in England for 1997-98 will help health authorities and trusts to begin to restrain the growth in waiting lists and times as will the £1 billion increase for next year announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in July.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has undertaken on the relationship between NHS funding and hospital waiting lists; if he will publish such research; and if he will make a statement. [13235]
Mr. Milburn:
Waiting lists are influenced by a number of factors, of which funding is only one. New treatments are becoming available all the time and new techniques are being introduced which enable people to undergo surgery who previously could not have been treated. We are working with health authorities and trusts to ensure that the best possible use is made of the resources available to them and that more of each pound spent on the National Health Service goes on direct patient care. The £269 million we have re-directed to the NHS in England for 1997-98 and the £1 billion increase for next year announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in July are significant steps towards fulfilling our commitment to shorten waiting lists.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his assessment of the ability of the NHS to deal with seasonal demand pressures this winter. [13238]
Mr. Boateng:
We have made clear that the first priority of health authorities and National Health Service trusts, above all other, is to make adequate provision for emergency care. Health authorities, NHS trusts and local authority social services departments around the country are working hard to prepare for this winter. The Government has made available an additional £269 million for the NHS in England in the current year to help in this task. In addition in 1998-99 there will be a 1.9 per cent. real terms increase in general revenue allocations to health authorities, the largest for five years.
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