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Multiple Sclerosis
Jackie Ballard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has issued to health authorities about the criteria for NHS prescriptions for the drug Aricept. [81168]
Mr. Denham: In April 1998, we sent health authorities guidance from the Standing Medical Advisory Committee on the use of donepezil (Aricept). Copies of the guidance are available in the Library.
Sexual Health
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to set up the working party on sexual health strategy. [81070]
Ms Jowell [holding answer 19 April 1999]: Preliminary consultations to develop a sexual and reproductive health framework are currently under way. An announcement on the composition of a small external reference group will be made shortly.
NHS Investment (Pensioners)
Mr. Jim Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what ways the £21 billion of extra investment in the NHS will be targeted on improving healthcare provision among those of pensionable age. [80942]
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Mr. Hutton:
The £21 billion extra investment in the National Health Service will mainly be distributed through general allocation. People aged 65 and over account for approximately 41 per cent. of total expenditure on hospital and community health services, although they make up 16 per cent. of the total population, and therefore will benefit significantly from this new investment.
Mr. Jim Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the number of people who will benefit from the abolition of eye test charging for the over 60s. [80943]
Mr. Denham:
We estimate that from 1 April 1999 some 6 million to 7 million more people aged 60 and over became eligible for free National Health Service sight tests.
Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 10 March 1999, Official Report, columns 298-99, on the Private Finance Initiative, if the contracts for the schemes which have reached financial closure contain any provision for monitoring as to whether they will be completed on time. [81367]
Mr. Denham:
All the contracts for the major private finance initiative schemes which have reached financial close contain provisions which enable monitoring whether the scheme will be completed on time.
Annual Reports
Mr. Peter Bradley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many annual reports were produced by (a) Government departments, (b) executive agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies, and at what total cost, in the last year for which figures are available. [80857]
Mr. Kilfoyle: Information on the number and cost of annual reports is not held centrally. However, as a general rule, each of the 19 principal government departments and 135 executive agencies produces its own annual report, as do the vast majority of over 300 executive NDPBs. Smaller departments and advisory NDPBs either produce their own annual report or include information on their annual activities in a joint report or in the report of a parent department. Copies of all annual reports are available to Members from the Libraries of the House.
Modernising Government Logo
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which organisations were approached to submit a tender for the contract to produce the Modernising Government logo; and where the tender for the contract was advertised. [80880]
Mr. Kilfoyle:
The procurement of the design of the Modernising Government logo was organised and managed by the Central Office of Information (COI) on behalf of the Cabinet Office. The contract was not advertised.
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Three design houses with a good track record of design on behalf of Government were chosen and invited to submit tenders. The design houses were Interbrand Newell and Sorrell, Pentogram, and Minale Tattersfield and Partners.
Minale Tattersfield and Partners was the successful bidder.
Mr. Gibb:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if the Modernising Government logo was tested on the public; and how much this research cost. [80882]
Mr. Gibb:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what criteria were specified for the design of the Modernising Government logo. [80881]
Mr. Kilfoyle:
The main criteria specified for the design of the Modernising Government logo were that it should remain fresh over the period of a change management programme lasting a number of years; be capable of application to a wide range of material such as literature, computer screens and stationery; be capable of complementing other logos and publication designs; and be upbeat, bold and distinctive.
Mr. Gibb:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what was the cost of developing the Modernising Government logo. [80879]
Mr. Kilfoyle:
The direct cost of developing the Modernising Government logo was £41,020.
Mr. Garnier:
To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list which areas of expenditure in his Department in the non-criminal legal aid budget will be funded first when the criminal legal aid budget has been met; and if he will make a statement about how these areas have been determined. [R] [81120]
Mr. Hoon:
It is an oversimplification to suggest that help through the Community Legal Service will be provided only after claims for criminal work. The Lord Chancellor has said that there will not be an overall budget for legal aid or a cash limit. In order to make the expenditure in each area transparent, the Lord Chancellor has made a commitment to inform Parliament immediately of any transfer of resources (other than a de minimis one) between the Criminal Defence Service and the Community Legal Service. The Lord Chancellor will direct national priorities for public funding taking account of the findings of need and the Government's intention to give priority to tackling social and economic exclusion. The White Paper "Modernising Justice" indicated that likely areas of priority would be social welfare cases; other cases of fundamental importance to the people affected (such as child protection, and protecting people from violence); and cases involving a wider public interest. The Access to Justice Bill places a duty on the Legal Services Commission to assess the need for legal services throughout the country and to
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inform the Lord Chancellor of its findings, these findings will be used to direct resources so that identified priority areas receive funding.
Mr. Garnier:
To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what assumptions he has made about factors affecting the need for criminal legal aid with particular reference to (a) demographic trends, (b) economic trends, (c) social trends and (d) policy changes in arriving at the estimated expenditure on criminal legal aid for 1999-2000 and 2000-01; and if he will make a statement. [R] [81118]
Mr. Hoon:
No explicit assumptions are made about demographic, economic or social trends. However, forecasts do take account of inflationary pressures and planned policy change effects. The assumptions underpinning the likely impact of policy change effects take account of price, volume and behavioural changes.
Mr. Garnier:
To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department if he has set a level of funding for (a) civil legal aid and (b) advice and assistance below which he does not consider it viable to reduce them for (1) 1999-2000 and (2) 2000-01; and if he will make a statement. [R] [81119]
Mr. Hoon:
No minimum levels of funding for civil legal aid and advice and assistance have been set. Neither I nor the Lord Chancellor believe that any Minister in a responsible Government would be willing to guarantee that a given level of spending on a particular function would be maintained, whatever financial pressures might fall unexpectedly on his or her Department.
We are, however, determined that the Community Legal Service, which will encompass civil legal aid and advice and assistance, will be properly funded. The available resources will be committed to the Community Legal Service through the system of contracting, and will be allocated to meet priority need. In order to provide contractors with reassurance that funding will not be suddenly cut or contracts terminated, the Lord Chancellor has asked the Legal Aid Board to extend from six to twelve months the notice that will need to be given to vary or terminate a contract, except in cases of misbehaviour or breach.
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to permit solicitors to practise as limited liability companies; and if he will make a statement. [R] [81097]
Mr. Hoon:
Individual solicitors are already permitted to practise as limited liability companies although very few do. Limited Liability Partnerships are not at present permitted under English law. A Bill is currently being prepared by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to introduce Limited Liability Partnerships into Great Britain. It will be for the Law Society to decide whether solicitors will be able to take advantage of this new way of structuring their businesses.
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