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Conditional Fees (Insurance)
Sir Nicholas Lyell: To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to his answer of 20 April 1999, Official Report, column 534, if he will place in the Library copies of such written details of the insurance products to support the use of conditional fees as have been received by his Department from the providers listed. [82472]
Mr. Hoon: I have today placed in the Library copies of information on the relevant insurance products provided by:
First Assist;
Copies of information on the insurance products provided by:
Litigation Protection Ltd.; and
Greystoke Legal Services.
Collegiate Insurance Brokers Ltd.;
Abbey Legal Protection;
Amicus;
Eastgate Assistance; and
Saturn Professional Risks Ltd.
have been requested from the companies. These will be placed in the Library on receipt and I will write to the right hon. and learned Gentleman.
Macpherson Inquiry
Mr. Efford:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department of the Macpherson inquiry recommendations; and if he will make a statement. [80537]
30 Apr 1999 : Column: 277
Janet Anderson:
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 14 April 1999, Official Report, columns 238-39.
My Department has a major part to play in helping to build an inclusive and diverse society. We are seeking to secure race equality and cultural diversity objectives in the funding agreements made between DCMS and its sponsored bodies; in monitoring the Lottery distributors' new strategies; in setting the agenda of the new DCMS regional consortiums and in encouraging the development of local authority cultural strategies. I am following developments in the media as broadcasters and programme makers examine their role in engaging ethnic minorities as audiences and in creative roles. My Department has enlisted the support of prominent sports people and clubs in portraying racism in sport as unwanted and unacceptable.
The Permanent Secretary has signed, on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the joint Charter for Action to redress the under-representation of ethnic minorities in the Senior Civil Service (SCS). The Department has adopted the targets for ethnic minorities in the Senior Civil Service (3.5 per cent. by 2005) published in the modernising government White Paper. The Department is considering a number of measures aimed at increasing representation in the higher grades, including the development of staff with potential in the feeder grades and more direct recruitment at higher levels.
Mr. Maude:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations he has received regarding seaside amusement machines; and if he will make a statement. [82316]
Mr. Alan Howarth:
My Department has received no recent representations. The Government recognise the popularity of amusement machines as entertainment for local residents and holidaymakers.
Mr. Maude:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment his Department has made of the effects of an increase in the taxation of seaside amusement machines on his policy with regards to historic seaside piers. [82315]
Mr. Alan Howarth:
My Department has made no such assessment. Questions on taxation are a matter for Treasury Ministers.
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department last reviewed the funding by local authorities towards the cost of people previously resident in their area who are in private residential or nursing home care; and if he will make a statement. [80026]
Mr. Hutton:
Local authority funding was given priority in the Government's recent Comprehensive Spending Review of all public expenditure. The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in July 1998 that almost £3 billion extra would be provided for Personal Social Services over the next three years.
30 Apr 1999 : Column: 278
These additional resources year on year will enable authorities to plan and commission more effectively the range of services, including residential and nursing home care, required by vulnerable people.
Mr. Hammond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the change in the number of patients on NHS waiting lists waiting 12 months or longer since 1 May 1997. [80287]
Mr. Denham
[holding answer 13 April 1999]: Between March 1996 and March 1997 (the latest figures available on 1 May 1997), the total number of patients on National Health Service waiting lists for 12 months or longer rose from 3,600 to 30,200. It continued to rise until June 1998 [to 72,100]. It has since fallen by 29 per cent. (21,200), to stand at 50,900 by the end of February 1999. We fully expect this downward trend to continue.
Miss Widdecombe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the reports he has commissioned into reducing waiting lists, including the dates when they were received. [80280]
Mr. Denham
[holding answer 13 April 1999]: In January 1998, the Department commissioned a report from Professor John Yates of the Inter-Authority Comparisons and Consultancy, at the University of Birmingham's Health Services Management Centre, on waiting times in the Ear, Nose and Throat specialty. The report was received by the Department in March this year.
Sir Geoffrey JohnsonSmith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what number of people with haemophilia and hepatitis C the assumptions are based on which his estimate of the cost of a financial assistance scheme is founded; if his estimate of the costs of such a scheme includes amounts of money for (a) payments for all and (b) a hardship fund; and how much he has assumed would be applied for each; over how many years such expenditure would be spread; what are the estimated costs in the first year; and what figure for first year start up costs he has included in his estimate. [80463]
Mr. Hutton:
The estimate was based on approximately 3,000 people and the overall expenditure to date on the special payment scheme for those with haemophilia infected with HIV through national Health Service treatment with blood products. The estimates did not include start-up costs or the costs of managing the process.
Mr. Gibb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his policy regarding the future of community health councils; and if he will make a statement. [81708]
Mr. Denham:
No immediate changes to the role of community health councils are planned.
Jane Griffiths:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the (a) development and (b) running costs of
30 Apr 1999 : Column: 279
the NHSnet in each of the last five years; what are the forecast costs for the next two years; and if he will make a statement. [81644]
Mr. Denham:
NHSnet is provided to National Health Service organisations as a service by commercial contractors who funded its development and meet its running costs: those costs are, therefore, confidential to the contractors.
| Year | NHSnet connections | Messaging |
|---|---|---|
| 1995-96 | 0.275 | 0.013 |
| 1996-97 | 1.900 | 0.113 |
| 1997-98 | 3.000 | 0.661 |
| 1998-99 | 4.400 | 1.500 |
| Year | NHSnet connections | Messaging |
|---|---|---|
| 1999-2000 | 8.800 | 4.300 |
| 2000-01 | 15.800 | 5.500 |
Primary Care Groups
Jackie Ballard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the annual reports on clinical governance from primary care groups will be required to include reports on the management of chronic illness. [81866]
Mr. Denham: Clinical governance reporting requirements for National Health Service organisations in 1999-2000 were set out in the document "Clinical Governance: Quality in the new NHS", published under cover of HSC 1999/065 on 16 March 1999.
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