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Altrincham General Hospital
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received regarding the closure of wards at Altrincham General Hospital. [84671]
Mr. Denham:
To date, there have been no representations that I am aware of received in this Department.
18 May 1999 : Column: 321
Mr. Brady:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department was first informed of the decision of the Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust to close two wards at Altrincham General Hospital. [84672]
Mr. Denham:
The North West Regional Office of the National Health Service Executive first became aware of the proposals to close two wards at Altrincham General Hospital on 8 April 1999.
Mr. Brady:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will issue directions to Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust to suspend its proposed closure of two wards at Altrincham General Hospital until the public consultation required by statute has taken place. [84670]
Mr. Denham:
The North West Regional Office of the National Health Service Executive have instructed Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust and Salford and Trafford Health Authority to agree a joint approach on the future of in-patient services for the elderly at Altrincham General Hospital as well as community based services.
Mr. Brady:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received about the future of St. Anne's hospital in Altrincham. [84673]
Mr. Denham:
There have been no recent representations concerning the future of St. Anne's Hospital, Altrincham, that I am aware of.
Mr. Brady:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS trusts and hospitals had not implemented the nurses' pay award in time for increases to be paid in April salary payments. [84674]
Mr. Denham:
It is the responsibility of National Health Service employers to ensure that the necessary arrangements are made as soon as possible to pay the new national salary scales effective from 1 April 1999. Some employees have received their pay increase in their April salary; where this has not been possible payment will be made in May and back dated to 1 April.
Following the publication of the Review Body Report on Nursing Staff, Midwives and Health Visitors on 1 February, a pay offer was made to nursing trades union and professional organisations on 10 February which was accepted on 16 March, subject to further discussions on the content of the Advance Letter.
The Advance Letter promulgating the pay increase for 1999-2000 was sent for printing on 29 March and issued to the NHS on 8 April 1999, it was also placed on the NHS web site--www.doh.gov.uk/nhsexec/alpay.hdm; this was as soon as possible after the nursing Staff Side accepted the pay offer and agreed the contents of the letter, and was ahead of the date on which Advance Letters have been issued in previous years.
We will be discussing with nursing unions and professional organisations whether it would be possible to speed up their consultative procedures and other administrative arrangements in future years in order to ensure nurses receive their pay increase in April.
18 May 1999 : Column: 322
Mr. Baker:
To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, what were the reasons for the real terms increase in expenditure on bishops listed in the Church Commissioners' last annual report. [84187]
Mr. Stuart Bell:
The Commissioners' expenditure on bishops falls into three distinct categories: stipends, working costs and housing costs (diocesan bishops only).
Bishops' stipends (pay) increased in line with the stipend increase recommended for parish clergy. From 1 April 1998, the stipend of a diocesan bishop was £27,660 and the stipend of a suffragan bishop was £22,740. The Commissioners' expenditure on bishops' stipends rose by £0.2 million, from £2.5 million in 1997 to £2.7 million in 1998.
Bishops' working costs increased by £0.7 million, from £8.1 million in 1997 to £8.8 million in 1998. Staffing costs account for most of these working costs. The average increase in the Average Earnings index in 1998 over 1997 was 5.1 per cent. Other factors contributing to increased expenditure in 1998 included £0.4 million in the Lambeth Conference, which takes place every 10 years, and the updating of office equipment for bishops and their staff.
Expenditure on diocesan bishops' housing increased by £0.4 million, from £2.6 million in 1997 to £3.0 million in 1998. Spending on these houses can change significantly from year to year depending on the works needed. It tends to be higher when the See becomes vacant, as the opportunity is taken to complete works when a bishop is not living there. There were still costs being met in 1998 relating to the large number of new diocesan bishops in the last three years. A change in the calculation of depreciation of See houses, and improvements to the working environment of bishops' staff, were also special factors in 1998.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, how many and what percentage of bishops had use of a chauffeur at May (i) 1997, (ii) 1998 and (iii) 1999; and what was the total cost in current prices for each appropriate financial year. [84188]
Mr. Stuart Bell:
In 1997, 31 bishops employed full or part-time drivers at a cost of £336,741. At 1 May 1998, 31 bishops employed drivers, and the cost of their employment in 1998 was £337,807. Costs for 1999 are not yet available but at 1 May 1999, 27 bishops employed drivers. The hon. Member may wish to refer to the answer my predecessor, Mr. Michael Alison, then the right hon. Member for Selby, gave to Mr. Harry Greenway, the then hon. Member for Ealing, North. In 1995, 31 bishops employed drivers, and the cost of their employment was £334,000, 24 February 1997, Official Report, column 65.
The retail prices index has moved from 146.0 in January 1995 to 160.0 and 164.4 in December 1997 and 1998 respectively (January 1987 = 100), from which it will be seen that the real costs of bishops employing drivers have fallen since 1995. Bishops have increasingly been making use of part-time drivers.
18 May 1999 : Column: 323
27 out of 44 diocesan bishops employ a full or part-time driver. In addition the 70 suffragan or assistant bishops drive themselves or occasionally receive some special assistance when they are not able to do so, e.g. because of a disability.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, what has been the annual expenditure including council tax, maintenance and other works, on each residence available to each bishop in (i) 1990-91, (ii) 1997-98 and (iii) 1998-99. [84189]
Mr. Stuart Bell:
The Commissioners' current policy is not to make public expenditure on individual bishops' houses. The overall spending on bishops' houses was:
Expenditure on bishops' houses overall and on individual houses in particular can change significantly from year to year, depending on the works needed. Expenditure on a house tends to be higher when the See becomes vacant, as the opportunity is taken to complete works when a bishop is not living there.
Spending on bishops' housing is subject to close budgetary control. Repairs to buildings are limited to the minimum that the Commissioners feel is consistent with the proper maintenance of these properties in their care. The Commissioners have nearly completed their review of the suitability of all diocesan bishops' houses (suffragan bishops' houses are owned by the diocese) and in many cases steps have been taken to reduce long-term running costs.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will publish the agenda for the forthcoming EU Development Council of 21 May. [84675]
Mr. Foulkes:
The agenda is as follows:
18 May 1999 : Column: 324
1990--£1.7 million
Comparable figures are not available for 1999.
1991--£2.1 million
1992--£2.2 million
1993--£2.2 million
1994--£2.7 million
1995--£2.3 million
1996--£2.7 million
1997--£2.6 million
1998--£3.0 million.
1. Conclusions on the results of the evaluation of the European Community's development instruments and programmes.
2. Resolution on co-ordination and complementarity between Community and member states' development policies.
3. Post-Lome negotiations.
4. Conflict prevention, management and resolution:
(a) Combating the excessive and uncontrolled accumulation and spread of small arms and light weapons as part of the EU's emergency aid, reconstruction and development programmes
(b) Antipersonnel landmines--progress report on 1996 Resolution
(c) Co-operation with countries involved in armed conflicts
5. Coherence--progress report on June 1997 Resolution.
6. Reconstruction in Central America following Hurricane Mitch.
7. Conclusions on integrating environmental and sustainable development into development policy.
8. Any other business:
(a) Developing countries in the framework of the WTO
(b) Resumption of co-operation with Burundi
(c) Link between migration and development
Lunch items: Kosovo, debt.
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