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Mental Health Services
Mr. David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what further improvements he plans to make to the quality and provision of mental health services. [93176]
Mr. Hutton: Our plans for improving mental health services were set out last year in "Modernising Mental Health Services". This made clear that improvements would be delivered through the implementation of the National Service Framework for Mental Health, reviewing mental health legislation and through new investment and reprioritisation of existing resources.
We published the National Service Framework on 30 September which sets out detailed standards, service models and milestones for measuring improvements in services. Implementation of the National Service Framework will be subject to rigorous performance management.
We have made clear our commitment to investing new resources in mental health services over this and the next two years to help health and social services reshape mental health services.
EU Regulations
Dr. Cable: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the Government's current position in relation to the European Commission proposal to adopt the amended Brussels Convention and the new draft Rome II Convention, pursuant to Article 65 of the Amsterdam Treaty; and if a regulatory impact assessment of the costs and benefits to small and medium sized enterprises of the implementation of this proposed EU regulation has been undertaken. [95174]
Mr. Lock: Pursuant to the Protocol to the Treaty of Rome governing the special position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in relation to measures adopted under the Title IV of that treaty, the Government is not yet required to decide whether the United Kingdom should opt-in to the negotiations on the recent proposal for a regulation to replace the 1968 Brussels convention. This decision must be taken before 8 December 1999.
No proposal for a regulation has yet been made in relation to the draft Rome II Convention which will establish choice of law rules in relation to non-contractual matters; negotiations on this proposed agreement are still at an early stage. There will be proper consultation on it at the appropriate time.
No regulatory impact assessment of the costs and benefits to small and medium sized enterprises of the implementation of the proposed regulation to replace the Brussels Convention has been undertaken. Such an assessment was not considered appropriate in this case.
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he has examined the effect of EU competition law, with particular reference to articles 52 and 85, in relation to the operation of the Queen's Counsel system. [95083]
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Mr. Lock:
My noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor is satisfied that the operation of appointments of Queen's Counsel is consistent with the Treaty provisions mentioned.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the inquest into the death of Robert Hamill will be held. [95358]
Mr. Lock:
The holding of an inquest into the death of Robert Hamill is a matter for the Coroner for the District in which Mr. Hamill died. The Coroner has indicated that the inquest will be held on a date to be fixed in the New Year.
Mr. Robertson:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the constitution of the Public Trust Office; who are its members and officers; to whom it is accountable; how it calculates its charges; and if he will make a statement. [95575]
Jane Kennedy:
The Public Trust Office was established as an executive agency on 1 July 1994. Its purpose is to ensure the effective management of private assets and financial affairs entrusted to its care. This includes the administration of private trusts, the supervision or management of the financial affairs of mentally incapable persons and the care of funds paid into court.
The responsible minister is the Lord Chancellor. The head of the agency is the Chief Executive who holds the statutory offices of Public Trustee and Accountant General of the Supreme Court. The Public Trust Office employs around 580 staff.
The Chief Executive is responsible for decisions relating to the day to day management of the Public Trust Office and is directly accountable to the Lord Chancellor for the effective and efficient management of the Public Trust Office.
The Public Trustee is required by statute to cover the cost of work related to the administration of trusts. Fees are fixed by the Treasury and sanctioned by the Lord Chancellor.
In relation to mental health work, the Public Trust Office charges a fee calculated against annual income after certain deductions e.g. non-taxable social security benefits.
The Court Funds Office recovers its costs out of income from investments which are managed by the National Investments and Loans Office in accordance with the provisions of Section 39(2)(b) of the Administration of Justice Act 1982.
Mr. Keetch:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans the Lord Chancellor has to review the (a) site and (b) operation of Hereford Crown Court; and if he will make a statement. [95933]
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Jane Kennedy:
The lease on the current court building will expire on 31 December 2001. A review will be necessary in advance of that date to determine how the court should operate in future. At this stage, it is too early to judge whether changes to the site or operation of the court will be required.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list his Department's spending on official publications since May 1997. [93688]
Dr. Reid:
The spending on official publications by my Department and its predecessor, The Scottish Office, since May 1997, which includes the costs incurred by the Department in publishing, preparation and purchase of copies for official use was £225,802. These costs exclude the cost of publications produced for internal use. Where the Department makes use of a private sector publisher, the publishing, printing and design costs are generally met by the publisher as part of their acceptance of the risks of publication.
Mr. Shaw:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many (a) women and (b) men aged 16 to 25 years died as a direct result of ecstasy overdose in 1998-99. [95871]
Miss Melanie Johnson:
I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Jonathan Shaw, dated 26 October 1999:
Mr. Love:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress she has made in implementing the national strategy for neighbourhood renewal. [94214]
Mr. Ian McCartney:
The Government will publish the national strategy for neighbourhood renewal for consultation in Spring 2000. It will set out a proposed approach for dealing with England's most deprived neighbourhoods.
The strategy will aim to bridge the gap between the most deprived neighbourhoods and the rest; and to deliver on four key outcome targets in deprived neighbourhoods: more jobs, less crime and better health and educational achievement.
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The Social Exclusion Unit has set up 18 Policy Action Teams to drive forward the work to develop the strategy, focusing on key problem issues. These teams bring together civil servants from across Whitehall and outside experts. But the strategy will also need to draw on other work, particularly on ensuring that mainstream public services are enabled to do their job in deprived areas.
Mr. Swinney:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will list for each of the Next Steps agencies (1) the number of civil servants employed in Scotland; [95281]
Mr. Ian McCartney:
This is a matter for which the Scottish Executive is responsible.
As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your parliamentary question on how many (a) women and (b) men aged 16 to 25 years died as a direct result of ecstasy overdose in 1998-99.
In 1997, the latest year for which data are available, there were five drug-related deaths among men aged 16 to 25 years in which ecstasy was mentioned on the death certificate. No deaths associated with ecstasy were recorded among women in this age-group in 1997.
(2) (a) the total wage bill and (b) the wage bill for staff based in Scotland. [95282]
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