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Developing Country Debt
Ms Drown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what basis his Department has calculated that the recently agreed $100 billion debt relief package represents cancellation of two thirds of developing country debt. [104370]
Miss Melanie Johnson:
The total debt stock of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries likely to qualify for relief under the enhanced HIPC initiative as having an unsustainable debt burden after traditional debt relief mechanisms is $143 billion. The enhanced HIPC initiative will reduce the debts owed by these countries by $100 billion, or two thirds.
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We want the enhanced HIPC initiative to start a new virtuous cycle of debt relief, poverty alleviation and economic development. The transformation of the IMF's structural adjustment facility into the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility means that, for the first time, the IMF and World Bank have agreed to stand back and let countries develop their own poverty reduction strategies in partnership with the population and civil society.
Having helped to secure multilateral funding for the initiative, the Government have decided that the time is right to take the extra step of eliminating all the bilateral debts owned to us by the poorest countries. Our pledge of 100 per cent. debt relief for countries qualifying under the HIPC initiative will cover all debts (both pre cut-off date debt and post cut-off date debt) owed to ECGD by these countries.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent measures have been taken to tighten control of UK borders in order to prevent drug trafficking; and if he will make a statement. [104360]
Dawn Primarolo:
Customs continually review the deployment of their anti-smuggling and investigation staff both nationally and locally to ensure they remain in line with priorities and changing patterns of smuggling risk.
Customs maintains agreements with private companies and border agencies to ensure close co-operation.
Customs have recently installed an Automatic Number Plate Reader at Dover in a joint project with Kent Constabulary and are in the process of installing similar systems at other ports.
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the items in the National Assets Register sold by his Department, its agencies and associated public bodies since 22 March 1999, stating in each case the amount of money realised; if he will estimate the total amount raised from such sales to date; and if he will make a statement. [104476]
Mr. Andrew Smith:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr. Maude) on 8 November 1999, Official Report, column 438W.
Mr. Burns:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimates he has made of the expected deficit in the Mid Essex Hospital Trust area for health care in the financial year 1999-2000; [98555]
Mr. Denham
[holding answer 24 November 1999]: The income and expenditure positions of the Mid Essex Hospital Trust area and North Essex Health Authority area are forecast at Quarter 2 (September 1999) as given.
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These forecasts were prepared before the announcement by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 21 December 1999 of an extra £134 million for the health service; £90 million relating to the costs of generic drugs has been allocated to health authorities. North Essex Health Authority has been allocated £1.5 million of this. The remaining £44 million will be allocated, as required, to meet the cost of clinical negligence claims.
The income and expenditure position of North Essex Health Authority in financial year 1999-2000 is forecast at Quarter 2 (September 1999) to be a surplus of £970,000.
The income and expenditure position of Mid Essex Community and Mental Health in financial year 1999-2000 is forecast at Quarter 2 (September 1999) to be a deficit of £149,000.
The income and expenditure position of Mid Essex Hospital Services in financial year 1999-2000 is forecast at Quarter 2 (September 1999) to be a deficit of £4.2 million.
Mr. Burns:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the Mid Essex Hospital Trust area have been waiting 12 months or more for treatment. [104445]
Mr. Denham:
The most recent published inpatient waiting list figures are those for October 1999. These figures show that, at Mid Essex Hospital National Health Service Trust, a total of 1,024 patients were waiting 12 months and over for treatment at the end of October 1999.
Mr. Burns:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people had been waiting more than 18 months for treatment in the Mid Essex Hospital Trust area between 1 November 1999 and the latest date for which figures are available; and how long each patient waited or was waiting for treatment over 18 months. [104446]
Mr. Denham:
The last published figures for waiting times are those for October 1999. These show that at the end of October 1999, no patients waited over 18 months for treatment at Mid Essex Hospital Services National Health Services Trust.
The next published figures will be those for November 1999, due to be published in the week commencing 10 January 2000. Until these figures are published, no centrally collected and validated figures are available.
Mr. Bob Russell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what target his Department sets NHS trusts and health authorities for the maximum period for a patient to be notified of the results of a mammogram X-ray; and what is the actual maximum period for patients served by Essex Rivers Healthcare Trust in the most recent period for which figures are available. [101364]
Yvette Cooper:
The National Health Service breast screening programme sets standards to ensure that the performance of all breast screening programmes is monitored on a consistent national basis. One of these is that at least 90 per cent. of women should receive the
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results of their mammogram within two weeks. This is to minimise the anxiety for women who are awaiting their results. This standard is monitored by local screening programmes and regional quality assurance teams.
Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust (Colchester and Chelmsford breast screening unit) screened 11,147 women between 1 April 1999 and 31 August 1999. 78.3 per cent. of women were sent their results within two weeks. 93.6 per cent. of women were sent their results within three weeks. 0.3 per cent. (41 women) waited over five weeks for their results. The trust is looking to appoint a further radiologist to help reach the minimum standard of 90 per cent. of women receiving their results within two weeks.
Mr. Cousins:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assumptions the actuary made at the time of the last report on the NHS pension scheme about the proportion of (a) contributing members (b) deferred members and (c) pensioners on their death who would have qualifying partner survivors; and what assumptions he makes currently. [104268]
Mr. Denham:
The National Health Service Pension Scheme only pays survivor benefits to legal spouses or dependent children. The Government Actuary assumed that the proportion of members married at death varies by age. The proportion increased with age up to retirement, and then reduced with increasing age thereafter, allowing for the likelihood that the spouse may have predeceased the member.
The actuarial assumptions are based on an analysis of the experience within the scheme. For the last report, it was assumed that on average 66 per cent. of contributing and deferred members would have an entitlement to a survivor's benefit, if death occurred in the following year. The assumption for pensioners was 50 per cent. These assumptions will be reviewed as part of the next report, which is expected to be available around mid-2001.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the number of serving transplant surgeons in the NHS. [104312]
Mr. Denham:
At national level we do not plan centrally the numbers of consultants who specialise in transplant surgery. We plan the numbers of consultants in general surgery and related specialities, taking into account information gathered from a range of sources, including the medical Royal Colleges, Regional Postgraduate Medical Deans and National Health Service management, which includes information about consultants specialising in transplant surgery.
At local level, it is NHS trusts and health authorities who are accountable for the quality of the services they provide, to determine how their services are configured and delivered, in the light of local circumstances, in order to provide quality services to patients. This includes deciding on the number and grades of posts in their locality.
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(2) what estimates he has made of the expected deficit in the North Essex Health Authority area for health care in the financial year 1999-2000. [98556]
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