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NHS Management Costs
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list (a) the total management costs and (b) the management costs as a percentage of income for each NHS trust in England in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [110709]
Mr. Denham: The latest year for which figures are available is 1997-98. The information requested has been placed in the Library.
Eye Tests (Shropshire)
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people over 65 have received free eye tests in (a) Shrewsbury and Atcham and (b) Shropshire since April 1999; and if he will make a statement. [110833]
Mr. Denham:
Eligibility for National Health Service sight tests was extended to all those aged 60 and over from 1 April 1999. Figures for the numbers of over 60s who have received free eye tests in particular areas are not collected centrally.
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However, the increase in the total number of sight tests paid for by Shropshire Health Authority in the six months April to September 1999 was just under 11,000 1 . It is fair to assume that the majority of this increase was due to newly eligible people aged over 60 obtaining NHS sight tests.
Dan Norris:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to increase the accessibility of NHS dental provision in the Wansdyke parliamentary constituency. [111155]
Mr. Hutton:
Avon health authority is developing a proposal for a Personal Dental Services pilot project. If the proposal is successful the project will offer a full range of high quality National Health Service dentistry across most of the health authority area, including Wansdyke.
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Mr. Wigley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date an urgent search was ordered in England for those people named in the Waterhouse report as being unsuitable to work with children. [111369]
Mr. Hutton:
Immediately following publication of the Waterhouse Report on 15 February, the Department wrote to chief executives of every local authority, health authority, National Health Service trust and to major children's services providers in the voluntary sector. Local authorities, health authorities and trusts were required to check their employment records and respond to the Department by 5pm on Thursday 17 February 2000 and voluntary organisations by 3pm on Friday 18 February.
Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his policy on the provision of beds in nursing homes for post-operative patients, following the report of the Royal Commission on Long-term Care. [111117]
Mr. Hutton:
We share the Royal Commission's views on the importance of rehabilitation. The Royal Commission recommended ways in which the charging system for residential social care could help promote rehabilitation and we are considering these as part of the current review of Government spending.
There is an important role for intermediate care, which enables people to avoid being admitted to hospital and to be discharged earlier. Schemes involve health and social
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care services working together and include rapid response teams, community support teams, hospital at home nurse-led units, step down facilities and community-based rehabilitation services.
Mr. Mackinlay:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on MRSA and the advice his Department gives on combating and containing it. [110874]
Yvette Cooper:
MRSA is the antibiotic resistant form of Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium which is carried harmlessly on the skin by at least a third of the population. Action is in hand to improve the surveillance of MRSA and also to strengthen arrangements for the prevention and control of all hospital acquired infections, including new standards on infection control and a programme of action with a timetable to improve control arrangements.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the number of eye tests carried out on people aged over 65 years since April 1999. [110875]
Mr. Hutton:
From April to September 1999, nearly 1.3 million more sight tests were paid for by health authorities in England and Wales than in the equivalent period in 1998. Most of this increase may be attributed to the Government's decision to restore eligibility for National Health Service sight tests to everyone aged 60 and over with effect from 1 April 1999.
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Mr. Portillo:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will list the Government agencies that have been involved in implementing the National Changeover Plan; and what guidance he has issued to them; [112142]
Miss Melanie Johnson:
The Chancellor of the Exchequer made clear in his speech to the British American Chamber of Commerce in New York on 22 February that the second Outline National Changeover Plan would be published in the coming weeks.
Mr. Portillo:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how much money has been spent by the public sector to date in connection with the National Changeover Plan; [112151]
Miss Melanie Johnson:
I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr. Maude) on 13 December 1999, Official Report, column 78W.
Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library the diary of euro-related events for (a) the Welsh Euro Forum and (b) the Scottish Euro Club. [112344]
Miss Melanie Johnson:
This information, which is regularly updated, is available on the websites of the Welsh Euro Taskforce (www.waleseic.org.uk) and the Scottish Euro Forum (www.euro-info.co.uk/euro).
Barbara Follett:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on further progress on the Tax Law Rewrite Project. [112498]
Dawn Primarolo:
I am pleased to be able to tell the House that the Tax Law Rewrite project is continuing to make good progress. The Inland Revenue today publish the project's ninth Exposure Draft, containing more draft rewritten clauses on capital allowances. This publication also includes the rewritten clauses from earlier exposure drafts on capital allowances, making up a first draft Bill. Some--but not all--of this earlier material has been revised in the light of comments received. I hope the final Bill--which will completely rewrite the current capital allowances legislation--will be ready to be introduced in Parliament later this year. Copies of the Exposure Draft will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
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Mr. Crausby:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of documentation used by his Department is (a) made from recycled paper and (b) collected for recycling. [111607]
Mr. Bayley:
All envelopes used are made from recycled paper or post-consumer waste and all forms and leaflets are made from part mechanical paper which uses the whole tree and is more environmentally friendly than wood-free paper. All paper stock used by this Department is certified as coming from sustainable forests that are replanted to ensure effective use of available land. Approximately 60 per cent. of the Department's waste is currently collected for recycling and the Department is working with its estates partners to maximise recycling potential with the aim of ensuring that all suitable waste paper is sent for recycling.
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total number of DSS benefit offices; how many are linked to the Internet; what estimate he has made of the cost of linking DSS offices to the Internet which are not so linked; and if he will make a statement. [111398]
Angela Eagle:
The administration of benefits is a matter for Peter Mathison, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
1 There is a one-month lag in payments so this figure will increase.
Source:
Department of Health--General Ophthalmic Services Activity Statistics
(2) how much money has been allocated to public sector bodies for the purpose of implementing the National Changeover Plan over the next 12 months. [112144]
(2) if he will publish a breakdown of how funds for the National Changeover Plan have been spent to date. [112141]
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