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Hospitals
Mr. Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which community hospitals have closed since May 1996; how many hospital beds have been lost as a result; and if he will make a statement. [111424]
Mr. Denham:
The information requested is not available centrally.
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Mr. Austin:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) health visitors (b) district nurses, and (c) school nurses will become eligible to retire at age 55 years within the next five years; and what proportion of the current workforce in each case this represents. [112453]
Mr. Denham:
The available information is in the table. Numbers of school nurses are not collected centrally.
| Age | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | |
| Health Visitors | 420 | 450 | 410 | 360 | 360 |
| Percentage of total health visitors | 4.2 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.6 |
| District Nurses | 440 | 480 | 380 | 340 | 330 |
| Percentage of total district nurses | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.3 | 3.0 | 2.9 |
Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10
2. Figures exclude agency staff
Source:
Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census
Agency Staff
Mr. Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS spent on employing agency staff in (a) pathology and (b) technical support in the last financial year. [112448]
Mr. Denham:
The information requested is not centrally available.
7 Mar 2000 : Column: 633W
Weapons Contracts
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many AN/PRC-138 have to be supplied to his Department within the £5 million contract awarded by his Department to the Harris Corporation. [111011]
Dr. Moonie: This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from John F. Howe to Mr. Mike Hancock, dated 7 March 2000:
I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about how many data radios (AN/PRC-138) are due to be supplied to the Department within the £5 million contract awarded to the Harris Corporation. This matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief of Defence Procurement and Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency (DPA).
The DPA placed a prime contract for the provision of sixty-nine of these radios (including ancillaries, spares, training and three years' support) with SERCO Technology Ltd., Waterlooville, Hampshire on 14 June 1999. The contract provides a secure data messaging capability in support of operations in the Balkans. The first deliveries were made during August 1999 and were completed by the end of November 1999.
To satisfy the requirements of this contract SERCO Technology Ltd. placed a sub-contract with the Harris Corporation.
Porton Down
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many animal experiments were carried out at Porton Down in the last year for which figures are available. [111940]
Dr. Moonie [holding answer 1 March 2000]: This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Executive Research Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Sir John Chisholm to Mr. Norman Baker, dated 7 March 2000:
I have been asked to reply to your question about the number of animal experiments carried out at Porton Down in the last year for which figures are available.
In 1999, the number of procedures undertaken using animals at DERA's Chemical and Biological Defence Sector at Porton Down was 11501 (1 animal = 1 procedure; but note that individual animals may take part in several procedures). This figure reflects the information provided to the Home Office.
I hope this is helpful.
Duke of York's Royal Military School
Mr. Menzies Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list (a) those targets of the Duke of York's Royal Military School for 1998-99 which (i) were and (ii) were not achieved, giving the factors affecting the outcome in each case and (b) action taken by the agency to improve target achievement performance in 1999-2000; and if he will make a statement. [111771]
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Dr. Moonie
[holding answer 6 March 2000]: This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Duke of York's Royal Military School Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the right hon. and learned Member.
Letter from J. A. Cummings to Mr. Menzies Campbell, dated 7 March 2000:
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Mr. Menzies Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list (a) those targets of the Defence Sales Agency for 1998-99 which (i) were and (ii) were not achieved, giving the factors affecting the outcome in each case and (b) action taken by the agency to improve target achievement performance in 1999-2000; and if he will make a statement. [111770]
Dr. Moonie
[holding answer 6 March 2000]: This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Disposal Sales Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the right hon. and learned Member.
Letter from Mr. A. J. S. Taylor to Mr. Menzies Campbell, dated 7 March 2000:
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I am replying to your Question to Secretary of State for Defence about (a) those targets of the Duke of York's Royal Military School for 1998-99 which (i) were and (ii) were not achieved, giving the factors affecting the outcome in each case and (b) action taken by the agency to improve target achievement performance in 1999-2000; as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of this Agency. A copy of the 98-99 Corporate and Management Plan which contains these targets is held in the House Library.
(a) (i) The Key Targets that were achieved in 1998/99 are as follows:
Key Target 2
To achieve 5 or more GCSE passes at grades A* to C to 78% of candidates. Achievement was 90.1% exceeding target by 12.1%.
Key Target 3
To achieve 88% of A levels passes at grades A to E. Achievement was 95.2% exceeding target by 7.2%.
Key Target 4
To achieve 3 or more A level passes at grade A to E for 80% of candidates. Achievement was 81.8% exceeding target by 1.8%.
Key Target 6
To achieve 100% GNVQ Advanced BTEC National Diploma passes. Achievement was 100%.
Key Target 7
To achieve places in higher education for 70% of sixth form leavers. Achievement was 85% exceeding target by 15%.
Key Target 8
To achieve a pupil per capita cost of no more than £13,151. Achievement was £11,020, £2.131 less than target.
Key Target 9
To generate income of at least £452,000. Achievement £492,000, £40,000 in excess of the target.
Key Target 10
To achieve at least 260 applications for September 1999 intake. Achievement was 294.
(ii) Key Targets that were not achieved in 1998/99 are as follows:
Key Target 1
To Achieve 100% of GCSE passes at A* to G target was 100%. Achievement was 99.86%. This reflected one candidate who did not complete all of the assessment requirements for one subject being upgraded in that subject. 737 other subject entries were graded in the range A* to G with a total of 89.30% being graded in the range A-C.
Key Target 5
To achieve 34% of A Level passes at grades A to B. Achievement was 31.9%. The percentage of A and B grades achieved reflected credit on that cohort of students. Unfortunately, the cohort as a whole was less able than in 97-98, nevertheless this was an improvement on 96-97.
(b) The Agency's Key Targets (KTs) are reviewed annually by the Board of HM Commissioners for the school and the Adjutant General's staff, to ensure targets are taut, realistic and demanding. The annual targets set for the School's academic performance (KT1-6) show an increase each year. As part of the exercise to seek
better performance targets are cascaded to Heads of Department allowing them to take more ownership. However, academic performance is dependant on pupil ability. Recognising this we will be considering alternative ways of measuring performance on the basis of the 'value added' by the school to the pupil. In line with the continuing drive for efficiency, the School's per capita rate and the income generation target is kept constantly under review.
I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the Disposal Sales Agency's (DSA) targets for 1998/99 and 1999/2000 as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the DSA.
The key targets for the financial year 1998/99 and the percentage achieved are listed as follows:
Key Target 1
To achieve disposal sales income of £30M from Government to Government sales of surplus capital equipment and stores--73% achieved.
Key Target 2
To achieve disposal sales income of £30M from commercial sales of MOD's surplus items--93% achieved.
Key Target 3
To extend the Agency's disposal services to other public sector organisations and to secure an additional £1M of sales income as a result--Achieved.
Key Target 4
To develop, contract for, and introduced new IT systems by 31 March 1999, taking account of the Year 2000 requirements for equipment and software--Achieved.
Key Target 5
To put in place the mechanisms fully to test the level of customer satisfaction for the Agency's services, and those services provided by its appointed contractors--Achieved.
Key Target 6
To reduce the unit cost of generating £1M of sales to £65,000 from a baseline figure of £90,500 achieved in 1994/95--Achieved.
In an increasingly competitive marketplace, which was subjected to shrinking national defence budgets, only a relatively few nations have a real interest in large second-hand capital equipment and therefore demand was not widespread.
In 1998/99 the DSA operated in a depressed market particularly for major platform sales--this was not only in economic terms as sales opportunities had also been lost because of political events, changing operational requirements and security considerations outside the Agency's control or sphere of influence. Sales targets have traditionally been the major Key Targets of the Agency over the last 5 years. In that time the Agency has surpassed its targets by a 10% margin (£370M as compared to cumulative 5-year target of £335M). In year variances, however, do occur. Estimating sales receipts, based inevitably on limited and shifting information from the three Services, together with the sometimes incomplete conditional state of the surplus equipment when it is declared for sale and set against unknown market conditions is far from an exact science.
The Key Targets for 1999/2000 are listed below:
Key Target 1
To achieve disposal sales income of £66M from sales of surplus Government owned equipment and stores.
Key Target 2
To reduce the unit cost of generating £1M of sales to £62,500 from a baseline of £90,500 achieved in 1994-95.
Key Target 3
To undertake customer satisfaction surveys designed to identify key issues and priorities, measure perceptions and expectations, and to communicate results and benefits of actions taken to the Agency's customer base.
Further information on the DSA can be found in the DSA Annual Report and Accounts 1998/99, a copy of which was laid before the Houses on 22nd July 1999. Targets for performance for 1999/2000 were printed on 26th October 1999 (Official Report, columns 767/768).
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