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Regional Cultural Distinctions
Mr. Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to provide support for regional cultural distinctions. [116162]
Mr. Chris Smith: It is the policy of my Department to encourage greater devolution of responsibility and support to the regions. I therefore fully support, for example, the policy of the Arts Council for England to bring decisions on funding closer to those most affected by them by devolving many responsibilities to the regional arts boards. Furthermore, the Regional Cultural Consortiums have been given the task of producing regional cultural strategies which will set out how they can best support and promote each region's distinct cultural identity.
Regulatory Reform
Mr. Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which Minister in his Department has responsibility for regulatory reform; and if he will make a statement. [117420]
Janet Anderson: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given today to my hon. Friend the Member for Scarborough and Whitby (Mr. Quinn) by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office, listing the Ministers for Regulatory Reform in the key regulatory departments.
My Department is working with a wide range of other Government Departments to identify ways of easing regulatory burdens on industries and bodies which DCMS sponsors. My Department is also actively examining many of the regulations for which it is responsible. In particular, the independent Television Commission is currently conducting an audit of all its regulatory requirements with the aim of regulating with a lighter touch.
Works of Art
Mr. Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been spent on (a) the upkeep and (b) the purchase of works of art in his Department for each financial year since 1992. [117476]
Mr. Alan Howarth: The Government Art Collection (GAC), part of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, acquires and displays works of art by British artists in major Government buildings in the UK and around the world. In so doing it plays a significant role in promoting British art and culture across diverse and international environments.
The cost of purchases, transport/installation and the conservation and framing of works of art in the Collection
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are met from the GAC's Annual Programme Vote. Within this overall figure, the amounts spent on each of these elements varies from year to year:
| £ | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Upkeep (Conservation and Framing) | Purchase |
| 1992-93 | 148,204 | 137,843 |
| 1993-94 | 141,022 | 122,542 |
| 1994-95 | 142,200 | 127,155 |
| 1995-96 | 158,177 | 82,471 |
| 1996-97 | 123,285 | 122,826 |
| 1997-98 | 104,100 | 137,000 |
| 1998-99 | 108,300 | 126,600 |
| 1999-2000 | 87,350 | 184,672 |
The GAC operates across Government, lending its works of art for display in a variety of Departments. Within any given year the number and disposition of its works of art within any given Department varies according to circumstances. It is therefore not possible to break down the figures for upkeep and purchase of works of art in the Collection in relation to the individual Departments in which they are displayed.
HEALTH
Unused Drugs
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the quantity and value of unused drugs returned to pharmacists for disposal for each year since 1995; and if he will make a statement. [116365]
Mr. Denham: Information on the quantity and value of unused medicines is not collected centrally. It is important both that patients take the medicines they need, and that they are not prescribed more medicines than they need, since this wastes money which could otherwise be used to benefit other patients. We have put in place a number of initiatives to reduce the quantity of unused medicines, such as making regular review of patients' medication by general practitioners a condition for payment of the Sustained Quality Allowance and funding pilot schemes where pharmacists manage repeat prescriptions, including checking that patients are taking the medicines that they have been prescribed and actually need further supplies. We will consider extending this initiative if the results of the pilots show that this reduces waste.
Prescription Charges
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was collected from prescription charges in the last year for which figures are available. [116876]
Ms Stuart: In 1998-99 prescription charge revenue in England, including fees from the sale of pre-payment certificates, was £341 million.
Mr. Llwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the income received from prescription charges by constituency in the last year for which figures are available. [116878]
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Ms Stuart:
Information about charge revenue is not collected in England in the form requested.
Mr. Llwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the administrative cost of changing prescription charges by 10 pence. [116877]
Ms Stuart:
These costs are not identified separately within the administrative costs of the Department and National Health Service bodies in England.
Mr. Love:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in the preparation of the pharmacy strategy; and if he will make a statement. [116696]
Ms Stuart:
We are considering how pharmacists can best contribute to our agenda for the modernisation of primary care, in the light of the National Priorities Guidance for the National Health Service we published last December and the key challenges set out by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in his statement on NHS modernisation on 22 March 2000, Official Report, columns 982-83W.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the cost in the last year for which figures are available to the National Health Service of the prescribing of drugs to combat depression. [116977]
Ms Stuart:
The net ingredient of prescription items dispensed in the community for antidepressant drugs in England in 1998 was £279 million. Information on antidepressant drugs dispensed in hospitals is not available.
The data are based on items and cover all prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists, appliance contractors, dispensing doctors and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered. The data cover all prescriptions dispensed in England and exclude prescriptions written in England but dispensed outside England.
The net ingredient cost (NIC) is the basic cost of a drug and does not take account of discounts, dispensing costs, fees or prescription charges income.
Antidepressant drugs are contained in the British National Formulary section 4.3--antidepressant drugs.
The data do not include dispensing in hospital or private prescriptions.
Mr. Edward Davey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) clinical negligence cases and (b) clinical negligence cases related to radiotherapy treatment, have been settled out of court in the past two years by each health authority; what has been the cost to health authorities of settling (i) clinical negligence cases and (ii) clinical negligence cases related to radiotherapy treatment, out of court over the past two years; and if he will make a statement. [117269]
Ms Stuart:
Historically, data on numbers of claims have not been collected centrally.
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The total costs for all clinical negligence claims for the last available two years are:
It is not possible to say what proportion of clinical negligence claims are settled out of court, or which relate to radiotherapy treatment.
Mr. Harvey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of (a) the cost to the NHS of providing a nationwide meningitis vaccination programme and (b) the total number of people for whom such a programme would be clinically appropriate; and if he will make a statement. [116681]
Yvette Cooper
[holding answer 3 April 2000]: Meningococcal infection can affect anyone of any age. However, the greatest number of cases and deaths occur in the under 18s and hence the prioritisation within this age band. By the end of the year the new meningococcal Group C conjugate vaccine will have been offered to all under 18s. The cost of the programme will include vaccine purchase, distribution and local implementation through schools and primary care. We will not know the full costs until the programme is completed later in the year.
1996-97: £235 million
1997-98: £144 million.
Figures for 1998-99 are not yet available. It should also be noted that, due to changes to accounting practice required by the National Audit Office, these figures are not directly comparable.
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