| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Bought-in Services
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was paid to the private healthcare industry for procedures carried out on behalf of NHS patients, broken down by health authority for each of the last three years. [117701]
Ms Stuart: The amount of National Health Service funds spent on the provision of services for NHS patients treated outside the NHS (in the independent healthcare sector comprising of for profit hospitals, not for profit hospitals, voluntary hospitals/hospices and independent clinics), for the last three years are as follows:
Mr. John M. Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the extent of the use of private sector health facilities by the NHS in the last year. [117404]
Ms Stuart:
During 1998-99, £1.25 billion (4.8 per cent. of total National Health Service spending on the provision of health services) was spent on services commissioned outside the NHS (from the private healthcare industry and charitable and voluntary organisations). Over half was spent on residential care, mainly for learning disability and mental illness patients.
Mr. Paice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects products that have been approved by the EU Standing Committee for Animal Feedingstuffs in December to be published in the Official Journal; and when he expects products so approved to appear on the consolidated list of approved products circulated to member states. [117962]
Ms Stuart:
Provisions for new feed additives agreed at the 6-7 December meeting of the Standing Committee on Animal Feedingstuffs have been published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 29 March as Commission Regulation (EC) 654/2000. This Regulation has now come into force in all European Union member states.
6 Apr 2000 : Column: 580W
On 28 February the European Commission produced a comprehensive list of additives authorised for use in animal feed. The list has no legal basis in itself and is expected to be next revised in early 2001.
Mr. Paice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what products from British companies were considered by the December meeting of the EU Standing Committee for Animal Feedingstuffs under the Microbe and Enzyme Directive 93/113. [117961]
Ms Stuart:
New authorisations for feed additives, such as those agreed at the December meeting of the European Union Standing Committee for Animal Feedingstuffs, are granted under Council Directive 70/524/EEC for generic, rather than product-specific approval. I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that one new authorisation agreed in December was on a dossier provided by a British company. The corresponding provision contained in Commission Regulation 654/2000 is for the use of a micro-organism product for use in feed for calves containing certain strains of Lactobacillus casei and Enterococcus faecium.
Joan Ruddock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the findings of the Consumers Association regarding radiation risks of hands-free mobile phones and shields; and if he will make a statement. [118010]
Yvette Cooper:
The findings of the Consumers Association will be assessed by the independent expert group on mobile phones. The group, chaired by Sir William Stewart FRS FRSE, is considering the possible health effects from the use of mobile telephones, base stations and transmitters and is conducting a comprehensive assessment of existing research.
The group is currently completing its review of the evidence and is preparing its report prior to publication in May.
Joan Ruddock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 13 March 2000, Official Report, columns 61-62W, on fruit and vegetables, if he will list the methods used by his Department, in consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, to inform the public of the advice on peeling and washing fruit and vegetables in relation to pesticide residues; what was the expenditure on such advice in the last financial year; and if the Food Standards Agency will continue to give such advice. [118016]
Ms Stuart:
Advice to wash and prepare fruit and vegetables before eating has been included in press releases and the Ministry of Agriculture/Department of Health Food Safety Information Bulletin when results from surveys of pesticide residues in food are published. It is also used by Government Departments in responding to inquiries about pesticide residues in food. Reporting the results of surveys is routine work and no separate information on related expenditure is available. The Food
6 Apr 2000 : Column: 581W
Standards Agency is committed to informing and advising consumers about food safety issues relating to pesticides. It will continue to promote advice to wash fruit and vegetables.
Mr. Wray:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the Government will implement the Royal Commission report recommendations on Long Term Care for the Elderly. [118229]
Mr. Hutton:
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Coventry, South (Mr. Cunningham) on 20 March 2000, Official Report, columns 430-31W.
Mr. Gray:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 30 March 2000, Official Report, column 217W, on workplace parking, how many workplace car parking spaces are available at hospitals, clinics and other establishments controlled by (a) him and (b) health authorities and trusts. [117955]
Ms Stuart:
It is not known how many workplace parking spaces are available at National Health Service healthcare premises.
As healthcare providers, the NHS is well aware of the need to reduce transport congestion and hence pollution, and are taking steps to address their transport requirements. Transport strategies will include reducing car parking spaces by encouraging the use of alternative modes of transport whenever possible or practicable.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what advice she has given to aid workers deployed in Kosovo with the support of her Department in respect of hazards posed by the residual radioactivity remaining from the use of depleted uranium shells by allied forces in Kosovo. [117070]
Clare Short:
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Minister for the Armed Forces on 27 January 2000, Official Report, column 225W, where he stated that the health risks from depleted uranium (DU) are assessed as generally low. However, civilian mine clearance organisations have regular contact with many types of unexploded ordnance. KFOR provided the United Nations Mines Action and Co-Ordination Centre (UNMACC) with an information pack about DU which UNMACC distributed to each mine clearance organisation.
The Government have not felt it necessary to provide further advice to general aid workers on this issue. My Department's view is that mines and unexploded ordnance pose a greater risk to assistance workers; all personnel are given mines awareness training before deployment to Kosovo.
6 Apr 2000 : Column: 582W
Mr. Donald Anderson:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how the contribution funded from her Department for the reconstruction of Kosovo is planned to change; and what implications this has for the overall level of funding. [117162]
Clare Short:
Commitments from our emergency and humanitarian programme ended on 31 March. However, we shall continue to support the international organisations working in Kosovo and to provide funds for demining. Our bilateral programme in Kosovo will focus on the provision of technical assistance to support capacity and institution building for long-term development, in liaison with UNMIK and departments of the Joint Interim Administration. We plan to provide such support in the areas of economic restructuring, public administration, social policy, media and elections, health and development of civil society. We shall commit £15 million to these activities over the next three years. We also provide approximately 18 per cent. of the cost of the EU programme, amounting to approximately £39 million of the EU's 360 million euro programme in 2000.
Mr. Donald Anderson:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what has been the contribution funded from her Department for the reconstruction of Kosovo since June 1999; and if she will list the levels of the contribution of (a) other EU member states, (b) Canada and (c) the USA. [117161]
Clare Short:
We have committed £119 million in humanitarian and reconstruction assistance in 1999 and 2000. A further £15 million is available this year for support to the international relief agencies and for demining. Over the same period, other member states have provided a total of 1.1 euros in bilateral assistance. Canada has reported total commitments of 104 million Canadian dollars in reconstruction and humanitarian assistance for the period April 1999 to March 2001. The United States has committed a total of $264.1 million for 1999 and 2000. The equivalent figure for European Community assistance is 802.7 million euros, of which the UK share (currently 18 per cent.) is approximately £84.58 million.
1998-99: £1.25 billion (4.8 per cent. of total NHS expenditure)
A breakdown showing the expenditure by individual health authority, including the proportion spent on services outside the NHS has been placed in the Library.
1997-98: £1.08 billion (4.6 per cent. of total NHS expenditure)
1996-97: £0.87 billion (3.8 per cent. of total NHS expenditure)
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |