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NHS Management Spending

Mr. Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on NHS management and administration in each region in England in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [127689]

Mr. Denham [holding answer 27 June 2000]: Management costs expenditure is shown in the tables.

£ million

	1997-98	1998-99	1999-2000
Health authority/region	Outturn	Plan(3)	Plan(4)
Northern and Yorkshire	54.0	53.7	70.1
Trent	44.8	43.9	56.3
Eastern	42.3	41.0	52.8
London	77.6	73.5	92.8
South East	70.6	68.2	87.2
South West	37.7	38.2	49.7
West Midlands	45.9	44.3	57.2
North West	59.3	56.4	74.1
England	452.2	419.2	540.2

(3) 1998-99 outturn figures will be published shortly.

(4) Comprises health authority cost baseline of £418 million and £122 million to support primary care groups redistributed from the former general practice fundholder management allowance.

£ million

NHS trust/region(5)	1997-98 outturn
Northern and Yorkshire	164.6
Trent	122.0
Anglia and Oxford	120.2
North Thames	235.0
South Thames	206.5
South West	147.8
West Midlands	135.4
North West	164.3
England	1,295.7

(5) At 1 April 1998 regions were re-configured. These figures are expressed in the old configuration.

£ million

NHS trust/region	1998-99 plan(6)	1999-2000 plan
Northern and Yorkshire	169.0	164.5
Trent	126.4	126.4
Eastern	120.5	119.2
London	282.7	281.1
South East	204.0	201.6
South West	111.3	111.2
West Midlands	134.1	133.6
North West	168.1	168.3
England	1,316.1	1,305.9

(6) 1998-99 outturn figures will be published shortly

Therapeutic Cloning

Mr. Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the Donaldson inquiry on therapeutic cloning to report. [127987]

Yvette Cooper [holding answer 27 June 2000]: The Chief Medical Officer's expert group on therapeutic cloning has completed its work on the potential benefits,

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risks and the ethical issues raised by developments in stem cell research and cell nuclear replacement. We are now considering the report's recommendations.

Hospital Waiting Times

Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost of reducing (a) inpatient and (b) outpatient waiting times to (i) six months or less and (ii) three months or less; and if he will make a statement. [127499]

Mr. Denham [holding answer 27 June 2000]: We are determined to reduce waiting lists and times for all patients. As part of the National Plan for the National Health Service, the Patient Care: Speed of Access Modernisation Action Team is looking at improving patient's access to NHS services.

Respite Care

Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of the population is entitled to respite care in each local social services authority. [127894]

Mr. Hutton: Respite care is provided by or on behalf of local authority social services departments. The supply of short-term breaks is not entitlement-based but is governed by the assessment of individuals' needs.

Terminally Ill Children (Southend)

Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the investigations into the allegations relating to the treatment of terminally- ill children within the Southend Community Services Trust. [128060]

Mr. Denham: We are aware of the police investigation which is clearly a matter of major concern. We understand that the South Essex Mental Health and Community Care NHS Trust is co-operating fully with Essex Police. As the matter is at present under police investigation it would be inappropriate to comment further.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Canadian Memorial Fountain, Green Park

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when the Canadian Memorial Fountain in Green Park will be switched back on; and if he will make a statement. [126589]

Mr. Chris Smith [holding answer 19 June 2000]: Responsibility for the subject of the fountain has been delegated to the Royal Parks Agency. As its Chief Executive, William Weston, has not yet taken up his appointment, I have asked the Agency's Head of Policy, Viviane Robertson, to reply on his behalf.

Letter from Viviane Robertson to Mr. Paul Marsden, dated 28 June:

The new Chief Executive has not yet taken up his appointment and I have been asked by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to answer your Parliamentary Question about the Canada Memorial Fountain, because Green Park is the responsibility of the Agency.

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The Canada Memorial is maintained by the Canada Memorial Foundation, not by the Agency, although we let them know whenever our contractors or park management staff report that it is not working. I understand that the water was flowing intermittently at the weekend and the Foundation have been informed of this.

Buildings at Risk

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what action he proposes in response to the publication by English Heritage of the Register of Buildings at Risk 2000; and if he will make a statement. [127306]

Mr. Chris Smith [holding answer 22 June 2000]: I very much support the Buildings at Risk initiative which is a valuable tool in directing funding to the most important of England's historic buildings which are in urgent need of conservation. Removal of buildings at risk from the register is a key target in the Funding Agreement between my Department and English Heritage (EH), although the exact allocation of resources to this activity is a matter for EH's Commissioners. It is also important that owners of these buildings play their part in funding conservation works.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Opinion Research

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 12 June 2000, Official Report, column 466W, on opinion research, what information is held centrally about the results of his Department's market and opinion research. [127644]

Dr. Howells: There is no central point where all the results of the Department's market and opinion research is held.

National Weights and Measures Laboratory

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has for the National Weights and Measures Laboratory in Teddington; and if he will make a statement. [127863]

Dr. Howells: The National Weights and Measures Laboratory is an Executive Agency of my Department. The status of Executive Agencies is regularly reviewed. A review of the status of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory has just been undertaken. The reviewer consulted widely. The staff and the customers of the Laboratory were among those consulted. The reviewer's recommendations have only very recently been sent to Ministers. No decisions have been taken. A further statement will be made after Ministers have considered the reviewer's report.

Small Business

Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of the work carried out by the Small Business Unit is focused on (a) urban and (b) rural areas. [128053]

Ms Hewitt: The support and advice being provided by the Small Business Service, both on a national basis and through the new network of Business Links, will be

28 Jun 2000 : Column: 519W

available to all small businesses and those considering starting up in business. The new Business Links will be expected to tailor services to the particular needs of their areas; the Small Business Service will be working to ensure, during the planning stages, that the services provided reflect the needs of their local business communities.

Post Offices

Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will publish the report by the Performance and Innovation Unit on rural post offices. [128054]

Mr. Alan Johnson: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend earlier today, Official Report, columns 907-09.

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