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Type 45 Destroyers
Mr. Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made with the Royal Navy's Type 45 destroyer programme. [130419]
Mr. Hoon: The Government have now approved the procurement of Type 45 destroyers, in line with our firm commitment to a modern and effective destroyer and frigate force. Subject to the satisfactory completion of negotiations, a contract will be placed later this year with the prime contractor, BAe Systems, for the first three of these ships, and including some major long-lead equipment for a further three, at an estimated cost in excess of £1 billion. It is planned that the first and third ships will be assembled by BAe Systems Marine, and the second ship by Vosper Thornycroft. The first of class is expected to be launched from the BAe Systems Marine Scotstoun yard on the Clyde.
The class is to be named the 'D' Class and Her Majesty the Queen has graciously agreed to the first of class being named HMS Daring and the second HMS Dauntless. This revives two names that have served the Royal Navy well since the early 1800s.
The ships will be equipped with the PAAMS Anti Air Missile System, a collaborative programme with France and Italy, and will provide highly effective area defence against aircraft and missiles. In addition, the Type 45 Destroyer will be a multi-role, general purpose platform capable of operations across the spectrum of tasks from peace support to high intensity warfare.
The first of class will enter service in 2007. I expect an order for the second batch of ships will be placed around 2004.
Construction of these new ships will sustain up to 3,000 jobs directly in the shipyards over the next 10 years and will sustain or create almost as many elsewhere in the defence industry.
Sonar 2087
Mr. Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he plans to acquire sonar 2087 for the Royal Navy; and when the system will be in service. [129232]
Dr. Moonie [holding answer 11 July 2000]: 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 Robert Walmsley to Mr. Quentin Davies, dated 12 July 2000:
- I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the plans to acquire Sonar 2087 for the Royal Navy and when it will be in service. This matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief of Defence Procurement and Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency.
- Two companies, Thomson Marconi Sonar Ltd and Babcock Defence Systems Ltd, are currently competing for the Demonstration, Manufacture and Support contract for Sonar 2087.
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- We expect to place a contract in Spring 2001. Subject to negotiations with the successful contractor, we plan to bring the equipment into service at the end of 2005.
Defence Procurement Agency
Mr. Anthony D. Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key targets have been set for the Defence Procurement Agency for the financial year 2000-01. [125248]
Dr. Moonie [pursuant to his reply, 7 June 2000, c. 237W]: I must apologise that my answer contained an erroneous figure for Key Target 2. The figure for average cumulative slippage of in-service dates at 31 March 2001 should have read 23.8 months, rather than the 20.9 months shown in the Official Report.
HEALTH
Parkside Community Health Trust
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many district nurses working for Parkside Community Health Trust who carry a clinical case load have been given discretionary award points under the recommendations of the pay review body in 1998. [125948]
Mr. Denham: In line with national guidance from National Health Service Executive, Parkside Health NHS Trust has developed guidelines for awarding discretionary points to its nursing and therapy staff. This was done in consultation with staff groups and their representatives. The trust has considered a total of 59 applications, of which 30 were successful. Of these, six applications came from district nurses, and two were given discretionary award points.
Hospitals (South-west Surrey)
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people live within two miles of (a) Farnham, (b) Milford and (c) Haslemere hospitals. [128502]
Mr. Denham: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) centrally produce resident population data for health authorities and local authority districts.
However, they do not produce population data below these levels, which includes population by trusts. Currently, the only population data available below health authority and local authority districts are ward level data, which are based on the 1991 Census.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the commitments given by the West Surrey Health Authority Chief Executive and the Chief Executive of the Surrey Hampshire Borders Trust concerning the future of community beds at Farnham Hospital in the "Right Balance" plans published in May 1998 . [128495]
Mr. Denham: It is for local health authorities to decide on the configuration of services that best suit their local health economy's needs, based on the specialised knowledge they have of the local community.
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Mrs. Virginia Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS (a) state and (b) community in-patient hospital beds were available in (i) the South West Surrey constituency and (ii) the West Surrey health authority in May (1) 1997, (2) 1998, (3) 1999 and (4) 2000. [128504]
Mr. Denham: South West Surrey constituency approximates to West Surrey health authority in terms of geographical coverage so figures are given only for West Surrey health authority.
Figures are calculated by annual number of bed days per year divided by days in year. State beds are all beds, whereas community beds are those in community trusts.
Bed availability data are collected on a year-end basis; thus there is currently no published data for 1999-2000.
| All trusts | Community trusts | |
|---|---|---|
| 1996-97 | 2,635 | 356 |
| 1997-98 | 2,359 | 314 |
| 1998-99 | 2,477 | 819 |
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients had been waiting for in-patient treatment, excluding day cases, for more than one year on 31 March (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999 and (d) 2000 in West Surrey health authority. [128507]
Mr. Denham: The table provides the total number of patients waiting for ordinary admissions for more than one year, excluding day cases, in West Surrey health authority.
| Total number of patients | |
|---|---|
| 31 March 1997 | 426 |
| 31 March 1998 | 751 |
| 31 March 1999 | 675 |
| 31 March 2000 | 763 |
Thorotrast
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate he has made of the number of cancers attributable since 1970 to the use of Thorotrast; [128327]
- (2) what advice his Department has given to health authorities and trusts since 1970 on tracing patients exposed to Thorotrast; and if he will make a statement; [128326]
(3) what research his Department has commissioned since 1970 on the long-term effects of Thorotrast upon patients. [128328]
Ms Stuart [holding answer 5 July 2000]: We are not aware of any advice that this Department has given to health authorities and National Health Service trusts on tracing patients exposed to Thorotrast since 1970.
No estimate is available of the numbers of cancers attributable to Thorotrast since 1970.
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The Department has not commissioned any research specifically on the long-term effects of Thorotrast since 1970
Thorotrast was first used in 1928 and discontinued in 1955. It has not been used in the United Kingdom and the NHS since 1955.
It is not known how many patients were exposed to Thorotrast between 1928 and its discontinuation in 1955 and no estimate of the number of cancers attributable to the use of Thorotrast is available. We are not aware of any formal programme for tracing patients exposed to Thorotrast. It is not known how many people alive today may have been exposed to Thorotrast four to seven decades ago.
Bone Marrow Donors
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many bone marrow donors have been recruited by the National Blood Service in the last year. [129266]
Mr. Denham: In 1999-2000 6,000 new bone marrow donors were recruited by the National Blood Service and entered onto the British Bone Marrow Registry. The target for 2000-01 is 10,000.
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many samples are analysed each week for the purposes of registration as a bone marrow donor by (a) the National Blood Service and (b) voluntary organisations. [129267]
Mr. Denham: The National Blood Service currently types around 120 samples each week. This will rise to 250 each week by the end of 2000-01. We understand that the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust aims to recruit around 300 new donors a week.
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