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Correspondence

Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the hon. Member for Walsall, North will receive a reply to his letter of 23 May concerning lock purchasing. [132447]

Mr. Hutton: The letter of 23 May was a copy of a letter dated 17 April, to which I replied to my hon. Friend on 22 May.

25 Jul 2000 : Column: 499W

Back Book

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to provide the Back Book free of charge to patients; [128485]

(2) how many copies of the Back Book have been sold in each year since its publication. [128486]

Mr. Denham [holding answer 3 July 2000]: The Back Book was published by The Stationery Office in 1996. I understand that, to date, 115,157 packs of 10 copies have been sold. We do not have information on how that figure breaks down year by year.

We have no plans to provide the Back Book free of charge to patients.

Departmental Inquiries

Mr. Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the inquiries his Department has established in each of last two years, indicating for each the form the inquiry was to take, and an estimate of the number of patients it covered. [129022]

Ms Stuart: The inquiries commissioned by the Department in the last two years are as follows. It is not possible to provide a meaningful estimate of the number of patients affected by the matters under inquiry. In most cases that is for the inquiry to establish.

The BSE Inquiry

Established in December 1997 to review the history of BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) and new variant CJD (Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease) and the action taken in response to it. Independent chair. Hearings held in public.

Review of Thoracic Surgical Services at Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust

Established in July 1998 to review the previous investigation undertaken by the trust into its thoracic surgery services. Independent chair. Hearings held in private.

The Bristol Royal Infirmary Inquiry

Established in October 1998 to examine issues relating to paediatric cardiac surgery. Independent chair. Hearings held in public.

The Ritchie Inquiry

Established in March 1999 to consider the practice of Mr. Rodney Ledward. Independent chair. Hearings held in private.

North Lakeland Healthcare NHS Trust Inquiry

Established in May 1999 to investigate allegations of patient abuse. Independent chair. Hearings held in private.

Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust. Liver Surgery Unit

Established in August 1999 to inquire into allegations relating to gene therapy for patients with liver cancer. Independent chair. Hearings held in private.

Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust Department of Imaging Inquiry

Established in November 1999 to investigate allegations of victimisation. Independent chair. Hearings held in private.

The Royal Liverpool Children's Inquiry

Established in December 1999 to examine circumstances surrounding the removal, retention and disposal of human tissue. Independent chair. Hearings held in private.

25 Jul 2000 : Column: 500W

The Laming Inquiry

Established in March 2000 to review issues arising from the trial of Dr. Shipman. Independent chair. Form of inquiry under review.

The King's Mill Centre for Healthcare Services NHS Trust Inquiry

Established in June 2000 to investigate allegations of inappropriate disposal of human organs. Independent chair. Hearings held in private.

NHS Trusts

Mr. Alan Keen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial assistance he gives to NHS trusts that are undertaking reconfiguration of patient services, approved by him, towards the cost of (a) redundancy and retirement and (b) capital building costs. [130167]

Mr. Denham: A central special assistance fund has existed since 1996-97. It provides financial assistance to some health authorities to facilitate strategic change, such as reconfiguring patient services at NHS trusts. Special assistance helps fund some of the short-term non-recurrent costs of change, for example double running or redundancy costs. Within London, the London Fund also provides non-recurrent transitional funding to support strategic changes.

Capital funding is approved on the basis of information contained in a business case which is considered by regional offices. Access to funding is dependent on competing investment priorities in the region.

St. George's Hospital, Tooting

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the services provided by St. George's Hospital, Tooting, London. [130524]

Mr. Denham: All National Health Service trusts are subject to a formal annual assessment of their progress and future plans by the relevant regional office of the NHS Executive, and this assessment process was carried out with St. George's Healthcare NHS Trust earlier this year by London Regional Office.

NHS Trust Directorships

Mr. Rowe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if it remains his policy to ban the spouses of hon. Members from non-executive directorships in National Health Service trusts. [130534]

Ms Stuart: The Department is currently considering the preparation of new guidance on conflict of interest issues for National Health Service boards and other public bodies for which we are responsible. The issue of appointing the spouses of hon. Members to National Health Service boards will be re-considered as part of this process.

Fertility Treatment

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list, for each health authority, the number of patients on a waiting list for infertility treatment; and if he will make a statement. [130820]

Mr. Denham: Waiting list information is not collected centrally for specific procedures.

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Royal Shrewsbury Hospital

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about refurbishment of the accident and emergency unit at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. [131139]

Ms Stuart: Royal Shrewsbury Hospital was allocated £600,000 from the accident and emergency modernisation fund to develop a scheme to improve facilities in the casualty department. Work is due for completion by 31 March 2001 with specific aims to improve security for staff, access for the disabled, facilities for paediatric assessment and environmental conditions.

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals he has received from the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital for a new medical assessment unit to be funded from the A&E Modernisation Fund; and if he will make a statement. [131702]

Ms Stuart: Royal Shrewsbury Hospitals National Health Service Trust was allocated £600,000 in the first tranche of accident and emergency modernisation moneys in June 1999. The approved proposals included the development of an assessment unit, decontamination facilities and improved security. Further bids have been invited in June of this year to be funded from an additional £35 million made available nationally, and the trust have applied for funding totalling £2.2 million for an emergency assessment unit, which incorporates a medical assessment unit

NHS Executive regional offices are in the process of assessing the applications received. As yet, no decisions have been made nationally on the allocation of this latest tranche of accident and emergency modernisation moneys.

Fluoridation

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 7 July 2000, Official Report, columns 334-35W, regarding fluoridation, what bodies other than the National Health Service Centre for Reviews and Dissemination at the University of York were invited to apply for the commission to report into the safety and efficacy of fluoride in drinking water. [131360]

Ms Stuart [holding answer 20 July 2000]: No other bodies were invited to tender for the systematic review on fluoridation. The National Health Service Centre for

25 Jul 2000 : Column: 502W

Reviews and Dissemination was itself established by competitive tender to provide the Department with an expert facility for systematic research reviews.

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 7 July 2000, Official Report, column 335W, regarding fluoridation, what conditions apply to the moneys given by his Department to the British Fluoridation Society. [131331]

Yvette Cooper [holding answer 20 July 2000]: Since 1975 successive Governments have funded the British Fluoridation Society to help promote and implement their policies on oral health by providing evidence based advice to all interested parties. The Society is required to maintain accounts which show the use to which funds have been put for inspection by the Department's auditors.

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