| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Speech and Language Therapists
Mr. Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations his Department has received regarding the pay scales of speech and language therapists relative to other professional groups in the NHS. [131738]
Mr. Denham: Following extensive negotiations with staff side representatives, on 19 May a revised grading structure for speech and language therapists was introduced extending the existing pay spine to match that of clinical psychologists. Since then no representations have been received.
Grant Aid
Mr. Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will (a) list the successful applicants for grant aid under section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968 for the last year for which figures are available, (b) the value of each grant and (c) what the grant was for. [131732]
Mr. Hutton: The information requested has been placed in the Library.
Mr. Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many applications for grant aid under section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968 were (a) submitted and (b) approved in each of the last five years for which figures are available; what the total value of such grants was in each year; and if he will make a statement. [131733]
Mr. Hutton: The information requested is contained in the table.
25 Jul 2000 : Column: 501W
| Financial year | Number of new applications received | Number of new applications approved | Value of new grants approved (£) | Value of continuing grants approved from previous years (£) | Annual total value of approved grants (£) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) | (5) | (6) |
| 1996-97 | 629 | (1) Figure not available | (1) Figure not available | (1) Figure not available | 21,000,000 |
| 1997-98 | 627 | 268 | 9,034,144 | 12,405,068 | 21,439,212 |
| 1998-99 | 784 | 280 | 10,065,828 | 10,545,871 | 20,611,699 |
| 1999-2000 | 717 | 284 | 11,834,839 | 10,536,731 | 22,371,570 |
| 2000-01 | 671 | 216 | 8,388,848 | 14,204,905 | 22,593,753 |
(1) A new database was set up in 1996. Figures for columns (3)-(5) for that year are not available because the database was still being tested.
25 Jul 2000 : Column: 501W
The amounts approved were not necessarily the amounts paid as some grants, especially project grants,
25 Jul 2000 : Column: 502W
may have started late and payments were therefore made pro-rata.
25 Jul 2000 : Column: 503W
Private Finance Initiatives
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 13 July 2000, Official Report, column 684W, what the values of the public sector comparator and PFI alternatives are in (a) pre-risk and (b) risk-adjusted terms at full business case and financial close stage for the (i) Rochdale, (ii) Royal Berkshire, (iii) Central Sheffield and (iv) Guys and St. Thomas's hospital projects. [131614]
Mr. Denham [holding answer 20 July 2000]: Private finance initiative was considered in all four schemes, and in each case did not produce a suitable solution. For the schemes at Rochdale and Central Sheffield PFI was identified as unsuitable early in the procurement process and not pursued further. Comparative figures are therefore unavailable. The figures for the schemes at Royal Berkshire and Guys and St. Thomas's are shown in the tables.
| Public Sector Comparator | PFI Option | |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Berkshire | ||
| Whole scheme (1994) | No realistic PFI proposal identified | -- |
| Partial PFI (1997) NPC over 60 years--(not risk adjusted) | 10,096 | 13,180 |
| Guys and St. Thomas's | ||
| Net present value--pre-risk adjusted | 357.8 | 497.1 |
| Net present value--post-risk adjusted | 377.2 | 497.1 |
SCOPE
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will establish an inquiry into the role of SCOPE under section 81 of the Children Act 1989. [131969]
Mr. Hutton: I have no plans to establish an inquiry into the role of SCOPE under section 81 of the Children Act. I understand that allegations concerning a school run by SCOPE near Leeds were thoroughly investigated by the police and child protection services in 1995. They concluded that there was not sufficient evidence for criminal prosecution. The Department for Education and Employment subsequently considered the allegations and, as a result one former care worker was barred from working in relevant employment and placed on List 99.
Waiting Lists
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 17 July 2000 to the right hon. Member for South-West Surrey (Mrs. Bottomley), Official Report, columns 69-70W, concerning the numbers of patients waiting over 12 months for elective admission between March 1997 and March 2000, if he will provide the figures for West Sussex for each of those dates. [131829]
Mr. Denham [holding answer 21 July 2000]: We are determined to reduce waiting lists and times for all patients from the rising numbers we inherited. As waiting lists have fallen, so have waiting times. The number of over-12-month waiters is almost a third lower than the
25 Jul 2000 : Column: 504W
peak at June 1998 and the average waiting time of patients on the list is 13 weeks--Two weeks lower than at June 1998.
The numbers of patients waiting over 12 months for elective admission in West Sussex at March 1997, March 1998 and March 2000 are shown in the table.
| Number of patients waiting over 12 months at March | |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 902 |
| 1998 | 3,952 |
| 2000 | 1,848 |
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many Dorset Health Authority patients had been waiting for over 12 months for elective admission in (a) March 1997, (b) March 1998, (c) March 1999 and (d) March 2000. [132333]
Mr. Denham [holding answer 24 July 2000]: The information requested is shown in the table.
| Month end | Number of patients |
|---|---|
| March 1997 | 0 |
| March 1998 | 0 |
| March 1999 | 0 |
| March 2000 | 2 |
Source:
Department of Health forms KH07R and QF01
In March 1997 there were 56 patients waiting over six months, in March 2000 there were no patients waiting over six months for treatment in Dorset but there were 28 Dorset patients waiting for treatment outside the county.
MRSA
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many MRSA incidents have been voluntarily reported in each NHS region since 1996 (a) in total and (b) as a ratio to the population in that region. [131648]
Mr. Denham [holding answer 24 July 2000]: The Public Health Laboratory Service compiles aggregate data on numbers of incidents of MRSA which are voluntarily submitted by National Health Service trusts for specialist microbiological tests. These are given in the table. Also shown is the rate per 100,000 population.
Notes:
1. Population estimates are mid-year estimates based on 1991 census data
2. For 1996 and the first half of 1997 data have been amalgamated to the approximate boundaries of the new Regional Office areas. This allows for comparison with subsequent years
3. Data for 2000 are incomplete, therefore the rate per 100,000 cannot be calculated
4. An incident is three or more patients infected or colonised by the same strain of MRSA in the same month from the same hospital
5. The criteria for submission of isolates of MRSA (and other isolates of staphylococcus aureus) to the PHLS for specialist tests have been revised twice since 1996 (in January 1998 and in January 2000).
25 Jul 2000 : Column: 505W
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |