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Departmental Title Change Costs

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his estimate is of the total cost of (a) design, (b) stationery, (c) new name plaques and (d) other costs of the naming of his Department; and if he will make a statement. [3031]

Dr. Whitehead: My Department's costs have been very low as it makes extensive use of electronic templates, keeps low stocks of stationery and generally uses out-of-date stationery for purposes such as internal photocopying and notepads.

Recent changes in departmental responsibilities aim to improve efficiency in delivering Government policy. The costs of the name change to my central Department so far amount to £25,250, and are broken down in the table.

£
(a) Design264.37
(b) Stationery8,782.31
(c) Name plaques6,235
(d) Other costs:
Templates and display panels2,984.50
Changes to the website (c.50,000 pages)4,398
Costs incurred by our storage and distribution company2,585

Note:

These figures include VAT.


Landlord and Tenants Act

Ms Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many applications to challenge landlords' choice of insurers

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under paragraph 8 of the schedule to the Landlord and Tenants Act 1985 have been received by leasehold valuation tribunals. [3178]

Ms Keeble: The leasehold valuation tribunals were first given jurisdiction for nominated insurer cases in September 1997. Since that time, there have been approximately 60 applications made under paragraph 8 of the schedule to the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985.

Travel Concessions (Solent Ferries)

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if pensioners will be able to use the long distance travel concessions announced on 4 July on cross-Solent ferries. [3260]

Ms Keeble: A local authority must offer at least the statutory minimum concessionary travel requirement (half-fares for elderly and disabled people, with no charge for the pass) on local buses within its boundaries. Each authority may also offer concessionary travel beyond its area and by other means of transport—for example train and ferry services—if it considers it right to do so, using its discretionary powers in the Transport Act 1985.

Disability Discrimination Act

Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to extend the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 to place a duty on transport operators to allow disabled people to use all their vehicles. [3258]

Ms Keeble: The Government have already taken significant steps towards delivering accessible transport under the DDA. Regulations setting standards of access for trains, buses and coaches are already in force. Taxi drivers are also now under a duty to carry guide, hearing and other assistance dogs and we will be consulting in due course on access standards for licensed taxis.

My officials are involved in constructive discussions with both the transport industries and disability organisations regarding the further extension of the Disability Discrimination Act to transport operators, and the other recommendations relating to transport made by the Disability Rights Task Force in its report "From Exclusion to Inclusion."

Our aim is to find ways in which we can take forward the recommendations to deliver further improvements in access and mobility to disabled people without compromising the viability of industry. I hope to be in a position to publish a consultation paper on the options by the turn of the year.

Assistance Animals

Diana Organ: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) if he will list the airports which have facilities to process assistance animals travelling on passports for pets with their owners; [1723]

Mr. Morley: I have been asked to reply.

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Whether an airport has the facilities to process animals under the pet travel scheme is determined by the airline which seeks this Department's approval. It is the carrier that is approved, not the airport. An airline wishing to participate nominates a route, including the airport for which it can demonstrate its ability to comply with the requirements of the scheme. This forms the basis of its operational contract and foundation for the Department's approval. It is essential in order to ensure that every animal entering the country under the scheme is properly checked for compliance.

Within the limits of their agreements with this Department, it is a matter for each airline to decide how it transports pets into the UK, in light of its own operational and safety requirements. Some airlines have been able to demonstrate procedures to transport assistance animals in the cabins of their aircraft while meeting all the scheme's requirements. They are British Midland Airways, from Amsterdam, Stuttgart and Paris into London Heathrow airport, Lufthansa from Frankfurt into London Heathrow airport and British European operating an Air France flight from Toulouse into London Heathrow airport.

As additional transport companies and new routes are agreed by the Department, details (including whether they are able to carry assistance animals in the cabin of their aircraft) will be placed on the DEFRA website and made available through the PETS helpline.

Departmental Responsibilities

Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the recent division of regional responsibilities between different Government Departments. [1286]

The Prime Minister: I am replying to this question as it relates to ministerial responsibilities.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 9 July 2001, Official Report, column 408W.

HEALTH

Residential and Nursing Care

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many residential care and nursing (a) homes and (b) places he estimates there will be in (i) 2002, (ii) 2003 and (iii) 2004. [921]

Jacqui Smith: No estimates have been made centrally of the number of residential or nursing care homes in 2002, 2003 and 2004, nor of the places within those homes. On behalf of the Department, the Personal Social Services Research Unit (PSSRU) has made longer term projections of future levels of demand for long-term residential and non-residential care services for older people on a range of assumptions. The PSSRU projected that, keeping pace with demographic pressures, the number of older people in residential and nursing care homes will respectively rise by 12 per cent. and 13 per cent. over the period 1996 to 2010. This is equivalent, for both types of care, to almost 1 per cent. a year.

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Mental Health Care

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how the cumulative additional investment on mental health care over three years from 1999 has been allocated (a) for each year, (b) between health and social services and (c) between different Government initiatives and programmes; [1464]

Jacqui Smith: The additional central investment on mental health care over the three years from 1999 is shown in the table, (a) for each year and (b) between health and social services (in £ millions).

It is not possible to give accurate information on the split between different Government initiatives and programmes because the funding was allocated with health authority baselines to tackle local needs.

The total additional amount to be allocated in 2001–02 is £12.35 million revenue and £58 million capital. The allocation process has already begun and should be completed by the autumn. Most of this additional funding in 2001–02 will be used to provide significant improvements to high secure services.

Mental health investment: national service framework/NHS Plan implementation

£ million
Revenue investmentNHS CAMHS (child)NHS adultsPSS (personal social services)
1999–200010.058.5(1)46.0
2000–0110.056.013.0
2001–02(2)—12.35(3),(4)20.0
Committed so far20126.8577.0

Capital investment

£ million
1999–20004.5
2000–019.0
2001–02(5)58.0

(1) Eight for CAMHS

(2) The planned £10 million increase to the central funding for CAMHS was issued as part of the growth health authorities received in 2001–02—it was not separately identified. Targets are however being monitored. The £20 million central funding for 1999–2000 and 2000–01 has been added recurrently to HAs' baselines

(3) Of the £20 million, £1 million went to the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions for the homeless mentally ill initiative and a further £1 million is to be used for central initiatives

(4) Five for CAMHS

(5) Includes £5 million for acute psychiatric ward refurbishment, and £9 million for Fallon


Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list, by name of report and health authority, the independent inquiries into mental health services established under HSG (94) 27 which have been published since February 1994. [2009]

Jacqui Smith [holding answer 4 July 2001]:The information requested has been placed in the Library.

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Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by name of subject and health authority the independent inquiries into mental health services established under HSG (94) 27 which are currently under way but which have not yet published reports. [2001]

Jacqui Smith: [holding answer 4 July 2001]: The information requested is as follows.
















































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