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London NHS Housing Co-ordinator

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out the principal duties of the London NHS housing co-ordinator; and what targets have been set and what resources have been allocated to the post holder. [2688]

Mr. Hutton: The National Health Service housing co-ordinator was appointed by the NHS Estates Agency on 1 April 2000, and is now one year into a three-year programme. He is supported by three full-time staff and has access to professional and other support staff at the London regional office, and within the NHS Estates Agency. The principal duties, and targets, have changed during this period, and now include: to improve the quality and quantity of affordable homes for NHS staff in support of the NHS's recruitment and retention requirements; to deliver the NHS Plan's target to secure 2,000 additional residential units in London; to estimate the need outside London, securing additional residential units as required, starting in the south east; establish a London wide NHS accommodation bureau; pilot a scheme to provide affordable hotel type rooms in London; consider ways of providing affordable home ownership for NHS staff; and issue guidance, advice, and best practice exemplars for providing staff accommodation. Following the initial success of the programme, the team are now rolling out the initiative to cover areas in the rest of England where high property prices impact on staff recruitment and retention.

The post holder has delivered, or is on target to deliver, these objectives. Initial milestones for the project involve securing new accommodation at Lever Street, EC1, which in addition provides 26 hotel-type rooms, Pentland House, SE13, and most recently in Kilburn at Acorn Estates. The NHS accommodation bureau has been established with access to more than 12,000 residential units in London.

Overseas Nurses

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Woodspring, (Dr. Fox) of 25 June 2001, Official Report, column 26W, on overseas nurses, what the nature of these representations were; to what countries his Department intends to extend the initiative offered to Spain; what countries have turned down the opportunity to enter into a similar agreement; what reasons they gave for turning down such an opportunity; and if he will make a statement. [2701]

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Mr. Hutton: The countries outlined in response to the hon. Member for Woodspring (Dr. Fox) on 25 June have made written or verbal representations to the Department about the availability of health care professionals from their country to work in the National Health Service.

The Department will work with these and other countries making a similar approach to agree the most appropriate means to support international co-operation in the recruitment, secondment, exchange or development of health care professionals with the NHS, which is of mutual benefit.

To date, no country has declined to work with us and no country has yet agreed a similar arrangement to the one we have with Spain.

Walk-in Centres

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many expressions of interest his Department has received about introducing NHS walk-in centres. [2523]

Mr. Hutton: We received 100 applications following the issue of Health Service Circular 1999–116 in May 1999.

39 of the 40 National Health Service walk-in centres that were approved in 1999 are open. A further three National Health Service walk-in centres were approved in 2000. By the end of 2001 all 43 will be open.

Ashworth Special Hospital

Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of the costs of providing additional security measures at Ashworth special hospital which arose out of the Fallon inquiry and the Tilt report. [2806]

Jacqui Smith: £4.5 million capital was invested in 1999–2000 to improve security and safety at Ashworth hospital in response to the findings of the Fallon inquiry report. A review was also undertaken at that time of the likely need for future investment on security and modernisation. As a result, an additional £3 million capital per year was allocated for this purpose to the Department's north-west regional office. £16 million of capital funding is being made available to Ashworth hospital authority, over the period 2000 to 2004, to meet the additional security measures recommended for the hospital in the Tilt report.

Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much it cost to erect a new security fence at Ashworth special hospital; and if he will make a statement. [2805]

Jacqui Smith: The report of the review of security at the high security hospitals (the Tilt report), published in May 2000, recommended that the perimeter security of the three high security psychiatric hospitals, Ashworth, Broadmoor and Rampton, should be upgraded. The recommendation was accepted by the Government. Current estimates are that the planned additional external perimeter barrier at Ashworth hospital will cost £1.7 million capital. Schemes

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linked to the external perimeter barrier, including external and internal perimeter roads, will cost a further £1.5 million capital, making a total cost of £3.2 million.

Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what resources have been allocated for additional security measures at Ashworth special hospital arising out of the Tilt report; and if he will make a statement. [2807]

Jacqui Smith: £16 million of capital funding is being made available to Ashworth hospital authority, over the period 2000–04, to meet the additional security measures recommended for the hospital in the Tilt report.

MRSA

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many lives were lost in NHS hospitals as a result of MRSA in each of the last 12 years. [2378]

Ms Blears [holding answer 9 July 2001]: There are no centrally held statistics on deaths caused by hospital acquired infections, including Methicillin resistant "Staphylococcus aureus" (MRSA).

MRSA infection can take the form of many different diseases from trivial skin infection to pneumonia or septicaemia. It is difficult to tell what contribution MRSA infection makes to death. MRSA does not have a distinct code within the revision of the international classification of diseases used for coding diagnostic data in the National Health Service and death registration data at the Office for National Statistics.

Hospital Trusts

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what circumstances hospitals with individual trusts but combined clinical services may apply for teaching services. [2925]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 9 July 2001]: The arrangements for establishing training placements for National Health Service staff will vary according to the staff group involved and the stage of training they have reached. The most important aspects local education providers will consider are the quality of training on offer and the range and depth of experience required from the placement.

Clinical Negligence

Mr. Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to introduce proposals to reform the clinical negligence system. [3618]

Mr. Milburn: I have announced today my intention to publish a White Paper early in 2002 on reforming the way clinical negligence claims are handled.

Head Injuries

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will respond to the Health Committee's report, "Head Injury: Rehabilitation" (HC307 Session 2000–2001). [2395]

Mr. Hutton: We expect to publish our response to the report before Parliament rises on 20 July.

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CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Millennium Dome

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what is the cost, per month, for each of the last six months, of the Millennium Dome to (a) the Millennium Commission, (b) Government Departments and (c) private funds. [76]

Dr. Howells [holding answer 25 June 2001]: The New Millennium Experience company (NMEC) has advised that the monthly cost of the Dome and the site on which it stands for the last six months is as follows:

	£000
January 2001	2,615
February 2001	1,635
March 2001	1,459
April 2001	719
May 2001	687
June 2001	(6)486

⁽⁶⁾ Budgeted costs

Note:

Final figures for June are not yet available

In addition to care and maintenance, costs for the first part of this year include expenditure incurred on Dome decommissioning.

Government Departments are not involved directly in financing the Dome. Ministers have received support from officials over the last six months in respect of the Dome sale process and any other Dome-related matters in the normal course of business; but the cost of this is not separable from the cost of support to Ministers on other matters.

I am not aware of any cost of the Millennium Dome to private funds over the last six months other than costs incurred by potential bidders. These are a matter for them.

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