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16 Oct 2001 : Column: 1119W

Written Answers to Questions

Tuesday 16 October 2001

PRIME MINISTER

Intelligence and Security Committee

Mr. Bryant: To ask the Prime Minister what the composition is of the Intelligence and Security Committee. [8271]

The Prime Minister: Following appropriate consultation and in accordance with section 10 of the Intelligence and Security Act 1994 I have appointed the following members to the Intelligence and Security Committee:


Copies of letters announcing these appointments were placed in the Library of the House on 30 July 2001.

HEALTH

Public-private Partnerships

3. Mr. Ian Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many meetings he has had with trade unions since 7 June to discuss public/private partnerships in the NHS. [3765]

Mr. Milburn: I have met with trade unions on a number of occasions to discuss a range of issues including public/private partnerships.

36. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer about the availability of public capital for hospital building programmes. [3799]

Mr. Hutton: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the availability of public capital for the National Health Service. This matter will be discussed again at the Public Expenditure Ministerial Cabinet Committee as part of the current spending review process.

Public capital will be considered for major hospital building projects when it is proven through the business case process to provide better value for money than a private finance initiative solution.

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Cervical Cancer Screening

14. Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on cervical cancer screening in the NHS. [3777]

Ms Blears: In the year to March 2000, 3.6 million women were screened and laboratories examined 4.1 million smears. Research has shown that the incidence of cervical cancer fell by 43 per cent. between 1988 and 1997.

Health and Social Care Act

15. Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the provisions of section 49(2) of the Health and Social Care Act 2001 will be implemented; and if he will make a statement. [3778]

Jacqui Smith: In line with our pledge in the NHS Plan, section 49(2) of the Health and Social Care Act 2001 came into effect for those paying for their own care by a registered nurse on 1 October 2001. For those who are already state-funded, the provisions will come into effect on 1 April 2003 .

NHS/Private Sector Concordats

16. Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to review the concordats between the NHS and the private sector. [3779]

Mr. Hutton: My officials are surveying health authorities and trusts on the extent and cost of the acute activity they commission from the private sector, and discussing experience to date with private sector providers and the NHS. The Centre for Health Economics at York University is also conducting a review of activity and experience.

Beta Interferon

17. Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the NICE report on the availability of beta interferon for MS sufferers. [3780]

Mr. Hutton: The National Institute for Clinical Excellence's Appraisal Committee is carefully considering the extensive comments on the Provisional Appraisal Determination. NICE expects to issue its guidance by December 2001.

31. Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the clinical benefits of beta interferon for MS sufferers. [3794]

Mr. Hutton: In view of the uncertainty over the appropriate use of beta interferon, we asked the National Institute for Clinical Excellence to conduct an authoritative appraisal on the evidence of beta interferon and glatiramer acetate. NICE expects to issue its guidance by December 2001.

Health and Social Care

18. Mr. Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his plans are for improving co-operation between health and social care. [3781]

21. Andy King: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to improve co-operation between health and social care. [3784]

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Jacqui Smith: Improved co-operation is being encouraged through the Health Act 1999 flexibilities—pooled funds, lead commissioning and integrated provision, especially in intermediate care, community equipment and nursing care. Care trusts can now be formed as single organisations, commissioning and providing both health and social care. Fifteen care trust demonstrator sites are preparing to go live from April 2002 to April 2003, receiving financial support for the preparatory period from the money recently announced to reduce bed blocking. Co-operation on the use of this money will be supported by the capacity planning being carried out by the local health and social care economy.

Diagnostic Testing

19. Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for increasing the use of diagnostic testing in health care. [3782]

Ms Blears: Diagnostic services are key in meeting NHS Plan targets. Central procurement programmes for CT and MRI scanners are already delivering improvements in the diagnostic quality of images, supporting the work of clinicians and benefiting patients. Over the last two years we have invested £20 million in supporting innovative pathology modernisation projects and a further £8 million is being made available this year.

Cloning

20. Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to introduce legislation to ban the cloning of human beings; and if he will make a statement. [3783]

Ms Blears: Human reproductive cloning cannot and will not be carried out in the United Kingdom. Treatment using human embryos requires a licence from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, which has stated that it would not issue a licence for reproductive cloning. Anybody carrying out such treatment without a licence would be guilty of a criminal offence. We will introduce primary legislation to put this ban on a statutory footing as soon as parliamentary time allows.

Osteoporosis

22. Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what support his Department is giving for services to help people with osteoporosis. [3785]

Jacqui Smith: There are well established clinical procedures in the NHS for dealing with osteoporosis. We have included specific targets for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis in the National Standards Framework for Older People. We are also examining how osteoporosis can be included in our pre-retirement health check pilots.

NHS Staff (Child Care)

23. Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he has taken to improve child care for NHS staff. [3786]

Mr. Hutton: The NHS Childcare Strategy centres on providing good quality accessible and affordable child care. We are already making available funding of over £70 million for the provision of 150 additional on-site

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nurseries by 2004, creating around 7,500 further nursery places. We have also pledged a further £100 million to develop alternative forms of child care.

Health Authorities (Lancashire)

24. Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the merger of health authorities in Lancashire. [3787]

Jacqui Smith: Public consultation is already under way on the proposal to create a new, strategic health authority (StHA) serving Lancashire and Cumbria. Consultation is taking place concurrently on the 27 other proposed StHAs in England, ending on 30 November 2001. Ministers will then decide on boundaries.

Bed Blocking

25. Mr. Salter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress in tackling bed blocking in the health service. [3788]

Jacqui Smith: The proportion of people over 75 whose discharge from hospital was delayed fell to 11.1 per cent. in June 2001 compared with 12.1 per cent. in the same quarter in 2000. We are also investing an additional £300 million over this year and the next as part of a radical 'cash for change' programme designed to end widespread 'bed blocking' by 2004. £100 million will be available for the remainder of this financial year to April 2002 with £200 million available for 2002–03.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the amount of NHS hospital beds subject to bed blocking, broken down by each hospital trust in England and Wales, shown in actual terms and as a percentage of beds in use. [7618]

Jacqui Smith [holding answer 15 October 2001]: The proportion of people over 75 whose discharge from hospital was delayed fell to 11.1 per cent. in June 2001 compared with 12.1 per cent. in the same quarter in 2000. We are also investing an additional £300 million over this year and the next as part of a radical 'cash for change' programme designed to end widespread 'bed blocking' by 2004. £100 million will be available for the remainder of this financial year to April 2002 with £200 million available for 2002–03.

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