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Doctors and Nurses
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the latest figures are for the shortfall in (b) doctors and (b) nurses in the NHS. [18677]
Mr. Hutton: The NHS Plan acknowledges that a shortage of human resources is the biggest constraint faced by the National Health Service today. Targets for increasing the number of doctors and nurses were set in the NHS Plan and rolled forward in the manifesto before the last election.
The NHS Plan targets are for 7,500 more consultants, 2,000 more general practitioners and 20,000 more nurses by 2004. In September 2000 there were 1,100 more consultants, 126 more GPs and 6,300 more nurses than in September 1999, the NHS Plan baseline. The manifesto targets are for 10,000 more doctors and 20,000 more nurses by 2005 over the 2000 baseline.
The September 2001 census, giving the latest position against these targets, will be available in January 2002.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average annual rate of pay is for (a) nurses and (b) doctors (i) in the NHS and (ii) in the private sector. [18676]
Mr. Hutton: We estimate that as at August 2000, medical consultants were paid, on average, £65,000 basic salary, £72,000 total earnings, by National Health Service employers. The equivalent figures for nurses were £19,100 and £22,400.
Information is not available for staff working in the private sector.
- Note:
- Doctor's figures relate to medical consultants; nurses to qualified nurses in clinical grades D to G
- Source:
- Department of Health's August 2000 NHS staff earnings survey.
Public Service Agreements
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress towards the Public Service Agreement target of a reduction in the death rate from cancer amongst people aged under 75 years by at least 20 per cent. by 2010 [14890]
Jacqui Smith: Latest available data (for the three years 1998–2000) overlap the start of Our Healthier Nation health strategy, in which the mortality target was set, in July 1999. It is therefore too early yet to assess the effects of the strategy. However, movement to date is towards
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the target. Data for 1998–2000 (three-year average) show a rate of 130.9 deaths per 100,000 population, a reduction of 6.3 per cent. from the baseline (1995–97).
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress towards meeting the public service agreement target of a reduction in the death rate among people aged under 75 years by at least 40 per cent. by 2010. [14889]
Jacqui Smith: This target is to reduce deaths from coronary heart disease and stroke and related diseases in people under age 75. The latest available data (for the three years 1998–2000) overlap the start of the Our Healthier Nation health strategy in July 1999 and the publication of the National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease in March 2000. It is too early yet to assess the effects of these strategies. However, movement to date is towards the target. Data for 1998–2000 (three-year average) show a rate of 120.5 deaths per 100,000 population—a reduction of 13.7 per cent. from the baseline (1995–97).
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on success in meeting the public service agreement target for procurement savings by NHS trusts in 2000–01. [14901]
Mr. Hutton: All national health service trusts achieved procurement savings of 3 per cent. for the financial year 2000–01.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress towards meeting the public service agreement target that everyone with suspected cancer should be able to see a specialist within two weeks of his or her GP deciding that there is a need to do so. [14949]
Jacqui Smith: Good progress has been made towards meeting the public service agreement target that everyone with suspected cancer should be able to see a specialist within two weeks of urgent referral. In the period April to June this year 92.4 per cent. of all urgent general practitioner referrals for suspected cancer were seen within two weeks. Since April 1999 more than 186,000 women with suspected breast cancer have benefited by being seen within two weeks and over the period January to June 2001 over 114,000 people urgently referred with suspected cancer were seen by a specialist within two weeks.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress towards meeting the public service agreement target for the reduction of levels of staff absence due to sickness and injury caused by violence. [14912]
Mr. Hutton: The national baseline figure for sickness absence levels in the national health service, set in an exercise carried out in 1999, was 4.9 per cent. The Department is currently analysing data collected earlier this year to monitor progress in meeting the public service agreement target for the reduction in levels of staff absence.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the public service agreement target for reducing the number of children re-registered on a child protection register. [14009]
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Jacqui Smith: There is a National Priorities Guidance target to reduce by 10 per cent., by 2002, the proportion of children who are re-registered on the child protection register, from a baseline of 18 per cent. for the year ending 31 March 1997. Achieving this target would involve a reduction to 16.2 per cent. by March 2002.
This target has already been achieved. The proportion of children who were re-registered on the child protection register fell to 15 per cent. in 1998–99, to 14 per cent. in 1999–2000 and has remained at 14 per cent. in 2000–01, the latest year for which data are available.
Health Providers (Shropshire)
Peter Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding has been made available to health providers in Shropshire other than the health authority in 2001–02 to date. [17817]
Mr. Hutton: All 2001–02 revenue funding to date for the four Shropshire national health service trusts has been routed directly through health authorities.
Capital allocations made directly to NHS trusts by the Department. Total capital allocations so far this year are detailed in the table. These include discretionary capital allocations and additional allocations for specific schemes.
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Princess Royal Hospital | 4,093,000 |
| Royal Shrewsbury Hospital | 4,199,000 |
| Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital | 1,436,000 |
| Shropshire's Community and Mental Health Services | 2,899,000 |
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Pakistan
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his recent discussions with President Musharraf about the situation in Pakistan. [16693]
Mr. Bradshaw: On 23 November, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State met President Musharraf in Islamabad. They discussed Afghanistan and Pakistan, Pakistan's support in the fight against terrorism and UK/ Pakistan relations.
Overseas Territories Bill
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the meetings (a) his predecessor and (b) he had with representatives of the Governments of (i) Anguilla, (ii) Bermuda, (iii) the British Virgin Islands, (iv) the Cayman Islands, (v) Montserrat, (vi) Pitcairn, (vii) St. Helena and the St. Helena dependencies and (viii) the Turks and Caicos Islands concerning the implications of the Overseas Territories Bill for human rights legislation in these countries. [16792]
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Mr. Bradshaw: The Overseas Territories Bill has no direct implications for human rights legislation in the Overseas Territories. The Government do, however, regard the establishment and promotion of human rights as an important aspect of our partnership with the territories.
Terrorist/Freedom Fighter Definition
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's definition is of (a) an international terrorist and (b) a freedom fighter; and if he will make a statement. [17332]
Mr. Bradshaw: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Rotherham (Mr. MacShane), on 27 November 2001, Official Report, columns 826–27.
Public Bodies
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will list those public bodies which are the responsibility of his Department and which are not listed in Public Bodies 2000; [17589]
- (2) if he will list those public bodies to which his Department appoints members and which are not listed in Public Bodies 2000. [17588]
Mr. Bradshaw: Public Bodies 2000 sets out information on non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), certain public corporations (including nationalised industries) and NHS bodies. There are four types of NDPB: executive NDPBs; advisory NDPBs; tribunal NDPBs; and boards of visitors to penal establishments. The next edition will be published around the end of the year. Information about task forces, annual reports and ad hoc advisory groups is set out in an annual report, published by Cabinet Office. Copies of Public Bodies 2000 are in the Library of the House and this publication may be accessed via Cabinet Office's website http://www.officialdocuments.co.uk/document/caboff/ pb00/pb00.htm. Copies of the annual report on task forces and similar bodies have also been placed in the Library of the House and the annual report is being made available on Cabinet Office's website.
All those public bodies to which the FCO appoints members are listed in Public Bodies 2000.
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