House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 13 Mar 2002 (pt 24)

Cancer Care

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to respond to the Audit Commission/CHI report on cancer care in England and Wales. [42285]

Yvette Cooper [holding answer 11 March 2002]: The Audit Commission and Commission for Health Improvement report provides a useful baseline to assess cancer services at the time of the publication of the Cancer Plan. In December last year, we published The "NHS Cancer Plan—Making Progress", which sets out the action and achievements made in the first year following the publication of the NHS Cancer Plan.

Drug Addicts

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the average waiting time for treatment for drug addicts in (a) the last 12 months and (b) each of the previous five years. [12279]

Ms Blears: I apologise to my hon. Friend for the delay in responding to this question. I refer him to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.

We do not hold figures for the years in question.

However, the National Treatment Agency (NTA) set targets for waiting times in December 2001 (see table) and asked Drug Action Teams (DATS) to notify the NTA of their current situation and the targets they are setting for this year. NTA regional managers will be working with DATS to identify a realistic workplan for them to achieve the targets over the next two years. The NTA is planning to initiate work with the NHS modernisation agency to work with the worst performers to identify shortcomings in their systems, structures and approach which are inhibiting improvement.

The NTA will be issuing guidance in March 2002 to all DATs on setting maximum waiting times for services for 2002–03.

Average baseline waiting time (weeks) 1999–2000⁽¹⁸⁾ NTA Maximum waiting times (weeks) 2002–03 NTA Maximum waiting times (weeks) 2003–04

In-patient detox 6.1 4 2

Community prescribing—specialist 10.2 6 3

Community prescribing—GPs 5 4 2

Structured counselling 4 4 2

Structured day care programme 3.3 4 3

Residential rehab 5.4 4 3

	Average baseline waiting time (weeks) 1999–2000⁽¹⁸⁾	NTA Maximum waiting times (weeks) 2002–03	NTA Maximum waiting times (weeks) 2003–04
In-patient detox	6.1	4	2
Community prescribing—specialist	10.2	6	3
Community prescribing—GPs	5	4	2
Structured counselling	4	4	2
Structured day care programme	3.3	4	3
Residential rehab	5.4	4	3

⁽¹⁸⁾ Based on average waiting times reported by DATs in 1999–2000 annual reports.

Note:

1 week = five working days.

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Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Forth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W, on parliamentary questions, what changes he has made to the system for ministerial responsibility for answering questions, with special reference to clearing the backlog of unanswered questions. [42908]

Mr. Milburn: Subject to a final audit against the Official Report, all outstanding questions that were due for reply by the Department before 14 February have now received responses. Since 5 March we have received 453 parliamentary questions and answered over 700.

The investigation into the circumstances of the apparent systematic falsification of the record management system in the parliamentary section is under way; and I will report to Parliament on the outcome as soon as possible.

Remuneration

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the number of individuals in his (a) Department, (b) related agencies and (c) related non- departmental public bodies whose annual remuneration including benefits in kind exceeded (i) £100,000 and (ii) £200,000 in each of the last four years. [26313]

Ms Blears: I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer him to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.

The information requested about the Department and its agencies is shown in the table.

(i) £100,000

Year (a) Department (b) Agencies

1998 ⁽¹⁹⁾— ⁽²⁰⁾—

1999 23 ⁽²⁰⁾—

2000 27 1

2001 11 1

Year	(a) Department	(b) Agencies
1998	⁽¹⁹⁾—	⁽²⁰⁾—
1999	23	⁽²⁰⁾—
2000	27	1
2001	11	1

⁽¹⁹⁾ Statistics at this level are not recorded.

⁽²⁰⁾ Separate figures for the agencies are not recorded.

Source:

Cabinet Office staff in post as at 1 April annual returns.

(ii) £200,000 plus current salaries do not exceed this level.

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The information for non-departmental public bodies is available in the annual Cabinet Office publication "Public Bodies", copies of which are placed in the Libraries of the House.

Temporary Nursing Staff

Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he will take against those trusts which choose not to use NHS Professionals to provide their temporary nursing staff. [30769]

Mr. Hutton: I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer him to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.

Current advice to trusts about the use of NHS Professionals is contained in HCS 2001–02.

Transplant Centre (Glasgow)

Ms Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions there have been between the NSCAG and their Scottish colleagues on the new transplant centre in Glasgow. [4379]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 20 July 2001]: I apologise to my hon. Friend for the delay in responding to this question. I refer him to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.

Discussions have taken place with the Scottish Executive and they are participating in the work to develop national standards for the service.

Specific decisions on the restart of the adult heart transplant surgery service at North Glasgow University Hospital NHS Trust are however a matter for the Scottish Executive Minister for Health and Community Care.

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Small Businesses

Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of registered small businesses were located in rural areas in

13 Mar 2002 : Column 1151W

each year since 1990; and how many of those small businesses were (a) farming-related and (b) non-farming related. [40817]

Alun Michael: The earliest year for which information is available is 1994. Information on 1995, 1996, 1998 and 1999 is not readily available.

1994—35 per cent. of all VAT registered businesses are in rural districts/unitaries

(a) 84,180 are in the agriculture and fishing sector (SIC1992 ¹ )

(b) 400,315 are in other sectors.

1997—35 per cent. of all VAT registered businesses are in rural districts/unitaries

(a) 80,000 are in the agriculture and fishing sector (SIC1992 ¹ )

(b) 391075 are in other sectors.

2000—34 per cent. of all VAT registered businesses are in rural districts/unitaries

(a) 76,995 are in the agriculture and fishing sector (SIC1992 ¹ )

(b) 405,915 are in other sectors.

2001—34 per cent. of all VAT registered businesses are in rural districts/unitaries

(a) 76,906 are in the agriculture and fishing sector (SIC1992 ¹ )

(b) 409,560 are in other sectors.

¹ Nearest Farming related category as listed in the Standard Industrial Classification 1992.

Notes:

1. Rural areas are defined as the rural local authority districts and unitary authorities as classified by the Rural Development Commission and currently used by the Countryside Agency.

2. As 99 per cent. of all businesses in rural areas are "small" i.e. less than 50 employees, the figure for all businesses is provided. Sources: District/Unitary data from IDBR via NOMIS Ward level data from ONS Neighbourhood Stats website from IDBR.

Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of people were employed in rural areas by registered small businesses in each year since 1990; and how many of those employed worked in (a) farming-related and (b) non-farming related jobs. [40816]

Alun Michael: The information requested is not available from DEFRA sources. We are consulting the Office for National Statistics to see whether any figures can be produced.

Refrigerators

Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if she will provide further financial assistance for local authorities for the storage of fridges for the period January to March; [41361]

Mr. Meacher: In early December, I announced a payment of £6 million to cover local authority costs from January to March 2002. This payment will be made through the Revenue Support Grant for 2002/2003 and will be distributed to waste disposal authorities according to the Standard Spending Assessment Formula. We are monitoring the impact of the Regulation and assessing what further action is required.

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Mr. Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom's understanding of paragraph 14 of the recitals to EC Regulation 2037/2000 as agreed on 29 June 2000. [38871]

Mr. Meacher: Paragraph 14 of the recitals to EC Regulation 2037/2000 states,

"Provision should be made for the recovery of used controlled substances, and to prevent leakages of controlled substances."

Article 16 of the Regulation deals with the,

"Recovery of used controlled substances" and Article 17, "Leakages of controlled substances".

According to the clarification finally given of Article 16(2), it applies to the recovery of controlled substances in domestic refrigeration, used either as the refrigerant or to blow the insulating foam. Thus, the UK's understanding is that the provision referred to in paragraph 14 of the recitals relates inter alia to recovery from refrigeration insulating foam.

Mr. Maples: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the statement of the Minister for the Environment of 31 January 2002, Official Report, column 414, how the figure of £6 million was reached. [35923]

Mr. Meacher: This figure was based on early estimates of the costs that local authorities would have for storage in the period January to March 2002. However, we are monitoring developments and shall continue to assess the impacts of the Regulation to determine what further action is required beyond that.

Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement about meetings between her Department and Commissioner Wallstrom on the impact of the directive on disposal of refrigerators. [40298]

Mr. Meacher: I discussed EC Regulation 2037/2000 and its impact on the disposal of refrigerators on the telephone with Commissioner Wallstrom on 4 February.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State discussed EC Regulation 2037/2000 and its impact on the disposal of refrigerators with Commissioner Wallstrom in the margins of the Environment Council meeting on 4 March.

There have been numerous meetings between my officials and those from the European Commission where this issue was discussed. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 6 February 2002, Official Report, column 989w.

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