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Care Home Standards
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the National Care Standards Commission will take with those care homes that fail to comply with the Care Standards Act 2000 Part 11, section 11(1) by 1 April. [45630]
Jacqui Smith: Providers who have submitted applications for registration by 31 March 2002 will be given transitional protection from section 11(1) of the Care Standards Act until their application can be processed by the National Care Standards Commission. Providers who fail to submit their application for registration by 31 March will be committing an offence under section 11(1) of the Act. However, before taking prosecution action as set out at section 11(5), we would expect the Commission to take account of the relevant circumstances.
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Bioterrorism
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what actions the Government have undertaken to warn the public (a) about possible bio-terrorist attacks and (b) of the symptoms of smallpox. [44010]
Mr. Hutton: The Department has not issued guidance to the public about possible bio-terrorist attacks as it is not currently considered that a specific or credible threat exists to the UK.
Guidance was issued to all health authorities and Regional Directors of Public Health on the procedures to be followed in the event of a deliberate release of smallpox and other biological agents on 17 October 2001. At the same time, guidance for medical and laboratory staff was issued by the Public Health Laboratory Service on 17 October 2001. This is available on the PHLS website: http://www.phls.co.uk/advice/smallpox—guidelines.pdf. This is also available to the public. Guidance is also available to the public from NHS Direct.
Primary Care Trusts
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how he plans to deal with the revenue consequences of capital schemes which are in progress, but not yet in use, in making allocations to PCTs; and if he will list the (a) PCTs affected and (b) related capital schemes. [46413]
Mr. Hutton: We currently allocate funding to health authorities, and they allocate funding to primary care trusts, on the basis of the relative needs of their populations. A weighted capitation formula is used to determine each health authority and primary care trust's fair share of available resources, to enable them to commission similar levels of services for populations in equal need.
In future the intention is that allocations will be made direct to primary care trusts. This is subject to the passage of legislation through Parliament. Allocations will continue to be based on the principle of weighted capitation. PCTs will meet the revenue consequences of capital schemes that are in progress but not completed from these allocations.
Information for (a) and (b) is not centrally available.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how he plans to allocate money to PCTs in order that they can meet expenditure associated with functions delegated to them; and when such allocations will be made. [46414]
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Mr. Hutton: We currently allocate funding to health authorities, and they allocate funding to primary care trusts, on the basis of the relative needs of their populations. A weighted capitation formula is used to determine each health authority and primary care trust's fair share of available resources, to enable them to commission similar levels of services for populations in equal need.
In future the intention is that allocations will be made direct to primary care trusts. This is subject to the passage of legislation through Parliament. Allocations will continue to be based on the principle of weighted capitation.
We announced allocations to health authorities for 2002–03 on 6 December 2001. Health authorities are setting initial primary care trust allocations for 2002–03 for those functions for which primary care trusts will be responsible from 1 April 2002. Subject to Parliament the intention is that further functions will be devolved to primary care trusts from 1 October 2002. Primary care trust allocations will be reset to cover these functions.
Faversham Cottage Hospital
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to his answer of 19 March 2002, Official Report, column 308W, on cottage hospitals, what funding is available to Faversham Cottage Hospital to develop its role. [46312]
Hazel Blears: The information requested is not collected centrally. The information is available from the Chairman of the East Kent Community NHS Trust.
Ashford and St. Peter's Hospitals NHS Trust
Mr. Wilshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many trolley waits of over four hours in locations other than within the accident and emergency department there were at the Ashford and St. Peter's Hospitals NHS Trust in each month between January 2001 and February 2002; [46503]
- (2) how many operations were cancelled on the day before an operation had been scheduled at the Ashford and St. Peter's Hospitals NHS Trust in each month between January 2000 and February 2002. [46502]
Ms Blears: This is day to day management information and is not available centrally.
Information is not collected centrally in the format requested.
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Information on the number of operations cancelled at the last minute for non-medical reasons, and breaches to the standard to re-admit patients within one month following such cancellations, are collected on a quarterly basis at health authority level and placed in the Library. The latest figures are for Quarter 2 (July–September) of the 2001–02 financial year.
NHS Finance
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the overspend is in each NHS trust, PCT and health authority; [45937]
- (2) what his assessment is of the likely level of (a) underspending and (b) overspending in the NHS in 2001–02; [45936]
(3) which (a) NHS trusts and (b) health authorities are expected to exceed their resource limits in 2001–02; and by what amount the resource limit is expected to be exceeded in each case. [46416]
Mr. Hutton: We are in discussions with NHS Trusts, health authorities and PCTs about managing their end-of-year positions. The information requested will be available when the annual audited accounts are completed and published.
Smoking-related Deaths
Mr. Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many deaths there have been since May 1997 from stroke; how many of these were smoking related; and what plans he has to introduce a bill on tobacco advertising and promotion. [18463]
Jacqui Smith [pursuant to her reply, 5 December 2001, c. 367W]: I regret that my previous reply was incorrect. It should read as follows:
The table shows the number of deaths from cerebrovascular disease, including stroke, which occurred in the United Kingdom.
| Year | United Kingdom (all ages) |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 69,395 |
| 1996 | 68,506 |
| 1997 | 66,352 |
| 1998 | 66,018 |
| 1999 | 64,515 |
Source:
Office of National Statistics; ICD 9 430-438
The latest available UK figure for the number of deaths from cerebrovascular disease, including stroke estimated to be caused by smoking is 7,300 deaths among those aged 35 and over (1995 data). These deaths represent approximately 11 per cent. of all deaths from cerebrovascular disease in the UK in that year (Christine Callum, The UK Smoking Epidemic: Deaths in 1995. Health Education Authority, 1998).
We have recently announced that we will take the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill through the House of Commons. The Second Reading will take place on 9 April 2002.
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TRANSPORT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE REGIONS
Ports
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what representations he has received about state support to British ports. [45302]
Mr. Jamieson: We have received representations about the proposed Great Yarmouth Outer Harbour Project and about the ferry service from the Port of Rosyth to Zeebrugge. We believe that port developments and port operations should not in general need public subsidy. However, if a project has the potential to justify worthwhile economic and environmental benefits, it may qualify to be considered for an element of public funding.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the differing levels of state assistance provided to European Union ports. [45301]
Mr. Jamieson: The European Commission included a report on public financing and charging in European ports in its Communication on Ports, published in February 2001. We believe that state funding and subsidies are an important factor affecting competition between European ports, and we have urged the Commission to take a further look at these issues.
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