---

Sheppey Community Hospital

Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to announce the appointment of new GPs to the GP surgery attached to the Sheppey Community Hospital. [55465]

Ms Blears [holding answer 10 May 2002]: The new Sheppey Community Hospital is still under construction and is not expected to be completed before September 2002. The appointment of general practitioners to the practice on the hospital site will be a matter for Swale Primary Care Trust.

Health Action Zones

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what information he has collated on changes in health levels of residents within health action zones; and if he will make a statement; [55625]

(2) if he will list, for each year of their existence, and projected for 2002–03, the expenditure of each health action zone. [55612]

Ms Blears [holding answer 13 May 2002]: The available data relating to specific causes of mortality collected for the years 1996–98 and 1997–99 has been placed in the Library.

For details on expenditure for health action zones, may I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave him on 22 February 2002, Official Report, column 1079W, which provided details of the expenditure of each health action zone from 1999–2000 to 2001–02, and projected expenditure for 2002–03. Expenditure for each health action zone for 1998–99 has been placed in the Library.

15 May 2002 : Column 743W

Speech Therapists

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 18 April, Official Report, column 1184W, if he will provide equivalent figures for unfilled vacancies for speech therapists. [55915]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 13 May 2002]: Vacancy information was not collected prior to 1999.

Vacancy information by trust for 1999 and 2000 has been placed in the Library.

I refer the hon. Member to the response I gave him on 2 May 2002, Official Report, column 991W, for vacancy information as at March 2001.

Clinical Negligence

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the (a) legal costs of defending clinical negligence claims against the NHS and (b) estimated costs of administration and management time incurred in defending clinical negligence claims against the NHS, in each of the last five years. [56008]

Ms Blears [holding answer 13 May 2002]: Information on costs for legal defence and management/administration for clinical negligence claims against the national health service are not identified separately in the National Audit Office summarised accounts for the NHS (England).

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total cost of clinical negligence claims paid by the NHS was for 2001–02. [56009]

Ms Blears [holding answer 13 May 2002]: The total cost of clinical negligence claims paid by the national health service for 2001–02 is not yet available.

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish a White Paper on clinical negligence. [56007]

Ms Blears [holding answer 13 May 2002]: In July 2001 the chief medical officer was asked to set up an advisory group to look at the reform of clinical negligence in the national health service. It has not yet been possible to publish proposals for reform, because of the complexity of the issues raised by potential reforms, the need to consult widely (including through the Lord Chancellor's Department on how compensation is paid) and also to consider how potential proposals sit alongside a concurrent review of the NHS complaints procedure. Nevertheless, the chief medical officer has now held the last of his advisory group meetings and will shortly publish the findings along with recommendations for reform.

Suicide

Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he is taking to reduce the number of suicides by young men. [56424]

Jacqui Smith: In December 1997 the Department launched the campaign against living miserably (CALM) telephone helpline in Manchester. The helpline, aimed at young men, offers advice, guidance, information and counselling at the onset of depression. CALM has been extended to Merseyside and Cumbria and Bedfordshire and we are looking to make it available in other areas in

15 May 2002 : Column 744W

partnership with local agencies. Ultimately, we hope that the helpline will help to bring down the suicide rate in young men.

In addition, the Department is in the process of developing, under the direction of the national director for mental health Professor Louis Appleby, a coherent national suicide prevention strategy to ensure that we are doing all we can to prevent suicides. This strategy was launched for public consultation on 26 April 2002. Copies of the strategy are available in the Library.

Expenditure (NHS Bodies)

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if, on the basis of the information currently available to his Department in respect of the 2001–02 outturn figures, he will list the NHS trusts and other bodies which used brokerage to remain within their revenue resource limits, capital resource limits and cash limits; and the amount of that brokerage. [56281]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 14 May 2002]: The information for 2001–02 is not yet finalised.

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much of the allocation for 2002–03 for each primary care trust is earmarked for (a) mental health, (b) coronary heart disease, (c) cancer, (d) information management and technology, (e) primary care and (f) capacity; [56284]

(2) how much of the allocation for 2002–03 for each primary care trust is (a) recurrent and (b) non- recurrent. [56287]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 10 May 2002]: Health authorities share their total recurrent allocation between their constituent primary care trusts (PCTs) in line with guidance issued by the Department.

In 2002–03 health authorities were instructed to allocate earmarked funding to PCTs on the same basis allocations were made to health authorities.

Figures on primary care trust shares of health authority total recurrent allocations and earmarked funding within this have been placed in the Library. Information on the allocation of the non-recurrent funding to primary care trusts is not collected centrally.

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much, in terms of (a) value and (b) percentage, of the budget for 2002–03 of each primary care trust is expected to be spent on (a) specialist commissioning, (b) other consortia-based commissioning, (c) primary care prescribing and (d) meeting the deficits of local provider trusts. [56285]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 14 May 2002]: This information is not available centrally. However, it is expected that this type of information would form part of the overall commissioning plans of primary care trusts. Strategic health authorities have a responsibility in performance managing the delivery of these plans.

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if, on the basis of the information currently available to his Department in respect of the 2001–02 outturn figures, he will list those NHS trusts and other bodies whose recurrent expenditure exceeded their recurrent income; and if he will state for each such body (a) the amounts

15 May 2002 : Column 745W

involved, (b) how the imbalance was funded in 2001–02 and (c) how the imbalance will affect the finances of the body in 2002–03. [56282]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 14 May 2002]: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if, on the basis of the information available to his Department in respect of the 2002–03 budgeted or projected figures, he will state which NHS trust, strategic health authority and primary care trust expects (a) to exceed its recurrent expenditure, (b) to exceed its revenue resource limit, (c) to exceed its capital resource limit and (d) to exceed its cash limit; and what amounts are involved in each case. [56283]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 14 May 2002]: Information on national health service trusts, strategic health authorities and primary care trusts expect in their recurrent expenditure to exceed their recurrent expenditure is not collected centrally.

15 May 2002 : Column 746W

We expect all strategic health authorities and primary care trusts to operate within their agreed resource and cash limits.

All NHS trusts are expected to operate within their agreed capital resource and external financing limits.

---