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Comprehensive Spending Review
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many staff have contributed to her Department's input to the Spending Review. [68678]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Lord Chancellor's Department employed six officials within the central finance function to work on the Spending Review on a near full-time basis in recent months. In addition, two senior civil servants devoted a substantial proportion of their time to the review. A large number of officials from discrete business areas also contributed.
Asylum Applications
Mr. Lepper: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many appeals in relation to rejected asylum applications were (a) received, (b) withdrawn and (c) heard in the periods (i) April 2000 to March 2001 and (ii) April 2001 to February 2002. [42897]
Ms Rosie Winterton: I apologise for the delay in responding.
- (a) The IAA received 37,573 asylum appeals during the period April 2000 to March 2001 and 46,578 cases during the period April 2001 to February 2002.
- (b) Reliable data on withdrawals and hearings was not held prior to October 2000.
- (b) During the periods:
- October 2000 to March 2001:
- 1,181 applications for appeal were withdrawn; 1,124 at the adjudicator level, two at leave to appeal to tribunal level and 55 at tribunal level.
- April 2001 to February 2002:
- 3,047 applications for appeal were withdrawn; 2,932 at the adjudicator level, nine at leave to appeal to tribunal level and 106 at tribunal level.
- (c) During the periods:
- October 2000 to March 2001:
- The IAA heard 26,603 appeal applications; 25,528 at the adjudicator level and 1,075 at the tribunal level.
- April 2001 to February 2002:
- The IAA heard 57,718 appeal applications; 54,828 at the adjudicator level and 2,890 at the tribunal level.
HEALTH
Homeless People
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on homeless people's ability to gain access (a) to health services in (i) primary and (ii) secondary care and (b) to social services. [56155]
Mr. Lammy: Primary care trusts are responsible for developing in partnership with social services departments, other agencies and local communities, a local health improvement and modernisation plan (HIMP) that outlines the health and social care services available for their local population, including homeless people. In
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conjunction with local authorities' homeless strategies, the HIMP should assess local need and address any gaps in services.
Ministerial Salaries
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the annual cost was of ministerial salaries in his Department in (a) 1997–98 and (b) 2001–02. [60935]
Mr. Lammy: The level of ministerial salaries are recommended by the Senior Salaries Review Body. The figures below exclude the salaries House of Commons Ministers receive as Members of Parliament.
From May 1997 to July 1998, in this Department there was one Cabinet Minister at an annual salary of £43,991; two Ministers of State at an annual salary of £31,125; one Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at an annual salary of £23,623; and one Minister of State (House of Lords) at an annual salary of £51,838.
From June 2001, there was one Cabinet Minister at an annual salary of £68,157; two Ministers of State at an annual salary of £35,356; two Parliamentary Under- Secretaries of State at an annual salary of £26,835; and one Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (House of Lords) at an annual salary of £60,961.
Medical Students
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many letters Ministers in his Department have received in the last three months from (a) hon. Members, (b) medical students and their representatives and (c) others regarding problems faced by medical students. [61442]
Mr. Lammy: The Department cannot provide the information in the format requested.
Strategic Health Authorities
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many strategic health authorities have nurses on their boards. [61446]
Mr. Lammy: Information on the number of nurses on the boards of the new health authorities (to be known as strategic health authorities) is as follows:
- midlands and east of England: four of the eight health authorities (HAs) have members on the board with nursing qualifications;
north: seven of the eight HAs have nurses/people with nursing qualifications on their boards;
London: at present there are no nurses on the boards of the five HAs in London. However, nurse views are represented on the North West London health authority board by the chief executive, who is a qualified nurse. In addition to this, two HAs in the London area are currently in the process of recruiting Directors of Nursing;
south: four of the seven HAs have nurses/people with nursing qualifications on their boards.
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Coronary Care
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether guidance has been provided to primary care trusts on the provision of drug eluting stents for use in percutaneous coronary intervention. [61629]
Ms Blears: No guidance has been given to primary care trusts on the provision of drug eluting stents for use in percutaneous coronary intervention. The Department referred drug eluting stents to the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) on 20 May this year for appraisal. NICE will produce technology appraisal guidance for the national health service on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of drug eluting stents and on the appropriate use of this new technology.
Private Finance Initiative
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) start date and (b) completion date is for the private finance initiative at the Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth; whether the initiative is on schedule for completion; and if he will make a statement. [61670]
Ms Blears: The Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth re-issued its Official Journal of the European Community in August 2001, and is expected to reach financial close by the end of February 2003. Start on site will commence shortly after and completion is anticipated in 2007.
Consultant Neurologists
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects both positions for consultant neurologists at Colchester General Hospital will be filled; when the posts were advertised; and if he will make a statement. [63469]
Ms Blears: The local primary care trusts have been seeking to expand the neurology service at Essex Rivers Healthcare National Health Service Trust from a one- consultant to a two-consultant service.
The trust held interviews on 25 June to appoint a consultant neurologist. Once the first consultant neurologist is in post, the trust will recruit to the second post.
Affordable Housing
Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action is being taken by his Department with regard to the provision of affordable housing for NHS staff. [65729]
Mr. Hutton: We fully recognise the importance to recruitment and retention of good quality, affordable accommodation being available for nurses and other health workers, and this is why we set out a target of providing 2,000 additional units by July 2003 in the NHS Plan.
We have established the national health service housing initiative and, since the launch of the NHS Plan, 1,273 additional units of accommodation have been sourced through negotiation with registered social landlords and other providers. In addition, contracts have been agreed on a further 243 units of accommodation and 725 units are agreed subject to contract. The housing initiative has
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been extended to include the south-east and other hotspots, including a new staff hotel at the John Radcliffe in Oxford. We have also established an accommodation bureau and website so that available accommodation is used more efficiently.
We also recognise the importance of home ownership in the retention of staff and by 2004, around 5,000 NHS staff should have benefited from the £250 million allocated under the starter home initiative. Assistance is in the form of equity loans, interest free loans and shared ownership.
Recycling
Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of waste produced in his Department was (a) recycled, (b) composted and (c) re-used, broken down into (i) paper, (ii) plastics, (iii) aluminium cans and (iv) other in each year since 1997; what plans there are to increase these proportions; and if he will make a statement. [65680]
Mr. Lammy: Figures are only available from 2001–02. These show that of the total waste collected in the main buildings occupied by the Department, 84.1 per cent. has been recycled. There is no breakdown to show what proportions have been composted or re-used.
Of the amount recycled, 80.5 per cent. was paper, 0.7 per cent. cans and 18.8 per cent. all other waste.
The levels of waste and recycled materials are continually monitored and opportunities and initiatives to increase the levels of waste material recycled or re-used are under constant consideration.
Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of (a) paper and (b) other goods purchased by his Department was recycled paper in each year since 1997; what the annual total cost of these purchases was; what plans there are to increase these proportions; and if he will make a statement. [65774]
Mr. Lammy: It is only possible to answer in the detail required for the last year 2001–02.
The Department has a central stationery contract through which its normal supply of paper is purchased. For 2001–02, the amount of recycled paper purchased constituted 73.8 per cent. of the total paper purchased by the Department. The cost of this purchase was £138,864.
The Department continues to monitor usage of paper and seeks, where possible, to reduce use of paper in favour of electronic communications. Where paper products are necessary, the Department encourages the use of recycled paper. This is an on-going initiative.
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