Allocations to local authorities for mental health services are made through the mental health grant. These funds are ring fenced and audited to ensure that expenditure is on mental health services.
Departmental Activities (Isle of Wight)
Mr. Andrew Turner:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the activities pursued by his Department that have had a particular impact on the Isle of Wight since 7 June 2001. [57674]
Ms Blears
[holding answer 10 June 2002]: This information can only be provided at disproportionate cost.
The Departmental Report for the Department sets out the aims and objectives for the Department, and describes the main activities which support them. It covers different business areas for which the Department is responsible: public health, the National Health Service, social care and departmental management. It sets out resources committed to each, the results that are being achieved and the priorities for the future. The 2001 report can be found on the following website: hhtp://www.doh.gov.uk/dohreport/report 2001.
The 2002 Departmental Report will be published shortly.
EU Management Committees
Angus Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the EU Committee of senior officials on public health is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if he will make a statement. [64826]
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Mr. Lammy:
The Committee of Senior Officials on Public Health (CSOPH) meets twice a year. This year's meetings are on 3 July and 4 December.
The Committee is made up of senior officials with responsibility for national health care systems. Each member state is entitled to nominate one representative and one alternate. The UK representative and his alternate represent all UK Health Departments.
No CSOPH representative has yet come from the Scottish Executive.
Patient Rights
Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many residents with preserved rights were reassessed as being outside the scope of social services and entitled to free continuing care under the ruling in ex parte Coughlan for each strategic health authority in the last year. [64853]
Jacqui Smith:
This information is not collected centrally.
Children's Hospices
Mr. Woodward:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the Government have invested in children's hospices in England and Wales in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000 and (e) 2001; and what the projected level is in 2002. [66700]
Ms Blears:
The information requested is not collected centrally.
Mr. Kolathuv Unni
Andrew Mackinlay:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will order a public inquiry into the case of Mr. Kolathuv Unni including (a) his recruitment back into the NHS and (b) the conduct of the General Medical Council; and if he will make a statement. [68747]
Mr. Hutton
[holding answer 11 July 2002]: We have no current plans to hold a public inquiry. The Department has taken steps to strengthen recruitment procedures in the National Health Service to safeguard patients. Mr. Unni remains suspended from the medical register. The General Medical Council are considering further action following the decision to impose a prison sentence on Mr. Unni. The GMC is also consulting on proposals to reform its registration process.
NHS Walk-In Centres
Sandra Gidley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish the usage rates of the NHS walk-in centres; and if he will make a statement. [74200]
Mr. Hutton:
In aggregate, usage of National Health Service walk-in centres has increased from 0.575 million visits in 2000–01 to an estimated 1.4 million in 2002–03. As NHS walk-in centres are a pilot scheme we do not routinely publish performance data on individual centres. Monthly usage rates from March 2000 to August 2001 were, however, published in the independent national evaluation report by the University of Bristol. This is available on the University's website at www.epi.bris.ac.uk/wic/.
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Health Protection Agency
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how consultants in communicable disease control will be managed after completion of the work of the Health Protection Agency; and if he will make a statement. [74818]
Ms Blears:
The strategy document Getting Ahead of the Curve proposed that consultants in communicable disease control should transfer to employment by the Health Protection Agency. They would continue to operate at local level, and would have new opportunities for training, career development and the acquisition of special knowledge in areas of health protection.
NHS Funding Formula
Mr. Oaten:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultations the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation has made with regard to its review of the Your NHS Funding Formula. [75140]
Mr. Hutton:
The advisory committee on resource allocation's (ACRA) terms of reference are to advise the Secretary of State for Health on the distribution of resources across primary and secondary care. ACRA is an expert body whose membership is made up of individuals with a wide range of relevant experience and expertise from within and outside the National Health Service. ACRA does not conduct formal consultations.
Mr. Watts:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether the new funding formula will take into account the number of people who have private medicine when assessing need; [74956]
(2) if he will make a statement on the reform of the funding system for the NHS and the options, method of consultation and timetable for the review; and whether the review will take into account the number of people who have access to private medical treatment. [76277]
Mr. Hutton:
The existing formula used to allocate National Health Service resources has been reviewed by the advisory committee on resource allocation (ACRA). The intention is that reducing health inequalities will be a key criterion for allocating NHS resources to different parts of the country. We are currently considering ACRA's recommendations. ACRA does not conduct formal consultations. I cannot at this stage anticipate the outcome. Later this autumn when we announce the revenue allocations for the next three years we will explain changes to the formula.
NHS Patients (Out-of-area Treatment)
Mr. Andrew Turner:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the health authorities in England which indicate populated islands, showing the expenditure per person on those islands to assist with travel for treatment. [75201]
Mr. Hutton:
Health authorities with populated islands are:
Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Northumberland, Tyne and Wear
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Cumbria and North Lancashire
Information on expenditure per head to assist with travel for treatment is not collected centrally.
Mr. Andrew Turner:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding is made available to health authorities which include populated islands to recognise and assist with the costs of patients' travel for mainland treatment; and what the criteria are for the allocation of such funds. [75199]
Mr. Hutton:
There is no specific adjustment for island populations in the formula used to allocate funding to health authorities and primary care trusts.
Foot Care
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made of the results of the consultation on chiropody and podiatry services; and if he will make a statement. [76003]
Mr. Hutton:
The Health Professions Council (HPC), which regulates chiropody and podiatry alongside eleven other health professions, concluded its consultation on 30 September. The HPC will analyse the feedback it has received and produce a document summarising the replies, which they aim to publish in November.
