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11 Dec 2002 : Column 394W—continued
General Social Care Council
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what fee levels for social workers the general social care council will charge; what revenue will be generated from such fee levels; and if he will make a statement. [81718]
Jacqui Smith: Under the provisions of the Care Standards Act 2000, each social care council in the United Kingdom has the right to apply reasonable registration fees. The general social care council (GSCC) has consulted on a fee structure in England, and set a registration fee of #30 a year for qualified social workers. This was announced by the GSCC on 25 November 2002.
England's estimated 70,000 social workers will be registered first, starting in April 2003, followed by other categories of social care workers. When complete the registration of social workers will generate in the region of #2.1 million. The GSCC are currently developing their Business Plans for the next three years, including financial assumptions.
Health Authority Boards
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for each health authority (a) the number and (b) the proportion of board members from (i) ethnic minorities and (ii) the disabled. [86149]
Mr. Lammy: The information requested is shown in the table.
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Hospital Trolleys
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the definition is of a hospital trolley for statistical purposes. [85772]
Mr. Lammy: There is no definition of a hospital trolley held centrally.
IT Projects
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which IT projects being undertaken by (a) his Department and (b) the NHS Executive are (i) running over budget and (ii) have been subject to a significant respecification. [86039]
Ms Blears: The Department currently has one project that is projected to exceed budget tolerance, the national drugs treatment monitoring system. There are no projects that have been subject to a significant respecification.
The National Health Service Executive ceased to exist in 2000. Consequently the information requested is not available.
Mental Health
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of primary care organisations have a board member dedicated to promoting mental health services. [86144]
Mr. Lammy: The Department does not require primary care trusts to have a board member with dedicated responsibility for promoting mental health services. No information is held centrally on any such responsibility placed by the boards themselves.
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time to receive (a) counselling, (b) cognitive therapy and (c) psychotherapy was in each health authority in the last year for which figures are available. [86152]
Mr. Hutton: Data about waiting times for psychological therapy services is not collected centrally at the present time. However, the mental health national service framework emphasises the importance of access to assessment for and ready access to effective psychological therapies.
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of primary care organisations' written training plans for staff on mental health issues. [86154]
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Jacqui Smith: There is no requirement on primary care organisations to have written training plans for staff on mental health issues. However, the document XWorking Together—Learning Together" issued by the Department states that XBy July 2002, all NHS employer organisations, supported by workforce development confederations will have in place a clear organisational strategy and annual plan for education, training and development, which links explicitly with local modernisation priorities and the delivery of clinical governance".
Mental Health Services (Children)
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department will publish its report on its study of children's mental health services. [86466]
Jacqui Smith: The only study currently being undertaken into children's mental health services is that by the child and adolescent mental health external working group for the children's national service framework (NSF). We will shortly be publishing a document, that will signpost the likely areas for inclusion in the NSF to assist with local planning. It is intended that the children's NSF will be published towards the end of next year.
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much it will cost to transfer all children who are mental health patients from other in-patient units to specialist child and adolescent mental health services' in-patient facilities; and if he will make a statement. [86468]
Jacqui Smith: The information needed to estimate the cost is not available. We recognise the importance of treating children and adolescents in facilities appropriate to their age. The child and adolescent mental health module of the children's national service framework is addressing the development of standards for children's services, and the use of in-patient mental health care is being considered within the module.
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of local joint strategies between local social services and child and adolescent mental health services have been approved by his Department. [86470]
Jacqui Smith: All local authorities and their health partners have agreed strategies for the development of child and adolescent mental health services. These
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strategies are regularly updated as part of the planning process but there is no requirement for them to be submitted to the Department.
Mr. Sorenson
Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when Mr. Eric Sorenson ceased to be project director of the Paddington Health Campus; how much compensation has been paid to Mr. Sorenson; when a new project director will be appointed; where the vacancy was advertised; and how many applicants there have been. [85663]
Mr. Hutton: Eric Sorenson resigned as project director of the Paddington Health Campus on 4 October 2002. Mr. Sorensen's employment with St. Mary's Hospital National Health Service Trust, the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust and Imperial College terminated on 22 November 2002 in accordance with his standard contractual terms. As such, the terms of his employment are a matter for these employing organisations.
The post for project director of the Paddington Health Campus was advertised in the Health Service Journal on 31 October 2002. The closing date for applications was 15 November 2002. St. Mary's Hospital NHS Trust's human resources department, on behalf of the Paddington Health Campus Project, which is made up of St. Mary's NHS Trust, Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust and Imperial College, has received 12 application forms. Five people were short-listed, one has dropped out and the two trust chief executives from St. Mary's and the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trusts are interviewing on 20 December 2002 with opportunities to meet the senior team on 12 and 16 December 2002.
NHS Resource Allocation
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if it is his intention to consult on the proposed new formula for allocating NHS resources following the review by the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation; and if he will make a statement. [85741]
Mr. Hutton: The existing formula used to allocate national health service resources has been reviewed by the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA). ACRA's terms of reference are to advise my right hon. Friend 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 NHS. We do not consult on ACRA's recommendations.
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