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18 Dec 2002 : Column 884W—continued
Invoice Payments
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of external suppliers his Department paid in (a) accordance with agreed contractual conditions and (b) where no such conditions exist, within 30 days of receipt of an undisputed invoice in each of the last five years. [86878]
Mr. Lammy [holding answer 12 December 2002]: The Department's payment performance in each of the last five completed financial years is shown in the table.
| Financial year | Percentage paid |
|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 95.3 |
| 1998–99 | 94.4 |
| 1999–2000 | 95.3 |
| 2000–01 | 95.8 |
| 2001–02 | 94.7 |
Mental Health Acts
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to expedite hearings of people detained under the Mental Health Acts. [82694]
Jacqui Smith: The Secretary of State for Health is required to provide all detained patients with a speedy review of their detention. This responsibility is supported by a secretariat who manage the process and organise the hearings from four regional offices working within a national listing policy. Patients detained under
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section 2 of the Mental Health Act 1983 are listed within seven days of their application being filed and all other patients as soon as is practically possible, having regard to the interests of justice.
All four Mental Health Review Tribunal (MHRT) offices work within these national procedures and the throughput of cases is managed by a team, headed by a case manager.
In April 2002, an independent review of the MHRT administration was undertaken. The Department is considering the results of the review and what action might be taken further to improve the service.
A project to support a better IT system is in progress and additional staff resources have been provided to the offices since the review began.
Officials from the Department of Health and the Lord Chancellor's Department have been working closely with the Royal College of Psychiatrists to speed up recruitment of members and to elicit a better response to recruitment campaigns.
Prisons
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether prisoners in (a) Garth and (b) Wymott prisons are included in the funding calculation for Chorley South Ribble PCT. [87046]
Jacqui Smith: Prisoners classified by the Office for National Statistics as normally resident in Her Majesty's Prison Garth and HMP Wymott are included in the population figures on which funding calculations for Chorley and South Ribble Primary Care Trust are based. From April 2003 the methodology for taking account of prisoners in PCT allocations will change. PCTs with prisons in their boundaries will receive allocations that take into account the secondary physical health care needs of whole of the local prison population.
Prisons (Mental Health)
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of prisoners suffer from psychiatric morbidity. [87444]
Jacqui Smith: A survey of mental ill health in the prison population of England and Wales, undertaken in 1997 by the Office for National Statistics, estimated that around 90 per cent. of prisoners had at least one of the five disorders; personality disorder, psychosis, neurosis, alcohol misuse and drug dependence, considered in the survey.
Public Health Laboratories
Dr. Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which bodies will undertake the work of the Public Health Laboratories until the Managed Pathology Networks are in operation. [87724]
Mr. Hutton: As outlined in the recently published document, Future arrangements for microbiology laboratory services, all Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS) laboratories, except for those designated as
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Health Protection Agency (HPA) laboratories, will transfer into the management of National Health Service trusts on 1 April 2003.
The Department of Health document, Pathology—the essential service, draft guidance on modernising pathology services, supported the development of managed pathology networks as an effective means of delivering improved pathology services.
The consultation period for this document ended on 30 September 2002. The results of the consultation are currently being considered. It is expected that new guidance will be released to the NHS in the new year.
Sheltered Accommodation
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the definition of very sheltered accommodation is; and how many very sheltered accommodation places there were in each year since 1996. [86292]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 9 December 2002]: The definition of very sheltered housing used by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for housing investment programme purposes is:
Very sheltered housing covers schemes for frail older people that have more provision of a greater level of care than ordinary sheltered housing: for example; the provision of meals, extra wardens, care assistants and additional communal facilities such as special bathrooms and sluice rooms.
The number of very sheltered housing places between 1996 and 2000 is:
| Number of places | |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 17,577 |
| 1997 | 18,041 |
| 1998 | 19,062 |
| 1999 | 19,577 |
| 2000 | 20,269 |
For 2001 and subsequently, figures will be available from XSupporting People" supply mapping.
Specialised Services (Commissioning)
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many responses he received as part of its review of commissioning arrangements for specialised services from (a) regional specialised commissioning groups, (b) local service providers, (c) commissioners, (d) patients' representatives and (e) carers' representatives. [86236]
Mr. Hutton: A total of 53 responses were directly submitted to the review of commissioning arrangements for specialised services of which many were composite responses:
- Regional specialised commissioning groups: 11 responses
Local service providers: 14 responses
Commissioners: 3 responses
Patients' representatives, including voluntary sector organisations and carer's representatives: 14 responses
Plus a further four responses from medical professional bodies, three responses from joint Department/national health service bodies and other four responses.
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Trust Mergers
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the acute hospitals in England and Wales that are subject to (a) merger and (b) restructuring proposals. [85792]
Mr. Hutton: The following acute hospitals in England are subject to merger proposals: Princess Royal Hospital NHS Trust and Royal Shrewsbury Hospital NHS Trust.
Information on individual trust based restructuring proposals is not held centrally.
Issues related to acute hospitals in Wales are a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.
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Vaccinations
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what stocks of vaccines are held by the NHS for illnesses known to have the potential to be used in biological warfare. [86034]
Mr. Hutton: The Department holds stocks of anthrax and smallpox vaccines centrally on behalf of the national health service. Such stocks can be rapidly deployed across the United Kingdom for use in the NHS in the event of a bioterrorist incident. A small stock of Anthrax vaccine for protection against occupational exposure is held by the Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS). A stock of botulinum antitoxin is also held by the PHLS for use in the NHS.