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DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Work Placements

Mr. Allen: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many university students his Department and associated agencies has supported or sponsored with a work placement in the last year; what his policy is on work placements; what plans he has to develop such schemes; and what his policy is on paying their university fees. [98540]

Mr. Leslie: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister accommodated five undergraduates in 2002 through summer placement schemes organised by the Cabinet Office (three), Windsor Fellowship (one), and Workable (one).

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is keen to participate in work placements for undergraduates and has an ongoing programme. We have ten placements allocated this summer for undergraduates. The office does not pay the university fees of its summer placements.

Warm Front Scheme

Norman Baker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to discuss the future funding of the Warm Front scheme with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. [99206]

Mr. Raynsford: Warm Front is the responsibility of the Department of the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no plans for bilateral meetings to discuss its future funding. The Ministerial Group on Fuel Poverty is expected to meet during the Spring. The date and agenda for that meeting have not yet been agreed.

HEALTH

Agency Nurses (Developing Countries)

Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many agencies, which have recruited nurses from developing countries, have signed the code of practice on international nurses; what steps the Department will take to prevent the use of agencies which have not signed the code of practice; and if he will make a statement; [98391]

(2) how many private recruitment agencies the NHS used to recruit nurses from developing countries in each of the last five years; [98392]

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(3) what estimate he has made of the number of agencies involved in international recruitment of health professionals; and how many have not signed the code of practice; [98917]

(4) what mechanisms are in place to ensure that NHS trusts (a) are aware of the code of practice on international nurses and (b) have received a copy of the Department's list of agencies operating under the terms of the code; and what steps are taken to ensure that trusts use only agencies from the list when recruiting nurses from overseas; [98915]

(5) what mechanisms are in place to ensure that NHS trusts are aware of agencies which do not comply with the code of practice on international nurses, and whether NHS trusts are prevented under legislation from entering into contracts with agencies which (a) have not signed the code of practice and (b) recruit nurses from developing countries. [98914]

Mr. Hutton [holding answers 24 and 25 February 2003]: Active recruitment from developing countries contravenes the code of practice for national health service employers in the international recruitment of healthcare professionals. If a commercial recruitment agency is alleged to be contravening the code of practice, the Department will carry out an immediate investigation to determine whether that agency should be removed from the list of agencies operating under the terms of the code. Data relating to the number of agencies recruiting nurses from overseas is not held centrally but monitoring is carried out on a quarterly basis. To date, we have not discovered any NHS contravention of the code of practice.

The Department has written to all the commercial recruitment agencies it is aware of and has requested references from NHS and other customers confirming the agency's compliance with the code of practice. Details of all agencies working in line with the code of practice appear on the Department's website and is updated regularly. NHS organisations are strongly recommended to refer to the current list of approved agencies when establishing new contracts but there is no legislation requiring them to do so. The list is publicised through regular contacts with the NHS and workforce development confederations.

The Department is aware of 115 recruitment agencies and has invited each of them to sign up to the code of practice. To date 68 of them have signed up to list. The Department is continuing to work with the remainder to ascertain their position.

Ambulance Service (Derbyshire)

Mr. McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many fully operational ambulances were stationed at each of the ambulance stations in Derbyshire in each year since 1997. [98888]

Mr. Lammy: The information requested is not collected centrally. However, I am making arrangements for the Chairman of the East Midlands Ambulance Service National Health Service trust to provide this information direct to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

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Asylum Seekers

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he and his Ministers have had with (a) representatives of South Stoke PCT and (b) North Staffordshire LMC regarding the treatment of asylum seekers. [99100]

Mr. Lammy: None.

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on GPs being paid for registering asylum seekers. [99101]

Mr. Hutton: General practitioners (GPs) who provide general medical services receive a capitation payment for each patient registered with them, either permanently or temporarily. An asylum seeker attracts the same payment as any other patient of the same age.

Barnet Chase Farm Trust

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much (a) Barnet PCT and (b) other PCTs have contributed, outside the original yearly budget, to the deficits at Barnet Chase Farm, in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [98939]

Mr. Hutton: Information on the level of individual service agreements between primary care trusts and National Health Service trusts is not collected centrally.

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) current and (b) accumulated deficit is of Barnet Chase Farm Trust; and if he will make a statement. [98944]

Mr. Hutton: Barnet and Chase Farm's audited financial position for 2002–03 will be available later this year. The accumulated income and expenditure position of the trust as at 31 March 2002, as reported in its 2001–02 audited annual accounts, was a surplus of £562,000.

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what actions in what timeframe at Barnet Chase Farm Trust to bring the costs of their service into line with other comparable trusts; and if he will make a statement. [98945]

Mr. Hutton: Barnet and Chase Farm Trust has made considerable progress in bringing the costs of its services in line with comparable trusts as measured by the National Reference Cost Index. The National Reference Cost Index for Barnet and Chase Farm Trust has reduced from 121 in 1999–2000 to 105 in 2001–02, where 100 represents the national average.

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make arrangements to require Barnet Chase Farm Trust to submit reports on performance to the PCTs who commission services from them. [98946]

Mr. Hutton: Arrangements are already in place for Barnet and Chase Farm Trust to submit reports on performance to the primary care trusts (PCTs) which commission services from it. Regular monthly performance reports are received by Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals National Health Service Trust's Board and are sent to the PCTs. There are also regular review meetings with PCTs to discuss progress on plans.

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Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health to what extent Barnet PCT is permitted to switch the commissioning of services from Barnet Chase Farm Hospital to other hospitals; and if he will make a statement. [98947]

Mr. Hutton: Primary care trusts (PCTs) have the freedom to commission services from wherever they believe appropriate based on the needs of their local population. Barnet PCT already commissions services for its residents from a number of hospitals other than Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals National Health Service Trust.

Any significant changes in provider would affect local partners and would occur with the agreement of those partners within the context of the local delivery plan. Changes would be expected to result from public and patient involvement and where significant change is planned, from public consultation.

Barnet Hospital

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of capacity at Barnet hospital; and if he will make a statement. [98932]

Mr. Hutton: Services at Barnet hospital are improving, but there is much more which needs to be done. Inpatients and outpatients are waiting for shorter periods and recent improvements in practice in the accident and emergency department will also ensure shorter waits. Public and staff are being involved in the further development of services locally.

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to reduce accident and emergency waiting times at Barnet Hospital; and if he will make a statement. [98934]

Mr. Hutton: Improving the patients experience of emergency care is a top priority for the National Health Service. In light of this, Reforming Emergency Care was launched in October 2001, supported by a £118 million investment. It sets a long term programme of reform supported by extra investment and new capacity to address one of the public's key concerns about the National Health Service—waiting in accident and emergency (A &E).

After successful introduction of the see and treat initiative at Chase Farm Hospital A & E, which has had a significant impart on the number of patients being seen within four hours, this is now being introduced at Barnet Hospital.

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to improve the cleaning services at Barnet Hospital; and if he will make a statement. [98949]

Mr. Hutton: Improving the cleanliness of hospitals is the responsibility of local national health service trusts.

The "National Standards of Cleaning for the NHS" were launched by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in April 2001. All hospitals are required to ensure that their cleaning services meet these standards. In addition hospitals are inspected annually by patient environment action teams (PEATs) who assess environmental standards across a range of factors

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including cleanliness. The Commission for Health Improvement also considers hospital cleanliness as part of Clinical Governance reviews.

The last PEAT assessment of Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust judged the environmental standards, including cleanliness, as acceptable.

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