| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
7 Mar 2003 : Column 1261W—continued
Staff Numbers
Mr. Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff were employed by the (a) Medical Devices Agency, (b) Meat Hygiene Service and
7 Mar 2003 : Column 1262W
(c) Medicines Control Agency in each year since 1997; and how many of these were inspection staff in each case. [100017]
Mr. Hutton: The information requested is shown in the table.
| Agency | 1997–98 | 1998–99 | 1999–00 | 2000–01 | 2001–02 | 2002–03 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Devices | 131 | 137 | 139 | 136 | 151 | 155 |
| Agency (MDA) | (3,7) | (5,12) | (6,10) | (9,16) | (10,21) | (9,18) |
| Meat Hygiene | 1,384 | 1,543 | 1,485 | 1,489 | 1,498 | n/a |
| Service (MHS) | (1,247) | (1,328) | (1,273) | (1,276) | (1,310) | |
| Medicines Control | 414 (23) | 436 (24) | 445 (21) | 436 (19) | 475 (25) | 490 (27) |
| Agency (MCA) |
Notes:
1. The data for 1997–98 to 2001–02 inclusive are those published in the annual reports and accounts of the organisations. For 2002–03 the latest available estimate is shown, except in the case of the MHS where the data are not yet available.
2. Data in brackets are the number of inspection staff included in the total figure for the year shown. In the case of the MDA the data for inspection staff show the numbers of full-time and part-time staff respectively.
Clinical Quality Costs
Mr. McLoughin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the grants funded by his Department for clinical quality for which organisations may apply; how much funding was made in the last financial year; how many awards were made; and what their administrative costs were. [99950]
Mr. Hutton: The Department does not currently have a programme of grant funding in place, for which organisations are free to apply, which is targeted specifically as part of its clinical quality programme. National Health Service bodies are expected to fund clinical quality programmes from their mainstream budgets.
Camden and Islington Health Action Zone
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent in each year since its inception by the Camden and Islington Health Action zone; and if he will make a statement on its future. [100532]
Mr. Hutton: Expenditure by Camden and Islington Health Action Zone has been as follows:
| Year | Expenditure |
|---|---|
| 1999–00 | £1,453,000 |
| 2000–01 | £1,893,000 |
| 2001–02 | £1,904,000 |
Information on expenditure for 2002–03 is not yet available.
Resource allocations for primary care trusts were announced on 11 December 2002 by means of HSC 2002/012. The allocations include health action zone revenue resource allocations for 2003–04 to 2005–06, including those relating to Camden and Islington Health Action Zone. In line with Shifting the Balance of Power, Camden and Islington Primary Care Trusts will be responsible for decisions about how these resources will be used.
GP Contracts
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what attempts the Government made to improve General Practitioners recruitment; what the Government are offering in new contracts for GPs; what incentives there are for women GPs who have taken career breaks to return to the profession; and if he will make a statement. [100300]
Mr. Hutton: The Government are committed to recruiting and retaining more general practitioners and has introduced a range of recruitment and retention initiatives to increase the workforce. These include: incentive payments and a returners scheme to encourage qualified general practitioners who have left general practice or have taken a career break to return; the extension of the flexible careers scheme to GPs to provide centrally supported opportunities for part-time and flexible working; the extension of the National Health Service childcare strategy to primary care; international recruitment and delayed retirement payments to encourage older GPs to extend their working lives.
The new GP contract, if accepted, will improve the attractiveness of family medicine as a career choice for doctors and encourage those who are already GPs to stay in the profession.
Inventures
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the variant bid for Inventures included in the unsuccessful William Pears Group bid was used in the successful bid from the Miller Group. [100572]
Mr. Hutton: There was no variant bid for Inventures. No variant bid from Health Estates was included in the Miller bid.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much he has spent on legal fees with regard to the Miller Group bid for Inventures. [100571]
Mr. Hutton: Approximately £27,000 has been spent on legal fees in connection with the sale of Inventures to Miller/Bank of Scotland.
7 Mar 2003 : Column 1263W
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who was privy to the heads of terms documentation between the Miller Group and NHS Estates regarding the sale of Inventures. [100414]
Mr. Hutton: The following organisations were privy to the agreed heads of terms documents between Miller/Bank of Scotland and NHS Estates:
Successful consortia and their advisors;
Department of Health, including NHS Estates and their advisors;
Her Majesty's Treasury and the National Audit Office.
Mr. Hutton: There have been no discussions with the fraud squad regarding the sale of Inventures.
NHS Workforce Statistics
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to publish the annual NHS Workforce statistics. [100498]
Mr. Hutton: National Health Service workforce statistics will be published shortly.
Pharmacies
Mr. Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the National Pharmaceutical Association regarding the Office of Fair Trading recommendations on pharmacies; and if he will make a statement. [100493]
Mr. Lammy: I met the National Pharmaceutical Association on 4 February this year to hear their preliminary views on the Office of Fair Trading's report.
These views and the Association's formal response received last month will help inform the Government response which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry is co-ordinating.
Departmental Policies (Northampton, South)
Mr. Tony Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out, including statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Northampton, South constituency, on the effects on Northampton of his Department's policies and actions since June 2001. [100811]
Mr. Lammy: In June 2001, there were 2,164 patients at the acute trust in Northampton waiting over 26 weeks for outpatient appointments. In December 2002 there were none. Similarly in June 2001, there were 594 patients waiting over 12 months for inpatient appointments. In December 2002, there were 224.
At the Northampton General, £300,000 of capital expenditure has been invested in modernising accident and emergency services. Northampton Primary Care Trust covering Northampton will receive increases in funding of over 28 per cent. over the next three years, to help local Modernisation.
A&E care performance at Northampton General has shown improvement, as a result of an additional £275,000 investment for the four-hour initiative and £115,000 funding for the establishment of the
7 Mar 2003 : Column 1264W
emergency care collaborative. Northampton General is confident to achieve the interim target of 90 per cent. by 31 March 2003.
This is just a small sample of ''investment'' in local Modernisation.
Parliamentary Questions
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will answer the parliamentary questions numbered (a) 98918 and (b) 98920 tabled by the hon. Member for Oxford, West and Abingdon and (c) 98919 tabled by the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Mr. Burstow) [101582]
Mr. Lammy: I refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave him on Monday 3 March 2003, Official Report, column 885W and column 887W, and to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Mr. Burstow) on Monday 3 March 2003, Official Report, columns 888–89W.
NHS Trusts
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 10 February, ref, 95606, what his reasons are for not providing figures for the estimated financial out turn of NHS trusts; and if he will cite the section of the Code of Conduct on Access to Official Information on which he based his decision. [97947]
Ms Blears [holding answer 13 February 2003]: These figures are a snapshot in time and in many cases are subject to rapidly changing conditions. Their publication could be misleading. They are for internal discussion and advice only. They are not intended to replace published audited annual accounts which are the accepted vehicle for reporting National Health Service financial performance.
The figures are considered to be exempt under Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government information.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |