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14 Apr 2003 : Column 605W—continued
Correspondence
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire dated 8 August 2002 for which an acknowledgement was sent on 1 November 2002 (ref P01018533). [103543]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 18 March 2003]: A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 11 April.
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Departmental Pay
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made with the pay review in his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible, with particular reference to the gender pay gap; and if he will make a statement. [106744]
Mr. Hutton: We have completed the review of our pay systems in line with in Government's commitment in response to the Equal Opportunities Commission Task Force's Just Pay report. We are now finalising our action plan to close any equal pay gaps, as well as proposals to review systems annually in future.
Disabled Children (Care Services)
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what guidance his Department gives to local authorities about charging for domiciliary care services for disabled children; [108756]
- (2) how many, what proportion and which local authorities charge for services to disabled children; what criteria they use to set these charges; and what fee levels have been set. [108757]
Jacqui Smith: The legal position, as set out at Section 29 of the Children Act 1989, is that where a local authority provides services, with the exception of advice, guidance or counselling, they may make such charges for that service as they consider reasonable.
The Government recognises that this may put undue pressure on low income families and this is why the Act provides that no-one receiving income support or family credit is liable to pay a charge. The local authority will take into account the means of the family in each case. Local authorities may not require parents to pay more than is reasonable.
It is a matter for local authorities as to whether or not a charge is made and, if so, how much any charge might be. We have not issued guidance to local authorities as the legal responsibility is in their hands.
Doctor Numbers (Lancashire)
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors there are per 100 beds in each of the Lancashire NHS trusts. [107955]
Jacqui Smith: Data on the number of doctors per 100 beds for the Lancashire area are currently being validated.
Elderly Care (Buckinghamshire)
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on funding for care of the elderly in Buckinghamshire in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03. [108487]
Jacqui Smith: Buckinghamshire has benefited from the increases in social services funding in recent years. In 2002–03, the Buckinghamshire authority's total social services resources increased, on a like for like basis, by 6.2 per cent., which followed on from a 9.1 per cent. increase in 2001–02. Buckinghamshire will also benefit from the extra increases announced for 2003–04. For
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instance, its social services formula funding share has increased, on a like for like basis, by 13.2 per cent. In addition, there will be substantial additional resources paid through grants by the Department of Health. Most resources are allocated on an unhypothecated basis and it is for the county council to decide how much to allocate to care of the elderly.
Five-a-day Initiative
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advertising and public awareness campaign will be used in conjunction with the launch of the five-a-day initiative; what form this public awareness will take; and at what cost. [106553]
Ms Blears: The five-a-day logo was launched on 25 March. There are no plans for an advertising campaign, but the launch did attract national and local media coverage.
The five-a-day programme is supported by a full range of information materials, which are being distributed through primary care settings. The cost of printing the materials was £200,000.
Sixty six local five-a-day initiatives supported by the New Opportunities Fund will, as part of their work programmes, aim to increase awareness of five-a-day in their communities, using the centrally developed information materials.
The National School Fruit Scheme, which is also supported by the New Opportunities Fund, gives parents and children information materials on the scheme which promote the five-a-day message.
Other awareness activities include work with the food industry to ensure consistent and clear five-a-day messages.
Food Procurement
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he gives to (a) health trusts and (b) agencies for which he is responsible regarding the procurement of food that is (i) local and (ii) British. [99367]
Mr. Hutton: Public sector purchasers must comply with the Treaty of Rome and World Trade Organisation agreements irrespective of the value of a requirement. Where the requirement is in excess of the thresholds built into the European Commission directives, the appropriate directive, whether it be works, supplies or services, must also be complied with.
The overall aim of the directives is to create a single European market devoid of all trading restrictions and barriers in which all businesses have an opportunity to compete equally. Therefore, public sector purchasers must ensure that they act fairly and equitably and perform their duties in a non-discriminatory manner.
The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (PASA) is working closely with other Government bodies to investigate the opportunities of delivering the Government's local sustainable development initiatives while remaining compliant with European Commission directives. For example, PASA is working closely with the Peninsular Consortium, following their Objective
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One funding from the European Union, to offer help and advice with their proposed business case for the future food provision within the Cornwall region. This could be a test-bed for future initiatives within the national health service.
Foundation Hospitals
Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to protect smaller local hospitals from becoming unable economically to carry out particular procedures and treatments in the face of competition from foundation trusts. [108439]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 10 April 2003]: All providers of national health service care will be paid according to a national tariff. As a result, there will be no price competition from foundation trusts.
Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether foundation hospitals will be able to set up limited companies with which to conduct trade with their non-protected assets. [108520]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 10 April 2003]: Yes. Subject to parliamentary approval, provisions in clause 17 of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill, will enable foundation hospitals to be able to set up limited companies to conduct trade with non-protected assets. national health service trusts can already establish trading companies.
GP Contract
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact of the new GP contract on the provision of out of hours cover. [105392]
Mr. Hutton: The proposed new general medical service (CMS) contract would offer CMS providers the opportunity to opt out of responsibility for providing out of hours care to their patients and a timetable for doing so. If the new contract is accepted by general practitioners and they exercise this opt-out, primary care trusts (PCTs) will be responsible for ensuring that an alternative and accredited service is available.
Health Care (Somerset)
Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many (a) care beds, (b) nursing beds, (c) elderly mentally impaired beds and (d) terminal beds there are in Somerset; and how many there have been in each of the last three years; [107338]
- (2) how many people there were in elderly care in Somerset in each of the last three years; [107337]
(3) how many respite care homes have shut in each of the last three years in (a) the Sedgemore district council area and (b) west Somerset; [107335]
(4) how many people were placed in care homes from hospitals in Somerset in each of the last three years. [107336]
Jacqui Smith: The latest available information on residential and nursing care home places in the Somerset area is shown in table 1. Information on the number of care home places in Somerset is not yet available for 2002.
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| Nursing care(58) | Residential care(59) | Total number of care home places | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of places | 2000 | 2001 | 2000 | 2001 | 2000 | 2001 |
| Total | 2,760 | 2,540 | 4,100 | 4,100 | 6,860 | 6,640 |
| Of which: | ||||||
| Older people(60) | 2,260 | 1,960 | 3,060 | 3,030 | 5,310 | 4,990 |
| Elderly Mentally Infirm(61) | 500 | 470 | 70 | 70 | 570 | 530 |
(58) Nursing data refers to Somerset health authority and includes registered beds in general and mental nursing homes
(59) Residential data refers to Somerset shire county, and includes places in LA staffed, voluntary, private, small homes and dual registered residential places.
(60) Beds designated people aged 65 and over other than elderly mentally infirm people
(61) Beds designated for elderly mentally infirm people
Source:
RA Form A and RH(N) forms, Department of Health
The number of people aged 65 or over receiving community-based services to help them to live at home independently in the Somerset area is shown in table 2. Community based services include one or more of the following services: home care, day care, meals, planned short term breaks (respite care), direct payments, professional support, transport, equipment or adaptations.
| As at 31 March | Number of older people | Rate per 1,000 population aged 65 or over(63) |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 7,340 | 77 |
| 2001 | 9,630 | 100 |
| 2002 | 9,520 | 98 |
Notes:
(62) People aged 65 or over, receiving community-based services from Somerset county council as at 31 March
(63) This rate is Performance Assessment Framework Indicator C32
Source:
KS1 return, Department of Health
Information is not available centrally on the number of terminal beds in Somerset and the number of people placed in care homes from hospitals in Somerset.
Information is not collected centrally on respite care homes, as there is no formal classification for respite care homes.
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