| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
17 Jun 2003 : Column 161W—continued
HEALTH
Action On Programmes
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on (a) the areas involved in the specialties covered by (b) funding for and (c) objectives of the new Action On programmes; [114315]
(2) if he will make a statement on (a) the areas involved in the specialties covered by (b) funding for and (c) the effectiveness of the existing Action On programmes. [114314]
Mr. Hutton: Details of the first four Action On programmes covering ophthalmology; orthopaedics; ear, nose and throat (ENT); and dermatology, their pilot sites and summaries of their main aims and achievements are available on the Action On website: www.modern.nhs.uk/action-on
Three new Action On programmes began in spring 2003, covering services in general surgery, plastic surgery, and urology. 18 pilot sites in plastic surgery and 15 pilot sites in urology were announced in early May 2003, details of which are also available on the Action On website. Projects in general surgery will be announced in July 2003.
Existing pilot sites received revenue funding of typically £75,000 per annum over 18 months. In addition to this, a total of more than £75 million capital funding has also been allocated to selected sites in dermatology, ENT and orthopaedics over 2002–03 and 2003–04 to increase capacity and support developments in service modernisation.
Pilot sites for the three new Action On programmes will also receive revenue funding to support the costs of running the project over 18 months. Funding for pilot projects will total £3 million across the three specialties in the current financial year, with a further £1.5 million in 2004–05.
From April 2003, all 28 strategic health authorities in England are also being provided with funding totalling £2.5 million over the next two years to employ a local service improvement lead each in order to support the spread of good practice. These posts will support local modernisation initiatives in the Action On specialties, including the three new programmes in plastic surgery, general surgery and urology.
All capital schemes are required to deliver additional service capacity and waiting time improvements. Cataracts schemes have contributed to the 17 per cent. increase in surgery rates achieved during the first two years of the programme. Action On ENT, dermatology and orthopaedics are still in the process of completion and implementation. However, good practice guidance issued by all four programmes give examples of productivity gains and service improvements at each of the pilot sites. These guides are available on the Action On website.
Drug Dependence
Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the cost of treatment for drug dependency and drug related illnesses in London in each of the past five years. [116483]
17 Jun 2003 : Column 162W
Mr. Hutton: The pooled drug treatment allocations for London were £32 million in 2001–2 and £43.8 million for 2002–3. This is an increase of 37 per cent. In addition to this substantial money is also spent on drug treatment from National Health Service mainstream resources the details of which are not held centrally.
Intensive Care Beds
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many intensive care beds there are in NHS hospitals covering the Greater London area. [118925]
Mr. Hutton: On the 15 January 2003 (latest data available), there were 660 open and staffed critical care beds in National Health Service trusts in the Directorate of Health and Social Care London area.
PowderJect
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have met representatives of PowderJect; and who was present at each meeting. [109076]
Mr. Hutton: Ministers have had no meetings with PowderJect representatives to discuss the placing of the smallpox vaccine contracts.
Officials met with representatives from PowderJect on the following dates:
- 16 October 2000;
9 January 2001;
22 January 2002;
11 April 2002;
16 July 2002,
5 August 2002;
14 October 2002;
5 December 2002;
10 January 2003; and
29 January 2003.
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Asbestos
Dr. Cable: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what actions the Lord Chancellor's Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies are taking to comply with the requirements of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002; whether an estimate has been made of the cost of compliance; and if she will make a statement. [118849]
Mr. Leslie: My Department has ensured that the Managing Agents of it's properties have received guidance and instructions on the new asbestos regulations by means of two Estate Management Notices and the HSE guidance leaflet. A checklist for
17 Jun 2003 : Column 163W
local managers is being devised. Local compliance will be checked as part of the 2003–04 Health and Safety risk assessment programme.
The information with regard to costing is not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Hotel Accommodation
Norman Baker: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the amount spent by (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies on hotel accommodation (i) in the UK and (ii) abroad for (A) Ministers, (B) staff and (C) others, and if he will list the average cost per hotel room, in each year since 1997. [117564]
Mr. Leslie: The Government publishes an annual report of ministerial travel overseas. The total cost of ministerial travel provided in the annual report includes the costs of accommodation. The information sought in respect of accommodation within the UK is not held centrally. All travel is conducted in line with the requirements of the ministerial code. For travel by civil servants and others, the information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Legal Aid
Mr. Olner: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department where records of default costs certificates showing solicitors charges in legally aided cases are held; whether they are available for inspection by members of the public; and how far back the records go. [118347]
Mr. Lammy: Case files which contain copies of default costs certificates are held at local county courts. There is no third party access to these files except through application to a judge at the court where they are held.
The retention period of a case file is dependent on the type of case (e.g. an adoption case file is kept 75 years). However, as default costs certificates were introduced with the implementation of the Civil Procedure Rules 1998, copies of them would only be available from that date.
PRIME MINISTER
Minister for Pensions
Mr. John Taylor: To ask the Prime Minister when he intends to appoint a new Minister for Pensions. [118741]
The Prime Minister: I have appointed Malcolm Wicks MP as the new Minister of State for Pensions.
Mr. Kenny Richey
Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Prime Minister what representations he has made to United States authorities regarding the case of Mr. Kenny Richey. [119722]
17 Jun 2003 : Column 164W
The Prime Minister: The Government are taking what steps we properly can. We are in touch with Mr. Richey's lawyers both in the USA and the UK, as well as with Ohio state officials. The Acting Consul General in Chicago recently attended Mr. Richey's Court of Appeals hearing. We shall continue to monitor his case closely to determine what other representations could be made on his behalf.
Suez Medal
Bob Russell: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 11 June 2003, Official Report, column 869W, on the Suez Medal, whether the General Service Medal will be awarded posthumously to those who (a) were killed in action or died from wound and (b) who have died in the years since 1954. [119873]
The Prime Minister: Where the person concerned was killed in action or has subsequently died, his next of kin can claim his medal subject to proof of service, of kinship and as long as the other eligibility criteria are met.
Tariq Aziz
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 10 June 2003, Official Report, column 718W, on trials of senior Iraqi figures, how he intends to help the Iraqi people decide what action to take to bring senior figures to justice, with special reference to Mr. Tariq Aziz. [119956]
The Prime Minister: A decision has not yet been taken regarding the process for trying senior Iraqi figures. The evaluation and consultative process outlined is still in progress.
Tariq Aziz voluntarily surrendered to the coalition forces in Baghdad and is currently in custody. It is too early to determine the nature of any criminal charges he might face.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |