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4 Mar 2004 : Column 1122W—continued

Regional Assemblies

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to paragraph 6.7 of Cm.5511, where the Government intends that elected regional assemblies for (a) the North East, (b) the North West and (c) Yorkshire and the Humber would initially be accommodated. [155144]

Mr. Raynsford: Before reaching a decision, the Government will consult the regional chambers in the North East, North West and Yorkshire and the Humber and take their views on the preferred initial locations.

Regional Development Agencies

Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what contribution his Department has made, or plans to make, to the regional development agencies' single pot for each financial year from 2003–04 to 2005–06; and if he will make a statement. [156474]

Mr. Raynsford: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's planned contribution is as follows:

	ODPM contribution (£ million)
2003–04*	1,524
2004–05	1,456
2005–06	1,513

Note:

Includes HM Treasury cost of capital charge at 3.5 per cent. and * 2003–04 figures includes End Year Flexibility drawn down at spring Supplementary Estimates.

These very substantial sums reflect the Regional Development Agencies' crucial role as partners in the delivery of the Government's plans for sustainable communities. The RDAs are key agents in achieving, for example, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's objectives for raising the levels of regional prosperity and social inclusion and for delivering effective programmes to help raise the quality of life for all in urban areas and other communities.

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Single Neighbourhood Renewal Unit

Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the (a) budget or projected budget for the Single Neighbourhood Renewal Unit wardens funding channel and (b) budget or projected budget for all area-based initiatives funded by the Single Neighbourhood Renewal Unit wardens funding channel is for financial years (i) 2002–03, (ii) 2003–04, (iii) 2004–05 and (iv) 2005–06, broken down by English region. [156476]

Yvette Cooper: The following table outlines the budgets for Neighbourhood Renewal Unit warden funding for years 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05 and 2005–06. The Wardens budget does not fund any other area based initiatives.

NRU warden funding£000

English regions	2002–03	2003–04	2004–05	2005–06
London	5,274	7,909	6,955	5,145
South West	763	1,319	1,170	370
South East	2,068	2,248	1,782	980
North West	3,166	3,753	2,860	1,440
North East	1,367	966	846	0
East Midlands	884	895	763	346
West Midlands	2,239	2,635	2,177	1,239
Yorkshire and the Humber	2,206	2,606	1,946	841
Eastern	1,038	945	682	0
Total	19,005	23,276	19,181	10,361

Traffic Wardens

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many traffic wardens were employed by each local authority area in each of the last three years, broken down by police authority area. [158215]

Caroline Flint: I have been asked to reply.

Our information relates only to traffic wardens employed by police authorities, not local authority parking attendants. I refer my hon. Friend to the chart attached to the answer I gave to Question Number 259.

No record is kept centrally of the number of parking attendants employed by local authorities or by contractors who carry out enforcement on their behalf. .

Urban Regeneration Companies

Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what funding was provided (a) by his Department in total and (b) through non-departmental public bodies to each Urban Regeneration Company for 2003–04; and what funding is projected in each case for 2004–05. [156475]

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not provide funding directly to any Urban Regeneration Company (URC). All funding is provided by the partners in each URC. This usually comprises the local Regional Development Agency (RDA), the local authority or authorities, and English Partnerships (EP). The table below shows the estimated revenue funding provided/projected by EP and the various RDAs to the

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individual URCs for 2003–04 and 2004–05. Funding for development projects is not normally provided to the URCs themselves; expenditure on projects is incurred by the partners on the basis of strategies agreed by the URCs.

Revenue allocations to URCs£

URC	2003–04	2004–05
Bradford City Regeneration	710,000	360,000
CPR Regeneration	500,000	500,000
Catalyst Corby	500,000	500,000
Derby Cityscape	500,000	500,000
Gloucester Heritage	n/a	500,000
Hull Citybuild	650,000	650,000
Leicester Regeneration	500,000	500,000
Liverpool Vision	791,000	791,000
New East Manchester	620,000	620,000
Sandwell	500,000	500,000
Sheffield One	710,000	710,000
Sunderland Arc	520,000	520,000
The New Swindon Company	500,000	500,000
Tees Valley Regeneration	500,000	500,000
Walsall	n/a	470,000
West Lakes Renaissance	200,000	200,000

Notes:

1. Bradford and West Lakes do not receive revenue funding from English Partnerships (EP)

2. All other figures are collated EP and Regional Development Agency estimates

3. Gloucester and Walsall were only established towards the end of FY 2003–04

HEALTH

Bed Rails

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many bed sides of double-bar design with more than 120mm between the rails he estimates are in use in (a) the NHS and (b) residential and nursing homes; and if he will make a statement. [158055]

Dr. Ladyman: This information is not held centrally.

Bed-blocking

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the performance of East Sussex county council in tackling bed-blocking. [158881]

Dr. Ladyman: Between 111 and 132 East Sussex residents have been reported as delayed for the past four weeks, with just over half of these delays attributable to social services reasons. This highlights some of the problems that can occur without effective partnership working between health and social care providers.

Cycle Accidents

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many serious accidents involving cyclists there were in the UK in each of the last five years. [156551]

Mr. Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.

The following table shows the number of fatal and serious accidents involving pedal cyclists in the UK in each of the last five years.

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Numbers of accidents involving pedal cyclists: UK

Year	Fatal or serious accident
1998	3,477
1999	3,358
2000	2,938
2001	2,812
2002	2,571

Dentistry

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS orthodontists there have been in each year since 1997. [154436]

Mr. Hutton: The information requested is shown in the table.

Hospital/Public Health Medicine and Community Health Services (HCHS): Dental staff within the Orthodontics specialtyNumbers (headcount)

	All staff	Of which: Consultant
1997	509	153
1998	501	153
1999	504	157
2000	513	161
2001	506	154
2002	508	161
March 2003	n/a	174
June 2003	n/a	181

⁽¹⁵⁾ Data as at 30 September each year, except 2003 data which is at 31 March and 30 June.

n/a = Data not available due to data being taken from the mini censuses that collected consultants only.

Source:

Department of Health medical and dental workforce census

The number of national health service consultant orthodontists, working in the NHS, increased by 18 per cent. between September 1997 and June 2003.

Foundation Trusts

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what safeguards are in place to prevent foundation trust boards of governors being taken over by special interest groups. [154011]

Mr. Hutton: All National Health Service foundation trusts are required to have a majority of governors elected by members of the public and patient constituencies. The Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003 requires all NHS foundation trusts to take steps to ensure that the membership is representative of those eligible to be members. The democratic process is designed to secure a balance of interests on the board of governors. In addition, NHS

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foundation trusts may include provisions in their constitution, and in particular the provisions relating to elections to the board of governors, designed to prevent the board from becoming dominated by a single issue group. The Independent Regulator will want to be satisfied that the provisions proposed by the applicant trust meet the statutory requirements before granting an authorisation.

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