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Thames Valley Strategic Health Authority

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the projected financial outturn for the Thames Valley Strategic Health Authority for this financial year, broken down by county. [156459]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Audited information on the financial position of national health service trusts will be published in their individual annual accounts. This data will be available centrally in the autumn. We have no plans to publish un-audited information.

Food Supplements Directive

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the European Union Directive on food supplements to come into force in the United Kingdom. [158462]

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Miss Melanie Johnson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds, North-West (Mr. Best), on 14 October 2003, Official Report, column 218W.

Gambling

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if the Government will incorporate responsibility for problem gambling under the auspices of the National Treatment Agency; [158316]

(2) what assessment the Government have made of the best method of meeting the health needs of problem gamblers; [158344]

(3) what plans he has to include responsibility for problem gambling under the auspices of the National Treatment Agency. [158349]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The most recent assessment of the extent of problem gambling is in the report of the independent Gambling Review Body (Cm 5206).

The national development group for specialised mental health services will review treatment for problem gambling to provide guidance that will help groups of primary care trusts to commission appropriate services and support the development of services in those areas where there are significant problems.

We have also encouraged the gambling industry to support the charitable trust, which it has established with a remit to fund both research into problem gambling and services for its treatment.

The Department has no plans to include responsibility for problem gambling under the auspices of the National Treatment Agency.

Health Inequality

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out for each (a) primary care trust and (b) strategic health authority area the benchmark national indicators of health inequality, as set out in Annex C of the report on Tackling Health Inequalities. [157048]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The indicators in Annex C of "Tackling Health Inequalities: A Programme for Action" measure national progress on health inequalities. The London Public Health Observatory has produced a Local Basket of Indicators on health inequalities for all primary care trusts, and a copy of their report has been placed in the Library, and is available on the London Health Observatory website at: http://www.lho.org.uk/HIL/Inequalities In Health/Basket Of Indicators/Basket.htm

Health Services (Worcestershire)

Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the future of the proposed new health centres in (a) Upton-on-Severn and (b) Malvern. [157854]

Dr. Ladyman: The future of the proposed new health centres in Upton-on-Severn and Malvern will depend on the priority for investment in these facilities relative to other such developments within the West Midlands

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South area. West Midlands South Strategic Health Authority reports that this will be decided by a planning group comprising all of the primary care trust chief executives within the West Midlands South area.

Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about the financial position of the (a) South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust and (b) Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. [157855]

Dr. Ladyman: South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust (PCT) is forecasting to deliver a financial breakeven position at 31 March 2004.

The most recent board report from the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals National Health Service Trust forecasts a £10.9 million deficit. West Midlands South Strategic Health Authority (SHA) reports that it is anticipated that this figure may change as a consequence of a complete review of the financial position within the trust by the new executive team.

The PCTs within Worcestershire, the acute trust and the mental health trust are working with the West Midlands South SHA towards delivering a financial recovery plan to address the deficit. This plan contains a series of cost saving measures, which will be necessary to return the health economy to financial break-even.

Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the future of Pershore Community Hospital following South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust's announcement that the building of several health centres in Worcestershire is to be put on hold. [157971]

Dr. Ladyman: Significant new revenue funding is being made available to support public, private capital investment in the primary care estate based on local prioritisation of development proposals.

The future of the Pershore Community Hospital development will depend on the priority for investment in this facility relative to other such developments within the West Midlands South area. West Midlands South Strategic Health Authority reports that this will be decided by a planning group comprising all of the primary care trust chief executives within the West Midlands South area.

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the future of capital projects for health centres, doctors' surgeries and hospitals provided under the auspice of the South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust. [157918]

Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the future of controls on private finance initiative revenue streams as they affect investments by South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust. [157970]

Dr. Ladyman [holding answer 2 March 2004]: Significant new revenue funding is being made available to support public, private capital investment in the primary care estate based on local prioritisation of development proposals.

As part of the implementation of the new primary medical service arrangements, baseline allocations have been notified to all primary care trusts (PCTs)

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for 2004–05, which include an element for new developments contractually agreed by 30 September 2003.

In addition, further growth funding is to be notified in the near future to PCTs to support prioritised developments contractually agreed after that date.

West Midlands South Strategic Health Authority has devolved responsibility for prioritisation of growth funding for premises development to a planning group comprising all of the PCT chief executives within the West Midlands South area.

HIV/AIDS

Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of field trials of vaccines to prevent HIV/AIDS carried out in (a) Kenya, (b) Uganda, (c) South Africa and (d) Botswana. [157487]

Mr. Gareth Thomas: I have been asked to reply.

Four different vaccines are currently in Phase 1 safety trials in Kenya, Uganda, South Africa and Botswana. Three of these are based on types of HIV prevalent in East and Southern Africa and one, in Botswana, on the type of HIV prevalent in Europe and the USA. Details of the trials, the vaccines under investigation and trials sponsors can be found on the clinical trials database maintained by the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) at www.iavi.org/trials.

DFID supports the global effort to accelerate the development of safe and effective HIV vaccines as an important part of a comprehensive long-term response to HIV and AIDS. Trials currently underway in Africa provide an important contribution to these efforts, particularly in developing vaccines that will be appropriate for use by developing countries. The participation of African researchers in these efforts is particularly welcome. Given the difficult task of discovering and proving the efficacy of an HIV vaccine, it is important that a number of promising vaccine candidates are developed in parallel if chances of success are to be increased and efforts accelerated. As the current trials are completed DFID expects that decisions will be made regarding which of the candidates should progress to later stage trials to test vaccine efficacy. These decisions will be the responsibility of the sponsoring agencies.

Since 1998 DFID has provided funding to the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) to progress global HIV vaccine efforts, with a particular focus on vaccines developed for use by developing countries. IAVI is a not-for-profit organisation with the mission to accelerate the development of safe and effective HIV vaccines and to ensure the rapid availability for use throughout the world. IAVI actively manages a research portfolio with its R&D partners, which includes support for eight vaccine candidates, three of which are currently in trials in the countries in question.

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