---

14 Oct 2004 : Column 347W—continued

Incapacity Benefit

Mr. Berry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether Inland Revenue information on incapacity benefit indicates to recipients that if their benefit dates from before 12 April 1995 the payments are free of income tax. [190903]

Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue's leaflet IR144 "Income Tax and Incapacity Benefit" printed in May 2002 makes clear that a claimant's local Benefit Office, which is part of the Department for Work and Pensions, will advise if Incapacity Benefit is taxable or not. The SATax Return Guide refers to the tax treatment of Incapacity Benefit for those whose claim is for a period
 
14 Oct 2004 : Column 348W
 
before 13 April 1995. It goes on to say that the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) will provide a form showing whether the benefit is taxable.

International Finance Facility

Dr. Palmer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress is being made with the International Finance Facility. [190554]

Mr. Boateng: Good progress has been made recently with the International Finance Facility. The World Bank's final paper on Aid Effectiveness and Financing Modalities found that the IFF was technically feasible and noted that the IFF was the most advanced proposal to frontline aid. Communiques from the meetings welcomed the Bank and Fund analysis of options to increase aid flows, such as the IFF, and looked forward to a further report on options to take these forward. Furthermore, all Nordic countries supported the IFF's potential role in providing additional finance for development. The IFF will be central to the UK Presidencies of the G7 and EU in 2005.

Tom Brake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the oral answer from the Chancellor of the Exchequer of 17 June 2004, Official Report, column 895, on the International Finance Facility, if he will make a statement on the September reports by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund regarding the UK's proposal for the international finance facility. [190905]

Mr. Timms: Good progress was made on the International Finance Facility (IFF) at the Annual Meetings this year. The World Bank's final paper on Aid Effectiveness and Financing Modalities found that the IFF was technically feasible and noted that the IFF was the most advanced proposal to frontload aid. Communiqués from the meetings welcomed the Bank and Fund analysis of options to increase aid flows, using such mechanisms as the IFF, and looked forward to a further report on options to take these forward. The UK Government will be taking forward the proposal in 2005 when the IFF will be central to the UK Presidencies of the G7 and EU in 2005.

Lorry Road-user Charge Management Authority

Mr. Streeter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the proposed functions of the Lorry Road-User Charge Management Authority are; [190646]

(2) what the proposed total costs are for setting up the Lorry Road-User Charge Management Authority in (a) 2004–05, (b) 2005–06, (c) 2006–07 and (d) 2007–08. [190651]

John Healey: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for South Suffolk (Mr. Yeo) on 12 October 2004, Official Report, column 243W. HM Customs and Excise's plans for the Lorry Road-User Charge (LRUC) include the setting up of an LRUC Management Authority (MA).

The Government set out the proposed functions of the MA in "Modernising the taxation of the haulage industry: lorry road-user charge—Progress report 3" in
 
14 Oct 2004 : Column 349W
 
March 2004, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. Since then Customs have been doing more work on the MA's functions, although final decisions about its scope and the timetable for the transition from a procurement programme to a Management Authority have yet to be taken.

Pensioners

Andrew Selous: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many pensioners live in the South West Bedfordshire constituency. [191010]

Mr. Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Mr. Len Cook to Mr. Andrew Selous, dated 14 October 2004:

As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many pensioners live in the South West Bedfordshire constituency. (191010),

The latest available data for constituencies can be found in reports from the 2001 population census.

Figures from the Census 2001—Census Area Statistics for parliamentary Constituencies in England and Wales Indicate that on census day (29th April 2001) there were 15,401 people of pensionable age, (5,645 males aged 65 and over , and 9,756 females aged 60 and over), resident in the South West Bedfqrdshire constituency.

The Census 2001—Census Area Statistics for Parliamentary Constituencies in England and Wales CD was released on the 16th September 2004 and is now available in the House of Commons Library.

HEALTH

Cardiac Care

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about proposed changes to the provision of cardiac rehabilitation services in south-west Hampshire. [190754]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The configuration of local health services, including the provision of cardiac rehabilitation services, is a matter for the local national health service, working in partnership with its stakeholders and the local community. It is for NHS organisations to plan and develop services based on their specific local knowledge and expertise.

Departmental Services

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which services within his Department will be (a) affected by and (b) subject to job losses consequent on the cuts in the civil service announced in the Spending Review. [189638]

Ms Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. Boateng), on 16 September 2004, Official Report, column 1659W.

Derriford Hospital

Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the treatment
 
14 Oct 2004 : Column 350W
 
provided for Mr. and Mrs. Walker by Derriford hospital in Plymouth on 3 September; and if he will make a statement; [190648]

(2) what the total cost was to the NHS of transporting Mrs. Paula Walker of Plympton from Derriford hospital, Plymouth to Merthyr Tydfil hospital and then on to Winchester hospital, in September. [190649]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department has not made an assessment of the treatment provided for Mr. and Mrs. Walker at Derriford hospital in Plymouth on 3 September. In line with our policy of shifting the balance of power, responsibility for the provision of local health services rests with local national health service trusts and decisions about the treatment for patients are the responsibility of the clinicians involved in individual cases. The Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust is responsible for services provided at Derriford hospital. The information requested about the cost to the NHS is not collected centrally.

Devon NHS Partnership Trust

Mrs. Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many places for heroin addiction for people aged (a) under 18 and (b) over 18 are provided by the Devon NHS Partnership Trust; [190867]

(2) what the average waiting time for mental health patients referred by general practitioners to community health teams is in the Devon NHS Partnership Trust area. [190868]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Drug Addiction Treatment

Mr. Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on the availability of drug rehabilitation services in Leeds; [189951]

(2) what changes in waiting times for drug addiction treatment there have been since 1997 in (a) West Yorkshire, (b) Leeds and (c) Leeds West Primary Care Trust area; and if he will make a statement. [190006]

Miss Melanie Johnson: A full range of drug services is provided in Leeds through both statutory and voluntary providers in accordance with the interventions identified in tiers 1–3 of "Models of Care". The city of Leeds does not have a tier 4 residential rehabilitation or in-patient detoxification service. All clients are provided with these services out of the city. The National Treatment Agency (NTA) is working with the local drug action team (DAT) to improve waiting times for these services.

The information requested on waiting times has been collected since 2002 and is shown in the tables.
 
14 Oct 2004 : Column 351W
 

Average waiting times for drug treatment Weeks

	Leeds DAT
Essential treatment modalities	NTA target	December 2002	March 2003	June 2003	September 2003	December 2003	March 2004	June 2004
In-patient treatment	2	8.0	1.0	1.0	1.5	1.5	—	2.0
Residential Rehabilitation	3	8.0	3.0	2.5	2.0	2.0	—	4.0
Specialist prescribing	3	8.0	2.0	2.0	2.0	1.4	2.0	1.0
GP	2	2.0	11.8	2.0	2.0	2.0	—	1.0
Day care	3	2.0	2.5	1.5	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0
Structured counselling	2	1.0	0.7	2.0	1.5	1.0	1.0	1.8

Average waiting times for drug treatment Weeks

	Yorkshire and Humberside
Essential treatment modalities	NTA target	December 2002	March 2003	June 2003	September 2003	December 2003	March 2004	June 2004
In-patient treatment	2	4.8	4.0	5.1	3.9	2.6	1.5	1.2
Residential Rehabilitation	3	7.4	3.7	4.0	4.5	6.3	3.3	3.2
Specialist prescribing	3	8.1	5.0	5.3	4.9	4.0	3.4	4.6
GP	2	2.4	3.2	2.4	2.1	1.9	1.5	1.5
Day care	3	2.1	3.6	1.2	1.2	1.0	0.8	1.1
Structured counselling	2	3.3	1.6	2.1	2.1	2.6	2.2	2.2

Source:
National Treatment Agency.

---