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25 Oct 2004 : Column 1060W—continued

Universities (Venture Capital)

Chris Grayling: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about the impact of the taxation of venture capital companies on university start-ups. [193134]

John Healey: The Government has not introduced any new taxation on venture capital companies, which impacts on university start-ups. Since June 2003 just over 20 representations have been received from academics and other sector representatives about the impact on the university spin-out sector of new rules introduced in Finance Act 2003 to reform the taxation of employee shares and level the playing field between cash and share-based remuneration.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Ambulances

Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of publicly owned ambulances in Northern Ireland are Mercedes Sprinters; and if he will make a statement. [191797]

Angela Smith: All public sector Mercedes Sprinter Accident and Emergency ambulances in Northern Ireland are owned by the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service which has 119 in its A and E fleet of 140 vehicles.

Belfast Education and Library Board

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures are being taken to tackle the overspend in the budget of the Belfast Education and Library Board. [192376]

Mr. Gardiner: The Belfast Education and Library Board significantly overspent its budget allocation for 2003–04 and, unless urgent action is taken, is likely to register a further, significant overspend in 2004–05. This is not a tenable position.
 
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I have therefore asked the Board to quantify, as a matter of urgency, the precise scale of its overspend and to bring forward a plan setting out the actions that would need to be taken to ensure that expenditure in the current financial year is contained within the budgetary limits voted by Parliament. I have also asked for work to be undertaken to tackle the systems and other weaknesses that contributed to the overspend and to its late discovery, building on the findings from the investigation carried out over the summer by independent consultants. Once I am satisfied that this work has been undertaken and that appropriate budgetary control measures have been established, I will want to discuss with the Board options for recovery of the amounts overspent.

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make it his policy that the proposals to deal with the overspend in the budget of the Belfast Education and Library Board will not result in cuts to funding for education in (a) North Belfast and (b) Greater Shankill. [192377]

Mr. Gardiner: I have asked the Board, as a matter of urgency, to bring forward a plan setting out the actions that would need to be taken to ensure that there is no further overspend at the end of the current financial year.

Responsibility for identifying and prioritising appropriate action rests in the first instance with the Board itself. I have, however, emphasised the importance I attach to minimising disruption to front-line services and I will consider the BELB proposals, once I receive them, and work with the Board to safeguard the education of all children.

Cardiac Treatment

Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what resources he plans to make available to reduce waiting times for cardiology patients. [192453]

Angela Smith: A number of initiatives aimed at significantly reducing the waiting times for cardiology patients are already under way. These include:

In addition, the Department is in the process of commissioning a Needs and Effectiveness Review of all cardiology and cardiac surgery services, which will further address the issue of waiting times and how resources might be used to greatest effect.

Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to mainstream funding for cardiac rehabilitation after 2006. [192454]


 
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Angela Smith: The Review of Cardiology services recommended that all patients who have suffered a heart attack or who have an established heart disease should be offered cardiac rehabilitation. Subsequently, the Department asked Boards to develop proposals and costings for the delivery of these services.

Boards have commissioned a range of cardiac rehabilitation services, which include Trusts working with the voluntary sector, and will consider proposals for the future funding and delivery of these services once appropriate audit and evaluation has been carried out.

Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety will set out a policy for the provision of cardiac rehabilitation. [192455]

Angela Smith: Following a departmental review of Cardiology Services, it was recommended that Boards and Trusts should work together to offer cardiac rehabilitation to patients who have suffered a heart attack or have an established heart disease. The purpose of this rehabilitation is to facilitate physical, psychological and emotional recovery and enable patients to achieve and maintain better health.

CREST has recently identified the need for guidance in the area of cardiac rehabilitation and is in the process of establishing a working group to take this forward. The Department will consider the findings of this report when it becomes available next year.

Cardiology Services

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the recommendations of the Review of Cardiology Services in April 2003; and what progress has been made with the implementation of those recommendations. [193382]

Angela Smith: The Review of Cardiology Services was carried out in 1999 and was closely followed by a Review of Cardiac Surgery in 2000. Reflecting the views expressed by the boards, the reviews were subsequently linked, consulted upon and the updated recommendations from both reviews were issued to the service as a Joint Action Plan in April 2003. A copy of the Joint Action Plan, containing recommendations, will be placed in the Library.

A Cardiac Surgery and Cardiology Services Monitoring Group, comprising departmental, board, trust and user representatives was set up last year and meets regularly to closely monitor service progress against the Joint Action Plan.

To date, a number of initiatives in line with the Joint Action Plan and aimed at significantly reducing the waiting times for cardiology patients are under way. These include:


 
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In addition, the Department is in the process of commissioning a Needs and Effectiveness Review of all cardiology and cardiac surgery services, which will further address the issue of waiting times and how resources might be used to greatest effect.

Clinical Research Collaboration

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much funding will be provided in the Province for the UK Clinical Research Collaboration for each year of its work. [192868]

Angela Smith: To date additional funding of £70,000 per year has been made available to support the School of Pharmacy at Queens University and its work on medicines for children, the initial priority area of the United Kingdom Clinical Research Collaboration.
 
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This year's Budget process is still in its early stages and will not be finalised until December. Future funding decisions for 2005–06 to 2007–08 must await the outcome of the final Budget.

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