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President Chirac

Tony Baldry: To ask the Prime Minister (1) what discussions he has had with President Chirac on the Commission for Africa; [199598]

(2) what discussions he has had with President Chirac on the International Financing Facility. [199600]

The Prime Minister: I discussed a wide range of issues with President Chirac during the UK-France summit held in London on 18 November 2004, including the Commission for Africa and the International Financing Facility.

I also refer the hon. Member to the Communique and Declaration on Africa, which is available on the Foreign Office website, and to the press conference I held with President Chirac, which is available on the No. 10 website.

HEALTH

Health Service Deficits (South-west)

Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the financial deficits for the financial year ended 31 March were for (a) the Peninsula strategic health authority, (b) Plymouth Primary Care Trust, (c) South Hams and West Devon Primary Care Trust, (d) Plymouth Hospital NHS Healthcare Trust and (e) Devon Partnership Trust; and what the anticipated financial deficit of each of them is in the year to 31 March 2005. [199728]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested is shown in the table.
 
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£000

	Surplus/(deficit)
	Outturn 2003–04	Forecast outturn 2004–05
South West Peninsula Strategic Health Authority (SHA)	10,220	0
Plymouth Primary Care Trust (PCT)	0	0
South Hams and West Devon PCT	545	0
Plymouth Hospitals National Health Service Trust	(7,753)	0
Devon Partnership NHS Trust	93	0

The forecast outturn for 2004–05 is based on the latest information published by the South West Peninsula SHA.

In-patient Accommodation

Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress in ending mixed-sex wards in Hampshire; and if he will list hospital premises where inpatient accommodation does not comply with the standards set by his Department. [200271]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department has set three objectives to support the delivery of single-sex accommodation, designed to deliver single-sex sleeping accommodation, segregated bathroom and washing facilities and to safeguard the mentally ill. The objectives apply to all national health service organisations providing inpatient accommodation.

All inpatient hospital accommodation provided within Hampshire is fully compliant with the standards which we have set.

Nurses

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what targets his Department has set for nurse numbers in each of the next 10 years, expressed as a (a) headcount and (b) whole-time-equivalent figure. [199923]

Mr. Hutton: The NHS Plan set a target for an extra 20,000 nurses by 2004, over a 1999 baseline, the Government's Manifesto made a further commitment for 20,000 nurses by 2005, over a 2000 baseline, and "Delivering the NHS Plan" set an expectation for increasing the qualified nursing workforce by 35,000 by 2008 over 2001 levels.

These targets and expectations are on a headcount basis, and all have been met and exceeded. The table shows the increases against the targets and expectations.

	NHS Plan	Manifesto	Delivering the NHS Plan
Target/expectation	20,000 by 2004	20,000 by 2005	35,000 by 2008
Change	1999–2003	2000–2003	2001–2003
Headcount	56,722	50,407	35,978
Whole-time equivalents	43,552	37,905	27,558

Sources:
Department of Health non-medical workforce census
Department of Health general and personal medical services statistics




 
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There has been a further headcount increase of 10,000 between September 2003 and March 2004.

There are no additional targets for increasing the nursing workforce, though we expect further annual increases. It is for local national health service organisations to determine the number of nurses needed locally.

Oxleas NHS Trust

John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will meet (a) the Chief Executive of Oxleas NHS Trust and (b) the hon. Member for Erith and Thamesmead to discuss the matters raised by the hon. Member for Erith and Thamesmead in his letter of 13 October; [199605]

(2) what discussions he has had with the (a) South East London Strategic Health Authority and (b) Private Finance Unit regarding Oxleas NHS Trust on the matters raised with him by the hon. Members for Erith and Thamesmead and Bexleyheath and Crayford (Mr. Nigel Beard) on 14 July. [199606]

Mr. Hutton: Departmental officials have been in touch with South East London Strategic Health Authority about this matter.

I met with my hon. Friend the Member for Erith and Thamesmead and the hon. Member for Bexley Heath and Crayford earlier in the year and wrote to both of them regarding Oxleas earlier this month. I have no immediate plans for a further meeting.

Peninsula Strategic Health Authority

Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the budget of the Peninsula Strategic Health Authority is for the current financial year. [199727]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The budget figure for the South West Peninsula Strategic Health Authority for the financial year 2004–05 is £4.563 million.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Ahmadiyya Community

Sue Doughty: Affairs what representations he has received regarding attacks by anti-Ahmadiyya agitators upon Ahmadis in Bangladesh; what representations he (a) has made and (b) is making to the Government of Bangladesh regarding the protection of the Ahmadiyya community in Bangladesh; and if he will make a statement. [200436]

Mr. Alexander: We have received many representations on this subject from interested NGOs,including the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association UK and hon. Members of this House. We share their concerns about attacks and organised incitement against the Ahmadiyya community. We have both bilaterally and together with EU colleagues, regularly raised issues of religious persecution and intolerance with the Bangladeshi authorities urging them to ensure that minorities, not least the Ahmadiyyas, are suitably protected, that every reported crime is promptly and fully investigated, that the perpetrators of
 
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crimes against religious minorities are brought to justice and that firm action is taken against incitement. We shall continue to do so.

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairswhat representations he (a) has made and (b) is making to the Government of Pakistan regarding the protection of the Ahmadiyya community in Pakistan, particularly with regard to the blasphemy laws in that country; and if he will make a statement. [200437]

Mr. Alexander: The British Government takes a serious and very concerned view of all cases of religious intolerance and persecution.

We have raised our concerns, bilaterally and together with our EU colleagues, about religious persecution and the blasphemy laws with the Pakistani Government on a number of occasions. The EU has called upon the Pakistani authorities to take all possible measures to reform the Blasphemy Laws; to strengthen institutional and legal safeguards while these laws remain in force; and to make the abuse of these laws an offence. The EU urged the Government of Pakistan to continue its efforts to bring the perpetrators of crimes against religious minorities to justice, and to ensure that every reported crime is promptly and fully investigated.

We will continue to monitor the situation in Pakistan and will make representations to the Pakistani Government when this is called for.

Anti-Semitic Broadcasts

Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he has taken to tackle anti-semitic broadcasts from Middle East countries. [199741]

Mr. Rammell: Her Majesty's Government deplores anti-semitism in any form. It is not our policy to seek to control broadcasts in other countries. But we look to all governments to promote the right to freedom of religion and the enjoyment of all human rights without distinction on the basis of race or religion. We engage closely with the Arab media in the UK and in the region, including funding for training programmes to help them improve standards. The EU tabled a resolution at this years UN Commission on Human Rights which urges all states, in conformity with international human rights standards, to take action to combat intolerance and intimidation based on religion or belief.

Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his assessment is of the effect anti-semitic broadcasts in Arab media have had on prospects for a resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict. [199742]

Mr. Rammell: We deplore anti-semitism wherever it occurs, as we deplore racism and xenophobia in any form. We have consistently called on all parties in the Middle East to do everything within their power to desist from incitement and to curb extremism. We expect all media outlets to broadcast in a responsible and objective manner. We have not made any specific assessment of the effect anti-semitic broadcasts in the Arab media on prospects for a resolution of the Arab-Israel conflict.
 
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