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14 Mar 2005 : Column 137W—continued
Surplus Assets Sales
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department sold any surplus stockon the eBay auction website, in each year since 2000–01. [220940]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department has not disposed of any surplus stocks on the eBay auction website.
Targets
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Healthwhat recent assessment he has made of whether the Public Service Agreement target to reduce the under-18 conception rate by 50 per cent. by 2010 will be met. [219238]
Miss Melanie Johnson: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families (Margaret Hodge) on Tuesday 8 March, Official Report, column 1785W.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether the Public Service Agreement target to improve value for money in the NHS and personal social services by at least 2 per cent. per annum was met in 2004; [219243]
(2) whether the Public Service Agreement target to improve both cost efficiency and service effectiveness in the NHS and personal social services by 1 per cent. per annum was met in 2004. [219244]
Mr. Hutton: Progress against value for money targets will be reported in the Department's annual report.
Trust Mergers
Mr. Hoban:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list mergers of (a) NHS acute trusts and (b) primary care trusts which have (i) been proposed and (ii) taken place; [221168]
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(2) what safeguards are in place to maintain the objectivity of merged acute trusts and primary care trusts when commissioning care from other acute trusts; [221169]
(3) what assessment he has made of the benefits of merging acute and primary care trusts. [221170]
Mr. Hutton: No acute trusts and primary care trusts have merged and the Department is unaware of any formal proposals to merge. Given this situation, the Department has not introduced safeguards to maintain objectivity and there has also been no formal assessment made of the benefits of merging acute and primary care trusts.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans there are to merge (a) acute hospital trusts and (b) primary care trusts in Hampshire. [221171]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department is not aware of any plans to merge acute trusts or primary care trusts in Hampshire.
Variant CJD
Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2005, Official Report, column 1697W, on variant CJD, what monitoring is being undertaken by the Medical Research Council of the effectiveness of pentosan polysulphate in the treatment of variant CJD; and for what reasons pentosan polysulphate has not been included in the Prian-1 trial. [218014]
Miss Melanie Johnson: In September 2001, the Department asked the Medical Research Council (MRC) to design a clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of quinacrine as a potential treatment for variant Creutzfeld Jacob disease (vCJD). Pentosan polysulphate was not included in the trial protocol because expert advice from the Committee on Safety of Medicines and the CJD therapy advisory group in 2002 and again in 2003, did not support its use as a possible treatment for CJD on grounds of safety and efficacy. Both these expert committees will continue to review new data on pentosan polysulphate.
At the request of the Department in December 2003, the MRC agreed to offer patients receiving pentosan polysulphate treatment the opportunity to participate in standardised clinical monitoring. It is for the MRC to decide, in consultation with the families concerned and their clinicians, what would be the most appropriate information to collect, and how it should be collected.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Affordable Housing
Martin Linton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many affordable homes have been built in (a) London, (b) Wandsworth and (c) Battersea through the (i) Housing Corporation and (ii) Government-funded schemes since 2000. [218527]
Keith Hill:
The total annual number of affordable homes provided since 2000–01 through the Housing Corporation's Approved Development Programme
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(ADP) and Local Authority Social Housing Grant (LASHG) for London and Wandsworth are shown in the following table.
| 2000–01 | 2001–02 | 2002–03 | 2003–04 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | ||||
| ADP | 5395 | 6289 | 5501 | 7073 |
| LASHG | 1450 | 1255 | 1061 | 755 |
| Wandsworth | ||||
| ADP | 94 | 130 | 116 | 108 |
| LASHG | 11 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
Source:
Housing Corporation. Figures include units provided for sale or rent. Also ADP homebuy from 2001–02. Figures exclude the Starter Homes Initiative.
LASHG was abolished from 1 April 2003. Figures for 2003–04 are those completed through transitional LASHG arrangements for debt free and with debt authorities.
All figures include acquisitions and refurbishments as well as new build. Figures are not available for Battersea.
Council Tax
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent representations he has received in relation to changes in council tax banding. [219857]
Mr. Raynsford: Records held by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister do not differentiate representations which relate to council tax banding from those which relate to other council tax matters. A precise figure could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the forecast for council tax receipts in each London borough are for 2004–05. [220175]
Mr. Raynsford: The available information is tabled as follows. These are the amounts of council tax budgeted to be received by London boroughs (including the City) for 2004–05, including amounts collected on behalf of the Greater London Authority, and amounts funded from council tax benefit.
These figures do not include forecasts for the amounts to be received during 2004–05 relating to years before 2004–05, nor for prepayments of 2005–06 council taxes.
Note:
Figures shown include amounts funded from council tax benefit.
Source:
BR1 returns to ODPM
14 Mar 2005 : Column 140W
John McDonnell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will remove or reduce the requirement on residential boat owners to pay the full amount of council tax. [221560]
Mr. Raynsford: No. A mooring occupied by a boat which is somebody's sole or main residence is deemed to be a dwelling" for council tax purposes and will therefore attract a council tax liability in the same way as other domestic types of property. The amount of council tax payable in respect of a mooring occupied by a boat will depend primarily on the valuation band to which the dwelling is assigned. The normal exemptions and discounts, for example for single occupancy, apply and council tax benefit is available for people on low incomes.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions his Department has held with the Scottish Executive on council tax revaluation in Scotland. [220908]
Mr. Raynsford: Discussions about council tax revaluation between the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Scottish Executive have taken place from time-to-time as part of our liaison about local government finance issues of mutual interest.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions his Department has had with the National Assembly for Wales Government on council tax revaluation in Wales. [220909]
Mr. Raynsford:
Discussions about council tax revaluation between the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Welsh Assembly Government have taken place from time-to-time as part of our liaison about local government finance issues of mutual interest.
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