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Primary Care Trusts (Mergers)

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received from (a) NHS organisations and (b) other interested bodies on the merits of merging primary care trusts. [216147]

Mr. Hutton: The Department is in ongoing discussions with the national health service on primary care trust development and system reform.

Professor Roy Meadow

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what speaking engagements have been undertaken by Professor Roy Meadow to NHS employees since December 2003. [210220]

Mr. Hutton: The Department keeps no records of the speaking engagements of doctors or other health professionals or whether these are attended by national health service staff.

Radiographers

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the implementation by (a) NHS trusts and (b) NHS foundation trusts of the terms and conditions of Agenda for Change with respect to radiographers. [220466]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 8 March 2005]: The implementation of Agenda for Change in individual national health service trusts, including NHS foundation trusts, is a matter for the employer in partnership with staff locally.

However, we have asked NHS employers to monitor average hourly rates of pay for radiographers and others currently working standard hours of less than 37½ per week and to alert the NHS Staff Council in good time if at any point it appears that, when the hours are finally standardised at 37½ per week, they might fall below pre-Agenda for Change rates.

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to ensure that all radiographers receive protection of working hours under the Agenda for Change proposals. [220578]

Mr. Hutton: Under the Agenda for Change terms and conditions of service, existing radiographers will migrate gradually over a period of seven years to the new standard working hours of 37.5 per week. These protection arrangements will continue to apply where staff move to a post with the same hours under the old pay system during the protection period. Newly appointed or promoted staff should be appointed or promoted on the new terms, except where they are recruited after 1 October 2004 on pre-Agenda for Change terms and conditions pending assimilation of their posts to the new pay system.
 
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Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received regarding NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts failing to honour the terms and conditions of Agenda for Change with respect to radiographers. [220608]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 8 March 2005]: The Society of Radiographers has written to me on this subject.

Vitamin D

Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many and what proportion of eligible mothers and babies obtained free vitamins containing vitamin D on the NHS in the last year for which figures are available; [217270]

(2) what steps his Department has taken to promote the use of NHS-recommended vitamins containing vitamin D to mothers; and how much the Department spent on such promotion in each of the last 10 years. [217272]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The information is not available in the form requested.

Vitamin supplements are available free under the welfare food scheme for pregnant women and children under the age of five in families in receipt of income support, job seekers allowance and child tax credit (below a certain level).

Government advice on vitamins is set out in booklets "Pregnancy" and "Birth to Five", which are given to all mothers during pregnancy and soon after birth. Information on spending specifically on promotion of national health service-recommended vitamins containing vitamin D in the last 10 years is not available.

Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of mothers bought NHS-recommended vitamins containing vitamin D in the last year for which figures are available. [217271]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested is not collected centrally.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Gypsy Encampments

9. Mr. Gray: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent discussions he has had with the Prime Minister about illegal Gypsy encampments. [221856]

The Deputy Prime Minister: I meet with my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister regularly to discuss a range of issues.

This has included discussions on matters concerning Gypsy encampments.

Small Businesses

10. Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to introduce rate relief for small businesses. [221857]

 
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Mr. Raynsford: From 1 April 2005 over 400,000 small businesses will be eligible to receive small business rate relief. This will be a significant benefit to many small businesses for whom business rates can represent a disproportionate burden. Under the new relief scheme, those businesses occupying single main premises with a rateable value below £10,000 are likely to qualify for some reduction in their rates bill, rising to a 50 per cent. rebate for those with rateable values below £5,000. All those small businesses which believe they may qualify should be encouraged to apply for this relief and we have made provision for this by informing all rate payers of the relief in their rates bill.

Social Housing

11. Mr. Soley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on increasing mobility in the social rented sector. [221858]

Keith Hill: The Government are committed to increasing the mobility of people in the social rented sector. As part of this commitment let a contract (in February 2004), to develop a service that will bring together, for the first time, social housing and employment opportunities across the UK. This service was unveiled in the Deputy Prime Minister's five-year plan 'Sustainable Communities—Homes for All' and is known as 'moveUK'. We expect the service to commence later this year.

Land

12. Mr. Edwards: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the use of article 4 directives with respect to the sub-division and sale of agricultural land and woodland. [221859]

Keith Hill: The Government recognise that directions made under article 4 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 could play a greater role in bringing under full planning control much unsightly minor development associated with the sale of subdivided rural land. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister expects in the next few months to put forward for consultation two amendments to the order. These measures would make it easier for local planning authorities to serve article 4 directions promptly on farm or forest plots where owners cannot readily be traced, and without the need to obtain in advance the approval of the First Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister.

Regeneration

13. Jim Dobbin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the role of his Department is in furthering economic regeneration. [221860]

Yvette Cooper: In 2005–06 the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will spend £3.2 billion on regeneration programmes, including about £1.5 billion directed through the regional development agencies. In addition,
 
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the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister works with other Departments and stakeholders to further regeneration through its work to deliver PSA 1 (Neighbourhood Renewal), PSA 2 (Regional Economic Performance and PSA 5 (Sustainable Communities).

14. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what methods he uses to assess the impact of Government policies on regeneration. [221861]

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister publishes guidance on appraising regeneration projects in "Assessing the Impacts of Spatial Interventions—Regeneration, Renewal and Regional Development—'The 3Rs guidance'". This follows the principles set out in the Treasury Green Book on investment appraisal.

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