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NHS Trusts

Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2005, Official Report, column 1469W on hospitals, in which year of the rolling breakeven period each of the NHS trusts listed was at the end of 2003–04; which of the NHS
 
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trusts were given an exception to have a five year rolling breakeven period; and what the 2003–04 turnover for each NHS trust was. [223577]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 24 March 2005] The information requested will be placed in Library shortly.

Exceptionally, strategic health authorities (SHAs) have the authority to extend the period of breakeven recovery from three years to either a four or five year period. Such extension requires the express agreement of the relevant SHA in the knowledge of the national health service trust's particular circumstances. Exceptional circumstances may arise where the four/five year period is consistent with the terms of, and targets included in, a financial recovery plan approved by the relevant SHA, or there are other exceptional circumstances, defined and approved in writing by the relevant SHA.

Nurses

Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total expenditure in the NHS in England sourced (a) from NHS banks, (b) from nursing agencies and (c) by NHS professionals was in each financial year since 1997–98 on temporary qualified nursing staff. [224843]

Mr. Hutton: The Department does not collect information from trusts according to the categories identified. Information is collected from trusts on their total spend on non-national health service nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff. For figures since 1997–98, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Mr. Burstow) on 16 December 2004, Official Report, column 1329W. The figure provided for 2003–04 has now been audited and is correct.

Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the expenditure by West Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service NHS Trust was in each of the financial years since 2001–02 on employing (a) qualified nursing staff and (b) qualified temporary nursing staff. [224844]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The table shows expenditure by the West Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust (WYMAS) on NHS qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff and non NHS nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff, for the years 2001–02 to 2003–04.
(£)

	Qualified NHS nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff	Non-NHS nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff
2001–02	13,599,638	12,460,320
2002–03	22,972,181	38,150,587
2003–04	26,596,911	21,660,434

Notes:
1.The Department collects expenditure information on NHS and non-NHS staff by NHS trusts. Non-NHS staff expenditure figures include all agency staff and any other staff not directly employed by the trusts.
2.WYMAS was a lead organisation for NHS Professionals. The non-NHS figures shown in the table relate to expenditure on NHS professionals. These figures have not been used in previous parliamentary responses (to avoid double counting) due to the fact that other NHS trusts included the expenditure in their financial returns when reporting NHS professionals that they employed via WYMAS.
Source:
Annual financial returns of NHS trusts.





 
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Occupational Code Definitions

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the definitions of NHS occupational codes found under the NHS work force statistics for (a) all non-clinical jobs, (b) all clinical jobs, (c) managers and (d) senior managers are the same in 2003–04 as in each year since 1997–98. [223044]

Mr. Hutton: Since 1997, the national health service has undergone a radical reorganisation aimed at ensuring services are managed closer to patients, in particular through Shifting the Balance of Power and the creation of primary care trusts. In addition, the NHS has introduced a range of new clinical and non-clinical roles aimed at better meeting patients needs and the skills of staff. These include, for example, nurse consultants, and will in future include community matrons.

The occupation codes used in NHS work force statistics have been amended to reflect these changes. All such changes are includes in the occupation codes manuals and Data Set Change Notices, which are available at: www.nhsia.nhs.uk/dscn/pages/default.asp.

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the NHS occupational codes and their definitions for all (a) non-clinical and (b) clinical jobs, broken down by (i) strategic health authority and (ii)NHS hospital trust in (A) 2003–04 and (B)2002–03. [223045]

Mr. Hutton: The information requested will be placed in the Library shortly.

Out-of-hours Services (Northumberland)

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he received a copy of the Review of Out-of-Hours Services in Northumberland, undertaken by Northumberland Care Trust and Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust; what further reviews of out-of-hours services are being undertaken; and if he will make a statement on the operation of the out-of-hours service under the new general medical services contract. [224311]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The review of urgent care services across Northumberland was carried out by Northumberland Care Trust and Northumbria Healthcare National Health Service Trust. The outcome was shared with Northumberland, Tyne and Wear strategic health authority (SHA), which will continue to work with the local NHS to ensure that the action plan is fully implemented. The findings of the review have already been discussed publicly at the board meetings of Northumberland Care Trust and Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust. They have also been shared with the overview and scrutiny committee in Northumberland and with the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed (Mr Beith).
 
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In addition, the Northumberland, Tyne and Wear SHA is also carrying out a formal assessment of adherence to the new out-of-hours quality requirements across the region. That process is still ongoing.

The Department is not currently undertaking any reviews of out-of-hours services. It would also not be appropriate for the Department to be involved with a review such as the one undertaken by Northumberland Care Trust and Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust. Responsibility for local health services lies with the local NHS.

The new general medical services contract supports the development of an integrated system of high-quality out-of-hours care. It provides primary care trusts with an opportunity to address service fragmentation and introduce an integrated network of urgent care provision—bringing together primary, secondary and social care, to offer patients an integrated, responsive and locally appropriate service—delivered to nationally set quality requirements—which addresses all their urgent care needs.

Overseas Nurses

Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to propose (a) bilateral agreements and (b) memoranda of understanding with countries other than India, Spain, Philippines and Indonesia on recruitment of nurses. [224841]

Mr. Hutton: We have no plans to propose further bilateral agreements and memorandum of understanding but are happy to discuss other countries' proposals.

Passive Smoking

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to inform the public of the effects of inhaling secondhand tobacco smoke; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of these steps. [224288]

Miss Melanie Johnson: We are continuing to act to inform and educate the public about the harmful effects of exposure to secondhand smoke. The hard-hitting television campaign depicting the dangers of smoking around babies and children has received advertising industry awards for effectiveness.

Details of the effectiveness of Government campaigns on the dangers of smoking are in the British Market Research Bureau tobacco education tracking study. A report of this evidence is to be published every six months on the Department's website.

PFI Projects

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total value is of private finance initiative projects granted approval by his Department since 1997. [223571]

Mr. Hutton: The total value for the private finance initiative projects given the go-ahead since 1997 is £17.3 billion. This is made of 78 major capital schemes approved since May 1997 with capital values ranging from £22 million to £1.2 billion, totalling £16.2 billion, and 44 non-prioritised schemes.
 
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