| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
17 Nov 2005 : Column 1450W—continued
Local Government Finance
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his Answer of 23 May 2005, Official Report, column 35W, on local government finance, if he will publish estimates for each local authority for 2005–06. [26888]
Mr. Woolas: The requested information has been placed in the Library of the House.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much (a) his Department and (b) the Lyons review have allocated to commissioning research from outside bodies in relation to local government finance in the past five years; and what research has been commissioned by his Department's Local and Regional Government Research Unit in relation to local government finance. [26920]
Mr. Woolas: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) currently expects to have spent £2.01 million overall on 32 research projects by outside bodies in relation to local government finance across the five financial years from 2000–01 to 2005–06. Of that total £230,000 relates to research commissioned on behalf of the Lyons inquiry into local government.
These 32 projects have been commissioned through the ODPM's Local and Regional Government Research Programme. They are as follows:
Markets
Mr. Swire:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent discussions (a) he and (b) his Department have had with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the future of (i) the Red House cold store on West
17 Nov 2005 : Column 1451W
Poultry Avenue and (ii) the Fish Market and the Smithfield general market buildings on Farringdon Road, Snow Hill and West Poultry Avenue. [27858]
Jim Fitzpatrick [holding answer 11 November 2005]: Neither my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister or officials in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister have had any recent discussions with the Department for Culture Media and Sport on these matters.
Village Shops
Barbara Keeley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the impact of business rate reductions for village shops. [29229]
Mrs. Dean: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the scheme for reduced business rates for village shops. [29244]
Mr. Woolas: No detailed assessment has yet been made of the effectiveness of this scheme.
In April 1997 the Government introduced 50 per cent. rate relief for sole village general stores or post offices. In 2001 this was extended to include sole village public houses, petrol stations and village food shops. In addition the local authority can grant discretionary relief. This scheme provided almost £8 million in rate relief to over 8,000 businesses in 2003–04.
From 1 April 2005 many small businesses that do not qualify for the relief under this scheme may be eligible for the new small business rate relief.
HEALTH
Auto-immune Diseases
Mrs. Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment has been made of the effects of mycophenolate mofetil on patients with auto-immune diseases, with particular reference to (a) scleroderma and (b) systemic lupus erythematosus; [24740]
(2) what the average cost is of treatment of an auto-immune disease with (a) mycophenolate mofetil and (b) cyclophosphamide; [24741]
(3) what guidance has been issued to primary care trusts on the prescription of mycophenolate mofetil for the treatment of auto-immune disease; [24742]
(4) which hospitals in England are prescribing mycophenolate mofetil for patients with auto-immune diseases; [24743]
(5) how many patients with auto-immune diseases are being prescribed mycophenolate mofetil from a (a) hospital consultant and (b) general practitioner; [24744]
(6) how many primary care trusts have agreed to fund mycophenolate mofetil for patients with auto-immune diseases. [24745]
Jane Kennedy:
The Department has not commissioned or undertaken any research into the use of mycophenolate mofetil for patients with auto-immune diseases.
17 Nov 2005 : Column 1452W
Statistical information on the use of mycophenolate mofetil or cyclophosphamide is not collected centrally in the forms requested.
Cancelled Operations
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations were cancelled by West Hertfordshire hospital trust (a) for medical reasons and (b) because of a lack of beds at (i) St. Albans hospital, (ii) Hemel Hempstead hospital and (iii) Watford hospital in each month between January 2004 and September 2005. [26375]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information is not collected in the format requested. However, the table shows the number of cancelled operations for non-clinical reasons for West Hertfordshire hospital national health service trust, which St. Albans hospital, Hemel Hempstead hospital and Watford hospital are a part of.
(26) Data are not collected for individual hospitals.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |