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9 Jan 2006 : Column 121W—continued
Departmental Estate
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was paid by her Department in rates to each local authority in 2004–05; and how much was paid in (a) each region and (b) London in that year. [35987]
Jane Kennedy: The Department and its executive agencies during 2004–05 paid £5,571,969.
Rates of £5,571,969 was paid in England. No properties are occupied in any other nation of the United Kingdom.
This comprises regional totals of:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| North West | 123,000 |
| North East | 11,240 |
| West Midlands | 0 |
| East Midlands | 4,881 |
| Eastern | 9,000 |
| South West | 38,055 |
| South East | 102,608 |
| Yorkshire and Humberside | 1,079,192 |
Rates of £4,203,993 were paid for the Department's London properties.
Disability
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether a Minister in her Department is planned to be nominated to take responsibility for liaison with the Office for Disability Issues; and if she will make a statement. [37077]
Mr. Byrne:
Anne McGuire, the Minister with responsibility for disabled people, has overall responsibility for the Office for Disability Issues (ODI). The Minister for disabled people chairs a cross-government steering group which includes ministerial representatives from the Department of Health, Department for Education and Skills, Office of the
9 Jan 2006 : Column 122W
Deputy Prime Minister, Department for Transport, and Department of Trade and Industry. I am the Minister in this Department nominated to take responsibility for liaison with the ODI.
Launched on 1 December 2005, the Office for Disability Issues is a cross-government unit which supports and reports to the Minister for disabled people who has lead responsibility, in collaboration with colleagues across government, for driving forward the Government's 20-year strategy to improve outcomes for disabled people.
Drug Treatment
Mr. Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what support is given to drug rehabilitation projects which pursue an abstinence approach to drug treatment; and if she will list the projects which have received public funding in 2005–06. [32017]
Caroline Flint: The pooled treatment budget is the Government funding made available for drug treatment and totalled £299.4 million in 2005–06. These allocations are distributed to primary care trusts, who work with local drug action teams to commission treatment services to best meet the needs of the local community. This should provide an appropriate mix of harm minimisation treatment as well as treatment which favours abstinence. We do not hold lists of treatment services centrally.
East Lancashire NHS Trust
Kitty Ussher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the financial situation of the East Lancashire Hospital Trust; and what steps her Department has taken to alleviate that situation. [30455]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 29 November 2005]: The latest financial year for which audited financial information for all national health service organisations is available is 2004–05. The audited 2004–05 year-end financial position for the East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust shows a deficit of £4 million. As at month six the 2005–06 financial year, the trust is forecasting to break even as at 31 March 2005.
It is the responsibility of strategic health authorities to deliver both financial balance for their local health communities and to ensure that each and every organisation achieves financial balance. There is, however, a degree of flexibility with regard to the way this is managed at a local level.
Eggs
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she has taken in the last six months to ensure that eggs imported into the UK meet the same food safety standards as eggs produced in the UK; and if she will make a statement. [38550]
9 Jan 2006 : Column 123W
Caroline Flint [holding answer 20 December 2005]: Eggs sold within the European Union (EU) must meet standards laid down in community legislation. From 1 January 2006, these standards will be incorporated into the consolidated Food Hygiene Regulations.
The Food Standards Agency has also advised me that they have commissioned two surveys, the first of which started in April 2005, looking into the Salmonella prevalence in eggs produced outside the United Kingdom. The surveys are looking both at eggs sold at retail and at those used by the catering industry. Further information on the surveys can be found on their website:
All member states are now required to establish plans for controlling Salmonella in laying flocks. Under provisions of the EU zoonoses directive, surveys of laying flocks are currently being undertaken throughout the EU. These will form the basis for targets for reducing the incidence of Salmonella in laying flocks.
Emergency Dental Treatments
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her answer of 24 October 2005, Official Report, column 174W, on emergency dental treatment, how many finished admission episodes there were for emergency dental procedures in (a) 1997–98 and (b) 1998–99. [35275]
Ms. Rosie Winterton: The information requested is shown in the table.
| Finished admission episodes | |
|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 4,043 |
| 1998–99 | 4,319 |
Notes:
A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.
9 Jan 2006 : Column 124W
Foundation Trusts
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she plans to permit primary care trusts to take powers along the lines of those vested in NHS foundation trusts. [36426]
Gershon Review
Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who in the Department has been made responsible for achieving the efficiency objectives set for the Department by the Gershon review. [21308]
Mr. Byrne: The Secretary of State is responsible for the overall delivery of the health efficiency programme.
General Practitioners' Pay
Mr. Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost of general practitioners' pay was in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000, (e) 2001, (f) 2002, (g) 2003 and (h) 2004. [24481]
Mr. Byrne: The information requested is shown in the table.
Sources:
1.Up to 2001–02 data are from the 95 England Health Authorities. For 2001–02, PCTs were introduced but were only reporting on GMS discretionary expenditure.
2.2002–03 spend is based on combined 28 SHA Qtr 1–2 and Qtr 3–4 303 PCT spend. Owing to PCTs not having non-discretionary banking rights until September 2003. 2003–04 spend is based on 304 audited PCT returns.
3.PMS Pilots funding covers wave 1–5B funding
4.PMS spend includes both local transfers from the Unified budget discretionary amounts and GMS non-discretionary transfers.
5.Discretionary and non-discretionary GMS figures reflect the growth over the period in GP and practice staff numbers, and the rise in pay and expenses.
6.Note that all figures up to 2001–02 are based on cash only spend. Due to changes in accounting regulations figures for 2002–03 and 2003–04 are resource based.
Mr. Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the projected cost of general practitioners' pay in (a) 2005, (b) 2006, (c) 2007, (d) 2008, (e) 2009 and (f) 2010. [24482]
Mr. Byrne: Estimates of general practitioners' pay for the period 2005 and beyond cannot yet be made and will depend on expenditure incurred by primary care trusts during those financial years.
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