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Freedom of Information Act

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what total sum has been received by her Department for the provision of information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in its first year of operation. [48468]

Mr. Byrne: The Department has not received any money for provision of information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, either in the form of fees where the cost of processing a request would have exceeded the appropriate limit or in payment for disbursements.

The Freedom of Information Act allows for public authorities to determine when the cost of processing a request will exceed the appropriate limit, which for central Government are set at £600 and for the wider public sector £450. In this instance the public authority may decide to either approach the applicant to help them refine their request and where possible to bring it under the appropriate limit. Alternatively, public authorities may charge the applicant the cost of processing the request. There is, however, no obligation for Departments to provide information if the cost of processing the request exceeds the appropriate limit.
 
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Public authorities may also charge for disbursements when handling requests where it is deemed appropriate. Further information on the FOI fees regime can be found on the Department for Constitutional Affairs' website at www.foi.gov.uk/feesguide.htm.

Health Service Finance

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many acute trusts which are in deficit have an operational private finance initiative (PFI) scheme; and in how many such trusts the annual PFI charge is more than a quarter of the deficit. [50836]

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member for Great Grimsby to the reply I gave on 3 November 2005, Official Report, column 1347W. All nine national health service trusts reported as having an operational private finance initiative (PFI) scheme have annual unitary charges that are more than a quarter of the deficit.

Unitary payments on a PFI scheme—paid for from a trust's general revenue allocations—include elements for hard and soft facilities management services, financing costs as well as ensuring the availability of the facility.

Health White Paper

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she plans to initiate the review of personal medical services funding described in paragraph 3.31, of the White Paper, Our Health, Our Care, Our Say"; in which financial year she expects the findings of the review to be implemented; and if she will make a statement. [49519]

Mr. Byrne: We plan to commence initial work on the review in the spring. Findings of the review, including any proposals for implementation, are due to be completed by early 2007.

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she plans to publish the review of General Medical Services funding described in paragraph 3.30, of the White Paper, Our Health, Our Care, Our Say"; who is conducting the review; and if she will make a statement. [49520]

Mr. Byrne: The group undertaking this review is chaired by NHS Employers and includes membership drawn from each of the four United Kingdom health departments, the general practitioner committee of the British Medical Association, the national health service as well as commissioned academic and technical support.

It is anticipated that the group will report on its findings and recommendations during 2006–07.

Hip Replacements

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her opinion piece in The Independent on 19 January, what the evidential basis is for her statement that hip replacements are 20 percent. lower among lower social groups despite a 30 percent. higher need. [45478]

 
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Mr. Byrne: The evidential basis was from a study published in the British Journal of General Practice, 1995 Mar;45(392); 127–31. From the surgery to the surgeon: does deprivation influence consultation and operation rates?"

Hospital Beds (Coventry)

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds were available in (a) general and (b) acute wards in each hospital in Coventry South on the latest date for which figures are available. [44554]

Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 24 January 2006]: The information requested is shown in the table.
University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire National Health Service Trust

	Average daily number of available general and acute beds, 2004–05
Acute	1,205
General	—

Notes:
1. General beds are defined as geriatric beds.
2. The Department does not collect data at hospital level. The data shown is on a provider rather than commissioner basis.
Source:
Department of Health form KH03

Hospital Trusts (South-east London)

Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations she has received on the funding of hospital trusts in South East London. [48900]

Jane Kennedy: There have been three parliamentary questions asked by Members of Parliament. There has been one letter from a Member of Parliament and there has been one meeting with a group of Members of Parliament from Lewisham.

Hospitals (Coventry)

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many meetings have taken place in the last 12 months between the Coventry strategic health authority and (a) chief executives of trusts and (b) non-executive directors of trusts to discuss possible changes to hospital services in Coventry; and what the date was of each meeting. [44556]

Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 24 January 2006]: The information requested is not held centrally. It can be obtained direct from the West Midlands South strategic health authority.

Independent Sector Elective Treatment

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health why locally procured independent sector elective treatment is not separately identified in the annual financial returns of NHS (a) trusts, (b) primary care trusts and (c) health authorities. [46087]

Jane Kennedy [holding answer 30 January 2006]: As a result of changes to the collection of data from the national health service to reduce bureaucracy we no longer collect such data.
 
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Jewish Festivals

David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her Department did to (a) celebrate Hanukkah and (b) mark Yom Kippur in 2005. [46759]

Mr. Byrne: The Department did not hold specific events in 2005 to celebrate either of these festivals.

Kettering General Hospital Trust

Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent discussions she has had with Kettering general hospital trust about its capacity to meet the six-month maximum waiting time for in-patient treatment; [49653]

(2) if she will allocate dedicated funds to Kettering general hospital trust to ensure it meets the six-month maximum waiting time for in-patient treatment. [49654]

Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 7 February 2006]: There have been no recent discussions between the ministerial team at the Department and the Kettering general hospital national health service trust about this issue.

Funds are not allocated directly to NHS trusts. Funds are allocated directly to primary care trusts (PCTs) who are responsible for commissioning services to meet the needs of their respective communities. £267.3 million was allocated to the Northamptonshire Heartlands PCT in 2005–06, a cash increase of 9.5 per cent. on the previous year.

At the end of December 2005, there were no patients waiting for six months for in-patient treatment at the Kettering general hospital NHS trust.

Late Payment

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice she has issued to hospital trusts and primary care trusts about late payment of bills. [48083]

Mr. Byrne: Over a number of years, The Department have issued guidance to the national health service that emphasises the importance placed on prompt payment of bills, and the need to comply with the Confederation of British Industry's better payment practice code.

All NHS trusts, primary care trusts and strategic health authorities are required to meet a better payment practice code target of paying 95 per cent. of bills within contract terms or 30 days where no terms were agreed.

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