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6 Mar 2006 : Column 1207W—continued
NHS Campuses (Learning Disability)
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the decision not to include the proposal to close NHS campuses for people with a learning disability in the easy-read version of the White Paper Our Health, Our Care, Our Say". [50994]
Mr. Byrne: The easy-read version of the White Paper focuses on the issues that will be relevant to most people. It was intended to be a short summary document, which concentrates on the key themes of health and well-being; choice and putting people in control; access to services; and meeting the individual needs of people with long-term conditions.
Nurse Advisers
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurse advisers supplied by private agencies were employed by (a) general practitioner surgeries and (b) hospitals in the last period for which figures are available. [50830]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 13 February 2006]: This information is not collected centrally.
Outsourcing
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the effect on costs of the outsourcing of (a) the NHS Pensions Agency, (b) the NHS Logistics Authority, (c) the Dental Practice Board and (d) the Prescription Pricing Authority. [51856]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 16 February 2006]: A high level review on options available to the NHS Business Services Authority for achieving the arms length body (ALB) sector target savings was concluded in September 2005. This report concluded that a business model that sought to gain synergies through merging the processes of the ALBs, and taking advantage of the private sector capabilities to deliver those processes, was most likely to meet the target savings. In relation to further outsourcing of the functions of the merging ALBs the following assessments are in hand:
Within the original contract negotiated with Paymaster (1836) Limited is a provision to move at some point in the future to full outsourcing. The terms of the contract agreed with Paymaster (1836) Limited require that the NHS Pensions Agency must first allow Paymaster (1836) Limited to bid for the full outsourcing.
Paymaster (1836) Limited have been asked to prepare a bid for full outsourcing and full consideration will be given to the costs and benefits once it is received.
NHS Logistics Authority (NHSLA)
No decision has been made to outsource the NHSLA. The Department is still in the process of market testing. All costs and benefits resulting from outsourcing will be taken into account in the business case.
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A business case for expanding the Astron contract demonstrated that better value could be obtained from it compared to performing the same activity in-house. As well as financial benefits, the DPB advised that the risks associated with implementing the new dental contract would be more effectively controlled if the contract with Astron was extended.
Prescription Pricing Authority (PPA)
No further assessment has taken place on outsourcing the functions of this organisation beyond that concluded in September 2005.
Options for outsourcing the functions of the PPA are still being considered.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was of (a) the creation of the new Business Services Authority and (b) the administration of the outsourcing. [51857]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 16 February 2006]:The creation of the NHS Business Services Authority is part of a larger programme aimed at reconfiguring the Department's arms length bodies (ALBs). While some elements of the costs of creating the NHS Business Services Authority are identifiable, it is not possible to calculate the total costs as the programme costs are not allocated to individual projects.
The NHS Business Services Authority will not take on the functions of the ALBs merging into it until 1 April 2006. Therefore, it has not outsourced any activity as yet and has incurred no cost associated with administration of outsourcing.
Parliamentary Questions
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many parliamentary questions tabled in the last 12 months for answer by her on a named day (a) were transferred and (b) received a substantive answer (i) on the day named and (ii) after the day named; [49874]
(2) how many ordinary written parliamentary questions tabled for answer by her in the last 12 months have been answered (a) within 14 days, (b) between 14 and 28 days, (c) between 28 days and two months and (d) in excess of two months after the date of tabling; and if she will make a statement. [49901]
Mr. Byrne: The information for the year ending 31 January 2006 is shown in the tables.
| Named day questions | Total number of days |
|---|---|
| Transferred | 27 |
| Answered on the day named | 186 |
| Answered after the named day | 1126 |
| Ordinary written questions | Total number of days |
|---|---|
| Within 14 days | 3172 |
| 15–28 days | 2298 |
| 29–60 days | 787 |
| 29–60 days | 383 |
6 Mar 2006 : Column 1209W
Departments aim to ensure that Members receive a substantive response to their Named Day question on the named day and to endeavour to answer Ordinary Written questions within a working week of being tabled. Unfortunately, this is not always possible but this Department makes every effort to achieve these timescales.
Pathfinder Exercise
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health why contracts for sterile service supercentres have been issued before the conclusions of the Pathfinder exercise. [53198]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 27 February 2006]:No such contracts have been issued.
PET Scanners
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to increase the number of PET scanners for the diagnostic investigation of people with cancer. [55982]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The National Framework for the Development of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Services in England" published in October 2005 recommended that 46,000 scans should be made available over the next three to five years. 40,000 of these will be for the benefit of cancer patients.
Therefore, an additional £20 million capital funding has been made available over the next two years (2006–08) to support the development of this service. In addition a further 25,000 scans per year will be made available from the independent sector over the next five years to support the National Health Service.
Prescription Charges
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discretion her Department has to waive penalty charges imposed where a patient has incorrectly claimed an exemption from prescription charges. [55693]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 3 March 2006]: The NHS Counter Fraud and Security Management Service (CFSMS) have issued detailed penalty charge guidance to ensure that primary care trusts can administer penalties consistently and in accordance with the law. This guidance, which can be found on their website at www.cfsms.nhs.uk/files/Penalty%20Charge%20Guidance.pdf explains the two provisions in the penalty charge legislation, which permit responsible authorities in exceptional cases to recover just the unpaid national health service costs and waive a penalty charge.
First, A Defence under the Legislation" where the patient can show that they did not act wrongfully, or with any lack of care and secondly, an Administrative Easement" where the personal circumstances are such that issuing a penalty notice may be deemed as inappropriate. Examples of this include patients suffering from a terminal illness or who are in residential care.
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Primary Care Trusts (Poor Administration)
Mr. Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what sanctions are available to her against a primary care trust and its board members should poor administration be found by the financial and management specialist team. [47652]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 2 February 2006]: If a primary care trust (PCT) is not performing one or more of its functions adequately, or there are significant failings in the way it is being run, the Secretary of State may make an intervention order under sections 84A and 84B of the National Health Service Act 1977. She also has powers under section 17 of that Act to direct a PCT about the exercise of its functions whether as a sanction or otherwise. There are further powers under sections 97C, 97D and 99 to direct a PCT in respect of its financial functions.
The Secretary of State also has powers, in the Primary Care Trusts (Membership, Procedure and Administration Arrangements) Regulations 2000 to terminate the tenure of office of the Chair and non-executive board members of a PCT if she is of the opinion that it is not in the interests of the health service in the area for which the trust acts or it is not conducive to the good management of a trust for a person to continue to hold office.
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