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29 Mar 2006 : Column 1069W—continued
Primary Care Trusts (Budgets)
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will take steps to ensure that the budgets of primary care trusts and hospitals not in deficit are not reduced in subsequent funding allocation rounds in order to free resources for those in deficit. [59653]
Jane Kennedy:
Strategic health authorities (SHAs) have the responsibility to develop and implement a service and financial strategy for managing the financial position within their locality. They will develop this with
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primary care trusts (PCTs) and national health service trusts in their area. Strategies agreed locally may include the creation of local reserves to deal with local problems. The size of the reserves and any contribution from each PCT will vary according to local circumstances, but the underlying principle will be fairness. Where local reserves are established:
we expect SHAs to maintain the integrity of the allocations system with PCTs entitled to repayment of any contributions over a reasonable period not usually exceeding the 3-year allocation cycle, unless otherwise locally agreed;
we expect SHAs to have full regard to the financial and service position of each organisation in determining how reserves are generated and applied; and
Radiographers
Mr. Kenneth Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many posts for radiographers in the NHS are unfilled. [58698]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 15 March 2006]: At March 2005 (the latest figures available) the vacancy rate lasting three months or more was 3.5 per cent. for diagnostic radiographers compared with 4.8 per cent. in 2004; and 6 per cent. for therapeutic radiographers compared with 8.8 per cent. in 2004. The number of vacancies was 356 and 98 respectively for diagnostic and therapeutic radiographers. This downward trend reflects the Government's successes in increasing both the national health service radiography workforce and also the numbers of students entering training to become radiographers.
Sexual Assault Referral Centres
Mrs. James: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress her Department is making on developing sexual assault referral centres. [56006]
Caroline Flint: The Department has been working closely with the Home Office and in October 2005 published the National Service Guidelines for developing Sexual Assault Referral Centres" (SARCs).
The joint Home Office, Department of Health, Crown Prosecution Service and the Association of Chief Police Officers national sexual violence conference took place in November 2005. The key focus and aim of the conference was to engage primary care trusts, police and voluntary sector service providers to work together to develop SARCs locally.
Since 2003, Departmental officials have sat on the Home Office SARCs applications board which plays a key role in deciding how Home Office victims fund money allocated for SARCS should be granted for applications of new and existing SARCs.
The Department has been working closely with two existing SARCs to develop and set up Project Amethyst, a SARC for children based in London.
The development of SARCs is being taken forward through the work of the joint Department of Health and National Institute of Mental Health in England victims of violence and abuse prevention programme.
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PRIME MINISTER
Capita
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the meetings his adviser on Government relations has had with (a) Capita, (b) organisations acting on behalf of Capita and (c) Mr. Rod Aldridge in the last 18 months; what the purpose of the meeting was in each case; and if he will make a statement. [61410]
The Prime Minister [holding answer 28 March 2006]: None.
Dr. Chai Patel
Mr. Willis: To ask the Prime Minister in what capacity Dr. Chai Patel has worked with the Government since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [61040]
The Prime Minister [holding answer 27 March 2006]: Information on contacts between Government and outside interest groups and individuals is not held centrally.
TREASURY
Automated Cash Machines
Jim Sheridan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met UK banks to discuss free access to ATMs. [62479]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Treasury Ministers regularly meet representatives of the UK banks to discuss a wide range of issues.
Concessionary Travel
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Budget statement, whether his announcement of free off-peak national bus travel in every area of the country for every pensioner and disabled person applies to the whole of the UK. [62104]
Mr. Des Browne: Budget 2006 announced that from April 2008 every pensioner and disabled person will have free off-peak national bus travel in England. Transport is a devolved matter and therefore such decisions in respect of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are a matter for the devolved Administrations.
Construction Industry Scheme
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of initial applications to HM Revenue and Customs for renewal of Construction Industry Scheme Certificates since 6 April 2005 have been refused; and what the proportion was in each of the three previous financial years. [61703]
John Healey:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend, East (James Duddridge) on 26 January 2006, Official Report, column 2254W.
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Inland Revenue Guidance
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether a regulatory impact assessment was completed by HM Revenue and Customs on the excluding of appendix 4 of the May 2001 version of IR40 from the July 2003 version; [61705]
(2) whether a small firms impact test was completed on the exclusion of appendix 4 of the May 2001 version of IR40 from the July 2003 reissue. [61706]
John Healey: No regulatory impact assessment was required for this, because it was a change to guidance issued by the Department, rather than a change to legislation.
Judicial Review
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many times in the last five years his Department has agreed to pay the legal costs of a claimant in judicial review proceedings brought against it; and if he will list the cases in which proceedings are complete. [57850]
John Healey: The only case within the last five years in which HM Treasury have agreed to pay all or a portion of the claimant's costs in judicial review proceedings brought against them was that of Friends of the Earth v. HM Treasury and the Department of Trade and Industry. The Treasury and DTI have agreed to pay the reasonable costs of FOE. Those proceedings are complete.
Regional Economic Trends
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he made of the proportion of gross value added assigned to the Extra-Regio in economic trends 627 of February 2006 on gas and oil industrial production for each year from 1992 to 2004. [62109]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the national statistician who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 29 March 2006:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning the proportion of gross value added assigned to the Extra-Regio in economic trends 627 (February 2006) on gas and oil industrial production for each year from 1992 to 2004. (62109)
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