| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
27 Apr 2006 : Column 1294W—continued
Hereditaments
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2006, Official Report, column 1358W, on hereditaments, for what reason the number of composite hereditaments on the Council Tax List is different from the number on the Ratings List; and what assessment he has made of the reason for the decline in the number of composite hereditaments on the Ratings List since 2001. [60185]
Yvette Cooper: No assessment has been made of the reason for the decline in the number of composite hereditaments entered in the Rating List since 2001. There is no apparent reason for this. A composite hereditament comprises both non-domestic and domestic elements. Dwellings are listed in the Valuation List but a corresponding entry may not appear in the Rating List if the non-domestic part is exempt, for instance a farm or market garden. Numbers in the two lists will not therefore be identical.
Social Policy
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what measures the Government are taking (a) to promote social inclusion and (b) to reduce social exclusion among young people; and if he will make a statement. [65938]
Mr. Woolas: The Social Exclusion Unit continues to work across government to tackle social exclusion and is undertaking more strategic work to promote social inclusion.
Work on young people is carried out in a number of departments and we are all working closely together to ensure that young people achieve good outcomes in all areas of their lives. In 2004–05 there were 700,000 fewer children living in relative poverty (after housing costs) compared to 1998–99 and educational attainment has improved at all key stages since 1997, including improvements for all of the main ethnic groups and progress in schools in disadvantaged areas.
Around 400,000 young children and families in the most disadvantaged areas are benefiting from over 500 Sure Start programmes and there are further developments—such as integrated targeted support for young people—expected from Youth Matters: Next Steps which was published by the Department for Education and Skills in March this year.
27 Apr 2006 : Column 1295W
Last year the Social Exclusion Unit published "Transitions: Young Adults with Complex Needs". The report contains new evidence and new action that will help 16 to 25-year-olds with severe or multiple problems become successful, independent adults.
HEALTH
Administration Spending
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on (a) administration and (b) management costs by each primary care trust in England in the last year for which figures are available, expressed (i) as a percentage of their total budget and (ii) as the cost per head of population in areas they cover. [34206]
Mr. Byrne: Administration and management costs as a percentage of total net operating costs and as the cost per head of population for all primary care trusts in England for 2004–05 has been placed in the Library.
Agenda for Change
Angela Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when she expects to complete the Agenda for Change review process; [66454]
(2) how many staff have been recruited to oversee the Agenda for Change review of NHS staff pay and conditions since 2003; [66455]
(3) what the costs of the administration of the Agenda for Change review of NHS staff pay and conditions exercise were in each year since its inception. [66456]
Mr. Byrne: While the Department led the formal review of the early implementer process in 2003, the ongoing review of the national roll-out of agenda for change since October 2004 is the responsibility of NHS Employers through the NHS Staff Council process. Given this position, the Department does not hold centrally information on staff employed on these issues or administrative costs.
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 2 February 2006, Official Report, column 724W, on NHS contracts, what follow-up work is being carried out on the cost of implementing agenda for change in each strategic health authority; when the results of this follow-up work will be reported to her Department; what plans she has to increase the funding envelope for agenda for change in (a) 2006–07 and (b) 2007–08; what her Department estimated the additional costs of implementing agenda for change to be for each financial year between 2004–05 and 2008–09; and whether her Department has estimated the difference between the cost of implementing agenda for change and her Department's estimates. [65061]
Mr. Byrne
[holding answer 24 April 2006]: Monitoring of the costs of agenda for change in 28 sample sites in 2005 suggested that in the first 12 months from October 2004 to September 2005 direct earnings costs exceeded those originally estimated by 0.5 per cent., of the agenda for change pay bill, or around £120 million a year in cash terms. In the same period, this data suggested that the indirect earnings costs of replacing additional hours and leave arising from
27 Apr 2006 : Column 1296W
agenda for change exceeded those originally estimated by at least £100 million a year. An exercise was subsequently carried out by strategic health authority (SHA) finance directors in late 2005 to validate these effects. This broadly confirmed the findings from the sample site monitoring in terms of the overall effect, although there were significant variations between SHAs.
The funding envelope for agenda for change is £1.4 billion in 2006–07 and £1.8 billion in 2007–08, an increase of £440 million and £830 million respectively over 2005–06. Actual costs for 2006–07, 2007–08 and 2008–09 will depend to a significant extent on experience of the operation of the new agenda for change pay progression arrangements and matters are being kept under review.
Asthma
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people aged (a) nought to six, (b) seven to 11, (c) 12 to 15, (d) 16 to 18, (e) 19 to 21 and (f) 22 to 25 years in (i) the north east, (ii) the Tees Valley and (iii) each parliamentary constituency in the north east have been diagnosed with asthma in each year since 1997. [62833]
Mr. Byrne: The Department does not collect data on the number of people diagnosed each year with asthma. However, the Health and Social Care Information Centre publishes data on the total number of people in each general practitioner (GP) practice and primary care trust (PCT) area recorded with asthma. Information relating to the County Durham and Tees Valley strategic health authority and the Northumberland, Tyne and Wear strategic health authority areas has been placed in the Library. This is also available on their website at www.ic.nhs.uk.
Bone Marrow Donors
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms are in place to facilitate international bone marrow donations. [66632]
Caroline Flint: There are three bone marrow registries in the United Kingdom. These are linked to an international register known as Bone Marrow Donors Worldwide (BMDW). BMDW is an internet-based organisation, and allows registries to quickly identify potential donors anywhere in the world.
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to increase the number of registered bone marrow donors (a) in total and (b) from under-represented ethnic groups. [65698]
Caroline Flint
[holding answer 25 April 2006]: NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for managing blood supplies in England and north Wales and for managing the British Bone Marrow Register (BBMR). It does this through its operating division—the National Blood Service (NBS). The NBS recruits blood donors from the general public and potential bone marrow donors from the active blood donor populations.
27 Apr 2006 : Column 1297W
Over the last three years, the NBS has added over 100,000 people to the BBMR. The NBS's strategy over the coming year is to maintain the BBMR at its current size and focus their recruitment activity towards under represented ethnic groups.
In 2004 the NBS commissioned the Central Office of Information (COI) to lead on a long-term strategy to attract more people from ethnic communities to give blood and join the BBMR. A campaign called "One Blood" is addressing existing barriers by
The NBS has also developed an advertising campaign "Are you my Type?" which features black and minority ethnic celebrities.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |