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Care Homes

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many care homes there are in (a) the West Midlands region and (b) Coventry. [65941]

Ms Rosie Winterton: I understand from the chair of the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) that there are there are 1,953 care homes in the West Midlands region, with 44,337 registered places. In Coventry, there are 87 care homes, with 1,902 registered places.

Carlisle Primary Care Trust

Mr. Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of patients were offered a first appointment with a general practitioner within two working days in the Carlisle primary care trust area. [65751]

Mr. Byrne: Latest figures at December 2005 show that 100 per cent., of patients were offered an appointment with a general practitioner within two working days in the Carlisle primary care trust area.

"Choosing Health"

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding has been allocated to each primary care trust to implement Choosing Health. [62526]

Mr. Byrne: Data showing the allocations made to each primary care trust (PCT) in the years 2006–07 and 2007–08 to support implementation of the "Choosing Health" White Paper have been placed in the Library.

It is the PCTs' responsibility to decide how best to utilise these funds, depending on the needs of their local populations. However, the "Choosing Health" White Paper delivery plan sets out in more detail expectations of how this funding should be utilised.

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether "Choosing Health" revenue allocations to primary care trusts are ring-fenced. [61149]

Mr. Byrne: The funding included in the 2006–08 revenue allocations, to support the "Choosing Health" White Paper was not ring-fenced. However, the revenue allocations do separately identify £211 million in 2006–07 and £342 million in 2007–08, over half of the £1
 
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billion promised, to support implementation of the "Choosing Health" White Paper. This funding has been targeted to reach the most deprived areas, to allow primary care trusts (PCTs) to deliver the commitments in "Choosing Health".

It is PCTs' responsibility to decide how best to utilise these funds, depending on the needs of their local populations. The "Choosing Health" White Paper delivery plan sets out in more detail expectations of how this funding should be utilised.

ComMedica

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) why Connecting for Health has suspended its contract with ComMedica; [61685]

(2) which Minister approved the suspension of the contract with ComMedica; and if she will place in the Library the advice that Minister was acting upon; [61730]

(3) how much the suspension of the contract with ComMedica has cost since 10 January; [61731]

(4) what part of the National Programme for Information Technology ComMedica was delivering; how it was delivering that part of the programme; what alternative delivery system Connecting for Health requires; and what the bidding process will be to deliver that system; [61733]

(5) what assessment she has made of the impact of the suspension of the contract with ComMedica on the costs and the delivery of the part of the National Programme for Information Technology for which the company was responsible; [61734]

(6) what assessment she has made of the costs to date of the decision of Connecting for Health to suspend its contract with ComMedica; and what estimate she has made of the likely consequential costs in the next two financial years. [61870]

Mr. Byrne: NHS Connecting for Health has never had a contract with ComMedica.

ComMedica was selected as a sub-contractor to provide picture archiving and communications services (PACS) for the national programme for information technology's North West and West Midlands regional cluster area, under contract to the CSC consortium, in September 2004. CSC is one of four supplier organisations that have contracts as local service providers (LSPs) with NHS Connecting for Health under the national programme.

The role of the LSPs is to integrate existing local systems, and where necessary implement new systems, to ensure that the programme's national applications can be delivered locally in each of the five cluster areas. They do this largely through contracts with sub-contractor companies such as ComMedica providing, for example, hardware, software and consultancy support. NHS Connecting for Health's contractual relationship is with the LSPs.

CSC is negotiating with another company for the supply of a PACS solution in the North West and West Midlands cluster area as a result of repeated failure by ComMedica to deliver its solution to agreed deadlines. This company will deploy its PACS product within the
 
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next three months. NHS Connecting for Health has not incurred, and will not in future incur, any additional financial costs as a result of this change of provider.

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department has made of potential security risks associated with the NHS Connecting for Health computer system; and if she will make a statement. [65964]

Mr. Byrne [holding answer 25 April 2006]: Systems and services delivered through the national programme for information technology incorporate stringent security controls and safeguards to prevent unrestricted or uncontrolled access to personal information. Access is controlled via a unique user identity, involving a passcode and smartcard, which can be obtained only on verification of identity and through a formal user registration process. Only those National health service staff having a legitimate relationship with the patient will be able to see a patient's health record, and under arrangements known as role based access control, access to a patient's care record is limited to only as much information as is needed for the purpose of the care or other job role being performed in relation to the patient.

In addition, up-to-the-minute security protection has been designed in, across the system, and international security standards are applied across all system implementations. These include the use of encryption to communication links between systems, and to user interfaces with systems. The quality of both the logical and physical security of data centres is assured using both international and British standards, and all suppliers to the national programme are contractually bound to auditing their adherence to these.

Over and above these implemented safeguards, the NHS maintains an effective liaison with the United Kingdom's information security authorities and others for the sharing of relevant advice and guidance on known information security threats and vulnerabilities.
 
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Complementary Medicine

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she intends to bring forward legislation providing for the regulation of practitioners of complementary and alternative medicines and therapies. [66004]

Jane Kennedy: A working group which will actively prepare for statutory regulation of these groups is currently being set up. We have appointed a chair for a new working group and are currently seeking nominations for its members. The group will hold its first meeting in June 2006.

Contracts (Voluntary Sector)

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many contracts are let by her Department to voluntary sector organisations; how many of those are let on an annual basis; and how many of those had received finalised contracts for 2006–07 by 31 March. [63207]

Mr. Byrne: The Department does not collect the information of its contracts with voluntary sector organisations that would allow specifically for the analysis requested without incurring disproportionate costs.

Correspondence

Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will reply to the letter of 6 March 2006 from the hon. Member for Walsall, North regarding funding of residential homes. [64739]

Mr. Byrne: [holding answer 24 April 2006]: This letter was replied to on Tuesday 25 April 2006.

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