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28 Jun 2006 : Column 455W—continued
Security Expenditure
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the likely impact on security expenditure if the Northern Ireland Assembly is successfully re-established and the paramilitary ceasefire remains permanent; and if he will make a statement. [78515]
Paul Goggins: The safety of the people of Northern Ireland remains the Government's paramount priority; however there is no correlation between the successful re-establishment of the Assembly and the Government's plans for security expenditure in Northern Ireland.
The latest IMC and HCD reports are encouraging. Progress remains dependent on the maintenance of an enabling environment and it is in everyone's interest that Northern Ireland continues to move forward economically, socially and politically.
Politicians elected by the people of Northern Ireland need to take key decisions, which is why we must succeed in getting the Assembly up and running as soon as possible.
Senior Smart Pass
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people aged over 65 years in Northern Ireland have a senior smart pass; and what percentage this is of the total number eligible. [78733]
David Cairns: Since 2002 188,126 senior smart passes have been issued.
There is no record of the number of passes issued to people who have subsequently died and it is therefore not possible to say how many senior smart passes are currently in circulation as a proportion of those eligible.
Sustainable Development
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 16 March 2006, Official Report, column 106-7WS, on sustainable development, whether the Planning Service in Northern Ireland plans to change the basis on which planning applications submitted before the date of that statement are assessed. [80236]
David Cairns: The Planning Service has no plans to change the basis on which planning applications submitted on or before 16 March 2006 are assessed.
Those planning applications in the system on or before 16 March 2006 will not be affected by Planning Policy Statement 14 “Sustainable Development in the Countryside” (PPS 14) unless they are still being processed when the draft policy is confirmed. At that stage PPS 14 will be have to be taken into consideration.
Victims Memorial
Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in providing a permanent memorial in Northern Ireland to victims of terrorism. [80747]
Mr. Hanson: The Government are aware of the sensitivities surrounding the issue of memorials in Northern Ireland and the lack of consensus on the issue. However, we do not feel that the time is yet right to consider establishing a permanent memorial. We appreciate that many would like to see some form of permanent memorial to those who have suffered as a result of the troubles.
Deputy Prime Minister
Private Office
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the size is of his private office in square feet. [78222]
The Deputy Prime Minister: 802 square feet.
Health
Aircraft Trails
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research her Department has (a) commissioned and (b) reviewed on the impact on health of the trails left by aircraft in the sky; and if she will make a statement. [79516]
Caroline Flint: There has been no research commissioned or reviewed on the impact on health of vapour trails left by aircraft in the sky.
Ambulance Service
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the establishment of cadet training in the ambulance service; and if she will make a statement. [80525]
Ms Rosie Winterton: [holding answer 27 June 2006]: We have no record of any discussion between the Secretary of State for Health and the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the establishment of cadet training in the ambulance service. However, cadet training does take place in different parts of the health service and cadet schemes have been introduced locally by trusts and strategic health authorities as a means of strengthening and widening access to different professions in the national health service.
Audiology Services
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultation took place with (a) charities, (b) patient groups and (c) NHS trusts prior to the decision to exclude audiology services from the Government’s 18-week waiting time target for treatment; and if she will make a statement. [80461]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: [holding answer 26 June 2006]: The Department conducted a six-week consultation exercise in autumn 2005 on the “Commissioning an 18-week patient pathway: Proposed principles and definitions: A discussion document”. This consultation exercise asked for comments on a wide range of issues, including on delivering shorter waiting times for audiology services. The Department specifically requested feedback on the document from the patients’ association, the patients’ forum, and the national health service, along with professional bodies. The Department also received feedback from Royal National Institute for the Deaf.
The majority of audiology and adult hearing services are accessed directly from primary care and are outside the scope of the 18-week pathway, which is focused on hospital pathways. Hearing and balance conditions that do need to be referred to a medical consultant will be subject to the 18-week’s target. We do not intend to reconsider this principle. However, reducing the time that patients wait for directly accessed services is important and an action plan is being developed to improve access to audiology services outside the 18-week pathway.
Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Strategic Health Authority
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will establish a departmental inquiry into the use of funds by Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Strategic Health Authority and how the planned savings expected of its constituent organisations were determined. [79653]
Caroline Flint: The role of the Department is to ensure that strategic health authorities (SHAs) comply with the operating framework guidance published on 26 January 2006. Individual SHAs are responsible for the performance management of their national health service organisations and for ensuring that they achieve financial balance.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations were carried out in each NHS surgical centre within Gloucestershire, Avon and Wiltshire strategic health authority area in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by appropriate data field; and how many were carried out on the NHS in the private sector, broken down by appropriate data field. [80016]
Caroline Flint: There are two national health service treatment centres in Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire strategic health authority (SHA); one is located in Weston and the other in Swindon. In 2005-06, the Weston area healthcare trust completed 1,621 first finished consultant episodes (FFCEs), and Marlborough NHS trust completed 4,354 FFCEs. In 2005-06, there were no independent sector treatment centres in this SHA.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her answer of 16 June 2006, Official Report, columns 1546-47W, on health care (Stroud), which primary care trusts and health trusts in the Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Strategic Health Authority area are placed in which category of turnaround arrangement; and what effect placing in each category has on their expected contribution to that strategic health authority’s re-balancing of funding. [79691]
Caroline Flint: The turnaround assessment stage resulted in KPMG rating organisations as:
immediate priority, where there is the need for urgent intervention to drive turnaround;
additional expertise/resource needed to support the turnaround;
drive or focus—maintaining a high priority of actions; and
regular challenge of management, encouraging to share what works and deliver easy wins.
Organisations in the Avon, Gloucestershire and Wilshire Strategic Health Authority (SHA) were placed in the following categories:
| Organisation/primary care trust (PCT) | Category |
The categories were produced by KPMG after discussions with the local NHS in December 2005 and February 2006. They assist local management in prioritising turnaround work and do not lead to a specific contribution to the SHA’s financial plan.
Mr. Drew:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will take steps to ensure that NHS trusts and primary care trusts in the Avon, Gloucestershire and
Wiltshire strategic health authority area which do not have deficits are not required to contribute financially to rectifying the deficits of other such trusts in the area. [80015]
Caroline Flint: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 8 June 2006, Official Report, column 835W.
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate she has made of the volume of carbon dioxide emitted by NHS organisations in each year since 1997; [79037]
(2) what estimate she has made of the total cost to the NHS of purchasing energy in each year since 1997. [79046]
Caroline Flint: Record investment in new facilities and capacity to reduce waiting times is reflected in the size of the national health service estate increasing by 14 per cent. in the past five years. Carbon and CO2 emissions, relative to the size of the estate, have fallen by an average of 0.5 per cent. per year over the same period, demonstrating greater energy efficiency and the use of cleaner fuels. Future shifts towards more local energy efficient healthcare facilities, in line with the recent White Paper “Our health, our care, our say”, will ensure that this trend is continued.
Energy costs are principally influenced by changes in utility supplier prices and the quantum of energy consumption. Carbon emissions are mainly influenced by the amount and type of energy used. The information requested is shown in the table.
| Energy cost (£ million) | Carbon dioxide emissions (million tonnes) | |
Cost-benefit Analysis
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the recent White Paper, what cost-benefit analysis her Department has undertaken of the proposal to move the six clinical areas into the community. [79656]
Andy Burnham:
A project is under way to look at how care can be made more convenient for patients in the six speciality areas referred to in chapter six of the White Paper “Our health, our care, our say: a future direction for community services”. An evaluation of demonstration sites showing how care can be made convenient for patients has been commissioned from the national primary care research and development
centre at the university of Manchester and the intention is to publish the results in the summer of 2007.
Healthcare Facility (Oldchurch Park, Romford)
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) who will be liable for building maintenance and site costs at the new healthcare facility being built at Oldchurch Park, Romford; [79626]
(2) what steps are being taken to limit the environmental impact of the construction of the new Oldchurch Hospital in Romford. [79641]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: North East London strategic health authority (SHA) has advised departmental officials that Sodexho will be responsible for the day-to-day maintenance of the building. Long-term maintenance of the building will be undertaken by a combination of Sodexho and Catalyst. All maintenance and replacement costs of medical equipment will be covered by Siemens. The SHA advises that there will be no maintenance costs from national health service funds.
North East London SHA has advised departmental officials of the following steps that are being taken to limit the environmental impact of the construction of the new Oldchurch Hospital.
The trust reports that it has provided 1,351 spaces, the maximum the planning authority and the Mayor of London would allow. This was an increase of roughly 250 spaces more than had been allowed under the outline consent. Parking for bicycles is also provided in a number of locations.
The new hospital incorporates a new bus station with standing for seven buses. At the onset, Transport for London will operate between two and four services through the new hospital site.
The new hospital will be accessed from Rom Valley Way via an enhanced traffic light controlled junction, together with a new roundabout, pedestrian pavements and road crossing facilities. The Oldchurch Road has been widened and a traffic control junction provided at Oldchurch Rise. Use of Oldchurch Rise entrance on to the site will be restricted to ambulances and public transport.
Impact on the surrounding area
The trust reports that it is contributing funds under the Section 106 agreement for the London borough of Havering to implement parking restrictions in adjoining roads. This is in addition to contributions towards replacement leisure facilities, public footpaths and cycleway. A children’s play area and kickabout pitch for local children was built and handed over before construction commenced.
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