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20 July 2006 : Column 670W—continued
(2) what other elements in addition to those mentioned are contained in the funding formula for local health trusts; and how these are weighted within the formula in respect of their potential proportionate impact on local health trust budgets; [81962]
(3) what assessment she has made of the potential (a) financial impact and (b) proportionate overall funding impact on the average primary care trust (PCT) of (i) the demand of a rural economy, (ii) the proportion of elderly people living within the community, (iii) social and economic deprivation, (iv) the market forces factor and (v) all other elements which create variability of funding for PCTs and health trusts; [81963]
(4) what financial impact (a) the demands of a rural economy, (b) the proportion of elderly people living within the community, (c) social and economic deprivation and (d) the market forces factor have on the available budget for each of the three Cornish primary care trusts. [81997]
Andy Burnham: Funding for primary care trusts (PCTs) is informed by a weighted capitation formula which determines their target shares of available resources to enable them to commission similar levels of healthcare for populations with similar healthcare need.
Four elements are used to set PCTs’ actual allocations:
weighted capitation targets which are set according to the national weighted capitation formula which calculates PCTs’ target shares of available resources by adjusting PCT populations for age (to allow for different levels of health need in different age groups), additional need (highly correlated to social and economic deprivation) and unavoidable geographical differences in the cost of providing healthcare (the market forces factor (MFF));
recurrent baselines which represent the actual current allocation which PCTs receive. For each allocation year the recurrent baseline is the previous year’s actual allocation, plus any adjustments made within the financial year;
distance from target (DFT) which is the difference between weighted capitation targets and recurrent baselines above. If the weighted capitation targets are greater than recurrent baselines, a PCT is said to be under target. If the weighted capitation targets are smaller than recurrent baselines, a PCT is said to be over target; and
pace of change policy which determines the level of increase which all PCTs get to deliver on national and local priorities and the level of extra resources to under target PCTs to move them closer to their weighted capitation targets.
Because there are four elements to PCT allocations, it is not possible to state the financial impact of each adjustment in the formula.
There are separate components in the formula for different services: hospital and community health services (HCHS), primary medical services, prescribing and HIV/AIDS. Within each component, each adjustment for age, additional need and unavoidable costs is expressed as an index comparing the PCT score on the adjustment to the national average. These indices are listed in “2003-04 to 2005-06 Primary Care Trust Revenue Resource Limits Exposition Book” and “2006-07 and 2007-08 Primary Care Trust Initial Revenue Resource Limits Exposition Book” which are available in the Library.
The demands of a rural economy are reflected in both the additional need and unavoidable cost adjustments.
The additional need adjustment recognises that access to services is more difficult in rural areas by including measures of distance to providers in the statistical modelling. The unavoidable cost adjustment includes an adjustment for emergency ambulance services where geographical cost differences are partly accounted for by rurality.
A full explanation of the elements in the weighted capitation formula and their weights is provided in “Resource Allocation Weighted Capitation Formula Fifth Edition” which is available in the Library.
PCTs (Debt Cancellation)
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the financial arrangements were which enabled the Ellesmere West and the Ellesmere Port and Neston primary care trusts to cancel their historic debts; whether the arrangements were approved by Ministers; and if she will make a statement. [82535]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 5 July 2006]: As part of its 2006-07 financial management strategy, Cheshire and Merseyside strategic health authority (SHA) agreed to use the SHA reserve to absorb £15 million of Cheshire West primary care trust (PCT) carry-forward of overspending from previous years and £6 million of Ellesmere Port and Neston PCTs carry-forward of overspending from previous years.
SHAs are responsible for delivering overall financial balance for their local health communities, and ensuring each and every body achieves financial balance.
People Trafficking
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what training is available for social workers to help them identify and detect victims of trafficking. [87080]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: It is the responsibility of the General Social Care Council, the regulatory body for social workers, to approve the courses for pre-registration and post-qualification training in social work.
It is the responsibility of social care service providers to ensure that their employees are suitably qualified and competent to carry out their role.
Rural Health Services
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how she assesses the needs of the rural population in making funding allocations within the NHS. [85135]
Andy Burnham: Revenue allocations are made to primary care trusts (PCTs) on the basis of the relative needs of their populations. A weighted-capitation formula is used to determine each PCT’s target share of available resources. In calculating relative health needs, the formula includes an adjustment related to the age of the population, as well as an additional need adjustment that is related to the level of deprivation. In addition, the formula takes account of the difficulties of accessing services in rural areas.
The development of the weighted-capitation formula is continuously overseen by the advisory committee on resource allocation (ACRA). This is an independent
body, which has national health service management, general practitioner and academic members. The ACRA work programme post 2007-08 includes further consideration of rurality issues.
Speech and Language Therapy
Dr. Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the delivery of speech and language therapy services in County Durham. [84692]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Speech and language therapy services in Durham cover a full range of adult and children’s services.
Durham and Chester-le-Street primary care trust (PCT) provides services for North Durham, serving the populations of Durham, Chester-le-Street and also the populations of Derwentside PCT. The adult service is both acute and community-based, and the children’s service is focused in the community.
South Durham is serviced by Sedgefield PCT serving the populations of Sedgefield, Durham and Dales PCT and Darlington PCT. The Department uses a predominantly consultative model of delivery. Services may be face-to-face, within groups, telephone contact and training sessions.
Therapists (Norfolk)
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to provide therapists in Norfolk to provide psychological therapies for depression. [84861]
Andy Burnham: We consider that improvements in access to evidence-based psychological therapies should be available, and this policy was set out in our 2005 manifesto and in the “Our Health, our care, our say” White Paper. Clinical guidelines about access to psychological therapies were also commissioned by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, which concluded that these treatments should be made available to all people with mild to moderate depression or anxiety or schizophrenia.
Our “Improving Access to Psychological Therapies” (IAPT) programme forms a key part of the Government’s “Health, Work and Well-Being-Caring for Our Future” strategy, which the Department launched last October with the Department for Work and Pensions and the Health and Safety Commission. The IAPT programme will define the best way to achieve these improvements over the next five to 10 years.
We have recently set up psychological therapy demonstration sites in Doncaster and Newham, to help test the extent to which increasing access to these therapies improves well-being, reduces worklessness and the number of people claiming incapacity benefit and provides greater choices in treatment and core options for people with these conditions. The demonstration sites will help to clarify the numbers of staff, the skills set and the training requirements needed to improve access to psychological therapies. Evidence from the demonstration sites will be supplemented by a national network of smaller, local IAPT projects and 20 national primary care mental health collaborative sites.
We have provided resources for delivering mental health services, including psychological therapies, within the unified allocations made directly to primary care trusts (PCTs). It is for PCTs in partnership with strategic health authorities and other local stakeholders to decide how best to use their resources to deliver services in line with their assessment of local need.
Waiting Lists
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2006, Official Report, column 1238W, on waiting lists, whether her Department holds information on how the average waiting time in 1979 of nine months, as stated by the then Secretary of State for Health in her answer of 3 December 1996, Official Report, column 784, on NHS operations, was calculated. [85966]
Andy Burnham: The Department does not hold details of the average waiting time quoted in the reference given. Official figures on average waiting times are only available from 1988.
Wheelchairs (Waiting Times)
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was for an NHS wheelchair in (a) Eastbourne, (b) East Sussex and (c) England in 2005-06. [86407]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not held centrally.
William Kerr/Michael Haslam
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will publish the response to the recommendations of the inquiry into the conduct of William Kerr and Michael Haslam published in July 2005. [86698]
Andy Burnham: There are many similarities between the issues raised by the Kerr/Haslam inquiry and those of the Ayling and Neale inquiries and the fifth report of the Shipman inquiry. We are therefore intending to publish a joint response to all four reports. This will be issued as soon as possible after the close of the consultation on the reviews of medical regulation and non-medical regulation which we published last week and which contain important recommendations relevant to the issues raised by the four inquiries. In the meanwhile, we are progressing some of the specific recommendations from the Kerr/Haslam inquiry where these are not directly affected by the consultation.
Transport
A13 (Speed Cameras)
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many speed cameras are situated on the A13 between the A405 and the M25; and what plans there are to install new speed cameras in the next two years. [87257]
Dr. Ladyman: The Department only holds information on a road number or partnership basis rather than for specific lengths of road. More detailed information will be available from individual partnership websites, links to which can be found via our website at www.dft.gov.uk/safetycameras. The Department is not aware of any current plans for new speed cameras on the A13 in the next two years.
Road Improvements (East Sussex)
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which organisations were involved in the preparation of the draft orders for the proposed A21 upgrade. [86170]
Dr. Ladyman: The Highways Agency has consulted widely, which is normal practice, with local highway authorities, statutory bodies and stakeholders and the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA).
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to publish the draft orders for the proposed A21 upgrade; and if he will make a statement. [86171]
Dr. Ladyman: The Highways Agency will publish draft orders on behalf of the Secretary of State in accordance with the individual scheme programmes, in line with our response on 6 July to the advice from the South East region about its major scheme priorities to 2011. We have accepted the region’s advice to include the A21 Tonbridge Bypass to Pembury Dualling, the A21 Kippings Cross to Lamberhurst Bypass and the A21 Baldslow Junction Improvement within the programme of schemes that we expect to be taken forward in the South East in the next five years, subject to the completion of all the statutory procedures, funding available and compliance with the Department’s scheme appraisal requirements.
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what role the South East England Development Agency has played in preparing draft orders for the proposed A21 upgrade. [86173]
Dr. Ladyman: At this stage work has not yet started on preparing draft orders. South East England Development Agency will be consulted alongside other statutory bodies and stakeholders in due course.
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans the Highways Agency has to issue compulsory purchase orders for houses along the route of the proposed A21 upgrade. [86462]
Dr. Ladyman: The Highways Agency will publish draft compulsory purchase orders on behalf of the Secretary of State in accordance with the individual scheme requirements and programmes.
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to publish the draft orders relating to the proposed Hastings to Bexhill link road; and if he will make a statement. [86463]
Dr. Ladyman: The Bexhill to Hastings link road is being promoted by East Sussex county council, who are the local highway authority. It is, therefore for the council to determine when to publish the draft orders for the scheme.
A3 (Hindhead)
Mr. Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to publish the report of the inspector on the proposed work on the A3 at Hindhead. [86691]
Dr. Ladyman: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for South-West Surrey (Mr. Hunt) on 17 July 2006, Official Report, columns 1-2W.
Agency Staff
Ms Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what average hourly rate was paid by his Department to each employment agency for staff employed through agencies in 2005-06. [81487]
Gillian Merron: DfT(c) have a call off contract with Adecco, Brook Street and Reed, who are contracted to provide temporary agency staff when required. This contract is also used by the Department’s Executive agencies. The hourly rates for each agency are commercially sensitive information, therefore the average hourly rates incorporating the three agencies above are as follows:
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