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19 Oct 2006 : Column 1427W—continued
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions asking how much has been spent on the Improving Migration and Population Statistics programme each year since the 2001 Census, broken down by main budget headings and what expenditure was on the Office for National Statistics’ Task Group to investigate migration using central sources, broken down by main budget headings. (94222, 94223)
The Improving Migration and Population Statistics (IMPS) project was established during 2004 to research improvements to the statistics to avoid, for the 2011 Census, the problems that occurred when there was a large difference between the 2001 Census figures and the rolled-forward mid-year population estimates.
The amount spent is shown in the table below, for each financial year since the project was set up according to the following key strands of work:
IMPS research—including research into improvements to internal migration statistics and collaborative work with Local Authorities to investigate the potential for making greater use of administrative data sources to improve local estimates
Migration—including work to take forward the recommendations of the National Statistics Quality Review (NSQR) of international migration statistics and the recent Task Force
Population definition issues
Figures for 2006/7 relate to the projected budget for the current financial year, rather than the amount spent to date.
| £000 | |||
| 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 (planned) | |
The Inter-departmental Task Force on Migration Statistics was established by ONS in May 2006. The cost to ONS of supporting the Task Force was approximately £110,000. This was met from the Improving Migration and Population Statistics budget.
In addition to support costs, there were six meetings of the Task Force at which officials from across government were present. The total cost of these meetings to government departments was approximately £20,000.
Individual Savings Accounts
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made with the review of individual savings accounts; and when he expects the review to be concluded. [95210]
Ed Balls: Officials have held discussions with a wide range of stakeholders, including ISA providers and their representative bodies.
The Government are considering the representations made.
Local Authority Efficiency Targets
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to set more stringent efficiency targets for local authorities. [94676]
Mr. Timms: In July 2006 the Government published “Releasing the resources to meet the challenges ahead: value for money in the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review” (Cm 6889). This set out the Government's programme for efficiency, transforming service delivery, pay and work force planning, zero-based reviews of baseline expenditure and improved asset management across the whole of government for the CSR07 period. It is intended that the value for money programme for local government in CSR07 will build on the value for money programme under way in the current spending review period, and secure greater cashable efficiencies to meet new priorities.
Professor Tim Besley
Mr. Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what involvement the Economic Secretary to the Treasury had in the appointment process of Professor Tim Besley to the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England. [95304]
Ed Balls: Section 13 (4) of the Bank of England Act 1998 states that members of the Monetary Policy Committee shall be appointed by the Chancellor only if he is satisfied that the person has knowledge or experience which is likely to be relevant to the Committee’s functions.
Special Advisers
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 24 July 2006, Official Report, column 90WS, on special advisers, to which individuals in his Department the four pay bands relate. [95101]
John Healey: It would not be appropriate to disclose personal and confidential information relating to the pay of any member of staff.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of his Department’s civil servants work full-time to support departmental special advisers; and what the pay bands are of each such civil servant. [95134]
John Healey: The special advisers to the Chancellor of the Exchequer are supported by three full-time staff: one at range E, one at range D and one at range C.
Terrorist Assets/Finance
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the occasions on which the assets of (a) individual terrorists or (b) terrorist organisations have been frozen as a result of decisions (i) by him and (ii) by the EU in cases where all proceedings are complete. [94200]
Ed Balls: Since 2001, a total of 85 individuals and 58 entities have had their assets frozen under the UK’s Terrorism (United Nations Measures) Order 2001. Of the 85 individuals, 68 were designated domestically by the Treasury and 17 by the EU. Of the 58 entities, 51 were designated domestically by the Treasury and seven by the EU. In cases where individuals or entities have been designated both by the UK and by the EU, the figures above refer to where the decision was first taken. In addition, 359 individuals and 124 entities have been designated under the Al-Qaeda and Taliban (United Nations Measures) Order 2002 on suspicion of having links with Al-Qaeda or the Taliban. The United Nations Security Council maintains a list of such persons designated at the UN. Details about individual asset freezes applying in the UK, either through international or domestic action, are available on the Bank of England website at http://www.bankof england.co.uk/publications/financialsanctions/
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has published the comprehensive progress report on countering money laundering and terrorist finance. [94219]
Ed Balls: Progress reports on countering money laundering and terrorist finance have been published in October 2002 (“Combating the Financing of Terrorism: A Report on UK Action”); October 2004 (“Anti-Money Laundering Strategy”); at the 2005 Pre-Budget Report (“Statement on Terrorist Finance”) and provided in a written statement to the House on 10 October.
The Treasury has also launched public consultations this year on the implementation of the Third EU Money Laundering Directive and on the regulation of Money Service Businesses.
In my statement to the House on 10 October 2006, Official Report, columns 11-13WS, I said that the Treasury plans to produce a detailed strategy document setting out the Government’s programme to deter, detect and disrupt the financing of terrorism around the end of the year.
Health
Advanced Nurse Practitioners
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when a register of advanced nurse practitioners will be established; with particular reference to those employed in NHS walk-in centres. [92812]
Andy Burnham: A public consultation on healthcare professional regulation was launched on 14 July 2006 and runs until 10 November 2006. The consultation comprises the Chief Medical Officer’s proposals for medical regulation in “Good Doctors, Safer Patients” and the Department of Health’s parallel review of “The regulation of the non-medical healthcare professions”.
One of the recommendations proposes that:
‘post-registration qualifications should be recorded in the register where the specialisation is relevant to patient care and patient safety, can be defined in terms of extra skills acquired, and is at a level substantially beyond basic registration.’
Comments on all the recommendations are welcome. Copies of both documents are available in the Library and on the Department’s website at www.dh.gov.uk/Consultations/LiveConsultations.
Benefit Payments
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the (a) Single Assessment Process and (b) Children’s Assessment Forum will be used by (i) Department for Work and Pensions staff in assessing benefit entitlement and (ii) local authorities in assessing eligibility for (A) RADAR keys and (B) blue badges; and if she will make a statement on steps taken to reduce form-filling required by patients. [91112]
Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 18 September 2006): The single assessment process is used to determine an individual’s need for adult social care. It is not appropriate for assessing entitlement to state benefits, Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation (RADAR) keys or blue badges. Policy for children’s services rests with the Department for Education and Skills.
We welcome any initiative that seeks to reduce the burden of red tape, ensures that all collections of data are efficient and eliminates any duplication of effort.
Brain Tumours
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients in the Peterborough and Stamford NHS hospitals trust area have been diagnosed with brain tumours in each year since 2001; and if she will make a statement. [93158]
Andy Burnham: The information requested is not held centrally.
Bucks Hospitals NHS Trust
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many special severance payments have been made by Bucks Hospitals NHS Trust in each year since 2001. [95073]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not held centrally.
Carbon Copies
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will issue guidance on the use of handwritten self-carbon copying forms for listing medication by name and dose in order to ensure legible prints are copied to (a) general practitioners, (b) patients and (c) other institutions; and if she will make a statement. [93375]
Andy Burnham: “A Vision for Pharmacy in the New NHS”, published in July 2003, advocated the strengthening of communication about patients’ medicines between hospitals, community pharmacists and general practitioners. The national health service national prescribing centre (NPC), as part of the sharing of best practice through the medicines management collaborative, has developed guidance concerning the timely and accurate sharing of information about patients’ medicines when patients are transferred between care settings. The guidance is available on the NPC website at:www.npc.co.uk/mms/FiveMinGuides/index.htm. The method by which information is transferred is a matter for local decision. Trust chief pharmacists, primary care trusts, general practitioners and community pharmacists should work closely together in developing systems which best suit the needs of their local health communities.
External Consultants
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms her Department has put in place to ensure that external consultants follow high standards of transparency and consultation when undertaking work for the NHS. [92829]
Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 16 October 2006]: The Department's procurement procedures ensure that all external consultants sign a legal contract of engagement, which includes standard terms and conditions to ensure the quality of the work performed and the standards within which consultants should operate.
The Department also has a code of business conduct for all staff, the core principles of which apply also to external consultants employed by the Department.
Local national health service organisations are responsible for the conduct of external consultants they employ.
General Practitioner (Practices)
Mr. Kenneth Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether GP practices will be given financial budgets for special services when GP practice-based commissioning is introduced in the NHS. [93206]
Andy Burnham: The move to practice-based commissioning (PBC) does not affect the commissioning and provision of specialised services. Specialised services are not covered by PBC. Specialised services are high-cost, low-volume interventions and treatments that are commissioned by groups of primary care trusts, and it is therefore not appropriate to devolve this commissioning to practice level.
Hospital Minimum Waiting Times
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) which strategic health authorities have authorised the use of hospital minimum waiting times as a means of demand management within the NHS; and which clinical conditions are specifically (a) included and (b) excluded from this system; [91121]
(2) what discussions have taken place with strategic health authorities about the introduction of hospital minimum waiting times as a mechanism of demand management; and if she will make a statement. [91122]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: It is for local primary care trusts and national health service trusts to agree their local service agreements and include within these the national requirement to meet the current maximum waiting standards. Arrangements to ensure these service agreements are in place are for strategic health authorities.
The minimum standards set for the NHS include maximum waiting times of 13 weeks for out-patients and 26 weeks for in-patients. Most patients, including those with the most urgent clinical need, are seen more quickly. As progress is made towards the December 2008 target of 18 weeks maximum wait from referral to treatment, these standards will fall further.
McKinsey and Company
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much her Department has spent on work undertaken by McKinsey and Company in (a) 2004-05, (b) 2005-06 and (c) 2006-07. [92798]
Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 16 October 2006]: The total amount spent by the Department with McKinsey and Company in the financial years 2004-05, 2005-06, and 2006-07 is shown in the following table:
| Financial year | £000 |
| (1) To 30 September. | |
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