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26 Jan 2007 : Column 2133W—continued
Valuation Office Agency
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 30 November 2006, Official Report, column 845W, on the Valuation Office Agency, what the total cost to the public purse was of each foreign visit; how many staff went on each visit; and what the (a) purpose and (b) destination was of each visit. [116202]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 16 January 2007]: Two destinations were regrettably omitted from my answer given on 30 November 2006, Official Report, column 854W. Valuation Office Agency (VOA) staff have made 10 foreign visits in the last 12 months and have visited America, Malaysia, Japan, Thailand, Spain, France, China and Belgium. I am grateful for this opportunity to set the record straight.
The additional detailed information now requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library (a) a copy of the August 2005 HIYA! in-house magazine produced by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) and (b) copies of the previous in-house staff magazines produced by the VOA from January 2003 to July 2005. [116203]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 16 January 2007]: I have placed in the Library copies of HIYA! and copies of the previous in-house staff magazines produced by the Valuation Office Agency from January 2003 to July 2005.
Health
Care Home Costs
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of people in residential care homes paid third-party top-up fees in each London borough in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement. [110628]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Beverley and Holderness (Mr. Stuart) on 23 January 2007, Official Report, column 1755W.
Clinical Work Transfers: Lancashire
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will ensure that hon. Members representing Lancashire constituencies are formally consulted on plans to transfer clinical work from the NHS to the private sector in the county; [115512]
(2) what consultation is being conducted by each primary care trust in Lancashire on proposals to transfer clinical work from NHS hospitals to the private sector; [115513]
(3) when she expects the contract between the NHS and Netcare for the provision of clinical services in Lancashire to be signed; [115514]
(4) what assessment she has made of the potential effect on Queen’s Park hospital, Blackburn, of the proposed transfer of services to Netcare. [115847]
Andy Burnham: Extensive discussions about the clinical assessment, treatment and support (CATS) model within the health economy were conducted at the time the 2005 strategic delivery framework was produced. The engagement and development of the Cumbria and Lancashire CATS scheme has been carried out by a team from the Commercial Directorate of the Department in collaboration with representatives of the strategic health authority (SHA) and primary care trusts (PCTs) in Cumbria and Lancashire, and with the active support and involvement of what is now the North West SHA. Local healthcare professionals and clinicians were involved in the evaluation of the bids received.
In addition, the PCTs in Cumbria and Lancashire have decided, after discussion with the joint overview and scrutiny committees, to conduct a formal consultation exercise about CATS, which commenced on 15 January 2007. Hon. Members will be able to contribute to this consultation.
This will be supplemented by wider engagement with the public, patient representatives and local clinicians through meetings, which will help inform the local implementation of the CATS scheme, to be held by both the Department’s project team and PCTs in the areas covered by the CATS scheme. This ongoing process of consultation and engagement is designed to ensure that all members of the health economy, including patients, primary care trusts, acute trusts (and staff groups within those organisations) have the chance to understand and comment on the solution that is developed.
Upon completion of negotiations with the preferred provider, a contract is anticipated to be awarded for the Cumbria and Lancashire CATS scheme in late spring 2007.
As regards Blackburn, a site has been identified further to discussions with the East Lancashire PCT which does not involve the use of the Queens Park hospital site. The PCT and SHA will be working together to manage the impact of the introduction of CATS, not just in Blackburn, but across the whole of Cumbria and Lancashire.
Echocardiograms: Portsmouth
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been waiting for echocardiograms to be carried out by the Portsmouth NHS Trust for (a) three, (b) six, (c) nine and (d) longer than nine months; and if she will make a statement. [116423]
Andy Burnham: The information requested is provided in the table as follows.
The trust has an action plan in place to secure additional capacity and reduce waiting times.
By the end of 2008, no patient will wait more than 18 weeks from general practitioner referral to the start of treatment, including diagnostic tests.
Genetically Modified Organisms
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps the EU is taking to prevent further contamination of EU food and feed chains by unapproved genetically modified organisms; [117048]
(2) what steps her Department is taking to prevent further contamination of UK food and feed chains by unapproved genetically modified organisms; [117049]
(3) what steps the Food Standards Agency is taking to prevent further contamination of UK food and feed chains by unapproved genetically modified organisms. [117050]
Caroline Flint: European food law places primary responsibility on food operators to ensure that the food and animal feed that they sell complies with food safety legislation. The European Commission has powers to introduce emergency measures to control the import of potentially contaminated food and feed and has done so in cases where this is necessary, such as following the discovery of unauthorised genetically modified (GM) material in long grain rice from the United States. The Commission also represents the European Union (EU) in discussions with trading partners on issues where there is an agreed EU position, including GM food and feed. The Commission, through its Joint Research Centre (JRC), is also able to provide practical support for laboratories involved in analysing food and feed for unauthorized GM material. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is encouraging the Commission and the JRC to expand this work. At national level, the FSA is responsible for overseeing the food law enforcement activities of local authorities. It also supports local authorities by funding training, providing grants and making other resources available.
Health Services: Lancashire
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting list time for (a) patients of Chorley hospital and (b) cancer patients of Chorley hospital were in each year since 1997; and which (i) hospitals, (ii) care trusts and (iii) foundation trusts in Lancashire are in budget deficit. [110549]
Andy Burnham: The information is not available in the format requested. Information for the national health service organisations which Chorley hospital has been part of since 1997 is contained in the tables shown.
| Median in-patient waits for Chorley and South Ribble NHS Trust and Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, provider based, 1997 to 2000 | |||
| Median (weeks) | |||
| As at March each year: | Chorley and South Ribble NHS Trust | Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust | Combined |
| Median out-patient waits for Chorley and South Ribble NHS Trust and Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, provider based, 1997 to 2000 | |||
| Median (weeks) | |||
| As at March each year: | Chorley and South Ribble NHS Trust | Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust | Combined |
| Median waiting times for in-patients and out-patients in Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, provider based, 2001 and 2002 | ||
| Median (weeks) | ||
| As at March each year: | In-patient | Out-patient |
| Median waiting times for in-patients and out-patients in Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (provider based), 2003 to 2006 | ||
| Median (weeks) | ||
| As at March each year: | In-patient | Out-patient |
| Notes: 1. In-patient waiting time based on median wait of those still waiting at end of period. Out-patient waiting times based on time waited for those seen during the quarter. 2. Prior to the financial year 2000-01, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust existed as two separate trusts—Chorley and South Ribble NHS Trust and Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. In 2000-01 these trusts merged (with part of Chorley being allocated to another trust), keeping the name Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. In the financial year 2002-03, this became Lancashire Teaching Hospitals. The ‘combined’ figures given prior to 2000-01 are based on a sum of the two merged trusts. Due to the division of Chorley as part of the trust merger, the medians prior to 2000-01 should be regarded as estimates as they are based on data that does not fully represent the area currently covered by Lancashire Teaching Hospitals. Source: Department of Health, KHO7, QMO8 and monthly monitoring | ||
With regard to hospital deficits, Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust and the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust are the only NHS organisations in Lancashire currently in budget deficit.
Health Services: Hertfordshire
Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received from Ministers in other Government Departments on the provision of health services in Hertfordshire since 1 December 2006. [117414]
Andy Burnham: There have been no representations made to the Secretary of State for Health or departmental Ministers from Ministers in other Government Departments on the provision of health services in Hertfordshire.
Hospital Choice Document
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was of (a) publishing and (b) disseminating the publication “Choosing your hospital: National menu—your choice of hospitals across England”; and if she will make a statement. [117272]
Andy Burnham: “Choosing your hospital: National menu—your choice of hospitals across England” was published in November 2006 on www.nhs.uk. 100,000 hard-copies of the booklet were printed for distribution to general practitioners’ practices and libraries via primary care trusts. The total cost of publication, including the compilation of the necessary information, was £191,000. The cost of distribution was £3,500.
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many copies of the publication “Choosing your hospital: National menu—your choice of hospitals across England” were ordered by her Department; by what criteria hospitals were included or excluded from the publication; and whether her Department plans to revise the publication to include all NHS hospitals. [117273]
Andy Burnham: 100,000 copies of the “Choosing your hospital—National Menu” were printed and distributed to primary care trusts for onward distribution to patients via general practitioner practices, other primary care professionals and local libraries.
Hospitals were included in the publication if they were within the extended choice network (ECN) of providers made up of national health service foundation trusts, wave one independent sector treatment centres and other nationally appointed independent sector providers.
Other NHS trusts will become part of the ECN as they gain foundation status. The national menu will be updated accordingly.
Hospital Services
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment she has made of the financial situation and the consequences for services at Queen Mary's hospital, Sidcup; and if she will make a statement. [117291]
Andy Burnham: We published the national health service financial performance for the second quarter of 2006-07 on the 9 November 2006. At quarter two, Queen Mary's Hospital Sidcup NHS Trust is forecasting a year-end deficit of £5.4 million.
In those NHS organisations with deficits, the targets we have set, for example on waiting times and access to cancer treatment, are being met. The overall quality of services to patients continues to improve. However, we do not underestimate the tough decisions needed by a minority of organisations to restore financial balance.
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