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6 Feb 2007 : Column 807W—continued
NHS: Practice Based Commissioning
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on progress in implementing practice based commissioning. [118562]
Andy Burnham: At the end of December 2006, all primary care trusts had put in place the arrangements to support practice based commissioning. In addition, 7,849 general practitioner practices out of 8,433 (93 per cent.) had taken up an incentive payment to participate in practice based commissioning.
The foundations for successful practice based commissioning have now been put in place and this year will focus on increased clinical engagement and service redesign to deliver better services for patients.
NHS: Reorganisation
Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on NHS reorganisation in each of the last 10 years. [119187]
Andy Burnham: This information is not available centrally.
Nurse-Family Partnerships
Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when applicants for nurse-family partnerships will be informed of whether they have been successful. [111180]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: We were very pleased to receive 63 applications for testing a health-led parenting support programme in England.
We have identified 10 pilot sites to lead this work and will formally notify them and the unsuccessful applicants very shortly.
Open Source Software
Mr. Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of her Department's computer systems use open source software; what percentage of the systems planned to be installed use such software; and whether she plans to increase the use of open source software in her Department. [111162]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department does not hold specific information on the use of open source software within the Department but has identified one system involving library services that utilises open source components in its implementation.
The Department is currently reviewing the tools and technologies that it uses to support the delivery of the business. As part of that review consideration will be given to the use of open source tools alongside other proprietary tools and technologies.
When considering the implementation of any solution, the Department will continue to consider open source solutions on an overall value for money basis in accordance with the Government's 2004 policy statement.
Orthopaedics
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to reach agreement with orthopaedic hospitals on a national tariff structure for specialist treatments. [118561]
Andy Burnham: The payment by results tariff for 2007-08 has been agreed and was published on 11 December 2006. This includes arrangements for specialised treatments.
We have an on-going dialogue with specialist services providers and member of the Specialist Orthopaedic
Alliance, with the aim of agreeing more sustainable solutions for 2008-09 and beyond.
The Department will publish a consultation soon on the future of payment by results, which will explore ways of developing future tariffs and expanding payment by results to reflect specialist treatments.
Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent progress has been made on Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust's application for foundation status. [118563]
Andy Burnham: Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Mental Health Partnership National Health Service Trust is preparing to submit an application for NHS foundation trust (NHSFT) status by the end of April 2007. Subject to receiving the Secretary of State's support, the trust may then apply to Monitor (the statutory name of which is the Independent Regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts) to be considered for authorisation as a NHSFT by autumn 2007.
Patients' Forums
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what payments have been made by the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health to the National Voices Project being sponsored by her Department; and what progress the Commission has made in each year since its inception towards establishing a national network of patients’ forums. [118818]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 5 February 2007]: We understand the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health (CPPIH) has made £20,000 available to the National Voices Project.
Since establishing patients’ forums in 2003, CPPIH has continued to provide the support necessary to enable patients’ forums to deliver their roles and responsibilities. The support CPPIH provides is of an ongoing nature and not based on an annual programme.
Recruitment
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 9 January 2007, Official Report, column 148, on recruitment, what the evidential basis is for the statement that 16,000 people completed training last year; and if she will place in the Library the results of the survey from which the statement that 60 per cent. of graduates have found jobs was derived. [115554]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department has collected data from strategic health authorities on the employment position of graduates in 2006. The table shows the number of graduates who completed training between May 2006 and September 2006 and the estimated number who had secured a post by 30 November 2006.
| Employment position of graduates completing training, May 2006 to September 2006 | |||
| Number completing training May 2006 to September 2006 | Number estimated to have found jobs as at 30 November 2006 | Percentage of graduates estimated to have found work | |
| Source: SHA returns, November 2006. | |||
Recruitment Agencies
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much her Department paid to recruitment agencies for the hire of temporary staff in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement. [110488]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: In the years where information is available, the costs of agency staff are shown in the table.
| £ | |
Strokes
Mr. Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of her Department's stroke strategy. [118602]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department is currently working with expert project groups to develop a national stroke strategy to be published for consultation in the summer. As part of this process, we are investigating methods of evaluating stroke services and measuring improvements. We have already issued a tool to help local service providers assess their current effectiveness and to demonstrate how their services can be improved.
Culture, Media and Sport
Act of Union
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans her Department has to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Act of Union. [118977]
Mr. Lammy: The 300th anniversary of the Act of Union between England and Scotland in 2007 is being marked by a commemorative £2 coin, as announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in Parliament on 15 June 2006.
The Department currently has no plans to mark the 300th anniversary of the Act of Union between England and Scotland.
Casinos
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what contingency planning her Department has conducted to meet the possibility that the casino pilot scheme is assessed as (a) unsuccessful and (b) of detrimental social impact. [118734]
Mr. Caborn: We will undertake an assessment of the social and economic impact of the new casinos permitted by the Gambling Act 2005 no earlier than three years after the award of the first licence. If it becomes clear that the casinos are causing an increase in problem gambling, there are extensive powers under the Gambling Act 2005 to enable action to be taken.
Cricket
Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what her estimate is of (a) the number of amateur cricket clubs in England and (b) the number of playing members belonging to such clubs’ (i) adult and (ii) junior sections; [119409]
(2) how much the English Cricket Board spent on providing services for amateur cricket clubs in 2005-06; and what proportion of the board’s total budget this represented. [119418]
Mr. Caborn: Sport England does not hold the information requested. The hon. Member may wish to direct his query to the England and Wales Cricket Board.
Culture Online
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2006, Official Report, column 1594W, on Culture Online, if she will break down the number of hits by website. [118895]
Mr. Lammy: Hits to Culture Online’s project websites for the period January to December 2006 are set out as follows. Projects not included in the list did not record statistics for hits.
| Number | |
| (1) April to October 2006. (2) February to October 2006. (3) January 2006. | |
Departmental Contracts
Mr. Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which public affairs firms were given contracts by (a) her Department and (b) public bodies sponsored by her Department in each of the last five years; and what the purpose was of each contract. [118494]
Mr. Lammy: In relation to public affairs firms:
(a) DCMS has not awarded any such contracts.
(b) DCMS has over 60 sponsored bodies or Executive Agencies and the figures for them could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Expenditure
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much her Department spent on the recruitment of (a) permanent and (b) temporary staff in each year since 1997. [118676]
Mr. Lammy: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has paid the following amounts on the recruitment of permanent staff in each year since 1997:
| £ | |
These figures include both the costs of advertisements and agency fees for executive search and selection.
For temporary staff, the Department pays an agency for the work done by temporary staff only and pays no recruitment costs.
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many temporary staff were employed by her Department as a result of recruitment by recruitment agencies in each year since 1997. [118677]
Mr. Lammy: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport employs temporary agency staff on the basis of a booking that can last from as little as one day to many months. The number of individual bookings in the years for which centrally held information is available is as follows:
| Number | |
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