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21 Jun 2007 : Column 2185W—continued

Medicine: Overseas Students

Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she plans to take to enable international medical graduates working in the United Kingdom as part of the Highly Skilled Migrants programme to complete their training in the event of their visas expiring before the end of their training period. [126407]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Doctors in training working in the national health service who are part of the highly skilled migrant programme will be able to extend their leave under that programme provided they meet the eligibility criteria set by the Home Office at the time their visa expires.

Mentally Ill: Cannabis

Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to my friend the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr. Lansley), of 6 June 2007, Official Report, column 583W, on mentally ill: cannabis, how many hospital admissions on mental health grounds resulting from the use of cannabis there were in each (a) strategic health authority and (b) primary care trust area in each year since 1997. [142416]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Data showing the number of hospital admissions on mental health grounds resulting from the use of cannabis in each strategic health authority and primary care trust in each year since 1997 have been placed in the Library. The data show admissions by all consultant specialities, including admissions by consultants registered under mental illness specialities only.

Midwives

Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many student midwives she expects to qualify in 2007; and how many places she expects there to be in the NHS for newly qualified midwives. [142283]

Ms Rosie Winterton: In 2004-05, the national health service commissioned 895 midwifery degree places. Those who successfully complete the training will qualify in 2007.

Additional midwives will qualify through a variety of programmes, including an 18 month pre-registration education programme, adaptation and return to
21 Jun 2007 : Column 2186W
practice programmes. These programmes are funded and arranged locally, depending on local needs and therefore the start and end dates vary.

It is a joint responsibility between higher education institutions and local NHS organisations to see that midwifery and other health care graduates are supported to find employment. Vacancies for graduates continue to be posted on “NHS Jobs” and the NHS Careers information service can direct graduates to appropriate sources of information and advice. Graduates are encouraged to be flexible when applying for posts.

In developing “Maternity Matters”, which outlines the Government’s vision for maternity services, the NHS workforce review team identified that the midwifery workforce would increase by 1,000 leading up to 2009.

Muscular Dystrophy

Dr. Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if her Department will allocate funding for the Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Registry in the UK. [141450]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: Implementation of the Department's research strategy “Best Research for Best Health” will result in an expansion of our research programmes and in significant new funding opportunities for health research. Details, including the scope of the programmes and the arrangements for making applications for support from them, are available on the National Institute for Health Research website at www.nihr.ac.uk. Funding awards are in all cases made after open, competitive, peer review.

NHS Appointments Commission

Mr. Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria were used in the appointment of members to the NHS Appointments Commission. [143223]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Person specifications for all posts were agreed with Ministers and made publicly available to all potential candidates. Copies have been placed in the Library.

NHS Pensions

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her estimate is of the increase in her Department’s future public sector pension liability which will arise from salary increases under the (a) Agenda for Change programme and (b) the new GP contracts; and if she will make a statement. [144577]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) has valued the total future liabilities of the NHS Pension scheme as at 31 March 2006 to be £165.4 billion. GAD are in the process of preparing a detailed actuarial valuation of the scheme as at 31 March 2004 which will be published later this year which will include analysis of the factors leading to any change in valuation.


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NHS: Allowances

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 8 May 2007, Official Report, column 153W, on NHS: allowances, in what (a) month and (b) year the level of the personal expenses allowance was set; and on what basis the level set was felt to be appropriate. [140461]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The requirement for an allowance for expenditure on personal items for those living in residential care settings originates from the National Assistance Act (NAA) 1948 - Part III (Local Authority Services), section 22(4). The National Assistance (Charges for Accommodation) Regulations 1948 set the sum for personal requirements at five shillings per week. These regulations came into force on 5 July 1948.

Due to the passage of time, it has not proved possible to establish the reasons that the level set was felt to be appropriate. Contemporary papers and reports are not available.

The 2007-08 rate of personal expenses allowances is £20.45 per week. This took effect on 9 April 2007.

NHS: Crimes of Violence

Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS workers have been assaulted in each region of England in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement. [142143]

Ms Rosie Winterton: A table outlining the estimated number of reported violent incidents collected by the Department for 2001-02, 2002-03 for each strategic health authority, national health service trust and primary care trust in England has been placed in the Library.

In April 2003, the NHS Security Management Service (NHS SMS) was created and assumed responsibility for the issue of tackling violence against NHS staff. The NHS SMS has collected data on the number of reported physical assaults on NHS staff in England for the period 2004-05 and 2005-06. A breakdown of figures by reporting period for each NHS trust has been placed in the Library.

The NHS SMS has introduced a comprehensive strategy and integrated structure for addressing the issue of violence against NHS staff.

NHS: Finance

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding the Government provided to meet the start-up and running costs of the (a) Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence, (b) Nursing and Midwifery Council and (c) Health Professions Council in each year since its creation; and what proportion of the total budget this represented in each case. [142473]

Ms Rosie Winterton: According to our records, the amount of funding that was provided to the Health Professions Council (HPC) for its establishment was £3,804,467.38 between 2002 and 2004. No funding has been paid to the HPC by the Department since April
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2004, as the HPC is an autonomous organisation funded by registration fees and does not receive funding from the Department. Details of the HPC’s budget are not held centrally, but are available from the HPC itself.

According to our records, the amount of funding that was provided to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) for its establishment was £3,656,382.81 between April 2002 and April 2004. No funding has been paid to the NMC by the Department since April 2004, as the NMC is an autonomous organisation funded by registration fees and does not receive funding from the Department. Details of the NMC’s budget are not held centrally, but are available from the NMC itself.

According to our records, the amount of funding that was provided to the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE) starting in 2003 for its start-up costs and running costs so far is £8,790,315.47. This represents 100 per cent. of CHRE budget.

Figures prior to April 2002 are currently unavailable without extensive research.

NHS: Manpower

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate she has made of supply and demand for (a) consultants, (b) GPs, (c) nurses and midwives and (d) allied health professionals in 2007-08 in the same format as that included in her Department's third draft of its pay and workforce strategy, dated 27th November 2006. [131961]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The following table shows the Department’s February 2007 estimates of the numbers of staff in particular groups in 2007-08. These figures were the latest version using the same approach as in the draft pay and workforce strategy, using the September 2005 census as the baseline.

Staff group 2007-08

Consultants

Available supply

31,600

Demand

31,000

General practitioners

Available supply

30,800

Demand

31,000

Qualified nurses

Available supply

314,500

Demand

304,800

AHP/ST&Ts

Available supply

155,300

Demand

144,100


The actual size of NHS workforce in 2007-08 will be determined by NHS organisations who will make decisions taking account of their local circumstances.

NHS: Pensions

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the employee contribution rate is to the NHS pension scheme; what plans there are to change this rate; what the revenue yield would be from varying the rate by 1 per cent; and if she will make a statement. [144264]


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Ms Rosie Winterton: The contribution rate for scheme members is 6 per cent. of pensionable pay, however members classed as manual workers pay 5 per cent. NHS employers and the national health service trade unions have proposed a new tiered contribution structure with the rate of employee contributions tiered by pensionable pay.

The NHS pension scheme pensionable payroll as at 31 March 2006, taken from the resource accounts, was approximately £31 billion. Increasing the member contribution rate across the board by 1 per cent. of pensionable pay would yield just over £0.3 billion a year.

NHS: Training

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many training posts were available in each region of England in each of the last five years; and how many she expects to be available in 2007. [141653]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not held centrally.

North East Strategic Health Authority: Finance

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the surpluses generated in the north east strategic health authority (SHA) in 2006-07 will be retained in full in the SHA for use in future years. [144407]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The surplus generated by the national health service at the end of 2006-07 will be carried forward for spending in future years.

Individual organisations must work to manage the potential financial risks and the strategic health authorities (SHAs) have a key support role to play. The financial recovery in 2006-07 has put the NHS on a much firmer financial footing for 2007-08. Planning to generate surpluses, and holding reserves at SHA level, are a central part of the strategy to ensure that financial good health can be sustained in future years.

Nurses: Pay

Mr. David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses will receive pay increases of 4.9 per cent. or more in 2007-08. [142266]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Figures for individual nurses are not held centrally.

Mrs. Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average salary of nurses in Blackpool, North and Fleetwood was in (a) 1997 and (b) the latest year for which figures are available. [143975]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Research Training Posts

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many academic research training posts are funded by the Government for (a) coronary heart disease, (b) cancer and (c) stroke and stroke-related problems. [144058]


21 Jun 2007 : Column 2190W

Ms Rosie Winterton: The following academic research training posts are funded by the Department’s research capacity development programme.

Number

Academic Clinical Fellows( 1)

Cancer

75

Coronary Heart Disease

(2)41

Stroke

(2)61

Clinical Lecturers( 3)

Cancer

31

Coronary Heart Disease

20

Stroke

27

Personal Awards( 4)

Cancer

16

Coronary Heart Disease

8

Stroke

5

(1) Academic research training posts for junior doctors in training.
(2) Some posts may be shared with other specialties.
(3) Academic research training posts for junior doctors who have completed a PhD.
(4) Academic research training posts for PhDs and post-doctoral awards.

The following academic research training posts are funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England in partnership with the Department.

Number

Clinical Senior Lectureships

Cancer

5

Coronary Heart Disease

4

Stroke

4

Total number of posts

Cancer

127

Coronary Heart Disease

73

Stroke

97


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