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11 July 2007 : Column 1552W—continued
Departments: Pay
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the payscale is of (a) civil servants and (b) those employed on a contractual basis in his Department’s Commercial Directorate. [148832]
Dawn Primarolo: Civil Servants in the Department are employed on the pay scale listed as follows.
| National pay rates | ||
| £ | ||
| Minimum | Maximum | |
| (1 )2007-08 | ||
The pay ranges and target rates for senior civil servants as at 1 April 2007 are as follows:
| £ | |||
| Pay band | Minimum | Progression target rate/salary band mid-point | Recruitment and performance ceiling |
| (1 )2007-08 | |||
The Commercial Directorate does not employ contractors but does commission services from a range of organisations. Those services are subject to the bandings listed as follows:
| Commercial directorate contractor bandings | ||
| Level | ||
Departments: Pensions
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of staff in his Department are making additional voluntary contributions to their pensions; and what steps he has taken in the last 12 months to encourage more people to make such contributions. [147331]
Dawn Primarolo: 163 members of staff in Department (7.2 per cent. of the total number of staff employed by the Department) currently make additional voluntary pension contributions through deductions from their pay.
Pension scheme members receive an annual benefit statement showing the pension built up to date, and also a projection of pension on retirement if the member continues in service to scheme pension age. The benefit statement provides details of the civil service pensions website where staff can obtain further information, including on options for making additional voluntary contributions to boost their pension.
There is also published information on our departmental intranet supporting information provided by the Cabinet Office.
Deciding whether to invest is and must remain an entirely personal decision.
Departments: Private Finance Initiative
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total cost is of all private finance initiative projects for which his Department has responsibility completed since 1997; and what the projected cost is of such projects commissioned or under way. [148024]
Mr. Bradshaw: A full list of annual unitary payments to the private sector to 2033-34 can be found on the HM Treasury signed deals list at the following address:
It is not possible to forecast unitary payments at schemes still in procurement as these are not finalised until contract signature stage.
Departments: Public Expenditure
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance her Department has issued to staff on procedures for working with (a) HM Treasury; and (b) HM Treasury’s Health Spending Team. [146531]
Mr. Bradshaw: There is no standing guidance. The Finance Directorate is the normal point of contact for dealings with HM Treasury at official level; and from time to time specific guidance will be given to the Department on the procedures for coordinating particular exercises which may involve, for example, the Ministerial or Permanent Secretary Private Offices.
Departments: Public Transport
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the number of its staff using public transport to commute. [147327]
Dawn Primarolo: The Department has no estimate of the number of staff using public transport to commute.
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what incentives he has considered to encourage staff in his Department to use public transport. [148818]
Dawn Primarolo: The Department offers interest-free loans for season tickets for travel to work. Use of public transport is encouraged by departmental policies including limited car parking, flexible working, using public transport during the course of travel and making use of travel websites and information services, such as Transport Direct. Staff are also informed about local transport initiatives and promotions.
Departments: Vetting
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent advice he has issued on security checks on (a) existing and (b) prospective staff in his Department; and if he will make a statement. [148490]
Dawn Primarolo: The Department complies with Cabinet Office guidelines on security checks. The Department’s existing staff have undergone the baseline check (formerly basic check) on entering employment with the Civil Service.
The Department undertakes additional checks in accordance with the access levels to particular buildings or work areas, for example:
CTC (counter terrorism check) for employees who require access to the Palace of Westminster.
SC (security clearance) investigation including security services, criminal records and finance check for employees in ministerial private offices and other sensitive work areas.
Advice on security checks for new recruits into the Civil Service has been directly in line with the “HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standard: A Good Practice guide to the Pre-Employment Screening of Government Staff and Contractors (July 2006)”, effective 1 April 2007. This covers verification of:
Identity;
Employment history;
Nationality; and
Unspent criminal record
The Department is compliant with the baseline personnel security standard.
Engagements
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer given by the Prime Minister on 20 June 2007, Official Report, column 1375W, on engagements, what the evidential basis is for the statement that (a) in 1997, 50 per cent. of the NHS estate was older than the NHS itself and (b) today, 20 per cent. of the NHS estate is older than the NHS itself. [147496]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) undertakes a quinquennial valuation of the national health service estate. The VOA data from the 1995 survey showed that in that year, 49.5 per cent. of the NHS estate pre-dated 1948.
Information so far provided by the NHS itself, as part of the 2006-07 Estates Returns Information Collection process, shows that the proportion of the estate older than the NHS itself has fallen to 20.4 per cent.
Health Professions Council: Finance
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding his Department made to the Health Professions Council prior to April 2004. [147474]
Mr. Bradshaw: According to our records the amount of funding that was provided to the Health Professions Council for its establishment was £3,804,467.38 between 2002 and 2004.
Health Professions: Regulation
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will request the UK professional healthcare regulators to publish their recent research on the public’s access to professional registers. [146203]
Mr. Bradshaw: I understand that the Joint Regulators Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) group commissioned, on behalf of the healthcare professional regulatory bodies, a formal piece of research entitled “Making Registers More Usable”. The regulatory bodies are using the report’s findings to inform the ongoing review and development of the registers. I understand that they expect to make the report available in due course, but no final decision has yet been taken.
Health Services
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of those attending her Department’s Trust, Assurance and Safety event on 5 June 2007 were (a) from healthcare professional regulatory bodies, (b) lay members of healthcare professional regulatory bodies, (c) from public and patient representative organisations, (d) members of the public, (e) health officials, (f) from other health and social care regulators and (g) others. [146198]
Mr. Bradshaw: The proportions of those who attended the Department’s Trust, Assurance and Safety event on 5 June 2007 were as follows:
from healthcare professional regulatory bodies = 14 per cent.
lay members of healthcare professional regulatory bodies = 2 per cent. (which is included in above)
from public and patient representative organisations and members of the public = 5 per cent.
health officials = 34 per cent.
from other health and social care regulators = 39 per cent.
others = 8 per cent.
Health Services: Procurement
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how long the Framework for Procuring External Support for Commissioners project team has been in existence; and for how long Simon Morgan has been the project lead. [148833]
Mr. Bradshaw: Simon Morgan has been the project lead for the procurement of the Framework for Procuring External Support for Commissioners since July 2006, at the same time that the project team was established.
Homeopathy: Medical Treatments
Mr. David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS patients were treated at the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [147929]
Mr. Bradshaw: This is a matter for the chair of the University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. We have written to Peter Dixon informing him of the hon. Member’s inquiry. He will reply shortly and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.
Hospitals: Mobile Phones
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance the NHS has issued in the last two years on the use of mobile telephones in hospitals. [148834]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Department is not aware of any specific guidance issued by the national health service in the last two years on the use of mobile phones in hospitals.
However, the Department has issued two sets of good practice guidance to the NHS on the use of mobile phones in healthcare premises. The first set of guidance was issued in August 2006, following a request by the Office of Communications and the second set was issued in May 2007, following a recommendation by the Patient Power review group. The guidance concludes that trusts should consider a range of risks and issues when preparing their own policy on mobile phone usage in hospitals, should issue a clear, written, policy which is easily accessible, with the patient at the forefront and designate and clearly signpost areas where mobile phones can and cannot be used.
Both sets of guidance are available on the Department’s website at:
Copies have also been placed in the Library.
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