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24 Oct 2007 : Column 398W—continued
Royston Hospital
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans there are for the future of Royston Hospital; [158240]
(2) what plans his Department has to develop Royston Hospital in the same way as Hertford County Hospital; and if he will make a statement; [158253]
(3) what estimate the NHS has made of the number of patients in the catchment area for Hertford County Hospital; [158254]
(4) what assessment the NHS has made of the number of patients in the catchment area for Royston Hospital; to what extent this includes patients from Cambridge and Essex in addition to Hertfordshire patients; and if he will make a statement. [158255]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: This is a matter for the local national health service. It is the responsibility of primary care trusts (PCTs) to ensure that NHS services provided locally meet the needs of the populations that they serve.
We understand that the two Hertfordshire PCTs have recently concluded a formal consultation on the future
of health services in Hertfordshire as a whole. The next phase is for the project team to collate and analyse all the comments received in response to the consultation. The findings will be presented to both PCT boards in December this year.
Treasury
Building Schools for the Future Programme
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 10 September 2007, Official Report, columns 1967-8W, on the Building Schools for the Future programme, how many of the half dozen to two dozen recommendations of the review of the Building Schools for the Future programme were to be taken forward by his Department. [159837]
Andy Burnham: None of the recommendations were for implementation by the Treasury.
Census
Mr. Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what preparatory work has begun in (a) Southend on Sea, (b) Essex and (c) England for the 2011 census; what representations he has received since 2005 on that census; and if he will make a statement. [159648]
Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 24 October 2007:
The National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what preparatory work has begun in (a) Southend-on-Sea, (b) Essex and (c) England for the 2011 Census; what representations he has received since 2005 on that Census. I am replying in her absence. (159648)
Preparations for the 2011 Census in England and Wales include:-
Consultations earned out in 2002-2003 on the need for a Census;
Formal consultation launched in May 2005 on the content of the 2011 Census;
Publication in March 2006 of approximately 2,000 responses to the consultation on content;
Formal consultation on ethnicity, identity, language and religion launched in December 2006;
Publication of summary of responses to the consultation on ethnicity, identity, language and religion October 2007;
Programme of individual question development;
Small-scale tests of questions;
Development of the 2007 Test questionnaire;
Launch in September 2005 through the Official Journal of the European Union of the procurement process for the contract to support the 2011 Census, covering
Printing of questionnaires, information leaflets and envelopes;
Data capture;
Internet capture/coding;
Questionnaire tracking;
Operational intelligence support;
Contact centres.
Development of new procedures;
Postal delivery of questionnaires;
Development of a robust list of addresses/households;
On-the-ground address checking operation before census;
Internet collection option;
Post-back to a single central location;
Central questionnaire response tracking and fast receipting;
Two-way field communication systems; and
More effective and flexible field operation.
2007 Census Test held on 13 May covering 100,000 households within five local authorities—Bath and North East Somerset, Camden, Carmarthenshire, Liverpool and Stoke-on-Trent Test Evaluation report to be published in early 2008;
Formal consultation on Small Area Geography launched in November 2006;
Address Register evaluation;
Planning for Rehearsal in 2009; and
Planning engagement with stakeholders including an increased role for local authorities and local authority chief executives.
We recognise that for the engagement to work really effectively it will be important to get the support of local authority chief executives, particularly in view of the financial implications associated with Census results. We are working with a sub group of the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE) Electoral Matters Panel, of which the Chief Executive for Southend-on Sea, Robert Tinlin is a member. Mr Tinlin wrote to the National Statistician in April asking how we could best work together to achieve a successful Census and in her reply the National Statistician suggested that after we had done some evaluation of the Test, a meeting should be arranged between Ian Cope, the Census Director and Mr Tinlin. They were scheduled to meet in September at the next meeting of the SOLACE Electoral Matters Panel Census sub-group but I understand the meeting has been postponed until 13 November.
Specific areas identified for working in partnership with local authorities include:
Address Register development to ensure fullest coverage;
Enumeration intelligence for targeting of delivery methods and follow-up resources;
Identifying and developing Community Liaison contacts;
Recruitment and logistical support; and
Publicity.
We recognise that not all local authorities would have the same resources to commit to working with us in all these areas, but we are keen to explore the potential for working with both Southend-on-Sea Borough Council and Essex County Council.
A draft Local Authority Engagement Strategy is currently being reviewed by the Local Government Association and the Department for Communities and Local Government.
Representations concerning the 2011 Census have been primarily in the form of responses to widespread consultations carried out since 2005 on the topic content of the Census, including in particular ethnicity, identity, language and religion, and the future policy on the use of small area geographies for National Statistics. Other than the responses to the consultation, some 650 pieces of correspondence have been dealt with since 2005. These have focused primarily on the topics and questions to be included in the Census, confidentiality, and from local authorities enquiring about our plans for enumeration of their areas.
Census: Essex
Mr. Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the accuracy of figures for (a) Southend on Sea and (b) Essex in each of the last two censuses; what representations he has received on this in each of the last two years; and if he will make a statement. [159650]
Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 24 October 2007:
The National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what recent assessment has been made of the accuracy of census figures for (a) Southend on Sea and (b) Essex in each of the last two censuses and what representations have been received on this in each of the last two years, I am replying in her absence. (159650)
Following the 2001 Census for England and Wales, ONS undertook an extensive programme of work to investigate the reasons for the difference between the 2001 Census and the mid-year population estimates (MYEs) at both national and local levels. This research included a series of local authority studies carried out in 2004 which were designed to improve the MYEs in the areas that proved hardest to count in the Census. An extensive review was carried out for 32 local authorities, including Southend-on-Sea. The results of these studies showed that better estimates of the population could be made in 15 areas and an adjustment was made to the MYEs in these areas. For the great majority of areas, including Southend-on-Sea, it was found that the 2001 Census-based population estimate remains the best estimate of the population. A full report on these Local Authority Studies can be found at: www.statistics.gov .uk/downloads/theme_population/LAStudy_FullReport.pdf.
The Census 2001 Quality report for England and Wales provides information about all aspects of quality relating to the 2001 Census, It provides an overview of the quality issues and the studies and analyses that have been carried out to improve the quality of census data. The Quality report is held in the House of Commons Library or can be downloaded from www.statistics.gov;uk/census2001/proj_qr.asp
Official assessments of the quality of the 1991 Census were published in the 1991 Census General Report (ISBN 0-11-691616-8) and User Guide 58 (Undercoverage in Great Britain). These were carried out at national level and no assessment of quality was made for individual local authorities. The General Report is held in the House of Commons Library and User Guide 58 may be obtained from Census Customer Services at census.customerservicesf@ons.gov.uk.
The 1991 Census Validation Survey assessed the coverage of the Census and the quality of the Census information recorded about those people who were successfully enumerated. The 1991 Census Validation Survey: Quality Report (ISBN 0-11-691688-5) and 1991 Census Validation Survey: Coverage Report (ISBN 0-11-691591-9) Is held in the House of Commons Library,
With the completion of the Local Authority studies in 2004, no further assessment of the accuracy of the 2001 Census has been required, ONS are now working on developing the plans for the next Census in 2011.
In the two years since September 2005, ONS has received two letters from one local authority and one letter from a Parish Council specifically regarding the accuracy of the Census results. They have met with a further local authority to discuss their concerns. There have been no formal representations made to ONS specifically about the accuracy of the 1991 or 2001 Census during this time.
Civil Servants: Pay
John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how civil service annual pay increases to basic pay rates are calculated within overall earnings growth amounts. [156827]
Andy Burnham [holding answer 10 October 2007]: All increases to basic pay rates in the civil service are included within the figures for overall earnings growth.
John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the (a) basic increase elements and (b) overall earnings growth figures for civil service pay are calculated in the same way as other parts of the public sector. [156828]
Andy Burnham [holding answer 10 October 2007]: Many public sector workforce groups employ a step-based pay system. Where civil service departments have similar systems, the basic award will be calculated in the same way.
However, due to the wide variety of pay systems used in the civil service, which sometimes differ from those used elsewhere in the public sector, the basic award is necessarily calculated in different ways in some organisations.
In the civil service, earnings growth is most appropriately measured through Increase for Staff in Post (ISP). This metric is used to record the cost of the average pay increase staff receive in a Department or agency.
Corporation Tax
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent estimate is of the number of small companies which have faced larger corporation tax bills as a result of changes to the associated company rule. [159068]
Jane Kennedy: There have been no recent substantive changes to the associated company rules affecting small companies.
Defence: Finance
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 2 July 2007, Official Report, column 932W, on Defence: Finance, what the Ministry of Defence's upper limit for non-cash to near cash switches was for financial years 2001-02 to 2007-08. [156005]
Andy Burnham: Full resource budgeting was introduced in 2003-04. From that point, as set out in the answer of 2 July, Official Report, column 932W, the upper limit for non-cash to near cash switches is reflected in the relevant parliamentary supply estimate. These are detailed as follows:
| £ million | |
General Practitioners
Mr. Allen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what mechanism primary care trusts will bid for the extra GP surgeries announced in his statement of 9 October on the pre-Budget report and Comprehensive Spending Review. [157611]
Mr. Bradshaw: I have been asked to reply.
We are working with the NHS to identify where the new GP surgeries should be located, based on the measures highlighted in the Next Stage Review Interim Report (primary care clinicians, patient satisfaction and health outcomes). Funding will be allocated to these areas based on local PCT plans. A list will be made available shortly.
Immigration: Bulgaria
Mr. Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Office for National Statistics projections of net migration into the UK assume a change in arrangements for workers from Romania and Bulgaria. [159981]
Angela Eagle [holding answer 22 October 2007]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Dennis Roberts, dated 24 October 2007:
The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking whether the Office for National Statistics projections of net migration into the UK assume a change in arrangements for workers from Romania and Bulgaria. I am replying in her absence. (159981)
New national population projections, based on the population at the middle of 2006, were published on 23 October 2007. They include a short-term allowance for additional net migration from the accession countries which joined the EU in May 2004 and January 2007. I am placing in the House of Commons Library a note setting out details of this allowance, which is also available at:
The assumptions underlying national population projections are demographic trend based. They are not forecasts. They make no assumptions about changes in government policy.
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