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29 Oct 2007 : Column 1041W—continued
To allow these deductions to be reversed the centrally held NHS contingency was distributed to strategic health authorities (SHAs). The share for each SHA is set out in the following table.
| Distribution of the centrally held NHS contingency | |
| SHA | Share of centrally held NHS contingency (£000) |
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been allocated to public health spending in each year from 2007-08 until 2010-11. [159937]
Dawn Primarolo: The primary care trust revenue allocations for 2007-08 identified £342 million to support public health initiatives. Funding for 2008-09 and beyond has not yet been determined.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the presentation entitled Policy Costing Overview given at the Financial Management and Reporting Steering Group meeting on 23 March, (1) what arrangements for revenue challenge existed prior to his Department’s restructuring exercise; [159948]
(2) what arrangements for policy costing existed prior to the drafting of the Policy Costing Handbook. [159972]
Mr. Bradshaw: Policy branches typically work with analytical support staff to cost the impact of their policy developments. The Policy Costing Handbook brought together good practice that already existed within the Department, codifying it and presenting it in as a step-by-step process. Before it was issued some policy documents contained guidance on costing; for example, “Policy Appraisal and Health”, amended November 2004, contained a section on how to quantify resource costs and cost data sources.
Prior to the Department’s restructuring exercise, the sign-off by the finance director for all policies with significant financial implications had not been formally required. However finance in the majority of cases was
typically consulted on revenue implications of policies, but did not have a dedicated team to scrutinise the costs.
The majority of policy proposals are included in the Department’s comprehensive spending review bids, typically every three years. The proposals are assessed and costs are examined in finance by a team of staff that compile the bid.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the presentation entitled Policy Costing Overview given at the Financial Management and Reporting Steering Group meeting on 23rd March, (1) what other needs were identified as part of his Department’s restructuring exercise aside from the need for a Revenue Challenge Function; [159949]
(2) on what date the restructuring of his Department took effect. [159974]
Mr. Bradshaw: There were seven challenges identified as part of the Department’s restructuring exercise given at the presentation to the Financial Management and Reporting Steering Group meeting on 23 March 2007. These are:
Transition to a commissioning-led structure; strengthen integrated policy development; enhance the challenge role of finance; higher profile for social care and strengthen key departmental management functions, including policy co-ordination and planning; create a single integrated board to lead the Department and further increase the level of collaboration between the board and the Secretary of State and Ministers.
On 20 January 2006, Nigel Crisp, the then NHS chief executive and permanent secretary for the Department, announced the transitional arrangements being brought in to manage change.
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when the national weighted capitation formula was last changed; and whether he plans to make alterations to it; [160379]
(2) whether he plans to adjust the market forces factor; [160380]
(3) what progress he has made in the review of the market forces factor; [160391]
(4) when his Department plans to (a) produce a report on and (b) publish findings of its review of the impact of the market forces factor on the funding levels of local health trusts. [160396]
Mr. Bradshaw: The development of the weighted capitation formula is continually overseen by the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA). The formula was last updated prior to the 2006-07 and 2007-08 revenue allocations to primary care trusts (PCTs).
ACRA is currently reviewing the formula in support of the revenue allocations to PCTs post 2007-08. This review covers the market forces factor and the need elements of the formula, and also the population base.
ACRA’s work is ongoing, but once it is complete, ACRA will make recommendations to Ministers on proposed formula changes. Ministers will need to give due consideration to any proposed changes to the formula, as recommended by ACRA.
The date for announcing revenue allocations to PCT post 2007-08 has not yet been determined. Documentation supporting the announcement, which will include the impact of any formula changes, will be published as soon as practically possible after the announcement has been made.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 3 September 2007, Official Report, column 1878W, on NHS: finance, for what reason the allocation of resources to primary care trusts was not revised. [160770]
Mr. Bradshaw: Allocations to primary care trusts (PCTs) were set for three years from 2003-04 to 2005-06 in December 2002, and for a further two years in February 2005 covering 2006-07 and 2007-08. Our policy is that we do not revise PCT allocations once they are set, because giving PCTs certainty enables better local planning.
NHS: Procurement
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what improvements in procurement practices in the NHS his Department plans to make in order to achieve savings of £1 billion a year by 2011. [159939]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Department is currently finalising delivery plans for improved efficiency to meet the requirements of the comprehensive spending review 2007 (CSR07). A value for money delivery agreement is due to be published in December following agreement with the Treasury. The Commercial Directorate is working closely with the Office of Government Commerce (OGC), the national health service Purchasing and Supply Agency (NHS PASA) and the NHS procurement community to identify specific initiatives. All the work referred to above will help meet the £1 billion savings target in 2011.
Over the last three years significant improvements have been established in NHS procurement practices. These include the establishment of Collaborative Procurement Hubs, the introduction of eProcurement technologies and leading edge procurement practices within NHS PASA. The OGC Procurement Capability Review planned for March 2008 will assist in reviewing, with the Department, capacity, capability and current practices, thereby ensuring preparedness for delivery of efficiencies under CSR07.
NHS: Public Expenditure
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's total expenditure on managing the NHS identity, as explained on the website www.nhsidentity.nhs.uk, was in 2006-07. [160221]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Department spent £248,181 on managing the national health service identity in 2006-07.
I regret that the information given to the hon. Member in a written answer on 11 December 2006, Official Report, column 562W, was incorrect. The correct figure for 2002-03 is £168,540.
NHS: Working Hours
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 12 September 2007, Official Report, column 2082W, on the NHS: working hours, if he will place in the Library the information received by the Department on the national workforce projects and pilot schemes which are being conducted to judge the NHS’s readiness for implementation of the European Working Time Directive. [159714]
Ann Keen: There are a number of pilot projects under way that are being supported by National Workforce Projects. These are the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Children’s and Maternity Services in 2009; Milton Keynes General NHS Trust; 3 x 9 Hour Shift Pattern, Redesigning Traditional Junior Doctor Rotas; Paediatric Solutions; Co-operative Solutions; Taking Care 24:7; Team Working; Handover and Escalation; and IT Solutions. The information requested consists of a large number of documents and these have been made available to the hon. Member. They are also available on the National Workforce Project website at:
Nurses: Manpower
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) full-time equivalent and (b) headcount (i) district nurses and (ii) midwives were employed by the NHS in each year since 1997; and what steps he is taking to increase the number employed by the NHS in each case. [157601]
Mr. Bradshaw: The number of full-time equivalent (FTE) as well as headcount district nurses and midwives since 1997 is shown in the table.
Workforce planning is a matter for local determination as local workforce planners are best placed to asses the midwifery and district nurse needs of their local population. The department continues to ensure the frameworks are in place to enable effective local workforce planning.
Nurses: Rheumatology
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many specialist nurses were employed in (a) rheumatology and (b) diabetes in each year since 2001. [158653]
Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally.
The annual national health service workforce census does not separately identify rheumatology and diabetes specialist nurses from the rest of the nursing workforce.
The Information Centre are working with NHS organisations and other stakeholders to improve data quality, allowing for more detailed information in specific areas of work, including diabetes and rheumatology.
Obesity
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how his Department measures obesity; and if he will make a statement. [161244]
Dawn Primarolo: Obesity in adults is defined using Body Mass Index (BMI). It involves comparing weight to height by dividing the weight measurement, expressed in kilograms, by the square of the height, expressed in meters. Obesity is defined as a BMI greater or equal to 30.
In children defining obesity is more difficult because they are growing, and so both their height and weight change at the same time. In children, standard United Kingdom reference charts for weight relative to height are used which are age and gender specific.
Note:
BMI is the internationally recognised standard for identifying overweight and obesity.
Paediatrics
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) paediatric beds and (b) paediatric wards there were in each primary care trust area in the East of England in each year since 1997. [159224]
Ann Keen: Information is not available in the format requested. However, the following table shows the average daily number of available paediatric beds in wards open overnight for national health service trusts in the East of England between 1996-97 and 2006-07.
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