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10 Dec 2007 : Column 308W—continued


10 Dec 2007 : Column 309W

General Practitioners: Questionnaires

Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which departmental questionnaires have been sent to general practitioners since May 1997. [170621]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Department regularly carries out surveys of the national health service. There have been no surveys specifically targeted at general practitioners, although a survey carried out for the Departments “What Matters to Staff” earlier this year included 3,000 General Practice staff.

General Practitioners: Working Hours

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 13 November 2007, Official Report, column 178W, on GP service provision, what the dates were of meetings held between his officials and the group of out-of-hours providers brought together by the NHS Alliance in the last 12 months; and if he will place the (a) agenda and (b) minutes of each meeting in the Library. [167757]

Mr. Bradshaw: The dates of meetings held between officials and the group of out-of-hours providers brought together by the NHS Alliance in the last 12 months are:

A copy of the agenda and minutes for each of the meetings, with the exception of minutes for the meeting on 22 May 2007, when the meeting was brief and minutes were not recorded, have been placed in the Library.

Health and Social Care Information Centre

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what items of information are available through the Information Centre for Health and Social Care's catalogue; whether each item of information is available to (a) the NHS, (b) other interested parties and (c) the public; what (i) additions and (ii) deletions from the catalogue he anticipates taking place over the next 12 months; what changes in the availability of access to information contained in the catalogue he anticipates taking place over the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [170034]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Information Centre for health and social care’s catalogue can be accessed at the Information Centre's website at www.ic.nhs.uk. The Catalogue lists over 600 data collections and identifies where data are published. The Information Centre is currently reviewing which data should be made available in the catalogue in the future.

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions (a) the Information Centre for Health and Social Care and (b) the NHS Business Services Authority has had with (i) the British Medical Association, (ii) the Royal College of Nursing and (iii) other interested parties on data collection in each month since June 2007; what the content was of these discussions; and if he will make a statement. [170035]


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Mr. Bradshaw: The Information Centre for health and social care and the National Health Service Business Services Authority have had discussions since June 2007 with a wide range of stakeholders, including the British Medical Association, the Royal College of Nursing and other interested parties. Contact with stakeholders may be formal or informal and will cover data collections and standards where this is relevant.

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the Information Centre for Health and Social Care's priority projects are for 2008-09. [170071]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Information Centre's priority projects for 2008-09 will be made available in March 2008 and published on its website at

Health Hazards: Asbestos

Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the likely cost of asbestos disposal in NHS properties in each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement. [170623]

Mr. Bradshaw: This information is not collected centrally. Responsibility for the disposal of asbestos found in any national health service property is a matter for local management. The NHS, along with all other industries has been alert to the risks associated with asbestos for many years, and managers are aware of their responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002.

Health Professions: Conditions of Employment

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who is the senior official responsible for the Modernising Medical Careers Programme Board. [172486]

Ann Keen: The Director General Workforce, as the Programme’s Departmental Management Board sponsor, and the Chief Medical Officer, as the Department’s medical lead, are responsible for the Modernising Medical Careers Programme Board.

Health Services

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which primary care trusts have (a) completed and (b) not yet completed a strategic services development plan; and in which year each completed plan was completed. [168928]

Mr. Bradshaw: Strategic service development plans (SSDPs) are required as part of the overall partnership agreements underpinning primary care trusts (PCTs) and other trusts who are parties to local improvement finance trust (LIFT) agreements. Part of that partnership agreement is a contractual obligation on the parties to update the SSDP on an annual basis. There is no requirement for SSDPs to be completed in non-LIFT areas.


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No central record is kept of the status of individual SSDPs. The following information lists PCTs with LIFT agreements.


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