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1 July 2008 : Column 871W—continued
| National health service hospitals England and activity performed in the independent sector in England commissioned by the English NHS | |
| Hospital provider | FCEs |
| Notes: Low numbers 1. Due to reasons of confidentiality, figures between 1 and 5 have been suppressed and replaced with a ‘—’. Data quality 2. HES are compiled from data sent by over 300 NHS trusts, and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. Data are also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. 3. Assessing growth through time HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. During the years that these records have been collected the NHS there have been ongoing improvements in quality and coverage. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Some of the increase in figures for later years (particularly 2006-07 onwards) may be due to the improvement in the coverage of independent sector activity. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example a number of procedures may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and may no longer be accounted in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time. 4. FCE A FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. The figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year. 5. FCE with an operative procedure A count of FCEs with an operative procedure is the number of FCEs where the procedure was mentioned in any of the 12 (four prior to 2002-03) operative procedure fields in a HES record. A record is only included once in each count, even if the procedure is mentioned in more than one operative procedure field of the record. More procedures are carried out than FCE with an operation. For example, patients under going a cataract operation would tend to have at least two procedures—removal of the faulty lens and the fitting of a new one—counted in a single finished consultant episode. 6. Changes to coding classifications Operative procedure codes were revised for 2006-07. The 2006-07 codes enable the recording of interventions and procedures which were not possible in earlier years. These changes need to be borne in mind when analysing time series and may explain any growth over time. 7. Further information on the code changes can be found at: www.connectingforhealth.nhs.uk Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Information Centre for health and social care. | |
University College Hospital: Inspections
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints were (a) made and (b) upheld (i) at local level and (ii) by the Health Service Commissioner arising from services provided by University College Hospital in each of the last five years. [214186]
Ann Keen: Information is not collected in the format requested.
Data are available on number of written complaints at national health service trust level, not at individual hospital level. University College Hospital is one of seven hospitals comprising University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The following table shows the number of written complaints received by the Trust for 2002-03 to 2006-07, the latest available information.
| Number of written complaints about hospital and community services, 2002-03 to 2006-07 | |||||
| 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | |
| Source: The Information Centre for health and social care. | |||||
Information about the number of complaints upheld by the Trust is not collected centrally. The hon. Member may therefore wish to raise this issue locally.
The health service commissioner (ombudsman) may carry out independent investigations of complaints about the NHS. This is the third stage of the NHS complaints procedure, after local resolution by the NHS organisation concerned and independent review by the Healthcare Commission. As the ombudsman is independent of the NHS, the hon. Member may wish to raise this issue directly with the ombudsman’s office.
Duchy of Lancaster
Council Tax
Ann Winterton: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what recent estimate he has made of the average proportion of household incomes which will be paid in council tax in 2008-09. [214855]
Mr. Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated June 2008:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what recent assessment has been made of the average proportion of household budgets which will be paid in council tax in 2008-09. (214855)
Estimates of tax payments by households are provided in the Office for National Statistics analysis ‘The effects of taxes and benefits on household income’. The most recent edition was published on the National Statistics website on 25th June 2008 at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/taxesbenefits, and contained data for the year 2006/07. The analysis is based on data from the Expenditure and Food Survey, which is a sample survey covering approximately 6,000 households in the UK.
In 2006/07, on average a household in the United Kingdom paid 2.8 per cent of their gross income in Council Tax (or Rates in Northern Ireland). This figure takes into account the deduction of discounts and Council Tax Benefit (or Rate Rebates).
Departmental Domestic Visits
Mr. Willis: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what visits he made to (a) Harrogate International Centre, (b) International Conference Centre, Birmingham, (c) Manchester Central, (d) Scottish Exhibitional and Conference Centre, Glasgow, (e) Edinburgh International Conference Centre, (f) Bournemouth International Conference Centre, (g) the Brighton Centre, Brighton, (h) the Riviera Centre, Torquay, (i) Queen Elizabeth Centre, London, (j) Excel Conference Centre, Docklands, London, and (k) Business Design Centre, Islington, London, in the period 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2007; and what events he attended at each. [197153]
Edward Miliband: During the period since my appointment as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and 31 December 2007, I have visited the Queen Elizabeth Conference Centre, London to attend the National Children’s Bureau summer reception on 19 June, and the Cabinet Office All Staff conference on 9 July 2007.
Food
Mr. Paice: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) how much was spent by his Department on (a) food and (b) food of British origin in each of the last five years; [214893]
(2) from which five countries of origin the greatest amount of food was procured by his Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the (a) cost and (b) quantity procured was in each case. [214894]
Phil Hope: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The Cabinet Office supports the Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative and works with its Facilities Management providers to encourage their suppliers to increase opportunities for more small and local producers to join their supply chains.
Pensioners
John Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what percentage of the population in (a) Leeds West, (b) Leeds Metropolitan District and (c) the UK were over 60 years of age in (i) 1981, (ii) 1991 and (iii) 2001. [215408]
Mr. Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 1 July 2008:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question on what the percentage of the population in (a) Leeds West, (b) Leeds Metropolitan District and (c) the UK were over 60 years of age in (i) 1981, (ii) 1991 and (iii) 2001. (215408)
The table below shows the percentage of population aged 60 and over for the United Kingdom, Leeds and Leeds West for 1981, 1991 and 2001. Figures for the United Kingdom and Leeds are mid-year population estimates; figures for Leeds West are Census data as mid-year estimates are not available for parliamentary constituencies for 1981 and 1991.
| Percentage of the population aged 60 and over for the United Kingdom and Leeds | |||
| Percentage of population 60+ | |||
| Mid-year | 1981 | 1991 | 2001 |
| (1) Mid-year population estimates are not available for 1981 and 1991. For comparability census data are supplied for all three years. Notes: 1. Leeds Metropolitan district had been interpreted as Leeds local authority. 2. Percentages have been calculated to include the age 60. Source: Office for National Statistics, General Register Office for Scotland and Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency | |||
Justice
Departmental Retirement
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the standard retirement age in his Department is; and how many people in his Department and its predecessor worked beyond the standard retirement age in each of the last five years. [214135]
Mr. Wills: Employment terms and conditions, including retirement age, is delegated to individual departments and agencies under the Civil Service (Management Functions) Act 1992 as set out in Chapter 11 of the Civil Service Management Code.
The Ministry of Justice was created on 9 May 2007 bringing together the former Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) and National Offender Management Service, including the Prison and Probation Services, and is the host department for the Office for Criminal Justice Reform. These organisations still operate separate terms and conditions and therefore the responses are separate.
Former Department of Constitutional Affairs and Agencies
Under the national retirement policy, all employees have the right to retire at the age of 60 and receive an occupational pension. Employees may retire at an earlier age under the provisions of the Superannuation Act 1972 and the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS) relating to preserved pension rights. Nothing in the former Department for Constitutional Affairs retirement policy affects the rights of employees under the national retirement policy.
The standard or normal retirement age for all established employees is between 60 and 65, depending on the date of appointment to the employees grade (except for those staff who did not accept the new harmonised terms and conditions in The Deal new pay arrangements for 2007). The senior civil service normal retirement age is currently 65. Legacy arrangements exist for staff who joined prior to 1 April 1999, with retirement ages ranging between 60 and 65.
| Normal retirement age for employees appointed on or after 1 April 1999 | |
| Pay span | Normal retirement age |
The normal retirement age for judges clerks is 65 and they may work until the end of the legal year in which they reach 65. The director of the Supreme Court has discretion to authorise their employment for up to a further three years if their judge wishes them to stay on.
Staff working beyond normal retirement date
The following table sets out the number of staff within the former Department for Constitutional Affairs and its Agencies, who were working beyond the normal retirement age for their grade, on 31 March for each year that accurate figures are available.
| Staff working beyond normal retirement age | |
| (1 )All magistrates staff above the normal retirement age of 60 are included irrespective of their equivalent government grade. | |
The standard, or normal, retirement age of Prison Service staff is currently 65. The normal retirement age has altered over the past five years. The following table sets out the number of staff, on 31 March each year, who were working beyond the normal retirement age for their grade in each of the last five years.
| Staff working beyond normal retirement age | |
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