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24 Mar 2009 : Column 232W—continued
Departmental Public Expenditure
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) pursuant to the announcement of 3 February 2009 on safeguarding Government infrastructure investment, whether any of his Department's (a) under spends on previous projects and (b) unallocated funds will be used to provide funding for the private finance initiative projects referred to; [265558]
(2) with reference to the announcement of 3 February 2009 on safeguarding Government infrastructure investment, which of his Department's projects are included within the 110 projects referred to; and how much the Government plan to lend to each of those projects in each financial year. [265559]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Government announced on 3 March that they will lend to private finance initiative (PFI) schemes that cannot raise sufficient debt finance on acceptable terms. This lending facility will be run by the Treasury. All projects in procurement, meaning the 110 PFI schemes which have issued a notice to go out to tender in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) but have not yet reached financial close, will be eligible for this finance from the Government. The £475 million North Bristol NHS trust Southmead hospital redevelopment is one of these schemes.
The North Bristol scheme is not at the stage where the private sector counterpart needs to raise finance. The Department will work with the trust and its advisers and the preferred bidder (when confirmed) and its advisors to monitor closely the general banking situation to see if it is necessary to approach the Treasury lending facility.
Funding for this lending facility will be provided from across Government, including initially from unallocated funds and Departmental under spends on previous projects. The Treasury Budget Report published in April this year will contain information on the year end position for the 2008-09 Department capital budget. The Department's capital plans for 2009-10 and 2010-11 are still being finalised
Departmental Publications
Mr. Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the propositions contained in Religion or belief: a practical guide for the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [265633]
Phil Hope: In January 2009, the Department published “Religion or Belief: A Practical Guide for the NHS” as part of a suite of guides, covering different aspects of equality, to help national health service organisations publish better equality schemes, review, and if needs be, improve their equality performance for patients and staff. For the most part, the contents of all the guides are neither mandatory nor new. If a NHS organisation needs to adjust its practice, it should do so with due regard to its statutory obligations and current performance levels, and its own resources.
Departmental Recruitment
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 12 February 2009, Official Report, columns 2173-4W, on departmental recruitment, what estimate he has made of the annual salary cost of the new (a) permanent, (b) temporary and (c) agency staff recruited by his Department in each year since 2005-06. [264281]
Mr. Bradshaw: To make an estimate of the costs of salaries for those staff recruited in each of the years since 2005-06 would incur disproportionate costs to establish.
Information about the costs of staff salaries, more generally, is published in departmental annual reports. These can be found on the Department's website at:
Departmental Temporary Employment
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's policy is on the renewal of the contracts of (a) temporary and (b) agency staff. [264283]
Mr. Bradshaw: The recruitment of temporary staff is governed by the Civil Service Commissioners Recruitment Code, which can be downloaded at:
The Department uses contracted agency staff to meet short-term business needs.
Departmental policy is to renew only those contracts where there is a strong continuing business need. This need is determined through a business case approval process.
Departmental Travel
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to his Department was of petrol for official travel by private car in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [263485]
Mr. Bradshaw: There is no statutory requirement to report on petrol costs as a separate item in the annual accounts. Also, it is not possible to answer this question on the basis that we cannot disaggregate and identify how much was spent on mileage claims either as the data are only recorded as part of the total spend for travel and subsistence.
However, in July the Department introduced a new finance system, which will allow for a more detailed breakdown of the data collected, we can therefore provide details of the amount spent on mileage claims since July 2008.
The rates reimbursed by the Department are in line with other Government Departments and have HM Revenue and Customs approval. The Department reimburses staff at a rate of 40p per mile for the first 4,000 miles and 25p a mile thereafter for use of a private motor vehicle on official business. The rate reimbursed when a motorcycle is used for official business is 24p per mile.
It should be noted that these rates relate to both petrol and diesel and includes elements to cover for depreciation etc. It is not intended that the rate should solely cover fuel costs.
Since 1 July 2008, the Department has reimbursed staff a total of £111,030.00 in mileage claims.
Diabetes: Syringes
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department provides to local authorities on charging for the disposal of used needles from diabetics. [266249]
Ann Keen:
The Department’s guidance document “Health Technical Memorandum 07-01: Safe management of healthcare waste” contains information relating to local authorities’ responsibilities for the disposal of clinical waste, which includes used needles from diabetics.
A copy of the document has already been placed in the Library. Paragraph 2.8 of the document states:
“Local authorities have specific duties in relation to healthcare waste. Section 45 of the Environmental Protection Act (in Northern Ireland, Article 20 of the Waste and Contaminated Land Order) states that it is the duty of each waste collection authority to arrange for the collection of household waste in its area. It also states that the authority may make a reasonable charge for the collection of certain types of household waste to reflect the higher disposal costs and separate collection arrangements that have to be made. Types of household waste for which a charge for collection can be made are listed in Schedule 2 of the Controlled Waste Regulations. These include clinical waste from a domestic property.”
Diabetes: Wiltshire
Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of (a) type 1 and (b) type 2 diabetes were diagnosed in each age group in the NHS Wiltshire area in each of the last five years. [264865]
Ann Keen: This information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the following table.
The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) contains disease registers for adult diabetics (ages 17 and over). These registers are available from 2004-05 and show four years of data. The registers do not distinguish between type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and do not give the age group of the patient.
| Primary care trust (PCT) | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 |
| Note: Wiltshire PCT was formed in October 2006 by the merger of West Wiltshire PCT, South Wiltshire PCT and Kennet and North Wiltshire PCT. Figures for 2004-05 and 2005-06 are the sum of the figures for these three PCTs. Figures for 2006-07 and 2007-08 are for Wiltshire PCT. | ||||
Diseases
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) male and (b) female patients were on clinical disease registers in (i) each primary care trust in London and (ii) each strategic health authority area in each of the last three years; what proportion of the total number of patients on practice lists in each area such patients represented in each year; and if he will make a statement. [255836]
Mr. Bradshaw: A copy of the information requested on clinical disease registers has been placed in the Library.
Health Education: Finance
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding his Department is providing to (a) primary care trusts and (b) hospital trusts to promote healthy eating and exercise in 2008-09. [265886]
Dawn Primarolo:
Funding to the national health service is provided mainly directly to primary care trusts (PCTs) (£74 billion in 2008-09). PCTs then commission
services to meet the health needs of their populations, including from primary care providers and hospital trusts. PCT allocations are not broken down into funding for individual policy streams such as the promotion of healthy eating and exercise. Rather, the Department is clear about outcomes it wants the NHS to deliver in the Operating Framework, including commitments on childhood obesity. It is for the NHS to decide locally how best to deliver those commitments including how much resource to invest.
Hearing Impaired: Children
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children of each age under 17 years old have become deaf in each of the last 10 years. [264910]
Phil Hope: The number and ages of deaf children in England is not collected centrally. Instead, data are collected on the number of children who are registered as deaf or hard of hearing. Inclusion on the register is voluntary and therefore, does not provide a complete picture of the number of children in England who are deaf or hard of hearing.
As at 31 March 2007, 3,400 people aged 0-17 years were registered as deaf in England (4,100 were registered as hard of hearing).
Registers of Deaf and Hard of Hearing People (SSDA910) are collected by the NHS Information Centre every three years, and was last collected in 2006-07. This collects the number of people registered as deaf or hard of hearing with councils with social services responsibilities (CSSR).
Hospitals: Admissions
Sir John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the documents and parliamentary statements in which the Government’s policy on the categories of patients who may be admitted to NHS community hospitals in England is set out. [263662]
Mr. Bradshaw: We do not categorise patients in this way. Community hospitals are places that can offer a broad range of diagnostic and treatment services where these can be provided safely and appropriately away from specialist centres. Admissions will depend on the mix of services available and the clinical needs of individual patients.
Hospitals: Construction
Sir John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the community hospital capital projects which have been approved to date under the £750 million of capital expenditure for community hospitals over five years announced by his predecessor the right hon. Member for Leicester West, stating in each case (a) the name of the community hospital and its location, (b) a brief description of the capital works, (c) the capital cost approved and (d) the date of approval. [263663]
Mr. Bradshaw: The following table indicates name and location of community hospital, a description of the capital works, the capital contribution approved by the Department, and the date the scheme was approved.
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