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8 July 2009 : Column 872W—continued
NHS: Standards
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times an NHS organisation has assessed itself as compliant with a core standard but been found by the Care Quality Commission to be non-compliant in the last three years; and which (a) NHS organisation and (b) core standard was concerned in each such instance. [284195]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: In the last three years of assessment the Healthcare Commission adjusted 369 declarations for individual core standards; 0.6 per cent. of the total submitted. A table showing declarations adjusted has been placed in the Library.
Queen Mary's Sidcup Hospital NHS Trust: Accident and Emergency Departments
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the timetable is for the closure of the Accident and Emergency Department at Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup. [284849]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The South London Healthcare NHS Trust is responsible for this issue and have indicated to us that they will publish the implementation plans for A Picture of Health by the end of July. These plans will
include a timetable for the service changes that will take place at Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup, including the phased closure of Accident and Emergency, and the development of an Urgent Care Centre.
Sick Leave: Hertfordshire
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the rate of (a) absence and (b) absence resulting from injury at work was amongst those social service employees for which his Department is responsible in (i) Hemel Hempstead and (ii) Hertfordshire in each of the last five years; what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such absences; and if he will make a statement. [284560]
Phil Hope: Information on absence rates among social service staff is not held centrally by the Department.
It is the responsibility of local employers to collect information on absence rates among their employees.
Swine Flu
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many courses of antivirals have been dispensed for the treatment of swine flu; and how many of these have been given to (a) patients with swine flu and (b) contacts of patients with swine influenza as prophylaxis. [284197]
Gillian Merron: As at 2 July 2009, data from the Health Protection Agency’s fluzone database showed that:
the number of antivirals dispensed to patients with swine flu influenza was 6,138; and
the number of antivirals dispensed to contacts of patients with swine influenza as prophylaxis was 10,363.
Treatment Centres: Hygiene
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects all NHS and independent sector treatment centres to be compliant with the provisions of the EU Directive on Medical Devices in relation to the sterilisation of surgical instruments. [284430]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Both national health service and independent sector treatment centres are required to comply with the provisions of the EU Medical Devices Directive. This compliance is monitored by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) who expect both sectors to have in place action plans where their self-assessments or declarations conclude that there is not full compliance. The CQC will follow up instances where non-compliance is declared or where the CQC has information that there may not be full compliance with standards.
Treatment Centres: Regulation
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which (a) NHS and (b) independent sector treatment centre sterile service departments have been assessed by a notified body under Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency as compliant with the EU Directive on Medical Devices, EU 93/42. [284571]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Information on conformity assessments undertaken by UK Notified bodies to the requirements of the EC Medical Devices Directive 93/42/EC is not kept centrally by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.
Waiting Lists: Hemel Hempstead
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average inpatient waiting time for treatment on the NHS was in each primary care trust area in Hemel Hempstead in each of the last 10 years. [284450]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The following data shows the average (median) waiting time for elective admissions for primary care trusts (PCTs) in Hertfordshire since 2003 which is the earliest data available.
Table 2 shows data for the newly-formed West Hertfordshire PCT.
| Table 1: Median in - patient waiting time for elective admission, time periods 2003 - 06 (commissioner based) | ||||
| Weeks | ||||
| Month ending March each year | ||||
| Organisations | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 |
| Notes: 1. Figures are shown for organisations that existed at the time. 2. Inpatient waiting times are measured from decision to admit by the consultant to admission to hospital. 3. The figures show the median waiting times for patients still waiting for admission at the end of the period stated. 4. Hertsmere, Watford and Three Rivers, Dacorum and St. Albans PCTs were combined to form West Hertfordshire PCT. 5. Median waiting times are calculated from aggregate data, rather than patient level data, and therefore are only estimates of the position on average waits. In particular, specialties with low numbers waiting are prone to fluctuations in the median. This should be taken into account when interpreting the data. Source: Department of Health Waiting List Collections Quarterly Commissioner return and Monthly Monitoring Commissioner (MMRCOM) | ||||
| Table 2: Median in - patient waiting time for elective admission, time periods 2007 - 09 (commissioner based) | ||||
| Weeks | ||||
| Month ending March each year | ||||
| Current strategic health authority area | Organisations | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
| Notes: 1. Figures are shown for organisations that existed at the time. 2. Inpatient waiting times are measured from decision to admit by the consultant to admission to hospital. 3. The figures show the median waiting times for patients still waiting for admission at the end of the period stated. 4. Median waiting times are calculated from aggregate data, rather than patient level data, and therefore are only estimates of the position on average waits. In particular, specialties with low numbers waiting are prone to fluctuations in the median. This should be taken into account when interpreting the data. Source: Department of Health Waiting List Collections Quarterly Commissioner return and MMRCOM. | ||||
Business, Innovation and Skills
Non-domestic Rates: Ports
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what representations his Department has received from businesses on the application of business rates to ports in the last 12 months; and what responses have been made to such representations. [284271]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department for Communities and Local Government has received correspondence from around 40 business contacts, and from 18 MPs, concerning the issues arising from the rating review of ports.
The Government have responded in writing to all those making representations, and in a number of parliamentary debates this year. In these responses, the Government have made it clear we have introduced legislation enabling all businesses (not just those in ports) facing backdated rates bills of 34 months or more, which meet certain criteria, to enter a schedule of payments to permit payment over up to eight years.
Space Technology
Adam Afriyie: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when the British National Space Centre commissioned a report from Moreton Hall Associates and JRA Technology Ltd into the space licensing regime; what the cost of commissioning the report was; when the report was finalised; what its main findings and recommendations were; and if he will place a copy of the report in the Library. [283209]
Mr. Lammy: The Moreton Hall report was commissioned in February 2005 and presented to the British National Space Centre in June 2005. The cost of the report was £26,100. The report is classified as ‘Commercial-in-confidence’ and there are no plans to put it in the public domain.
The list of recommendations from the report is as follows:
A system for licensing should be retained.
BNSC should act to establish precise responsibility for sub-orbital manned flight with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and, if necessary, introduce changes to the licensing process and procedures to suit.
The different classes of satellites and missions should be recognised and addressed in different licence application procedures and fees as detailed in this report.
Overseas Territories/Crown Dependencies should be permitted to issue their own licences provided that clauses are inserted to ensure that ascent phase third party liability insurance provides cover to UK Government and that the territory indemnifies the UK Government.
Protocols should be established for each of the territories, with respect to division of responsibility BNSC/Territories for licence application support and licence issue, and guidance notes should be produced for staff.
In-orbit third party liability insurance should be no longer routinely required. However, BNSC may wish to consider insisting upon TPL insurance if the space object is designed/planned to re-enter. The omission of in-orbit TPL should be kept under review because of the presence of man-made orbit debris that could, in future, be identified.
With regard to post-separation-pre-orbit phase third party liability, this should be retained, and if possible, be covered by an extension of launch vehicle TPL insurance.
Research and educational satellites are now exempt from all third party liability indemnities and insurance requirements, and this practice should continue. The UK Government must be fully aware that they have unlimited liability for third party damages which may be incurred by these satellites.
BNSC should propose the establishment of protocols for proportional sharing of liability where more than one state is classified as Launching State within the meaning of the UN treaties/conventions.
Consideration should be given to establishing a simple bilateral recognition of other nations' safety evaluations and licensing procedures.
Consideration should be given on taking an active part (i.e. even leadership role) in the EU/ESA licence harmonisation process.
With respect to the Human Rights Act, no changes to the existing or herein proposed licence procedures are recommended; however, it should be clearly understood that if the SoS wishes to refuse a licence, there must be strong grounds for so doing, such as national security/threatened safety of persons, not in public interest (if strong enough).
BNSC should take the lead in establishing clear protocols for resolving quickly any disagreements as to responsibilities between Government Departments in respect of space activities.
The division of responsibility vis-Ã -vis BNSC/Ofcom for Radio Frequency aspects of satellite missions is well-established and no further action is required.
De-orbiting strategies should be required and included in the licence terms. Further, ensure that they are compatible with the emerging International Office for Standardisation (ISO) standards.
Earth Observing mission licences should include a requirement on licensees to comply with 1986 Principles relating to Remote Sensing of Earth.
In the secondary register, where ownership has changed, it should be recorded that change of liability has similarly been transferred (if it has) and to which state.
To ensure the proper notification of orbit changes to the UN, some form of regular monitoring of licensee's activities must be established.
BNSC should ratify, and fully implement, a revised auditable licensing process, addressing through-life monitoring, as identified in this report.
The process, supporting procedures and forms, should be documented and disseminated in the form of updated notes for the guidance of staff and applicants (two sets).
Procedures, methodologies and associated acceptance criteria for the safety evaluation should be defined in more detail as outlined in this report.
The safety evaluation contractor should be given the added responsibility of development and maintenance of a database of acceptance criteria and relevant best practice and international standards.
The responsibility for the debris-collision risk assessment at time of application may be transferred to the applicants either to undertake themselves, or via a service company.
Debris-collision risk assessment should be undertaken as part of the through-life monitoring function/responsibility, and these may be delegated to the operator (by wider dissemination of the debris-collision risk assessment model). In addition, measures should be implemented to ensure the debris data content of the debris-collision risk assessment tool be maintained as current.
Applicants who have supplied comprehensive insurance briefing packages should make BNSC aware of the detailed table of contents as soon as possible, as the information therein may well provide adequate responses to the safety evaluation questions.
BNSC should give considerations to the revision of the fee structure as indicated in this report.
BNSC should give consideration to delegation of responsibility for elements of the licence application process as indicated in this report. In particular, a new role of Safety Licence Support Contractor should be considered, and, if agreed, may be competed for by appropriately qualified organisations.
The role of safety evaluation and maintenance of safety standards may be competed for by appropriately qualified organisations.
The BNSC website should be revised to provide enhanced guidance to applicants and links to relevant documents and standards as outlined in this report.
Changes should also be made to the licence application form on the site as detailed in this report.
Treasury
Andrew Hudson
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what remuneration package Mr Andrew Hudson will receive in his capacity as his Department’s Managing Director (Public Services and Growth Directorate). [284925]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Government Departments report annually on the remuneration of senior managers in their Resource Accounts.
Andrew Hudson was appointed as a senior manager at HM Treasury on 30 March 2009. Details of his remuneration will be included in HM Treasury’s Resource Accounts for 2008-09 and future years.
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