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18 Mar 2010 : Column 969W—continued
Medical Treatments Abroad
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2010, Official Report, column 191W, on medical treatments abroad, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the increase in the number of E112 authorisations relating to maternity care between 2007 and 2008. [322791]
Gillian Merron: Between 2007 and 2008, the United Kingdom, in line with other European Economic Area (EEA) countries, switched from funding planned maternity care using the Electronic Health Insurance Card to issuing an E112 in order to inform capacity planning throughout the EEA area. This change explains the increase in maternity-related E112s between 2007 and 2008.
Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2010, Official Report, column 192W, on Mid Staffordshire General Hospitals NHS Trust, if he will place in the Library a copy of each item of correspondence relating to mortality rates at the Trust in each of the years referred to in the answer. [322367]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
NHS: Billing
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has provided to primary care trusts and other NHS purchasing departments on the recommended time period for payment to suppliers. [322824]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The guidance issued by this Department to the national health service on the recommended time period for payments to suppliers is contained within the NHS Manuals for Accounts. In summary, this states that all NHS trusts, primary care trusts (PCTs) and strategic health authorities (SHAs) must comply with the Better Payment Practice Code by paying at least 95 per cent. of bills within contract terms or within 30 days where no terms have been agreed.
In addition, David Nicholson, the chief executive of the NHS, has written to NHS trusts, PCTs and SHAs emphasising the importance placed on prompt payment, and the need to comply with both the Better Payment Practice Code and Government Accounting. He has also reminded them that they have a key economic role to play in their local communities and of the importance of having best practice payment processes in place. Monitor, the independent regulator for foundation trusts (FTs), has also written to FTs regarding prompt payment processes.
NHS: Contracts
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds on the number of NHS organisations which have outsourced their finance departments to (a) SBS in India, (b) other companies in India and (c) other foreign countries. [322803]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) is a 50:50 joint venture between the Department and Steria and provides shared finance and accounting services to 100 national health service organisations. NHS SBS delivers services through an integrated onshore and offshore model. Its offices are based in Leeds, Bristol, Southampton and Ilford in the United Kingdom, and in Noida and Pune in India.
The Department does not hold data on other outsourced finance contracts and the locations from which they are delivered.
NHS: ICT
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the National Programme for IT's (a) capital and (b) revenue expenditure was spent on (i) the central contracts with CSC and BT in each financial year since 2004 and (ii) operating Connecting for Health. [314569]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Information is not available in the form requested. The Department does not routinely collect whole-programme management information relating to expenditure on the national programme for information technology (IT) separately from figures covering its wider responsibilities for national health service TV.
Social Services
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will conduct a review of the arrangements for the funding and allocation of wardens in sheltered housing accommodation and the provision of low-level social care in England. [307360]
Mr. Ian Austin: I have been asked to reply.
The provision of sheltered housing schemes is non-statutory and the employment of wardens and care workers within those schemes is a matter for local authorities and other providers of sheltered housing.
House of Commons Commission
Departmental Energy
Mr. Doran: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission further to his answer of 1 March 2010, Official Report, column 836W, on departmental energy, if the Commission will make arrangements for the House to participate in the Earth Hour event on 27 March 2010. [323512]
Nick Harvey: It has now been agreed that, for the hour in question, the floodlights and clock lighting will be turned off, and those working on the Estate will be encouraged via the intranet to turn off their office lights.
Parliament: Environment
Mr. Doran: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what targets the House of Commons Commission plans to set to improve Parliament's environmental performance. [323513]
Nick Harvey: The Commission has recently endorsed Parliament's new environmental policy statement and the following short and long term environmental targets:
To reduce carbon emissions by 7 per cent. by 2010-11 and 34 per cent. by 2020-21, relative to 2008-09;
To reduce water consumption by 12 per cent. by 2010-11 and 25 per cent. by 2020-21, relative to 2008-09;
To reduce the volume of waste generated by 10 per cent. by 2010-11 and 25 per cent. by 2020-21, relative to 2008-09, and
To recycle 60 per cent. of waste generated by weight by 2010-11 and 75 per cent. by 2020-21.
These targets address current UK and international environmental commitments and expectations, including the 10:10 carbon emissions reduction campaign, as well as the operational arrangements for Parliament in 2010-11. They are supported by a robust environmental improvement plan to ensure the targets are achieved.
Electoral Commission Committee
Bearwood Corporate Services
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission if the Electoral Commission will place in the Library a copy of the report of its investigation into Bearwood Corporate Services; [322794]
(2) if the Electoral Commission will place in the Library a list of the officials and staff of the Conservative Party who did not accept the invitation for interview with representatives of the Electoral Commission as part of its investigations into Bearwood Corporate Services; [322795]
(3) if the Electoral Commission will place in the Library a copy of the report by forensic accountants commissioned as part of the Electoral Commission's investigations into Bearwood Corporate Services. [322796]
Mr. Streeter: I will give the hon. Member substantive replies as soon as possible.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
British Indian Ocean Territory: Fisheries
Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress he has made in renegotiation of the contract with the Marine Resources Assessment Group for management of fisheries in the Chagos Islands. [322859]
Chris Bryant: No renegotiation of the British Indian Ocean Territory Administration's current contract with Marine Resources Assessment Group Ltd. has taken place. The current contract is due to expire at the end of May and there is an option to extend that contract for a further year under the current terms. Any new contract for management of the territory's fisheries would be put out to tender.
Iran: Nuclear Power
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent assessment is of the development of Iran's nuclear programme; and if he will make a statement. [323132]
Mr. Ivan Lewis:
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General's 18 February report outlines why we have serious concerns with regards to Iran's nuclear programme. Iran continues to stockpile enriched uranium and develop heavy water projects in defiance of UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs).
Iran has gone further and has announced its intention to build more enrichment plants and begun some enrichment to higher levels (20 per cent. U-235) despite the IAEA asking for sufficient time to install safeguards measures. Most importantly I share the IAEA's concerns about the possible existence in Iran of past or current undisclosed activities related to the development of a nuclear payload for a missile. Iran must either comply with UNSCRs and co-operate with the IAEA, or face further sanctions.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development: Israel
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what account the Government plans to take of Israel's observance of OECD rules on (a) corruption, (b) intellectual property rights and (c) extraterritorial economic activity in determining its policy on Israel's application for OECD membership. [322902]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The UK supports Israel's bid for accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
On the specific points raised:
(a) Israel became a party to the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention on 10 May 2009, and has made significant progress in this field, amending its legislation on sanctions for, and jurisdiction over, the offence of bribery of foreign public officials, in response to the recommendations of the Working Group on Bribery. We now look to Israel to address the remaining recommendations of the Working Group
(b) During the accession process, Israel made significant commitments to make changes in its regulatory framework for the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights.
(c) There are a small number of issues, in particular the scope of statistical data, which are being resolved in the course of the accession process.
Work and Pensions
Charities: Food
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what information her Department holds on the number of (a) food banks and (b) food co-operatives providing free or affordable food for poor people. [320981]
Jim Knight: Information on the number of such organisations is not held centrally.
Cold Weather Payments: Chelmsford
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in each Chelmsford postcode district received cold weather payments in each of the last six months. [320984]
Helen Goodman [holding answer 8 March 2010]: The information requested is not available by Chelmsford postcode districts. Cold weather payment information is only available by weather station. The weather stations that cover the Chelmsford postcode districts also cover areas that are not part of the districts.
For winter 2009-10, for Great Britain, to 3 March an estimated 11.8 million cold weather payments worth an estimated £296 million have been authorised. Payments authorised have not necessarily already been paid.
The Government provide information about Cold Weather Payments on the Directgov website at:
This includes the eligibility rules, details of how payments are made and a postcode search which allows customers to find out whether the weather station that is linked to a specific postcode has triggered.
DWP records of triggers to weather stations up to and including 3 March 2010 and estimates of potential qualifiers by weather station.
Departmental Pay
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was paid in reimbursable expenses to special advisers in her Department in each of the last five years. [320481]
Jonathan Shaw: Please see in the following table the details of reimbursable expenses to special advisers in each of the last five years.
| Total expenses paid | |
| Financial Year | (£ ) |
| (1) To date | |
Reimbursable expenses are expenses claimed by special advisers and do not include expenses which are paid directly by the Department for example centrally booked travel, mobile phones provided under a central contract etc.
Departmental Training
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many sessions of media training were organised for Ministers in her Department in each of the last three years. [310240]
Jonathan Shaw: This information is not collated centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Economic Activity
Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the economic activity rate was for (a) men and (b) women with (i) no long-term health problems, (ii) long-term health problems, (iii) long-term musculo-skeletal problems, (iv) chest problems, (v) heart problems, (vi) mental illnesses and (vii) learning difficulties in each (A) region and (B) country of the UK in (1) 2006 and (2) 2009. [321043]
Angela E. Smith: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the economic activity rate was for (a) men and (b) women with (i) no long-term health problems, (ii) long-term health problems, (iii) long-term musculo-skeletal problems, (iv) chest problems, (v) heart problems, (vi) mental illnesses and (vii) learning difficulties in each (A) region and (B) country of the UK in (1) 2006 and (2) 2009. (321043)
Estimates of economic activity are available from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). In accordance with the International Labour
Organization (ILO) definition, people are classed as economically active if they are in employment or unemployed.
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