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8 Jun 2010 : Column 109W—continued
Overseas Aid
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will take steps to ensure the continuation of the Governance and Transparency Fund to encourage transparent and accountable government in the developing world. [1228]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: We have no plans to close the Governance and Transparency Fund (GTF).
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the My Aid project for the allocation of UK aid represents Government policy. [1230]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The commitment to "create new mechanisms to give British people a direct say in how an element of the aid budget is spent" was laid out in "The Coalition: Our Programme for Government." Further details are being developed and will be shared with Parliament in due course.
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make representations to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to ensure that no expenditure by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence is not reclassified as overseas aid. [1233]
Mr Andrew Mitchell:
All UK aid spending must meet the definition of Official Development Assistance agreed by the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development. The Government are committed to ensuring that this is the case as set out in "The Coalition: Our Programme for Government".
Overseas Aid: Public Consultation
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what mechanism he plans to introduce for direct public involvement in determining the allocation of his Department's aid budget; and if he will make a statement. [890]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The commitment to "create new mechanisms to give British people a direct say in how an element of the aid budget is spent" was laid out in "The Coalition: Our Programme for Government." Further details are being developed and will be shared with Parliament in due course.
Trade Unions
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has to consult trade unions in his Department concerning deficit reduction plans. [610]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: Consistent with the Cabinet Office Code of Practice on Informing and Consulting Employee, it is the Department for International Development's (DFID's) normal practice to consult and communicate with staff and their representatives. There are a number of mechanisms through which we do this, including departmental Whitley council meetings, frequent meetings between DFID's HR director's and the chair of the Trade Union side and regular meetings senior managers hold with their staff.
We also carry out meaningful consultation with staff and their representatives on specific change proposals. When we have any specific proposals we will engage and consult.
Energy and Climate Change
Departmental Manpower
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many (a) special advisers and (b) press officers are employed by his Department; and at what Civil Service pay grade in each such case. [1267]
Gregory Barker: The information is as follows:
(a) I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Bishop Auckland (Helen Goodman) on 3 June 2010, Official Report, column 99W.
(b) There were 10 press officers in DECC as at 3 June 2010, all of them permanent full-time staff. These comprised one senior civil service pay band 1, two grade 7s, three senior information officers and four information officers.
Renewable Energy: Waste
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he plans to encourage the use of energy from waste through anaerobic digestion; and if he will make a statement. [855]
Gregory Barker: The Government are committed to maximising the potential of anaerobic digestion from waste, to contribute to climate change, energy security, waste management and wider sustainability objectives.
Biogas produced from waste, through a range of anaerobic digestion processes, can be used locally or injected into the national gas grid, to provide heat and power for industry and homes, or a fuel for transport. Increased uptake of these innovative forms of renewable energy is a win for clean energy, green jobs and waste reduction.
However, anaerobic digestion is currently undeveloped in the UK and decisive leadership from Government, together with collaborative working with industry and other stakeholders, is required to rapidly ramp up deployment and build a strong industry.
I am working with Ministers from DEFRA and other Government Departments to determine an action plan for increasing use of anaerobic digestion in the UK, and expect to announce further details later this summer.
Health
Departmental Billing
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of invoices from suppliers to his Department were paid within 10 days of receipt in (a) March and (b) April 2010. [1270]
Mr Simon Burns: In March and April 2010 respectively, 96.9% and 94.1% of invoices were paid by the Department within 10 days.
Departmental Manpower
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of the cost to the public purse of proposed reductions in numbers of non-front line staff in his Department and its agencies. [492]
Mr Simon Burns: No estimate of the cost to proposed reductions in numbers of non-front line staff has yet been made by the Department or its Agency, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
The civil service wide recruitment freeze announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 24 May 2010, will help the Department to minimise the need for reductions.
Since 31 March 2010 there has been only one Executive Agency of the Department: the MHRA.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when and in what form he plans to publish a list of all items of expenditure by his Department over £25,000. [277]
Mr Simon Burns: The Prime Minister has written to Cabinet Ministers(1) reiterating transparency commitments made in the Coalition Programme for Government, and setting out a timetable for achieving them. In particular, all new items of central Government spending over £25,000 will be published online in an open format from November 2010.
Departmental Redundancy Pay
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his most recent estimate is of the annual cost to his Department of redundancy payments for (a) front line and (b) other staff employed by (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies. [638]
Mr Simon Burns: No estimate of the cost of future reductions has yet been made by the Department. We do, however, have a standard, nominal budget of £2.3 million for unavoidable redundancy in the financial year 2010-11.
Since 31 March 2010 there has been only one Executive agency of the Department of Health: the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
General Practitioners
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects his Department's proposal to give general practitioners authority over commissioning to be implemented; what steps he plans to take to implement that proposal; and if he will make a statement. [866]
Mr Simon Burns: The "Coalition: Our Programme for Government" document indicates this Government's intention to strengthen the power of general practitioners as patients' expert guides through the health system by enabling them to commission care on their behalf. We will bring forward more detailed proposals in due course.
General Practitioners: Passports
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent guidance his Department has issued to (a) general practitioners and (b) other NHS staff on the level of fees charged for the signing of passport applications for patients. [1170]
Mr Simon Burns: None. The countersigning of passports is not part of the work that general practitioners (GPs) or other national health service staff are required to do as part of their NHS responsibilities. Should a GP (or other NHS staff) countersign an application it is a private matter between the doctor and the applicant. Where a charge is made for this service this is purely a private matter, not covered by any national terms and conditions.
Health Centres: Christchurch
Mr Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken since his appointment to ensure that his Department's interest in the former health centre at Saxon Square, Christchurch, is sold at the earliest opportunity. [1406]
Mr Simon Burns: Discussions are continuing with the landlord in order to achieve an early disposal of the Department's interest in the property.
Marie Stopes International
Mr Amess:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what payments his Department has made to Marie Stopes International for (a) abortion, (b) family planning and (c) other reproductive health services in
the last 12 months; how much he plans to allocate to Marie Stopes International for those purposes in each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement. [235]
Anne Milton: No direct payments have been made by the Department to Marie Stopes International (MSI) in the past 12 months and no direct funding to this organisation is planned in this or future financial years. The national health service funds abortions undertaken by MSI under contract to individual primary care trusts. However, information on these contracts is commercially sensitive and not collected centrally.
NHS
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the future of (a) National Health Service and (b) his Department's IT systems. [682]
Mr Simon Burns: The Government will seek to achieve a more open market in national health service information technology (IT), complemented by a similar change in information provision, and underpinned by a framework of nationally agreed technical and data standards that ensure interoperability. We aim significantly to improve local ownership of solutions, but recognise that any movement from the current national infrastructure must ensure continued value for money and maintain the benefits of national procurement.
Plans are in place to upgrade the Department's standard IT hardware and software, the infrastructure on which systems operate, and the bespoke business applications used to process information. Any future plans will emphasise the need to achieve value for money on all investments made, and to further the commitment to lowering the Department's carbon footprint.
NHS: Finance
Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department plans to publish the report it commissioned from McKinsey on the fiscal future of the NHS. [1078]
Mr Simon Burns: The McKinsey report on national health service productivity was published on the Department's website on 2 June 2010:
NHS: West Midlands
Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on requests from West Midlands Strategic Health Authority that primary care trusts in the West Mercia form a cluster. [743]
Mr Simon Burns: The Government have agreed that funding for the national health service should increase in real terms in each year of the Parliament. In order to ensure that the taxpayers receive value for money, the NHS must focus on delivering efficiency savings and reducing management costs is an important part of this. Regional and local proposals to do this should be discussed with those affected.
We are advised that individual primary care trusts (PCTs) in the West Midlands believe they are not best able to deliver efficiencies by operating alone. The West Midlands Strategic Health Authority (SHA) has therefore introduced a new model of working in which it has created five clusters in which the 17 PCTs will operate; delivering efficiency savings and reduced management costs through close collaborative working.
We understand that the SHA is clear that this development is not a precursor to PCT mergers. Individual PCTs remain responsible and accountable for their own performance for the overall health of their population and for commissioning ervices for their population.
Prescription Drugs
Mr Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the provision of specific drugs which the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence indicates do not represent value for money in circumstances where a GP believes they should be prescribed; and if he will make a statement. [1226]
Mr Simon Burns: This is a matter for individual primary care trusts.
Royal Liverpool University Hospital
Mrs Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to provide additional cancer services on the Royal Liverpool University hospital site. [1407]
Mr Simon Burns: The Government have pledged that, in future, all service changes must be led by clinicians and patients, not be driven from the top down.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has outlined new, strengthened criteria that he expects decisions on national health service service changes to meet. The local NHS has been asked to consider the impact of this criteria in their area and local communities are establishing how this work will be taken forward.
We are advised that there have been local discussions between organisations on Merseyside regarding the development of a cancer centre at the Royal Liverpool University hospital site. These proposals are at a very early stage and the Mersey and Cheshire Cancer Network, together with the Liverpool primary care trust (PCT) are currently developing these proposals. If the proposals were agreed by the eight commissioning PCTs, a public consultation exercise would follow.
Mrs Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when he expects the contracts in relation to the replacement for the Royal Liverpool University hospital to be signed; and if he will make a statement; [1408]
(2) when he most recently discussed with Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust the proposals for replacing the Royal Liverpool University hospital; and if he will make a statement. [1409]
Mr Simon Burns:
As with all significant spending commitments made between 1 January 2010 and the election on 6 May, the proposed new hospital scheme for Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals
NHS Trust will be subject to the Government's review of such approvals to ensure they are consistent with the Government's priorities and good value for money. The Secretary of State has not discussed the proposed new hospital scheme with the Trust.
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