| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
13 Sep 2010 : Column 749W—continued
Regional Arts Councils
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what plans he has for the future of regional arts councils; and if he will make a statement. [14485]
Hugh Robertson: The future of regional arts councils is the responsibility of Arts Council England, since they were subsumed in to the national structure in 2003. We understand there are no plans to review the role of regional arts councils at present.
S4C: Finance
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will meet members of the Welsh Language Society to discuss future funding arrangements for S4C. [15390]
Mr Vaizey: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport met with members of the Welsh Language Society when they demonstrated outside the Department on 9 September.
Sports
James Wharton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many athletes identified during a UK Sport Talent Identification and Development campaign are in receipt of an Athlete Personal Award as part of that body's World Class Performance Programme. [14324]
Hugh Robertson: There are currently 16 athletes in receipt of UK Sport Athlete Personal Awards (APAs) as well as World Class Performance Programme support. Sports can also provide APAs to support athletes with their sporting and living costs and a further 12 athletes are in receipt of governing body APAs.
Although not all athletes identified through UK Talent campaigns have access to APAs, a total of 121 athletes have progressed to their sports' World Class Performance Programmes (WCPP). The WCPP provides coaching, training and competition support, medical and scientific services and access to the best facilities that the UK (and often the world) has to offer.
Communities and Local Government
Audit Commission
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to which organisations he expects the Audit Commission's (a) audit, (b) assessment, (c) research and (d) data-matching functions to be transferred. [14563]
Robert Neill: As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government told the House in response to an urgent question from the hon. Member for Sheffield South East (Mr Betts) on 7 September 2010, Official Report, columns 179-86, we are seeking to put the Commission's in-house audit practice into the private sector. Its research activities will end and, with the ending of comprehensive area assessments, many of the Commission's functions have disappeared. As my right hon. Friend made clear, we are now working closely with local government, the health sector, the Commission, the accounting sector and other partners to complete the detailed design of the new arrangements, including an appropriate future for the Commission's important anti-fraud data-matching functions.
Audit Commission: Tyne and Wear
Mrs Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many residents of Washington and Sunderland West constituency were employed by the Audit Commission on 12 August 2010. [14567]
Robert Neill: I have been informed by the Audit Commission that it employed two residents of Washington and Sunderland West constituency on 12 August 2010.
Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010
Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will review the effectiveness of the operation of the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010; and if he will make a statement. [14791]
Greg Clark: The Government are carefully considering the future of the Community Infrastructure Levy. A public announcement is likely to be made soon.
Council Housing: Finance
Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent estimate he has made of the level of outstanding capital investment requirements for arm's length management organisations. [13837]
Andrew Stunell: ALMOs have estimated that around £2 billion is required to complete their Decent Homes investment programmes. Future funding for the Decent Homes programme will be decided in the context of the spending review.
Departmental Art Works
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the (a) artist, (b) estimated value and (c) description is of each piece of artwork commissioned for display in his Department since 12 May 2010. [14593]
Robert Neill: Communities and Local Government have not commissioned any works of art for display in the Department since the 12 May 2010.
All artwork on display in Ministers' Offices and in some communal areas of the Department is on loan from the Government art collection.
The Department has recently procured a printed portrait of Her Majesty the Queen for display in the reception of Eland House at a cost of £256.74 including VAT. This was funded from savings made by consolidating seven sets of papers and periodicals for Ministers and special advisers, delivering over £15,000 a year in ongoing revenue savings. Previously the Department did not possess a portrait of Her Majesty, despite it being the legal title holder of the Government's civil estate on behalf of the crown.
Departmental Billing
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in July and August 2010. [13274]
Robert Neill: In July 2010 Communities and Local Government paid 93.14% of invoices within 10 days and in August 2010 91.66% of invoices were paid within 10 days.
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many payments to suppliers were made by (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies (i) within 30 days of, (ii) over 30 days after, (iii) over 60 days after and (iv) over 90 days after the date of invoice in the latest period for which figures are available. [13934]
Robert Neill: The following table details invoices paid in August 2010:
| Invoices paid in August 2010 | |||||
| Days | |||||
| Within 30 | Over 30 | Over 60 | Over 90 | Total | |
Details of invoice payments made by the Department's non-departmental public bodies could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Consultants
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the (a) average and (b) highest daily rate paid to consultants by his Department was in each of the last five years. [12663]
Robert Neill: As consultancy contracts are often paid at a fixed price and are output based, we cannot quote an average daily rate. The highest rate paid on a cost volume contract (with a total contract value exceeding £20,000) in 2009-10 was £2,143 per day. This was a director rate for ad hoc work, this relates to the contract with PPAQ Consulting for FireControl.
Figures for earlier years could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Public Relations
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department spent on external public relations in 2009-10. [15031]
Robert Neill: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Perth and North Perthshire (Pete Wishart) on 9 September 2010, Official Report, column 603W. A breakdown of the Department's spend on communications and marketing can be found at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/corporate/about/howwework/corporatereports/reportsaccounts/communications marketingreports/
Departmental Training
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many external training courses were attended by staff of his Department in the last 12 months; and what the cost to the public purse was of each such course. [13275]
Robert Neill: The Department does not hold a central record of all external training courses attended by staff in the last 12 months and this information could be provided only at a disproportionate cost. A central people development team is responsible for providing or coordinating training where a strategic or priority need is identified across the Department as a whole. Where training needs are identified that fall outside the centrally-managed programme, arrangements are made by individuals or teams in accordance with departmental procedures and guidance and with costs met from within agreed budgets for general administrative expenditure. While departmental systems can identify expenditure on learning and development activities, it is not currently possible to differentiate between expenditure on courses and expenditure on other forms of learning and development activity. Notwithstanding that, my Department has published all its expenditure over £500 online in 2009-10 as part of our ongoing transparency initiative.
Gloucestershire Tri-Service Emergency Centre
Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much of the office space of the Gloucestershire Tri-Service Emergency Centre at Waterwells is not in use. [13394]
Robert Neill: The information requested is held locally and not by my Department.
Government Offices for the Regions: Redundancy
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will take steps to avoid redundancies from the Government Office Network in regions where there are vacancies in other parts of the civil service. [15240]
Greg Clark: The Secretary of State's announcement on 22 July made it clear that final decisions regarding the future of the Government offices will be made at the end of the Spending Review following consideration of consequential issues. Any decisions on the redeployment or release of staff will therefore be made once the Spending Review is complete. We are, however, already working with sponsor Departments with the aim of agreeing arrangements which will maximise the opportunities for redeployment and which in turn will minimise the possibility of compulsory exits in the event of the closure of the network.
Homelessness
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps the Government is taking to reduce levels of homelessness (a) nationally and (b) in the West Midlands. [15244]
Grant Shapps: The Government are committed to tackling and preventing homelessness. We have established a new cross-Government working group on homelessness bringing together Ministers from eight Government Departments to address the complex causes of homelessness and rough sleeping. A new approach to evaluating rough sleeping levels is being introduced so that there is clear information in all areas, to inform service provision and action to address the problem. £74 million in homelessness grant to local authorities and the voluntary sector has been allocated in 2010-11 to support work to prevent homelessness, including £2.7 million for local authorities in the west midlands.
Homelessness: West Midlands
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of people in (a) Coventry and (b) the West Midlands who were homeless in each year since 2000. [15243]
Grant Shapps: Summary tables giving the number of households accepted as owed a main homelessness duty, the number of households in temporary accommodation arranged by each local authority and rough sleeper counts and estimates for the past 10 years have been placed in the Library of the House.
Information about local authorities' discharge of their duties under homelessness legislation is collected on quarterly P1E returns. Summary information about English local housing authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation (part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected at local authority level, and published by the Department in the quarterly Statistical Release on Statutory Homelessness, available both in the Library and via the CLG website:
Data collected include the number of households accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty (to secure that suitable accommodation is available). If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority must secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available and this information is also collected.
Information is also collected on rough sleeping. Since 1998, only councils in areas with a known, or suspected, rough sleeping problem were required to conduct an official rough sleeper count-which meant that only 70 councils submitted information to central Government. Figures published in July 2010 showed that under this previous method, on any given night there were 440 rough sleepers in England. However, when the remaining 256 councils provided estimates of the scale of the problem in their areas, this added a further estimated 807 rough sleepers-taking the national total to 1,247 rough sleepers on any given night.
Under new guidance, all councils across England will now provide information on rough sleeping. This move follows consultation with homelessness charities and councils and is aimed at getting a clearer picture of the scale of the problem in each area so more targeted support can be provided to some of the most vulnerable in society.
Rough sleeping figures are published by the Department on the CLG website:
Housing Improvements: Finance
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations he has received on the level of assistance available for adaptations to dwellings and aids to enable elderly people to continue to live in their homes; if he will meet representatives of Age UK to discuss that matter; and if he will make a statement. [14464]
Andrew Stunell: CLG has received representations from the Home Adaptations Consortium in respect of the Disabled Facilities Grant programme that provides funding to local authorities for adaptations. Any further statements in respect of the Disabled Facilities Grant programme will be made following the spending review settlement.
Housing: Empty Property
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effect of council tax discounts on second properties on the number of empty properties. [13365]
Robert Neill: No assessment has been made of the effect of council tax discounts on second properties on the number of empty properties. I also refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 23 February 2010, Official Report, column 477W.
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many empty dwellings there are in each local authority area. [13729]
Robert Neill: I have today placed in the Library of the House a table giving details of the number of empty dwellings in each local authority in England in October 2009. The figures given include both short-term and long-term empty dwellings.
The data are as reported to Communities and Local Government by all 326 billing authorities in England on the annual Council Tax Base (CTB) and CTB (Supplementary) forms.
Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities had exercised their option to rescind the 50 per cent. council tax discount on empty properties after six months on the most recent date for which figures are available. [13738]
Robert Neill: In October 2009, 167 local authorities reported that they had stopped granting the 50% council tax discount on empty dwellings after six months. A further 98 indicated that they granted either the 50% discount or a lower discount for empty properties depending on the circumstance. The remaining 61 local authorities reported they continued to grant the 50% council tax discount on empty dwellings after six months.
These data are as reported to Communities and Local Government by all 326 billing authorities in England on the annual Council Tax Base (CTB) forms.
Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to assist property owners to bring empty properties back into use. [R] [13859]
Andrew Stunell: We are looking closely at the cause and nature of empty homes and the full range of potential measures to bring empty homes back into use, as part of a well functioning housing market
Local Government Finance
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the total interest paid by local authorities in 2009-10. [14025]
Robert Neill: In 2009-10 interest charges for all local authorities in England were provisionally estimated at £2.73 billion.
The data on provisional revenue outturn for the financial year 2009-10 are published at an all-England level as part of a Statistical Release. The provisional release for August 2010 was published on the CLG website at:
Local Government Ombudsman
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will review the management and functions of the Local Government Ombudsman. [14365]
Robert Neill: As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State told the House on 7 September, we intend to increase citizens rights of redress by ensuring that the Local Government Ombudsman's powers are increased and made legally binding.
The management of the Local Government Ombudsman service is a matter for the independent Commission for Local Administration in England.
Local Government: Pay
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) pursuant to paragraph 2.18 of Budget 2010, HC 61, what progress has been made on ensuring that local government public sector workers earning less than £21,000 per year will receive a pay increase of at least £250 in 2011-12 and 2012-13; [15203]
(2) if he will discuss with Local Government Employers the merits of a guaranteed annual pay rise of at least £250 for local government staff with salaries of £21,000 or less in 2011-12 and 2012-13; [15204]
(3) if he will discuss with Local Government Employers the merits of agreement to binding arbitration with local government unions in respect of the 2010-11 local government pay claim. [15205]
Robert Neill: The pay of local Government employees is determined by the relevant National Joint Council (NJC) or Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) governing that workforce. In each instance, the governing NJC or JNC is made up of the employers' side and the trade union side. Central Government have no role in respect of any of the NJC's or JNC's that operate in local government.
Non-domestic Rates: Empty Property
Mr Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has for the future system of empty property rates. [13790]
Robert Neill: For 2010-11, all empty properties with rateable values up to £18,000 are exempt from business rates. 70% of properties have a rateable value below that threshold so, if empty, will pay no rates this year. The temporary threshold is intended to provide owners with help to manage short-term pressures in a difficult property market. We recognize the impact of the last Government: increases in rates by curtailing empty property relief in a recession. The new Government face a great challenge handling the massive budget deficit we have inherited. We have however already taken steps to provide additional support on business rates by increasing SBRR over the next year.
Planning
Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his proposed new planning legislation will include provisions for restrictions on the level of parish precepts. [13227]
Robert Neill: The consultation paper "Local Referendums To Veto Excessive Council Tax Increases", which was published on 30 July, includes proposals to allow local residents to veto excessive precept increases set by town and parish councils, subject to applying a 'de minimis' threshold which would exclude smaller councils. Final decisions in relation to council tax referendums, including whether and how to include parish councils, will be taken following consideration of the consultation responses. The deadline for those responses is 10 September 2010.
Planning Permission
Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many planning applications were notified to his Department under the provisions of the Town and Country Planning (Consultation) (England) Direction 2009 between 20 April 2009 and 19 April 2010. [14041]
Robert Neill: Between 20 April 2009 and 19 April 2010, 166 planning applications were referred under the above direction.
Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many planning applications which departed from the development plan were notified to his Department under the provisions of the Town and Country Planning (Development Plans and Consultation) (Departures) Directions 1999 between 30 August 1999 and 19 April 2009. [14042]
Robert Neill: Between 30 August 1999 and 19 April 2009, 8,663 planning applications were referred under the above departure direction.
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many times he has used his powers to revoke Article 4 directions issued by local planning authorities under the General Permitted Development Order in each year since 1995. [15239]
Robert Neill: Information on how many times since 1995 the Secretary of State has used his powers to cancel article 4 directions could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, my Department is not aware of any instances where the Secretary of State has used his powers to cancel an article 4 direction.
Planning Permission: Essex
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will use his powers under section 5 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 to revoke the Article 4 direction issued by Maldon District Council on the Maypole Road Plots, north west of Furzelands Farms, Great Totham, Essex; and if he will make a statement. [15194]
Robert Neill: The Secretary of State will consider formal requests to cancel article 4 directions. The Government's policy is that the cancellation of an article 4 direction by the Secretary of State would only be justified if there are very clear reasons why intervention at this level would be necessary. The Government believe that planning decisions on local matters are best taken at the local level.
Planning: Internet
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the Planning Portal has spent on its Second Life website presence; and when the Second Life site was started. [15044]
Robert Neill: The Planning Portal commissioned a version of its successful Interactive House (which provides public information on permitted development rights) on Second Life in 2008, believing this would engage a younger audience in planning matters. Although customer feedback was positive, take-up was insufficient to warrant its continuation and the project was cancelled in earlier this year. The total cost to the Planning Portal was £14,000.
Repossession Orders: West Midlands
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes were repossessed in (a) the West Midlands and (b) Coventry in each year since 2000. [15245]
Grant Shapps: There are two independent sources of data on actual numbers of mortgage possessions: the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) and the Financial Services Authority (FSA). However both are only available for the United Kingdom as a whole.
The Council of Mortgage Lenders latest press release on repossessions is on their website at:
The Financial Services Authority data are available on their website at:
Schools: Ventilation
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to Building Bulletin 101 on ventilation of school buildings, if he will review Part F of the Building Regulations for educational buildings for the purposes of ensuring that it makes clear it that a controllable system must have a level of automation or notification so that the desired air flow rate is achieved. [14761]
Andrew Stunell: Part F of the building regulations provides guidance on ventilation provision for dwellings and offices but not for different types of buildings. The part F Approved Document (statutory guidance) states that the requirements for other building types will be satisfied by following the appropriate design guidance. Building bulletin 101 deals with the design of school buildings to meet the ventilation requirements of both the school premises regulations and part F of the building regulations. This would be the place to consider any changes to the requirements.
South West Regional Assembly
Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the participation of local authority members in meetings of the South West Regional Assembly since 2004; [13404]
(2) what the cost to the public purse of the South West Regional Spatial Strategy has been. [13405]
Robert Neill: The South West Regional Assembly and the subsequent South West Leaders' Board received a total of £16,411,019 in annual departmental grants from 2004 until 2010 when this grant stream ended. No detailed estimate or breakdown exists of either the costs of the expenses incurred by elected members participating in regional assembly meetings or the revision of the South West Regional Spatial Strategy. We have ended central funding to the South West Leaders Board as part of our plans to abolish regional government.
Travellers: Caravan Sites
Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse attributable to activities in connection with fresh Traveller encampments on public land in the last 12 months. [13406]
Andrew Stunell: The former Commission for Racial Equality in its report "Common Ground" (published in 2006) estimated that local authorities spend £18 million per year on enforcement against unauthorised Traveller sites.
This information is not available as the data are not required from local authorities.
Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what (a) regional and (b) national targets there are for local authorities in respect of the provision of Traveller sites. [14477]
Andrew Stunell: The revocation of regional strategies has removed the system of top-down regional numbers and plans. Local authorities are now responsible for determining the right level of site provision in their area, reflecting local need and historic demand, in consultation with local communities.
Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions he has had with local authorities on emerging Government policy on the duty of local authorities to make provision for Traveller and Gypsy sites. [14478]
Andrew Stunell: The Government intend to revoke Planning Circular 01/06, subject to necessary impact assessments. It will be replaced with a short policy statement and light-touch guidance and we will be formally consulting with local government.
Wind Power: Yelvertoft
Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will call in for examination the recent decision of the Planning Inspectorate on the proposed development of a windfarm at Yelvertoft; if he will take into account in that examination (a) the views expressed by residents of Yelvertoft and the surrounding area and (b) the decision on the application made by Daventry Borough Council; and if he will make a statement. [13533]
Robert Neill: The appeal against the decision of Daventry district council to refuse to grant planning permission for a wind farm on land near Glebe Farm, Yelvertoft, was allowed on 20 July 2010 by an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. An appeal decision once issued, with the exception of very minor slips, cannot be amended or changed. Decisions are therefore final unless successfully challenged, on legal points only, in the High Court. In a planning appeal, as with all planning applications, decisions are made in accordance with the statutory development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. In reaching a decision an Inspector will take into account as material considerations other relevant planning issues, including those raised by local residents and the local planning authority concerned.
International Development
Africa: Tobacco
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if his Department will take steps to assist African countries in implementing the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. [12900]
Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) recognises the important contribution of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) towards reducing future deaths and disease from non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
The UK, as a world leader on tobacco control, is one of 168 parties to the FCTC and makes an annual financial contribution through the Department of Health. It is a very active participant in the development of sets of guidelines (through DH) and a protocol (through HM Revenue and Customs) to implement the framework.
DFID does not currently support any country to specifically implement the FCTC. However we do provide considerable bilateral health support to a number of African countries. This facilitates and supports countries to determine their own priorities and health plans. This budget support could extend to tobacco control activities as and when such support is requested from our partner countries.
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will take steps to reduce the level of tobacco-related disease in developing countries; and if he will make a statement. [12901]
Mr O'Brien: Tobacco is a growing risk factor for a number of non-communicable diseases. Unchecked, tobacco-related deaths will increase to more than 8 million per year by 2030. More than 80% of those deaths will be in low and middle-income countries.
The Department for International Development (DFID) provides technical and financial support to partner countries to help them tackle their pressing health priorities and strengthen health systems. DFID's support benefits the capacity of the services to diagnose and treat all diseases, including those that are related to tobacco.
The UK Government are also co-sponsoring a CARICOM resolution on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) for the UN General Assembly, Importantly this calls for a high-level UN event in 2011 to raise the profile of NCDs in the global arena. This will naturally highlight the need to do more globally to reduce tobacco-related morbidity and mortality.
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development in what programmes his Department plans to participate to reduce the incidence of green tobacco sickness and poisoning from pesticides and fertilisers among child labourers in the African tobacco sector. [12903]
Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not support tobacco production.
DFID provides technical and financial support to partner countries to help them tackle their pressing health priorities and strengthen health systems. DFlD's support benefits the capacity of the services to diagnose and treat all diseases, including those that are related to tobacco.
Departmental Billing
Philip Davies:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many payments to suppliers were made by (a) his Department and (b) its
non-departmental public bodies (i) within 30 days of, (ii) over 30 days after, (iii) over 60 days after and (iv) over 90 days after the date of invoice in the latest period for which figures are available. [13927]
Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development's performance with regards to payments to all UK suppliers in August 2010 is as follows:
| Number | |
The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, our non-departmental public body, does not make payments.
Departmental Offices
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of his Department's office accommodation he has offered to the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport as office accommodation for staff of that Department; and when he expects such office accommodation to become available. [14690]
Mr O'Brien: Discussions with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport regarding office accommodation are at an early stage. Following the redeployment of a number of posts to our office in East Kilbride, my Department is currently investigating a further reorganisation of our office at 1 Palace Street. No precise amount of space has been agreed, but reorganisation could free up part of the office from summer 2011.
Departmental Sick Leave
Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on how many days on average employees of his Department were absent from work as a result of ill health in 2009-10. [14760]
Mr O'Brien: During 2009-10, the average number of working days lost to sickness absence per employee in the Department for International Development was 4.9.
Developing Countries: Family Planning
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what files his Department holds on (a) the United Nations Population Fund, (b) the International Planned Parenthood Federation and (c) Marie Stopes International. [14318]
Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) uses an electronic data records management (EDRM) system. Since the EDRM system was introduced in 2005, records relating to the United Nations Population Fund, the International Planned Parenthood Federation and Marie Stopes International have been stored within the EDRM system. To provide information on all the files held on the EDRM system would incur a disproportionate cost.
Multi-donor Climate Investment Funds
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the World Bank-administered multi-donor climate investment funds. [13445]
Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) carries out annual reviews of the climate investment funds (CIFs), in line with its standard procedures for monitoring and evaluation. The first annual review was completed in May 2010, using evidence from the design phase of the CIFs and the early plans for CIFs investments. The Department judged that the CIFs will largely achieve their objectives.
The CIFs are also currently being assessed under DFID's Multilateral Aid Review (MAR), which aims to ensure maximum effectiveness and value for money from DFID's contributions to multilateral agencies.
An independent evaluation of the CIFs and the impacts of their activities will begin in 2011. This will be carried out jointly by the independent evaluation departments of the multilateral development banks.
Overseas Territories Environment Programme
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has for the future funding of the Overseas Territories Environment Programme. [14143]
Mr O'Brien: Department for International Development (DFID) Ministers are reviewing the DFID aid programme to the UK overseas territories to determine how we can achieve better value for money for the taxpayer, and fulfil our obligations to the citizens of the territories. Future funding for the joint Foreign and Commonwealth and DFID Overseas Territories Environment Programme will be determined as part of this review.
UN Development Fund for Women
David Miliband: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department plans to provide to the United Nations Development Fund for Women in the period to 2015. [14226]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) has provided the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) with core support of £3 million in each year since 2004. 2010 is the last year we will provide this support.
In January 2011 UN Women, the new United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, will begin operations. This new body will consolidate the work of UNIFEM and the other UN bodies working specifically on gender equality. Decisions on UK funding for UN Women will be informed by the ongoing Multilateral Aid Review, which will conclude in 2011.
A pre-existing funding commitment of £3.25 million over four years to 2012 for UNIFEM's Women's Peacebuilding and Prevention of Sexual Violence programme and support for UNIFEM projects and programmes at country level will be transferred to UN Women.
Energy and Climate Change
Carbon Emissions: Finance
Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had on legislative proposals for local carbon budget legislation to limit emissions in each local authority area. [14908]
Gregory Barker: Local authorities need to show strong leadership and accountability in cutting emissions from their own estates and operations and those arising within their areas, and have an important role in contributing to the UK's statutory carbon reduction targets.
We are currently exploring all options for local carbon reduction and have an ongoing dialogue at all levels with the local authorities, the Local Government Group, Friends of the Earth and other interested parties to determine how to optimise the local authority contribution. We expect and will encourage local authorities to develop stretching ambitions on carbon emissions.
Civil Nuclear Police Authority: Operating Costs
John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much the running costs of the Civil Nuclear Police Authority were in the latest period for which figures are available, broken down by budgetary heading. [14156]
Charles Hendry: Details of the operating costs of the Civil Nuclear Police Authority (CNPA) are contained within the CNPA Annual Report and Accounts. Copies of the report can be obtained from the Vote Office in the House of Commons, and it is also available from the CNPA website:
The following table provides audited operating cost information for the 2009-10 financial year and unaudited information for the five months from 1 April to 31 August 2010.
| Civil Nuclear Police Authority | ||
| £000 | ||
| 12 months to 31 March 2010 | 5 months to 31 August 2010 | |
| Description | Audited | Unaudited |
Coal Fired Power Stations: Hunterston
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will make approval of the application for consent for a coal-fired power station at Hunterston conditional on the carbon emissions rate at the station being no higher than those generated in a modern gas plant. [14841]
Charles Hendry:
Applications to build and operate power stations over 50MW in Scotland are made to the Scottish Ministers. This is a devolved matter, and the UK Government cannot intervene in individual applications. We will be working closely with Scottish Ministers to ensure a complementary approach towards
new coal capacity across Great Britain, including the role of an Emissions Performance Standard in driving emissions reductions and incentivising new investment in carbon capture and storage.
Energy and Climate Change: International Co-operation
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what agreements were made at the recent joint International Monetary Fund-World Bank spring meetings on energy and climate change-related matters. [13898]
Mr O'Brien: I have been asked to reply.
At the joint International Monetary Fund-World Bank spring meetings, the Development Committee endorsed a general capital increase alongside a new post-crisis strategy, and suite of reforms, to strengthen the efficiency, effectiveness and accountability of the World Bank Group, and shareholding reform to increase the voting power of developing and transition countries. The post-crisis strategy includes climate change and energy issues. Beyond that, no specific agreements on energy and climate change-related matters were made at the spring meetings. The Department for International Development continues to work closely with the World Bank, and other multilateral development banks, on energy and climate change-related issues.
Government Departments: Carbon Emissions
Edward Miliband: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress has been made in achieving a 10% year-on-year reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from the Government estate; and if he will make a statement. [13964]
Charles Hendry: On 14 May my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced that he wanted this to be the greenest Government ever, and set a challenging target of reducing Government's emissions by 10% in 12 months. Since then, all Departments have submitted their plans for action, detailing how they will contribute towards the target. All ministerial headquarter buildings have also published real-time energy use data, online.
Departments are currently submitting data on emissions from the first quarter of the year, and, with the Efficiency Reform Group, we are establishing the baseline against which progress will be monitored. I expect to be able to make an announcement shortly on progress against the target.
Offshore Industry: Employment
Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans he has to increase the number of jobs associated with the offshore energy industry. [14044]
Charles Hendry: Successfully exploiting the UK's renewable energy resources will make a key contribution to meeting our renewables targets, and will also provide opportunities for investment in job creation in new industries and technologies.
This includes offshore wind, where we are already the world's number one market, as well as the emerging wave and tidal energy sector, where a key element is the development of marine energy parks around the UK coast.
We are also committed to the full development of the UK's oil and gas reserves, which will bring economic and employment benefits.
Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will consider introducing a pre-accreditation scheme for feed-in tariffs; and if he will make a statement. [14437]
Charles Hendry: All aspects of the FITs scheme, including accreditation and certification issues, will be subject to periodic reviews.
As the scheme was launched in April and is at an early stage, we are continually collecting data which, as we learn more, will be fed into the review process.
Wind Power: Planning
Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will bring forward an energy planning strategy which provides for a determination of (a) the number of wind farms required nationally and (b) the location of such installations in a manner which (i) maximises efficient energy production and (ii) minimises disturbance to the countryside and to village communities. [13532]
Charles Hendry: The Coalition Programme for Government makes clear our commitment to giving a greater say to people, communities and local councils to shape their surroundings through a faster and more democratically accountable planning system. We intend to publish and present to Parliament a simple and consolidated national planning framework covering all forms of development.
My right. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government will make an announcement on how we propose to take forward the framework and the implications for specific areas of planning policy.
We are committed to being the greenest Government ever and to the development of wind energy in the UK, both onshore and offshore. The UK has outstanding wind resources and onshore wind is one of the most established, widespread and cost-effective renewable electricity technologies in the UK. Wind energy will therefore be vital to meeting our renewable energy, climate change and low carbon economic growth goals.
We are keen to ensure that both our commitment to localism and to tackling climate change are mutually supportive. We want communities and individuals to benefit from the increase in renewable energy, including wind power, and to own a stake in our collective low carbon future. This is why we committed to encouraging more community-owned renewable energy and allowing communities that host renewable energy projects to keep the additional business rates they generate.
The assessment of an application to develop a wind farm already includes, amongst other things, an analysis of visual and landscape impacts to ascertain whether the location of the wind farm is acceptable. The Government consider that these impacts are best assessed on a case-by-case basis so that local factors can be taken fully into account.
Health
Brighton Pavilion Constituency
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to Brighton Pavilion constituency the effects of his Department's policies on that constituency from (a) May 1997 to April 2010 and (b) since May 2010. [13457]
Mr Simon Burns: The records of the previous Government are widely available in the public domain.
At this early point, it is not possible to provide statistical information as to how Brighton Pavilion constituency has been affected by this Government's health policy since May 2010. However, this Government have introduced a series of national policies which Brighton Pavilion will benefit from as they are implemented, such as:
£50 million of funding to support access to cancer medicines;
a new, free, three-digit urgent and out of hours care number-111-to be a single point of access for those with non-emergency care needs; and
mandatory reporting of when patients are placed in mixed-sex accommodation, and strengthening the penalties for when hospitals do so without clinical justification.
This Government have also set out their plans for reforms to the way the national health service is managed and delivered. These include:
cutting bureaucracy by requiring the NHS to cut the cost of management by over 45% and rationalising and streamlining the Department of Health's arm's length bodies, delivering total recurrent savings of over £1 billion to reinvest in front-line services for patients;
giving general practitioners the ability to commission services which meet the needs of their patients and extending the right of patients to choose treatments and services;
putting the operational, day-to-day management of the NHS into the hands of an independent NHS commissioning board; and
measuring clinically-based outcomes, rather than targets, which will deliver results for patients over the long term.
Cancer: Drugs
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's estimate is of the average length of time which will be taken to decide on a patient application for funding for a treatment through the interim Cancer Drugs Fund arrangements. [14716]
Mr Burstow: We expect local arrangements for the additional in-year funding to support improved access to cancer drugs, announced on 27 July 2010, to take into account the guidance in the national health service medical director's letter to strategic health authorities which states:
"Arrangements should support timely decision-making, bearing in mind the 31 day cancer treatment standard".
A copy of this letter is available at:
and a copy has been placed in the Library.
Cancer: Health Services
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was for (a) an appointment with a cancer specialist and (b) hospital treatment from the time of referral by a GP in (i) May 2010 and (ii) 1997. [14881]
Mr Burstow: Any patient urgently referred for suspected cancer by their general practitioner (GP) should be seen by a specialist and begin the diagnostic process within two weeks, unless they choose to wait longer.
Information on average waiting times between GP referral and first outpatient attendance or first treatment for cancer patients are not collected centrally and have not been estimated.
In the latest period for which statistics are available (Quarter 1 2010-11) 95.5% of people were seen by a specialist within two weeks of an urgent GP referral for suspected cancer and 87.5% of people began treatment within 62 days of an urgent GP referral for suspected cancer. Official and national statistics covering cancer waiting times were not published by the Department before 2001, and due to a change in the manner in which statistics are collected within the national health service, current data are not comparable to periods prior to 1 January 2009.
Community Hospitals
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what organisations will have responsibility for community hospitals following the introduction of GP commissioning. [14715]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department published "Liberating the NHS: Commissioning for patients" on 22 July 2010 which set out the intended arrangements for general practitioner (GP) commissioning and the NHS Commissioning Board. A copy has already been placed in the Library. We are engaging on these proposals and consulting on specific questions highlighted in the document.
Under our proposals GP consortia will commission the great majority of national health service services for their patients, including, where appropriate, community hospital services. There will, however, be some exceptions, where it makes sense for the NHS Commissioning Board to have responsibility for commissioning services. The proposed exceptions include primary medical care. This may also include community hospital services, where these provide primary care services.
Organisations providing community services will be responsible for responding to the commissioning intentions of the GP commissioning consortia and the NHS Commissioning Board, and the day-to-day management of community hospitals.
Departmental Allowances
Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on (a) reimbursement of staff expenses and (b) the 10 largest staff expense reimbursement claims in each year since 1997. [13048]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department's staff reimbursable expenses from July 2008 to March 2009, for the 2009-10 financial year, and for the first quarter of 2010-11, were as follows:
| Staff reimbursable expenses (£) | |
The Department's Business Management System (BMS) was introduced in July 2008. BMS readily allows for reimbursable expenses to be extracted from the accounting system and totalled. The previous accounting system (VISTA) does not allow such interrogation without disproportionate cost.
The 10 largest staff expense reimbursement claims(1) since 2004 were as follows:
£7,156.96
£6,765.33
£5,235.20
£4,033.70
£3,853.00
£3,544.60
£2,554.72
£2,546.51
£1,952.50
£1,940.28
£13,688.30
£6,337.81
£5,365.80
£4,679.60
£4,416.70
£4,334.50
£4,278.65
£4,245.15
£4,047.91
£4,000.00
£18,505.00
£15,383.53
£6,011.90
£5,397.88
£4,517.10
£4,511.65
£4,355.00
£4,250.00
£3,941.80
£3,587.37
£17,695.53
£8,500.00
£8,402.58
£6,479.61
£5,486.84
£5,000.00
£4,683.65
£4,411.09
£3,868.10
£3,843.77
£19,740.00
£18,589.59
£11,486.19
£10,328.67
£9,165.32
£8,280.06
£7,781.80
£6,934.51
£6,766.40
£6,448.09
£9,033.56
£8,926.80
£8,870.20
£8,141.56
£6,623.08
£6,528.84
£5,695.90
£5,425.50
£5,217.92
£4,114.55
The above data have been sourced from the Department's accounting systems (BMS and VISTA) going back to 2004. This is consistent with the Department's Retention Schedule, which is informed by the National Archives "Records Management Retention Scheduling-Employee Personnel Records" (page 6, Travel and Subsistence-claims and authorisation'-retention period of six years).
(1 )The amounts shown are for a single claim, but cover arbitrary periods, which in some cases stretch over many months.
Departmental Billing
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in July and August 2010. [13310]
Mr Simon Burns: The proportion of invoices paid within 10 days of receipt in July and August was 97.76% and 97.96% respectively.
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many payments to suppliers were made by (a) his Department, (b) its agency and (c) its non-departmental public bodies (i) within 30 days of, (ii) over 30 days after, (iii) over 60 days after and (iv) over 90 days after the date of invoice in the latest period for which figures are available. [13925]
Mr Simon Burns:
The number of payments made to suppliers by the Department, its agency and non-departmental public bodies within 30 days and over
30 days after the date of the invoice is shown in the following table. It is not a requirement to record payments made after 60 and 90 days and to collect this information retrospectively would be at disproportionate cost.
| Payments made to suppliers within 30 days (April-June 2010) | Payments made to suppliers over 30 days (April-June 2010) | |
|
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (Agency) | ||
Departmental Fines
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many transport-related fines his Department has settled on behalf of its staff in each year since 2005; and what the cost to the public purse was in each year. [13312]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department has not settled any transport-related fines for staff since 2005. The Department's policy is not to reimburse staff for any penalty imposed under the Road Traffic Acts or any associated expense arising from a traffic accident or offence. This includes parking fines.
Departmental NDPBs
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS-related non-departmental public bodies (a) have been abolished since May 2010 and (b) will be abolished in the next five years; and what effect the abolition of each is estimated to have on his Department's public expenditure in each of the next four years. [13230]
Mr Simon Burns: The White Paper "Equity and Excellence Liberating the NHS", published on 12 July 2010 and available at:
and the Department's review of its arm's-length bodies "Liberating the NHS: Report of the arm's-length bodies review", published on 26 July 2010 and available at:
set out proposals for fundamental changes to the ways that the national health service is structured, including the structure of the Department's non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs).
No NHS-related NDPB has been abolished since May 2010. The report on the review of arm's-length bodies sets out the Government's intentions for each of the Department's 18 arm's-length bodies which will be implemented by 2013.
The costs of the transition to the new structure, and of running the reformed organisations, will not be known until the precise details and process of the structural changes have been determined. An impact assessment of the proposals made in the arm's-length bodies review report will be published alongside the Health Bill, in due course.
Diabetes
Mr George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS has spent on treating type 1 diabetes and its complications in each of the last 10 years; and what sources and assumptions were used to derive these figures. [14941]
Mr Burstow: The Department does not collect data on the cost of treating type 1 diabetes and its complications.
Diabetes is a complex condition that affects all parts of the body making it difficult to calculate an exact cost.
Mr George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people in England with type 1 diabetes; and what sources and assumptions were used to derive these figures. [14942]
Mr Burstow: The Department does not have an estimate of the total number of people with type 1 diabetes. According to the Quality and Outcomes Framework data there are currently 2.3 million people diagnosed with diabetes in England. We cannot however separate this into type 1 and type 2 diabetes. It is estimated that approximately 10% of people with diabetes have type 1 diabetes.
In March 2009, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health published "Growing up with Diabetes: children and young people with diabetes in England". The report concluded that 22,947 children and young people have diabetes, with the majority of these having type 1 diabetes.
Epilepsy: Health Services
Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve services for people with epilepsy. [14040]
Mr Burstow: The National Service Framework for Long-term Conditions is the key tool for delivering the Government's strategy to support and improve services for those living with long-term neurological conditions, including epilepsy.
It is the responsibility of local health commissioners to ensure that they commission local services to meet the needs of their population. This includes ensuring that all relevant guidelines, including those issued by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, are able to be implemented where deemed appropriate.
In the future, outcomes, which the national health service will be expected to achieve, will be set via the NHS Outcomes Framework. We will not tell the NHS how to achieve these outcomes but will hold the NHS Commissioning Board to account for delivery through the framework. This framework, which is currently out for consultation, contains domains specifically relevant to epilepsy:
Patient reported outcome measures for specific long-term conditions. A pilot covering epilepsy has already been developed;
A proposed indicator on the percentage of patients aged 18 years and over on drug treatment for epilepsy who have been seizure free for the last 12 months; and
Proposed indicators for emergency hospital admissions for both acute and chronic ambulatory care sensitive conditions (epilepsy is included within the definition of both).
Eyesight: Testing
Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take further steps to encourage people to have frequent eye tests. [14108]
Mr Simon Burns: Free sight tests are available under the national health service to many people, including people aged 60 and over, children under 16, those aged 16 to 18 in full-time education, people on benefits, those people at particular risk of developing eye disease, and people who are registered blind or partially sighted or who have a complex spectacle prescription. Sight tests allow the opportunity to review all aspects of eye health, including investigations for signs of disease.
The Department has worked, and continues to work with NHS Choices on the development of articles and videos to raise the profile of visual health and promote the importance of regular sight tests.
We also recently worked with the organisers of National Eye Health Week to develop a new patient information leaflet, which raises awareness of eye health. The leaflet was launched to coincide with National Eye Health week, which ran from 14-20 June.
The uptake of NHS sight tests is increasing. In 2009-10, there were 11.8 million NHS sight tests, an increase of 4.7% on 2008-09.
Information about the extensive arrangements for providing help with NHS optical services and other health costs is published in leaflet HC11 'Are you entitled to help with health costs?'
General Practitioners
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the accounts of GP consortia will be audited; and what mechanism will be used to assess whether they are achieving value for money when purchasing skills and services from the private sector. [13461]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department published 'Liberating the NHS: Commissioning for patients' on 22 July 2010 which set out the intended arrangements for general practitioner (GP) commissioning and the NHS Commissioning Board. We are engaging on these proposals and consulting on specific questions highlighted in the document.
The NHS Commissioning Board will be responsible for allocating and accounting for national health service resources. This will include calculating practice-level budgets and allocating these resources directly to consortiums. Consortiums will be responsible for managing these budgets, and deciding how best to use the resources to meet the health care needs of their patients.
The commissioning budgets will include a maximum allowance to cover management costs. Consortiums will be free to decide how best to use this allowance to carry out commissioning activities. Commissioning for patients asks for views on what support GP consortiums will need to access and evaluate external providers of commissioning support.
A Government response to the consultation will be published alongside the Health Bill, which will be introduced into Parliament later this year. This legislation will set out a consortium's duties in relation to financial management, including requirements in relation to reporting, audit and accounts.
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms GP consortia will use to manage demand within the budget allocated to them; what assessment has been made of the risk of GP consortia incurring deficits; and what failure regime will be established. [13463]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department of Health published "Liberating the NHS: Commissioning for patients" on 22 July 2010 which set out the intended arrangements for general practitioner (GP) commissioning and the NHS Commissioning Board. We are engaging on these proposals and consulting on specific questions highlighted in the document.
The NHS Commissioning Board will be responsible for allocating and accounting for national health service resources. This will include calculating practice-level budgets and allocating these resources directly to consortiums. Consortiums will be responsible for managing these budgets, and deciding how best to use the resources to meet the health care needs of their patients.
The NHS Commissioning Board will be responsible for holding consortiums to account for stewardship of NHS resources and developing an assurance process which will hold GP consortiums to account for the outcomes they achieve. In turn, each consortium will hold its constituent practices to account against these objectives.
The NHS Commissioning Board will have a significant role in managing financial risk, for example through oversight of risk pooling within and between consortiums. Consortiums should have a level of flexibility in deciding how best to manage financial risk within the overall regime set by the NHS Commissioning Board to encourage good financial management. The principles for managing underspends and overspends, including whether any planned and managed underspends may be carried over
to future years to invest in services and whether any actual overspends will be deducted from the following year's allocation, will be agreed between the NHS Commissioning Board, the Department of Health and HM Treasury.
The NHS Commissioning Board will intervene in the event that a consortium is unable to fulfil its duties effectively or where there is a significant risk of failure. Ultimately, the NHS Commissioning Board will be responsible for ensuring and maintaining an effective and fully comprehensive system of GP consortiums.
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms will be used to prevent conflicts of interest where private providers join GP consortia in respect of commissioning decisions using NHS funds. [13464]
Mr Simon Burns: We propose to set out in legislation the duties of the NHS Board and commissioners to promote choice, to act transparently and non-discriminatorily in all commissioning activities, and to prohibit agreements or other actions to restrict competition against patients' and taxpayers' interests.
Monitor will have powers to investigate and remedy complaints regarding commissioners' procurement decisions, or other conduct which may be anti-competitive, acting as arbiter.
Andy Burnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the average likely (a) annual administrative cost and (b) headcount of each GP commissioning group to be established under his proposals. [13528]
Mr Simon Burns: The White Paper "Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS" published, on 12 July 2010, sets out our intention to devolve power and responsibility for commissioning services to local consortia of general practitioner (GP) practices. To support GP consortia in their commissioning decisions, we will also create an independent NHS Commissioning Board.
It is envisaged that within commissioning budgets, GP consortia will receive a maximum management allowance to reflect the management costs associated with commissioning. Consortia will be free to decide how to use this management allowance to carry out commissioning activities. However, it has not yet been decided what the level of allowance will be.
"Commissioning for Patients", published on 22 July, set out these proposals in more detail, providing the basis for fuller consultation and engagement with primary care professionals, patients and the public. A copy has already been placed in the Library.
It is therefore too early to say at this stage what this means for the annual administrative cost and head count of each GP commissioning group.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what protection he plans to put in place for the terms and conditions of employment of staff transferred from primary care trusts to GP commissioning bodies under his proposals for the reorganisation of NHS commissioning; and if he will make a statement. [13826]
Mr Simon Burns: Staff transferring from primary care trusts directly to general practitioner commissioning bodies will transfer under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE), with their terms and conditions protected and will be able to retain membership of the NHS pension scheme.
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether GPs will have the power to decide the membership of GP consortia. [14645]
Mr Simon Burns: We intend that every general practitioner (GP) practice will be a member of a consortium. Practices will have flexibility to form consortia in ways that they think will secure the best healthcare and health outcomes for their patients and locality. The NHS Commissioning Board will have a duty to ensure comprehensive coverage of GP consortia, and will assign practices to consortia where this is necessary.
It is also intended that consortia, once established, will be statutory public bodies, with powers and responsibilities set out through primary and secondary legislation. By that time, each consortium would need to have chosen its own accountable officer and chief financial officer.
We believe that consortia should be held to account for the outcomes they achieve and for the fulfilment of appropriate duties, rather than for the way in which they constitute themselves. We do not intend to set out detailed or prescriptive requirements in relation to the internal governance of a consortium, beyond essential requirements for example in relation to financial probity and accountability and audit.
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what powers the NHS Commissioning Board will have regarding membership of GP consortia. [14646]
Mr Simon Burns: We would wish general practitioner (GP) practices to make their own decisions, as far as possible, on membership of consortia. The NHS Commissioning Board will have a duty to ensure comprehensive coverage of GP consortia across the country. To meet this duty, our proposals indicate that, in the last resort, the NHS Commissioning Board would need to be able to assign a practice to a consortium, but we hope that this power would rarely need to be used.
General Practitioners: ICT
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to ensure that IT systems provided to support GP commissioning are (a) cost effective and (b) reliable. [14643]
Mr Simon Burns: Procurement of information systems to support general practitioner (GP) commissioning would be a matter for individual GP consortia, and it would be the responsibility of systems suppliers to meet the requirements of their GP consortia customers. GP commissioners will have to use agreed technical and data standards set by the NHS Commissioning Board to promote compatibility between different systems. The NHS Commissioning Board will provide a framework to support GP consortia in commissioning services to ensure there is consistency in the information that commissioners and providers are using, and compatibility between information systems.
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust: Clinical Trials
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many clinical trials are taking place at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital; how many of them are part-funded by pharmaceutical companies; and how many of them are taking place in the Rheumatology Department. [14076]
Mr Simon Burns: This information is not held centrally by the Department. The Department suggests that the hon. Member may wish to contact Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust directly.
Health Centres: Greater Manchester
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make an estimate of the proportion of clients at the new health centre in Fallowfield, Manchester who are resident in the M19 postal district. [14652]
Mr Simon Burns: The information requested is not collected centrally. However, it can be obtained directly from Manchester Primary Care Trust.
Health Services
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps will be taken to ensure that any lack of financial viability of private suppliers of patient services will not adversely effect such services under the proposals in the Health White Paper. [13460]
Mr Simon Burns: As in the current system, commissioners will retain primary responsibility for ensuring the continuity of service provision. Under the proposals in the White Paper, Monitor would have powers through its licensing regime to protect access to essential services where a community was highly dependent upon a particular provider. We are currently consulting on these proposals and further details are set out in the consultation document "Liberating the NHS: Regulating healthcare providers", a copy of which has already been placed in the Library.
Health Services: Disability
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received from disability organisations on future levels of spending by his Department for people with disabilities; and if he will make a statement. [13888]
Mr Burstow: Ministers have not received any representations from disability organisations on future levels of spending by this Department.
Health Services: Isle of Man
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in his discussion with his Isle of Man counterpart in respect of a new reciprocal health agreement with the UK; whether he expects any such agreement to be in place before the end of September 2010; and if he will make a statement. [12610]
Anne Milton: I refer to my written statement of 9 September 2010, Official Report, column 22WS.
Health Services: Learning Disability
Mr Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that the views of people with a learning disability are taken into account through HealthWatch. [13856]
Mr Simon Burns: "Liberating the NHS: Local democratic legitimacy in health", a copy of which has already been placed in the Library, sets out the consultation proposals for establishing HealthWatch. It proposes that local involvement networks (LINks) evolve to become local HealthWatch organisations. It further proposes that HealthWatch England will be established to provide national leadership and strengthen the public and patient voice.
HealthWatch will strengthen the collective voice of patients and the public, including those with learning difficulties. The Department is also exploring how Learning Disability Partnership Boards could link with HealthWatch.
HealthWatch Groups: Finance
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding will be provided to local authorities to fund HealthWatch groups in their areas when they are established. [13449]
Mr Simon Burns: "Liberating the NHS: Local democratic legitimacy in health", a copy of which has already been placed in the Library, sets out the consultation proposals for establishing HealthWatch. It proposes that local involvement networks (LINks) evolve to become local HealthWatch organisations. It further proposes that HealthWatch England will be established to provide national leadership and strengthen the public and patient voice.
All funding decisions are subject to the spending review, which will conclude on 20 October.
Hospitals: Parking
Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps his Department is taking to ensure that patients are adequately informed about hospital car parking charges; [13572]
(2) what steps his Department is taking to ensure hospitals observe its guidance on car park charges. [13573]
Mr Simon Burns: National health service organisations have the autonomy to make decisions that best suit their local circumstances. It would therefore be inconsistent with this autonomy to issue mandatory guidance to this NHS on this matter. However, should charges discourage patients from accessing their services or friends and families from visiting patients, or prevent staff from doing their jobs properly, those NHS organisations have a responsibility to look at that further. This includes ensuring that patients and visitors should be informed of car parking arrangements, charges and concessions.
Midwives: Manpower
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many births per full-time equivalent NHS midwife there were in each region in (a) 2008 and (b) 2009. [13955]
Anne Milton: The following table shows the number of births per midwife (full-time equivalent) in 2008 and 2009 by strategic health authority.
| 2008 | 2009 | |
| Source: Office for National Statistics | ||
Monitor: Finance
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what resources will be provided to Monitor to enable it to carry out the functions of economic regulator of providers of NHS care; and if he will make a statement. [13462]
Mr Simon Burns: We will be able to confirm any allocation of resources for Monitor to carry out its new functions in due course. We have published proposals for consultation(1). However, it will be for Parliament to determine Monitor's new functions, as economic regulator, through the legislative process.
(1) "Liberating the NHS: regulating healthcare providers" (Department of Health; July 2010)
Multiple Sclerosis
Mr George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people in England with multiple sclerosis; how much the NHS has spent on treating this condition in each of the last 10 years; and what sources and assumptions were used to derive these figures. [14943]
Mr Burstow: In 2005 the Department estimated that 52,000-62,000 people in England and Wales were living with multiple sclerosis. This estimate was taken from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) multiple sclerosis guideline published in 2003.
In March 2009, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health published "Growing up with Diabetes: children and young people with diabetes in England". The report concluded that 22,947 children and young people have diabetes, with the majority of these having type 1 diabetes.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |