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18 Nov 2010 : Column 950W—continued
Post Office: Royal Mail
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the merits of an inter-business arrangement between Post Office Ltd and Royal Mail following implementation of provisions of the Postal Services Bill. [24916]
Mr Davey: The Government are clear that Post Office Ltd and Royal Mail will remain closely entwined in operational terms and will continue to rely on one another after the separation of the businesses provided for in the Postal Services Bill. While the commercial terms of such a relationship will be a matter for Post Office Ltd and Royal Mail to agree, the Government believe that it is in the best interests of both companies for there to be a long-term commercial contract in place between them going forward.
Post Offices
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether criteria have been agreed between his Department and Post Office Ltd to determine the appropriateness of the Post Office local model for sub-post offices; and whether the model will apply to sub-post offices with no additional retail business. [24915]
Mr Davey: The Post Office Ltd is currently conducting pilot trials of the Post Office local model in some 50 locations, with analysis of the trials shared regularly with officials in this Department. The trials will enable any necessary fine tuning of the model to be made in the light of practical, operational experience. The Post Office local model is structured to work alongside a complementary retail activity and will not apply in circumstances where there is no additional retail business.
Postal Services: Local Government
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what (a) guidance and (b) support his Department provides to local authorities (i) to support greater involvement by those authorities in the planning and delivery of Post Office provision and (ii) on outsourcing of council services and functions to the Post Office network. [25018]
Mr Davey: The Government are keen to explore the scope for greater local authority involvement in the planning and delivery of local post office provision and for better local authority use of post offices as a delivery channel for council services. Post Office Ltd and Sheffield city council have agreed on a pilot partnership which will also include sub-postmasters and local people to develop a sustainable local network.
Postal Services: Northern Ireland
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive on the effects in Northern Ireland of the privatisation of Royal Mail. [25290]
Mr Davey: The Government are committed to maintaining the universal postal service in all parts of the UK. To achieve this, Royal Mail's future has to be secured on a sustainable basis and we believe that the best way to do this is through an injection of private sector capital and disciplines and for the company to operate within a robust regulatory framework, which has the continuation of the universal postal service at its heart.
Postal services are a reserved matter but this Department fully briefed the devolved Administrations on the content of the Bill before it was published. We also discussed specific drafting points relating to provisions the Bill.
Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effects in Northern Ireland of the privatisation of Royal Mail. [25291]
Mr Davey: The Government are committed to maintaining the universal postal service in all parts of the UK. To achieve this, Royal Mail's future has to be secured on a sustainable basis and we believe that the best way to do this is through an injection of private sector capital and disciplines and for the company to operate within a robust regulatory framework, which has the continuation of the universal postal service at its heart.
Supermarkets: Competition
Mr Spencer: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for a supermarket ombudsman. [24744]
Mr Davey: The coalition agreement commits the Government to introduce the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA). A consultation on the GCA took place between 5 February and 30 April 2010. The Government response of 3 August set out how we would take this body forward.
We now have approval to publish a draft Bill in the first session of this Parliament however it is too early to know whether the Bill could be introduced this session or the next. We will work closely with business managers to reach an agreement.
UK Trade and Investment
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills by what mechanisms UK Trade and Investment works with FTSE 100 companies; and how many staff of his Department are employed to undertake such work. [25410]
Mr Prisk:
UK Trade and Investment currently has approximately 40 dedicated relationship managers assigned to work with FTSE 100 companies. In addition, UK
Trade and Investment staff maintain regular contact with FTSE 100 companies in the course of day to day work both in the UK and overseas.
Yorkshire Forward: Redundancy Pay
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much (a) has been spent on and (b) is planned to be spent on redundancy payments for employees of Yorkshire Forward. [25436]
Mr Prisk: In the 12 months ending October 2010, Yorkshire Forward spent £2,953,793 on redundancy payments to employees. It is not yet possible to estimate future redundancy costs firmly because decisions on staff transfers to successor bodies have still to be settled and other factors will apply including the level of staff departures occurring through other reasons such as resignation. The impact of the Superannuation Bill and the timing of the implementation of the interim measures and the new negotiated terms will also have an affect on the cost of redundancies at Yorkshire Forward.
Prime Minister
China: Human Rights
Mr Winnick: To ask the Prime Minister what representations he made to his Chinese counterpart on the issue of human rights in China at their most recent meeting; what response he received; and what further representations he plans to make. [23224]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the speech I gave at Beida University in Beijing on Wednesday 10 November 2010. A transcript of this is available on the Number 10 website and can be found at
I also refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 15 November 2010, Official Report, column 650.
Economic Policy: EU Action
Mr Carswell: To ask the Prime Minister whether the European Court of Justice would adjudicate in circumstances in which the extent to which the EU was able to legislate in respect of budgets and macro-economic surveillance of member states under the proposals in the Report of the Task Force to the European Council on Strengthening Economic Governance in the EU is disputed. [22283]
Justine Greening: I have been asked to reply.
The UK's Protocol to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union contains certain provisions that preclude the application to the UK of sanctions under Article 126(11) of the Treaty. This exemption from sanctions is explicitly recognised in paragraph 18.ii of the final report of the President of the European Council's Taskforce (a copy of this document has been deposited in the Library of the House).
The European Commission has now published legislative proposals which would create additional sanctions to encourage compliance by member states with both the
EU's Stability and Growth Pact and its Broad Economic Policy Guidelines. However, these relate only to euro area member states and thus would not apply to the UK.
The "EU Semester" would require member states to submit their draft budgetary plans to the EU each spring. The Chancellor secured an exemption from this in the EU Stability and Growth Pact Code of Conduct, which explicitly states that the UK will send its final Budget to the EU after it has been presented to Parliament.
The EU has conducted fiscal and macroeconomic surveillance of its member states for many years under the Stability and Growth Pact and the Broad Economic Policy Guidelines. Many of the Commission and Taskforce proposals formalise this monitoring and are based on existing provisions of the Treaty under Articles 121 and 126.3-126.8. These articles apply to all member states and any proposals made under these Articles, if adopted, would apply to the UK.
The Commission's proposals will be considered by the Council and by the European Parliament in due course. They have been submitted to both Houses of Parliament for scrutiny in the usual way.
Once legislation has been adopted it is open to any one of the EU institutions or to a member state to bring the matter before the European Court of Justice in accordance with Article 263 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
Health
Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the merits of regulating the price of alcohol for the purpose of reducing alcohol consumption; and if he will make a statement. [24826]
Anne Milton: The Government are currently reviewing alcohol taxation and pricing to ensure they tackle binge drinking without unfairly penalising responsible drinkers, pubs and important local industries. We also intend to ban the sale of alcohol below cost price.
Although the price of alcohol is important, it is not the only factor that affects demand for alcohol. Solutions to address alcohol-related problems will need also to be found locally, and by seeking to change individuals' relationship and behaviours with alcohol.
Carers: Voluntary Organisations
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the potential annual saving to the public purse of the provision of support for carers by voluntary organisations. [24449]
Paul Burstow: No assessment has been made of the potential annual saving to the public purse of the provision of support for carers by voluntary organisations.
Dementia
Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many primary care trusts published implementation plans for the National Dementia Strategy for England in the latest period for which figures are available. [24435]
Anne Milton: The Department does not collect data on how many primary care trusts have published implementation plans for the National Dementia Strategy for England. We are in the process of establishing the provision of dementia services across the country via a national audit. The first results from this are expected at the end of the year.
The Department has made clear that national health service (NHS) organisations should be working with partners to implement the National Dementia Strategy. Localities are asked to provide information that helps those with dementia and their families understand their local services, and the level of quality and outcomes that they can expect. The NHS and their partners should publish how they are implementing the National Dementia Strategy to increase local accountability for prioritisation. This is to support a move away from central command to local determination and as such primary care trusts will not be subject to requirements on how or what they publish, neither will there be any national performance requirements put to them.
Departmental Press: Subscriptions
Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health to which local newspapers his Department had a subscription between June 2007 and May 2010; on what date each such subscription started; and what the cost to the public purse was of such subscriptions. [24427]
Anne Milton: The following table shows the cost of local newspapers purchased for the Department on a regular basis during the period June 2007 to May 2010:
| Title | Cost (£) |
| Notes: l. Subscription commencement dates are not available as the Department purchases newspapers on a month by month basis to allow for any weekly demands or changes. 2. This covers titles purchased by the Library only. Information is not held centrally on items purchased by individual business units. | |
Departmental Reviews
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what departmental policy reviews his Department has undertaken since his appointment; on what date each such review (a) was announced and (b) is expected to publish its findings; what estimate he has made of the cost of each such review; who has been appointed to lead each such review; to what remuneration each review leader is entitled; how many (i) full-time equivalent civil servants and (ii) seconded staff are working on each such review; from which organisations such staff have been seconded; and how much on average such seconded staff will be paid for their work on the review. [21881]
Paul Burstow: Details of all Department of Health policy reviews since May 2010 are set out in the following table:
Drugs: Misuse
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what treatment services are available on the NHS for people with a dependency on (a) heroin, (b) crack cocaine and (c) cocaine powder; and what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of each such treatment. [24843]
Anne Milton: The national health service provides a range of services in various settings to treat drug dependence, tailored to the individual, their drug(s) of dependence, and their personal circumstances.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has reviewed the evidence for the effectiveness of a range of drug treatment interventions, and published guidance which includes: methadone and buprenorphine for managing opioid dependence, naltrexone for the management of opioid dependence, opioid detoxification, and drug misuse psychosocial interventions.
Further guidance on the range of treatments available is set out in "Drug misuse and dependence, UK guidelines on clinical management" published by the United Kingdom health departments in 2007. A copy has already been placed in the Library.
In addition, the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA) published "Models of Care for Treatment of Adult Drug Misusers", a framework for the commissioning and provision of drug treatment services in England, last updated in 2006. Once the Government's Drug Strategy has been published, the NTA will consult on the development of a new recovery-oriented framework with the aim of promoting an ambition for recovery that meets the needs of all addicts and their families, both those currently in treatment and those yet to be engaged.
Myasthenia Gravis Association
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to assist the work of the Myasthenia Gravis Association. [24484]
Paul Burstow: The National Service Framework (NSF) for Long-Term Conditions was developed to address variations in access and the quality of care for people with long-term neurological and neuromuscular conditions, including myasthenia gravis.
While it is the responsibility of local health commissioners to ensure that they commission local services to meet the needs of their populations, commissioning decisions that reflect the vision of the NSF will ensure that services meet the needs of people with myasthenia gravis.
In future, outcomes, which the national health service will be expected to achieve, will be set through the NHS Outcomes Framework. The NHS Commissioning Board will hold general practitioner commissioning consortia to account for delivery through the framework.
Under our proposed health reforms, voluntary sector organisations such as the Myasthenia Gravis Association will have valuable expertise and experience to contribute to improve local services. Voluntary organisations could potentially strengthen the process of public and patient engagement and support commissioners in developing needs assessments and commissioning guidelines.
NHS
Dr Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the statutory duties are of (a) primary care trusts and (b) strategic health authorities. [24200]
Paul Burstow: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 18 October 2010, Official Report, columns 580-81W.
NHS: Finance
Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding his Department plans to provide to GPs who are seeking to redevelop their practice buildings following the abolition of primary care trusts; and whether GP practices which fund redevelopment of practice buildings by a bank loan will continue to be able to rent. [24109]
Paul Burstow: The arrangements for reimbursing premises costs for providers of general medical services are set out in The National Health Service (General Medical Services-Premises Costs) (England) Directions 2004. This document has already been placed in the Library. The proposal for an independent NHS Commissioning Board to have future responsibility for commissioning general medical services would not alter these arrangements.
NHS: Public Participation
Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 October 2010, Official Report, column 400W, on NHS: public participation, whether funding will be made available to ensure that LINk activities can continue between the end of March 2011 and the establishment of HealthWatch in April 2012. [24622]
Paul Burstow: Following the spending review, details of the overall local government settlement were set out in the letter from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on 20 October 2010, a copy of which is available on their website at:
This letter set out the profile of grants that are rolling into the local government formula grant from 2011-12.
This includes the Department of Health's ongoing personal social services grants, including funding for local involvement networks.
Pathogens: Climate Change
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has made an assessment of the potential effects on human health of new and emerging pathogens related to climate change. [24664]
Anne Milton: The Department and the Health Protection Agency jointly published its assessment of the possible impacts of climate change on health in the report 'Health Effects of Climate Change in the UK 2008'. This included an assessment of potential effects of new and emerging infections. A copy has already been placed in the Library.
Further to this, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is undertaking a national Climate Change Risk Assessment, as required by the Climate Change Act 2008. Potential risks from new and emerging pathogens on human health will be considered as part of that wider assessment.
Additionally, the Department's National Expert Panel on New and Emerging Infections keeps the risks to public health from such threats under constant review.
Physiology: Regulation
Dr Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the likely effects of the proposals of the NHS White Paper, Equity and Excellence: liberating the NHS, on the timescale for statutory regulation of clinical physiologists. [24688]
Anne Milton: Ministers are currently considering, within the context of the Government's wider health strategy, whether to regulate health care scientists, including clinical physiologists, and how it might be done.
Prescriptions: Fees and Charges
Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to support dispensing surgeries in ensuring fair pricing for prescription medicines. [24111]
Paul Burstow: Following a recent cost of service inquiry carried out in conjunction with the Dispensing Doctors Association and the General Practitioners Committee of the British Medical Association, discussions will now be taking place with the profession over future arrangements to secure best value from national health service investment in general practice.
The latest earnings data from the NHS Information Centre, published on 15 September, show that for 2008-09 dispensing general practitioners (GPs) in England earned an average net income of £123,800, almost £17,900 higher than the average net income of a non-dispensing GP. Overall, dispensing surgeries therefore appear to be profitable.
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