| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
31 Jan 2011 : Column 602W—continued
Regional Growth Fund: Applications
Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what mechanisms he uses to inform prospective applicants to the Regional Growth Fund of the criteria which will be used to appraise bids; and whether prospective applicants have been informed of any changes to such criteria or to any comparative weighting attached to them. [36996]
Mr Prisk: The Regional Growth Fund (RGF) was launched on 28 October 2010, on that date the RGF website went live, and from when it started it has hosted guidance for applicants, which has included the criteria that will be used to assess bids. The information on the website was supplemented by a series of RGF roadshows, which ran workshops on bid appraisal.
The criteria are not weighted.
Royal Academy of Engineering
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions officials in his Department had with the Royal Academy of Engineering on the development of a new diversity programme in engineering and the wider science, technology, engineering and mathematics workforce to widen participation among under-represented groups prior to his Department's publication of The Allocation of Science and Research Funding, URN 10/1356. [36856]
Mr Willetts: The diversity programme formed part of the Department's discussions with the Royal Academy of Engineering about their delivery plan for 2011-12 to 2014-15, which BIS considered during the allocations process.
Funding for individual programmes is still being discussed. We expect to conclude these discussions shortly, and the detailed delivery plan will then be published on the Academy's website.
Royal Mail: Livingston
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will assess the effects on the Post Office network in Livingston constituency of his decision not to introduce legislative proposals to require an inter-business agreement between a privatised Royal Mail company and the Post Office network. [36993]
Mr Davey: Royal Mail and the Post Office are natural partners with a strong existing commercial relationship. The chief executive of Royal Mail has said that
"it is unthinkable that we would ever have anything but the very strong relationship that we have now with the Post Office."
The Government do not consider that inserting into the Postal Services Bill a requirement for Royal Mail and Post Office Ltd to have a commercial agreement in place would provide additional security for the post office network. Indeed legislating for an exclusive contract between the two companies would introduce a significant risk of challenge under competition or state aid law that could present a serious threat to the operation of the post office network.
Royal Mail: Standards
Mr Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with Royal Mail on the clearance of backlogs of mail and parcels. [36855]
Mr Davey: Mail delivery is an operational matter for the Royal Mail.
I have therefore asked the chief executive of Royal Mail, Moya Greene, to respond directly to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the House Libraries.
Vocational Guidance: Advisory Services
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what mechanism he has put in place to safeguard the (a) staff and (b) infrastructure of the Next Steps and Connexions services in the transition to the proposed all-age careers service in the academic year 2011-12. [37069]
Mr Hayes: The responsibility for the staff and infrastructure of existing Connexions services lies with individual local authorities (LA's) or the providers that have contracted with local authorities to deliver Connexions services. During the transition period we will support LA's to work through any changes that may be necessary in local service provision as a result of the establishment of the all-age service, involving, where appropriate, Connexions service providers. The responsibility for Next Step staff rests with the Next Step prime contractors.
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which stakeholders were consulted on (a) his plans for the proposed all-age careers service and (b) the timetable for its implementation following the merger of the Next Steps and Connexions services. [37070]
Mr Hayes: In developing plans and the timetable for the introduction of the All-Age careers service, we are consulting with a broad range of stakeholders, including the National Connexions Network, the Association of School and College Leaders, the Institute of Careers Guidance and the Local Government Association.
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the statutory responsibilities of the proposed all-age careers service will be from the academic year 2011-12. [37071]
Mr Hayes: The all-age careers service will be provided through an arrangement between the Secretary of State and the chief executive of Skills Funding, under existing legislation. We are developing the model for the all-age-service including its responsibilities from the academic year 2011/12-in consultation with stakeholders.
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to announce (a) the funding allocated to the proposed all-age careers service in 2011-12 and (b) the proportion of funding for that service to be provided by (i) his Department and (ii) the Department for Education. [37072]
Mr Hayes: Resourcing for the all-age careers service is under consideration. Details of the funding that will be available in 2011-12 and in subsequent years, including the split between the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Education, will be announced in due course.
Mr Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what local authority responsibilities for the delivery of information, advice and guidance services will be transferred to the proposed all-age careers service as a result of the planned merger between Next Steps and Connexions. [37073]
Mr Hayes: When the all-age service is established, local authorities will no longer be expected to make available a universal careers advice and guidance offer to young people. Local authorities will continue to be responsible for securing targeted support services for vulnerable young people, including those who are NEET or at risk of becoming NEET.
Cabinet Office
Departmental Pay
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what information his Department holds on the number of sub-contracted staff servicing his Department who were not paid at a rate equivalent to or above the London living wage in the latest period for which figures are available. [34825]
Mr Maude: Staff employed by the Cabinet Office on London pay bands are paid at a rate above the London living wage. Information for sub-contracted staff is held by individual suppliers.
Departmental Procurement
Jon Trickett:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what single tender contracts his Department has awarded in respect of (a) the Cabinet Office, (b) the
Prime Minister's Office, (c) the Deputy Prime Minister's office and (d) the Office of the Leader of the House since his appointment; and what the monetary value is of each contract above the EU public procurement threshold. [36197]
Mr Maude: Information in this precise form is available only at disproportionate cost, though details of Cabinet Office spend are published monthly as part of the Government's transparency agenda.
Employment: Manufacturing Industries
Chris White: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people were employed in the manufacturing sector in (a) Warwickshire and (b) the West Midlands in each year since 2001. [36259]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many people were employed in the manufacturing sector in (a) Warwickshire and (b) the West Midlands in each year since 2001. (036259)
Annual statistics on the number of employees are available from the ONS release, "Annual Employment Statistics" derived from the Business Register Employment Survey (prior to 2009 employee estimates were available from the Annual Business Inquiry). This survey produces statistics on the number of employees only, and so excludes the self-employed. An estimate that included the self-employed at the level of detail requested would only be available through the Labour Force Survey. However, the industrial classification in the Labour Force Survey is known to be weak and as a result the Business Register Employment Survey, which has better accuracy in terms of its industrial classifications, has been used. The latest period for which figures are available is 2009.
Table 1 provides information showing the numbers of employees in manufacturing in Warwickshire and the West Midlands between 2001 and 2009.
| Table 1: Number of employees in the manufacturing sector | ||
| Thousands | ||
| Period | Warwickshire | West Midlands |
| Notes: 1. Direct comparisons of employee estimates over these different periods should be treated with caution. Estimates for 2008 onwards are from the Business Register Employment Survey (BRES) and are on a new standard industrial classification basis (SIC2007). Estimates prior to this are from the Annual Business Inquiry (ABI) on the previous standard industrial classification basis (SIC2003). 2. An assessment of changes in survey methodology suggests the total number of employees for the manufacturing sector for GB increased by around 0.1% by moving to BRES from the ABI. 3. The change from SIC2003 to SIC2007an additional impact between 2008 and 2009 with the removal of the recycling industry out of manufacturing having the largest impact. 4. For the ABI estimates prior to 2006 are on a different basis to 2006 to 2008. An assessment of changes in survey methodology suggests that the estimate of the total number of employees for the manufacturing sector for GB increased by around 0.3%. | ||
Employment: Mutual Societies
Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which public bodies have expressed an interest in becoming employee mutuals; and what the total budget is of such bodies in the current financial year. [36010]
Mr Maude: The Government are committed to introducing new 'Rights to Provide' for public sector workers to form employee-led organisations and take over the services they deliver.
Mutuals offer improved organisational performance and efficiency through greater employee productivity, and greater scope for innovation.
Cabinet Office is working with Departments to develop guidance on mutualisation and how to respond to expressions of interest by employees, including for non-departmental public bodies.
Progress will be included in the forthcoming Public Services Reform White Paper, including actions to reduce barriers and encourage take-up, setting out the Government's ambitions for mutualisation over the next few years.
NDPBs
Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what his most recent estimate is of the number of non-departmental public bodies proposed for transfer out of the public sector. [36012]
Mr Maude: A number of public bodies are proposed for transfer out of the public sector, including the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence which will no longer be a non-departmental public body, and the Design Council which seeks to establish itself as an independent charity. Departments are also working to make decisions on the 40 bodies that were under consideration at the time of my public bodies review announcement on 14 October 2010.
Private Sector: East Midlands
Margaret Beckett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of the working population of (a) the City of Derby, (b) Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire and (c) the East Midlands was employed in the private sector in each of the last 10 years. [37295]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what proportion of the working population of (a) the City of Derby, (b) Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire and (c) the East Midlands region was employed in the private sector in each of the last 10 years. (037295)
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles employment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
Table 1 shows the number of persons employed in the private sector resident in the City of Derby, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership and East Midlands for the 12 month periods ending in December from 2004 to 2009 from the APS, along with the latest estimate for the period ending June 2010. Estimates are not available prior to the 12 month period ending December 2004.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
| Table 1: Number of persons( 1) and proportions of working population employed in the private sector resident in East Midlands, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire( 2) and City of Derby | ||||||
| East Midlands | Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | City of Derby | ||||
| 12 month period ending: | Level ( thousand ) | Proportion (%) | Level ( thousand ) | Proportion (%) | Level ( thousand ) | Proportion (%) |
| (1) Persons aged 16 and over. (2) Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership is made up of Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. (3) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality below. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV - for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 ≤ CV<5%-Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 ≤ CV <10%-Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 ≤ CV <20%-Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ≥ 20%-Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes CV = Coefficient of Variation Source: Annual Population Survey | ||||||
Public Expenditure: Unemployment
Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) when he plans to answer question 22140, on job losses and the comprehensive spending review, tabled on 1 November 2010 for answer on 3 November 2010; [36200]
(2) what estimate he has made of the number of job losses in the civil service attributable to the outcomes of the comprehensive spending review (a) at each civil service pay band, (b) in each region and (c) in each year of the spending review period. [22140]
Mr Maude: Departments are currently working through the detail of what their individual spending review settlements will mean in terms of their own work force planning. The estimates requested are not currently held by the Cabinet Office.
Technology: East Midlands
Margaret Beckett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of the workforce of (a) the City of Derby, (b) Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire and (c) the East Midlands is classified as employed in high technology industries. [37301]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what proportion of the workforce of (a) the City of Derby, (b) Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire and (c) the East Midlands is classified as employed in high technology industries. (37301)
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles employment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
The UK Standard Industrial Classification does not have a classification for high technology industries, however the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) uses a definition of high technology industries based on industries involved in the manufacture of pharmaceutical products, computer, electronic and optical products and air, spacecraft and related machinery.
Table 1 shows the number and proportion of persons employed in the high technology industries resident in the City of Derby, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership and East Midlands for the 12 month ending June 2010.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
International Development
Afghanistan: Education
Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to promote the education of girls in Afghanistan. [37127]
Mr Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) is supporting the Afghan Government to integrate gender equality into all its policies, including on education. DFID's funding contributions to the Government of Afghanistan have helped to make sure that 1.9 million girls are now attending school and more than 48,000 women teachers are in post. Through our ongoing support, we hope to see 2.6 million girls attending school and 64,000 women teachers in post within the next three years.
Afghanistan: Overseas Aid
Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has to allocate resources for humanitarian purposes in Afghanistan. [37130]
Mr Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) is developing a new humanitarian strategy for Afghanistan and is considering its allocation for humanitarian needs in Afghanistan for the coming years.
Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department employs staff in Kabul dedicated to conducting and promoting its humanitarian work in Afghanistan. [37131]
Mr Duncan: The Department for International Development's (DFID's) office in Kabul does employ staff tasked with monitoring, planning for and responding to the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much and what proportion of his Department's planned expenditure on Afghanistan will be spent in Helmand province. [37128]
Mr Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) is currently undertaking a review of its bilateral programme to determine how we can achieve better value for money for the UK taxpayer, while bringing real benefits to the world's poor and accelerating progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. Details of future aid allocations within Afghanistan will be available upon the conclusion of the bilateral aid review.
Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department allocated to each province of Afghanistan in the latest period for which figures are available. [37129]
Mr Duncan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided to the right hon. and learned Member for Camberwell and Peckham (Ms Harman) on 16 December 2010, Official Report, column 918W, on Afghanistan: Overseas Aid.
Bangladesh: Floods
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid his Department allocated to flood prevention in Bangladesh in each of the last five years. [37582]
Mr Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) spent the following on flood prevention in Bangladesh between 2005-06 and 2009-10.
| Financial year | £ million |
Bangladesh: Overseas Aid
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which projects in Bangladesh are funded by his Department. [37589]
Mr Duncan:
The Department for International Development (DFID) is supporting the provision of basic social services, creating jobs and income, improving governance, and helping Bangladesh adapt to climate change. Gender and aid effectiveness are key themes across the programme. DFID works closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for Energy and Climate Change and other Government
Departments on climate change and strengthening democracy in Bangladesh. A full list of ongoing and recently completed projects is available on the project database which can be accessed on DFID's website
DFID is currently reviewing its programme in Bangladesh as part of the ongoing bilateral aid review, to ensure UK aid achieves maximum value for money for the UK taxpayer, while bringing real benefit to the world's poor and accelerating progress towards the millennium development goals. The review will report shortly.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid his Department provided to Bangladesh in each of the last five years. [37590]
Mr Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) spent the following amounts on bilateral aid in Bangladesh in each of the last five financial years. This information is contained in DFID's annual publication "Statistics on International Development", which is available in the House Library and on DFID's website.
| Financial year | £ million |
Burma: Overseas Aid
Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what projects and organisations in Burma his Department funded in the latest period for which figures are available. [36785]
Mr Duncan: In 2010 the main projects funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) in Burma were: the Three Diseases Fund to tackle HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria; the Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund; UNICEF's multi-donor Education Fund; Save the Children's pre-school education programme; and a project working with civil society organisations to help Burmese people to have a better say in local decisions which affect their lives. DFID also provided funding for Burmese refugees in Thailand and people displaced by conflict inside Burma through the Thailand Burma Border Consortium, the International Rescue Committee and other non-governmental organisations.
Further details, including financial allocations, can be found on DFID's project database at
Burma: Politics and Government
Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the needs arising from the humanitarian situation in Burma. [36468]
Mr Duncan: A comprehensive assessment is not available. It is estimated that more than one third of all households have insufficient money to meet their basic needs, and 10% of the population do not have enough to eat. One in five children die before they reach the age of five, and one in three is malnourished. 380 of every 100,000 women die unnecessarily in pregnancy or childbirth. 70% of people are at risk from malaria, with 4 million cases and 9,000 deaths each year. Over 95% of health costs are met by people themselves, with government expenditure and international assistance for health care amounting to less than US $1 per person per year. Education is also severely underfunded. It is likely that poverty is particularly severe in areas of eastern Burma affected by armed conflict, in Chin and Rakhine States, and in parts of the central dry zone. Around 500,000 people have been displaced by conflict in eastern Burma, of which about 100,000 are living in areas of continuing fighting. Around 150,000 Burmese people live as refugees in camps in Thailand.
The Department for International Development (DFID) is helping to address these needs through an aid programme focused on improving health care, basic education and income-earning opportunities for rural people; and providing assistance for people displaced by conflict, including Burmese refugees in Thailand. DFID's allocation for Burma for 2010-11 is £28 million, to which a further £3 million is being added in order to contribute to the relief and recovery effort following Cyclone Giri which hit Burma in October 2010.
Departmental Carbon Emissions
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce its carbon emissions to meet the target of reducing central Government carbon emissions by 10 per cent. by June 2011. [36603]
Mr Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) has identified and is implementing a range of initiatives to achieve a 10% reduction in carbon emissions by June 2011. The biggest reduction in energy consumption will be achieved through reducing the number of IT servers. DFID has also installed a green roof at its East Kilbride headquarters, which has reduced carbon emissions from gas usage. A number of other changes have also been made, such as reconfiguring lighting systems and reducing plant operation times and cooling of IT equipment. In addition, a communications strategy has been developed to encourage staff to save energy by, for example, switching off computers and photocopiers after use.
Developing Countries: Financial Services
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's policy is on financial sector development, including (a) branchless banking, (b) microfinance, (c) finance for small and medium-sized enterprises and (d) remittances. [37061]
Mr O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) takes a broad based approach to financial sector development to provide stable, sustainable and affordable financial services to individuals, households and firms in developing countries.
DFID promotes branchless banking to harness the potential offered by new technologies such as mobile banking, which have made it possible for poor people to access financial services without having to travel long distances to a bank branch and at an affordable cost. We also promote the use of technology to send and receive remittances more cheaply, quickly and safely.
DFID will explore innovative financial instruments and new models to scale up financing for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries. We will also support the development of financial market infrastructure, which is essential for attracting commercial players for financing SMEs.
Building on the lessons learned from microfinance (and in particular from micro-credit), we will continue our work to strengthen microfinance institutions and the development of new products including micro-savings and micro-insurance.
Developing Countries: Maternity Services
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent projects his Department has supported to improve the provision of maternal health services in the developing world. [36335]
Mr O'Brien: Improving reproductive, maternal and newborn health is a key priority for the coalition Government. On 31 December 2010 the Department for International Development (DFID) launched 'Choices for women: planned pregnancies, safer births and healthy newborns'. This new framework for result sets out how the UK will double its efforts to improve reproductive, maternal and newborn health over the coming years, including saving 50,000 maternal lives and 250,000 newborns. Projects that will be supported in order to achieve this are currently being determined as part of the ongoing aid reviews, which will report in the coming months. Information on the new framework and all current maternal health projects is available on the DFID website.
Overseas Aid
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many (a) officials and (b) external advisers are working on his Department's (i) bilateral aid review, (ii) multilateral aid review and (iii) humanitarian aid review. [36864]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The team co-ordinating the Bilateral Aid Review (BAR), which was in place between May and December 2010, consisted of four officials. Two officials continue to oversee the BAR in its final stages. The Multilateral Aid Review (MAR) team is made up of four officials. Two external reviewers are also acting as peer reviewers during the course of the MAR. The Humanitarian Emergency Response Review (HERR) secretariat consists of four officials, one consultant and one seconded staff member from the Development Assistance Research Associates (DARA). An external Senior Advisory Board, chaired by Lord Ashdown, is responsible for overseeing the content of the HERR report.
In addition, staff across DFID continue to provide inputs into all three reviews and it is, therefore, not possible to determine the total number of officials working on these reviews without incurring disproportionate cost.
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what (a) consultations and (b) other meetings he (i) has held and (ii) plans to hold with representatives of (A) non-governmental organisations, (B) civil society, (C) national governments and (D) multilateral organisations as part of his Department's multilateral aid review. [36872]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: I have written to representatives of national governments, multilateral organisations and civil society organisations, including non-government organisations, to inform them of the Multilateral Aid Review (MAR) and invite comments. I also meet these stakeholders regularly, in one-to-one meetings, through larger groupings such as the British Overseas Aid Group, and during international events such as the UN summit on the millennium development goals in September 2010, or the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos. The MAR has been and will continue to be discussed in many of these meetings.
The results of the MAR will be shared with these stakeholders.
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what (a) consultations and (b) other meetings he (i) has held and (ii) plans to hold with representatives of (A) non-governmental organisations, (B) civil society, (C) national governments and (D) multilateral organisations as part of his Department's bilateral aid review. [36873]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: I meet stakeholders regularly, in one-to-one meetings, through larger groupings such as the British Overseas Aid Group (BOAG), and during international events such as the UN summit on the millennium development goals in September 2010, or the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos. The Bilateral Aid Review (BAR) has been and will continue to be discussed in many of these meetings.
Department for International Development (DFID) officials have met representatives of UK based non-government organisations (NGOs) on a number of occasions during the BAR. Officials based in DFID country offices have met with representatives of national government and civil society, including NGOs, throughout the BAR to discuss the review and its possible outcomes. These possible outcomes have also been reviewed and scrutinised by a panel of independent experts, including member of civil society organisations such as Results for Development, the Gates Foundation and the Children's Investment Fund Foundation.
The results of the BAR will be shared with these stakeholder.
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what (a) consultations and (b) other meetings he (i) has held and (ii) plans to hold with representatives of (A) non-governmental organisations, (B) civil society, (C) national governments and (D) multilateral organisations as part of his Department's humanitarian aid review. [36874]
Mr Andrew Mitchell: The Humanitarian Emergency Response Review is an independent review, chaired by Lord Ashdown. All consultations are being held by Lord Ashdown, by the independent members of the Review's Advisory Board, which Lord Ashdown chairs, and by the review secretariat.
Overseas Aid: Private Sector
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he has made a recent assessment of compliance by his Department's suppliers and partners with the International Labour Organisation's core standards on labour and social matters. [37056]
Mr Duncan: There have been no recent assessments of compliance by the Department for International Development's (DFID's) direct suppliers or partners to the International Labour Organisation's (ILO's) core labour standards.
DFID's advertised contract opportunities require all suppliers to provide details of their social and environmental policies. Short-listed suppliers invited to submit a tender receive a statement setting out DFID's expectation that suppliers wishing to work with DFID can demonstrate compliance with ILO's core standards on labour and social matters, aligned to UK Government sustainable procurement policies.
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many officials at each grade work in his Department's Private Sector Department. [37057]
Mr O'Brien: There are currently 18 staff working in the new Private Sector Department, this will increase to 24 people when fully staffed, comprising the following grades.
| DFID grade | Equivalent civil service grade | Current staff | Permanent posts when fully staffed |
Current staff numbers include three temporary posts (two at A1 and one at A2) assigned to specific projects which will end in the coming months.
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the aims and objectives are of his Department's Private Sector Department; and if he will make a statement. [37058]
Mr O'Brien:
The new Private Sector Department will work to improve the prosperity and well-being of people in poor countries by prompting and catalysing change across the Department for International Development (DFID), to deepen our capability to work with and
enable private enterprise in delivering poverty reduction. A work programme will be developed over the coming weeks. DFID will publish details of its new approach to working with the private sector in May 2011.
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has for the future use of public-private partnerships in his Department. [37059]
Mr O'Brien: Governments in developing countries lack sufficient funds to meet infrastructure spending needs, with Africa alone having an annual US$31 billion shortfall in investment. Globally, 1.6 billion people lack electricity, 0.9 billion are without safe water and 2.6 billion are without basic sanitation.
The Department for International Development (DFID) plans to work with the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) and other facilities to attract private investment and management into innovative projects to improve the lives of the poor and the economic prospects of their countries.
One example of the type of project supported is Bugoye, a 13 MW hydro-electric power station in Uganda. The lack of power in Uganda is causing severe constraints on economic development. PIDG is investing $35 million in this project which will help improve the situation.
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what consultation he plans to undertake on his Department's new approach to working with the private sector. [37065]
Mr O'Brien: The Secretary of State, officials at the Department for International Development (DFID) and I frequently meet with private sector representatives and numerous other interlocutors to inform and determine DFID's approach to working with the private sector.
In addition DFID also undertakes formal public consultations on specific policy issues relating to its work with private sector. Recent high level public consultations include on the reform of CDC Group plc and on the Microfinance Capacity Building Facility for Sub-Saharan Africa. Future consultations on specific opportunities for working with the private sector will be arranged as and when required.
Overseas Trade: Ethics
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to encourage fair and ethical trade. [37060]
Mr O'Brien:
The Department for International Development (DFID) is committed to encouraging fair and ethical trade as a means to encourage responsible business practices in least developed countries. DFID has committed £12 million over 2010-11 to 2013-14 to support the co-ordinated global expansion of Fairtrade, which aims to double the number of producers benefiting, particularly in the poorest countries and conflict affected regions, by the end of 2013. The UK Government also work in partnership with the Ethical Trade Initiative (ETI) and launched the Responsible and Accountable
Garments Sector (RAGS) Challenge Fund in 2010, which aim to improve the working conditions of the poor within global supply chains.
Thailand: Education
Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department funds educational projects in Thailand which target migrant children from Burma. [36469]
Mr Duncan: The Department for International Development's (DFID's) funding in Thailand focuses primarily on providing food, shelter, other materials and improved access to legal assistance for Burmese people living in refugee camps, and humanitarian assistance for people displaced by conflict inside Burma.
Burmese migrant children in Thailand have, however, benefited from one project which included support of £17,680 in 2009-10 for primary education.
Health
Accident and Emergency Departments
Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were treated in accident and emergency departments (a) in hospitals in the Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and (b) on average in hospitals in England in each of the last five years. [36688]
Mr Simon Burns: Data are not available in the format requested.
A table showing the number of first attendances at accident and emergency (A and E) by organisation in England in each of the last five years has been placed in the Library. Data on the total number of first attendances at A and E departments in England are also provided.
An extract of the data relating to the number of first attendances at A and E in hospitals in the Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has been listed as follows.
| Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | |
| Number | |
| Notes: 1. Data from independent sector services are included from quarter 1 2007-08. 2. Data for 2010-11 have been provided for the year to date (YTD), which is the year to the end of quarter 2 2010-11. 3. Data have been extracted for this query for all providers who submitted data over the last five years. Therefore, changes in the number of attendances reported by individual providers over this five year period will reflect both genuine changes in activity, and the effects of mergers, reconfiguration and the introduction of new providers. 4. Information on the number of attendances at A and E is held, rather than information on the number of individual patients. Data for the number of first attendances have been provided, and these data exclude both planned and unplanned follow-ups at A and E. It is possible for a patient to attend A and E more than once during the year for separate incidents. Source: Quarterly Monitoring of A and E (QMAE) | |
Arthritis
Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received on improving (a) awareness and (b) early diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. [36692]
Paul Burstow: Departmental records show that from May 2010 there have been seven items of correspondence and three parliamentary questions relating to either the improving awareness or early diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis.
Departmental officials and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, my noble Friend Earl Howe, met representatives of the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) on 22 September 2010 to discuss concerns about national health service management of care pathways for rheumatoid arthritis.
Arthritis: Health Services
Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to ensure that GP consortia have sufficient knowledge of inflammatory arthritis conditions to be able to commission rheumatology services effectively; and if he will make a statement [36684]
Paul Burstow: The NHS Commissioning Board will have a vital role in providing national leadership for driving up the quality of care across health commissioning, including inflammatory arthritis services. The Board will do this by supporting general practitioner (GP) consortiums in a number of ways including:
publishing commissioning guidance and model care pathways, based on the evidence-based quality standards that it has asked the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to develop;
designing the Commissioning Outcomes Framework and the new quality premium; and
helping to ensure that consortiums have access to high-quality information.
It will be for the Board to determine the details of its work programme and the content of commissioning guidance.
In addition, a GP consortium pathfinder programme has been established that is testing the different elements involved in GP-led commissioning, exploring some of the issues involved in ensuring effective implementation across the country. A number of pathfinders are focusing specifically on exploring the commissioning of care for patients with long-term conditions.
Baby Care Units
Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans his Department has to collect information from NHS trusts on the delivery of a two-year outcome assessment for neonatal care; [36410]
(2) what information his Department plans to collect on the implementation of the Toolkit for High Quality Neonatal Services and Quality Standards in Specialist Neonatal Care as part of the NHS Operating Framework 2011-12. [36413]
Anne Milton: It is for local neonatal networks, commissioners and providers to agree priorities for neonatal services and monitor their implementation.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence 'Quality Standard for Specialist Neonatal Care', published in October 2010, includes nine quality statements, one of which is that babies receiving specialist neonatal care have their health outcomes monitored.
The 'Toolkit for High Quality Neonatal Services', developed by the Neonatal Taskforce and published by the Department in November 2009 as good practice guidance, includes as a marker of good practice that all services ensure that processes are in place to enable the collection of standardised two-year health outcomes for all babies who meet the criteria for these assessments.
The Operating Framework for the national health service in England 2011-12 does not focus specifically on neonatal services, but on what needs to happen in implementing the first full year of the transition in the Government's ambitious programme of reforms in the NHS.
Breast Cancer: Screening
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the differential effects on breast cancer screening take-up rates of (a) purpose built screening units and (b) mobile units. [36770]
Paul Burstow: No assessment has been made of the differential effects on breast screening uptake of purpose built screening units and mobile units.
However, I would refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave him on 18 January 2011, Official Report, column 719W.
Cancer
Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) public information and (b) educational steps his Department is taking to address late diagnosis of cancer. [36833]
Paul Burstow: Tackling late diagnosis is central to "Improving outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer", which we published on 12 January. A copy has already been placed in the Library. The earlier a cancer is diagnosed, the sooner treatment can begin and the better the outcome is likely to be.
We are supporting local initiatives across 109 primary care trusts to raise awareness of bowel, breast and lung cancer. We are piloting a national bowel cancer campaign in two regions of the country to raise pubic awareness of the early signs and symptoms of bowel cancer and encourage early presentation to primary care. To support the regional pilots, we have commissioned Bowel Cancer UK to develop a bowel cancer resource pack for general practitioners (GPs). Local and national evaluation will build the evidence base for cancer awareness interventions.
Going forward, we are looking at how decision support tools, risk assessment, safety netting practices and audit can be integrated into GP training, appraisal and revalidation to support GPs to diagnose cancer.
Care UK: Contracts
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health contracts have been awarded to Care UK in each month since May 2010. [36439]
Mr Simon Burns: We do not hold information centrally about local national health services and social care contracts. Primary care trusts and local authorities are responsible for their own contracting arrangements and decisions.
We can confirm that, as at the close of the last accounting period on 31 December 2010, the Department has not entered into any new contracts with Care UK since May 2010.
Cataracts: Older People
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the cost of treating elderly patients with cataracts in hospitals in the last year for which figures are available. [36333]
Mr Simon Burns: The information is not available in the format requested.
While the Department does collect the average cost of cataract procedures in hospitals, they are not sufficiently detailed to show the costs of treating elderly patients with cataracts.
The following table contains total reported cost information from the 2009-10 reference costs (the most recent year for which data have been published) for collection categories which relate explicitly to cataract procedures.
| Code | Description | Total cost (£ million)( 1, 2) |
| (1) The total reported cost figures have been rounded to the nearest £100,000 and cover day case, elective, non-elective, out-patient procedure and regular day/night attender activity. (2) The figures do not include the cost of any treatment provided as part of an out-patient attendance. This is because costs relating to cataract treatment in this setting are not collected separately, but will be included in the total cost of out-patient attendances for ophthalmology, which in 2009-10 was almost £455 million. (3) The total does not sum due to rounding. Source: Figures in the table are taken from schedule 4 (national health service trusts and primary care trusts combined) of the national schedules of reference costs for the financial year 2009-10, available at: www.dh.gov.uk/en/Managingyourorganisation/NHScostingmanual/index.htm | ||
Clinics: Patients
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were examined at the (a) Alexandra Avenue Polyclinic and (b) Pinn Medical Centre who (i) were and (ii) were not registered patients with the surgery running the centre and polyclinic; and if he will make a statement. [36647]
Mr Simon Burns: This information is not collected centrally. However, the hon. Member may wish to contact Harrow primary care trust directly for local information on this matter.
Dental Services
Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will review the likely administrative requirements under the Care Quality Commission's proposed arrangements for registration of dental practices. [36671]
Mr Simon Burns: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is required to take a proportionate approach to the regulation of health and social care providers. The Department monitors CQC's financial and operational performance at a strategic level at regular formal accountability meetings.
Primary dental care providers must register with CQC from 1 April 2011. We are informed by CQC that the process of registering providers is proceeding well.
All providers of regulated activities, including primary dental care providers, will be required to pay an annual registration fee. CQC has consulted on its fees proposals to apply from 1 April 2011. Its final fees provision is subject to the consent of the Secretary of State.
Departmental Carbon Emissions
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce its carbon emissions to meet the target of reducing central Government carbon emissions by 10 per cent. by June 2011. [36607]
Mr Simon Burns: The latest data on performance of each Department towards the 10% reduction target is publicly available on the following website:
Performance data are reported monthly, within four weeks of the month end.
The Department's current estimate of reduction in the level of carbon emissions since May 2010 is just above the 10% required.
Projects under way that will help us meet our target include:
replacing our desktop personal computers with more energy efficient network interface boxes and centralising storage;
decommissioning a number of information technology servers;
reduction of air-conditioning requirement in server rooms;
installation of new lighting system on the 6(th) floor of Skipton House;
installation of new ventilation and air-conditioning system on the 2(nd) floor of Richmond House;
introduction of Voltage Optimisation;
replacement of lamps;
installing sub meters in one building;
replace Air Handling Unit Fan assembly;
the move of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to a more efficient building; and
Building Management System upgrade works in three Head Quarter buildings.
The target of reducing emissions by 10% applies to the three HQ buildings in which the Department has direct responsibility for energy use, and those occupied by NHS Connecting Health for MHRA.
Drugs and Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of (a) problematic and (b) non-problematic users of (i) alcohol, (ii) tobacco, (iii) cannabis, (iv) ecstasy, (v) heroine, (vi) cocaine, (vii) crack cocaine, (viii) LSD and (ix) amphetamines in each of the last 10 years. [36869]
Anne Milton: Data on smoking prevalence across Great Britain over the past decade is set out in the Office for National Statistics publication "Smoking and drinking among adults, 2009", published 27 January 2011. This document has been placed in the Library.
Problematic use of alcohol may be assessed as (i) regular excessive drinking, which increases long term health risks and (ii) excessive drinking on single occasions, carrying risks related to intoxication.
Those who exceed the weekly equivalent (more than 21 units weekly for men, more than 14 units weekly for women) of the national health service guidelines for regular daily consumption are the nearest measure of the first type of problematic drinker. Some individuals who drink regularly within the NHS guidelines will also incur illness or death as a result of their consumption, as risks of certain diseases are lower but still occur at these levels. These data are likely to understate the true numbers of those exceeding the NHS guidelines, as they are based on self-reported consumption.
Comparable data are only available from 2005 to 2009, the latest year for which figures are available.
Those drinking more than double the NHS guidelines for daily consumption on their heaviest drinking day in the previous week are usually taken as an approximate estimate for numbers in the population drinking to intoxication on single occasions, sometimes referred to as 'binge drinking'. NHS advice to individuals is to avoid episodes of intoxication. Individuals are best able to gauge how to stay within levels of consumption that enable them to avoid intoxication.
| Amount drunk on heaviest drinking day in the last week by adults aged 16 or over in England | ||||
| Drank nothing last week | Up to 8 units (men) and 6 units (women) | More than 8 units (men) and 6 units (women) | ||
| Source: Office for National Statistics, General Household Survey 2005-2007 and General Lifestyle Survey 2008-2009. | ||||
As part of the British Crime Survey, data on self-reported drug use are collected. The following table shows the proportion of adults (aged 16 to 59 years) in England and Wales who have taken the drugs listed in the last year, over the past 10 years.
| Proportion of 16 to 59-year-olds in England and Wales reporting use of drugs in the last year, 2000 to 2009-10 | ||||||||||
| 2000 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | |
| Note: From 2001-02 the British Crime Survey moved to reporting on a financial year basis. Source: Drug misuse declared: findings from the 2009-10 British Crime Survey. | ||||||||||
Drugs: Misuse
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure availability of treatments for drug misuse for ex-offenders on discharge from prison. [36474]
Paul Burstow:
The Department has confirmed to drug partnerships that the total amount available from
the Government to support community delivery of treatment and recovery in 2011-12 will be £501.7 million.
From April, most funding for community drug treatment and all funding for prison drug treatment will be the responsibility of the Department. This will allow local areas to bridge the gap more effectively between prison and community treatment, and ensure that more offenders have a chance of recovery from drug misuse and a chance to contribute more fully to society.
General Practitioners
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health by what means he proposes to (a) measure and (b) analyse the effectiveness of health and well-being boards in scrutinising GP consortia. [36486]
Paul Burstow: In response to consultation comments following the publication of "Equality and Excellence: liberating the NHS", we have decided that local authorities' overview and scrutiny functions will remain separate from the proposed health and well-being boards. We also intend to significantly extend the scrutiny powers available to councils, so that they will have the powers to scrutinise any national health service funded services, whoever provides them.
Currently, local authorities are commentators on the NHS, in future through health and well-being boards they will have a direct role in shaping health services, setting the strategy for health, social care and public health to meet their local population needs.
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to make publicly available the responses to his Department's proposals for GP commissioning consortia set out in the Health White Paper Equity and Excellence. [36487]
Mr Simon Burns: The Government's response to the consultation "Liberating the NHS: Legislative framework and next steps" summarises the responses received to the consultation on the White Paper "Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS", and associated consultations, including "Commissioning for Patients". A list of organisations which responded to the consultation is available on the Department's website at:
Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has set an (a) upper and (b) lower limit for the individual remuneration of GP members of GP commissioning boards. [36657]
Mr Simon Burns: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 21 January 2011, Official Report, columns 994-95W.
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the (a) conduct and (b) evaluation of the GP consortia pilot projects. [36668]
Mr Simon Burns:
All prospective general practitioner (GP) consortia, whether pathfinders or not, will receive a broad range of development support from their primary care trust (PCT), their strategic health authority (SHA)
and the Department. This includes financial support, as well as the assignment of personnel with key skills, such as senior finance managers.
In addition, we are also establishing a national learning network for GP consortia pathfinders. The network will complement the support given to pathfinders by SHAs and PCTs and has the objective of accelerating the development of GP commissioning by ensuring that the learning of pathfinders is shared through the wider GP community.
The shadow NHS Commissioning Board will be responsible for producing and publishing an analysis of the findings of the pathfinder programme and set out the lessons learned that will be applied as consortia become formally established during 2012-13.
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals for GP consortia have been received by his Department; and what criteria he plans to use to determine whether they will proceed. [36669]
Mr Simon Burns: The Health and Social Care Bill 2011 will provide for general practitioner (GP) consortia to be established from April 2012, prior to taking on full statutory responsibilities from April 2013. The Department has established a rolling programme of GP consortia pathfinders to test the different elements involved in GP-led commissioning and enable emerging GP consortia to get more rapidly involved in current commissioning decisions.
Groups of GP practices keen to participate in the pathfinder programme put themselves forward to their strategic health authority, who are responsible for considering these expressions of interest.
The Government's expectation is that any group of GP practices that wishes to become a pathfinder consortium will be able to do so, provided they are able to demonstrate evidence of strong GP leadership and support, local authority engagement and an ability to contribute delivery of the Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention plans for their locality.
There are 141 pathfinder consortia across England.
Pathfinders will not necessarily evolve into GP consortia, as GP practices will be able to adjust arrangements before applying to the NHS Commissioning Board for establishment.
The Commissioning Board will have the duty and powers to authorise consortia, once it is satisfied that they have the necessary arrangements and capacity to fulfil their duties and responsibilities.
Mr Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to (a) measure and (b) assess the effectiveness of health and wellbeing boards in scrutinising the GP consortia. [36847]
Paul Burstow: In response to consultation comments following the publication of "Equality and Excellence: liberating the NHS", we have decided that local authorities' overview and scrutiny functions will remain separate from the proposed health and wellbeing boards. We also intend to significantly extend the scrutiny powers available to councils, so that they will have the powers to scrutinise any national health service funded services, whoever provides them.
Currently, local authorities are commentators on the NHS, in future through health and wellbeing boards they will have a direct role in shaping health services, setting the strategy for health, social care and public health to meet their local population needs.
Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals for GP consortia he has received to date; and what criteria he plans to use to determine whether they should proceed. [37211]
Mr Simon Burns: The Health and Social Care Bill 2011 will provide for general practitioner (GP) consortia to be established from April 2012, prior to taking on full statutory responsibilities from April 2013. The Department has established a rolling programme of GP consortia pathfinders to test the different elements involved in GP-led commissioning and enable emerging GP consortia to get more rapidly involved in current commissioning decisions.
Groups of GP practices keen to participate in the pathfinder programme put themselves forward to their strategic health authority (SHA). SHAs will approve any group of practices to become a pathfinder if they can demonstrate clinical leadership, local authority engagement, and an ability to contribute to the delivery of the local Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention agenda in their locality. They will need to be able to operate in the context of the existing service and financial plans in the health communities they are working in.
The 52 pathfinders announced in December 2010 are already operational and assuming increased commissioning responsibilities from their primary care trusts under existing legislation. A further 89 groups were announced on 17 January 2011.
Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to publish plans for the (a) establishment and (b) evaluation of GP consortia pilot projects. [37212]
Mr Simon Burns: The Health and Social Care Bill 2011 will provide for general practitioner (GP) consortia to be established from April 2012, prior to taking on full statutory responsibilities from April 2013. The Department has established a rolling programme of GP consortia pathfinders to test the different elements involved in GP-led commissioning and enable emerging GP consortia to get more rapidly involved in current commissioning decisions.
The shadow NHS Commissioning Board will produce and publish an analysis of the findings of the pathfinder programme and set out the lessons learned that will be applied as consortia become formally established during 2012-13.
Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanism he plans to put in place to (a) measure and (b) assess the effectiveness of health and wellbeing boards in scrutinising GP consortia. [37213]
Paul Burstow:
In response to consultation comments following the publication of "Equality and Excellence: liberating the NHS", we have decided that local authorities' overview and scrutiny functions will remain separate
from the proposed health and wellbeing boards. We also intend to significantly extend the scrutiny powers available to councils, so that they will have the powers to scrutinise any national health service funded services, whoever provides them.
Currently, local authorities are commentators on the NHS, in future through Health and Wellbeing Boards they will have a direct role in shaping health services, setting the strategy for health, social care and public health to meet their local population needs.
General Practitioners: North West
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what applications his Department has received for GP commissioning consortia in (a) Wigan and (b) the North West. [36543]
Mr Simon Burns: The Health and Social Care Bill 2011 will provide for general practitioner (GP) consortia to be established from April 2012, prior to taking on full statutory responsibilities from April 2013. The Department has established a rolling programme of GP consortia pathfinders to test the different elements involved in GP-led commissioning and enable emerging GP consortia to get more rapidly involved in current commissioning decisions.
Groups of GP practices keen to participate in the pathfinder programme put themselves forward to their strategic health authority. There are no pathfinder consortia in Wigan and 17 pathfinder consortia in the NHS north west.
Health Services: Ex-servicemen
Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent progress has been made on implementing the recommendation of the report by the hon. Member for South West Wiltshire on the availability to existing veterans of an online mental well-being website and membership of the online support network; by what date he expects to have implemented that recommendation; and what funding is being made available by his Department for such implementation in each financial year to 2014-15; [36568]
(2) what recent progress has been made in implementing the recommendation of the report by the hon. Member for South West Wiltshire that the partnership agreement with Combat Stress is extended; by what date he expects to have implemented that recommendation; and what funding is being made available by his Department for such implementation in each financial year to 2014-15; [36569]
(3) what recent progress he has made in implementing the recommendation of the report by the hon. Member for South West Wiltshire relating to the e-learning veterans' health package and embedded outreach professionals; by what date he expects to have implemented that recommendation; and what funding is being made available by his Department for such implementation in each financial year to 2014-15; [36570]
(4) what recent progress he has made in implementing the recommendation of the report by the hon. Member for South West Wiltshire that community outreach work is undertaken to discover cases and refer appropriately; by what date he expects to have implemented that
recommendation; and what funding is being made available by his Department for such implementation in each financial year to 2014-15; [36571]
(5) what recent progress he has made in implementing the recommendation of the report by the hon. Member for South West Wiltshire that a customised mental well-being website is designed and online support network trialled; by what date he expects to have implemented that recommendation; and what funding is being made available by his Department for such implementation in each financial year to 2014-15. [36572]
Mr Simon Burns: The hon. Member for South West Wiltshire (Dr Murrison) was asked by the Prime Minister to review mental health services for serving personnel and veterans. His report, published in October 2010, made a number of recommendations:
Incorporation of a structured mental health inquiry into existing medical examinations performed while serving-Ministry of Defence (MOD) are currently developing an enhanced mental health assessment that will undergo a three-month trial from April 2011.
Increasing the number of mental health professionals (from 15 to 30) conducting veterans outreach work from mental health trusts in partnership with a leading mental health charity-the Department is working with the NHS armed forces networks and others to scope the requirements for this with a view to commissioning this service soon after April 2011. The specification will look to ensure that the needs of veterans in all parts of England are met, and this will require some flexibility in the number and type of mental health nurses and where they are placed.
A Veterans' Information Service will be put in place so that 12 months after a person leaves the armed forces, they will be provided with information offering the opportunity to access guidance and support on health and well-being issues. The Department is developing proposals for this service, working with the Royal British Legion. A limited trial will be conducted during 2011 with roll-out scheduled for early 2012.
Trial of an online early intervention service for serving personnel and veterans. The Department is working with MOD and the Big White Wall, a voluntary organisation who specialise in providing a supported, online mental health community for vulnerable adults and other target groups to put this service in place. It is expected that this service will be piloted from April 2011 in selected areas.
Extension of the partnership agreement with Combat Stress-the Department has been working closely with Combat Stress on a number of veterans mental health issues. The Department also links with the devolved Administrations on these and other issues through the MOD/UK Departments of Health Partnership Board. Departmental officials will meet with the new chief executive of Combat Stress in February 2011 at which time the timetable for extending the Combat Stress partnership agreement will be agreed.
The Department is working closely with the MOD and service charities to implement these recommendations along with work already in hand to provide a 24-hour helpline service for veterans seeking help from Combat Stress and work to develop an e-learning package for general practitioners on veterans and military health issues.
Following the announcement of Dr Murrison's report, the Government announced that it wished to see the report's recommendations taken forward. Funding has been made available from the £2 million already identified in 2010-11 and subsequent Treasury approved funding of up to £1.8 million per annum over the next four years will be used to deliver on the recommendations where the Department has lead responsibility. The MOD is responsible for delivery and funding of those aspects of
the report relating to in-service provision of mental health services. Work on assessing any future costs and resource requirements for implementing the recommendation is currently under way and will be assessed as part for the MOD's planning process, but it is not possible to give any financial data at this time.
Health Services: Finance
Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department plans to introduce funds similar to that of the Cancer Drugs Fund for conditions other than cancer; and if he will make a statement. [36691]
Mr Simon Burns: We have no such plans.
Over the next three years, the Government will be working towards a new system of pricing for all new branded medicines, where the price of a drug will be linked to its assessed value. Value-based pricing will bring the price the national health service pays more in line with the value that a new medicine delivers, ie the benefits doctors and patients will see from a drug.
We have published for consultation our proposals for value-based pricing in A new value-based approach to the pricing of branded medicines. The consultation is open until 17 March. A copy has been placed in the Library and the consultation document can be accessed at:
Health Services: Waiting Lists
Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the (a) collection and (b) publication of national data on waiting times for operations and diagnostic tests. [36539]
Mr Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the future (a) collection and (b) publication of data on waiting times for operations and diagnostic tests nationwide. [36846]
Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to continue to (a) collect and (b) publish national data on waiting times for operations and diagnostic tests. [37214]
Mr Simon Burns: As set out in the Revision to the Operating framework for the NHS in England 2010-11, data on referral to treatment waiting times and waits for diagnostic tests will continue to be published and monitored. These data are published on the Department's website at:
and the NHS Choices website at:
Commissioners can use this information as an additional measure for performance managing providers. Patients can use this information to inform their choices about their health care, for example, which provider they wish to be referred to. Further improvement in waiting times will be driven by publication of waiting times data, patient choice, through sanctions in contracts and competition between services.
Hospitals: Admissions
Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many emergency admissions there were (a) to each hospital in the Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and (b) on average in hospitals in England in each of the last five years. [36686]
Mr Simon Burns: Data are not available in the format requested.
The following table shows the number of emergency admissions in Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust in each of the last five years, and the total number of emergency admissions in England in each of the last five years.
| Number | ||
| Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | England | |
| Notes: 1. Data are for finished admission episodes. The same person may have more than one admission within the year. 2. The quality and coverage of HES data have improved over time, which will affect patterns of growth in activity. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care. | ||
Hospitals: Childbirth
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many births there were at (a) Queen Mary's hospital, Sidcup, (b) Queen Elizabeth hospital, Woolwich, (c) Darent Valley hospital, Dartford and (d) Princess Royal hospital, Farnborough in each of the last five years. [36804]
Mr Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many births there were at (a) Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup, (b) Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich, (c) Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford and (d) Princess Royal Hospital, Farnborough in each of the last five years. [36804]
Figures for live births by hospital have been compiled from birth registration data. Information on place of birth is provided by the informant at registration rather than by the hospitals themselves.
| Live births occurring in selected hospitals, 2005 to 2009 | |||||
| Communal establishment | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |