Cancer: Drugs
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has given to primary care trusts on the use of the Cancer Drugs Fund to fund cancer treatments approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) but which are awaiting full implementation of NICE guidance; and if he will make a statement. [60681]
Paul Burstow: The Department published Guidance to support operation of the Cancer Drugs Fund in 2011-12 on 23 March 2011. This makes clear that where the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has positively appraised a technology for the treatment of a particular indication, then it should be made available on the national health service in line with NICE'S recommendations. In these cases, primary care trusts (PCTs) would normally be expected to assume responsibility for patients whose treatment had previously been supported by the fund.
PCTs are normally required to provide funding for NICE technology appraisal recommendations within three months of the publication of final guidance. PCTs and strategic health authorities should therefore agree arrangements for the transfer of funding responsibility from the Cancer Drugs Fund to PCTs within this period of time.
A copy of the guidance has already been placed in the Library.
Care Homes
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the financial incentives for care home owners to invest in their services. [60647]
Paul Burstow: No such assessment has been made by the Department.
However, it is estimated that by 2026 the number of people aged 85 is projected to double and the number of people aged over 100 to quadruple(1). Some of these may require residential care services.
(1) Government Actuary's Department, 2007.
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Care Homes: Inspections
Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with what frequency safeguarding boards review inspection reports on care homes. [59993]
Paul Burstow: Safeguarding Adults Boards (SABs) are local independent bodies, which are made up of key local partners in an area. They always include the local authority, local health partners and the police and frequently involve other organisations such as voluntary organisations, representatives of the Care Quality Commission and service users. As the lead local responsible agency for adult safeguarding, the local authority usually convenes and manages the board.
SABs make their own decisions on the degree of scrutiny they give to care homes. In addition to SABs, local commissioners can be expected to review inspection reports when they renew contracts or place residents in care homes.
Care Quality Commission: Finance
Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the budget of the Care Quality Commission is for 2011-12; [60520]
(2) if he will increase the budget of the Care Quality Commission. [60522]
Mr Simon Burns: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has an initial 2011-12 revenue budget settlement of £50 million from the Department. The CQC has also estimated that fees due from registered providers in 2011-12 will amount to £92 million. The Department will shortly confirm the CQC's initial 2011-12 budget for capital and associated revenue charges.
The CQC's financial position is kept under constant review during the financial year.
Care Quality Commission: Vacancies
Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many unfilled posts there were in the Care Quality Commission on 31 March 2011. [60669]
Mr Simon Burns: The Care Quality Commission has advised that it had 249 vacancies on 31 March 2011, and that it began a recruitment exercise in April 2011.
Carers
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the work of the Cambridgeshire Carers' Partnership Board, if he will assess the merits of establishing a national carers' partnership board for the purposes of facilitating discussion and highlighting the needs of carers. [60864]
Paul Burstow: The Department has asked the Government's expert advisory body, the Standing Commission on Carers, to carry out fact-finding visits during 2011-12 to collect actual and emerging positive practice around carers' lives and contribute to the development of the evidence base. Membership of the Commission includes a wide range of expertise including experience of caring.
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The Commission has already been in discussion with Cambridgeshire county council and NHS Cambridgeshire with a view to carrying out a visit during July. The Commission will be interested to learn more about the work of the Cambridgeshire Partnership Board.
There is already a Cross Government Carers Strategy Board which is responsible for the delivery of the Carers' Strategy across Government and is accountable to Ministers. Membership includes national voluntary carers' organisations, professional bodies, as well as Government Departments.
Carers: Finance
Angie Bray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that NHS funding to support carers in the community is reaching the carer organisations for which it is intended. [60593]
Paul Burstow: The Department is making an additional £400 million available in primary care trust (PCT) baselines to fund carers' breaks between 2011-2015. This funding is included in PCT allocations. The money is not ring-fenced as PCTs have flexibility to decide how much to invest on individual priorities in the light of their local circumstances and priorities. It is also for PCTs to decide if they wish to allocate any of this money to local organisations to support carers in their area.
However, the 2011-12 NHS Operating Framework, published on 15 December, makes it clear that:
“PCTs should pool budgets with local authorities to provide carers' breaks, as far as possible, via direct payments or personal health budgets. For 2011/12, PCTs should agree policies, plans and budgets to support carers with local authorities and local carers' organisations, and make them available to local people.”
For 2011-12, PCTs should publish local plans where appropriate and, specifically, they are required to publish their local plans to deliver both dementia services and services to support carers.
Carers: Hertfordshire
Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much NHS Hertfordshire spent on respite breaks for carers in the most recent year for which information is available. [60901]
Paul Burstow: Information on spend on respite care breaks is not held centrally.
However, NHS Hertfordshire and the local authority have had a pooled budget (led by the local authority) in place for carers and carers' support since 2009-10 and they intend to continue that arrangement beyond 2011-12.
There is a pooled budget of £630,000 in 2011-12 to support carers, primarily for breaks services.
In addition, the primary care trust contributes £184,000 per year towards the core costs of Carers in Hertfordshire, the local voluntary sector carers' organisation.
Employment Law
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with (a) officials in his Department, (b) the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and (c) outside organisations on the potential effects of changes arising from the review of employment law on matters within his Department's responsibilities. [60704]
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Mr Simon Burns: The review of employment-related laws being co-ordinated by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is a cross-Government initiative.
Those Departments with a responsibility for employment-related law are engaged in the process, and relevant Ministers and officials are in contact with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on a regular basis in taking forward the review. The Department of Health does not have a responsibility for employment-related law.
Departments are engaging with their stakeholders on issues relating to the employment law review in accordance with their standard procedures for consulting formally and informally on policy development.
Contraceptives
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions for emergency contraceptives were issued in each primary care trust area in the latest period for which figures are available. [61103]
Anne Milton: Drugs used in emergency contraception are classified in the British National Formulary (BNF) section 7.3.5—Emergency contraception. The number of prescription items that were written and dispensed in England for each issuing primary care trust (PCT) in 2010-11, is shown in the table.
| PCT | Number of prescription items |
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| Source: Prescribing Analysis and CosT tool (PACT) system | |
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Departmental Regulation
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the name is of each regulatory measure revoked by his Department between 1 March and 31 May 2011; and what estimate he has made of the potential annual saving to those affected by each revocation. [60492]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department has revoked the following regulations from 1 March to 31 May 2011:
The Walsall Hospitals National Health Service Trust (Establishment) Order 1990 by The Walsall Hospitals National Health Service Trust (Establishment) Order 2011—SI Number 2011/791; and
The Hull and Goole Port Health Authority Order 1982 by The Hull and Goole Port Health Authority Order 2011—SI Number 2011/939.
The regulations change names and functions. Neither regulation has any monetary impact.
Dermatology
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of provision of NHS dermatologists; and what recent estimate he has made of the number of dermatologist vacancies. [61022]
Mr Simon Burns: The annual NHS Workforce Census shows that at 30 September 2010 there were 853 full-time equivalent dermatology staff. Of this number, there were 462 full-time equivalent dermatology consultants.
The latest Vacancy Survey at 31 March 2010 showed that there were 10 dermatology vacancies which had been advertised for three months or longer and the vacancy rate was 2.2%.
Workforce planning is a matter for local national health service organisations. They are best placed to assess the health needs of their local health community and plan the workforce to meet those needs.
The Centre for Workforce Intelligence (CfWI) is the new national authority on workforce planning and development providing advice and information to the NHS and social care system. It supports long-term and strategic scenario planning for the whole health and social care workforce, based on research, evidence and analysis and will look to build strong leadership and capability in workforce planning.
The CfWI has carried out a piece of work commissioned by the Department to analyse and inform on the numbers of doctors going into medical specialty training following on from foundation training. The Dermatology summary sheet is available at:
www.cfwi.org.uk/intelligence/cfwi-medical-summary-sheets/recommendation-for-dermatology-training-2011
Diabetes: Children
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to produce a nationwide schools information scheme to raise awareness of diabetes among South Asian children. [57301]
Sarah Teather: I have been asked to reply.
The Department's commitment to cut bureaucracy and burdens on the frontline has implications for how we communicate with key audiences. Sending blanket
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communications on issues such as medical conditions awareness is not an effective way to reach schools. Direct communications to schools are restricted to very high priority, or key operational, information. The DfE website is now our primary mode of communicating with schools. The relevant information on this issue can be found at:
http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/pupilsupport/pastoralcare/health/b0013771/managing-medicines-in-schools
However, schools are under a legal duty to promote the well-being of their pupils. They are key settings for improving the health of children and young people. Good schools will be active promoters of good health in childhood and adolescence, including focussing on healthy eating, increasing physical activity and the provision of personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education. Teachers may choose to explore awareness of medical conditions and their causes as part of PSHE education.
We encourage other organisations, such as employer and staff associations and charities such as Diabetes UK, to play their part in supporting schools and parents and in sharing good practice, including raising awareness among schools of diabetes among South Asian children.
Diamorphine: Prices
Mr Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS pays per gram for diamorphine; and if his Department has made an assessment of the price paid by other European health services. [61010]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department does not collect information on the basis of price per gram of diamorphine. We have made no assessment of the price paid by our European counterparts.
EU Law
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what European directives in force on 1 April 2010 his Department is responsible; and what European directives for which his Department is responsible have come into force since 1 April 2010. [60694]
Anne Milton: The stock of European Union legislation in force is set out in the Eur-Lex database:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/en/index.htm
It would be of disproportionate cost to review the entire stock to establish which pieces of legislation were currently the responsibility of the Department of Health or its predecessor Departments.
Two directives have been published in the Official Journal since 1 April 2010, for which my Department is responsible:
Directive 2010/53/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 July 2010 on standards of quality and safety of human organs intended for transplantation. Member states shall bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive by 27 August 2012.
Directive 2011/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2011 on the application of patients' rights in cross-border healthcare. Member states shall bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive by 25 October 2013.
We have not included directives that are the responsibility of other Departments, but are related to the health sector.
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Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements
Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has any plans to take steps in relation to internet sites charging a fee for European health insurance cards. [60390]
Anne Milton: The Department provides European Health Insurance Cards free of charge. In August 2010, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), in consultation with the Department, took action against five internet sites that were charging for checking applications for the European Health Insurance Card and referring them to the NHS Business Services Authority, who process applications on behalf of the Department. The Department has reported any new internet sites that it is aware of to the OFT, and is exploring further options to tackle this issue.
Home Care Services: Standards
Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will bring forward legislative proposals to require local authorities to maintain standards of provision of home care for those with critical or substantial needs; [60746]
(2) what recent discussions he has had with local authorities on the effect of the comprehensive spending review on the provision of home care services. [60747]
Paul Burstow: Local authorities are responsible for determining their own eligibility for adult social care in line with statutory guidance, issued by the Department in February 2010, “Prioritising need in the context of Putting People First: a whole system approach to eligibility for social care—guidance on eligibility criteria for adult social care, England 2010”. A copy has already been placed in the Library.
In recognition of the pressures on the social care system in a challenging fiscal climate, the Government have allocated an additional £2 billion by 2014-15 to support the delivery of adult social care. This means, with an ambitious programme of efficiency, that there is enough funding available both to protect people's access to services and deliver new approaches to improve quality and outcomes. However, it is for local authorities to manage their budgets with regard to local needs and priorities.
Ministers have set out their ambition to publish a White Paper to reform adult social care, followed by legislation. The White Paper will build on the “Vision for adult social care: Capable communities and active citizens”, which was published in November 2010. It will also set out the Government's response to the recommendations of the Law Commission, published in May 2011, to modernise the social care statute and the recommendations of the independent Commission on the Funding of Care and Support on how to assure a fair, affordable and sustainable funding system for care and support, which will be published in July 2011.
Housing: Vulnerable Adults
Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he plans to take to ensure that institutions where vulnerable people are living will be inspected more regularly; [60471]
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(2) what plans he has to enable the Care Quality Commission to make more frequent and unannounced inspections of care homes. [60472]
Mr Simon Burns: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care providers in England. It is responsible for developing and consulting on its methodology for assessing whether providers are meeting the registration requirements regulations (made under the The Health and Social Care Act 2008, and published its “Guidance About Compliance” and supporting documentation in March 2010.
The 2008 Act registration system does not set any prescribed inspection frequencies in regulations. Instead, the CQC determines the appropriate inspection frequency based on its assessment of risk.
Ketamine
Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to publicise the dangers of recreational use of the drug ketamine. [60358]
Anne Milton: FRANK, the Government's drugs information and advice service, includes information on the risks of the recreational use of ketamine. The Department obtains expert medical advice to ensure that the information is accurate.
Mansell Report
Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take in relation to the implementation of the recommendations of the Mansell Report on people with complex needs. [60482]
Paul Burstow: A written ministerial statement on 10 February 2011, Official Report, columns 15-16WS, announced the Government's response to Professor Mansell's report, “Raising our Sights: Services for Adults with Profound Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities”. We accept and support the conclusions of the report, which was commissioned by the Department.
The elements of good service and good practice examples included in this report sit very clearly within the programme of work which the Government are leading to support independent living for people with. learning disabilities, and to support local service planning and commissioning to meet identified needs in their locality.
I announced on 7 June 2011, Official Report, columns 13-15WS, that I have asked officials to draw together the key lessons from the reviews being undertaken by the Care Quality Commission, the national health service and safeguarding boards into the events at Winterbourne View hospital. The recommendations of the Mansell report will be addressed within that work and Professor Mansell is assisting the Department in the examination of the issues.
Mental Health Services
Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of (a) levels of demand for services for people with mental health problems and (b) the capacity of existing services to meet such demand; [61157]
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(2) what plans he has for the recruitment and training of therapists in the treatment of people with mental health problems; [61158]
(3) what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of (a) psychiatric treatment, (b) cognitive behavioural therapy and (c) prescription drugs for people with mental health problems. [61159]
Paul Burstow: It is for the local national health service to assess the needs of their populations and to plan how best to meet them. It is also for the local NHS to make sure that the capacity to do so effectively is available.
The Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme is committed to expanding the IAPT workforce by 2,400 therapists to work in primary care over the next three years. This is in addition to the 3,660 new therapists that have been recruited and trained since the programme's inspection in 2008-09.
There has been no recent specific assessment of the type described. However, all of these treatments are well established as being effective in a variety of different clinical settings for a range of different mental health problems. It is important that a variety of treatment options are available to clinicians, who are best placed to decide on the most appropriate treatment, or combination of treatments, on a case by case basis. Their decisions are informed by guidance produced by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.
NHS Foundation Trusts
Mr George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS trusts Monitor had identified as unlikely to achieve Foundation Trust status on the most recent date for which figures are available; what the (a) capital and (b) PFI-related debt of each trust is; and what the cost of servicing the (i) capital and (ii) PFI-related debt of each trust was in the most recent 12 months for which figures are available. [60473]
Mr Simon Burns: Monitor is an independent organisation charged with the authorisation of foundation trusts (FT) which are assessed by them following a strategic health authority (SHA) and Department of Health process, culminating in the Secretary of State's approval to proceed if appropriate. Monitor does not identify in advance those organisations who are unlikely to achieve FT status; this is the role of SHAs and the Department.
Each national health service trust submitted a draft Tripartite Formal Agreement to the Department. The draft Tripartite Formal Agreement sets out the challenges each NHS trust faces in achieving FT status. The Tripartite Formal Agreements will be signed by the NHS trust, SHA and the Department.
A national review is under way in 22 NHS trusts to look at the costs associated with the private finance initiative schemes and the impact this has on the long-term financial sustainability of these organisations and their ability to achieve FT status. This will inform if and what support might be needed. A list of the 22 NHS trusts is provided as follows:
| Strategic Health Authority | NHS Trust |
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Information on the annual unitary payments made under every signed hospital private finance initiative contract over the lifetime of the contract can be found on the HM Treasury website at:
www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/pfi_signed_projects_list_march2011.xls
The figures are the latest estimates collected from each Department for the March 2011 Budget report. The unitary payment is paid by the NHS body to the private sector counterparty to the contract and covers the capital costs (repayment of principal and financing charges), building maintenance and in many cases the non-clinical support services such as cleaning, laundry, catering, portering and security.
The HM Treasury list includes all the schemes identified for this national review, apart from two which have not yet signed contracts. The two schemes that have yet to sign the contracts are Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust and Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust. This is due to the trusts being either at an earlier stage of completing their Business Case approval process or still in the procurement process.
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NHS Trusts
Mr George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS trusts (a) have entered into and (b) are in discussions about entering into formal tripartite agreements; and in each case whether the trust in question has indicated whether its commitment under the private finance initiative is a contributory factor in its decision to seek such an agreement. [60474]
Mr Simon Burns: The remaining national health service trusts are working on Tripartite Formal Agreements with their strategic health authorities and the Department of Health. This work is required for all trusts as part of the application process, regardless of whether they have a private finance initiative (PFI) or not. When it has been finalised the agreement will be signed by all parties and the NHS trust will publish the agreement. The agreement will identify the issues the trust faces and the actions that will establish them as sustainable providers of high quality health care services. These developments will enable them to meet the demanding requirements needed to achieve foundation status. A list of the remaining NHS trusts has been placed in the Library for information.
A national review is under way in 22 NHS trusts to look at the costs associated with PFI schemes and the impact this has on the long-term financial sustainability of these organisations and their ability to achieve foundation trust status. This will inform if and what support might be needed. The 22 trusts are:
| Strategic Health Authority | NHS Trust |
|
University Hospital of North Staffordshire Hospital NHS Trust |
|
|
Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust |
|
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|
Oxford Radcliffe Hospital NHS Trust (plus Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre NHS Trust) |
|
Information on the annual unitary payments made under every signed hospital PFI contract over the lifetime of the contract can be found on the HM Treasury's website at:
www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/pfi_signed_projects_list_march2011.xls
These are the latest estimates collected from each Department for the March 2011 Budget Report. The unitary payment is paid by the NHS body to the private sector counterparty to the contract and covers the capital costs (repayment of principal and financing charges), building maintenance and in many cases the non-clinical support services such as cleaning, laundry, catering, portering and security.
The HM Treasury list includes all the schemes identified for this national review, apart from two which have not yet signed contracts (i.e. they are at earlier stage of completing the business case approval process or still in procurement) and therefore do not yet have an agreed or finalised unitary payment. The schemes are Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust and Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust.
Mr George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS trusts have indicated to their respective strategic health authorities that (a) the cost of meeting their obligations under the private finance initiative would be difficult to achieve without structural change and (b) they are unlikely to achieve Foundation Trust status with their current structure. [60513]
Mr Simon Burns: A national review is under way in 22 national health service trusts to look at the costs associated with private finance initiative (PFI) schemes and the impact this has on the long-term financial sustainability of these organisations and their ability to achieve foundation trust status. This will inform if and what support might be needed. The 22 trusts are:
| Strategic Health Authority | Trusts |
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Information on the annual unitary payments made under every signed hospital PFI contract over the lifetime of the contract can be found on the Treasury's website at:
www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/pfi_signed_projects_list_march2011.xls
These are the latest estimates collected from each Department for the March 2011 Budget report. The unitary payment is paid by the NHS body to the private sector counterparty to the contract and covers the capital costs (repayment of principal and financing charges), building maintenance and in many cases the non-clinical support services such as cleaning, laundry, catering, portering and security.
The Treasury list includes all the schemes identified for this national review, apart from two which have not yet signed contracts (ie they are at earlier stage of completing the business case approval process or still in procurement) and therefore do not yet have an agreed or finalised unitary payment. The schemes are Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust and Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust.
All the remaining NHS trusts are currently working on tripartite formal agreements with their strategic health authorities and the Department of Health. This work includes determining where an NHS trust may not be sustainable in their current organisational form and where actions will be taken to support the achievement of foundation trust status. Once finalised, these agreements will be published locally and will detail the actions that will be taken to support all the remaining NHS trusts to become established as sustainable providers of quality healthcare services either in their current organisational structure or as part of another foundation trust.
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Perinatal Mortality
Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many research studies into stillbirth his Department has commissioned from research councils in each of the last 10 years. [60463]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department has not commissioned any research studies from research councils into stillbirth in the last 10 years.
Government investment in health research in England is made principally by the Department of Health, through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, through the Medical Research Council (MRC).
In 2008-09 (the most recent year for which figures are currently available) the MRC spent £1.1 million on research related to stillbirth. In addition, the MRC also funds several large cohort studies which include a component of research into stillbirth and supports'a large portfolio of underpinning reproductive medicine and paediatric research, much of which may be relevant.
The Department has funded a range of research relevant to stillbirth. For example, the Department's Policy Research programme has funded a Policy Research Unit in Maternal Health and Care at the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford. Research themes include pregnancy loss, perinatal morbidity, maternal morbidity and maternal mortality.
Furthermore, the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre has an ongoing programme of research on women's health. A major focus of this research is understanding the determinants of stillbirth risk and using this understanding to improve clinical care of pregnant women.
Public Health
Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward amendments to the Health and Social Care Bill to establish professional regulation for public health specialists. [61027]
Anne Milton: Public health specialists with a medical or dental background are regulated under the statutory regulatory frameworks of the General Medical Council and the General Dental Council respectively. United Kingdom Public Health Register regulates non-medically or non-dentally qualified specialists on a voluntary basis.
The Government agree there should be a system of registration or regulation for non-medical public health consultants that is proportionate to the risk that they pose to the public. The consultation on the Public Health White Paper and the Future Forum have identified a number of mechanisms through which this might be achieved. We will work with the profession and employers over the coming months and bring forward proposals later this year.
Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward amendments to the Health and Social Care Bill to establish an independent Director of Public Health. [61029]
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Anne Milton: The Government have responded to the Future Forum report and accepted all of the core recommendations. Amendments to the Health and Social Care Bill will be tabled in due course.
Social Services: Fees and Charges
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effects on (i) levels of take-home pay and (ii) the incentive to work of charging for social care services. [61162]
Paul Burstow: The Department has not undertaken any research in this area.
The Government believe urgent reform of the social care funding system is needed. The Commission on the Funding of Care and Support was established in July 2010 and will make recommendations to the Government on how to achieve an affordable and sustainable funding system for care and support, which will ensure a fair partnership between the state and the individual, and take into account the vital role of families and carers. The Commission is expected to report in July 2011.
Southern Cross Healthcare
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to ensure that Southern Cross continues in operation. [61031]
Paul Burstow: The Government have made it very clear that the welfare of residents living in Southern Cross homes is paramount. We appreciate that recent events and media speculation has caused concern to residents in Southern Cross care homes and their relatives and families.
It is for Southern Cross, its landlords and those with an interest in the business to put in place a plan that stabilises the business and ensures operational continuity of the company's care homes. That work is ongoing and we must let it continue.
We consider the issue should be fully capable of resolution by the commercial sector. The Government's principal concern is for the safety and well-being of the residents of care homes that might be affected. We have undertaken to ensure they are protected. Whatever happens, no resident will find themselves homeless or without care. The Government will not stand by and let that happen.
Departmental officials have been in frequent contact with Southern Cross's senior management over the last three months and that will continue. We are engaged with the company, the landlords and lenders and are monitoring the situation very closely.
The Government are acting to ensure that all parties involved are working towards a swift resolution with a comprehensive plan for the future, which must have at its heart the welfare of residents.
The Government are also working closely with the Association of Directors of Adult Social services, the Local Government Association, local authorities and the Care Quality Commission to ensure that robust local arrangements are in place to address the consequences in the event that the company's restructuring plan fails to put the business on a stable footing.
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Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will take steps to ensure the adequacy of standards of care in the Southern Cross care homes issued with improvement orders by the Care Quality Commission following the resolution of the present financial situation of the company; [61323]
(2) what steps his Department is taking to monitor the compliance with statutory obligations of staffing ratios in care homes operated by Southern Cross. [61325]
Paul Burstow: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator for health and adult social care in England. Providers registered with the CQC must comply with 16 safety and quality requirements set out in regulations made under the Health and Social Care Act 2008. These 16 requirements include a requirement on staffing. This requires the registered provider to take appropriate steps to ensure that at all times there are sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, skilled and experienced persons employed to safeguard the health, safety and welfare of service users. The regulations apply to providers of a wide range of services and do not specify staffing ratios.
The CQC is responsible for assuring compliance with the regulations. The CQC undertakes reviews of compliance with the regulations and where it finds non-compliance, the CQC has powers to take enforcement action. The CQC may issue improvement or compliance actions and the provider is required to send a report to the CQC setting out the action it is taking to achieve or maintain compliance. The CQC may also take enforcement action. The CQC may carry out follow-up reviews to ensure that the actions have been undertaken to achieve compliance.
The CQC will take the necessary steps to assure itself that Southern Cross continues to comply with the requirement to ensure that adequate staffing is in place at all times and that its homes also continue to comply with the other 15 safety and quality requirements. The CQC is aware of Southern Cross's proposals to save money through staff cuts and the risk that these cuts may directly affect the safety and quality of services. The CQC's primary concern is always to ensure the health, safety and welfare of people who use services. Though the CQC's responsive system of compliance monitoring, where there is any indication of increased risk of non- compliance with the registration requirements, the CQC is following up through additional planned or responsive reviews to check compliance. Where the CQC finds non compliance it will act swiftly requiring improvements to be made within a specified time period. The CQC has powers to take strong enforcement action should the provider fail to make the necessary improvements.
The Department is working closely with the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, the Local Government Association, local authorities and the CQC to ensure that contingency plans are in place which will allow for the continuation of care for residents in Southern Cross homes under any eventuality. There are frequent discussions between the parties involved.
Telemedicine
Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to utilise mobile application technologies in the delivery of health services to the public. [60878]
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Mr Simon Burns: The Department is looking at a number of initiatives to make better use of mobile application technologies to deliver health services to the public and to promote and support the delivery of quality, innovation, productivity and prevention across community services.
The Government's 2010 White Paper consultation document—“Liberating the NHS: An Information Revolution”—sought views on our proposals for an information revolution for health and adult social care in England, to transform the way information is accessed, collected, analysed and used.
The consultation closed on 14 January 2011 and responses are now being analysed, together with further views expressed as part of the recent listening exercise. We have been keen to listen and will use the responses to the consultation and also from the listening exercise to develop a detailed information strategy that will highlight how opening up information supports improvements in care.
Tuberculosis: Health Services
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis. [60459]
Anne Milton: The Department and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence have published guidance to support the national health service in commissioning and providing effective services to prevent, diagnose and treat tuberculosis (TB).
In addition, the Department is funding TB Alert to raise awareness among groups at risk of TB and among primary care workers.
We expect NHS organisations and their partners to ensure early detection, treatment completion and co-ordinated action to prevent and control TB.
Business, Innovation and Skills
Advisory Services: Finance
Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues on ensuring a sufficient level of funding for advice services in England. [60478]
Mr Davey: As I indicated during Business, Innovation and Skills First Order questions on 31 March 2011, Official Report , column 502, I have had discussions with the Minister for Civil Society, the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, the hon. Member for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner (Mr Hurd) on the future of the Citizens Advice Service. I have also discussed the future funding of advice services in England with other Ministers as the Citizens Advice Service is of course important to a number of Government Departments, including BIS.
Business: Young People
Mel Stride: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he plans to take to provide incentives to businesses to employ staff directly from school. [58839]
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Mr Hayes: Businesses should be free to recruit whoever is best suited to their requirements, whether that is a school leaver or someone more experienced.
Nevertheless, Government are encouraging employers to offer more work experience, internships and apprenticeships opportunities to young people, including through our Every Business Commits initiative. We are also taking action to raise attainment and ensure young people have the skills and qualifications that are attractive to employers, including through quality vocational education and training.
As part of the Government's review of 16-19 funding, and in light of research into employer investment we are considering whether payments to employers can be an effective way to encourage them to take on apprentices, but we must make sure that any scheme to introduce such payments will deliver the right outcomes and offer value for money.
Businesses
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the rate of productivity growth for (a) small and medium-sized enterprises and (b) all UK businesses in each year since 2005. [61095]
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 June 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking for the rate of productivity growth for (a) small and medium-sized enterprises and (b) all UK businesses in each year since 2005 (61095).
Quarterly labour productivity statistics are available from the ONS website at:
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=7476
Whole economy output per worker is our headline labour productivity statistic which includes all UK businesses, please refer to Table 1 below.
Productivity estimates for small and medium-sized enterprises are not published by the ONS.
| Table 1: Whole economy headline labour productivity 2005-10, annual index and growth rate, United Kingdom | ||
| Output per worker | ||
| Period | Index (2006=100) | Growth |
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the level of productivity of new businesses in each year since 2005. [61109]
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.
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Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated June 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking for the level of productivity for new businesses in each year since 2005 (61109).
This information is not available. Productivity estimates for new businesses are not published by the ONS.
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what proportion of people who indicated to his Department that they wished to start a business in the most recent period for which figures are available also indicated that they had experienced multiple barriers to start-up. [61111]
Mr Prisk: BIS do not have data to estimate the number and proportion of people who indicated to the Department that they wanted to start a business who also indicated that they had experienced multiple barriers to start-up.
However, the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor shows that in 2010, 7.3% of the adult population in the UK were expecting to start up a business within the next three years. See the following website for more information:
http://www.gemconsortium.org/files.aspx?Ca_ID=107
In addition, the World Bank provides an annual assessment of the ‘ease of starting-up a business' in over 180 countries. The latest report for 2010 shows that the UK ranks third in the G7 on this measure, see the following website for more information:
http://www.doingbusiness.org/rankings
Mr Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to assist UK companies in carrying out due diligence checks on agents or businesses in overseas markets. [61126]
Mr Prisk: UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is the Government Department that helps UK-based businesses succeed in the global economy and assists overseas companies to bring their high quality investment to the UK.
The role of UKTI teams overseas is to refer due diligence cases to appropriately qualified local legal firms in any market where such a services is requested.
Employment Law
Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues on his review of employment law. [60733]
Mr Davey [holding answer 17 June 2011]:The review of employment-related laws being co-ordinated by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is a cross-Government initiative.
All Departments with a responsibility for employment-related law are engaged in the process, and relevant Ministers and officials are in contact with BIS on a regular basis in taking forward the review.
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Crown Relocations
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many contracts his Department holds with Crown Relocations; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value of each such contract is. [58650]
Mr Davey: The Department has no contracts with Crown Relocations.
Departmental Correspondence
Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of correspondence received by his Department was replied to (a) within his Department's deadline for the issuing of responses to correspondents, (b) less than five days after its deadline, (c) between five and 10 days after its deadline and (d) more than 10 days after its deadline in each month since 12 May 2010. [60514]
Mr Davey: The proportion of correspondence received by the Department, replied to within the Department's deadline, for responses to correspondents in each month since 12 May 2010 was:
|
|
Percentage |
I regret that the further information requested is not available in the form requested and could be produced only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Meetings
Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on meeting hon. Members who request a meeting with him or his Ministers; and if he will provide details of any such request that he has declined since 12 May 2010. [60477]
Mr Davey: All meeting requests are treated on a case- by-case basis. Responses are based on the nature of the issues involved and their relation to BIS ministerial responsibilities.
Departmental Rail Travel
Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department spent on first-class train travel in 2009-10. [60947]
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Mr Davey: The Department spent £387,949 on first- class rail travel in 2009/10.
For information, the equivalent figure in 2010/11 was £171,725 and this reflected a significant reduction in first class travel that was mandated across the Department from June 2010 onwards as part of a range of cost saving measures.
Departmental Regulation
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what regulations his Department introduced between 1 March 2011 and 31 May 2011; and what the estimated costs of implementation were for those affected in each case. [60394]
Mr Prisk [holding answer 17 June 2011]:Between 1 March and 31 May 2011, BIS Ministers made 18 regulations by statutory instrument (SI). The 18 SIs include measures to simplify, update and modernise the regulatory frameworks within the Department's responsibility. For instance:
The Education (Student Loans) (Repayment) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 amends the Education (Student Loans) (Repayment) Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/470) to ensure that the student loan repayment system remains aligned with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) self assessment and pay as you earn (PAYE) processes which are used to collect student loans.
The Export Control (Libya) Order 2011 updated export controls in the light of developments in Libya
The Insolvency (Amendment) Rules 2011 modernise and simplify procedures to enable insolvency cases to be administered more efficiently and facilitate the use of electronic communications between those involved in the insolvency process, including within the Royal Courts of Justice. No costs are expected with this measure, but there will be a benefit of £0.2 million per year as certain debtors previously unable to access Debt Relief Orders (DRO) will now be able to access debt relief.
The Insolvency Proceedings (Fees) (Amendment) Order 2011 increases the amount of the deposit payable on presenting a petition for bankruptcy or winding up. This is to ensure that those who benefit from the insolvency regime rather than the taxpayer should fund the cost. There is an economic transfer of £4.7 million between debtors and taxpayers. This is the only one of the 18 measures to impose a significant cost.
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the name is of each regulatory measure revoked by his Department between 1 March and 31 May 2011; and what estimate he has made of the potential annual saving to those affected by each revocation. [60483]
Mr Davey: On 21 March my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Further Education Skills and Lifelong Learning made the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 (Commencement No. 2 and Transitional and Saving Provisions) Order 2010 (Amendment) Order 2011. This revoked the extension to the right to request time to train to small and medium-sized enterprises potentially saving businesses approximately £350 million a year.
In addition, the Flexible Working (Eligibility, Complaints and Remedies) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 to extend the right to request flexible working to parents of children of 17 years of age were revoked by statutory instruments on 30 March before they were due to come into force on 6 April. Had they come into force, the costs to business
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would have been approximately £2 million a year; however these would have been offset by equivalent annual benefits to business.
Many of the other regulations will also have updated existing regulations so as to avoid unnecessary burdens on business.
Departmental Responsibilities
Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will place in the Library a copy of the organogram of his Department to the sub-team level. [60479]
Mr Davey: As part of the Government's Transparency Agenda, BIS has produced a Departmental organogram which identifies staff at team level. These are published data and can be viewed at the following address:
http://reference.data.gov.uk/gov-structure/organogram/?dept=bis&post=SCS4-09
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Departmental Written Questions
Mr Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of written parliamentary questions for written answer his Department responded to (a) on the date for answer, (b) less than five days after the date for answer, (c) between five and 10 days after the date for answer and (d) more than 10 days after the date for answer in each month since 12 May 2010. [60515]
Mr Davey: The Department aims to answer named day questions on the date specified by the Member and ordinary questions within five sitting days. Where it is not possible to provide a full answer within the usual deadline, the Department believes it will usually be preferable to provide an answer a few days late than to provide an incomplete answer.
Figures are recorded in the following format:
| Named day parliamentary questions | |||||||
| On time | Total late | Of which more than 10 days late | |||||
| Month due for answer | Total tabled | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| (1) All five PQs received a substantive reply within two sitting days of the date requested by the Member. (2) All six PQs received an answer the next sitting. | |||||||
| Ordinary parliamentary written questions | |||||||
| On time (within 5 sitting days) | Total late | Of which more than 10 days late | |||||
| Month due for answer | Total tabled | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
The figures have been drawn from the Department's database which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
English Language: Education
Mr Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to publish the assessment of proposed funding changes for English for Speakers of Other Languages learners. [59958]
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Mr Hayes: An assessment of how the changes announced in “Skills for Sustainable Growth” may affect English for Speakers of Other Languages learners is currently being carried out by this Department. I expect to be able to publish this before the summer recess.
Enterprise Promotion
Mr Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment his Department has made of the operation of (a) the Enterprise Promotion Fund, (b) the Phoenix Development Fund, (c) community development finance and (d) city growth strategies. [61101]
Mr Prisk: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has made no recent assessment of the operation of the Enterprise Promotion Fund, the Phoenix Development Fund or City Growth Strategies. These programmes were evaluated between 2003-06. BIS published an Evaluation of Community Development Institutions (CDFIs) on 15 March 2010. An action-orientated summary for the sector was published in June 2010.
Further information can be found at
http://www.bis.gov.uk/publications
Export Credit Guarantees
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the environmental, social and human rights guidelines set out in the OECD's Common Approaches are to apply to (a) each new product and scheme being developed by the Export Credits Guarantee Department in line with the Government's Trade and Investment for Growth White Paper and (b) each ultimate beneficiary of sales and projects arising from each such product or scheme. [60250]
Mr Davey: I take the “environmental, social and human rights guidelines set out in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Common Approaches” to be the standards which should be used in an environmental review carried out pursuant to the Common Approaches. The guidelines apply, or do not apply, as the case may be, to individual projects. The Common Approaches contain within them a number of tests as to whether the guidelines should apply. Some are such that all transactions which the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) carries out within the terms of a particular scheme will fall outside the applicability of the guidelines. In other cases the individual terms of projects will have to be considered.
Examples of schemes under which all transactions would fall outside the scope of the Common Approaches are those projects which benefit from official supported export credit with a repayment term of less than two years. This would include ECGD's new export working capital and foreign exchange credit support products.
There is a lack of clarity in the Common Approaches as to whether support given pursuant to a bond support scheme such as ECGD's new scheme is capable of falling within the definition of “officially supported export credits with a repayment term of two years or more”. ECGD is treating applications for such support as within the definition quoted above if the bond for which support is sought has a tenor of two years or more. There will be further questions as to whether the
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incidents of any particular project for which bond support is requested mean that it is a project to which the guidelines should apply.
Exports: Weapons
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what licences have been granted for the export of weapons or military hardware to the Libyan government since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [58049]
Mr Prisk: Since May 2010 the following licences have been granted for the export of weapons and military hardware to the Government of Libya:
|
|
Number |
|
Standard Individual Export Licences (SIELs) for permanent export |
|
All licences for the export of military or security equipment to the Libyan Government which were still valid when the conflict began have since been revoked.
Export Credit Guarantees: Fossil Fuels
Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 9 June 2011, Official Report, column 433W, on the Export Credits Guarantee Department: arms trade, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to amend the Export and Investment Guarantees Act 1991 to prohibit support for fossil fuels from the Export Credits Guarantee Department. [60992]
Mr Davey: The Government have no plans to introduce legislation to change the existing statute of the Export Credits Guarantee Department.