Online Services
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what public services her Department delivers online only. [96897]
Damian Green: Many of the Home Office's services can be accessed digitally. However, the Home Office does not currently deliver public services online exclusively, with most of our public websites having a paper-based application process to support the online service.
Plans are in place to move substantially more of our service delivery online, and consideration is being given as to where it would be appropriate for services to be delivered exclusively online.
Some examples of Home Office plans to move service delivery increasingly online include:
Immigration Case Work (ICW) is in the process of moving the visa application process online. The UKBA is moving towards an online business model.
Identity and Passport Service (IPS)
There is already online certificate ordering from IPS/General Registrars Office (GRO). Currently about 95% of certificates are ordered online although this is supported by a paper-based service.
Development of online passport application will move the process of form completion and payment online—although existing paper based channels will remain.
Terrorism: Racial Incitement
Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to protect the public from (a) terrorism and (b) race hatred. [96903]
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James Brokenshire: The Office of Security and Counter-Terrorism within the Home Office is responsible for delivering the UK's counter-terrorism strategy (Contest), which was presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for the Home Department in July 2011.
The aim of the strategy is to reduce the risk to the UK and UK interests overseas from terrorism so that people can go about their lives freely and with confidence.
The four work streams of Contest are:
Pursue: to stop terrorist attacks;
Prevent: to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism;
Protect: to strengthen our protection against terrorist attack; and
Prepare: to mitigate the impact of a terrorist impact.
The strategy covers all forms of terrorism, including the threat to Great Britain from Northern Ireland-related terrorism and extreme right-wing terrorism, while focusing on those which pose the biggest risk to UK interests.
A copy of the strategy is available in the House Library and it can be downloaded at:
www.official-documents.gov.uk
www.homeoffice.gov.uk/counter-terrorism/
The Government are committed to ensuring that everyone has the freedom to live their lives free from fear of targeted hostility or harassment on the grounds of a particular characteristic, and is taking action to ensure that the criminal justice services and partners locally are equipped to prevent and tackle such targeted hostility.
We are working collaboratively across Government to develop a new hate crime action plan and aim to publish it later this year. We will also work proactively with our Independent Advisory Group on Hate Crime, many members of which have been victims of hate crime themselves, taking account of the group's views on the issues that need to be addressed.
We are clear that criminal justice agencies must provide a consistently high standard of service to all victims of hate crime, irrespective of their backgrounds and needs.
Third Sector
Chris White: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department has taken to implement the principles of the Best Value Statutory Guidance in respect of (a) giving at least three months' notice to voluntary and community organisations and their service users when reducing or ending funding, (b) engaging with voluntary and community organisations and service users as early as possible before making a decision on the future of the service, any knock-on effects on assets used to provide this service and the wider impact on the local community and (c) making provision for voluntary and community organisations and service users to put forward options on how to reshape the service or project. [95785]
James Brokenshire:
The Best Value Statutory Guidance was published to advise local authorities in their financial relationships with voluntary sector organisations. The Home Office is not a ‘Best Value Authority' under the definition of the guidance and is therefore not required
28 Feb 2012 : Column 233W
to adhere to the guidance. However, the Home Office does adhere to the principles of the Compact in its relationships with voluntary sector organisations, as follows:
(a) The Home Office advises voluntary sector organisations of funding on an annual basis and advises the organisations that further funding cannot be guaranteed the following financial year. The organisations are therefore given several months' notice that funding may be reduced or cut. The Home Office supports the organisations to find alternative sources of funding.
(b) The Home Office engages with the voluntary sector organisations it funds throughout the year and requires them to provide evidence that they are providing value for money and achieving mutually agreed objectives in line with the Department's business.
(c) The Home Office involves the voluntary sector in policy development from the earliest stages through the regular VCS Stakeholder Forum and other meetings at which policy development is discussed with the sector.
UK Border Agency: Manpower
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many UK Border Agency staff were operating at (a) Heathrow airport and (b) Calais on 18 and 19 February 2012. [96420]
Damian Green: For operational and security reasons the UK Border Force only publishes resource data at a regional level.
UK Border Agency: Passengers
Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passengers were processed by the UK Border Agency at (a) each Heathrow airport terminal and (b) Calais on 18 and 19 February 2012. [96421]
Damian Green: Statistics relating to the total number of passengers entering the UK are published quarterly in table 'ad.01' of the Home Office statistical release 'Immigration Statistics'. The latest publication covering data up to and including the fourth quarter (October to December) 2011 is available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Science website at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/immigration-asylum-research/immigration-q4-2011
The next release of the Immigration Statistics covering the period January to March 2012 will be published on 24 May 2012.
Deputy Prime Minister
Devolution: Energy
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions were held at the Joint Ministerial Council of 20 February 2012 on (a) the devolution of energy matters to the National Assembly for Wales and (b) the formation of a constitutional convention for the United Kingdom. [96567]
The Deputy Prime Minister: At the meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee (Domestic sub-committee) on 20 February, Ministers from the four Administrations held a wide-ranging discussion on energy policy, with a particular focus on electricity market reform.
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The Government are clear that any changes to the devolution settlement in Wales, including on energy, should be considered in light of the recommendations of the Silk Commission which is currently reviewing financial and constitutional arrangements in Wales.
Constitutional issues were not on the agenda for this meeting.
Cabinet Office
Adam Werritty
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 10 January 2012, Official Report, column 73W, on Adam Werritty, for what reasons the meetings on (a) 8 September 2009 and (b) 16 June 2010 were not referred to in the Cabinet Secretary's report on the conduct of the right hon. Member for North Somerset. [96664]
Mr Maude: These meetings fell outside the terms of reference of the Cabinet Secretary's report, which concerned the former Defence Secretary's conduct as a Minister in the context of the Ministerial Code.
Online Services
Helen Goodman: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what public services his Department delivers online only. [96889]
Mr Maude: The Cabinet Office is responsible for Directgov which provides access to online departmental services.
Senior Civil Servants
Mr Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many senior civil servants left his Department and its public bodies in each month since May 2010; what their names are; what the rate of turnover of senior civil servants in his Department was during this period; and if he will make a statement. [96257]
Mr Maude: The average turnover of senior civil servant (SCS) staff in my Department and its public bodies has remained stable since before May 2010 and is down from a peak turnover of 34% 2007-08. The average rate of turnover for 2010-11 and 2011-12 (to date) is 25%.
The nature of much of the work in the Cabinet Office means that there is a high requirement for expertise to be brought in, including as loan-ins from other Departments, in order to work on changing priorities. Nearly 40% of the senior civil servants who left the Department moved elsewhere within Government.
The following table outlines the number of senior civil servants who left my Department and its public bodies in each month since May 2010.
| Number | |
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Well-being
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether his Department measures optimism in society. [96838]
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 February 2012:
As Director-General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether his Department measures optimism in society (96838).
On 1 December 2011, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) published a research report entitled “Initial investigation into Subjective Well-being from the Opinions Survey” which is available from the following web link:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/wellbeing/measuring-subjective-wellbeing-in-the-uk/investigation-of-subjective-well-being-data-from-the-ons-opinions-survey/initial-investigation-into-subjective-well-being-from-the-opinions-survey.html
This report provides initial experimental estimates from the ONS Opinions Survey of how optimistic adults (aged 16 and over) in Great Britain were about the next 12 months and 5 years. Table 1 attached provides estimates of average levels of optimism and the percentages of adults who gave different ratings on a 0 to 10 scale where 0 was “not at all optimistic” and 10 was “completely optimistic”.
| Table 1: Distribution and average (mean) ratings for optimism about the future (1, 2) : Great Britain | ||
| Percentages | ||
| June 2011 | ||
| Ratings | Optimism about the next five years (3) | Optimism about the next 12 months (4) |
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| (1) Adults aged 16 and over. (2 )Respondents are asked to provide an answer from 0 (‘not at all optimistic’) to 10 (‘completely optimistic’) for each question. (3 )Overall, how optimistic do you feel about the next five years? (4 )Overall, how optimistic do you feel about the next 12 months? Source: June 2011 Opinions Survey, ONS. | ||
Work and Pensions
Action for Employment
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what contracts his Department has with A4e; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value is of each such contract. [97077]
Chris Grayling: The Department has the following current contracts with A4e.
| Programme | Contract package area | Area covered | Contract No. | Estimated annual value (£) |
| (1) Dependent on company performance | ||||
The Work programme is for individuals who are at risk of long-term unemployment and has been designed to help people with a wide variety of needs back into sustained employment. The programme provides individually tailored support and lasts for up to two years.
Jobcentre Plus Support Contract
This contract supports Jobcentre Plus advisers' efforts to help people back to work by delivering short courses aimed at improving employability. Examples include job search skills and motivational events.
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Mandatory Work Activity gives extra support to a small number of individuals who would benefit from a short period of work experience. It aims to help people refocus their job search and gain valuable work-related disciplines, such as attending on time and regularly, carrying out specific tasks and working under supervision.
Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what meetings (a) Ministers and (b) special advisers in his Department have had with representatives of A4e since 12 May 2010. [97092]
Chris Grayling: This Department has published on a quarterly basis since October 2009 details of all ministerial meetings with external organisations. The information you have requested can be found via the attached link to the Department's website.
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/corporate-publications/ministers-meetings-overseas.shtml
Information for the period 1 July 2011 to 31 December 2011 has yet to be published.
One of the Department's special advisers and a DWP official met Emma Harrison on 25 November 2010.
Margaret Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will suspend his Department's contracts with A4e until police investigations into allegations of fraud and any related criminal proceedings have been completed. [97158]
Chris Grayling: The Department treats allegations of fraud very seriously but cannot comment on the current investigations. Though these cases do not relate to A4e's current contracts including the Work Programme, rather contracts procured under the previous Administration, we have reminded A4e of their contractual obligations. If there is evidence of systemic fraud in either current or past contracts, we will not hesitate to terminate our commercial relationship with them.
Automated Service Delivery Project
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) for what reason his Department's automated service delivery project was suspended in January; and if he will make a statement; [97282]
(2) when he expects his Department's automated service delivery project to go live. [97283]
Chris Grayling: The original plans for ASD were made prior to the decision to introduce universal credit. As universal credit will begin to replace income-based jobseeker's allowance from 2013, any further investment in jobseeker's allowance now demonstrates only a limited value for money.
In January 2012 the Department began a review of the Automated Service Delivery (ASD) project's future costs, benefits, and strategic fit. The initial findings of that review recommended ASD be paused pending further analysis.
The Department has now completed this further analysis and taken the responsible decision not to make further investment in the project.
The decision does not affect the delivery of universal credit.
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Employment and Support Allowance
Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how regularly individuals in receipt of employment and support allowance are required to undergo reassessment to determine their continued entitlement to the benefit. [97218]
Chris Grayling: Claimants are assessed at the start of a claim to employment and support allowance to determine entitlement to the benefit. Further assessments will then be carried out over the duration of the claim to determine continued entitlement and whether a claimant should remain in the same group.
The frequency of these repeat assessments will depend on the prognosis given by the health care professional at the previous assessment.
It is important that claimants have regular assessments, so that we can ensure that they are receiving the support they need for their current capabilities and needs, and determine whether the impact of their health condition or disability has improved or worsened, and whether they have adapted to their condition.
Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of final decisions on entitlement to employment and support allowance differed from the original advice provided by Atos between (a) June 2009 and May 2010 and (b) June 2010 and May 2011. [97290]
Chris Grayling: Between June 2009 and May 2010, 2% of final decisions on entitlement to employment and support allowance differed from the original advice provided by Atos. Between June 2010 and May 2011, 6% of decisions differed. This increase is likely to reflect the implementation of Professor Harrington's first independent review of the WCA.
These proportions do not include clerical assessments where the Atos recommendation cannot be readily determined but the claimants subsequently received a decision from DWP.
Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in receipt of employment and support allowance (ESA) underwent reassessment less than (a) eight months and (b) one year from the date of the previous awarding of ESA in (i) the UK, (ii) Scotland and (iii) Edinburgh between (1) June 2009 and May 2010 and (b) June 2010 and May 2011. [97291]
Chris Grayling: This information is not available.
Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many recipients of employment and support allowance were placed in the support group without having to attend an Atos assessment between (a) June 2009 and May 2010 and (b) June 2010 and May 2011. [97292]
Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available as it is not routinely collated by the Department.
Jobseeker's Allowance: New Enterprise Allowance
Julian Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the cost of allowing claimants of jobseeker's
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allowance to claim for the New Enterprise Allowance from
(a)
the first day,
(b)
the first month and
(c)
the third month. [97284]
Chris Grayling: A change in the entry point to the new enterprise allowance scheme would not impact on the cost of delivering the scheme because it is funded to deliver 40,000 places. However, it would potentially reduce opportunities for longer-term jobseekers to participate in the scheme.
Jobseekers Allowance: Young People
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people aged 18 to 24 years in receipt of jobseeker's allowance for 13 weeks were still in receipt of the allowance after a further 13 weeks in the latest period for which figures are available. [97288]
Chris Grayling: Between January and March 2011, 164,000 people aged 18-24 passed through the 13-week point of their JSA claim between April and June. Of those 164,000, 104,000 were still in receipt of JSA after a further 13 weeks.
Notes:
1. Figures rounded to the nearest 1,000.
2. Between weeks 13 and 26, some of the 104,000 people left jobseeker's allowance and returned to benefit.
3. Comparisons with the benefit outcomes of participants in employment programmes cannot be made because individuals
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participating on the programmes will have a specific set of characteristics and claim durations.
Source:
National Benefits Database
New Deal Schemes
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of Flexible New Deal participants who were on the programme on 1 September 2011 were subsequently diverted from the programme. [97281]
Chris Grayling: Everyone on the flexible new deal on 1 September 2011 was referred back to Jobcentre Plus for a conversion interview. The conversion interview provided the claimant with information about the Work programme, including when they would qualify for entry to it and, in appropriate cases, the option to volunteer for early access.
Post Office Card Account
Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the demographic profile of people with Post Office card accounts. [94726]
Steve Webb: No formal assessment has been made of the demographic profile of people with Post Office card accounts. The following tables provide a breakdown of accounts by age, gender and region.
| Method of payment—Post Office card accounts by age, gender and region—October 2011 | |||||||
| Great Britain | North East | North West | Yorkshire and the Humber | East Midlands | West Midlands | ||
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28 Feb 2012 : Column 242W
| East of England | London | South East | South West | Wales | Scotland | ||
28 Feb 2012 : Column 243W
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| Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Totals do not sum due to rounding. 2. Figures only relate to accounts live and in payment on the specified date. 3. Data do not include Northern Ireland. 4. Figures refer to payment accounts. Claimants with more than one account will be counted for each account. 5. Analysis includes the following DWP Benefits: Income Support (IS), Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Industrial Injuries (II), Attendance Allowance (AA), Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Carer’s Allowance (CA), State Pension (SP), Pension Credit (PC), Bereavement Benefit (BB), Incapacity Benefit (IB), Severe Disablement Allowance (SDA) and Widows Benefit (WB). Source: DWP Information, Governance and Security Directorate, 100% data | |||||||
Work Capability Assessments
Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Rutherglen and Hamilton West of 18 January 2012, Official Report, column 845W, on work capability assessments, on what date he plans to publish part one of his Department's research into what happens to people found fit for work and those placed in work-related activity and support groups. [97286]
Chris Grayling: We are currently completing the quality assurance process for this report and expect to be able to publish it in due course.
Health
Action for Employment
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what contracts his Department has with A4e; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value is of each such contract. [97075]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department's central procurement system holds no records of contracts with Action for Employment Ltd.
Allergies: Children
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made on the availability to GPs of guidance on the diagnosis and treatment of allergies in children; and if he will make a statement. [96866]
Paul Burstow: All general practitioners (GPs) will be familiar with the symptoms of the common allergic conditions in children. Guidance on specific conditions is available from a range of sources accessible to GPs, including National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, the Map of Medicine, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, the Royal College of General Practitioners, and the web resources ‘Patient UK’ and ‘Clinical Knowledge Summaries’. Children with complex allergies should be referred to secondary or tertiary specialist clinics according to local clinical pathways.
Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research his Department has commissioned into the (a) incidence, (b) causes, (c) treatment and (d) prevention of allergies in children. [96950]
Paul Burstow: The Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) funds a wide range of research on the incidence, causes, treatment and prevention of allergic conditions in children.
From April 2012, the NIHR biomedical research centre at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London will have a research theme on environment, respiratory health and allergy. Details of the centre's research themes from April 2012 can be found at:
www.biomedicalresearchcentre.org/AboutUs/TheNewBRC.aspx
Research currently funded by the NIHR Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programme includes a project on allergen immunotherapy in adults and children with severe hay fever. Details of this project can be found on the HTA programme website at:
www.hta.ac.uk/project/2282.asp
Research currently hosted by the NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN) includes a birth cohort study investigating the development of asthma and allergic disease, and a study on understanding childhood infection, inflammation and allergy. Details of these studies can be found on the UK CRN portfolio database at:
http://public.ukcrn.org.uk/Search/StudyDetail.aspx?StudyID=6616
http://public.ukcrn.org.uk/Search/StudyDetail.aspx?StudyID=8209
Anaemia: Health Services
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to improve the frequency of testing and treatment of pernicious anaemia. [96475]
Paul Burstow: Although pernicious anaemia is a relatively rare condition, all general practitioners (GPs) should be familiar with the symptoms of anaemia and alert to the possibility that this is due to vitamin B12 deficiency. Guidance on the testing and treatment of pernicious anaemia is available from sources readily accessible to GPs and other clinicians, including “Clinical Knowledge Summaries” and “Patient UK”.
Brain: Injuries
Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to address the disparity between members of the armed forces and civilian patients who sustain head injury in arrangements for routine screening for post-traumatic hypopituitarism. [97126]
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Paul Burstow: It is the responsibility of those health professionals involved in treating patients with head injuries to decide whether to screen for post-traumatic hypopituitarism.
Cancer: Drugs
Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much of the £200 million allocated to the Cancer Drugs Fund has been spent in (a) total and (b) each cancer network; and as a result of this spending (i) what indications have been treated and (ii) how many patients have been treated. [96336]
Paul Burstow: The Cancer Drugs Fund of £600 million over three years was launched on 1 April 2011 to help thousands of cancer patients access the drugs their clinicians believe will help them. We made an additional £50 million available to strategic health authorities (SHAs) in 2010-11 to support improved access to cancer drugs.
SHAs have reported that between October 2010 and the end of January 2012, funding allocated so far has helped 11,871 cancer patients in England access the cancer drugs their clinicians recommended.
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In 2011-12, reported spend to end January 2012 against the Cancer Drugs Fund is £71 million. Levels of current activity are likely to be higher than these figures suggest, due to the gap between treatment being provided and payment being invoiced and processed.
Information at cancer network level is not collected centrally, nor is information on the indications treated.
Cancer: Health Services
Jim Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) treatments and (b) therapies have been appraised by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence for (i) advanced breast cancer and (ii) advanced prostate cancer; and of all such treatments and therapies how many have been approved in each case since 1999. [96329]
Paul Burstow: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has published final technology appraisal guidance on a number of treatments for advanced and/or metastatic breast and prostate cancer. Details of NICE's recommendations are shown in the tables.
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Podiatry
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many podiatrists were employed by each primary care trust in 2011; and what the ratio of such podiatrists per head of population was. [96989]
Mr Simon Burns: Information on the number of podiatrists employed in 2011 will be available on 21 March 2012, following publication of the NHS Information Centre Hospital and Community Health Service (HCHS) annual work force census.
The monthly publication of the HCHS work force numbers does not provide this level of detail.
A table giving the number of podiatrists by primary care trust and per 100,000 of the population as at 30 September 2010, the latest data available, has been placed in the Library.
Dental Services: Shrewsbury
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dentists were operating in Shrewsbury in (a) 2005, (b) 2010 and (c) 2011. [96269]
Mr Simon Burns: Numbers of national health service dentists in the years between 31 March 1997 and 31 March 2006 are shown in Annex E and Annex G of the ‘NHS, Dental Activity and Workforce Report, England: 31 March 2006’. A copy of this document has been placed in the Library.
Numbers of dentists active in the NHS in 2010 and 2011 are not available in the format requested. Numbers of dentists active in the NHS in years ending 31 March 2007 to 31 March 2011 by strategic health authority and primary care trust are shown in Table H1 of Annex 3 of the ‘NHS Dental Statistics for England: 2010/11’ report. This document has already been placed in the Library.
Departmental ICT
Mr Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on enterprise resource planning systems in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [96608]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department makes use of an enterprise resource planning system, (ERP) based upon Oracle Financials. This is named the Business Management System.
The running cost per annum of this service is as follows:
Hardware support and maintenance: £200,000
Application maintenance and support: £1,090,000
Licence costs for Oracle software: £104,000
Total cost of operating the ERP service: £1,394,000.
Departmental Pay
Mr Slaughter:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on payment to private companies in lieu of salary and how many (a) payroll staff and (b) non-payroll staff, including consultants and contractors of (i) his Department, (ii) its executive
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agencies and non-departmental public bodies and (iii) each individual NHS trust are paid by means of payments to a limited company in lieu of salary; what the amount paid into private companies is since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [97232]
Mr Simon Burns: The Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the right hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Danny Alexander), has announced an urgent review of the tax arrangements of senior public sector appointments, to report by the end of March 2012. As part of this, the Department is currently carrying out a major data-gathering exercise which includes its executive agency, non-departmental public bodies and the national health service in order to determine the contracting arrangements of senior appointees. This exercise is expected to be completed by mid-March.
The Department makes payments to private companies where this approach reflects a business need, to secure specific skills and experience through commercial means in the short to medium term to support the Department in delivering its policies.
Drugs: Misuse
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) with reference to his proposed healthcare reforms, whether he proposes that there will be a mandatory duty on (a) Public Health England, (b) local authorities, (c) elected crime commissioners and (d) GP commissioning groups to fund and provide services for those misusing drugs and alcohol; [96469]
(2) what plans he has for spending on drug and alcohol treatment when the national Pooled Treatment Budget ends in April 2013; [96470]
(3) what steps he plans to take to ensure that there is sufficient investment in drug and alcohol treatment services to deliver the Drug Strategy 2010; and if he will make a statement. [96471]
Mr Simon Burns: Subject to the passage of the Health and Social Care Bill 2011 local authorities will have a new duty to take appropriate steps to improve the health of the people in their areas and the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley), will have the power to take appropriate steps to improve the health of the people of England. Local authorities will be responsible for commissioning treatment for dependence on drug and alcohol from April 2013, and will receive funding through a ring-fenced Public Health Grant. The Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation has been asked to develop a formula for the allocation of the public health grant to local authorities. We intend to maintain incentive payments for drug treatment based on those currently used in the allocation of the Pooled Treatment Budget.
Local authorities and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) will be required to undertake Joint Strategic Needs Assessments (JSNAs) through health and wellbeing boards to understand the health and care needs of the whole local population. Based on this, health and wellbeing boards will develop and agree joint health and wellbeing strategies, identifying priorities to be addressed across the local system. CCG and local authority commissioning plans will be underpinned by JSNAs and joint health and wellbeing strategies so that local services meet the
28 Feb 2012 : Column 249W
identified needs. Health and wellbeing boards will promote joined-up commissioning that will support integrated provision of services across health, public health and social care. The Public Health Outcomes Framework published on 23 January 2012 includes indicators on successful completion of drug treatment and alcohol related admissions as well as a number of related indicators including reoffending.
Foetal Alcohol Syndrome
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the potential costs and benefits of the UK's participation in the World Health Organisation prevalence study into foetal alcohol spectrum disorders; [97245]
(2) what cost-benefit analysis his Department has undertaken in respect of UK participation in the global World Health Authority prevalence study into foetal alcohol spectrum disorders. [97287]
Mr Simon Burns: We are aware that the World Health Organisation plans to undertake a prevalence study into foetal alcohol spectrum disorders. The United Kingdom has not been invited to participate in the study. We look forward to the findings from the study into foetal alcohol spectrum disorders in due course.
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of (a) the prevalence of foetal alcohol spectrum disorders and (b) any difference in approach to diagnosing such conditions between the UK and other countries. [97246]
Mr Simon Burns: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Under-Secretary of State for Health, my hon. Friend the Member for Guildford (Anne Milton), on 20 January 2012, Official Report, columns 1006-07W, in respect of work commissioned by the Department on research gaps around the prevalence of foetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
The National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit’s review of the evidence of foetal effects of prenatal alcohol exposure, published in 2006 as ‘Review of the Fetal Effects of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure’, considered evidence from other countries and the international research evidence base.
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason foetal alcohol spectrum disorders are not recognised conditions in the UK. [97249]
Paul Burstow: Foetal alcohol spectrum disorder is a term used to describe a range of disorders and disabilities associated with prenatal alcohol exposure. It is not generally regarded as a single condition, but as an umbrella term that covers several alcohol-related medical conditions.
Freedom of Information Requests
John Healey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many full-time equivalent staff in his Department worked on requests made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in each of the last five years; how many (i) non-legal and (ii) legal staff
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hours have been spent on requests EA/2011/0286 and 0287; and how many hours of external legal advice have been spent on those requests; [97223]
(2) what his Department's total legal costs were associated with requests made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 including (a) legal costs associated with the cases EA/2011/0286 and 0287 and (b) cases appealed to upper tribunal in each of the last five years. [97224]
Mr Simon Burns: All staff across the whole of the Department can expect to work on Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, as part of their overall duties as civil servants. No record is held of how many full-time equivalent (FTE) staff have worked on FOI requests in each of the last five years.
However, the Department has a central FOI team whose job it is to handle and process FOI requests submitted to the Department. FTE staff numbers in the FOI team, are contained in the following table:
| Financial year | Number (FTEs) |
| (1 )8.4 from June 2008. (2 )11 from October 2009. (3 )As at 8 July, (10.6 as at 18 March). | |
No record is maintained of how many non-legal staff hours have been spent on requests EA/2011/0286 and 0287.
As regards the hours and costs of legal work associated with FOI requests, the Department receives legal services through a block Service Level Agreement (SLA) with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Government lawyers working on FOI requests do so under the block SLA without costs being apportioned to the Department for those requests.
With regard to the cases EA/2011/0286 and 0287, up to 27 February 2012, 116.6 hours have been recorded for the time of litigation lawyers. This time will not, though, be charged to the Department, as it will be covered by the block SLA.
To date, the number of hours worked by external Counsel on requests EA/2011/0286 and 0287 is 172 hours and the amount billed to the Department is £24,630 (including VAT). It is estimated that approximately another 125 hours will be spent by external Counsel on preparing for the two-day hearing and at the hearing itself—with the total external legal costs of the cases thus estimated to be just over £40,000 (including VAT).
Information about legal costs associated with FOI requests for cases appealed to the upper tribunal in each of the last five years is not readily available. However, it is currently being collated by officials and I will write to the right hon. Member with the information and place a copy of my letter in the Library.
General Practitioners: Digital Technology
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to encourage consultations with doctors to be provided via Skype to enable patients to avoid waiting to see a doctor. [96266]
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Mr Simon Burns: Responses to the Government's consultation “Liberating the NHS: An Information Revolution” highlighted the potential for digital technologies to improve the way that care is delivered. Skype is one example of how such improvement can be effected but its deployment would be a local, rather than central, decision. The forthcoming information strategy for health and care in England will include discussion of opportunities to incentivise the use of digital technologies—such as telehealth and online meetings and consultations—to improve care and outcomes.
On this theme, the Department recently launched “3millionlives”—a new way of working collaboratively with industry, national health service and social care organisations to improve the lives of 3 million people through the integrated use of telehealth and telecare technologies where appropriate.
Hospital Beds
Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS beds are available for those receiving treatment for drug and alcohol problems. [96282]
Mr Simon Burns: These data are not collected centrally.
Influenza: Vaccination
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doses of Pandemrix were purchased by his Department in (a) 2009 and (b) 2010. [96273]
Mr Simon Burns: As part of the response to the H1N1 (2009) influenza pandemic, 34,838,500 doses of Pandemrix were purchased in 2009-10. No further orders were placed in 2010-11.
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for remaining stocks of Pandemrix. [96274]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department has no remaining stocks of the Pandemrix vaccine. All stocks expired in October 2011.
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doses of Pandemrix were dispensed in (a) 2009 and (b) 2010. [96275]
Mr Simon Burns: It is estimated that 5.9 million doses of Pandemrix were administered from October 2009 to March 2010 in response to the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic.
Pandemrix was also used during the latter stages of the 2010-11 seasonal flu programme. It is estimated that about 170,000 doses of Pandemrix were administered from September 2010 to February 2011.
All figures relate to England.
Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation
Simon Reevell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library details of the (a) use of societal data and (b) economic models used by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation in assessing the cost-effectiveness of vaccines. [96306]
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Mr Simon Burns: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) follows the methodology and criteria developed and used by the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to assess the cost-effectiveness of health interventions. The NICE methodology considers cost-effectiveness from the point of generating the greatest level of health, measured by generally accepted indicators, with the resources available to the national health service. Wider, non-health societal costs and benefits are not generally included. The JCVI does not, therefore, consider general societal data when considering the cost-effectiveness of vaccination programmes.
As with all information considered by the Committee, including economic models, details of the source publications are provided in the meeting papers, minutes and/or statements available on the JCVI website at:
www.dh.gov.uk/ab/jcvi/index.htm
Some economic models considered by the Committee have yet to be published and have been provided by the authors in confidence. In these cases details about who conducted the studies is given.
The recent JCVI statements on influenza, pneumococcal, respiratory syncytial virus, varicella and herpes zoster, rotavirus and human papillomavirus immunisations that set out the Committee's recommendations and that provide details about the economic models considered have been placed in the Library.
Macular Degeneration: Waiting Lists
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that waiting times for (a) macular degeneration and (b) other eye problems are reduced in Shropshire. [96267]
Mr Simon Burns: Departmental figures for December 2011 show that referral to treatment and diagnostic test waiting times are low and stable. 93.2% of admitted patients and 96.9% of non-admitted patients began treatment within 18 weeks.
‘The Operating Framework for the NHS in England 2012/13’ confirms that the operational standards of 90% for admitted and 95% for non-admitted patients, as set out in the NHS constitution will remain in place. It is for the national health service locally to decide how, when and where services are provided. The Department will continue to publish and monitor hospital waiting times. General practitioners and commissioners of health services will use this information locally to ensure that they can continue to improve access to services for their patients by addressing any clinically unjustified waits.
NHS Commissioning Boards: Hull
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people he expects to be directly employed by the proposed NHS Commissioning Boards in the Hull area. [96304]
Mr Simon Burns: Recommendations for the organisational design of the NHS Commissioning Board were ratified at the NHS Commissioning Board Authority board meeting on 2 February 2012. This paper has been placed in the Library, and is available on the Commissioning Board Authority website at:
www.commissioningboard.nhs.uk/2012/01/26/board-meeting-020212/
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The recommendations make a planning assumption that the board will employ around 3,560 people across England with 2,500 in local offices, 200 at sector level and 860 at the centre. Work will now be undertaken through the strategic health authorities, primary care trust clusters and aspirant clinical commissioning groups to confirm the locations of the 50 local offices and commissioning support units.
NHS: Redundancy
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many redundancies there were in the Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust as a result of the implementation of NHS reforms in financial year 2010-11; how many he expects there to be in financial year (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13 and (c) 2013-14; and what resources he plans to transfer to Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust to cover the cost of his proposed NHS reorganisation; [96321]
(2) how many redundancies there were in the Hull Teaching Primary Care Trust as a result of the implementation of NHS reforms in financial year 2010-11; how many he expects there to be in financial year (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13 and (c) 2013-14; and what resources he plans to transfer to Hull Teaching Primary Care Trust to cover the cost of his proposed NHS reorganisation. [96322]
Mr Simon Burns: Estimates of the number of staff voluntary and compulsory redundancies in both 2010-11 and the latest period available for the organisations named are shown in the following table.
| 2010-11 | April 2011 to September 2011 | |||
| Compulsory | Voluntary | Compulsory | Voluntary | |
| Source: Electronic Staff Record Data Warehouse | ||||
Responsibility for determining the level of workforce required to ensure the delivery of high quality care is a matter for the local national health service.
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We recognised in the White Paper “Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS” that, as a result of the record national debt and lower spending growth available to the NHS in the coming years, the service will employ fewer staff at the end of this Parliament, although rebalanced towards clinical staffing and frontline support rather than excessive administration.
Revenue allocations are made to primary care trusts (PCTs). These allocations are not broken down by service or policy area. It is for PCTs to decide how their resources are allocated to meet the health care needs of their local populations, in line with local and national priorities.
Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what information his Department holds on the number of staff that have been made redundant by Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust since April 2010; what the average cost per staff member was of such redundancies to each primary care trust; how many such redundancies involved an individual redundancy payment of over £40,000; and what the cost to the public purse has been of such redundancies since April 2010; [96324]
(2) what information his Department holds on the number of staff that have been made redundant by Humber NHS Foundation Trust since April 2010; what the average cost per staff member was of such redundancies to each primary care trust; how many such redundancies involved an individual redundancy payment of over £40,000; and what the cost to the public purse has been of such redundancies since April 2010; [96456]
(3) what information his Department holds on the number of staff that have been made redundant by Hull Teaching Primary Care Trust since April 2010; what the average cost per staff member was of such redundancies; how many such redundancies involved an individual redundancy payment of over £40,000; and what the cost to the public purse was of such redundancies. [96457]
Mr Simon Burns: Information on the number, total cost and average cost of exit packages, and the number and cost of exit packages over £40,000 for Hull Teaching Primary Care Trust (PCT) and the Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, in 2010-11, is shown in the following table:
| Total number of exit packages | Total cost of exit packages | Average cost of packages | Total number of exit packages over £40,000 | Total cost of exit packages over £40,000 | |
| Number | £000 | £000 | Number | £000 | |
| Notes: 1. This information is not collected centrally for foundation trusts. 2. Data are taken from the audited summarisation schedules of PCTs and national health service trusts, from which the NHS (England) Summarised Accounts are prepared. The disclosure in the accounts reports the number and value of exit packages taken by staff leaving in the year. 3. Exit packages include compulsory redundancies and other departures. The latter includes the cost of both early retirements (excluding those relating to ill health) and voluntary redundancies. It is not possible to separately identify the value of either of these costs from the data collected. An overall figure for redundancies is therefore not identifiable. 4. Figures for the 2011-12 financial year will be available in the summer, once the Department's Annual Report and Accounts are laid before Parliament. 5. The expense associated with these departures may have been recognised in part or in full in a previous period. Source: Audited summarisation schedules of PCTs and NHS trusts | |||||
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NHS: Rural Areas
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for future funding of the NHS in rural areas; and if he will make a statement. [96424]
Mr Simon Burns: Subject to the passage of the Health and Social Care Bill, from 2013-14 the NHS Commissioning Board would be responsible for the allocation of resources to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). The Board would allocate resources to CCGs in a way that supports the principle of securing equivalent access to NHS services relative to the prospective burden of disease and disability. In addition, from 2013-14, the Department of Health will allocate a ring-fenced public health grant to local authorities (LAs), for their new public health responsibilities.
The Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA), an independent committee comprising general practitioners, academics, public health experts and NHS managers, has been asked to continue to oversee the formulae for the distribution of NHS resources to both CCGs and LAs. ACRA has considered the impact of rurality on a number of occasions, and it is being considered again as part of its current work programme:
ACRA's recommendations will be published in due course. Actual allocations to CCGs and to LAs will be announced in late 2012.
Ophthalmology: Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many ophthalmologists were operating in Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust in (a) 2005, (b) 2010 and (c) 2011. [96268]
Mr Simon Burns: Data held by the National Health Service Information Centre for health and social care show the number of ophthalmologists operating in Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust from 2005-10 in the following table:
| Numbers (headcount) and full-time equivalents (FTE) | ||||
| All staff | FTE | of which Consultants (headcount) | FTE | |
| (1) The new headcount methodology for 2010 headcount data is not fully comparable with previous years data due to improvements that make it a more stringent count of absolute staff numbers. Further information on the headcount methodology is available in the Census publication. Notes: 1. Headcount totals are unlikely to equal the sum of components. 2. Data Quality The Health and Social Care Information Centre seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality. Where changes impact on figures already published, this is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses. Source: The Health and Social Care Information Centre Medical and Dental Workforce Census | ||||
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Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Afghanistan
20. Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the outcome of recent talks between the Prime Minister and President of Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement. [96709]
Alistair Burt: The Prime Minister met President Karzai on 28 January. They had a productive discussion on a range of issues including transition, the peace process and the international community's long-term commitment to Afghanistan. They signed the UK-Afghan Enduring Strategic Partnership, signalling our shared vision of a secure and stable Afghanistan.
Business and Human Rights
21. Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received on the potential effects of the legislative proposals in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill on the UK’s commitment to the UN guiding principles on business and human rights. [96710]
Mr Jeremy Browne: Members of the Foreign Secretary's Advisory Group on Human Rights raised this issue in December. It has also been raised by other civil society organisations and members of the public.
Judiciary: Hungary
22. Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Hungarian Government on state control of the judiciary in that country. [96711]
Mr Jeremy Browne: An independent judiciary is necessary for the preservation of democracy and fundamental freedoms. We have urged Hungary to consider the implications of their new laws and to continue working with the European Commission to ensure these laws are consistent with EU norms.
Algeria
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many electoral observers from the UK he proposes will be present during the parliamentary elections in Algeria in May 2012. [96773]
Alistair Burt: The Algerian Government have invited foreign election monitors to take part in observing the elections in Algeria for the first time. This is a significant step, which we welcome. Although plans have not yet been finalised, the EU, OSCE and a number of non governmental organisations and other regional organisations are considering taking part. We expect embassy officials to take up this positive offer and are also exploring with the Algerian authorities the options for Members of this House to participate.