Lords Hansard Written Answers text for 13 Nov 2000

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13 Nov 2000 : Column WA1

Written Answers

Monday, 13th November 2000.

Department of Health and Food Standards Agency: Expenditure Limits

Baroness Gould of Potternewton asked Her Majesty's Government:

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates for Class II, Votes 1 and 4, the overall Departmental Expenditure Limit for Class II, which includes the Department of Health and the Foods Standard Agency, will be increased by £61,213,000 from £45,029,542,000 to £45,090,755,000.

Of this increase, the Department of Health Departmental Expenditure limit for 2000-01 will be increased by £49,616,000 from £44,948,272,000 to £44,997,888,000. The increase is the net effect of changes to Class II, Vote 1 (Hospital, community health, family health and related services, England) of £48,357,000 made up £50,000,000 from HM Treasury's Capital Modernisation Fund for Modernising Coronary Heart Disease services. In addition the following transfers will take place; £1,357,000 from the Scottish Executive £47,000 for the High Security Infectious Diseases Unit and £1,310,000 for Out of Area Treatments. The overall increase is partially offset by a transfer of £3,000,000 to Class 1, Vote 1 (Department for Education and Employment) for the Queen Mary Westfield Tomlinson merger.

An increase of £1,256,000 for Class II, Vote 2 (Department of Health, administration, miscellaneous health and personal social services, England) is the net effect of transfers (detailed below) and £6,500,000 take-up of end year flexibility (as set out in Table 7 of the Public Expenditure Outturn White Paper Cm 4812 published on 18 July 2000) and £1,795,000 (running costs) from the Civil Service Modernisation Fund, transfers of £75,000 (running costs) from Class IX, Vote 2 (Department of Trade and Industry: science) for the human genetics commission and £36,000 from Class IV, Vote 1 (Home Office administration, police, immigration and other services, England and Wales) for central treatment fund pilot projects. The overall increase is partially offset by transfers of £4,000,000 to Class 1, Vote 1 (Department for Education and Employment: programmes and central services) for the standards fund, £3,000,000 to Class IV, Vote 1 (Home Office administration, police, immigration and other

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services, England and Wales) for unaccompanied asylum seeking children and £150,000 to Class III, Vote 2 (Environment, Transport and Regions: Planning, roads, local transport and vehicle safety) for mobility centres.

Within the department DEL there is also a transfer of £11,837,000 from Class II, Vote 2 (Department of Health, administration, miscellaneous health and personal social services, England) to Class II, Vote 1 (Hospital, community health, family health and related services, England).

The Department of Health's gross running cost limit will be increased by £1,870,000 from £300,620,000 to £302,490,000 as detailed above.

The take-up of non-voted supplementary credit approvals for personal social services (DoH/LACAP) in England has increased by £3,000 from £18,700,000 to £18,703,000 in respect of take up of end year flexibility entitlement as mentioned above.

The Food Standards Agency Departmental Expenditure limit will also be increased by £11,597,000 from £81,270,000 to £92,867,000. The increase is the net effect of the take-up of end year flexibility of £8,366,000 (of which £1,000,000 is running costs) from the Department of Health, an allocation of £375,000 (of which £280,000 is running costs) from the Civil Service Modernisation Fund and transfers of £2,856,000 from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food comprising £1,600,000 (of which £350,000 is running costs) to cover set-up costs of the agency, which fell in 2000-01 rather than 1999-2000 as originally planned, and £1,256,000 (of which £1,125,000 is running costs) for the additional responsibilities taken on by the agency.

The Food Standards Agency's gross running costs limit will increase by £2,755,000 from £104,835,000 to £107,590,000 as detailed above.

All increases will either be offset by transfers to or from other Departmental Expenditure Limits (detailed above) or charges to the DEL Reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

Princess Royal Hospital, Haywards Heath

Lord Dholakia asked Her Majesty's Government:

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Central Sussex Partnership Project Board issued a discussion document Modern Hospital Services for Central Sussex--A Challenge for Us All on 21 August 2000. The purpose of this document was to seek the views of local residents and professionals on three possible frameworks for acute services. Each framework involved the Princess Royal Hospital and the Royal Sussex County Hospital.

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Written comments on the discussion document were requested by 13th October and the board is refining the options in light of comments received. The needs and safety of patients in Haywards Heath is one of its key considerations. If any significant changes to services are proposed these will be subject to formal public consultation before final decisions are made.

NATO and the European Security and Defence Program

Lord Howell of Guildford asked Her Majesty's Government:

The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean): We are discussing with allies and partners mechanisms to ensure transparency and coherence between the NATO defence planning system and the review of EU Headline Goal implementation.

HMS Tireless

Lord Moynihan asked Her Majesty's Government:

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: Our intention is to complete the repair of HMS Tireless as quickly as possible. We cannot be certain how long this will take but it is unlikely that HMS Tireless will leave Gibraltar before the end of March 2001. We are keeping the Governments of Gibraltar and Spain fully informed of progress with the repair.

Members of the Armed Forces Killed in Service: Recognition

Baroness Gould of Potternewton asked Her Majesty's Government:

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: We have given careful consideration to a number of ways in which the recognition of members of the Armed Forces who give their lives in the service of their country might be enhanced. In the light of discussion, we have concluded that the most appropriate would be the erection in central London of a memorial bearing the names of all those killed on duty and by terrorist attack since the end of the Second World War. In accordance with the long established custom for the erection of

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memorials, we would expect funds to be raised by public subscription. Further consultation will now take place with ex-service organisations and other interested bodies.

Clansman Vehicle-Mounted Radios

Earl Attlee asked Her Majesty's Government:

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: Clansman Combat Net Radio has been in service for over 20 years and current records do not show the exact date on which Ministers approved the putting into production of the vehicle-mounted range of the radio. The information held does, however, record that contracts for the production of the initial batches of VHF and HF vehicle mounted radios were placed in May 1973 and March 1974 respectively.

Clansman Portable Radios

Earl Attlee asked Her Majesty's Government:

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The Clansman Combat Net Radio has been in service for over 20 years and current records do not show the exact date on which Ministers approved the putting into production of the portable range of the radio. The information held does, however, record that contracts for the production of the initial batches of VHF, HF and UHF portable radios were placed in December 1971, February 1972 and January 1974 respectively.

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