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NHS Management Costs
Lord Lipsey asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will publish the statistical basis for the Secretary of State for Health's statement in his speech on 5 February that National Health Service management costs are falling.[HL1922]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Information on National Health Service management costs is published and available in the NHS annual financial management accounts.
Management costs as a percentage of NHS expenditure during the period 1998–99 to 2001–02 are set out as follows:
- NHS management costs 1998–99 were £1,833 billion (5 per cent of NHS expenditure)
- NHS management costs 1999–2000 were £1,783 billion (4.4 per cent of NHS expenditure)
- NHS management costs 2000–01 were £1,867 billion (4.2 per cent of NHS expenditure)
- NHS management costs 2001–02 were £1,992 billion (4 per cent of NHS expenditure)
Road Traffic (NHS Charges) Act 1999
Earl Howe asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What was the aggregate value of payments made to National Health Service Trusts by the Compensation Recovery Unit of the Benefits Agency under the terms of the Road Traffic (NHS Charges) Act 1999 for each quarter between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2002; and[HL1957]
What was the total number and aggregate value of charges billed to insurance companies by the Compensation Recovery Unit of the Benefits Agency under the terms of the Road Traffic (NHS Charges) Act 1999 for each quarter between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2002.[HL1958]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Under the terms of the Road Traffic (NHS Charges) Act 1999 insurers have 14 days following the settlement of an insurance claim in which to make payment of NHS charges, provided they have received a certificate of NHS charges notifying them of amounts due. Where they have not been notified they must apply to the Compensation Recovery Unit (CRU) for a certificate of charges within 14 days of claim settlement and once this is received the insurer has 14 days in which to make a payment.
The following figures show the number of settled claims and total amounts of CRU recovered from insurance companies in respect of these claims which were paid to NHS trusts in England, Scotland and Wales for each quarter between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2002.
| Amounts recovered and paid to NHS trusts | Numer of settled claims |
| Jan–Dec 2000 | |
| Qtr 1 £13,552,150 | 29,672 |
| Qtr 2 £16,856,451 | 33,910 |
| Qtr 3 £17,589,931 | 35,648 |
| Qtr 4 £14,794,702 | 29,623 |
| Jan–Dec 2001 | |
| Qtr 1 £22,132,052 | 44,993 |
| Qtr 2 £22,006,196 | 40,913 |
| Qtr 3 £25,236,364 | 46,775 |
| Qtr 4 £19,461,872 | 37,575 |
| Jan–Dec 2002 | |
| Qtr 1 £26,137,601 | 49,903 |
| Qtr 2 £26,948,088 | 52,773 |
| Qtr 3 £26,818,407 | 51,688 |
| Qtr 4 £34,043,257 | 65,351 |
NHS Charges
Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What plans they have to increase National Health Service charges and the value of optical vouchers.[HL2077]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: We have today laid before the House regulations to increase National Health Service charges in England from 1 April 2003. There will be a cash increase in the prescription charge of 10p from £6.20 to £6.30 for each quantity of a drug or appliance dispensed.
The cost of prescription prepayment certificates will rise to £32.90 for a four-month certificate and £90.40 for an annual certificate. These offer savings for those needing more than five items in four months or 14 in one year.
Prescription charges are expected to raise some £446 million for the NHS in 2003–04.
Charges for elastic stockings and tights, wigs and fabric supports supplied through the Hospital Service will be increased similarly.
The maximum patient charge for a single course of dental treatment begun on or after 1 April 2003 will increase from £366 to £372.
The prescription charge increase is the same as in the previous four years and is well below the current level of inflation.The other increases are in line with this percentage increase.
Optical voucher values will increase overall by 2.5 per cent to help children, people on low income and certain people with complex sight problems with the cost of spectacles or contact lenses.
A summary of these changes is given in the table.
Details of the revised charges and optical voucher values have been placed in the Library.
NHS charges and optical voucher values in Scotland and Wales are a matter for the devolved administrations. While the institutions in Northern Ireland are dissolved, responsibility rests with Ministers in the Northern Ireland Office.
| Item | Charges from 1 April 2002 (£) | Charges from 1 April 2003 (£) |
| Prescription Charge | 6.20 | 6.30 |
| 4 months PPC | 32.40 | 32.90 |
| 12 months PPC | 89.00 | 90.40 |
| Surgical bra | 20.90 | 21.20 |
| Spinal/abdominal support | 31.50 | 32.00 |
| Wig acrylic | 51.50 | 52.30 |
| Wig partial human hair | 135.90 | 138.00 |
| Wig full human hair | 198.60 | 201.70 |
| Maximum dental charge | 366.00 | 372.00 |
Northern Ireland Multi-Party Talks,19 December 2002
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 6 February (WA 41), whether they have a copy of the Irish Government briefing paper quoted in the media.[HL1629]
The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Williams of Mostyn): No. As explained in my previous Answer on 6 February, Her Majesty's Government do not have a copy of the paper.
Northern Ireland Ambulance Service
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 10 February (WA 96) concerning the press release of 3 July on the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, how much was at that time intended to be spent on the service in 2003–04 and 2004–05; and how these figures have since changed.[HL1715]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: Of the £16.2 million announced on 3 July 2002, £4 million only was committed for spending in 2002–03 and 2003–04, with the balance to be addressed in future budgetary allocation decisions.
On 19 February 2003, the Minister with responsibility for finance and personnel announced planned allocations from the Strategic Investment Programme over the five-year period to 2007–08. These included £3.0 million for the reconfiguration of ambulance control and communications sytems, half of which is profiled for 2004–05; and £ 26.1 million for other actions to modernise and improve the ambulance service. Annual expenditure on these will be profiled once decisions have been reached on the best approach to financing them.
North/South Implementation Bodies
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When the current business plans for all the North/South Implementation Bodies will be passed by the North/South Ministerial Council; and whether all the business plans and all the decisions relating to the implementation bodies will be placed in the Library of the House.[HL1758]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The operating plan for the Trade and Business Development Body (InterTradeIreland) has been approved by the two governments under the agreement between the British and Irish Governments on 19 November. The business plans for the remainder of the implementation bodies will be prepared by each body for subsequent approval by the two governments.
Decisions made by the two governments under the agreement of 19 November will shortly be placed in the Library. It is not the intention to place business plans in the Library. The annual report and accounts for each implementation body will be laid before Parliament as required by the North/South Co-operation (Implementation Bodies) (Northern Ireland) Order 1999.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What are the projected budgets of the implementation bodies for the year 2003; and what percentage increase or decrease these represent over 2002. [HL1760]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The details requested are given in the table below.
| Body | Agreed recommended allocation 2002 £ million | Agreed recommended allocation 2003 £ million | Percentage increase/ decrease over the 2002 allocation |
| Waterways Ireland | 21.26 | 22.61 | 6.3% |
| Language Body | 11.97 | 11.33 | -5.3% |
| Food Safety Promotion Board | 4.96 | 5.42 | 9.3% |
| Trade and Business Development Body | 9.52 | 9.00 | -5.5% |
| Special EU Programmes Body | 1.75 | 2.02 | 15.4% |
| FCILC | 2.86 | 3.20 | 11.9% |
| Total | 52.32 | 53.58 | 2.4% |
Lisburn-Antrim Railway Line
The Earl of Mar and Kellie asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether there is a future for the Lisburn-Antrim railway line after the current funding runs out in March 2003. [HL1775]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The future of rail services on the Lisburn to Antrim line has been uncertain since the Railways Task Force produced its report in September 2000. On the basis of the data available, the case for the continuance of regular services on this line is not compelling. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with responsibillity for Transport, Angela Smith MP, intends to make a written statement on this matter in the near future.
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