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- 2. Assessing growth through time: HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. The quality and coverage of the data have improved over time. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the
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- 3. Data quality: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. Data are also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.
- 4. A finished consultant episode (FCE) is defined as a continuous period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FCEs are counted against the year in which they end. Please note that the figures do not represent the number of different patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the same stay in hospital or in different stays in the same year.
| Table 3: United Kingdom Health Care Productivity (Index 1995 = 100) | ||
| Year | Index | % Change |
NHS: Surplus Land
Questions
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the public capital for the National Health Service that could be released in each strategic health authority area by the disposal of surplus land and buildings on the basis of (a) current use, and (b) market value. [HL4964]
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Darzi of Denham): Under the local arrangements for managing National Health Service estate, the disposal of surplus land and buildings are decisions that are taken locally rather than nationally. The planned value of income such disposals for non-foundation trusts during this financial year and next is estimated to be £200 million per annum. Equivalent data for foundation trusts are not available.
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Department of Health will consider the outsourcing of the management of National Health Service land and buildings in the light of the experiences in that area of the Department for Work and Pensions and the Ministry of Defence. [HL4965]
Lord Darzi of Denham: Individual National Health Service trusts are separate legal entities. They are responsible for the management and disposal of land and buildings in their ownership. The department currently has no plans to seek to outsource at a national level the management of land and buildings in the ownership of National Health Service trusts.
Northern Ireland: Equality Commission
Questions
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland has cost in each year since its creation. [HL4875]
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: As set out in Schedule 8 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998, although the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is responsible for making appointments to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, sponsorship of the commission is a matter for the devolved Administration.
The noble Lord may wish to write directly to the relevant sponsor department, the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister.
To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the working languages of the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland. [HL4876]
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: As set out in Schedule 8 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998, although the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is responsible for making appointments to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, sponsorship of the commission is a matter for the devolved Administration.
The noble Lord may wish to write directly to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland or to the relevant sponsor department, the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister.
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Northern Ireland: Human Rights Commission
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will place in the Library of the House all correspondence which they have had with the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission since 1 January 2008. [HL3987]
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission corresponds regularly with the Northern Ireland Office on a wide range of policy and sponsorship issues, both at ministerial and official level. This correspondence is therefore held across a wide variety of locations throughout the department.
A comprehensive and accurate search would involve a trawl of e-mails, paper and electronic records throughout the department since 1 January 2008. This exercise could be done only at disproportionate cost.
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they propose to fund the two Northern Ireland Human Rights Commissioners who issued minority reports to allow them to put their case to the general public. [HL4807]
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission receives funding to carry out its functions as set out in Schedule 7(6) to the Northern Ireland Act 1998. It is for the commission collectively to decide on its detailed business plan. All commissioners are remunerated in the same way for their work as commissioners; funding is not provided separately to individual commissioners to carry out particular tasks.
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will place in the Library of the House the media, public relations and public affairs programmes of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. [HL4969]
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: Communications activity by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission is an operational matter for the commission. The noble Lord may wish to contact the commission directly to obtain this information.
The commission is currently consulting publicly on its draft strategic plan 2009-11 which includes strategic aims relating to communication. Copies of the draft strategic plan and accompanying equality impact assessment have been placed in the Library of the House.
Olympic Games 2012
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the remuneration and expenses packages of senior management of the Olympic Delivery Authority, including possible severance payments and pension arrangements. [HL4871]
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Lord Davies of Oldham: Information on the remuneration of the Olympic Delivery Authority's senior management, including employer's pension contributions, appears in the authority's annual report and accounts. The 2007-08 annual report and accounts were published in July 2008, and the 2008-09 annual report and accounts will be published shortly. Details of any special payments, including any such payments to members of staff, are included in the notes to the accounts.
Passports
Question
Asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many applicants who have attended personal passport interviews were refused a passport. [HL4879]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): There has been one application refused as a direct result of a confirmation of identity interview. As the main function of the interview is to act as a deterrent to those attempting to assume another identity, we expect the number to remain low.
Refusals of applications on identity grounds are rare; rather applications tend to lapse because of the applicant's failure to attend an interview or respond to requests for additional evidence of identity.
Phone Hacking
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have received from members of the public and the affected persons suggesting the Metropolitan Police finished its phone hacking inquiry without going through all the evidence. [HL5002]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): We have not received any such representations.
Post Office
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will consider plans for an issue of shares to the general public in Post Office Ltd. [HL4828]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Lord Young of Norwood Green): As set out during the passage of the Postal Services Bill in the Lords, our policy is for Post Office Ltd to remain owned in its entirety by the Crown.
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Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution
Question
Asked by Lord Taylor of Holbeach
To ask Her Majesty's Government what studies have been published by the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution since July 2007. [HL4926]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Davies of Oldham): The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution has published one report since July 2007, Novel Materials in the Environment: The Case of Nanotechnology, published in November 2008.
Timber
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they are taking to prevent the importation into the United Kingdom of timber from illegal logging. [HL4819]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Davies of Oldham): The UK is currently tackling the illegal trade in timber through the European Union's Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) process. We believe that it is essential that this work continues at the European level-otherwise the trade in illegal timber and timber products could simply be diverted to, or through, other member states.
The EU is currently negotiating voluntary partnership agreements (VPAs) with several tropical timber producing countries, from which all timber products exported to the EU will be guaranteed to have been legally produced.
The UK has also long argued for additional EU measures to support the VPA process. We are currently working with EU partners in taking forward negotiation of the due diligence regulation. The UK has been at the forefront of negotiations, calling for a prohibition on the first placing of illegal timber and timber products on the Community market.
Finally, we seek to ensure that the Government lead the way in demanding legal products. From April 2009, UK government departments now accept only timber that has been verified as legal and sustainable, or licensed under FLEGT voluntary partnership agreements. The Government are actively promoting responsible timber procurement in the wider public sector and are working with the Governments of other EU member states to generate a common approach to the international market and timber supply chains.
Visas
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many international students have had their student visas revoked in each of the past five years. [HL4514]
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord West of Spithead): The requested information is shown in the attached table.
| Number of Student Visa applications that were curtailed between 2003 and 2008 | ||||||
| Decision Outcome | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 |
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