HC Deb 10 April 2002 vol 383 cc474-5W
Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what trend data are available to measure progress against the PSA target for a reduction in the death rate from suicide and undetermined injury. [47299]

Jacqui Smith

Data to monitor the PSA target to reduce the death rate from suicide and undetermined injury (less inquest-adjourned cases) are obtained from mortality data published by the Office for National Statistics. Data are for England.

This PSA target is the target published in 2000 in the NHS Plan and previously in 1999 in the White Paper "Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation" for a 20 per cent. reduction against a baseline of the average age standardised mortality rate for the three years 1995–97.

The trend data are as follows:

Three-year average age standardised
Period Mortality rate per 100,000 population
1995–96–97 9.07
1996–97–98 9.18
1997–98–99 9.33
1998–99–2000 9.44

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the PSA target for efficiency and other value for money gains in personal social services expenditure in 2001–02 will be met. [47285]

Jacqui Smith

No more figures are available since the answer I gave the hon. Member on 25 February 2002,Official Report,column 938W. The in-year estimates I quoted then are what are used to monitor efficiency gains and no further information will be available.

Information provided by councils during in-year monitoring suggests that for social services in England the estimated efficiency gain was 2.1 per cent. for 1999–2000, 2.3 per cent. for 2000–01 and 2.5 per cent. for 2001–02. This means the efficiency gains achieved in 2001–02 fell short of the 3 per cent. target, although the targets of 2 per cent. for each of the previous two years were exceeded. Over the three years the total estimated efficiency gain was 7.1 per cent, all but meeting the total of the efficiency targets over three years of 7.2 per cent.

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the PSA target for all NHS trusts to achieve three per cent. procurement savings in 2000–01 was met. [47292]

Mr. Hutton

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 28 November 2001,Official Report,column 987W.