§ Andy KingTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether the Government achieved their target of eradicating the fire safety backlog on the NHS estate by March 2003; [182450]
(2) what further progress has been made towards meeting his earlier target of making 90 per cent. of the NHS estate health and safety compliant by March; [182451]
(3) what percentage of the NHS estate was health and safety compliant and what the cost was of the health and safety repair backlog, in (a) March 2003 and (b) March 2004. [182452]
§ Mr. HuttonTrusts that did not report full compliance will cover a wide variety of conditions, including that which is only just below standard. At 31 March 2003, 9 per cent. of patient-occupied floor area was below health and safety compliance and 7.10 per cent, below statutory fire safety standards.
Trusts manage high-risk deficiencies as a priority in order to ensure that premises are intrinsically safe and not of concern to local enforcement bodies.
The cost of the health and safety repair backlog is currently being validated and on completion I will write to my hon. Friend.