HC Deb 07 February 1989 vol 146 cc637-9W
Mr. Nicholas Bennett

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give for each health authority(a) the square footage of unused properties and (b) the square footage or acreage of unused land and the estimated value of each category as a percentage total land and property and value as a percentage of the total land and property value of each authority; and if he will make a statement as to his Department's policy on the sale of unused land and property.

Mr. Freeman

The information requested is not collected routinely centrally and could be obtained only at

Ms. Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on the installation of a computerised system of call distribution at the London ambulance service; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Freeman

The installation of the automatic call distribution system by the London ambulance service is being carried out in two parts. The first phase was completed in the existing control room in March 1988 and harnessed 999 calls and calls from the other emergency services to the new system. The second phase, which began on 8 January 1989, involves the temporary relocation of the control room to enable the remaining telephone lines (from hospitals, doctors, ambulance crews, and the divisional control rooms) to be linked to the computer-aided dispatch system. The computer-aided dispatch system will not be operational till August 1989.

Ms. Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the capital and revenue budget for the London ambulance service for each of the last five years; what proportion the South West Thames regional health authority, the South East Thames regional health authority, the North East Thames regional health authority and the North West Thames regional health authority contributed, respectively; and if the budget of the London ambulance service is cash-limited.

Mr. Freeman

The figures are in the table.

disproportionate cost. Information on the total surplus property (both land and buildings no longer currently used for Health Service purposes and with no future use envisaged) of each regional health authority is held centrally and this information as at 31 March 1988 is as follows:

RHA Total estate (acres) Surplus (acres) Per cent. of surplus
Northern 3,495 308.20 8.82
Yorkshire 3,927 14000 3.57
Trent 4,324 808.55 18.70
East Anglian 1,648 23.13 1.40
N W Thames 2,483 37.60 1.51
N E Thames 2,714 267.27 9.85
S E Thames 3,677 582.49 15.84
S W Thames 3,810 128.33 3.37
Wessex 2,511 179.24 7.14
Oxford 2,183 183.07 8.39
South Western 3,787 712.39 18.81
West Midlands 5,147 629.50 12.23

RHA Total estate (acres) Surplus (acres) Per cent. Of surplus
Mersey 2,427 782.57 32.24
North Western 3,160 267.85 8.48
SHAS (BGs) 496 7.0 1.41
England 45,789 5,057.19 11.04

Values of surplus properties are not collected separately centrally but information is held on the estimated income from property disposals for each regional health authority for the current financial year and the three following years. This information was given in my reply to the hon. Member for Southport (Mr. Fearn) on 24 January at column 546. Our policy on the sale of unused property is that it should be disposed of in a publicly acceptable manner for the best price possible.