§ 22. Mr. HansonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the impact of the additional support to the health service to meet winter pressures for the current year. [23437]
§ 25. Ms StuartTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many on the schemes funded through the extra money made available to the NHS for winter pressures promote greater co-operation between health and social services. [23440]
§ Mr. MilburnThe additional £300 million made available across the Untied Kingdom in the current financial year has helped achieve better joint working between the National Health Service and Social Services Departments. In England alone, there are almost 1,500 initiatives and some £35 to £40 million of the additional money is being transferred to social services. Over the Christmas and New Year period, joint working arrangements between health and social services were greatly improved on previous years.