HC Deb 20 April 2000 vol 348 cc623-4W
Mr. Don Foster

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list for each(a) area-based and (b) other regeneration-related initiative for which his Department is responsible (i) the amount budgeted and (ii) the total expended in each financial year for the planned lifetime of each initiative; [119789]

(2) if he will list the number and value of (a) bids and (b) grants made in each of the last three financial years for which figures are available, for each (i) area-based and (ii) other regeneration-related initiative for which his Department is responsible. [119795]

Ms Stuart

Health action zones (HAZs) are the only area-based initiative for which the Department is responsible. Most of the additional resources available to health authorities in HAZs are allocated on the basis of a NHS weighted capitation formula rather than through a bidding process. Health Authorities that are HAZs received and spent an additional £5.6 million in the first year of the initiative (1998–99) and £89.4 million in 1999–2000 (£3 million less than budgeted for). Resources for 2000–01 and beyond have yet to be finalised.

Other initiatives classified as regeneration-related initiatives are the Healthy Schools Initiative, Personal Medical Services (PMS) Pilots and the Primary Care and Primary School Partnership pilots.

The resources budgeted for and allocated to the Healthy Schools Initiative, which has now been rolled out across England, were £1.2 million in 1998–99 and £2.9 million in 1999–2000. £5.7 million will be available in 2000–01. No decisions have been made about resources for future years. The cost of the initiative is shared equally between the Department of Health and the Department for Education and Employment.

PMS pilots receive a "fair share" of the resources that would have been available from the general medical services non-cash limited pool. The only additional resources they receive are for preparation costs. The preparation costs for the first two waves of PMS pilots were £2 million in 1997–98, £2 million in 1998–99 and £3 million in 1999–2000. No decisions have yet been made on a third wave.

The Primary Care and Primary School Partnership pilots were budgeted to receive £350,000 in 1999–2000 and 2000–01. £100,000 was carried forward from 1999–2000. No decisions have yet been made about further expenditure.