HC Deb 01 February 2000 vol 343 cc564-5W
Mr. Austin

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent assessment he has made of the impact of private practice in the same NHS unit or specialty on the waiting list and waiting time for treatment; [107391]

(2) what action he has taken in relation to Recommendation 15 of the Health Committee report, "Public Expenditure on Health Services: Waiting Lists" (Session 1990/91: page xxiv); and if he will make a statement. [107392]

Ms Stuart

We have made no assessment of the impact of private practice on waiting lists and times for treatment in the same National Health Service unit or specialty.

Mr. Burns

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish, for each of the next 12 months, the week in which he expects to announce the latest(a) in-patient waiting list figures and (b) out-patient waiting list figures. [107301]

Mr. Denham

[holding answer 31 January 2000]: The in-patient waiting list statistics for the end of December 1999 and out-patient waiting times statistics for the third quarter of 1999–2000 will be published during the week commencing 14 February 2000. Publication dates for later months will be published, as usual, one month prior in the Office for National Statistics' "Updates".