HC Deb 23 May 2003 vol 406 cc65-7W
Mr. George Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many car parking spaces the Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority(a) has within premises owned by them and (b) rents or leases from other organisations; and at what cost per year. [112416]

Jacqui Smith

Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority leases its accommodation at Wilderspool Park, Stockton Heath. Under the lease it has access to 96 car parking spaces including parking for visitors. The cost of these spaces is part of the overall lease cost for the accommodation and is not separately identified.

SHA staff based at Hamilton House in Liverpool have access to 18 spaces at an annual cost of £26,031.20.

Helen Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many meetings the chief executive of Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority has had with the leaders of local authorities since her appointment; and which local authorities were involved; [112787]

(2) how many meetings the chair of Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority has had with the leaders of local authorities since her appointment; and with which local authorities; [112793]

(3) how many meetings the chair of Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority has had with chief executives of local authorities since her appointment; and which local authorities were involved. [112788]

Jacqui Smith

The principal relationship with local authorities (LAs) is with primary care trusts. However the chair and chief executive of the Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority (CMSHA) welcome the opportunity to meet with officers of LAs to discuss issues of interest or concern and do meet with them from time to time on an on-going basis. According to records held by the CMSHA, the chief executive has met with senior officers of LAs on four occasions in the past year. The LAs were Warrington Borough Council, Chester County Council, Liverpool City Council and Wirral Borough Council. The chief executive has also met with senior officers of Social Services North West and the Social Services Inspectorate.

Helen Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many meetings the chief executive of Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority has had with individual chairs of trusts since her appointment. [112790]

Jacqui Smith

The chief executive has regular meetings, in addition to telephone contact with national health service trust senior officers, including trust chairs on an on-going basis. According to records held by the strategic health authority, the chief executive has met with trust chairs on an individual basis on 14 occasions and on a group basis on 39 occasions since her appointment.

Helen Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many meetings the chief executive of Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority has had with public bodies other than health bodies in the past year. [112791]

Jacqui Smith

According to its records, the chief executive of the Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority met with chief executives of non-health public bodies on 15 occasions in the past year.

Helen Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many board meetings the chair of the Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority has presided over since her appointment; and what the average length was of such meetings. [112794]

Jacqui Smith

There have been 10 board meetings since 1 April 2002, and the chair of the strategic health authority has chaired nine of these. The meetings usually last between two and two and half hours.

Helen Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many meetings the chief executive of Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority has had with individual hon. Members since her appointment; and what the average duration was of such meetings. [112803]

Jacqui Smith

The chief executive of the Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority met collectively with 17 hon. Members on 29 October 2002 and with three hon. Members on 16 May 2003. The chief executive has also met with 16 hon. Members on an individual basis over the past year. The average duration of these meetings was one hour.