HC Deb 05 May 2004 vol 420 cc1616-8W
Mr. Randall

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what additional and earmarked funds are made available to support the medical inspection of immigrants at(a) Heathrow and (b) other ports in England; and which bodies are in receipt of those funds; [156837]

(2) what costs towards the medical inspection of immigrants service are met (a) from central Department of Health budgets, (b) through budgets held by the Health Protection Agency and (c) by primary care trusts from their standard allocations. [156838]

Miss Melanie Johnson

No data are collected centrally on the costs to the national health service of providing medical inspectors to carry out medical examinations of prospective entrants to the United Kingdom.

Some other costs associated with medical inspection were met by the Department of Health, up to and including 2002–03, as shown in the table. From 2003–04, the budget from which these costs are met has passed to the Health Protection Agency.

A Cabinet Office review is considering the issue of imported infections and immigration, including health screening. We will consider when this review is completed whether any changes are needed to funding arrangements in support of medical inspection.

£
Port Who is reimbursed Total for

2002–03

What is reimbursed
Heathrow London borough of

Hillingdon

2,005,768 Rent and

administration

costs, including

clerical staff

Gatwick Crawley borough

council

753,597 Rent and

administration

costs, including

clerical staff

Stansted Uttlesford district

council

81,004 Rent and

administration

costs, including

clerical staff

Manchester Manchester City

council

49,528 Rent and

administration

costs, including

clerical staff

Dover Maidstone Weald

PCT (meeting

expenses previously

met by the local

authority)

35,195 Administration

costs, including

clerical staff

Waterloo Home Office 5,745 Rent and utilities
Hull and Goole Hull and Goole

Port health

authority

4,888 Rent and utilities
Newhaven Brighton and Hove

City primary care

trust (meeting

expenses previously

met by the local

authority)

1,340 Rent and utilities

Mr. Randall

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how port health responsibilities are reflected in the funding formula for primary care trusts; [156840]

(2) whether primary care trusts hosting ports were subject to the same level of top slice as other primary care trusts when the Health Protection Agency was first established. [156849]

Miss Melanie Johnson

Revenue funding is allocated to primary care trusts (PCTs) on the basis of a weighted capitation formula which is used to calculate PCTs' target shares of available resources based on population size, age distribution and additional need and the cost of providing services. The formula does not take into consideration specific responsibilities such as port health. An explanation of resource allocation is in the booklet, "Resource allocation: weighted capitation formula". Copies of this booklet are available in the Library.

The 2003–04 baselines for all PCTs were adjusted to take account of functions to be transferred to the Health Protection Agency, before the allocations were made for that year.

Mr. Randall

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost in 2003–04 to the Hillingdon Primary Care Trust is for(a) employing staff at the Health Control Unit at Heathrow and (b) other added burdens created by the airport; and what additional central moneys are provided to cover these costs. [156842]

Miss Melanie Johnson

Hillingdon primary care trust estimates the cost of employing the clinical staff at Heathrow airport Health Control Unit at around £750,000 in 2003–04. It is not possible to disaggregate accurately other coats associated with the airport. No additional central moneys are provided to cover these costs.

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