HC Deb 28 November 2002 vol 395 cc50-2WS
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Mr. John Hutton)

On 13 June 2002, my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath) announced a joint Ministerial review of education, training and research in the National Health Service in order to ensure that new management structures are working effectively, and committed the Government to announcing the terms of reference for this review before the end of the year.

My noble Friend Lord Hunt, my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Lifelong Learning and Higher Education, Department for Education and Skills (Mrs Hodge), Ms Jane Hutt, Minister for Health and Social Services at the National Assembly for Wales and I have agreed the terms of reference. Prominent among the issues that led to the announcement of the review was that primary care trusts (PCTs) in their effort to deliver improved local patient care also focussed on education and research. The terms of reference directly tackle this concern and are, in the light of the National Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions Act 2002, to: review the role of PCTs in ensuring the right balance is struck between care for NHS patients, learning and research; consider the responsibilities of PCTs in supporting research and learning across all health care professions in the NHS and identify those responsibilities that are proving difficult to achieve; report to Ministers by December 2003, including any recommendations for action that may be required to enable PCTs to discharge their responsibilities more effectively; and advise how the findings might inform the process of implementing local health boards in Wales and the Welsh Assembly's strategy on continuing professional development.

In line with commitments already given by my noble Friend Lord Hunt, the review will: be carried out jointly by the Department of Health, Department for Education and Skills and the National Assembly for Wales; be overseen by Ministers from each Department; cover the full range of healthcare professions, including but not limited to doctors;

Resources Change New DEL Of which voted Non-voted Capital Change New DEL Of which voted £'000 Non-voted
Department of Health DEL 734,761 53,992,685 54,245,237 -252,552 -149,547 2,348,945 109,765 2,239,180
Food Standards Agency DEL 16,950 133,988 133,988 0 0 637 637 0
Total DH/ FSA Group DEL 751,711 54,126,673 54,379,225 -252,552 -149,547 2,349,582 110,402 2,239,180

The change in the resource element of the DEL for the Department of Health arises from: the take up of end year flexibility £404,844,000 for health authority and central allocations as set out in Table 6 of the public expenditure 2001–02 provisional outturn White Paper Cm 5574 published in July 2002; a change in the level of National Health Service trust depreciation £184,000,000; a net transfer from the Home Office of £3,900,000 comprising £1,824,000 for match funded social care projects, £938,000 community projects relating to assessment and treatment of people with severe personality disorder, £673,000 for a contribution towards the Victoria Climbie Inquiry, £450,000 for Broadmoor hospital pilot ward, £30,000 for a survey of smoking, drinking and drug use in young people, offset by £15,000 for a grant to Mediation UK to recruit volunteer service managers; from the Scottish Executive £385,000 for a contribution towards the Nursing Midwives Council; from the Office for National report by December 2003, and provide an opportunity to consult widely, including with experts in the fields of health, education, and research.

The review will be overseen, on Ministers' behalf, by the newly formed strategic learning and research advisory group for health and social care which has been set up specifically to improve and oversee joint working at the interface between the health and social care and education sectors at central government level, and which the Permanent Secretaries of the Department of Health and the Department for Education and Skills jointly chair.