To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the progress of (a) iSoft and the Lorenzo system, (b) Cerner and the Millennium system and (c) IDX and the Carecast system against the (i) development and (ii) implementation timetable of each; and if he will make a statement. (195799)

The development of Lorenzo software by iSOFT under a sub-contract to Computer Sciences Corporation has been regularly assessed by NHS Connecting for Health. It is understood that the development plans will enable the deployment of Release 1 of Lorenzo into early adopter sites in the North, Midlands and East Programme for information technology, formerly North West and West Midlands, North East and the East Midlands, in the summer. Release 2 of Lorenzo is due to be ready for deployment in the autumn.

The development of the Cerner Millennium software by Fujitsu in the South of England, where eight hospitals are using the Release 0 version of the software is the subject of a current contract reset. The development of Cerner Millennium software by BT in London has seen the deployment of Release 0 into two hospitals since July 2007 and a further deployment is now due. The next Release LC1 is due to be implemented in the summer.

Agreement on the software requirements and deployment plans became a responsibility of local national health service trusts from April 2007 to provide greater local ownership of the planning and deployment process. It is the responsibility of the local service providers to manage the delivery of the NHS Care Record Service to the contracted timetables and for the management of their sub-contractors and suppliers. NHS Connecting for Health routinely assesses progress against plans and manages the relationship and commercial arrangements with suppliers to ensure that NHS requirements are being met.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date deployment of 130 picture archiving and communications system was achieved; and if he will make a statement. (195830)

The final picture archiving and communications system (PACS) deployment as part of the national programme for information technology took place on 10 December 2007. This deployment, involving Leeds teaching hospitals trust, marked the completion of a three year process that saw 127 trusts across England receive PACS.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated of the impact on the NHS IT programme of the purchase of iSoft by IBA Healthcare, with particular reference to the (i) financial stability and (ii) cash conversion rate in recent healthcare projects of IBA Healthcare; and if he will make a statement. (195839)

It is the responsibility of the local service provider (LSP) with whom the national health service has entered into contract, to assure itself of the financial stability of its sub-contractors and suppliers, and to deliver the NHS Care Record Service solution in accordance with its contractual obligations. NHS Connecting for Health regularly monitors the performance of all information technology prime contractors, including LSPs and sub-contractors, for financial stability. Computer Science Corporation as the relevant LSP, has confirmed the financial stability of IBA Healthcare as its sub-contractor and that the purchase of iSoft by IBA has not adversely impacted on the delivery timescales for the Lorenzo solution to the NHS.