To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department’s Pacesetters programme is estimated to cost; how many staff of his Department are engaged on it; how long (a) Wave 1 and (b) Wave 2 is expected to last; and what assessment of the costs and benefits of the programme have been carried out. (268910)

The total cost of the Pacesetter programme for 2008-09 was approximately £2 million, including an allocation of some £200,000 for each of the six participating strategic health authority (SHAs) (slight variations occur between SHAs). There are four departmental staff engaged on the programme, supported by a number of national health service secondees.

By mid-2007, 18 trusts from six SHA areas had signed up to wave 1 of the programme. Each participating trust in wave 1 has up to three years of funding allocated dependent on when they joined the programme. A further 16 trusts from six SHA areas were recruited to wave 2 in October 2008. Each participating trust in wave 2 has up to two years of funding allocated.

The equality impact assessment of the Pacesetters Programme was issued for consultation on 17 March 2009. It spells out the anticipated outcomes of and the potential challenges facing Pacesetters. Where challenges are identified, action plans to address or mitigate them are presented.