To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much (a) was spent in (i) 2007-08 and (ii) 2008-09 and (b) is planned to be spent in (A) 2009-10, (B) 2010-11 and (C) 2011-12 on the (1) recruitment processes, (2) better handling of complaints, (3) strengthening clinical governance, (4) information for monitoring, (5) boundary transgressions and special issues in mental health services, (6) revalidation of healthcare professionals, (7) the national clinical advisory group, (8) remediation and rehabilitation, (9) independent adjudication, (10) General Medical Council affiliates, (11) medical training and (12) language testing strand of the safeguarding patients and trust, assurance and safety policy. (287505)

For 2007 to present, recruitment processes, strengthening clinical governance, information for monitoring, boundary transgressions and special issues in mental health services and remediation and rehabilitation spending are matters for local determination and the information is not held centrally.

For better handling of complaints, the Department collects centrally the number of national health service complaints received, but does not collect data on the costs of handling those complaints.

The last year for which data are available (2007-08), show 87,080 complaints in Hospital and Community Health Services and 45,942 in general practice (including dental).

The approach to revalidation of Health Care professionals is still under development.

The following are amounts spent on preparatory work:

2007-08: £2,503,137

2008-09: £4,284,582

2009-10 (to end of august): £1,950,416.

The National Clinical Audit Advisory Group is an advisory body that prioritises spending on national clinical audits. Audits are funded by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP), which was established in 2008.

In 2008-09 HQIP received £6.3 million from the Department to support the management, development and promotion of clinical audit. The projected budget for this in 2009-10 is £7.0 million.

In respect of Independent adjudication the following are amounts spent on preparatory work for establishing the Office of the Health Professions Adjudicator:

2007-08: nil

2008-09: £109,171

2009-10 (to end of August): £114,271.

For General Medical Council Affiliates, the only expenditure so far is the funding of two pilots in London and Yorkshire and Humberside:

2007-08: £400,000

2008-09: £100,000

2009-10 (to end of August): £90,000.

In respect of medical training, there have been no significant costs or expenditure for the Department or the NHS arising from the White Paper recommendations.

For language, testing the policy position is still being clarified in light of European Union directives; therefore, there have been no costs or planned costs.

On future spending, the planned spending for 2010-11 has not yet been agreed and will be considered as part of the standard departmental business planning exercise.

As for 2011-2012, future years are subject to the next spending review, the timetable of which is not yet known.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the percentage change in (a) NHS real terms expenditure and (b) finished consultant episodes has been since 1997. (292249)

From 1997-98 to 2007-08 total real terms expenditure in the national health service increased by 90 per cent. (6 per cent. p.a.) and finished consultant episodes increased by 39 per cent. (3 per cent. p.a.).