To ask Her Majesty's Government how they are measuring progress on encouraging the use of the independent sector and contestability within the National Health Service. [HL4761]

The fundamental principle underpinning our policy is that commissioners should commission services from the providers which are best placed to deliver the needs of their patients and population regardless of whether they are National Health Service, voluntary sector or independent sector providers.¹

The information requested is not collected centrally.

Notes:

¹ The NHS in England: The operating framework for 2008/9 Annex D—Principles and rules for co-operation and competition.

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many contracts were let by the Department of Health or NHS bodies for the provision of primary or secondary care clinical services with a value of £250,000 or more to (a) private sector providers, and (b) social entrepreneurs, in each of financial years (1) 2005–06, (2) 2006–07, (3) 2007–08, and (4) 2008–09. [HL4762]

The department does not centrally collect information on contracts procured by local National Health Service service providers for primary or secondary care. The department can only provide information on contracts procured as part of central programmes led by the department's former commercial directorate or where it has provided commercial and procurement skills and support.

The following tables show the number of contracts that reached financial close in the financial years 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 for primary care and secondary care, which were awarded to independent sector (IS) and social enterprise and third sector (SE) providers

Notes:

While the department does not hold information on the value of contracts procured by primary care trusts as part of the equitable access in primary medical care programme, they are likely to have been over £250,000 in each case.