Monday 22 March 2004

The Government support these aims and are grateful for the recommendations of the panel. However, one change to the panel's recommendations is necessary to ensure the strategy and its components are more coherently focussed and provide transparent direction for the future development of the regional strategy.

A key issue for the region is the treatment of priorities. The panel proposed a priority list of 15 schemes, made up of nine heavy rail, one light rail, two bus and three road schemes. While we view establishing regional priorities as a key element in a future RTS, we were unconvinced that the panel identified the most important regional priorities.

More specifically, the criteria used to identify priorities and the way in which the criteria were applied did not fully reflect the draft government guidance, which was published after the examination concluded. Furthermore, the application of the criteria was not transparent and resulted in a priority list that was largely focussed on a single mode and failed to identify affordability issues.

The process of comprehensively reviewing R PG9 has already begun. As part of this work the regional assembly (RA) is intent on improving the evidence base by developing a robust approach to prioritisation, an activity that I am particularly keen to see progress on.

I have today written to the RA with the proposed changes indicating areas where views are particularly sought from interested parties. There will now be a public consultation period on the proposed changes, which will end on 21 May.

Copies of the relevant documents are available in the Libraries of the House and have been provided for all of the region's MPs, MEPs and local authorities.

To deliver pay

To make 99.9 per cent of all pay payments by the due date (excluding late payments caused by events determined to be outside the control of the agency).

To keep the monthly error rate of accuracy for the volume of payments within 0.1 per cent.

To deliver pension services

To make 99 per cent of all pension payments (including new awards) by the due date. (excluding late payments caused by events determined to be outside the control of the agency).

To keep the monthly error rate of accuracy for the volume of payments within 0.1 per cent.

To support the delivery of joint personnel administration programme

Subject to main gate approval, joint personnel administration partnering agreement to be signed, by 30 September 2004 for the manufacture, roll-out and delivery.

To commence the roll-out of joint personnel administration core system for the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and Army by October 2005, May 2006 and October 2006 respectively.

To transform the agency to deliver the full potential of the joint personnel administration environment

To deliver joint personnel administration centre capability through six stages, commencing June 2004 Stage 1 and March 2005 Stage 2.

To deliver 100 per cent of key critical path milestones in agency transition plan.

To deliver a cost-effective change programme in accordance with departmental priorities

To deliver 96 per cent of major change to ensure individual development projects are delivered to specification and schedule.

To deliver 96 per cent of all minor change in accordance with joint change management team plans agreed by partner and customer.

To develop targets for implementation in 2005–06 that will measure the delivery of pay, pensions and personnel services against service level agreements

To achieve the agreed service levels of all performance assessment indicators (levels 4 and 5 of current contract Schedule 2) not already included in key targets 1 and 2.

To meet approved efficiency targets for the delivery of core services

To reduce the unit cost by 6 per cent in 2004–05 which will contribute to a 12 per cent reduction over a four-year period from 2002–03 for the delivery of core pay and personnel administration.

The prison population demonstrates high levels of morbidity, particularly in areas such as mental health and substance misuse. Historically, primary healthcare services to prisoners have been secured and delivered by the Prison Service independently of the NHS.

A formal partnership between the Prison Service and the NHS was launched in 2000 to modernise health services for prisoners. In 2002, the Government announced their intention to move this partnership on to a new phase, with the Department of Heath assuming overall financial responsibility for these services from April 2003 and the transfer of full commissioning responsibility for prison health services to NHS PCTs by April 2006. A development network of prisons and PCTs was established to provide a testbed for this transfer at operational level.

We are today announcing the NHS primary care trusts that will assume responsibility for commissioning primary healthcare services in their local prisons from April 2004. This is the initial phase of transfer of responsibility and involves 22 PCTs which have prisons within their boundaries. Of these 22, four have delegated commissioning responsibility to neighbouring PCTs, giving 18 PCTs the lead for local prison health partnerships.

Covering 34 prisons across England, the 18 lead primary care trusts have demonstrated a clear understanding of the health needs of their local prison populations and have, in partnership with the prisons themselves, developed robust plans to improve health services for those populations. Funding for primary health services that was previously allocated through the Prison Service will be transferred to the relevant primary care trusts from April 2004. Funding for NHS secondary care services provided to prisoners is already within the financial baselines of PCTs. Investment in health services for prisoners is set to increase by over £40 million a year over the three-year period to March 2006. Responsibility for commissioning health services in all publicly run prisons in England will transfer to local primary care trusts by 1 Apri 1 2006.

The 18 partnerships where commissioning responsibility will transfer from 1 April are: