Oral Answers to Questions

Heather Wheeler Excerpts

Tuesday 2nd November 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Lansley]

Perhaps I can remind the right hon. Gentleman that the major part of the reorganisation is to eliminate strategic health authorities and primary care trusts, to focus resources on the front line, to get them into the hands of those who are responsible for delivering care and, in the process, to deliver £1.9 billion a year of savings on administration costs.

[Heather Wheeler (South Derbyshire) (Con)]

12. What steps he is taking to prioritise funding for dementia research from his Department’s research budget.

[The Minister of State, Department of Health (Paul Burstow)]

Dementia is a terrible disease that devastates the lives of thousands of people in this country, and research is clearly key. The coalition programme signalled the Government’s intention to prioritise funding for dementia research. The spending review confirmed that and committed to real-terms increases in spending on health research.

[Heather Wheeler]

Will the Minister expand on the future funding of mental health trusts? We all know the statistic that one in four people suffers from mental health problems in their lifetime, and it is a great problem in South Derbyshire.

[Paul Burstow]

The hon. Lady is absolutely right that it is important that we are clear about that. Currently, funding for mental health services comes via primary care trusts, and from 2013-14 onwards allocations will be provided via GP commissioning consortiums.