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NHS hospitals activity, in Oldham, Greater Manchester and in rest
of England
In-patients treated |1979 |<1>1987-88 |Percentage change
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oldham |23,542 |30,707 |30.4
Greater Manchester |350,892 |444,237 |26.6
Rest of England |5,049,228 |6,175,117 |22.3
Out patients attendences (total)
Oldham |140,972 |158,079 |12.1
Greater Manchester |2,363,459 |2,602,003 |10.1
Rest of England |31,736,266 |34,148,210 |7.6
Day cases |1986
Oldham |2,085 |3,612 |73.2
Greater Manchester |45,283 |83,009 |83.3
Rest of England |546,778 |967,149 |76.9
<1> Patients attending out-patient clinics soley for attention of a minor nature and not seen by a doctor, eg.
to have a dressing changed, are no longer counted. Prior to 1987-88 new outpatient attendances were first
attendances at an individual hospital for a continuous series of treatments, but are now first attendances
within the district when the attendance has not been initiated by the consultant or one of his staff.
Day case figures for 1987-88 are not yet available. 1986 day case figures are given in the table.
Radiographers
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cancer patients attending Cookridge hospital are not receiving treatment as a result of the recent shortage of radiographers.
Mrs. Currie : None. I understand that some treatments recently had to be rescheduled, because of equipment malfunction. The hon. Member may wish to contact the Leeds western health authority for a full explanation.
Hospital Services (Epping)
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has on the alternative arrangements to be put into effect to provide National Health Service hospital services for patients in Epping in the event of services being reduced at St. Margaret's hospital.
Mrs. Currie : We announced approval in principle in May this year for a £30 million scheme for the Princess
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Alexandra hospital, Harlow, to develop it as the district general hospital for West Essex and enable improved facilities to be provided for the population of the district, including patients in Epping. The centralisation of acute facilities from the Herts and Essex hospital, Bishops Stortford, and St. Margaret's hospital, Epping, to the Princess Alexandra has been accepted by the local community health council. Services remaining at St. Margaret's, after the redevelopment is complete, will include beds and a day hospital for the elderly and the elderly mentally ill, out-patient clinics and a breast screening unit.Preventive Medicine
Ms. Quin : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is considering to promote preventive medicine.
Mrs. Currie : We recognise the essential role that preventive medicine has to play in improving people's health. A wide range of preventive activity including vaccination and immunisation, health screening, health education, genetic counselling and medical research is already taking place.
We consider that prevention is not simply a question of medicine but of lifestyle. In the coming months we will be launching the next phase of the national heart disease prevention campaign "Look After Your Heart", and we will be playing an active part in next year's "Europe Against Cancer" initiative. Following the successful launch of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine last October we hope to achieve target uptake of 90 per cent. In June we are planning a conference on the health of elderly people entitled "The Time Of Your Life". We expect to receive advice in the first part of next year from the standing medical advisory committee on the
cost-effectiveness of cholesterol screening.
Implementation of health authorities' plans for prevention will continue to be monitored through the ministerial review process to ensure they are effective, well-organised and reflect the pattern of preventable disease in the country.
Babies
Sir Bernard Braine : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the recommendation that all babies should be fully examined within 24 hours of birth made in the third report from the maternity services advisory committee has yet been implemented.
Mrs. Currie : Yes, as far as we are aware. All babies are given a physical examination by the midwife attending the birth. We have no details at the moment on the examinations carried out by the doctor. It is however, the responsibility of the local health authorities through the maternity services liaison committees to ensure that recommendation A.16 is implemented.
Child Health
Sir Bernard Braine : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to receive the report of the joint working party on child health surveillance.
Mrs. Currie : I understand that the report of the independent joint working party on child health
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surveillance, "Health for All Children", is due to be published by the end of February 1989 and I expect to receive a copy at that time.Asset Registers
Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will compile asset registers of land owned by the National Health Service.
Mrs. Currie : We do. Registers are compiled by district valuers and are kept at the Department. We also require health authorities to keep similar records including open market value and existing use value.
Mercury (Fish)
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has as to the acceptable level of mercury in fish beyond which they become unfit for human consumption.
Mrs. Currie [pursuant to her reply, 29 November 1988, c. 198] : The provisional tolerable weekly intake of mercury should have been given as 0.3 mg per week of which no more than 0.2 mg should be organic mercury.
TRANSPORT
Roads
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much he has budgeted for motorway and trunk road renewal in each of the three years 1989-90, 1990-91 and 1991-92.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : The public expenditure provision for renewal of motorways and other trunk roads for the years in question is :
Year |£ million ------------------------------ 1989-90 |240 1990-91 |249 1991-92 |253
In addition the provision for the renewal and strengthening of bridges associated with those roads is :
Year |£ million ------------------------------ 1989-90 |101 1990-91 |103 1991-92 |101
Disabled Persons (Staff)
Mr. Sean Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of his Department's staff are classed as disabled.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : As at 1 December 1988, the percentage of staff classed as disabled was 3.40 per cent. including 1.27 per cent. registered disabled persons.
Coach Drivers
Mr. Adley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the role of his Department's
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officials in assisting the Kent police to apprehend 41 coach drivers travelling from France, most of whose vehicles were overladen with excess beer, wines and spirits ; if he will bring this behaviour to the attention of the relevant licensing authority ; if he will take steps to reduce to 50 mph the speed limit on coaches ; and if he will restrict coaches to the inside two lanes of three-lane motorways in order to reduce intimidatory driving.Mr. Peter Bottomley : The check on coaches which took place between the hours of 1800 to midnight on Saturday 3 December was organised by the Department's traffic examiners in conjunction with the Kent police. Traffic examiners weighed all the coaches stopped and directed by the police to the A2 Boughton weighbridge site near Canterbury. Documents including tachograph charts were also checked. The Department's vehicle examiners also attended to carry out safety and mechanical checks on the coaches. Appropriate prosecution action will be taken in the name of the South Eastern Traffic Commissioner against bus operators and drivers who were found to be in contravention of the law.
We have no plans to reduce coach speed limits or to restrict coaches to the two left-hand lanes of three-lane motorways. Regulations require British coaches to be fitted with road speed limiters. These limiters will physically limit coach speeds to the legal maximum of 70 mph. The fitment programme will be phased over the next few years.
Many millions of motorway miles are already travelled safely by coaches.
Hammersmith Broadway
Mr. Soley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has made any assessment of the implications for traffic management in London of the re-development of Hammersmith broadway.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : No. The London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham is both the highway authority and the planning authority for the Hammersmith broadway redevelopment.
Mr. Soley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has made any assessment of the implications for access for emergency service vehicles to the Hammersmith transport interchange of the proposed development of Hammersmith broadway.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : The borough is both planning and highway authority. I understand that the London fire brigade has been involved in discussions about access for emergency service vehicles with the developers and the London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.
Designs for the underground station will be submitted for approval to the railways inspectorate, which will consult the London fire brigade before making recommendations to me.
Accidents (Heavy Goods Vehicles)
Mr. Mullin : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people were killed in accidents involving heavy goods vehicles for each year between 1979 and 1987.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : The table shows the number of fatalities in accidents involving heavy goods vehicles in Great Britain between 1979 and 1987.
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Fatalities in
accidents involving
heavy goods vehicles:
Great Britain:
1977-1987
|Number
---------------------
1979 |1,063
1980 |859
1981 |851
1982 |875
1983 |811
1984 |876
1985 |811
1986 |908
1987 |910
These numbers have to be associated with distance travelled to establish the trend in the casualty rate.
London Assessment Studies
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many houses would be demolished and how much expenditure would be involved if he decided to proceed with the schemes contained in option 10 of the south London assessment study, option 5 of the east London assessment study, option 3 a-- of the west London assessment study and option E of the south circular assessment study as a package.
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Mr. Peter Bottomley [holding answer 8 December 1988] : Information on the effects of the preliminary options is contained in the consultants working papers, copies of which have been placed in the Library. The options now being developed are aimed at improving conditions within each study area. It would not be appropriate to package them in the way suggested.
SCOTLAND
Pupils (Intellect)
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the total number of pupils in each region and division whose intellectual functioning has been defined as (a) normal or above normal, (b) moderately impaired, (c) severely impaired or (d) profoundly impaired.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The range of intellectual functioning of pupils in local authority special schools and departments at September 1987 is set out in the table. Information on pupils in other schools is not available.
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|Normal or Above |Moderate Impairment|Severe Impairment |Profound Impairment|Total
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Borders |10 |130 |30 |- |180
Central |20 |240 |60 |60 |380
Dumfries/Galloway |50 |50 |40 |20 |160
Fife |150 |320 |120 |40 |630
Grampian |130 |550 |210 |110 |1,000
Highland |10 |270 |90 |40 |400
Lothian |430 |760 |240 |110 |1,550
Strathclyde |860 |2,170 |680 |490 |4,200
Tayside |50 |300 |80 |50 |480
Orkney |- |- |- |- |10
Shetland |- |- |- |10 |10
Western Isles |- |20 |10 |- |30
All Scotland |1,710 |4,810 |1,570 |930 |9,020
Argyll and Bute |10 |50 |20 |10 |90
Ayr |30 |300 |70 |90 |490
Dunbarton |40 |250 |90 |80 |450
Glasgow (City) |580 |870 |190 |150 |1,790
Lanark |130 |440 |200 |80 |840
Renfrew |80 |270 |110 |90 |550
Fish Farms
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will indicate what forms of assessment of the effects of predation by birds and seals at marine fish farms are taking place ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : In-house and externally commissioned research is in progress at present. The need for further research will be considered in the light of results from current studies.
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland under what circumstances the killing of predatory birds by marine fish farmers is sanctioned by him ; if he is in a position to indicate the number and species of birds so killed in each of the past five years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : No licences have been granted to permit marine fish farmers to shoot predatory birds in coastal waters.
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Seal Conservation
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what use he has made of his powers, under the Conservation of Seals Act 1970, to grant to marine fish farmers licences for the shooting of seals ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : My right hon. and learned Friend has granted licences to marine fish farmers only under section 10(1)(c)(i) of the Conservation of Seals Act 1970 for the prevention of damage to fisheries.
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland with which interested parties he consults before issuing, under the Conservation of Seals Act 1970, licences to kill seals ; how many of these licences have been issued in each of the past 17 years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : My right hon. and learned Friend consults the Natural Environment Research Council on his policy regarding the granting of licences to shoot seals.
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I regret that information relating to the numbers of licences issued in each of the past 17 years is not available.Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he has any plans to introduce legislation to exempt fishermen and marine fish farmers under section 9 of the Conservation of Seals Act 1970, from the prohibition order, issued under section 3 of the aforesaid Act, which outlaws the killing, injuring or taking of common seals around the coast- line ; and if he will make a statement ; (2) if he has any plans to seek to amend the Conservation of Seals act 1970, in terms of the current licensing system and other matters relating to the indentification of the periods of protection, afforded at different times of the year to the grey seal and the common seal ; and if he will make a statement ;
(3) if he has plans to seek to extend section 9 of the Conservation of Seals Act 1970, so as to cover marine fish-farm cages ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : My right hon. and learned Friend has no present plans to amend the Conservation of Seals Act 1970.
Pesticides
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any proposals to prohibit the use of the pesticides Dieldrin and Aldrin ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : On 1 August 1988 the Ministers responsible for matters relating to the control of pesticides announced their decision to revoke all remaining
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approvals for the use of products containing Dieldrin by 30 March 1989 and for the use of products containing Aldrin by 31 December 1992.Forestry Commission
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the value of land sold by the Forestry Commission in each year since 1981.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Receipts from the disposal of land and property since 1981 have been as follows :
Year to 31 March |£ million --------------------------------------------------- 1982 |6.9 1983 |13.8 1984 |23.6 1985 |22.1 1986 |17.0 1987 |14.7 1988 |12.9
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion, by area and percentage, respectively, of the land sold by the Forestry Commission in each year since 1981, was (a) under plantations, (b) other woodland, (c) to be planted, (d) agricultural and grazing and (e) unplantable.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The areas of land sold by the Forestry Commission since 1981 which were under plantations or were to be planted, and the percentages of the total land sales represented by these two categories, were as follows :
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Plantations To be planted
Year to 31 March |Area (hectares) |Percentage of total land|Area (hectares) |Percentage of total land
|sales |sales
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1982 |1,821 |17.5 |526 |5.0
1983 |5,490 |45.3 |1,142 |9.4
1984 |15,363 |34.5 |1,144 |2.6
1985 |13,889 |48.1 |2,183 |7.6
1986 |7,291 |44.0 |1,023 |6.2
1987 |5,518 |50.4 |668 |6.1
1988 |5,361 |60.0 |1,026 |11.5
Composite records of sales of other woodland, agricultural and grazing land, and unplantable land are not held centrally, and the information asked for could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the areas of land, offered for sale by the Forestry Commission since 1981, which have been bought by (a) conservation bodies and (b) public bodies ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Comprehensive records of purchasers of land from the Forestry Commission are not held centrally, and the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Pacemakers
Mr. Allan Stewart : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any further information on the alleged shortfall of pacemakers from Greater Glasgow health board ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Michael Forsyth : Further investigation has shown that all the pacemakers for which the board was previously unable to account have been implanted in NHS patients. I regret that the hon. Member for Strathkelvin and Bearsden (Mr. Galbraith) has chosen to suggest that there might have been any impropriety in their use, and hope that he will apologise to the staff and members of Greater Glasgow health board.
ENERGY
Plutonium
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy why the figure for the amount of plutonium produced by British civil nuclear power stations for the year ended 31 March was rounded up to the nearest 50 kg ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Michael Spicer : The figures have to be rounded to take account of the fact that the plutonium content of irradiated fuel elements is calculated.
Electricity Generation
Mr. Barron : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many applications he has received for a licence for new independent power stations ; and if he will list the sites, size in mw and proposed base load fuel.
Mr. Michael Spicer : Under existing legislation, private generators do not require a licence from Government to build or operate an independent power station but they must obtain all the relevant local planning consents.
Mr. Blair : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the cost of one kilo watt hour unit of electricity generated by (a) coal, (b) oil, (c) gas and (d) nuclear power, respectively.
Mr. Michael Spicer : This is an operational matter for the Central Electricity Generating Board. I have asked the chairman to write to the hon. Member.
Mr. Blair : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what proportion of electricity generation depends upon nuclear power for each country within the European Community.
Mr. Michael Spicer : I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Devon, North (Mr. Speller) on 14 November 1988 at column 422.
Mr. Blair : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what proportion of the 13 GW extra generating capacity needed by year 2000, as outlined in his White Paper, "Privatising Electricity", he anticipates to be produced by nuclear power.
Mr. Michael Spicer : I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Cardiff, West (Mr. Morgan) on 11 May 1988 at column 112.
Mr. Blair : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he plans to stipulate a minimum or maximum length for contracts between former generating companies and area supply boards ; and whether such contracts are to be published.
Mr. Michael Spicer : The Government are seeking a range of contract periods to enable competition to develop. The terms of the contracts will be commercially confidential.
Mr. Blair : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how much generation, other than by National Power and Power Generation, he expects by the year 2000.
Mr. Michael Spicer : I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) on 7 December 1988 at column 193.
Gas
Mr. Frank Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether the twin advanced gas cooled reactor installations at Hartlepool and Heysham A are awaiting licensing consent from Her Majesty's nuclear installations inspectorate, before the operators are permitted to
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undertake refuelling operations whilst the reactors are on load ; whether, currently and since the commissioning of these reactors, each reactor has to be completely closed down for refuelling operations ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Michael Spicer : This is an operational matter for the CEGB. I have asked the chairman to write to the hon. Member.
Electricity Privatisation
Mr. Blair : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what is the anticipated dividend yield that will be paid to investors in the privatised electricity supply industry ;
(2) whether the Government have yet made any provisional estimate of the asset value of the electricity supply industry on privatisation.
Mr. Michael Spicer : It is premature to make any such estimates.
Mr. Blair : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the anticipated total staffing level of the office of the Director General of Electricity Supply.
Mr. Michael Spicer : The Electricity Bill currently before the House would provide for the appointment of a Director General of Electricity Supply, who would be supported by the staff of the office of electricity regulation (OFFER). We shall be consulting the Director General, as soon as he is identified, on the level of staffing of his office. We presently anticipate a need for a net increase of about 115 public sector posts. His staff will deal with consumer matters and meter examining as well as the regulation of the industry.
Mr. Blair : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his policy towards the European Commission's proposals to harmonise the methods used by energy authorities to calculate prices ; what effect the proposals will have on the privatisation of the electricity supply industry ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Spicer : The EC Commission has said that it will shortly be tabling proposals on the transparency of energy prices for major consumers of gas and electricity. These will be carefully considered by the Government.
Mr. Blair : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how the merit order system for power stations will work in the privatised electricity supply industry.
Mr. Michael Spicer : Stations will be despatched on the basis of prices bid to the National Grid company, so ensuring that demand is met from the cheapest stations while maintaining the stability of the transmission system.
Mr. Blair : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether, after electricity privatisation, one area board will be allowed to make a takeover bid for another area board.
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