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National Insurance
Mr. Nicholas Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give figures showing the rates of insured persons' national insurance contributions and employers' national insurance contributions which would be necessary in (a) 1988-89 and (b) 1989-90 in order to maintain the level of finance of the National Insurance Fund in those years if the Treasury supplement were increased to its 1978-79 level as a proportion of all National Insurance Fund revenues.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : In 1978-79 the Treasury supplement was 18 per cent. of gross contributions. The table shows the main rates of class 1 contributions required in 1988-89 and 1989-90 to maintain the estimated level of income in the national insurance fund published in the Government Actuary's report (Cm. 537) on the uprating and rerating orders, if the Treasury supplement were 18 per cent. in both years :
|Insured person (primary)|Employer (secondary)
|Per cent. |Per cent.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1988-89 |8.00 |9.25
1989-90 |7.75 |9.00
Proportionate reductions in the class 1 lower band contribution rates and in contribution rates for the self-employed would also take place. The higher Treasury supplement would cost the taxpayer £5.25 billion in 1988-89 and £5.35 billion in 1989-90.
Durham Local Office
Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the total benefits and allowances payable to Mr. Swainston, 3 Hawthorn park, Brandon, Durham on completion of phasing-in of the recent social security changes.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I have written to the hon. Member.
Investigators
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many cases the special board and lodging control staff team that has recently visited the Doncaster area has investigated ; what were the results ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : A benefit fraud team is currently undertaking inquiries into board and lodging fraud in the Doncaster area and has so far investigated 184 cases. Fraud has been established in 36 cases.
Column 211
Expenditure
Mr. Kennedy : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the current overspend or underspend on budgeted totals for each of his Department's regional offices in Scotland ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The information requested is not available centrally. Overall, the manpower budget for all social security offices in Scotland in 1988-89 is £77,382,978 and the non-manpower budget is £14,014,711. As at 31 October 1988 the expenditure on these budgets was £45,707,913 and £6,014,237 respectively.
Housing Benefit
Mr. Kennedy : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the net reduction in total housing benefit payable within each district council authority area in Scotland as a result of the changes to the housing benefit system ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd As indicated in the reply given to the hon. Member for Livingston (Mr. Cook) on 14 November at column 446, the information available has been placed in the Library.
Column 212
Computerisation
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list by Department of Social Security office how many microcomputers are held by each office at the latest available date ; how many editions of software have been produced since the start of the social fund ; and how many serious errors in the software have been identified.
Mr. Peter Lloyd [holding answer 5 December 1988] : The number of microcomputers held by each local social security office is shown in the table. Since April 1988, there have been two further editions each of income support and social fund software and one further edition each of casepaper location and direct payments software. A number of errors, of varying degrees of seriousness, have been found in the social fund software, many of these have already been corrected and all outstanding serious errors will be rectified in a further release of the software later this month.
Column 211
Machines per office
Office |Income support |Direct payments |Case paper location |Social Fund D' |Social Fund F' |Social Fund G'
|configuration |configuration |configuration
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Region: London North
Acton ILO |5 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Aylesbury ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Banbury ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Barking ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Barnet ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Basildon ILO |6 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Bedford ILO |5 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Braintree ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Bury St. Edmunds ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Cambridge ILO |5 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Canning Town ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Chelmsford ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Clacton ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Colchester ILO |0 |0 |1 |1 |0 |0
Cricklewood ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Diss AO |1 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Dunstable ILO |3 |0 |0 |1 |0 |0
Ealing ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Edgware ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Edmonton ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Euston ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Finsbury Park ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Grays ILO |5 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Great Yarmouth ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Hackney ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Harlesden ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Harlow ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Hemel Hempstead ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Hendon ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Hertford ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
High Wycombe ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Highgate ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Hoxton ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Ilford ILO |5 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Ipswich ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Kings Lynn ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Leytonstone ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Lowestoft ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Luton ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Milton Keynes ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Neasden ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Norwich Chantry ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Norwich Mountergate ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Notting Hill ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Oxford AO |10 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Paddington ILO |5 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Peterborough ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Plaistow ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Poplar ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Romford ILO |0 |0 |0 |1 |0 |0
Shoreditch ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Southall ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Southend ILO |0 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
St. Albans ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Stepney AO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Stevenage ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Stoke Newington ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Thames North AO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Tottenham ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Uxbridge ILO |4 |1 |0 |1 |0 |0
Watford ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Walthamstow ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Wood Green ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Woodgrange Park ILO |3 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Region: London South
Aldershot ILO |5 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Andover ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Ashford ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Balham ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Basingstoke ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Battersea ILO |0 |0 |0 |0 |1 |0
Bexley ILO |4 |0 |0 |1 |0 |0
Bloomsbury ILO |0 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Bognor Regis ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Bracknell ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Brighton ILO |5 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Brixton ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Bromley ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Camberwell ILO |0 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Canterbury ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
City ILO |2 |1 |0 |1 |0 |0
Chatham ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Chelsea ILO |5 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Chichester ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Crawley ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Croydon ILO |5 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Crystal Palace ILO |0 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Dartford ILO |0 |0 |0 |1 |0 |0
Dover ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Eastbourne ILO |0 |1 |0 |1 |0 |0
Eltham ILO |0 |0 |0 |1 |0 |0
Epsom ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Fareham ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Folkstone ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Gravesend ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Greenwich Park ILO |3 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Hithergreen ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Guildford ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Hastings ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Havant ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Hounslow ILO |5 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Hove ILO |3 |0 |1 |1 |0 |0
Oval AO |0 |1 |0 |1 |0 |0
Kennington Park ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Kensington ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Kingston ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Lewes ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Lewisham ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
London South RNTU |4 |4 |4 |4 |1 |0
Maidstone ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Mitcham ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
New Forest ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Newbury ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Isle of Wight ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Orpington ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Peckham ILO |5 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Portsmouth North ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Portsmouth South ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Reading ILO |5 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Redhill ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Rochester AO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Sittingbourne ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Slough ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Southampton ILO |6 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Southwark ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Streatham ILO |5 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Surbiton AO |0 |0 |0 |1 |0 |0
Sutton AO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Thames South AO |0 |0 |1 |1 |0 |0
Thanet ILO |5 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Tunbridge Wells ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Twickenham ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Wandsworth ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Westminster ILO |0 |0 |0 |1 |0 |0
Wimbledon AO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Winchester ILO |3 |0 |1 |1 |0 |0
Woking ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Woolwich ILO |6 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Worthing ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Region: Midlands
Birmingham:
Bradford Street Ao |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Edgebaston ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Erdington ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Handsworth ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Ladywood ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Northfield ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Perry Barr ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Ravenhurst ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
South Yardley ILO |6 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Sparkhill ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Washwood Heath ILO |4 |1 |0 |0 |1 |0
Boston ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Burton-on-Trent ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Cannock ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Chesterfield ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Corby ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Coventry East ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Coventry West ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Derby:
Beckett Street ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Heritage Gate ILO |3 |0 |0 |1 |0 |0
London Road ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Dudley North ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Dudley South ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Grantham ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Hereford ILO |4 |1 |0 |1 |0 |0
Ilkeston ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Kidderminster ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Leamington |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Leicester:
Burley's Way ILO |3 |0 |0 |1 |0 |0
Lower Hill Street ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Norton Street ILO |4 |0 |0 |1 |0 |0
Yeoman Street ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Lichfield ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Lincoln:
Newland ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Orchard Street ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Loughborough ILO |5 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Mansfield ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Newcastle ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Northampton AO |6 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Nottingham:
Castlegate ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |0
David Lane ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Shakespeare Street ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Station Street ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Nuneaton ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Redditch ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Rugby ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Shrewsbury ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Skegness ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Smethwick ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Stafford ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Stoke North ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Stoke South ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Sutton-in-Ashfield ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Telford ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Walsall East ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Walsall West ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Wellingborough ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
West Bromwich ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Wolverhampton North ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Wolverhampton South ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Worcester ILO |5 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Worksop ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Region: North East
Ashington ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Barnsley East ILO |3 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Barnsley West ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Berwick upon Tweed ILO |1 |1 |0 |1 |0 |0
Bishop Auckland ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Blyth ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Bradford East ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Bradford South ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Bradford West ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Bridlington ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Castleford AO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Chester-le-Street ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Darlington ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Dewsbury ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Doncaster East ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Doncaster West ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Durham ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Eston ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Gateshead ILO |6 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Goole ILO |2 |0 |1 |1 |0 |0
Grimsby ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Halifax ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Harrogate ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Hartlepool ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Hemsworth ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Hexham ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Houghton-le-Spring ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Huddersfield ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Hull East ILO |6 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Hull West ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Jarrow AO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Keighley ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Leeds East ILO |6 |0 |1 |0 |1 |0
Leeds North ILO |5 |1 |0 |0 |1 |0
Leeds North West ILO |6 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Leeds South ILO |6 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Leeds West ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Middlesbrough ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
North East RNTU |4 |4 |4 |4 |1 |0
Newcastle East ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Newcastle St. James ILO |6 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Newcastle West ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
North Shields ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Northallerton ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Peterlee ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Pontefract ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Redcar ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Rotherham North ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Rotherham South ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Scarborough ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Scunthorpe ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Seaham ILO |1 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Sheffield North East ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |0 |1
Sheffield North West ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Sheffield South East ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Sheffield South West ILO |6 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Skipton ILO |1 |1 |0 |1 |0 |0
South Shields ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Stanley ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Stockton ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Sunderland North ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Sunderland South ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Wakefield ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Wallsend ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Wath on Dearne AO |1 |1 |0 |1 |0 |0
York ILO |5 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Region: North West
Accrington ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Ashton-under-Lyne ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Barrow-in-Furness ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Belle Vale ILO |3 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Birkenhead North ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Birkenhead South ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Blackburn ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Blackpool North ILO |5 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Blackpool South ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Bolton ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Bootle ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Breckfield ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Burnley ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Bury ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Buxton ILO |1 |1 |0 |1 |0 |0
Carlisle ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Chester ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Crewe ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Ellesmere port ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Farnworth ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Hyde ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Kendal ILO |2 |1 |0 |1 |0 |0
Lancaster ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Leigh ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Liverpool:
City ILO |3 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Crosby ILO |3 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Edge Hill ILO |3 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Garston ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Huyton ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Kirkby ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Norris Green AO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
West Derby AO |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
Macclesfield ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Manchester:
Central ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Cheetham ILO |3 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Chorlton ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Failsworth ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Longsight ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Middleton ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Openshaw ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Rusholme ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Sale ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Wythenshawe ILO |0 |0 |0 |0 |1 |0
Northwich ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Oldham ILO |5 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Penrith ILO |1 |1 |0 |1 |0 |0
Preston North ILO |4 |1 |0 |1 |0 |0
Preston South ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Rochdale ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Rossendale ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Salford North ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Salford South ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Skelmersdale ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Southport ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
St. Helens ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Stockport North ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Stockport South ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Toxteth ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Wallasey ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Warrington ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Whitehaven ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Widnes ILO |0 |0 |0 |0 |1 |0
Wigan ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Wilmslow ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Workington ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Region: Wales and South West
Aberdare ILO |2 |0 |0 |1 |0 |0
Abertillery ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Aberystwyth ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Ammanford ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Anglesey Holyhead ILO |2 |1 |1 |0 |0 |0
Anglesey Llangefni ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Bargoed ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Barnstaple ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Barry ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Bath ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Blackwood ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Bournemouth ILO |6 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Bridgend ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Bridgewater ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Bristol Central ILO |5 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Bristol East ILO |5 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Bristol Horfield ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Bristol South ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Bristol West ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Caernarfon ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Caerphilly ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Cardiff Central ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Cardif East ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Cardiff West ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Carmarthen ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Cheltenham ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Chippenham ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Colwyn Bay ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Cwmbran ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Deeside ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Devonport ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Dolgellau ILO |1 |1 |0 |1 |0 |0
Ebbw Vale ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Exeter ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Gloucester ILO |4 |1 |0 |1 |0 |0
Haverfordwest ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Launceston ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Llanelli ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Merthyr Tydfil ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Morriston ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Neath ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Newport ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Newton ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Pembroke Dock ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Penzance ILO |0 |0 |0 |1 |0 |0
Plymouth ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Pontypridd ILO |3 |2 |2 |2 |0 |0
Poole ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Port Talbot ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Porth ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Porthmadog ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Rhonnda West ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Rhyl ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Salisbury ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
St. Austell ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Stroud ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Swansea ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Swindon ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Taunton ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Torbay ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Trowbridge ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Truro ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Weston-Super-Mare ILO |4 |1 |0 |1 |0 |0
Weymouth ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Wrexham ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Yeovil ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Region: Scotland
Aberdeen North ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Aberdeen South ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Airdrie ILO |3 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Arbroath ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Ayr ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Bathgate ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Bellshill ILO |2 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Campbeltown ILO |1 |1 |0 |1 |0 |0
Clydebank ILO |2 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Coatbridge ILO |2 |1 |0 |0 |1 |0
Cowdenbeath ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Cumbernauld ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Dumbarton ILO |3 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Dumfries ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Dundee East ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Dundee West ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Dunfermline ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
East Kilbride ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Edinburgh City ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Edinburgh East ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Edinburgh North ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Edinburgh South ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Edinburgh West ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Elgin ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Falkirk ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Fort William ILO |1 |1 |0 |1 |0 |0
Galashiels ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Glasgow:
Anniesland ILO |3 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Bridgeton ILO |2 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
City ILO |3 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Craigton ILO |3 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Cranstonhill AO |0 |0 |1 |1 |0 |0
Laureston ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |0 |1
Maryhill ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Parkhead ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |0 |1
Partick AO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Provan ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |0 |1
Rutherglen ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |0 |1
Southside ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |0 |1
Springburn ILO |3 |1 |0 |0 |0 |1
Greenock ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Hamilton ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |0 |1
Inverness ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Irvine ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Johnstone ILO |3 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Kilmarnock |3 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Kirkaldy ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Kirkwall ILO |2 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
Lerwick ILO |1 |1 |0 |1 |0 |0
Leven ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Motherwell ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Oban ILO |1 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Paisley ILO |5 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Perth ILO |4 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Peterhead ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Port Glasgow ILO |2 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Rothesay OS |1 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
Stirling ILO |4 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0
Stornaway ILO |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Stranraer ILO |1 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
Wick ILO |1 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0
ENERGY
Electricity Supply (Voltage)
Mr. Speller : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will take steps to require the United Kingdom electricity supply industry to fall into line with the proposed EEC-EFTA voltage supply change to 230 volts.
Mr. Michael Spicer : A technical committee of the international electrotechnical commission, a non-governmental body with membership extending well beyond the member countries of the EC and EFTA, has for many years been discussing the standardisation of electricity supply voltages amongst its members, and it is expected that national committees will be asked to adopt a standard of 230 volts for use in national standard specifications, which in the United Kingdom are set by the
Column 224
British Standards Institute. However, the supply voltage in Great Britain is set at 240 volts by virtue of a statutory instrument rather than a British standard specification. The Government have no present plans to recommend to Parliament a change in the voltage of supply.Oil and Gas Platforms (Safety)
Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will list by subject matter the 57 prosecutions of companies for breaches of health and safety law on offshore oil and gas platforms referred to in the answer of 27 October, Official Report, column 316 ; and what fines were imposed for each of those which resulted in convictions.
Mr. Peter Morrison : A list of subject matter of the 57 prosecutions can only be obtained at disproportionate
Column 225
cost. However, a register of convictions of companies for breaches of health and safety legislation on offshore installations is held in my department and is available for inspection. If the hon. Member wishes I shall make arrangements for him to come and inspect it.AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Sheep Scab
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is investigating alternative measures of controlling sheep scab ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Donald Thompson : 1988 marks the end of a five-year programme of twice annual national dipping. During the course of this year officials have been examining the arrangements for dealing with sheep scab in 1989 and beyond. A wide range of options has been considered, from total deregulation to maintaining the present arrangements. Before a decision is taken we intend to consult representatives of the sheep industry and local authorities, who have a key role in enforcement. A consultation document inviting comments will be issued very shortly.
ading Polychlorinated Biphenyls Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps his Department is taking to reduce the high concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls in cod and whiting caught in Swansea bay
Mr. Donald Thompson : The national monitoring programme of fish in English and Welsh waters conducted by scientists from my Department shows that concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyl in our fish including cod and whiting from Swansea bay, are low.
Agriculture Council
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Agriculture Council in Brussels on 19 and 20 December 1988 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. MacGregor : With my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, I attended the meeting held on 19 and 20 December of the Council of Agricultural Ministers of the European Community, which was a continuation of the one held last week.
The Council continued to discuss a package of proposed measures dealing with the reform of the beef support arrangements ; changes in green rates in the beef sector ; a scheme of direct income aids to farmers ; aid for small cereals producers ; improvement of production and marketing of nuts ; and the question of allocating milk quotas to farmers who had gone out of production under the Community's non-marketing of milk schemes at the time quotas were introduced, following a recent European Court decision. Arrangements for the continued support of New Zealand butter over the next four years and proposed amendments to the agreements governing New Zealand's exports of sheepmeat to the Community has also been part of the package. Despite lengthy discussion, no agreement could be reached on any items in the package. The Council
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therefore, rolled forward until 5 March all those aspects of the beef arrangements which were due to end on 31 December, including the variable premium.The Council also rolled forward for three months the import arrangements for New Zealand butter, which would otherwise have expired on 31 December, the permitted quantity for this period being one quarter of the quantity for 1988. It is clear that this and all the other items under consideration at the Council will have to be taken up again in the new year.
Eggs
Sir Hal Miller : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has considered the introduction of a scheme to encourage egg producers to leave the industry or reduce the size of their flocks.
Mr. Ryder [holding answer 19 December 1988] : I refer my hon. Friend to the statement given yesterday by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Agriculture Fisheries and Food at columns 21-22 .
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish the results of tests by his Department's Microbiology Department on eggs produced by individual egg producers from England and Wales ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Ryder [holding answer 19 December 1988] : I can confirm that the microbiology laboratories of the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service have tested eggs for salmonella. Normal commercial practice requires ADAS to seek the specific agreement of its customers before disclosing the individual results of such tests, but representatives of the egg industry have agreed to the release of the information in the interests of informing the consumer. I can therefore report that to date ADAS has tested in excess of 4,000 eggs from approximately 150 producers. Salmonella species has not been detected in any of these eggs.
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total number of eggs exported over the last 12 months ; and if he will make a statement outlining the support mechanism and protection available to egg producers.
Mr. Ryder [holding answer 19 December 1988] : I refer the hon. Member to the statement that I made to the House on 19 December at columns 21-22 about the short-term measures to be introduced to help egg producers in the present critical period.
In the 12 months to October 1988, about 670,000 cases of eggs (each containing 360 eggs) were exported from the United Kingdom.
EMPLOYMENT
Labour Statistics
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment his Department has made of the role of the immobility of labour in perpetuating high levels of unemployment in many areas of the United Kingdom.
Mr. Lee : My Department has sponsored research into the links between unemployment, real wages and mobility
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of labour between regions. This research has been published. References are : Pissarides and Wadsworth : "Unemployment and the inter-regional mobility of labour" (CLE Discussion Paper No. 296) ; Jackman and Roper : "Structural Unemployment" (Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, February 1987).Unemployment has fallen by three quarters of a million since the last general election. It is falling in all regions of the country and has fallen furthest over the last year in the west midlands, the north west and Wales.
North-east Derbyshire
Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to create employment in north-east Derbyshire.
Mr. Cope : My Department operates a wide range of employment, enterprise and training measures, and offers services in support of small firms and tourism, which are all available in north-east Derbyshire as elsewhere.
During the 12 months to November 1988, unemployment in the Derbyshire, North-East constituency fell by 673--14 per cent. of the November 1987 figure.
ITB Pension Fund
Mr. Stern : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he expects to allow pensioners of the ITB pension fund's closed fund, to have their pensions paid into a building society account.
Mr. Nicholls : Approval for amending the ITB closed pension fund rules to allow pensions to be paid to approved building societies has recently been given. The pension fund's trustees were informed on 6 December 1988.
Piper Alpha
Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment which Health and Safety Executive inspectors were needed to assist with the investigation of the Piper Alpha incident ; what Health and Safety Executive scientific staff were involved ; and what planned preventative work was delayed.
Mr. Nicholls : Health and Safety Executive inspectors who assisted with the investigation of the Piper Alpha incident were three principal and two 1B inspectors from the factory inspectorate, and three superintending specialist inspectors from the technology division. The scientific staff involved comprised of a senior principal specialist from the research and laboratory services division. Planned preventive work delayed was mainly inspection visits by the factory inspectorate.
Construction Blitz
Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will list the number of enforcement notices and prosecutions undertaken by construction inspectors in the 12 months before the construction blitz, during the blitz and after the blitz.
Mr. Nicholls : The Health and Safety Executive's programme of blitzes on construction sites took place between 1 April 1987 and 30 September 1988. The number of prosecutions taken and enforcement notices issued
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against construction activities in the 12 months before the blitz, during the time the blitz was taking place and since the blitz ended is as follows :
\
Period |Prosecutions taken |Enforcement notices
|issued
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 April 1986-31 March 1987 |375 |1,063
1 April 1987-30 September 1988 |<1>448 |<1>4,521
1 October 1988-30 November 1988 |<1>8 |<1>141
<1>Provisional.
Note
These figures include action taken during each blitz as well as routine inspections of
construction activities.
Factory and Agriculture Inspectorates
Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what criteria are used by the factory and agriculture inspectorates in deciding which reportable injuries should be investigated.
Mr. Nicholls : When selecting reported accidents for investigation, inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive's factory and agricultural inspectorates consider the severity or potential severity of the injury, the gravity of any apparent breach of legislation, the need to give advice and guidance to the employer and the value of any information that would be obtained in preventing similar accidents.
Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many visits were made by the factory inspectorate specifically to investigate accidents and complaints in 1970, 1973, 1974 and 1980.
Mr. Nicholls : The information requested is not available. It is not possible to distinguish between visits paid by the factory inspectorate to investigate accidents and complaints and those paid for other reasons in the years specified.
Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many visits, other than in response to accidents and complaints, were made by the factory inspectorate in the years 1970, 1973, 1974 and 1980.
Mr. Nicholls : The information requested is not available. It is not possible to distinguish between visits paid by the factory inspectorate to investigate accidents and complaints and those paid for other reasons in the years specified.
Food and Environment Protection Act
Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how much time has been spent by Health and Safety Executive inspectors on the implementation of the Food and Environment Protection Act.
Mr. Nicholls : In the first year for which the Health and Safety Executive has been the enforcing authority, 1909.9 inspector days have been expended on work related to the Food and Environment Protection Act.
Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will place in the Library a copy of the guidance on the interpretation and enforcement of the Food and Environment Protection Act and its regulations that is issued to the agricultural inspectorate.
Column 229
Mr. Nicholls : No. The internal guidance is provided to assist HSE inspectors in their interpretation of the legislation and would be unsuitable for more general readers. A guidance note on the storage of pesticides and an introductory leaflet on the Act have been published and I have placed copies of these in the Library.
Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will list the work priorities which have been adjusted to accommodate Food and Environmental Protection Act work, referred to in his answer of 27 October, Official Report, column 385.
Mr. Nicholls : The only adjustments to the work priorities of the Health and Safety Executive's agricultural inspectorates to accommodate this work were an initial reduction in the number of planned inspections and a change in emphasis to concentrate more on pesticide aspects. However, the adoption of further efficiency measures did lead to an increase in the actual number of inspections undertaken during 1987-88.
Fire Precautions
Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will state the original target date for the completion of the inspection and certification of fire precautions at the United Kingdom's 1,500 most potentially dangerous work places.
Mr. Nicholls : The Fire Certificates (Special Premises) Regulations 1976 do not require the completion of inspection and certification work by any specific date and no original target date was set.
King's Cross Fire
Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of the Health and Safety Executive research budget the subsidy given by the Department of Transport for the scientific investigation into the causes of the King's Cross fire, represents.
Mr. Nicholls : The cost of the scientific investigation by the Health and Safety Executive was not subsidised by the Department of Transport. The whole cost was absorbed by the executive's research budget.
Accidents (Statistics)
Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will list the accident rates by company size for 1978, 1979, 1985, 1986, and 1987.
Mr. Nicholls : The only information analysed by the Health and Safety Executive on the relationship between accident rates and company size concerns employees in manufacturing establishments in 1985. This was published in Health and Safety Statistics 1984-85. I am arranging for a copy to be placed in the Library.
Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will state the proportion of accidents in the construction industry in 1978, 1979, 1980, 1986 and 1987 of employed and self-employed workers.
Mr. Nicholls : The relative percentages of employees and self- employed in the construction industry who were reported as receiving fatal or major injuries are set out in
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the table. For the self-employed working on their own, fatal injuries (and for 1985 and earlier years major injuries) are not reportable and are therefore excluded.
Fatal and major injuries in the construction industry (
SIC 80,
division 5) reported to all enforcement authorities,
including local
authorities
Percentage
|Employees |Self-employed
--------------------------------------------------------
1981 |97 |3
1982 |97 |3
1983 |97 |3
1984 |96 |4
1985 |95 |5
1986-87<1> |86 |14
1987-88<1> |85 |15
<1> Year commencing 1 April.
Notes:
(a) The definition of major injuries was introduced in
the Notification of Injuries and Dangerous Occurrences
Regulations 1980 (NADOR). The definition applies for
1981 to 1985. Subsequent figures are as defined in the
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous
Occurrences Regulations 1985 (RIDDOR). The definition
of a major injury is broader under RIDDOR than under
NADOR and thus figures for 1986-87 and 1987-88 are not
comparable with those for earlier years.
(b) Enforcing authorities responsible for enforcing the
NADOR and RIDDOR Regulations are the Health and Safety
Executive's factory and agricultural inspectorates and
local authorities.
(c) The relative percentages of injuries to employees
and self-employed will be affected by their relative
percentages in the workforce, also shown in the table,
by differences in the range of activities in which they
are engaged, and by differences in the propensity to
report injuries.
Nursing Advisers
Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many employment nursing advisers are employed by the Health and Safety Executive's medical division ; and how many posts are currently unfilled.
Mr. Nicholls : On 1 December 1988, 24 employment nursing advisers were employed in Health and Safety Executive's medical division and three full-time and four part-time posts were unfilled.
One successful candidate from a recent recruitment exercise has taken up an offer of employment, and offers to two further candidates will be made shortly. Further recruitment is planned.
Pesticides
Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how long he estimates it will take for the Health and Safety Executive to process the 300 outstanding applications for approval on non-agricultural pesticides under the Control of Pesticides Regulation 1986.
Mr. Nicholls : The executive aims to process all outstanding applications before the end of 1989.
Health and Safety Executive
Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many fixed work places he estimates are not registered with the Health and Safety Executive.
Mr. Nicholls : The Health and Safety Executive does not keep estimates of the number of unregistered fixed work places.
Column 231
Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many firms he expects will become aware of the Health and Safety Executive's leaflets "Don't Wait Until an Inspector Calls", "500 Dead", and "Essential For Small Firms" ; and how many firms will not be aware of these leaflets as they are not registered.
Mr. Nicholls : It is impossible to estimate how many firms will have seen those leaflets, although over a millon copies have been distributed since 1986. The leaflets were in part aimed at encouraging a higher level of registration, and the number of premises registered with Her Majesty's factory inspectorate has increased steadily for the last three years.
Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many Health and Safety Executive specialist inspectors are employed in each of the main specialist disciplines ; and how many vacancies there are in each of those disciplines.
Mr. Nicholls : The information required is as follows(1 December 1988 figures) :
Specialist disciplines |Number of specialist |Number of vacancies
|inspectors
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Explosives |13 |2
Construction engineering |20 |9
Mechanical engineering |54 |11
Chemical (including
biotechnology) |86 |9
Electrical engineering |22 |4
Following a recent recruitment exercise it is expected that 16 specialists will join HSE. A further exercise is under way.
HEALTH
Community Care
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will implement the proposal in the Griffiths report in respect of closing long- stay hospitals, that no one should be discharged without a clear package of care, and without someone acting as care manager ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : We are currently considering this and Sir Roy's other recommendations and will bring forward our own proposals in due course. General guidance on the development of community care services, including services for people discharged from long-stay hospitals, is already available in the planning guidelines circular HC(88)43.
North East Thames Health Authority
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will allocate additional resources to North East Thames regional health authority to deal with the consequences of having to treat patients at risk from the MRSA bacterium ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : It is for health authorities to decide how to meet, from within the funds available to them, the cost of infection control in hospitals from whatever source, and the care and treatment of those infected.
Column 232
Asbestosis
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what have been the numbers in each of the last five years of (a) men and (b) women found to be suffering from asbestosis or bilateral diffuse pleural thickening ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Mellor : Comprehensive information about the numbers of sufferers from these diseases is not collected centrally. The estimated number of in-patient cases treated in NHS hospitals with a main diagnosis of asbestosis is given in the table.
England 1981-85
|Males |Females
--------------------------------
1981 |110 |10
1982 |80 |20
1983 |140 |10
1984 |150 |30
1985 |100 |20
This information is based on a 10 per cent. sample of patient discharge records and because of the small numbers involved the results should be treated with caution. The annual report of the Health and Safety Executive in its tables of cases of occupational diseases awarded benefit includes figures on those suffering from asbestosis and bilateral pleural thickening. A copy of the report is in the Library of the House.
Action on Smoking and Health
Mr. Michael Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is the current balance between the public and private funding of Action on Smoking and Health ; and if he has any plans to encourage the organisation to increase its funding from private and voluntary sources ;
(2) what is the cost to public funds of Action on Smoking and Health in the current financial year ; and what grants he intends to make to it in 1989- 90 ;
(3) what evaluation of the effectiveness of his Department's grant to Action on Smoking and Health there has been since such grants were made available.
Mr. Freeman : We expect that the total cost to public funds of support for Action on Smoking and Health in 1988-89 will be £230,000 ; this amount being a grant from the Department of Health under section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968. Under a three-year agreement lasting until 1990-91 the section 64 grant in 1989-90 will be paid at the current level, with the possibility of an additional amount to reflect inflation, subject to the overall sum being a 1 per cent. reduction in real terms over the amount paid in 1988-89. The final grant level would be subject to agreement by Ministers. No other Government support is currently planned. We wish to see ASH becoming less reliant on Government funding and this has been the subject of discussions with the organisation. Following these discussions ASH has set targets for increased fund raising which will lead to a reduction in the proportion of its funding which it receives from Government sources. ASH has received Government funding since 1971 and has grown into an effective adjunct to successive Governments' campaigns against smoking. Over that period the prevalence of regular cigarette smoking by adults in the United Kingdom has falledn from 46 per cent.
Column 233
to 33 per cent. ASH's plans and achievements are reviewed yearly. It is currently expanding its activities in assisting employers design workplace smoking policies. This is an activity which the Government welcome and encourage. ASH has also developed an extremely useful database on smoking policy matters. I believe the Department gets very good value for the support it gives to ASH.
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