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Mr. Kenneth Clarke : Two cases of listeriosis in the United Kingdom have been associated with the consumption of soft cheese, one with cooked chicken and one with vegetable rennet.
Resources
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate for each English regional health authority the percentage resource difference from its resource allocation working party target in 1989-90 on the basis of the resource allocations presently outlined.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : The allocations for 1989-90 which I announced on 21 December 1988 allow every regional health authority to benefit from the additional resources available. These allocations were even handed and not based on the old RAWP method. As the White Paper published on 31 January makes clear, the Government now intend to move on from RAWP to a simpler and fairer system. Distances from target on the old basis are therefore no longer relevant and will no longer be produced by my Department.
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Haemoglobinopathy Services
Mr. Terry Davis : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many replies are still outstanding to his Department's questionnaire on haemoglobinopathy services from the district health authorities canvassed.
Mr. Freeman : Four replies to the questionnaire on screening and counselling for sickle cell and thalassaemic diseases are still outstanding.
Hepatitis B
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Caerphilly, 16 January, Official Report, columns 36-37, what is (a) the number of batches of the blood product factor 8 which have been discarded due to viral hepatitis B infection, (b) the dates on which such batches were discarded and (c) the percentage of overall production which the discarded batches represent.
Mr. Freeman : I am advised that since 1982 when the Central Blood Laboratories Authority was established, batches of factor 8 were discarded for this reason in 1983, 1984 and 1988. A total of 10 batches representing approximately 1 per cent. of batches produced were involved.
Listeriosis (Plymouth)
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients with listeriosis were treated in Plymouth hospitals during 1987 and 1988.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : We do not hold this information centrally. However, the information we have obtained from South Western regional health authority is as follows :
Number of patients with listeriosis treated in Plymouth hospitals Financial Year ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1986-87 |information not available 1987-88 |none 1988-89 |not yet available
Cook-chill Meals
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Wakefield, Official Report, 23 January, column 411, he will indicate the sources of the evidence presented to his Department's expert group which suggested that the cook- chill meals produced would be safe and microbiologically sound.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke [holding answer 30 January 1989] : The expert group which recently reviewed the existing guidelines considered published and unpublished papers on the microbiological safety of the system, including papers on low temperature pathogens.
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Wakefield, Official Report, 23 January, column 411, there was any evaluation of cook-chill catering in relation to possible dangers from listeria and other psychrotrophs undertaken by the Department of Health and Social Security between 1970 and 1980.
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Mr. Kenneth Clarke [holding answer 30 January 1989] : The expert group which produced the cook-chill catering guidelines between 1977 and 1980 did not evaluate possible dangers from listeria and other psychrotrophs. At that time there was, and there remains, no evidence to indicate that the recommendations in the guidelines would lead to problems from listeria monocytogenes or other pathogenic psychrotrophs.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has prepared draft regulations to cover cook-chill food at retailing outlets ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke [holding answer 31 January 1989] : I refer the hon. Member to my replies to the hon. Member for Wakefield (Mr. Hinchliffe) and my hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge (Mr. Shersby) on 23 January 1989 at columns 410-11 and 27 January at column 801 .
NORTHERN IRELAND
Nursing Staff
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many nursing staff at all levels are employed in the Mourne hospital, Kilkeel ; how many of these staff have been advised of their new grades under the clinical grading review ; and how many appeals have been received.
Mr. Needham : There are 37 nursing staff employed in the Mourne hospital, Kilkeel all of whom have been advised of their new grades. Twenty -six asked to have their grading reviewed under the informal review procedure and eight nursing staff who remained dissatisfied have invoked the formal grievance procedure.
Empty Properties
Mr. Gregory : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the most recent figure for empty local authority housing ; how many of these properties have been vacant for periods over six, 12 and 24 months, respectively ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Needham : Provision of public sector housing in Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. I am informed by its chief executive that at 31 December 1988 the information requested is :
|Number
------------------------------------------------
Total number of vacant properties |2,525
Vacant 6-12 months |335
Vacant over 12 months |1,072
Vacant over 24 months |n/a
The figures include properties which are not available for letting-- properties awaiting demolition, those used for decanting purposes and those awaiting improvement or repairs.
Alcohol-related Illness
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in the Greater Belfast area are estimated to be suffering from alcohol-related illnesses ; and what has been the trend during the past ten years.
Mr. Needham : The information is not available.
Bathing Water
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list all those beaches in Northern Ireland which failed to meet the European directive on bathing water quality standards in the last year for which data is available ; when it is planned for each of these beaches to meet these standards ; and what is the estimated cost in each case.
Mr. Needham ; Information on the quality of Northern Ireland's bathing water during the 1988 bathing season is at present being collated. I expect the results to be announced before the start of this year's bathing season. We have recently improved the sewage treatment facilities at Ballycastle, Co Antrim, at a cost of almost £1 million and are currently providing sewage treatment facilities at Newcastle, Co Down, at an estimated cost of £5 million. Further improvements will be considered if the 1988 results show that they are necessary.
Elderly People (Residential Care)
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of continuing care residential places are provided for the elderly (a) by local authorities, (b) by voluntary organisations and (c) by the private sector in each health board for (i) the year 1987 and (ii) the year 1988.
Mr. Needham : The information is not held centrally in exactly the form requested. At 31 December 1987, the latest date for which figures are available, the percentage of all available places for the elderly (including a small number of places designated for rehabilitation or respite care) in each of the health and social services board was as follows :
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|Eastern |Northern |Southern |Western |NI
Type |per cent.|per cent.|per cent.|per cent.|average
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Statutory<1> |55.6 |70.5 |73.9 |74.5 |64.1
Voluntary |28.9 |11.1 |16.0 |24.0 |22.4
Private |15.5 |18.4 |10.2 |1.5 |13.6
<1> In Northern Ireland local authorities have no responsibility for
statutory residential homes: these are provided by the four health and
social services boards.
Milk Quotas
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals he has to allocate milk quotas to those producers who had temporarily entered into Community schemes for the cessation of milk production at the time when the original milk quotas were established ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Viggers [holding answer 1 February 1989] : The Council of Agriculture Ministers has agreed measures to comply with the ruling of the European Court in the Mulder case. When the necessary Community legislation has been published, steps will be taken to implement the arrangements in the United Kingdom.
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WALES
Hospitals (Locum Services)
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much each health authority spent in 1988 on the fees paid to medical employment agencies for providing locum services for their hospitals ; and what was the highest, lowest and average hourly rate paid by each health authority.
Mr. Grist : Details of the hourly rates paid by Welsh health authorities for locum services are not collected centrally. The health authorities' annual accounts do not disaggregate expenditure on locum services within hospitals from overall expenditure on such services. During 1987-88 the total expenditure on medical locum services by each District Health Authority in Wales was as follows :
|£000
--------------------------------
Clwyd |198.8
East Dyfed |221.4
Gwent |0.7
Gwynedd |348.5
Mid Glamorgan |569.3
Pembrokeshire |392.7
Powys |4.5
South Glamorgan |1.9
West Glamorgan |221.6
|-------
Wales |1,959.4
Source: Health Authorities
Annual Accounts.
Building (Ceredigion)
Mr. Geraint Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he can make an estimate of the acreage of land available with planning consent for building homes in Ceredigion ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Grist : This information is not collected centrally.
Mr. Geraint Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what action is being taken in the current year to build nursery factories in Ceredigion ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : The Development Board for Rural Wales' factory construction programme for 1988-89 includes plans for the construction of four 1,500 sq. ft. units in Cardigan and six 750 sq. ft. units in Aberystwyth. The board has offered grant assistance to Ceredigion district council to provide a workshop of 1,500 sq. ft. in Cardigan.
Elderly People (Residential Care)
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of continuing care residential places are provided for the elderly (a) by local authorities, (b) by voluntary organisations and (c) by the private sector in each health authority for (i) the year 1987 and (ii) the year 1988.
Mr. Grist : The information requested is shown in the table :
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Percentage of total residential places in homes
for the elderly<1>
Local authVoluntary Private homes
|1987|1988|1987|1988|1987|1988
---------------------------------------------------
Clwyd |27.5|26.0|4.6 |4.2 |67.9|69.8
Dyfed |67.1|63.6|2.6 |2.5 |30.3|33.9
Gwent |74.5|67.3|- |- |25.5|32.7
Gwynedd |49.3|44.1|4.3 |5.4 |46.4|50.5
Mid Glamorgan |76.5|69.1|5.5 |5.0 |18.0|25.9
Powys |65.5|64.5|10.7|10.6|23.8|24.9
South Glamorgan |40.0|36.5|14.2|13.6|45.8|49.9
West Glamorgan |73.0|69.0|6.5 |7.1 |20.4|23.9
<1> As at 31 March.
Welsh Language Board
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to make a statement on the work of the Welsh Language Board.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : My right hon. Friend will respond to the Welsh Language Board's findings as they emerge.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the extent to which Mr. Edward Rea's membership of the Welsh Language Board is compatible with his current membership of and recent position as council member of the Economic League ; and if he will make a statement.
Sewage Treatment Works
Mrs. Ann Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for the Welsh Water Authority the
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number of sewage treatment works serving populations of less than 1,000 which are eligible to apply for consent variation, following his letters to the chairman of 21 November 1988, and the number which have applied.Mr. Grist : The Authority has not advised any intention to seek consent variations in respect of works of this size.
THE ARTS
Museum and Gallery Attendances
Mr. Faulds : To ask the Minister for the Arts, pursuant to his written answer to the hon. Member for Warley, East on 24 January, Official Report, column 486, which figures of museum and gallery attendances during 1988 in his answer were actual and which were estimated.
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Mr. Luce : The term "estimated" allows for a margin of error at those institutions where the number of visitors is counted manually. In such cases figures are usually regarded as being accurate to within 5 per cent.
Libraries
Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Minister for the Arts why his Department failed to include the Library Association in the organisations consulted about the European Community's proposed programme on "A European Space for the Book" which includes specific recommendations relating to libraries.
Mr. Luce [holding answer 31 January 1989] : No European Community proposals for "A European Space for the Book" have yet been put forward for discussion, although some preliminary ideas are in circulation, including those of the current Presidency of the Community. The Library Association will be among those organisations consulted if proposals are put forward with a library component.
NATIONAL FINANCE
Inflation
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are his estimates of future rates of inflation for (a) the next five and (b) the next 10 years ; and what assumptions were made in their calculation.
Mr. Lilley : The Treasury does not publish such forecasts.
Personal Borrowing
Sir Anthony Grant : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has as to what levels of personal borrowing are attributable to (a) bank credit cards, (b) store credit cards, (c) mortgages, (d) bank loans and (e) other forms of credit.
Mr. Lilley : The table is adapted from figures in table 9.3 of the January edition of Financial Statistics.
Outstanding Stock of Personal Sector Borrowing, September 1988
|£ billion |Percentage of total
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total |286 |100
of which:
Bank credit cards |6 |2
Non-bank credit, including store credit cards |7 |3
Mortgages |215 |75
Other bank loans<1> |57 |20
Other credit (with insurance
companies) |1 |-
<1> Includes some borrowing by unincorporated businesses.
Sir Anthony Grant : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has as to what percentage of bank credit card holders on average repay in full each month, for each year since 1984.
Mr. Lilley : Data are not collected centrally in the form requested.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Allen : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his practice when answering questions by
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reference to previous written answers which have been published in the Official Report to attach the answer so referred to.Mr. Norman Lamont : No ; to copy extracts from the Official Report for hon. Members would be an inappropriate use of resources.
Community Charge Tribunals
Mrs. Wise : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with whom he consulted before imposing a pay settlement, without negotiations, on staff of the new community charge tribunals.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : I have been asked to reply. The Department has not imposed a settlement. An offer increasing the pay of local valuation panel staff has been tabled, which the Society of Clerks and NALGO are considering.
ENVIRONMENT
Whitehall Car Services
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to ensure continued security of the Whitehall parcel delivery and self-drive car service subsequent on its contracting out.
Mr. Chope : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment will take whatever steps are necessary.
Waste Disposal
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to implement his Department's proposals to enable the site licensing authority to take into account the previous performance of an applicant for a waste disposal site licence.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Legislation will be introduced as soon as parliamentary time permits.
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report a full list of the waste disposal authorities in England, indicating those that have not yet completed theirwaste disposal plans and deposited them with his Department.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Following is a list of waste disposal authorities in England grouped according to the current status of their disposal plans :
England
January 1989
1. Completed plans
Bedfordshire
Buckinghamshire
Cambridgeshire
Cheshire
Cleveland
Derbyshire
Devon
Dorset
Durham
Gloucestershire
Hereford and Worcester
Hertfordshire
Humberside
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KentNorfolk
Northamptonshire
Northumberland
Somerset
Staffordshire
Surrey
West Sussex
Wiltshire
Warwickshire
Total plans : 23
Total authorities : 23
2. Plans prepared in draft and copied to the Department Avon
Cumbria
East Sussex
Isle of Wight
Lancashire
Merseyside WDA
North Yorkshire
Suffolk
Tyne and Wear WDJC
(Gateshead MDC
Newcastle upon Tyne MDC
North Tyneside MDC
South Tyneside MDC
Sunderland MDC)
Total plans : 9
Total authorities : 13
3. Uncompleted plans
a. County Councils
Berkshire
Cornwall
Essex
Hampshire
Leicestershire
Lincolnshire
Nottinghamshire
Oxfordshire
Shropshire
b. London Authorities
East London WA
North London WA
West London WA
Western Riverside WA
City of London
City of Westminster
LB of Tower Hamlets
South East London WDJC
(LB of Greenwich
LB of Lewisham
LB of Southwark)
LB of Bexley
South London WDJC
(LB of Bromley
LB of Croydon
LB of Kingston upon Thames
LB of Merton
LB of Sutton)
c. Other Authorities
Greater Manchester WDA
Wigan MDC
West Yorkshire WMJC
(Bradford MDC
Calderdale MDC
Kirklees MDC
Leeds MDC
Wakefield MDC)
Barnsley MDC
Doncaster MDC
Rotherham MDC
Sheffield MDC
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