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Mr. Ian Stewart : The information provided with the rates demand note in Northern Ireland is in accordance with that prescribed by the Rates (Northern Ireland) Order 1977. The order, unlike the relevant legislation in Great Britain, does not require the provision of the information referred to on or with the rates demand note. This recognises the essential differences between the local government and rating systems in Northern Ireland and Great Britain, in particular the existence in Northern Ireland of a local district rate and an overall regional rate, both of which are collected together by the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland. I have no plans to change this legislation.
A free leaflet explaining how the regional rate is struck is available each year from local rating, social security or Housing Executive offices.
Census Questionnaire
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if Northern Ireland hon. Members will be given an opportunity to comment on the draft census questionnaire
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being formulated before it is published ; and if he will ensure that irrelevant questions are not included in the census document when published.Mr. Needham : The Government will prepare a draft census order and lay it before Parliament in accordance with the Census Act (Northern Ireland) 1969. The order will provide for the taking of a census of population in Northern Ireland in 1991, and among other things, will set out the particulars to be stated in the census returns. At a later stage, census regulations will make detailed provision for the conduct of the census and contain specimens of the forms to be used. All the questions asked will be relevant.
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if the draft census questionnaire includes a question about the respondent's knowledge of Irish ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Needham : The Government propose to include in the 1991 census of Northern Ireland a question of knowledge of Irish language in parallel with the language questions to be included in the censuses for Wales and Scotland.
Schools
Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information is available to increase the category A expenditure admitted for each of the voluntary grammar schools in Northern Ireland for the current school year and the last two school years.
Dr. Mawhinney : Grant on category A expenditure by each voluntary grammar school in any school year is directly related to the number of approved teaching posts in the school.
Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information is available to the Department of Education to indicate the level of funding to any given secondary school in Northern Ireland or the pattern of funding among those schools.
Dr. Mawhinney : As voluntary grammar schools are funded direct, the Department has detailed information about the level of funding to individual schools. In the case of other secondary schools non-teaching costs are funded by education and library boards and teaching costs by the Department of Education, but total funding levels to individual schools are at present not available centrally.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Pensioners (Income)
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy to collect statistically reliable estimates of pensioners' income.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : We believe that the statistics that we collect are reliable. I refer the hon. Member to an article published in the May 1987 issue of the Employment Gazette, a copy of which is in the Library, which sets out the statistical basis of the pensioners' income figures used by the Department. We will be publishing an updated version of that article in the near future.
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International Organisations
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list those international organisations on which his Department is represented and the total cost of these commitments.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The Department is an affiliated member of the International Social Security Association. The 1989 membership subscriptions will be approximately £112,000. In addition the Department participates in the work of all international organisations of which the United Kingdom is a member, whenever social security issues arise. It is impossible to apportion the overall United Kingdom contribution to each organisation between social security and other activities.
Deductions from Benefit
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he has given any advice to levying authorities about the legislative basis upon which they can make deductions from benefits if an individual fails to pay his or her poll tax ;
(2) what guidance has been sought by, and what advice he has given to, Strathclyde regional council on deduction of unpaid poll tax from those on welfare benefits.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : When community charges are introduced in Scotland, the Government's intention is to provide that, where a person on income support has failed to pay his community charge, and where the local authority has obtained a court order in respect of an amount of personal community charge that he is owing, the local authority may ask this Department to recover the amount specified in the order by deductions from his income support payments. The regulations that will provide for this are being prepared and will be laid before Parliament shortly. Advice will then be issued to local authorities, including Strathclyde regional council, on both the interpretation of the legislation and the operational aspects of the regulations.
Supplementary Benefit
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the numbers of 16 to 17-year-olds claiming supplementary benefit who had no parents or were estranged or living away from their parents, at each annual claimant count from 1980.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I regret that the information requested is not available.
Social Fund
Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how the needs of clothing and footwear for men and boys, and for women and girls, are estimated for purposes of the social fund.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Social fund officers consider each application on its merits when determining the extent of such awards.
One-parent Families
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many single parents received community
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care grants to assist them with rehousing after their marital relationship broke down in each of the years for which there are figures in (a) Scotland and (b) the United Kingdom.Mr. Peter Lloyd : I regret that the information is not available in the form requested.
Maternity Payments
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the average single payment for maternity needs in (a) Scotland and (b) the United Kingdom in the last year in which such payments were available.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Single payments for maternity needs were abolished in April 1987. The May 1987 annual statistical inquiry gives information relating to single payments made in Great Britain in the 12 months preceding the date of the inquiry. This shows that the average single payment for maternity needs in that year was £104.10. Information for Scotland could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Information for Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many single parents with dependent children were in receipt of (a) supplementary benefit in the last year in which it was available and (b) income support in each year it has been available for (i) Scotland and (ii) the United Kingdom.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The information requested is as follows :
|Great Britain|Scotland
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Supplementary benefit-lone
parents |659,000 |76,000
Income support-lone parents |684,010 |78,938
Note:
The figures supplied are for Great Britain. Information relating to
Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary
of State for Northern Ireland.
Source:
The annual statistical inquiry May 1987.
Income support quarterly statistical inquiry 31 May 1988.
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much community charge rebate a working single parent with two young children and a net income of £124.60 a week would qualify for.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Assuming that both children are under the age of 11 and that no members of the family are disabled, and also assuming an annual personal community charge of £280 a year (the average charge in Scotland, weighted by population), no rebate would be payable.
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much community charge rebate a single mother with two young children and in receipt of £64.75 income support a week would qualify for.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Anyone getting income support, however large or small the amount, will qualify for the maximum rebate of 80 per cent. of his or her personal community charge. An amount reflecting the estimated
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average 20 per cent. community charge liability which income support claimants will have to pay has been included in the levels of income support from 1 April 1989.Benefits (Cost)
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list for each social security benefit how much extra would be spent if all those entitled to claim that benefit, according to his Department's own estimates, did so.
Mr. Peter Lloyd [holding answer 16 January 1989] : No precise estimates of total unclaimed benefits can be provided and those figures which the Department does publish give no more than the broadest orders of magnitude. I refer the hon. Member to paragraphs 21 to 25 and table 15.17 on pages 272 to 273 of Cm. 288 (the 1988 public expenditure White Paper) for details of the latest
Column 630
available take-up estimates for the main income-related benefits. Take-up estimates for 1985 should be available shortly.HEALTH
Resources
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will state for each English regional health authority the value of resources available for service development in each year including the current year since 1983, expressed in cash terms, and as a percentage of total resources both including and excluding the effects of the cost improvement programme.
Mr. Mellor : The information requested is given in the table. Figures for 1988-89 are not yet available.
Column 629
Trends in actual current expenditure on hospital and community health service
|1982-83 |1983-84 |1984-85 |1985-86 |1986-87 |1987-88<1>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern
Net spending |(£ million)|518.3 |550.7 |583.0 |617.4 |661.8 |723.5
Charges |(£ million)|2.6 |3.3 |3.9 |2.7 |2.8 |2.9
Total spending |(£ million)|520.8 |554.0 |586.9 |620.1 |664.6 |726.4
Increase |(per cent.)|- |6.4 |5.9 |5.7 |7.2 |9.3
Inflation in service |(per cent.)|- |5.1 |5.8 |5.2 |6.9 |8.5
Change in purchasing power |(per cent.)|- |1.2 |0.1 |0.4 |0.3 |0.7
|(£ million)|(per cent.)|- |6.7 |0.7 |2.7 |1.7
Change in real terms |- |1.7 |0.8 |0.2 |3.7 |3.8
Cash releasing cost improvements
New |(£ million)|- |- |4.0 |5.2 |8.9 |9.1
Recurrent |(£ million)|- |- |4.0 |9.1 |17.4 |27.1
Increase-new cost improvements |(per cent.)|- |- |0.7 |0.9 |1.4 |1.3
Margin available for service development
in year |(per cent.)|- |1.2 |0.8 |1.3 |1.7 |2.0
|(£ million)|- |6.7 |4.8 |8.3 |11.1 |14.9
Yorkshire
Net spending |(£ million)|578.5 |613.6 |651.1 |694.3 |742.9 |811.8
Charges |(£ million)|4.9 |6.0 |6.5 |5.3 |5.2 |5.6
Total spending |(£ million)|583.4 |619.6 |657.6 |699.5 |748.1 |817.4
Increase |(per cent.)|- |6.2 |6.1 |6.4 |6.9 |9.3
Inflation in service |(per cent.)|- |5.1 |5.8 |5.2 |6.9 |8.5
Change in purchasing power |(per cent.)|- |1.0 |0.3 |1.1 |0.0 |0.7
|(£ million)|- |6.5 |2.1 |7.8 |0.3 |5.7
Change in real terms |(per cent.)|- |1.6 |1.0 |0.9 |3.5 |3.8
Cash releasing cost improvements
New |(£ million)|- |- |7.1 |10.0 |11.8 |10.5
Recurrent |(£ million)|- |- |7.1 |15.3 |28.1 |40.6
Increase-new cost improvements |(per cent.)|- |- |1.1 |1.5 |1.6 |1.3
Margin available for service development
in year |(per cent.)|- |1.0 |1.4 |2.6 |1.6 |2.0
|(£ million)|- |6.5 |9.3 |18.5 |12.3 |16.4
Trent
Net spending |(£ million)|691.7 |737.2 |789.8 |839.2 |910.1 |1,004.7
Charges |(£ million)|5.0 |5.2 |5.5 |4.0 |4.4 |4.7
Total spending |(£ million)|696.7 |742.4 |795.3 |843.2 |914.5 |1,009.4
Increase |(per cent.)|- |6.6 |7.1 |6.0 |8.5 |10.4
Inflation in service |(per cent.)|- |5.1 |5.8 |5.2 |6.9 |8.5
Change in purchasing power (per cent.) - 1.4 1.2 0.8 1.5
|(£ million)|- |10.3 |9.9 |6.6 |13.3 |17.5
Change in real terms |(per cent.)|- |1.9 |2.0 |0.6 |5.0 |4.8
Cash releasing cost improvements
New |(£ million)|- |- |8.0 |13.2 |12.1 |9.2
Recurrent |(£ million)|- |- |8.0 |20.9 |33.5 |44.9
Increase-new cost improvements |(per cent.)|- |- |1.0 |1.6 |1.3 |1.0
Margin available for service development
in year |(per cent.)|- |1.4 |2.3 |2.4 |2.8 |2.7
|(£ million)|- |10.3 |18.0 |20.2 |25.4 |27.7
East Anglian
Net spending |(£ million)|285.4 |308.4 |331.1 |354.9 |385.9 |427.1
Charges |(£ million)|3.6 |4.1 |4.2 |3.3 |3.5 |4.2
Total spending |(£ million)|289.0 |312.5 |335.3 |358.2 |389.4 |431.3
Increase |(per cent.)|- |8.1 |7.3 |6.8 |8.7 |10.8
Inflation in service |(per cent.)|- |5.1 |5.8 |5.2 |6.9 |8.5
Change in purchasing power |(per cent.)|- |2.9 |1.4 |1.6 |1.7 |2.1
|(£ million)|- |9.1 |4.8 |5.6 |6.6 |9.0
Change in real terms |(per cent.)|- |3.4 |2.1 |1.4 |5.2 |5.2
Cash releasing cost improvements
New |(£ million)|- |- |3.3 |2.9 |4.5 |4.0
Recurrent |(£ million)|- |- |3.3 |6.4 |11.2 |16.1
Increase-new cost improvements |(per cent.)|- |- |1.0 |0.8 |1.2 |0.9
Margin available for service development
in year |(per cent.)|- |2.9 |2.4 |2.4 |2.9 |3.0
|(£ million)|- |9.1 |8.2 |8.5 |11.3 |12.9
North West Thames
Net spending |(£ million)|624.6 |656.3 |691.6 |719.6 |769.2 |821.5
Charges |(£ million)|8.6 |9.1 |9.6 |9.2 |8.6 |11.3
Total spending |(£ million)|633.2 |665.4 |701.2 |728.8 |777.8 |832.8
Increase |(per cent.)|- |5.1 |5.4 |3.9 |6.7 |7.1
Inflation in service |(per cent.)|- |5.1 |5.8 |5.2 |6.9 |8.5
Change in purchasing power |(per cent.)|- |0.0 |-0.4 |-1.2 |-0.2 |-1.3
|(£ million)|- |-0.1 |-2.8 |-8.7 |-1.4 |-10.9
Change in real terms |(per cent.)|- |0.5 |0.3 |-1.4 |3.3 |1.7
Cash releasing cost improvements
New |(£ million)|- |- |10.6 |14.4 |15.8 |13.8
Recurrent |(£ million)|- |- |10.6 |24.2 |39.8 |56.2
Increase-new cost improvements |(per cent.)|- |- |1.5 |1.9 |2.1 |1.8
Margin available for service development
in year |(per cent.)|- |0.0 |1.1 |0.7 |1.9 |0.5
|(£ million)|- |-0.1 |7.6 |5.0 |14.9 |3.8
North East Thames
Net spending |(£ million)|788.9 |829.2 |869.2 |902.6 |965.1 |1,037.9
Charges |(£ million)|11.7 |12.0 |12.2 |11.6 |11.0 |11.1
Total spending |(£ million)|800.7 |841.1 |881.3 |914.2 |976.1 |1,049.0
Increase |(per cent.)|- |5.1 |4.8 |3.7 |6.8 |7.5
Inflation in service |(per cent.)|- |5.1 |5.8 |5.2 |6.9 |8.5
Change in purchasing power (per cent.) - 0.0 -1.0 -1.4 -0.1
|(£ million)|- |-0.4 |-8.5 |-12.8 |-1.2 |-10.0
Change in real terms |(per cent.)|- |0.5 |-0.3 |-1.6 |3.3 |2.1
Cash releasing cost improvements
New |(£ million)|- |- |11.7 |17.2 |16.4 |19.7
Recurrent |(£ million)|- |- |11.7 |27.6 |45.3 |66.2
Increase-new cost improvements |(per cent.)|- |- |1.4 |1.8 |1.7 |1.8
Margin available for service development
in year |(per cent.)|- |0.0 |0.4 |0.4 |1.6 |0.8
|(£ million)|- |-0.4 |3.7 |3.4 |15.4 |8.7
South East Thames
Net spending |(£ million)|691.3 |729.7 |762.1 |797.9 |847.6 |919.1
Charges |(£ million)|9.2 |9.7 |10.0 |9.6 |9.5 |9.8
Total spending |(£ million)|700.4 |739.4 |772.1 |807.5 |857.1 |928.9
Increase |(per cent.)|- |5.6 |4.4 |4.6 |6.1 |8.4
Inflation in service |(per cent.)|- |5.1 |5.8 |5.2 |6.9 |8.5
Change in purchasing power (per cent.) - 0.4 -1.3 -0.6 -0.7
|(£ million)|- |3.3 |-10.1 |-4.7 |-6.1 |-1.0
Change in real terms |(per cent.)|- |1.0 |-0.6 |-0.8 |2.7 |2.9
Cash releasing cost improvements
New |(£ million)|- |- |14.0 |14.3 |12.7 |12.1
Recurrent |(£ million)|- |- |14.0 |29.0 |43.1 |58.1
Increase-new cost improvements |(per cent.)|- |- |1.9 |1.8 |1.5 |1.5
Margin available for service development
in year |(per cent.)|- |0.4 |0.6 |1.2 |0.8 |1.4
|(£ million)|- |3.3 |4.4 |9.7 |6.7 |12.9
South West Thames
Net spending |(£ million)|525.7 |554.0 |580.9 |603.8 |645.5 |703.8
Charges |(£ million)|4.7 |5.1 |5.4 |4.5 |4.6 |4.9
Total spending |(£ million)|530.4 |559.1 |586.3 |608.3 |650.1 |708.7
Increase |(per cent.)|- |5.4 |4.9 |3.8 |6.9 |9.0
Inflation in service |(per cent.)|- |5.1 |5.8 |5.2 |6.9 |8.5
Change in purchasing power (per cent.) - 0.3 -0.9 -1.4 0.0
|(£ million)|- |1.7 |-5.2 |-8.4 |-0.2 |3.4
Change in real terms |(per cent.)|- |0.8 |-0.2 |-1.6 |3.4 |3.6
Cash releasing cost improvements
New |(£ million)|- |- |6.9 |8.5 |10.9 |6.5
Recurrent |(£ million)|- |- |6.9 |15.0 |25.3 |33.5
Increase-new cost improvements |(per cent.)|- |- |1.2 |1.3 |1.7 |0.9
Margin available for service development
in year |(per cent.)|- |0.3 |0.3 |-0.1 |1.7 |1.4
|(£ million)|- |1.7 |1.7 |-0.6 |10.9 |9.8
Wessex
Net spending |(£ million)|414.2 |444.4 |477.9 |503.2 |545.4 |595.9
Charges |(£ million)|4.2 |4.8 |4.8 |3.7 |3.8 |3.9
Total spending |(£ million)|418.4 |449.1 |482.6 |506.9 |549.2 |599.8
Increase |(per cent.)|- |7.3 |7.5 |5.0 |8.3 |9.2
Inflation in service |(per cent.)|- |5.1 |5.8 |5.2 |6.9 |8.5
Change in purchasing power (per cent.) - 2.1 1.6 -0.2 1.3
|(£ million)|- |9.6 |7.6 |-0.8 |7.3 |4.0
Change in real terms |(per cent.)|- |2.7 |2.3 |-0.3 |4.8 |3.7
Cash releasing cost improvements
New |(£ million)|- |- |4.2 |4.7 |8.5 |10.5
Recurrent |(£ million)|- |- |4.2 |8.6 |17.4 |27.5
Increase-new cost improvements |(per cent.)|- |- |0.9 |0.9 |1.6 |1.8
Margin available for service development
in year |(per cent.)|- |2.1 |2.5 |0.7 |3.0 |2.5
|(£ million)|- |9.6 |12.0 |3.8 |16.2 |14.9
Oxford
Net spending |(£ million)|330.0 |348.0 |376.4 |397.3 |427.9 |472.3
Charges |(£ million)|4.6 |4.8 |5.6 |5.1 |5.9 |6.6
Total spending |(£ million)|334.7 |352.8 |381.9 |402.4 |433.8 |478.9
Increase |(per cent.)|- |5.4 |8.3 |5.3 |7.8 |10.4
Inflation in service |(per cent.)|- |5.1 |5.8 |5.2 |6.9 |8.5
Change in purchasing power (per cent.) - 0.3 2.3 0.1 0.9
|(£ million)|- |1.1 |8.8 |0.6 |3.7 |8.4
Change in real terms |(per cent.)|- |0.8 |3.0 |0.0 |4.3 |4.9
Cash releasing cost improvements
New |(£ million)|- |- |3.7 |4.8 |4.6 |5.3
Recurrent |(£ million)|- |- |3.7 |8.6 |13.6 |19.5
Increase-new cost improvements |(per cent.)|- |- |1.0 |1.2 |1.1 |1.3
Margin available for service including
cost improvements |(per cent.)|- |0.3 |3.3 |1.3 |2.0 |3.1
|(£ million)|- |1.1 |12.8 |5.4 |8.5 |14.7
South Western
Net spending |(£ million)|503.7 |535.8 |566.3 |599.4 |645.9 |705.1
Charges |(£ million)|3.6 |4.6 |4.7 |3.9 |4.1 |4.9
Total spending |(£ million)|507.3 |540.4 |571.0 |603.3 |650.0 |710.0
Increase |(per cent.)|- |6.5 |5.7 |5.6 |7.8 |9.2
Inflation in service |(per cent.)|- |5.1 |5.8 |5.2 |6.9 |8.5
Change in purchasing power (per cent.) - 1.4 -0.1 0.4 0.8
|(£ million)|- |7.4 |-0.8 |2.6 |5.2 |4.8
Change in real terms |(per cent.)|- |1.9 |0.6 |0.2 |4.3 |3.7
Cash releasing cost improvements
New |(£ million)|- |- |4.7 |6.2 |6.6 |11.4
Recurrent |(£ million)|- |- |4.7 |11.2 |18.1 |30.2
Increase-new cost improvements |(per cent.)|- |- |0.9 |1.0 |1.0 |1.6
Margin available for service development
in year |(per cent.)|- |1.4 |0.8 |1.4 |1.8 |2.3
|(£ million)|- |7.4 |4.4 |8.6 |11.7 |16.2
West Midlands
Net spending |(£ million)|804.0 |854.3 |911.8 |967.7 |1,043.5 |1,143.0
Charges |(£ million)|5.7 |6.9 |7.4 |6.2 |6.3 |6.3
Total spending |(£ million)|809.7 |861.3 |919.3 |973.9 |1,049.7 |1,149.3
Increase |(per cent.)|- |6.4 |6.7 |5.9 |7.8 |9.5
Inflation in service |(per cent.)|- |5.1 |5.8 |5.2 |6.9 |8.5
Change in purchasing power (per cent.) - 1.2 0.9 0.7 0.8
|(£ million)|- |10.4 |8.1 |6.9 |8.7 |10.4
Change in real terms |(per cent.)|- |1.7 |1.6 |0.5 |4.3 |4.0
Cash releasing cost improvements
New |(£ million)|- |- |13.5 |12.0 |13.7 |15.4
Recurrent |(£ million)|- |- |13.5 |26.2 |38.3 |54.6
Increase-new cost improvements |(per cent.)|- |- |1.5 |1.2 |1.3 |1.3
Margin available for service development
in year |(per cent.)|- |1.2 |2.4 |1.9 |2.1 |2.2
|(£ million)|- |10.4 |22.0 |18.7 |22.4 |25.5
Mersey
Net spending |(£ million)|433.3 |453.2 |479.7 |504.3 |539.0 |585.6
Charges |(£ million)|3.0 |3.4 |3.6 |3.6 |3.8 |3.6
Total spending |(£ million)|436.2 |456.6 |483.3 |507.9 |542.8 |589.2
Increase |(per cent.)|- |4.7 |5.9 |5.1 |6.9 |8.5
Inflation in service |(per cent.)|- |5.1 |5.8 |5.2 |6.9 |8.5
Change in purchasing power (per cent.) - -0.4 0.1 -0.1 0.0
|(£ million)|- |-1.9 |0.2 |-0.5 |-0.2 |0.3
Change in real terms |(per cent.)|- |0.1 |0.8 |-0.3 |3.4 |3.1
Cash releasing cost improvements
New |(£ million)|- |- |6.0 |8.4 |10.7 |9.0
Recurrent |(£ million)|- |- |6.0 |14.2 |25.6 |36.4
Increase-new cost improvements |(per cent.)|- |- |1.3 |1.7 |2.0 |1.6
Margin available for service development
in year |(per cent.)|- |-0.4 |1.4 |1.6 |2.0 |1.6
|(£ million)|- |-1.9 |6.5 |8.1 |10.7 |9.7
North Western
Net spending |(£ million)|724.8 |763.4 |808.2 |854.7 |916.5 |996.4
Charges |(£ million)|4.8 |5.8 |6.3 |5.6 |5.8 |6.2
Total spending |(£ million)|729.6 |769.2 |814.5 |860.3 |922.4 |1,002.6
Increase |(per cent.)|- |5.4 |5.9 |5.6 |7.2 |8.7
Inflation in service |(per cent.)|- |5.1 |5.8 |5.2 |6.9 |8.5
Change in purchasing power (per cent.) - 0.3 0.1 0.4 0.3
|(£ million)|- |2.4 |0.7 |3.5 |2.7 |1.9
Change in real terms |(per cent.)|- |0.8 |0.8 |0.2 |3.7 |3.2
Cash releasing cost improvements
New |(£ million)|- |- |7.5 |13.6 |14.1 |13.7
Recurrent |(£ million)|- |- |7.5 |18.5 |32.9 |48.5
Increase-new cost improvements |(per cent.)|- |- |0.9 |1.6 |1.6 |1.4
Margin available for service development
in year |(per cent.)|- |0.3 |1.0 |2.0 |1.9 |1.6
|(£ million)|- |2.4 |8.0 |17.3 |17.5 |15.9
Change in GDP deflator |4.6 |5.1 |5.4 |3.3 |5.3
<1> Provisional.
Notes:
Income and expenditure figures are based on health authorities' summarised accounts.
Health authorities have been required to make cost improvements since 1984-85. Data on efficiency savings made by authorities
before that date were not collected centrally.
Real terms growth has been calculated using the gross domestic product deflator.
Responsibility for the cost of the London Ambulance Service, previously shared between all four Thames regions, was transferred
to South West Thames in 1987-88.
The consequent increase in expenditure in that region has been excluded from the spending figures in the table.
Hospitals
Mr. Higgins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what way and at what level plans and decisions on building or expanding National Health Service hospitals will be taken within the new framework for the National Health Service set out in "Working for Patients".
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : Regions will continue to be responsible for the strategic oversight of health authorities' capital planning and capital programmes, but there is to be increased delegation of decisions on individual schemes both from Department to region and from region to district. There may also be additional delegation to local level of responsibility for the management of individual schemes. NHS hospital trusts will be responsible for their own capital investment decisions and for managing their own schemes, providing their borrowing is contained within the overall national annual financing limit.
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London Ambulance Service
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what would be the savings made or estimated to be made by withdrawing exclusive telephone lines from the central control room of the London ambulance service to ambulance stations ; and what assessment has been made of the advantage gained or disadvantages experienced in operational efficiency.
Mr. Freeman : No estimates have been made of the costs of withdrawing the private wire circuits between the central control room of the London ambulance service and ambulance stations. They have been upgraded to accept data transmissions as part of the introduction of the computer-aided dispatch system. The primary function of these circuits is the mobilisation of ambulance crews by providing direct contact between the control room and ambulance stations. It would not therefore be practical to discontinue their use. As the new system has been installed
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for less than four weeks, it is not yet possible to assess effectively the advantages gained or any disadvantages which might be experienced.Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent changes have been made in the control room equipment or organisation of the London ambulance service ; if he has assessed the efficiency and effectiveness of any new equipment ; and if he will place in the Library a copy of any evaluation study or efficiency report relating to recent capital expenditure.
Mr. Freeman : To facilitate the installation of a new computer-aided dispatch system, the London ambulance service central control room has transferred to temporary accommodation while changes and refurbishment to accommodate computer terminal equipment are carried out. The automatic call distribution telephone system has been extended and a new selective calling radio system introduced : in addition, to alleviate difficulties caused by the temporary reorganisation, the number of control staff answering calls has been increased. As the computer-aided dispatch system will not be fully functional until August 1989, it would be premature to carry out any evaluation at this stage.
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Ms. Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on the installation of a computerised system of call distribution at the London ambulance service ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : The installation of the automatic call distribution system by the London ambulance service is being carried out in two parts. The first phase was completed in the existing control room in March 1988 and harnessed 999 calls and calls from the other emergency services to the new system. The second phase, which began on 8 January 1989, involves the temporary relocation of the control room to enable the remaining telephone lines (from hospitals, doctors, ambulance crews, and the divisional control rooms) to be linked to the computer-aided dispatch system. The computer- aided dispatch system will not be operational till August 1989.
Ms. Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the capital and revenue budget for the London ambulance service for each of the last five years ; what proportion the South West Thames regional health authority, the South East Thames regional health authority, the North East Thames regional health authority and the North West Thames regional health authority contributed, respectively ; and if the budget of the London ambulance service is cash-limited.
Mr. Freeman : The figures are in the table.
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Revenue budget
|SWTRHA |SETRHA |NETRHA |NWTRHA |Total
- |- |17.53 per cent.|32.38 per cent.|28.91 per cent.|21.18 per cent.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1984-85 |6,503,000 |12,015,000 |10,725,000 |7,858,000 |37,101,000
1985-86 |6,687,000 |12,355,000 |11,029,000 |8,860,000 |38,151,000
1986-87 |7,332,000 |13,546,000 |12,092,000 |8,860,000 |41,830,000
1987-88 |43,099,000 |- |- |- |43,099,000
1988-89 |46,060,840 |- |- |- |46,060,840
Revenue budget
|SWTRHA |SETRHA |NETRHA |NWTRHA |Total
- |- |17.53 per cent.|32.38 per cent.|28.91 per cent.|21.18 per cent.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1984-85 |6,503,000 |12,015,000 |10,725,000 |7,858,000 |37,101,000
1985-86 |6,687,000 |12,355,000 |11,029,000 |8,860,000 |38,151,000
1986-87 |7,332,000 |13,546,000 |12,092,000 |8,860,000 |41,830,000
1987-88 |43,099,000 |- |- |- |43,099,000
1988-89 |46,060,840 |- |- |- |46,060,840
Since 1987 the Department of Health has made the total allocation direct to the managing authority, South West Thames RHA. The South West Thames RHA would normally expect the London ambulance service to remain within its budget.
Health Authorities (Land)
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give for each health authority (a) the square footage of unused properties and (b) the square footage or acreage of unused land and the estimated value of each category as a percentage total land and property and value as a percentage of the total land and property value of each authority ; and if he will make a statement as to his Department's policy on the sale of unused land and property.
Mr. Freeman : The information requested is not collected routinely centrally and could be obtained only at
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disproportionate cost. Information on the total surplus property (both land and buildings no longer currently used for Health Service purposes and with no future use envisaged) of each regional health authority is held centrally and this information as at 31 March 1988 is as follows :RHA |Total estate (acres)|Surplus (acres) |Per cent. of surplus --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Northern |3,495 |308.20 |8.82 Yorkshire |3,927 |140.00 |3.57 Trent |4,324 |808.55 |18.70 East Anglian |1,648 |23.13 |1.40 N W Thames |2,483 |37.60 |1.51 N E Thames |2,714 |267.27 |9.85 S E Thames |3,677 |582.49 |15.84 S W Thames |3,810 |128.33 |3.37 Wessex |2,511 |179.24 |7.14 Oxford |2,183 |183.07 |8.39 South Western |3,787 |712.39 |18.81 West Midlands |5,147 |629.50 |12.23 Mersey |2,427 |782.57 |32.24 North Western |3,160 |267.85 |8.48 SHAS (BGs) |496 |7.0 |1.41 England |45,789 |5,057.19 |11.04
Values of surplus properties are not collected separately centrally but information is held on the estimated income from property disposals for each regional health authority for the current financial year and the three following years. This information was given in my reply to the hon. Member for Southport (Mr. Fearn) on 24 January at column 546. Our policy on the sale of unused property is that it should be disposed of in a publicly acceptable manner for the best price possible.
Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Gateshead (ENT)
Mr. McWilliam : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the total waiting list, the longest time any patient had to wait and the numbers waiting by number of months wait for the ear, nose and throat department at the Queen Elizabeth hospital, Gateshead, over the last five years for which figures are available.
Mr. Mellor : We do not collect waiting information centrally for individual hospitals. For details about the Queen Elizabeth hospital, the hon. Member may wish to contact the district general manager of Gateshead district health authority.
Weil's Disease
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many deaths from Weil's disease have been recorded for each of the last 10 years ;
(2) if he will list the places where deaths from Weil's disease over the last 10 years have been recorded.
Mr. Freeman : The information is shown in the table ; 1987 is the latest full year available. Death registrations with Leptospirosis (Weil's Disease) as underlying cause of death : numbers and county district of usual residence, England and Wales 1978-88.
Year |Number |Area of usual residence ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1978 |2 |Easington; Ryedale 1979 |1 |Test Valley 1980 |1 |East Hertfordshire 1981 |1 |Kennet 1982 |1 |Basingstoke and Deane 1983 |1 |Merthyr Tydfil 1984 |- | - 1985 |- | - 1986 |- | - 1987 |- | - 1988<2> |2 | n/a <1> International classification of disease code 100.0. <2> Provisional, January-September only.
Waiting Lists
Mr. George Howarth : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has plans to provide additional funds to reduce hospital waiting lists in the Merseyside region.
Mr. Mellor : Last December, we announced a further £1.445 million for Mersey region from the waiting list fund
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for 1989-90. This brings the total additional funds we have allocated to Mersey region through this initiative to £4.488 million over three years. In addition, Crewe district health authority will have an opportunity to bid against the £6 million reserved from the waiting list fund next year for districts with special waiting problems.Radioactive Iodine
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how quickly iodine tablets have to be administered following exposure to iodine 131 to be (a) 100 per cent. effective and (b) 50 per cent. effective in counteracting the effects of radioactive iodine.
Mr. Freeman : I am advised that experiments have shown that a dose of up to 100mg of stable iodine is almost 100 per cent, effective if taken immediately before or at the time of exposure to radioactive iodine. It is still 50 per cent. effective if taken about five hours after exposure.
Core Services
Ms. Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list all those services which are not regarded as core services as defined in the White Paper, "Working for Patients" paragraph 4.15 ;
(2) whether gynaecology is a core service as described in the White Paper, "Working for Patients".
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : The White Paper stipulates that DHAs will be responsible for ensuring that the health needs of the population they serve are met ; that there are effective services for the prevention and control of diseases and the promotion of health and that their population has access to a comprehensive range of high quality, value for money services. The broad categories of "core" services set out in the White Paper are examples of those to which patients need guaranteed local access. It will be up to each district health authority to consider in the light of their own particular circumstances what services constitute "core" services for them and what other servies can be obtained in a more flexible way. The duty of the district will be to obtain the best services for their populations from whatever source including their own hospitals, from other authorities' hospitals, from the new self-governing hospitals or the private sector.
Breast Feeding
Ms. Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has about the percentage of women breastfeeding their baby at six weeks in each of the last five years.
Mr. Freeman : Annual statistics on the incidence of breastfeeding are not collected centrally. However, national surveys of infant feeding practices in 1975 (England and Wales), 1980 and 1985 (Great Britain), show that the percentages of women breastfeeding at six weeks were as follows :
+
|Per cent.
-------------------------------------------
1975
England and Wales only |46
1980
England and Wales |42
Great Britain |41
1985
England and Wales |40
Great Britain |38
Vaccination
Ms. Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about the vaccination programme.
Mr. Freeman : Uptake figures for the year 1987-88 (April to March) show an increase in the national vaccination rate for polio, diphtheria and tetanus to 87 per cent., measles 76 per cent. and whooping cough 73 per cent. Ninety-six out of 190 district health authorities in England have now reached or surpassed the 1990 target of 90 per cent. for polio, while measles and whooping cough are showing welcome signs of moving towards that target.
These figures do not include the results of a very successful campaign against measles last summer (when three times the average monthly usage of the vaccine was recorded), or the introduction from October 1988 of the combined vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), which has already been an outstanding success. Already more than 1.2 million doses of that vaccine
have been distributed, against a requirement for the recommended groups of 400,0000.
We intend to maintain this momentum and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Health announced in December that £7.8 million has been allocated towards purchase of the MMR vaccine in 1989-90.
From 1989-90 we shall also be committing at least £1 million per annum towards the promotion of immunisation jointly with the HEA. This remains a very important part of our programme in which both health authorities and general practitioners are expected to play a full part.
Fertility Services
Ms. Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will specify in which districts (a) there are and (b) there are not fertility services.
Mr. Freeman : I regret that this information is not held centrally. The provision of infertility services is a matter for individual health authorities to decide in the light of local needs and priorities.
Well Woman Clinics
Ms. Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how may well woman clinics there are ;
(2) if he will list those districts which (a) do and (b) do not have well woman clinics.
Mr. Freeman : I regret that this information is not held centrally.
Grading
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses, midwives and health visitors from each of the old grades have been assimilated to each of the new grades in the recent clinical grading structure in the North East Thames regional health authority and for the North West Thames regional health authority.
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Mr. Mellor : The information requested is available in the Library.
Single Parents
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his assessment of the number of single parents with dependent children in (a) Scotland and (b) the United Kingdom for each of the past five years for which figures are available.
Mr. Freeman : Comparable information for the whole of the United Kingdom and for constituent countries is not available. However, the estimated number of one-parent families with dependent children in Great Britain was 940,000 in 1984, 970,000 in 1985 and 1,010,000 in 1986. Estimates for earlier years are not strictly comparable. An article which discusses these estimates and gives the definitions used is included in "Population Trends No. 55 (Spring 1989)" to be published shortly. A copy will be placed in the Library.
Biocides
Mr. McLoughlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to publish the report of the expert advisory committee on biocides ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : I have arranged today for a copy of this report which was produced in response to a recommendation in the Badenoch report and which is being published by HMSO to be placed in the Library. I am grateful to Dr. Wright, director of Newcastle public health laboratory and his committee for producing a thorough analysis of the use of biocides in minimising the risk of multiplication of legionellae pneumophilia in hospital cooling tower water systems and other water systems in hospitals.
The report is being sent to all health authorities in England so that those responsible for maintenance of hospital cooling tower systems may take its recommendations fully into account. The Department will be pursuing those recommendations which call for national action. Although this report deals only with water systems in health care premises, I hope that it will receive a wider readership as much of the report will be of more general application.
I am sure that it will be very useful to those concerned with the operation and maintenance of health buildings and will help in reducing the risk of the spread of legionnaire's disease in hospitals. I also trust that, as the report has wider general application, it will serve as a further reminder to employers of their responsibility, under the Health and Safety and Work etc. Act, to maintain a safe working environment for their employees.
National Health Service Review
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has of the final cost to public funds of (a) the recently completed National Health Service review and (b) its launch, publicity and communication to National Health Service staff and others.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke [holding answer 3 February 1989] : Work on the review was undertaken as an integral part of the Department's contribution to Government business, and the manpower costs involved are not separately
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identifiable. The estimated cost of the launch including the exercise of communicating with NHS staff and discussing the review's conclusions with them is £1,250,000.Elderly Persons (Residential Places)
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Health 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 region for (i) the year 1987 and (ii) the year 1988.
Mr. Mellor [holding answer 2 February 1989] : Provisional information on the number of places in homes for elderly people as at 31 March 1987 by social services inspectorate regions is given in the table. Information for the year ending 31 March 1988 is not yet available.
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