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Mr. Freeman : The disposal of irradiated rodent carcases used in radiation experimental work are subject to authorisation under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960. The disposal routes for such carcases would be
(1) incineration and landfill ; or
(2) landfill disposal ; or
(3) maceration and sweage disposal.
The route chosen would depend on the level of radioactivity and whether full pathological control is necessary.
National Health Service Costs
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what 3 per cent. of the Thames regions' budgets represents in cash terms for the current year.
Mr. Mellor : The information requested is as follows :
3 per cent. of 1988-89 revenue
allocations
|£ million
--------------------------------------
North West Thames |28.0
North East Thames |34.6
South East Thames |30.3
South West Thames |24.5
The figures include cash limit adjustments made up to 6 February 1989. They exclude transfers between revenue and capital.
Leighton Hospital, Crewe
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his undertaking in the Official Report, 17 January, column 316, when he intends to provide a detailed reply to the speech of the hon. Member for Crewe and Nantwich in her Adjournment debate.
Mr. Freeman : I wrote to the hon. Lady on 8 February.
Ambulance Service
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what considerations he has given to the implications for the ambulance service of the establishment of National Health Service hospital trusts and the creation of a national internal market for health services ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : The review proposals including the establishment of NHS hospital trusts will not affect the ambulance service's responsibility for transporting free of charge patients whom a clinician has determined are medically unfit to travel by other means.
General Practitioners
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funds he proposes to make available to the successor bodies to family practitioner committees to provide for adequate monitoring of the effect on general practitioners working in sole practices of his proposals to relate a higher proportion of general practitioners' income to list sizes ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : As stated in paragraph 13.3 of "Working for Patients" (Cm 555), the costs of implementing reforms will be considered as part of the annual public expenditure surveys. However, changes to the general practitioners' contract to place more emphasis on capitation will not discriminate between single practices, group practices and partnerships and I see no need for the monitoring proposed.
Services for Deaf People
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many qualified workers with specialist training for work with people who are deaf are currently employed in England by (a) social services departments, (b) voluntary organisations and (c) other bodies ; how many have completed training in each of the last five years ; what action he is taking to increase their number ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Mellor : We do not hold information centrally on the nature of the work carried out by particular social workers. The two post-qualifying training courses for social workers with deaf people in London and Edinburgh closed in 1984 and there is at present no formal training course. However, the Department is currently providing substantial financial support towards the development of a distance learning course to be run by the Open university from 1991.
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many interpreters for the deaf are employed
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by public bodies in England ; how many have been trained in each of the last five years ; what action he is taking to increase their number ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Mellor : We do not hold information centrally on the numbers of interpreters for the deaf employed by public bodies or the number trained. However, we continue to give financial support to the Council for the Advancement of Communication with Deaf People. The council arranges training courses in communication with deaf people and maintains a register of interpreters. We are also in touch with the panel of four main voluntary organisations in the deafness field about future interpreting needs.
Tranquillisers
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give, for the latest year for which figures are available, the total number of tranquillisers of all varieties which were prescribed to National Health Service patients and the percentage that these drugs represented of all drugs prescribed to National Health Service patients, together with the total value of these tranquillisers and as a percentage of the total cost of National Health Service drugs ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Mellor : In England in 1987 the number of prescriptions for tranquillisers, sedatives and hypnotics dispensed by community pharmacists was 24.3 million or 7.4 per cent. of all prescriptions for drugs dispensed by them. The net ingredient cost of tranquillisers, sedatives and hypnotics was £32.5 million or 2.2 per cent. of the net ingredient cost for all drugs dispensed by community pharmacists.
Hospitals (Management)
Mr. Bernie Grant : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will outline his proposals for how the procedures by which individual hospitals will become independent management units will be initiated, and by whom.
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Mr. Kenneth Clarke : The White Paper "Working for Patients" (Cm. 555) explains that it will be open to a variety of interests either to initiate an application to establish an NHS hospital trust or to respond to an initiative taken by the Secretary of State. I will shortly issue a working paper giving further information about the plans for NHS hospital trusts.
Regrading
Mr. Michael Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many, and what proportions of, nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff from each of the old grades have been assimilated in new grades as at the latest date for which figures are available in the Worthing health authority and the Chichester health authority ; and what comparable figures he has in regional health authorities in England.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke [holding answer 16 January 1989] : The only information available relates to the initial regrading on the basis of duties and responsibilities on 1 April 1988. Tables showing the numbers of nursing and midwifery staff assimilated from each of the old grades to each of the new grades, by district and by region, are in the Library. The information requested on the proportions of staff is now ready and has been placed in the Library also.
Aplastic Anaemia
Mr. Lofthouse : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many people were recorded as suffering from aplastic anaemia in 1988 and in each of the last five years ;
(2) if he will list by year for the last five years, by district health authority the number of cases of aplastic anaemia that have been reported ; how many of these cases were fatal ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman [holding answer 16 January 1989] : The available information is given in the tables. Figures by district health authority are not available centrally.
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Number of deaths registered in England and Wales with aplastic anaemia as underlying cause (ICD 284<1>), by regional health authority of
usual residence, 1981-1987
Area of usual residence |1981 |1982 |1983 |1984 |1985 |<2>1986 |<2><3>1987
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern |29 |20 |13 |21 |32 |21 |18
Yorkshire |21 |16 |15 |31 |19 |17 |20
Trent |28 |16 |17 |29 |20 |19 |21
East Anglia |9 |15 |8 |9 |15 |9 |12
North West Thames |12 |14 |12 |13 |14 |14 |10
North East Thames |29 |25 |28 |33 |14 |17 |19
South East Thames |20 |18 |16 |11 |22 |16 |16
South West Thames |7 |11 |13 |18 |12 |12 |13
Wessex |18 |16 |11 |13 |12 |17 |16
Oxford |10 |8 |10 |9 |14 |13 |14
South Western |22 |21 |26 |21 |19 |26 |7
West Midlands |29 |29 |19 |23 |27 |33 |21
Mersey |16 |18 |8 |7 |17 |12 |12
North Western |22 |19 |22 |16 |20 |18 |12
Wales |32 |19 |9 |11 |18 |12 |20
Outside England and Wales |5 |3 |1 |8 |4 |6 |6
|--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |---
Total |309 |268 |228 |273 |279 |262 |237
<1> International Classification of Diseases: 9th revision.
<2> At age 28 days and over.
<3> 1987 figures at the latest available.
In cases where aplastic anaemia was assigned originally as the underlying cause of death, but where further information is received about drug treatment (including adverse reactions), or about the conditions for which
that treatment was given, the final underlying cause will be assigned to those other causes.
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Estimated Number of In-Patients with Main Diagnosis
of Aplastic Anaemia Discharged from NHS
Non-Psychiatric Hospitals, By Region of
Treatment, England 1981-1985
|1985 |1984 |1983 |1982 |1981
------------------------------------------------------
ECD Digit-84
Diagnosis-Aplastic Anaemia
Northern |300 |260 |(170)|(190)|240
Yorkshire |260 |280 |(140)|250 |210
Trent |260 |350 |230 |(190)|(160)
East Anglia |(110)|(150)|(110)|(120)|(130)
North West Thames |(170)|210 |210 |(120)|210
North East Thames |250 |320 |260 |230 |(190)
South East Thames |330 |240 |220 |390 |280
South West Thames |(110)|230 |(90) |(80) |(80)
Wessex |(170)|(140)|(120)|(140)|(150)
Oxford |(90) |(150)|(160)|(50) |(80)
South Western |(140)|(110)|200 |210 |250
West Midlands |310 |360 |260 |270 |250
Mersey |(80) |(180)|(120)|(110)|(150)
North Western |210 |310 |(170)|260 |(150)
SHA's |(30) |0 |(30) |(60) |(10)
England |2,820|3,290|2,490|2,670|2,540
Source: Hospital In-Patient Enquiry (HIPE)
ICD-International Classification of Diseases-9th
Revision
Figures in Brackets should be treated with caution as
they are based on small sample numbers.
Cook-Chill Food
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if the production of cook-chill food to be carried out in Wakefield health authority's central production unit will be subject to the requirements of regulation 27 of the Food Hygiene (General) Regulations ;
(2) if the various elements of the production of cook-chill food which are to be carried out away from Wakefield health authority's central production unit are subject to regulation 27 of the Food Hygiene (General) Regulations.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke [holding answer 23 January 1989] : Regulation 27 is a legal requirement only where food is for immediate consumption. However, my Department's guidelines for all cook-chill catering in the NHS require temperatures that fall well within those specified under regulation 27 and we expect NHS health authority management to meet these requirements.
DEFENCE
Soviet Union (Defence Cuts)
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what response he proposes to make to the recent defence cutbacks made by the Soviet Union.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Members for Motherwell, North (Dr. Reid), for Glasgow, Central (Mr. McTaggart), for Caerphilly (Mr. Davies), for Glasgow, Maryhill (Mrs. Fyfe), for Knowsley, North (Mr. Howarth), for Lewisham, Deptford (Ms. Ruddock), for Redcar (Ms. Mowlam), for Rother Valley (Mr. Barron), and for Sheffield, Brightside (Mr. Blunkett), and to my hon. Friend the Member for Esher (Mr. Taylor) on 7 February.
NATO
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Government's policy towards the modernisation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's short-range nuclear weapons.
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Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. and learned Member for Fife, North-East (Mr. Campbell) on 29 November 1988 at column 567.
Nevada Test Site
Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the financial cost attributed to the annual defence budget and paid to the United States Government to implement environmental clean-up at the Nevada test site following the testing of United Kingdom nuclear warheads at the site ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sainsbury : In the continuing absence of escapes of radioactivity from these underground tests, no such costs arise.
Potton Island, Essex
Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the cost of the clean-up of Potton island in Essex following the nuclear materials testing programme in the 1950s ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sainsbury : No firings have been carried out on Potton island at any time which involved radioactive materials. There is an ongoing decontamination exercise on Potton island to ensure that the area is clear of conventional munitions and explosives, and, although the final sum will not be known until the end of the exercise, the cost of the initial decontamination was some £40,000.
Atomic Weapons Establishments
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many undergraduates from universities and other institutions of higher education are employed during the summer vacation at atomic weapons establishment sites.
Mr. Sainsbury : About 50 such students are employed at AWE, mostly at Aldermaston, during their summer vacation.
COMECON (Travel)
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) on how many occasions since 1979 permission for
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emigration to, or travel within, the Soviet Union or other COMECON countries has been denied to applicants formerly employed at the atomic weapons research establishments ;(2) on how many occasions since 1979 permission for emigration to, or travel within, the Soviet Union or other COMECON eastern bloc countries has been denied to applicants formerly employed at the Ministry of Defence.
Mr. Sainsbury : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 26 January 1989 at column 704.
Channel Tunnel
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what consideration he has given to the implications for the defence of the United Kingdom arising out of the construction of the Channel tunnel ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) if he proposes to take any measures to protect the Channel tunnel against enemy action in time of war ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The implications for the defence of the United Kingdom arising from the construction of the Channel fixed link, and the defence of the Channel fixed link itself, are under consideration as part of normal defence planning.
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration he has given to the implication for the discharge of the United Kingdom's obligation to NATO arising out of the construction of the Channel tunnel ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. and learned Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Christchurch (Mr. Adley) on 12 January 1989 at columns 724-25.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Deaf People (Court Interpreters)
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Attorney-General how many interpreters for the deaf are employed by the court services ; if he is satisfied with the availability of interpreters for deaf people in contact with the courts ; and if he will make a statement.
The Attorney-General : In the Crown court and in civil proceedings it is the responsibility of the party to the proceedings requiring the services of an interpreter, either for himself or for a witness, to make the necessary arrangements to secure their attendance at any conference with legal advisers or at court. Some Crown court centres maintain a register of interpreters although they are under no obligation to do so. Such registers are compiled from lists supplied by the police and a court will make the list available if requested to do so. I know of no difficulties arising in the courts for which the Lord Chancellor is administratively responsible as a result of the present arrangements.
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EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Handicapped Children
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make it his policy to give the parents of handicapped children the same rights as those of able-bodied children to choose to which schools they wish to send their children.
Mr. Butcher : Parents of handicapped children without statements of special educational needs under the Education Act 1981 already have the same choice of school rights as other parents. For those children with statements, local education authorities are required to seek medical, educational and psychological advice, and any other advice considered necessary, including parental views. My right hon. Friend believes that the most suitable school placements for children with statements should continue to be based on that advice.
Universities (Funding)
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what is his policy in relation to making adjustments to the volume of block grants to universities to reflect any significant changes to the taxation liabilities of universities ;
(2) whether the present vote provision for 1989-90 in respect of grants to universities was calculated to take account of changes in value added tax regulations now proposed to take effect in that year ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : The provision for universities for 1989-90 announced in the public expenditure White Paper (Cm. 612) includes a compensating adjustment in respect of the impact on universities of the introduction of VAT on new construction from 1 April 1989. Changes in taxation arrangements do not automatically lead to changes in public funding ; they will be taken into account as appropriate in reaching decisions on the level of provision for universities, which are not deficit funded.
VAT
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received from individuals or bodies concerned with education on the subject of proposed changes to value added tax zero rating of supplies to non-domestic consumers ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : A small number of representations have been received about the changes which are to be introduced from 1 July 1990. School and student boarding accommodation will be regarded as domestic use and will continue to be zero rated for supplies of fuel and power.
Southwark Director of Education
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science on which dates since 1 January 1988 he has met the director of education of the Southwark diocese ; at which of these meetings city technology colleges in the Southwark diocese have been discussed ; at which of these meetings the future of the sites reserved for education by the London Docklands
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development corporation in Surrey docks, London SE16, has been discussed ; and on which of these dates the future of Bacon's school, London SE1 and London SE16, has been discussed.Mrs. Rumbold : My right hon. Friend has had three meetings with the director of education of the Southwark diocese since 1 January 1988. At meetings on 29 September, 6 December and 12 January 1989, there was some discussion of options for the future of Bacon's school, whether on its present site or on a relocated site in the Surrey docks. Should the diocesan board of Education and the governors of the school wish to see the existing school closed to make way for a city technology college, the governors would need the approval of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State under section 14 of the 1944 Education Act.
International Organisations
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list those international organisations on which his Department is represented and the total cost of these commitments.
Mrs. Rumbold [pursuant to her reply, 3 February 1989, c. 409] : I regret that part of the information given to the hon. Member was incorrect.
This Department's specific contribution to the European University Institute in 1987-88 was £1,232,000.
PRIME MINISTER
Non-ministerial Appointments
Mr. Ashdown : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list, and give details of remuneration for, all those non-ministerial appointments which are in her gift as Prime Minister and to which a salary per annum is attached of more than (a) £10,000, (b) £20,000, (c) £30,000, (d) £40,000, (e) £50,000, (f) £60,000, (g) £70,000, (h) £80,000, (i) £90,000, (j) £100,000, (k) £110,000 and (l) £120,000.
The Prime Minister : I have nothing to add to the replies that I gave to the right hon. Member on 31 January 1988 at column 149 and 2 February 1989 at column 425.
ENERGY
Research Projects
Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the scope and the level of funding for research projects commissioned by his Department from groups led by Messrs. Lawrence Draper and Malcolm Tucker ; and what work Messrs. Draper and Tucker are currently doing for his Department.
Mr. Peter Morrison : In the period from 1977 to date my Department has commissioned research at the Institute of Oceanographic Sciencies (IOS) involving Messrs. Lawrence Draper and Malcolm Tucker on the measurement and analysis of wave climate in United Kingdom waters and the kinetics of waves. The level of funding for this work is in excess of £2 million.
Mr. Malcolm Tucker, who retired from IOS in 1986, is currently retained as a consultant by my Department to
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provide expert advice on environmental data. Mr. Lawrence Draper is currently associated with three IOS projects funded by my Department covering wave climate measurements around the United Kingdom, guidance on oceanographic design parameters and provision of expert advice on oceanography.Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what is his assessment of the importance of the data on wave climate collected by Messrs. Lawrence Draper and Malcolm Tucker of the Institute of Oceanographic Sciences to the development of oil and gas reserves in the North Sea ;
(2) if he will give an estimate of the value, in terms of lives saved, oil and gas production and economic benefit, of the availability of wave data prior to the exploitation of Britain's offshore oil and gas reserves.
Mr. Peter Morrison : My Department--advised on safety research and development by technology boards with members from the oil industry, the certifying authorities and the academic world--has identified specific projects relating to wave data which have contributed to the safe and economic design of offshore structures.
Nuclear Reprocessing
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many contracts British Nuclear Fuels plc has signed with foreign customers for the storage and reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel since 1973 ; and if he will seek the permission of the British Nuclear Fuels plc chairman to publish the value of each of these respective contracts in pounds sterling at 1989 values.
Mr. Michael Spicer : I understand that British Nuclear Fuels plc has signed 34 contracts with foreign customers for the storage and reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel since the beginning of 1973. The financial terms of these contracts are commercially confidential.
Wind Energy
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his latest estimate of the maximum contribution to be made by wind energy as a percentage of United Kingdom electricity producition in the year 2000.
Mr. Michael Spicer : There is great uncertainty about projections for developing technologies such as renewable sources of energy. By the year 2025, wind energy might provide up to 30 TWh per year of electricity, which represents about 10 per cent. of current electricity requirements.
We have not made any estimates for the year 2000, but would expect commercial exploitation of wind energy to commence in the mid-1990s if the present assessment phase of our renewable energy programme is successful.
Sizewell
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) when he plans to announce the opening date and name of the inspector for the Sizewell C public inquiry into the Central Electricity Generating Board planning application for a new pressurised water reactor at its Sizewell nuclear site ;
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(2) if it will be the responsibility of National Power to cover the costs of the Sizewell C planning inquiry, including the fee for the inspector and the publication cost of daily transcripts and support documentation.Mr. Michael Spicer : The CEGB announced on 31 January its intention to submit an application to my right hon. Friend for his consent to construct a pressurised water reactor nuclear power station at Sizewell in Suffolk. Before the application has been made and advertised and the response to it is known, it is too early to speculate about a public inquiry.
Nuclear Power
Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on British Nuclear Fuel's proposals to build new nuclear power stations at Chapelcross, Sellafield and Calder Hall.
Mr. Michael Spicer : British Nuclear Fuels plc has announced that it is to mount a feasibility study to look at several options for the construction of new nuclear power stations which might eventually replace the Magnox stations which it operates at Calder Hall and Chapelcross. BNFL has made no other commitment at present. I understand that the company's study will take about 18 months to complete.
Nuclear Accidents
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what emergency planning arrangements are in force for the evacuation of members of the public in the event of an accident involving the spent nuclear fuel cooling ponds at Berkeley, Oldbury, and Hinkley nuclear plants.
Mr. Michael Spicer : Contingency plans, including evacuation plans for members of the public, exist at the Berkeley, Oldbury and Hinkley nuclear plants, in common with all licensed nuclear sites to deal with any accident involving an off-site release of radioactivity.
Plutonium
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his policy, when considering the issue of transport licences for the export of plutonium, on examining the end-use requirements of the country or countries for which the plutonium is intended, to ascertain if there are genuine commercial needs for the material.
Mr. Michael Spicer : I assume that the hon. Member is referring to export licences. These are not issued unless the Government are satisfied that among other things the end use will be as stated in the application.
All exports of nuclear materials are made within the guidelines set out in the statement by the then Foreign Secretary, Lord Callaghan, on 31 March 1976 at columns 514-16.
Contracts
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list all his Department's contracts with (a) Zeus and (b) Securipol Limited since 1979 ; and if he will give the purpose of each contract.
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TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Industry Act 1975
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether section 13 of the Industry Act 1975 will require repeal or amendment when the Single European Act takes effect in 1992.
Key Guns
Mr. George : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will ban he importation of key guns that can unlock doors and cars and are being used for criminal purposes.
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