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Wordsley Hospital, StourbridgeWalsgrave General Hospital, Coventry
Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, Shrewsbury
New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton
Mersey
Royal Liverpool Hospital
Sefton General Hospital, Liverpool
Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital (Alder Hey)
North Western
Manchester Royal Infirmary
Royal Manchester Children's Hospital
University Hospital of South Manchester
(Withington Hospital), Manchester
Hope Hospital, Salford
Royal Preston Hospital
Special Health Authority
(Hammersmith and Queen Charlotte's)
Hammersmith Hospital, London
The list does not provide an accurate guide to the facilities available to the residents of particular regions, since there is significant movement of patients across regional boundaries. Furthermore, the list includes only those centres which report data directly to the EDTA registry ; some units, particularly those which are satellites of main renal centres, are therefore omitted. Military hospitals are also excluded.
Information on the number of dialysis machines is not collected centrally. The EDTA does not disclose activity statistics relating to individual units, but information on the number of patients receiving different forms of dialysis by region is given in my reply to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson) on 30 January at columns 42-44.
Listeria
Mrs. Wise : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence he has that unpasteurised milk or cheese is more likely than pasteurised to give rise to listeriosis.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : I have no such evidence. The chief medical officer's recent advice to pregnant women and other vulnerable groups to avoid certain types of soft cheese drew no distinction between those made from pasteurised or unpasteurised milk.
Food Storage
Mrs. Wise : To ask the Secretary of State for Health below what specific temperature the chief medical officer advises that food stored in a refrigerator should be kept.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : The chief medical officer has not issued any such specific advice.
Medical Audit Schemes
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what pilot studies he has initiated into medical audit schemes ; what hospitals were involved ; what private hospitals have been subject to medical audit ; and which of the relevant Royal Colleges have recommended any such schemes.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : Effective systems of medical audit are already established in a number of hospitals and the benefits are widely recognised within the profession. The royal colleges are committed to the principle of medical audit and in many cases have played a major role in developing audit methods and promoting their use.
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Plastic Surgery
Sir John Farr : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he proposes to provide funds for a third consultant post in plastic surgery in Leicester.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : I announced in "Working for Patients" that we intend to fund centrally 100 additional consultant posts over the next three years. We will soon be inviting bids from health authorities for these posts. Whether individual bids succeed will depend on their meeting the criteria of the scheme. It is also open to health authorities themselves to fund new consultant posts as part of their normal service planning.
Electoral Registration Statistics
Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list in the Official Report the total number of people in each parliamentary constituency in England and Wales listed on (a) the electoral registers for 1988-89 and (b) the electoral registers for 1989-90.
Mr. Freeman : The total numbers of people listed on the electoral register for 1988-89 in each parliamentary constituency have been published by the OPCS in table 1.4 of "Electoral Statistics : 1988" (Series EL No. 15), a copy of which is in the Library. Similar figures for 1989-90 are still being collected from local electoral registration Officers. They will be included in "Electoral Statistics : 1989" (Series EL No. 16) which is scheduled for publication at the end of May.
Locum Doctors
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the cost by year, for the last five years, to the Trent regional health authority, by area health authority, for employing locum doctors ; what has been the national average over the same period ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Mellor [holding answer 12 December 1988] : Figures derived from the annual accounts of the district health authorities comprising the Trent region are shown in the table.
Equivalent expenditure in England represents an approximate annual average per authority (district health authorities and the special health authorities for the London postgraduate teaching hospitals) as follows :
|c|Expenditure on Non-NHS Staff (Agency, Etc) - Medical|c|
£ cash
Trent Region District |1983-84 |1984-85 |1985-86 |1986-87 |1987-88
Health Authorities
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
North Derbyshire |- |- |- |10,340 |4,149
Southern Derbyshire |14,829 |- |- |- |330,215
Leicestershire |660 |- |- |- |2,043
North Lincolnshire |- |- |- |2,706 |19,903
South Lincolnshire |- |230 |53,968 |128,774 |461,371
Bassetlaw |- |- |- |- |-
Central Nottinghamshire |- |- |- |- |-
Nottingham |- |- |- |11,361 |6,130
Barnsley |168 |358 |262 |42,685 |23,990
Doncaster |- |6,079 |49,060 |204,049 |164,169
Rotherham |1,261 |- |- |- |28,748
Sheffield |12,765 |477,968 |606,789 |653,210 |855,549
|----- |----- |----- |----- |-----
Total |29,683 |484,635 |710,079 |1,053,125 |1,896,257
Note:
The figures relate to the health authorities' provision of hospital and community health services and exclude the costs of directly employed NHS medical
staff engaged on locum duties.
However, these averages include data for the four Thames regions which tend to spend more in this category than other regions. In November 1988, health authorities were advised of the maximum rate they should pay to agencies supplying locum doctors for work in hospitals from 12 December 1988. We have no evidence that the advice has led to any significant reduction in the number of available agency locums ; and we are currently considering the outcome of widespread consultation on guidance to be issued to health authorities on their employment.
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|c|Expenditure on Non-NHS Staff (Agency, Etc) - Medical|c|
£ cash
Trent Region District |1983-84 |1984-85 |1985-86 |1986-87 |1987-88
Health Authorities
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
North Derbyshire |- |- |- |10,340 |4,149
Southern Derbyshire |14,829 |- |- |- |330,215
Leicestershire |660 |- |- |- |2,043
North Lincolnshire |- |- |- |2,706 |19,903
South Lincolnshire |- |230 |53,968 |128,774 |461,371
Bassetlaw |- |- |- |- |-
Central Nottinghamshire |- |- |- |- |-
Nottingham |- |- |- |11,361 |6,130
Barnsley |168 |358 |262 |42,685 |23,990
Doncaster |- |6,079 |49,060 |204,049 |164,169
Rotherham |1,261 |- |- |- |28,748
Sheffield |12,765 |477,968 |606,789 |653,210 |855,549
|----- |----- |----- |----- |-----
Total |29,683 |484,635 |710,079 |1,053,125 |1,896,257
Note:
The figures relate to the health authorities' provision of hospital and community health services and exclude the costs of directly employed NHS medical
staff engaged on locum duties.
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Polytechnics (Science and Engineering)
15. Mr. Bell : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proportion of places in science and engineering in polytechnics remain unfilled in the current year.
Mr. Jackson : Information on the number of places available in polytechnics is not held centrally either in total or by subject.
School Leavers (Qualifications)
16. Mr. Gill : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what advice he has given Her Majesty's inspectorate in the light of the number of school leavers with insufficient basic educational qualifications.
Mrs. Rumbold : The Government look to Her Majesty's inspectorate for independent advice on all educational matters. We look forward to studying its forthcoming review of the lower attaining pupils' programme, which we established in 1982. Provisional statistics indicate that, following the introduction of GCSE, the proportion of school leavers with qualifications in English, maths and French has increased significantly, as has the proportion of 16-year-olds gaining five or more results at grade C or above.
Food Research
17. Mr. Cummings : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are his responsibilities for food research.
Mr. Jackson : The Department is responsible, through the science budget, for funding research by the research councils. This includes work relevant to food undertaken by the Agricultural and Food Research Council and the Medical Research Council.
Grant-maintained Schools
18. Ms. Mowlam : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received in respect of his letter of guidance to local authorities about the conduct of ballots for grant- maintained schools.
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Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received in respect of his letter of guidance concerning the conduct of ballots for grant-maintained schools.
Mrs. Rumbold : Parents, governors and others continue to make known to my right hon. Friend their concerns about the conduct of ballots on grant-maintained status.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many schools have applied to him for grant-maintained status ; and if he will make a statement.
36. Mr. Ray Powell : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many schools have applied to him for grant-maintained status ; and if he will make a statement.
39. Mr. Riddick : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many applications he has now received from schools wishing to opt out of local education authority control.
52. Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many schools have so far applied for grant-maintained status.
67. Mr. Sumberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many schools have now applied for grant-maintained status ; and when he expects to decide on those applications.
Mr. John L. Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about the number of schools seeking to opt out under the Education Reform Act.
Mrs. Rumbold : My right hon. Friend recently approved proposals for grant-maintained status published by Skegness grammar school and Audenshaw high school, and has today approved the proposal from St. James's School, Bolton. A further 11 schools have published such proposals, and 16 more have been required to do so by a positive vote of parents in a secret, postal ballot. My right hon. Friend will determine such proposals as quickly as the statutory procedures and his consideration of all the relevant factors permit. The Department understands that ballots are at present required to be held in respect of a further 13 schools. A large number of parents and governors continue to contact the Department about making applications for grant-maintained status.
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38. Mr. Colin Shepherd : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many ballots have taken place for schools to adopt grant-maintained status ; and if he will make a statement on the conduct of these ballots.
48. Mr. Roger King : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many schools have balloted on changing to grant-maintained status.
88. Mr. Leigh : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the latest ballots of parents for grant-maintained school status.
Mrs. Rumbold : Parents have voted in ballots on grant-maintained status at 49 schools. My right hon. Friend is determined to ensure that all such ballots, and the preliminaries to them, are properly conducted. The Department wrote recently on this matter to the chief education officers of all local education authorities in England. I have sent a copy of that letter to all hon. and right hon. Members in England and Wales, and a copy has been placed in the Library of both Houses.
42. Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the progress of local education authorities in disseminating correct information about grant-maintained status when changes of schools to such status are being contemplated.
63. Mr. Baldry : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the conduct of ballots for schools considering opting out.
68. Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will make a statement on intimidation in the context of schools deciding to apply for grant-maintained status.
Mrs. Rumbold : The Department's letter to local education authorities of 13 February sets out my right hon. Friend's views on these matters. It makes clear his concern about suggestions that some local education authorities may have been seeking to hinder or deter parents, governors and staff from considering a possible application for grant- maintained status, or from carrying out the statutory duties associated with such an application. It reminds local education authorities of their duties and responsibilities and of the need to ensure that any information they provide is accurate and represents a proper use of public funds.
50. Mr. Nicholas Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has had representations from the Grant- Maintained Schools Trust with regard to funding ; and if he will make a statement.
51. Mr. Hoyle : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received from the
Grant-Maintained Schools Trust with regard to funding ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : I refer hon. Members to the replies my right hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member for Blackburn (Mr. Straw) on Friday, 17 February at columns 416-417.
National Curriculum
19. Mr. Yeo : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what recent representations he has received regarding the national curriculum.
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86. Mr. Ken Hargreaves : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what progress he is making in introducing the national curriculum ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : We have received over 200 written comments from bodies representing various educational and other interests on the draft orders for mathematics and science published before Christmas. We shall take these into account in preparing final orders, which I expect to lay before the House early next month and which will start to come into effect in the autumn.
Nursery Education
20. Mr. Illsley : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to increase support for nursery education ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Bridgend (Mr. Griffiths).
Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals
21. Mr. Evennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he last met members of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals ; and what was discussed.
Mr. Jackson : My right hon. Friend often meets representatives of the CVCP to discuss a variety of issues.
Disabled People
22. Mr. Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps his Department is taking to monitor the implementation of sections 5 and 6 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Butcher : The primary responsibility for the implementation of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986 falls to my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Health. His social services inspectorate is undertaking a study of the implementation of the Act, including sections 5 and 6. Our two Departments will discuss the outcome of this study in due course.
University Research (Dual Funding)
23. Dr. Reid : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether it is his intention to maintain the principle of dual funding of research in all universities.
Mr. Jackson : We have no plans to depart from the principle of the present dual support approach to publicly funded research in universities. My right hon. Friend has advised the Universities Funding Council, which takes over university funding responsibilities, from the present University Grants Committee on 1 April 1989 that, within that framework, there needs to be greater concentration and selectivity of research ; that funding for research should be more clearly distinguished from funding for teaching ; and that the council should consider how judgments on the quality and quantity of research should influence its funding decisions.
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Education (Basildon)
24. Mr. Amess : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what recent correspondence he has received on education in Basildon.
Mr. Butcher : Apart from the recent letter from my hon. Friend, my right hon. Friend has received no recent correspondence on the organisation of education in Basildon.
St. Francis Xavier School, Woolton
25. Mr. Loyden : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received from parents and others on the future of St. Francis Xavier school, Woolton.
59. Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received concerning the future of St. Francis Xavier school, Woolton, Liverpool ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Angela Rumbold : My right hon. Friend has received four letters about the actions of the governing body of St. Francis Xavier School following their receipt of a request from parents that a ballot should be held on whether the school should seek grant-maintained status.
Student Loans
26. Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what discussions he has had with financial institutions concerning the Government's White Paper on student loans ; and if he will make a statement.
31. Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what discussions he has had with financial institutions concerning the Government's White Paper on student loans ; and if he will make a statement.
64. Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what discussions he has had with financial institutions concerning the Government's White Paper on student loans ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Jackson : My right hon. Friend met leaders of the clearing bank and building society sectors on two occasions before the publication of the White Paper. He and officials have been engaged in a series of discussions with a variety of financial institutions since then, and those discussions are continuing in a constructive spirit.
Food Safety
27. Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on his responsibilities for research into food safety.
Mr. Jackson : The Department is responsible, through the science budget, for funding research by the research
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councils. This includes work relevant to food safety undertaken by the Agricultural and Food Research Council and the Medical Research Council.72. Sir David Price : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has any plans to direct that the research councils increase research into the cleanliness and safety of foods for human consumption in the light of current public concern.
Mr. Jackson : No : the total resources available for science are distributed taking into account the needs of individual institutions and programmes, but that distribution is not determined by my Department. It is for councils to determine their expenditure on particular areas of research. However the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food does commission a considerable volume of research with the Agricultural and Food Research Council, a significant proportion of which is related specifically to food safety.
Capital Allocations
28. Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many local education authorities received a capital allocation for 1989-90 less than the figure shown as committed expenditure in their bid.
Mr. Butcher : A total of 48 local education authorities received a prescribed capital allocation for expenditure for 1989-90, less than the figure shown as committed expenditure in their plans. All local authorities were informed in December 1987 that committed expenditure arising from building works started in 1988-89 or earlier would be covered only up to the level of their provisional indications for 1989-90 and 1990-91. They were advised to contain their commitments within these figures except insofar as any excess could be financed from other sources--such as virement or capital receipts.
Women Teachers
29. Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to encourage more women into science and maths teaching.
Mr. Butcher : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given earlier today by my hon. Friend to the hon. Member for Gateshead, East (Ms. Quin).
Further Education
30. Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the statistical projections with regard to those remaining in full-time education after 16 years which are contained in the public expenditure White Paper.
Mr. Butcher : The relevant statistical projections contained in the public expenditure White Paper are :
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Thousands
|1988-89|1989-90|1990-91|1991-92
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Secondary school pupils over school leaving age |278 |261 |245 |235
Full-time and sandwich students (full-equivalents)
in maintained further education colleges |327 |320 |309 |300
Since the public expenditure White Paper was written, provisional information has shown that the proportion of 16-year-olds staying on in full-time education has risen from 46 per cent. to 49 per cent. between 1987 and 1988. Future projections will take account of this and other information as it becomes available.
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