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Mr. Grist : Regulations for classifying the quality of rivers have not yet been prepared. We will be consulting widely on proposals for possible revisions to the classification systems later in the spring. This represents the first stage in developing new systems of classification for rivers and estuaries which can, in due course, be embodied in regulations. I will arrange for the hon. Gentleman to receive a copy of the consultation paper when it is issued.
Accidents in the Home
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he intends to place a duty on Welsh district councils for each authority to appoint a home safety officer to tackle the problem of accidents in Welsh homes.
Mr. Grist : No. Home safety officers who are appointed by local authorities make an important contribution to accident prevention, but it is for an individual local authority to decide whether such an appointment is appropriate for any accident prevention strategy in its own area.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he plans to place a mandatory duty on Welsh local authorities to devise preventive measures to reduce the level of accidents in Welsh homes.
Mr. Grist : No. Welsh local authorities already have a statutory duty to enforce the safety legislation. They also
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engage in other accident prevention initiatives but decisions on what is appropriate or desirable in each area should be taken by the local authority itself in the light of local circumstances.Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what education or training initiatives he is planning to reduce the level of fatal and other serious accidents in Welsh homes.
Mr. Grist : Since 1987 my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has run a series of safety awareness and education campaigns throughout the United Kingdom. These have included child safety initiatives ; electrical safety awareness and, in particular, promoting the use of RCDs (residual current devices) and the publication of a guide to producing better instructions and warnings for consumer products. In Wales these campaigns have benefited greatly from the support of the Welsh local authorities. Some of the campaigns will be extended or repeated and over the next few months a number of further safety initiatives are planned.
South Beach Hotel, Tenby
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects CADW to announce a decision on the appeal under the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 by Mr. P. T. Harris in respect of the South Beach hotel, Tenby.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : Mr. Harris has submitted four appeals in respect of the South Beach hotel. The appeals, made under section 88 and section 97 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 are being considered concurrently.
My right hon. Friend is aware of the need to reach speedy decisions on all planning matters which come before him and decisions on these appeals will be issued as soon as possible.
Hospital Referrals
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the hospital referral rate per 1,000 of population for each family practitioner committee in Wales in the latest available year.
Mr. Grist : The information is not immediately available. I will write to the hon. Gentleman as soon as possible and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Prescribing Costs
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the per capita prescribing cost for each family practitioner committee in Wales for the latest available year.
Mr. Grist : The information which relates to prescriptions submitted for payment during 1988, is shown in the following table :
|c|Average total cost per
person on NHS prescribing
lists|c|
|£
----------------------------
Clwyd |53.31
Dyfed |51.94
Gwent |53.77
Gwynedd |57.15
Mid Glamorgan |58.08
Powys |50.07
South Glamorgan |48.47
West Glamorgan |54.97
Set-aside Schemes
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many farmers in (a) Pembrokeshire and (b) Wales have applied for set-aside payments ; and what is the total acreage for which claims have been made and the total amount claimed in each category.
Mr. Peter Walker : Fifteen farmers from the Preseli Pembrokeshire and South Pembrokeshire districts have applied to join the scheme, entering a total of 295 hectares. The figures for Wales are 35 farmers involving 1,008 hectares. Since payments are made annually in arreas, no claims are yet due.
Farmers (Income)
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has as to the total income of farmers in Wales, in the latest year for which figures are available, from (a) farming and (b) other activities ; and what were the comparable figures for 1984 and 1979.
Mr. Peter Walker : Based on the Inland Revenue's survey of personal incomes, details of which are to be published shortly in "Farm Incomes in the United Kingdom" the total incomes of self employed individuals in agriculture in Wales assessed for tax were as follows :
£ million
|Income from Agriculture|Income from other |Total Income
|and Horticulture |activities
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1985-86 |160.1 |94.9 |255.0
1984-85 |159.3 |111.6 |270.9
Figures for Wales for the year 1979-80 are not available except at disproportionate cost.
Patients (Gwynedd)
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many patients in Gwynedd receive treatment for ileostomy, colostomy and urostomy ; and if he will give the number in each category on a constituency basis.
Mr. Grist : Information in the form requested is not available. The available information on operations performed on residents from Gwynedd as in-patients or day cases at Welsh hospitals is shown in the following table. The information relates to 1987 :
Op Code/Description |Number
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
453 Enterostomy (ileostomy) |0
454 Anastomosis of intestine (including ileo-
colostomy) |2
460 Colectomy and resection (including
colostomy and ileostomy) |64
462 Primary colostomy |4
464 Colon by-pass |1
533 Anastomosis of pancreatic duct (including
ileo-pancreatostomy) |0
591 Urinary diversion to bladder |2
592 Urinary diversion to bowel |0
593 Urinary diversion: anastomosis |1
594 Urinary diversion: other |1
595 Repair of urinary tract |2
|--
Total |77
Note: These figures include six Gwynedd residents treated in Clwyd and four Gwynedd
residents treated in East Dyfed.
NHS Reform
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will be publishing supplementary working papers on the future organisation of the National Health Service in Wales ; what programme of consultation with which organisations will be undertaken ; and how the general public will be informed of the details not included in the White Paper itself.
Mr. Grist : In addition to the working papers on the implementation of the proposals contained in the White Paper "Working For Patients" which the Welsh Office has already circulated to interested bodies in the NHS in Wales, further guidance will be issued during the course of the year as appropriate.
We have already had discussions about the White Paper with the Wales TUC and are shortly to meet the chairman of district health authorities, family practitioner committees, and the statutory advisory committees and representatives of NHS staff organisations and health care professions. In addition, officials of the Welsh Office are engaged upon a round of discussions with a range of NHS interests.
We have already announced that there will be public consultation later this year to provide clearer and more focused representation of consumer interests. We shall announce decisions on the details of particular proposals as appropriate.
Report (Bristol University)
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he proposes to publish the commissioned report of the School for Advanced Urban Studies, university of Bristol, made for his housing department ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Grist : We are still awaiting the final report from the School for Advanced Urban Studies.
Bed and Breakfast Accommodation
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a table showing for each area of Wales the number of people who are dependent on their local authority providing them with bed and breakfast.
Mr. Grist : The numbers of households accommodated in bed and breakfast accommodation at 31 December 1988 under part III of the Housing Act 1985 in each district authority is given in the following table. The number of persons in those households is not available centrally.
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|c|Number of households
accommodated in bed and
breakfast|c|
|c|at 31 December 1988<1>|c|
|Number
----------------------------------
Aberconwy |-
Alyn and Deeside |-
Arfon |-
Blaenau Gwent |-
Brecknock |1
Cardiff |23
Carmarthen |1
Ceredigion |1
Colwyn |-
Cynon Valley |-
Delyn |1
Dinefwr |2
Dwyfor |-
Glyndwr |-
Islwyn |1
Llanelli |-
Lliw Valley |-
Meirionnydd |-
Merthyr Tydfil |-
Monmouth |-
Montgomery |-
Neath |-
Newport |-
Ogwr |-
Port Talbot |-
Preseli |8
Radnor |-
Rhondda |-
Rhuddlan |-
Rhymney Valley |3
South Pembrokeshire |-
Swansea |-
Taff-Ely |-
Torfaen |-
Vale of Glamorgan |-
Wrexham Maelor |-
Ynys Mon |-
Wales Total |41
<1> Under Part III of the Housing
Act 1985.
Rating Reform
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Bridgend of 27 February, Official Report, column 19, concerning expenditure provision of £9 million in the 1989-90 rate support grant settlement to cover the cost of implementing the poll tax, what proportion of that sum the actual cash grant will represent.
Mr. Grist : Rate support grant is paid to all authorities in Wales in support of their expenditure generally and is not hypothecated. It is not therefore possible to calculate a notional allocation of grant to any particular function.
Schools
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many schools there were in Wales in 1979 ; and how many there are in the current year.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : The information requested is shown in the following table :
Number of Schools in Wales
|January 1979|January 1989
----------------------------------------------------
Nursery |70 |56
Primary |1,930 |1,744
Secondary |244 |232
Special |74 |64
Independent |<1>71 |65
|--- |---
Total |2,389 |2,161
<1> Includes three direct grant schools.
Teachers
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many teachers there are in Wales (a) in primary schools and (b) in secondary schools in the current year ; and what were the corresponding numbers in May 1979.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : The information available relates to January 1979 and September 1988. At those dates the numbers in full-time equivalent terms, of teachers in Wales is shown in the following tables :
|January 1979 |September 1988
---------------------------------------------------------------
Primary Schools |13,581 |11,724
Secondary Schools |14,413 |12,504
These figures must, of course, be considered in the light of falling pupil numbers as follows :
|January 1979 |September 1988
--------------------------------------------------------------
Primary pupils |298,196 |255,869
Secondary pupils |241,662 |192,803
Pupil : teacher ratios have improved over the period as follows :
|January 1979 |September 1988
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Primary pupils/teacher |22.0 |21.8
Secondary pupils/teacher |16.8 |15.4
Hospital Closures
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many hospitals have been closed in Wales since may 1979 ; how many hospital beds there were in May 1979 in Wales ; and what is the number for the present day.
Mr. Grist : Since 1 May 1979 the number of hospitals which have closed, and are still closed, is 22. However during the same period seven hospitals (including four district general hospitals) have opened.
The available information on the number of staffed beds allocated, as at 31 March, is as follows :
|Number
---------------------
1979 |23,693
1988 |21,242
Council House Sales
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many council houses have been sold to sitting tenants in Wales since May 1979 ; what is the total value of the houses sold since 1979 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Grist : A total of 66,593 local authority dwellings were sold to sitting tenants between April 1979 and
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December 1988. The value of these dwellings is not available. The capital value (net of discount) of the total of 66,875 dwellings sold during that period, which includes sales other than those to sitting tenants, was however £564 million.Council Houses
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many council houses have been built since May 1979 ; what is the estimated value ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Grist : A total of 17,662 local authority dwellings have been built since May 1979. Information on the value of these buildings is not available centrally.
Housing Waiting Lists
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the number of people currently on the waiting lists of Welsh housing authorities ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Grist : Information on the number of people on housing waiting lists is not held centrally.
Homelessness
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many homeless persons there are estimated to be in Wales ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Grist : The normal measure of statutory homelessness is given by cases accepted by local authorities under part III of the Housing Act 1985. The number of persons in households accepted as homeless during the third quarter of 1988 (July-September) was 4,534.
Bristol Channel (Sewage)
Mr. Speller : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the Welsh Water Authority's intention to build a sewerage outlet one mile out into the Bristol channel from Swansea ; if planning permission has been given ; and if he will make a statement on the anticipated environmental effect of raw sewage flooding into the Bristol channel.
Mr. Grist : Welsh water authority has proposals for improving the quality of Swansea bay, which currently fails to meet the standards of the EC bathing water directive. Whilst the provision of a long sea outfall is likely to form part of the improvements, planning approval for which would not be required, details have yet to be finalised. Sewage discharged to sea is treated through the disinfecting action of salt water, sunlight and waves which together break down the bacteria as effectively as inland treatment. That is why the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution concluded in its 10th report that with well designed sewage outfalls, the discharge of sewage to the sea was not only acceptable but environmentally preferable in many cases to alternative means of disposal.
Roads in Wales"
Mr. Gwilym Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he plans to publish the new editions of "Roads in Wales".
Column 383
Mr. Wyn Roberts : I am pleased to say that it has been published today. Copies are available in the Vote Office, and have also been placed in the Library of the House.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Royal Ulster Constabulary (Firearms)
Mr. McCusker : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will state the conditions with regard to the carrying of firearms which have to be observed by Royal Ulster Constabulary officers whilst in the territory of the Irish Republic for the purpose of discussing anti- terrorist co-operation with their counterparts in the police force of the Republic.
Mr. Ian Stewart : Authorisation for the carrying of firearms by officers of the Royal Ulster Constabulary whether on or off duty is confined to Northern Ireland.
Advertising
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the latest figure for the estimated spending in 1988-89 by the Northern Ireland Office on (a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) newspaper advertising and (d) other promotional material ; and what is the 1989-90 budget for each of these categories of spending.
Dr. Mawhinney [holding answer 13 March 1989] : The information is not available in the form requested. However, the latest figure for the estimated spending on all advertising and other promotional material for my Department in 1988-89 is £4,782,821. The estimated budget for 1989-90 is £4,777,950.
Press and Public Relations
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the latest figures for the number of staff presently employed, and the full complement of staff, including vacant posts, in the press and public relations office of the Northern Ireland Office ; and what is the proposed complement for 1989-90.
Dr. Mawhinney [holding answer 13 March 1989] : At present 50 staff are employed in the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Departments. The full complement, including vacant posts, is 52. The proposed complement for 1989-90 is 51.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the latest figure for (a) the estimated expenditure by his Department on press and public relations during 1988-89 and (b) the budget for 1989-90.
Dr. Mawhinney [holding answer 13 March 1989] : The latest figure for the total estimated expenditure on press and public relations during 1988-89 is £1,174,402.
The total budget for 1989-90 is £1,310,700.
RUC Traffic Division
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the strength of the Royal Ulster Constabulary traffic division in each year since 1980 to the latest available date ; and whether there are any plans to increase it.
Column 384
Mr. Ian Stewart [holding answer 23 March 1989] : The information requested is not readily available prior to 1985 and could be obtained only at disproprtinate cost. The available information is as follows :
Year |RUC Traffic Division
|(Strength)
---------------------------------------------------------------
31 December 1985 |401
31 December 1986 |363
31 December 1987 |361
31 December 1988 |316
20 March 1989 |312
The operational strength of the RUC's traffic division is a matter for the chief constable.
Kincora Boys' Home
Mr. Livingstone : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many civil servants investigated in the inquiry into the Kincora boys' home in 1982 by Sir George Terry are still employed by his Department.
Mr. Ian Stewart [holding answer 4 April 1988] : I have nothing to add to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member on 26 February 1988 at column 322.
Information Units
Mr. Livingstone : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which parts of the information policy unit, the information liaison unit and the information planning unit are still in operation ; and what was the status of each such unit within the structure of his Department at the time it was most recently in existence.
Mr. Ian Stewart [holding answer 4 April 1989] : I have nothing to add to the answer given to the hon. Member on 23 May 1988 at columns 36-37.
SCOTLAND
Catholic Marriage Advisory Council
Mr. Steel : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the withdrawal of funding for the Scottish Catholic Marriage Advisory Council by the social work services group.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : I am considering a number of representations made by and on behalf of the Scottish Catholic Marriage Advisory Council against the recent decision not to award it a training grant under section 9 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968. The council will be informed of my decision as soon as possible.
Nurses (Grading)
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the total number of appeals against regrading which have been received in each Scottish health board area ; how many have now been assessed ; and how many have resulted in a subsequent upgrading of the nurse's grade.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Greenock and Port Glasgow (Dr. Godman) on 6 April 1989.
Column 385
Water Rates
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the representations he has had regarding the commercial effects of increased water rates ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Representations expressing concern about the effect of increased water rates have been received on behalf of 12 trade and business associations, eight companies and one community council group.
I would refer to the answers I gave the hon. Member on 15 February at columns 218-20.
Suicides
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish what information he has on the number of suicides and attempted suicides which have occurred in Scotland in each year since 1979.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The information available is as follows :
|Number of Suicides<1>|Number of in-patient
|discharges for self-
|inflicted injury or
|poisoning<2>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979 |494 |9,916
1980 |515 |8,609
1981 |517 |9,474
1982 |563 |9,269
1983 |505 |8,707
1984 |519 |9,337
1985 |569 |9,118
1986 |568 |8,963
1987 |522 |9,306
Data source:
<1> Registrar General for Scotland
<2> Scottish hospital data within admissions category "Emergency-Deliberate self
inflicted injury or poisoning."
Transport Users Consultative Committee
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report the names and addresses of the current members of the Transport Users Consultative Committee for Scotland.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The current membership of the committee was published in its annual report for 1987-88. Mr. John Corrie was appointed chairman to the committee in succession to Colonel W. A. Dalziel in December 1988. Copies of the report are available in the House of Commons Library and may also be obtained from :
The Secretary
Scottish Transport Users Consultative Committee
249 West George Street
Glasgow
G2 4QE
through whom contact with individual members may also be made.
Head Injuries
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what facilities currently exist in Scotland for intensive specialised rehabilitation of traumatic brain damage caused by head injury ; what plans he has to set up such a specialised unit ; and if he will make a statement ;
Column 386
(2) what steps have been taken to implement the Mair report recommendation in 1972 that two specialised centres providing specialist rehabilitation treatment for traumatic brain damage through head injury were required in Scotland ;(3) if he will estimate the annual additional need that arises every year in Scotland for places which provide specialist rehabilitation for patients who suffer traumatic brain damage through head injury ;
(4) what proportion of the population suffer from permanent long term disability following head injury ; and what is the average age at the time of the injury and the average life expectancy thereafter ;
(5) what specialist training and advice is given to care professionals treating patients with traumatic brain damage caused by head injury ;
(6) what medical studies have been carried out into the special needs of those who suffer traumatic brain damage through injury ; (7) what evidence exists to demonstrate the efficacy of specialist rehabilitation of patients who suffer traumatic brain damage through head injury ;
(8) what advice is given to area health boards regarding the provision of specialist rehabilitation of patients with traumatic brain damage caused by head injury, and what checks are made on the quality of long-term care provided to such patients by the area health boards.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Provision of specialist treatment and rehabilitation facilities for head injured patients in Scotland is a matter for individual health boards. The Scottish Home and Health Department is currently considering as a matter of urgency the needs of brain-injured patients and the most appropriate form of rehabilitation facility which is required. The Mair report did not make a specific recommendation that two specialised centres were required.
It is understood that around 100 patients each year are left with severe disability following traumatic brain injury. The average age of these patients is around 28 and life expectancy is 30 or 40 years. All doctors, nurses and members of paramedical professions receive basic training in rehabilitation techniques. The two main centres for the treatment and rehabilitation of patients with traumatic brain injury are located in Edinburgh and Glasgow respectively and it is there that care professionals can gain training and experience. A wide range of studies has been carried out into the special needs of brain-damaged patients, and a number demonstrate the efficacy of specialist rehabilitation.
Boards providing general rehabilitation services are aware of the more specialised facilities available in Edinburgh and Glasgow for more severe cases of head injury and can seek advice if necessary. Patients are referred from other boards to these specialised facilities. Long-term in- patient care is provided generally within psychiatric or geriatric hospitals. Both are inspected regularly by the Scottish Hospital Advisory Service ; in addition the Mental Welfare Commission makes annual visits to all mental hospitals.
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