Previous Section Home Page

Mr. Cope : Appointment of private sector training consultants is made on the basis of competitive tender within the guidelines applicable to Civil Service departments generally.

Unemployment Benefit

Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many claims for unemployment benefit have been received, since the increase in the maximum number of weeks' suspension of unemployment benefit from 13 weeks to 26 weeks, at unemployment benefit


Column 138

offices in (a) Doncaster, and (b) Mexborough ; and what were the comparable figures for the period April 1987 to April 1988.

Mr. Lee : The table shows the total inflow to the claimant count at unemployment benefit offices in Doncaster and Mexborough in the 11 months to March 1989. Figures for the year to April 1988 are not currently available analysed according to unemployment benefit office, as suitable computer programmes have only recently been developed.


Inflow of unemployed claimants at Doncaster and Mexborough           

unemployment benefit offices                                         

UBO                    |May 1988 to March 1989                       

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Doncaster A            |5,949                                        

Doncaster B            |5,454                                        

Doncaster C            |5,242                                        

Mexborough             |4,226                                        

Coal Dust Pollution

Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what progress has been made with the development of the optical scattering instantaneous respirable dust indicating system to reduce coal dust pollution in mines.

Mr. Nicholls : The laboratory development of the optical scattering instantaneous respirable dust indicating system (OSIRIS) by the Health and Safety Executive is complete. The technology has been transferred to industry through the British Technology Group and the system is now available commercially. The only continuing HSE involvement is provision of technical advice to licensees.

HEALTH

Nurses and Midwives

Mr. Knox : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses and midwives were employed in National Health Service hospitals in each year since 1959, expressed in terms of whole-time equivalents.

Mr. Mellor : The information requested is given in the table.


Column 139


National Health Service hospital nursing and midwifery staff            

at 30 September each year                                               

Whole-time equivalents                                                  

Year              |England and Wales|England                            

------------------------------------------------------------------------

1959              |196,000          |-                                  

1960              |197,900          |-                                  

1961              |198,900          |-                                  

1962              |205,300          |-                                  

1963              |207,700          |-                                  

1964              |212,400          |-                                  

1965              |222,400          |-                                  

1966              |231,500          |-                                  

1967              |239,300          |-                                  

1968              |241,300          |-                                  

1969              |245,900          |-                                  

1970              |252,800          |-                                  

1971              |263,500          |256,100                            

1972              |-                |272,500                            

1973              |-                |276,400                            

1974              |-                |281,300                            

1975              |-                |304,600                            

1976              |-                |306,200                            

1977              |-                |306,300                            

1978              |-                |313,000                            

1979              |-                |319,300                            

1980              |-                |330,200                            

1981              |-                |347,700                            

1982              |-                |351,900                            

1983              |-                |350,500                            

1984              |-                |350,400                            

1985              |-                |352,500                            

1986              |-                |354,700                            

1987              |-                |356,100                            

Source: Department of Health (SM13) annual census of National Health    

Service non-medical manpower.                                           

Notes:                                                                  

1. Includes qualified nurses and midwives, learners and unqualified     

nursing staff.                                                          

2. The England and Wales figures are based on a slightly different      

definition to those for England. In addition, because of changes and    

improvements in the collection and processing of the data between 1959  

and 1987 the information is not strictly comparable. England only       

figures are not available prior to 1971.                                

3. The figures have not been adjusted for changes in the working week   

introduced over the period shown.                                       

4. Figures rounded to the nearest 100 whole-time equivalents.           

Hospital Beds

Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give, for the latest available year, the total number of hospital beds in each district health authority in England for each of the following service : (a) general medical services, (b) general surgical services, (c) all non- psychiatric acute services, (d) geriatrics, (e) maternity, (f) mental illness, (g) mental handicap and (h) all hospital beds.

Mr. Mellor : The available information for England is given in the table.


Column 139


Average daily available beds by ward type, by District Health Authority, 1987-88                                                                                                                                                  

District Health Authority                   |<1>Acute                 |General patients elderly |Maternity                |Mental illness           |<2>Mental handicap       |<2>Total                                           

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Northern                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Hartlepool                                  |342                      |158                      |58                       |84                       |0                        |642                                                

North Tees                                  |429                      |183                      |76                       |142                      |39                       |869                                                

South Tees                                  |1,019                    |320                      |116                      |314                      |0                        |1,768                                              

East Cumbria                                |540                      |276                      |58                       |590                      |0                        |1,465                                              

South Cumbria                               |390                      |291                      |59                       |65                       |5                        |810                                                

West Cumbria                                |312                      |207                      |53                       |118                      |246                      |935                                                

Darlington                                  |413                      |163                      |46                       |17                       |380                      |1,019                                              

Durham                                      |447                      |235                      |52                       |77                       |265                      |1,075                                              

North West Durham                           |339                      |171                      |35                       |51                       |0                        |596                                                

South West Durham                           |308                      |216                      |63                       |1,005                    |22                       |1,614                                              

Northumberland                              |654                      |341                      |97                       |751                      |1,533                    |3,376                                              

Gateshead                                   |467                      |236                      |64                       |528                      |0                        |1,295                                              

Newcastle                                   |1,935                    |489                      |142                      |629                      |0                        |3,195                                              

North Tyneside                              |398                      |209                      |60                       |14                       |0                        |680                                                

South Tyneside                              |378                      |173                      |58                       |138                      |69                       |816                                                

Sunderland                                  |1,082                    |408                      |116                      |681                      |27                       |2,315                                              

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Yorkshire                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Hull                                        |1,012                    |264                      |68                       |11                       |473                      |1,827                                              

East Yorkshire                              |481                      |236                      |66                       |673                      |0                        |1,455                                              

Grimsby                                     |450                      |224                      |65                       |43                       |132                      |914                                                

Scunthorpe                                  |399                      |235                      |58                       |53                       |115                      |859                                                

Northallerton                               |260                      |81                       |32                       |0                        |36                       |408                                                

York                                        |691                      |324                      |82                       |750                      |218                      |2,066                                              

Scarborough                                 |351                      |177                      |45                       |49                       |0                        |621                                                

Harrogate                                   |501                      |210                      |59                       |47                       |94                       |910                                                

Bradford                                    |1,129                    |436                      |185                      |218                      |363                      |2,330                                              

Airedale                                    |425                      |226                      |72                       |449                      |78                       |1,250                                              

Calderdale                                  |472                      |310                      |92                       |179                      |91                       |1,144                                              

Huddersfield                                |445                      |339                      |52                       |813                      |45                       |1,693                                              

Dewsbury                                    |394                      |230                      |84                       |0                        |0                        |708                                                

Leeds Western                               |1,338                    |507                      |112                      |852                      |0                        |2,809                                              

Leeds Eastern                               |1,235                    |412                      |142                      |155                      |460                      |2,404                                              

Wakefield                                   |584                      |170                      |56                       |741                      |259                      |1,810                                              

Pontefract                                  |373                      |241                      |59                       |154                      |0                        |827                                                

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Trent                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

North Derbyshire                            |579                      |390                      |82                       |232                      |372                      |1,655                                              

Southern Derbyshire                         |1,080                    |548                      |138                      |1,057                    |398                      |3,221                                              

Leicestershire                              |1,865                    |844                      |299                      |1,149                    |640                      |4,796                                              

North Lincolnshire                          |763                      |293                      |68                       |459                      |195                      |1,778                                              

South Lincolnshire                          |638                      |315                      |95                       |414                      |211                      |1,672                                              

Bassetlaw                                   |217                      |131                      |30                       |82                       |20                       |480                                                

Central Nottinghamshire                     |757                      |315                      |89                       |149                      |257                      |1,567                                              

Nottingham                                  |1,729                    |609                      |271                      |965                      |98                       |3,671                                              

Barnsley                                    |524                      |269                      |56                       |202                      |60                       |1,110                                              

Doncaster                                   |738                      |310                      |103                      |290                      |239                      |1,681                                              

Rotherham                                   |567                      |265                      |67                       |207                      |152                      |1,258                                              

Sheffield                                   |2,279                    |827                      |218                      |966                      |389                      |4,679                                              

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

East Anglian                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Cambridge                                   |769                      |324                      |94                       |409                      |185                      |1,781                                              

Peterborough                                |633                      |230                      |106                      |115                      |64                       |1,148                                              

West Suffolk                                |551                      |310                      |86                       |128                      |153                      |1,227                                              

East Suffolk                                |785                      |539                      |96                       |691                      |154                      |2,265                                              

Norwich                                     |1,350                    |560                      |107                      |847                      |544                      |3,408                                              

Great Yarmouth and Waveney                  |509                      |214                      |56                       |168                      |77                       |1,024                                              

West Norfolk and Wisbech                    |380                      |253                      |59                       |137                      |42                       |871                                                

Huntingdon                                  |295                      |108                      |40                       |15                       |0                        |458                                                

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

North West Thames                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

North Bedfordshire                          |493                      |245                      |45                       |68                       |298                      |1,149                                              

South Bedfordshire                          |484                      |196                      |92                       |733                      |26                       |1,531                                              

North Hertfordshire                         |411                      |228                      |76                       |71                       |0                        |786                                                

East Hertfordshire                          |366                      |194                      |54                       |95                       |0                        |709                                                

North West Hertfordshire                    |437                      |256                      |54                       |397                      |2,686                    |3,830                                              

South West Hertfordshire                    |362                      |229                      |75                       |53                       |0                        |719                                                

Barnet                                      |672                      |552                      |103                      |840                      |0                        |2,167                                              

Harrow                                      |487                      |158                      |89                       |86                       |0                        |819                                                

Hillingdon                                  |830                      |266                      |71                       |54                       |0                        |1,221                                              

Hounslow and Spelthorne                     |759                      |219                      |118                      |157                      |0                        |1,254                                              

Ealing                                      |353                      |163                      |55                       |835                      |0                        |1,405                                              

Brent                                       |378                      |270                      |56                       |846                      |89                       |1,639                                              

Paddington and North Kensington             |749                      |139                      |55                       |108                      |11                       |1,062                                              

Riverside                                   |1,220                    |272                      |82                       |1,255                    |0                        |2,829                                              

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

North East Thames                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Basildon and Thurrock                       |642                      |270                      |120                      |134                      |637                      |1,802                                              

Mid Essex                                   |628                      |356                      |92                       |55                       |247                      |1,377                                              

North East Essex                            |579                      |352                      |82                       |628                      |529                      |2,170                                              

West Essex                                  |575                      |283                      |73                       |154                      |81                       |1,167                                              

Southend                                    |592                      |302                      |86                       |620                      |0                        |1,600                                              

Barking, Havering and Brentwood             |1,206                    |516                      |98                       |767                      |132                      |2,719                                              

Hampstead                                   |599                      |129                      |60                       |878                      |0                        |1,666                                              

Bloomsbury                                  |1,468                    |102                      |85                       |157                      |0                        |1,812                                              

Islington                                   |458                      |224                      |77                       |81                       |0                        |839                                                

City and Hackney                            |1,161                    |72                       |105                      |148                      |0                        |1,485                                              

Newham                                      |474                      |280                      |87                       |6                        |29                       |877                                                

Tower Hamlets                               |767                      |231                      |88                       |156                      |0                        |1,242                                              

Enfield                                     |432                      |271                      |86                       |128                      |73                       |990                                                

Haringey                                    |581                      |242                      |102                      |68                       |7                        |1,001                                              

Redbridge                                   |391                      |258                      |78                       |705                      |14                       |1,446                                              

Waltham Forest                              |626                      |372                      |67                       |888                      |223                      |2,176                                              

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

South East Thames                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Brighton                                    |919                      |334                      |61                       |164                      |43                       |1,521                                              

Eastbourne                                  |518                      |273                      |52                       |321                      |99                       |1,262                                              

Hastings                                    |380                      |270                      |62                       |46                       |101                      |859                                                

South East Kent                             |606                      |319                      |79                       |50                       |29                       |1,083                                              

Canterbury and Thanet                       |774                      |301                      |99                       |644                      |156                      |1,975                                              

Dartford and Gravesham                      |548                      |188                      |88                       |394                      |391                      |1,608                                              

Maidstone                                   |355                      |158                      |116                      |686                      |32                       |1,346                                              

Medway                                      |575                      |238                      |107                      |55                       |20                       |996                                                

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Tunbridge Wells                             |717                      |246                      |64                       |79                       |584                      |1,689                                              

Bexley                                      |302                      |177                      |82                       |738                      |0                        |1,299                                              

Greenwich                                   |797                      |244                      |90                       |69                       |49                       |1,249                                              

Bromley                                     |570                      |234                      |64                       |691                      |119                      |1,677                                              

West Lambeth                                |744                      |135                      |89                       |747                      |0                        |1,715                                              

Camberwell                                  |862                      |189                      |93                       |98                       |0                        |1,242                                              

Lewisham and North Southwark                |1,092                    |230                      |103                      |155                      |138                      |1,718                                              

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

South West Thames                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

North West Surrey                           |478                      |167                      |75                       |192                      |620                      |1,532                                              

West Surrey and North East Hants            |398                      |235                      |35                       |80                       |172                      |920                                                

South West Surrey                           |580                      |170                      |27                       |710                      |0                        |1,487                                              

Mid Surrey                                  |395                      |150                      |55                       |716                      |740                      |2,054                                              

East Surrey                                 |375                      |209                      |39                       |557                      |617                      |1,797                                              

Chichester                                  |435                      |92                       |47                       |461                      |54                       |1,088                                              

Mid Downs                                   |457                      |242                      |77                       |497                      |282                      |1,554                                              

Worthing                                    |477                      |420                      |33                       |29                       |44                       |1,003                                              

Croydon                                     |660                      |298                      |74                       |447                      |878                      |2,356                                              

Kingston and Esher                          |454                      |154                      |26                       |708                      |0                        |1,342                                              

Richmond, Twickenham and Roehampton         |385                      |224                      |37                       |15                       |172                      |834                                                

Wandsworth                                  |954                      |188                      |65                       |832                      |37                       |2,075                                              

Merton and Sutton                           |710                      |284                      |105                      |174                      |825                      |2,098                                              

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Wessex                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

East Dorset                                 |1,085                    |658                      |153                      |235                      |0                        |2,132                                              

West Dorset                                 |405                      |249                      |96                       |252                      |166                      |1,168                                              

Portsmouth and South East Hampshire         |1,023                    |440                      |146                      |370                      |354                      |2,332                                              

Southampton and South West Hampshire        |1,246                    |318                      |150                      |599                      |400                      |2,712                                              

Winchester                                  |399                      |233                      |66                       |55                       |0                        |753                                                

Basingstoke and North Hampshire             |472                      |182                      |44                       |554                      |0                        |1,251                                              

Salisbury                                   |455                      |174                      |47                       |223                      |0                        |899                                                

Swindon                                     |501                      |229                      |79                       |58                       |275                      |1,143                                              

Bath                                        |1,015                    |578                      |139                      |596                      |32                       |2,360                                              

Isle of Wight                               |296                      |143                      |36                       |105                      |11                       |591                                                

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Oxford                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

East Berkshire                              |690                      |235                      |107                      |149                      |315                      |1,495                                              

West Berkshire                              |897                      |290                      |129                      |436                      |451                      |2,203                                              

Aylesbury Vale                              |548                      |132                      |47                       |372                      |184                      |1,283                                              

Wycombe                                     |400                      |237                      |65                       |34                       |3                        |738                                                

Milton Keynes                               |253                      |88                       |65                       |42                       |0                        |448                                                

Kettering                                   |431                      |294                      |61                       |129                      |11                       |925                                                

Northampton                                 |669                      |302                      |76                       |398                      |297                      |1,742                                              

Oxfordshire                                 |1,390                    |478                      |196                      |441                      |247                      |2,751                                              

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

South Western                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Bristol and Weston                          |1,137                    |193                      |135                      |304                      |244                      |2,012                                              

Frenchay                                    |533                      |406                      |12                       |475                      |867                      |2,293                                              

Southmead                                   |573                      |89                       |110                      |55                       |651                      |1,477                                              

Cornwall and Isles of Scilly                |793                      |454                      |113                      |746                      |217                      |2,322                                              

Exeter                                      |1,050                    |398                      |80                       |450                      |259                      |2,236                                              

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

North Devon                                 |335                      |201                      |41                       |109                      |26                       |712                                                

Plymouth                                    |1,125                    |451                      |133                      |348                      |30                       |2,087                                              

Torbay                                      |675                      |270                      |54                       |166                      |14                       |1,179                                              

Cheltenham                                  |515                      |301                      |45                       |4                        |34                       |899                                                

Gloucester                                  |817                      |285                      |119                      |627                      |130                      |1,978                                              

Somerset                                    |1,151                    |440                      |128                      |909                      |323                      |2,951                                              

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

West Midlands                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Bromsgrove and Redditch                     |388                      |108                      |51                       |351                      |0                        |898                                                

Herefordshire                               |450                      |180                      |44                       |186                      |75                       |935                                                

Kidderminster and District                  |225                      |138                      |24                       |77                       |368                      |832                                                

Worcester and District                      |492                      |246                      |65                       |331                      |0                        |1,134                                              

Shropshire                                  |1,096                    |492                      |145                      |409                      |2                        |2,144                                              

Mid Staffordshire                           |440                      |239                      |66                       |445                      |0                        |1,189                                              

North Staffordshire                         |1,181                    |656                      |179                      |778                      |490                      |3,283                                              

South East Staffordshire                    |500                      |391                      |68                       |735                      |0                        |1,694                                              

Rugby                                       |142                      |49                       |23                       |0                        |0                        |213                                                

North Warwickshire                          |313                      |119                      |71                       |30                       |557                      |1,090                                              

South Warwickshire                          |592                      |277                      |54                       |438                      |255                      |1,615                                              

Central Birmingham                          |1,072                    |224                      |125                      |199                      |0                        |1,619                                              

East Birmingham                             |668                      |194                      |0                        |0                        |0                        |862                                                

North Birmingham                            |350                      |137                      |88                       |476                      |0                        |1,050                                              

South Birmingham                            |879                      |388                      |73                       |361                      |363                      |2,063                                              

West Birmingham                             |760                      |494                      |90                       |540                      |0                        |1,884                                              

Coventry                                    |881                      |343                      |125                      |277                      |0                        |1,626                                              

Dudley                                      |803                      |327                      |89                       |153                      |155                      |1,527                                              

Sandwell                                    |521                      |260                      |73                       |17                       |0                        |871                                                

Solihull                                    |248                      |97                       |117                      |329                      |134                      |925                                                

Walsall                                     |420                      |313                      |66                       |14                       |649                      |1,463                                              

Wolverhampton                               |760                      |335                      |126                      |208                      |0                        |1,429                                              

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Mersey                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Chester                                     |438                      |265                      |90                       |667                      |89                       |1,548                                              

Crewe                                       |435                      |310                      |75                       |231                      |427                      |1,479                                              

Walton                                      |142                      |132                      |0                        |70                       |42                       |386                                                

Macclesfield                                |259                      |274                      |35                       |609                      |222                      |1,399                                              

Warrington                                  |473                      |186                      |70                       |1,066                    |385                      |2,180                                              

Liverpool                                   |1,878                    |525                      |202                      |321                      |134                      |3,060                                              

St. Helens and Knowsley                     |615                      |281                      |102                      |1,075                    |0                        |2,073                                              

Southport and Formby                        |334                      |209                      |33                       |137                      |289                      |1,002                                              

South Sefton                                |1,079                    |296                      |90                       |181                      |0                        |1,647                                              

Wirral                                      |1,000                    |432                      |109                      |288                      |52                       |1,880                                              

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

North Western                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Lancaster                                   |414                      |201                      |49                       |658                      |499                      |1,821                                              

Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde                   |844                      |351                      |89                       |346                      |0                        |1,630                                              

Preston                                     |975                      |130                      |94                       |881                      |0                        |2,079                                              

Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley       |691                      |318                      |124                      |183                      |0                        |1,315                                              

Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale              |612                      |286                      |70                       |262                      |1,986                    |3,216                                              

West Lancashire                             |464                      |133                      |34                       |93                       |10                       |735                                                

Chorley and South Ribble                    |59                       |159                      |26                       |78                       |1                        |323                                                

Bolton                                      |562                      |354                      |108                      |230                      |0                        |1,254                                              

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Bury                                        |401                      |203                      |67                       |117                      |0                        |788                                                

North Manchester                            |923                      |285                      |89                       |351                      |0                        |1,648                                              

Central Manchester                          |872                      |162                      |119                      |85                       |0                        |1,238                                              

South Manchester                            |1,327                    |403                      |140                      |243                      |0                        |2,112                                              

Oldham                                      |452                      |248                      |86                       |208                      |0                        |993                                                

Rochdale                                    |404                      |193                      |48                       |120                      |0                        |765                                                

Salford                                     |899                      |325                      |81                       |1,115                    |85                       |2,506                                              

Stockport                                   |735                      |474                      |100                      |279                      |105                      |1,693                                              

Tameside and Glossop                        |431                      |307                      |81                       |162                      |0                        |982                                                

Trafford                                    |324                      |219                      |39                       |173                      |0                        |755                                                

Wigan                                       |697                      |379                      |103                      |291                      |0                        |1,469                                              

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Special Health Authorities                                                                                                                                                                                                        

The Hospitals for Sick Children             |409                      |0                        |0                        |6                        |0                        |415                                                

The National Hospitals for Nervous Diseases |264                      |0                        |0                        |8                        |0                        |272                                                

Moorfields Eye Hospital                     |149                      |0                        |0                        |0                        |0                        |149                                                

Bethlem Royal and Maudsley Hospitals        |52                       |0                        |0                        |411                      |21                       |484                                                

The National Heart and Chest Hospitals      |413                      |0                        |0                        |0                        |0                        |413                                                

The Royal Marsden Hospital                  |327                      |0                        |0                        |0                        |0                        |327                                                

Hammersmith and Queen Charlotte's           |518                      |128                      |154                      |0                        |0                        |800                                                

The Eastman Dental Hospital                 |0                        |0                        |0                        |0                        |0                        |0                                                  

<1> Wards for general patients, excluding elderly, younger physically disabled, neonate cots not in maternity units.                                                                                                              

<2> Excludes mental handicap community units.                                                                                                                                                                                     

Organ Transplants

Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what reviews he is planning to ensure that all private hospitals have an expert ethical and oversight committee ; and if he will ensure that there is no malpractice in respect of donor operations ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Mellor : It is for the medical profession itself, and in particular the General Medical Council to lay down ethical guidance and to ensure that it is followed. Such guidance applies equally to private practice as to the National Health Service. Under the recently introduced Human Organ Transplants Bill, regulations will specify conditions which must be satisfied before transplantation can take place of an organ from a living person who is not a close natural relative of the recipient.

Drug Abuse

Mrs. Golding : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money was allocated by his Department in respect of health education in relation to drug abuse in 1986-87, 1987-88 and 1988-89.

Mr. Mellor : Expenditure by the Department on drug misuse was as follows :


Column 146


         |£'000s           

---------------------------

1986-87  |1,707            

1987-88  |<1>5,419         

1988-89  |1,918            

<1> Includes major joint   

drugs misuse/AIDS          

anti-injecting campaign    

Research Institutes

Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by standard region the research institutes operated for or on behalf of his Department and the total employment thereat ; if he will give for each region the total number of such institutes and the employment therein ; and if he will express the regional totals as a percentage of the national totals.

Mr. Freeman : The information is not readily available in the form requested, but I will write to the hon. Member when it has been assembled.

Halton DHA

Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the rate of patients receiving (a) hip replacements and (b) cataract operations (i) nationally and (ii) in Halton district health authority.


Column 147

Mr. Freeman : The estimated numbers of (a) total hip replacements and other arthroplasy of hip and (b) eye lens operations per 10,000 population in England in 1986 (the latest year for which the information is available centrally) were 8.7 and 13.5 respectively. We do not yet have available centrally the rates of these operations for individual authorities. Such operations for residents of the Halton district health authority are available only in proximate districts.

Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the elderly (a) nationally and (b) in Halton district health authority are seen by a district nurse on a regular basis.

Mr. Mellor : We do not have the information precisely in the form requested. Information is available centrally on the proportion of the elderly treated at all by a district nurse and is given in the table. We do not have information centrally on what proportion are seen by a district nurse on a regular basis.


District nursing: 1987-88                                                                     

Persons treated (first treatment) during the year                                             

Percentage of elderly population treated                                                      

                         |England               |Halton district health                       

                                                |authority                                    

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Persons aged 65 and over |22.1                  |31.0                                         

Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on trends in death and discharges per bed in general medicine and general surgery and urology in the Halton district health authority area.

Mr. Freeman : The available information is given in the table.


Discharges and deaths per available bed,       

Halton district health                         

authority                                      

Specialty        |1985     |1986               

-----------------------------------------------

General medicine |25.0     |35.6               

General surgery  |29.8     |45.0               

Neurology        |n/a      |n/a                

n/a=Not applicable.                            

Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on neonatal mortality and perinatal mortality rates in the area of Halton district health authority.

Mr. Freeman : The latest available annual rates are shown in the table.


Perinatal<1> and          

neonatal<2> mortality     

rates, Halton DHA, 1987   

          |Persons        

--------------------------

Perinatal |10.7           

Neonatal  |5.4            

<1> Deaths in the first   

week of life plus         

stillbirths per 1,000     

live and stillbirths      

<2> Deaths at ages 0-27   

completed days of life    

per 1,000 livebirths.     

Toxoplasmosis

Mr. Gerald Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether screening for pregnant women is to be introduced for toxoplasmosis.


Column 148

Mr. Mellor : I have nothing to add to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Torridge and Devon, West (Miss Nicholson) on 21 March at column 576.

Hospital Treatment

Mr. Hind : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were treated in National Health Service hospitals as in-patient, out-patient and day patient in the north-west in the most recent year for which figures are available ; and what were the comparable figures for 1978.

Mr. Freeman : The available information is given in the table.


National Health Service Hospitals activity, North Western Regional                                                                    

Health Authority, 1978, 1986 and financial year 1987-88                                                                               

                              |1978                     |1987-88                  |Percentage change between                          

                                                                                  |1978-1987-88                                       

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In-patient cases treated      |511,674                  |644,540                  |26.0                                               

Day case treated              |68,080                   |120,400                  |76.9                                               

New out patients              |707,676                  |780,283                  |10.3                                               

Total out-patient attendances |3,149,423                |3,605,422                |14.5                                               

Ward attenders<1>             |n/a                      |42,548                   |-                                                  

<1> This new category of patient was introduced in 1987-88. Some patients previously classified as out-patients or day cases may now  

be classified as ward attenders.                                                                                                      

Eye Tests and Dental Examinations (Nottingham)

Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will update the figures on the number of eye tests and dental examinations in the Nottingham health authority area, provided in his answer of 12 April 1988, Official Report, column 115.

Mr. Mellor : I assume that as before, the hon. Member is referring to eye tests which have been carried out under the general ophthalmic services and dental examinations under the general dental service. These are the responsibility of the family practitioner committee. The table gives the latest figures available for Nottingham family practitioner committee which includes the area covered by Nottingham health authority.


Nottingham Family Practitioner Committee                                                    

Year                   |Number of eye tests<1>|Number of den-tal                            

                                              |examinations                                 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1979                   |n.a                   |500,900                                      

1980                   |n.a                   |538,660                                      

1981                   |n.a                   |570,690                                      

1982                   |n.a                   |591,490                                      

1983                   |180,578               |591,810                                      

1984                   |195,150               |618,580                                      

1985                   |199,724               |635,560                                      

1986                   |206,524               |<2>652,660                                   

1987                   |221,955               |<2>651,480                                   

1988                   |<3>254,825            |n.a                                          

<1> Information is not available on eye tests before 1983.                                  

<2> The Dental Estimates Board altered its collection of statistics from calendar year to   

financial year as from 1986-87 and these figures relate to the financial years 1986-87 and  

1987-88 respectively.                                                                       

<3> The Ophthalmic Section of the Department of Health's Statistics and Management          

Information Division altered its collection of statistics from calendar year to financial   

year as from 1988-89 and this figure relates to the financial year 1988-89.                 


Column 149

Gluten-free Products

Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there has been any change in his Department's guidelines to doctors concerning the National Health Service prescription of gluten-free products for coeliacs and people with dermatitis herpeti-formis ; and what measures he is taking to correct misleading impressions resulting from a circular from his Department stating that gluten-free products should be available on National Health Service prescription for exceptional cases only.

Mr. Mellor : There has been no change in the Department's guidelines to doctors about the prescription of gluten-free products on the National Health Service. The guidance recently provided to general practitioners in a leaflet entitled "Guidelines for Prescribing Borderline Substances" incorporates the Department's long-standing policy on this matter.

It is not the function of the NHS to provide food for people in the community, even for those who have to follow special diets for medical reasons. However, we do recognise that in some cases it may be necessary for doctors to prescribe foods in order to enable their patients to maintain their diet. A range of specially manufactured gluten-free foods is therefore available on prescription for patients with coeliac disease or dermatitis herpetiformis where the doctor considers that his active intervention is needed to help the patient keep to a suitable diet. We have always considered that such cases would be the exception rather than the rule.

Baby Food

Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has issued to environmental health officers concerning the need for safeguards arising out of baby food contamination.

Mr. Freeman : I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Peckham (Ms. Harman) on 2 May. The public advice issued was copied to chief environmental health officers of local authorities who were asked to draw this to the attention of those in charge of homes and other establishments caring for children locally.

Disablement Services Authority

Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many regional health authorities have submitted their plans for integration of the Disablement Services Authority to his Department ; and what steps he is taking to encourage prompt submission of such plans.

Mr. Mellor : We have received plans for the integration of the Disablement Services Authority from 13 of the 14 regional health authorities. I understand that the remaining plan is at an advanced stage of preparation and will be submitted as soon as it is finalised.

Pharmaceutical Products

Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what meetings are planned between experts from various European Economic Community countries, including the United Kingdom, to discuss European Economic Community parallel importing schemes of


Column 150

pharmaceutical products, and the problem of counterfeiting ; when these are to take place ; who will represent Her Majesty's Government ; and what proposals Her Majesty's Government have to meet these problems.

Mr. Mellor : We have written to the Commission and to our EC colleagues suggesting that a meeting of experts would be helpful to discuss whether any changes to parallel importing arrangements might be needed in the light of the recent incident involving counterfeit Zantac tablets. We are in touch with the Commission about how best to follow this up.

Trainee GPs

Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the arrangements for determining the number of trainee general practitioners each year ; what cash limits are set which would govern the number of trainees ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Mellor : There are no manpower nor budgetary controls which determine the number of doctors training for general practice.

Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether Her Majesty's Government have any plans to reduce the number of general practitioner trainees in England and Wales or to alter arrangements regarding duly appointed trainers' recruitment of trainees ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Mellor : No. We have no plans to put controls on the number of doctors training for general practice, or to prescribe the standards by which trainers in general practice select their trainees.

Clinical Effectiveness

Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will consider the merits of the proposals on measuring clinical effectiveness contained in the COHSE response to the National Health Service White Paper.

Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will be responding positively to the request that he meet representatives from COHSE to discuss the proposals on measuring clinical effectiveness contained in that union's response to the National Health Service White Paper.

Mr. David Mellor : I will be writing to the general secretary of COHSE shortly about his request for the meeting on his union's response to "Working for Patients".

ENERGY

Research Institutes

Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will (a) list by standard region the research institutes operated for or on behalf of his Department and the total employment thereat, (b) list for each region the total number of such institutes and the employment therein and (c) express the regional totals as a percentage of the national totals.

Mr. Michael Spicer : My Department operates no research establishments of its own. All research work is


Column 151

contracted out to a variety of institutions, including private sector companies, none of which is run on the Department's behalf.

Electricity Privatisation

Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if the staff to be employed at the main office of the electricity regulator will be drawn from seconded or transferred civil servants ; (2) if all the posts within the office of the regulator, including those which will serve the consumer organisation, will be offered to the staff of existing consumer councils ;

(3) what action has been taken to identify or to secure offices or locations for officers within OFFER ; and if options on leases have been taken up or offers made for the purchase of premises.

Mr. Michael Spicer : The Office of Electricity Regulation (OFFER), like the existing regulatory offices, will be a non-ministerial Government Department. Its staff will therefore be classed as civil servants. It is too early to say what proportion of these may be seconded or transferred from other Departments. The staff of the existing electricity consultative councils will be able to apply for posts in OFFER.

No final decisions have been taken on the locations of offices.

Hinkley Point C

Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what communications his Department has received from the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, since 1 January, in connection with the Hinkley Point C public inquiry ; and whether he has assessed the content of the CND proofs of evidence presented to the Hinkley inquiry, in so far as they refer to matters for which his Department has responsibility.

Mr. Michael Spicer : Since 1 January my Department has received one letter from CND in connection with the Hinkley Point C public inquiry. The assessment of evidence submitted to the inquiry is a matter for the inspector. I shall consider the inspector's report most carefully in reaching my decision on the CEGB's application.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Timber and Wood Products

Mr. Allen : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the current import cost of timber and wood products ; what was the comparable cost in the years before the 1988 Budget ; and if he will make a statement.


Column 152

Mr. Alan Clark : The available information on the value of imports of timber and wood products for 1984-88 is given in the table :


United Kingdom imports of timber and wood products      

1984-1988                                               

£ million                                               

              |Timber       |Wood products              

--------------------------------------------------------

1984          |1,008.3      |968.2                      

1985          |893.8        |1,012.0                    

1986          |999.3        |1,137.9                    

1987          |1,197.2      |1,253.8                    

1988          |1,354.5      |1,490.9                    

Source: Overseas Trade Statistics.                      

Notes:                                                  

1. Timber defined as Standard International Trade       

Classification Revisions 2 and 3 Division 24 less Item  

244.                                                    

2. Wood products defined as SITC R3 Division 63 less    

Item 633, and Items 821.16 and 821.5 in 1988; and SITC  

R2 Division 63 less 633 and Items 821.11 (pt), 821.19 ( 

pt) and 821.92 for the previous years.                  

3. 1988 figures provisional.                            

Consumer Credit Act

Mr. Illsley : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many responses he has received to his Department's proposals to amend the Consumer Credit Act 1974 ; and whether he will supply details of the nature of the responses.

Mr. Maude : The Department has recently undertaken several consultation exercises on proposed amendments to consumer credit legislation covering areas such as secured lending, advertising of credit, inclusion of broker's fees in calculation of the APR, licensing and EC proposals for a directive on a harmonised method of calculating the APR. The White Paper "Releasing Enterprise" Cm. 512 also lists proposed amendments to consumer credit legislation. About half the bodies consulted about such proposals normally respond. The majority of the proposed amendments are to simplify and clarify the legislation, to reflect the current practices of the credit industry or to remove onerous requirements from lenders or borrowers. Many of the changes have been suggested by lenders or borrowers and the proposed changes have been generally supported by consultees.

Import Penetration

Mr. Cousins : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the output of, employment in, balance of trade for, and extent of import penetration in, the optical precision instrument industry (SIC order 3732) for each year since 1983 ; if he will provide an estimate for 1988 ; and if he will express the figures in each case as an index with the latest available year as the base.

Mr. Alan Clark : The information is shown in the table :


Column 151


Optical precision instruments                                 

SIC Activity 3732                                             

                                |1983|1984|1985|1986|1987     

--------------------------------------------------------------

Employment '000s<1>             |-   |-   |-   |5   |5        

Trade Balance £ million<2>      |-156|-187|-274|-319|-243     

Import Penetration per cent.<2> |49  |52  |65  |56  |50       

                                                              

Series expressed as index numbers referenced to 1987=100<3>   

                                                              

Employment                      |-   |-   |-   |100 |100      

Import Penetration              |98  |104 |130 |112 |100      

Source:                                                       

<1> Department of Employment.                                 

<2> Department of Trade and Industry.                         

<3> No index numbers have been provided for the trade balance 

as it is not suitable for treatment in this way.              

Mr. Cousins : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the output of, employment in, balance of trade for, and extent of import penetration in, the pharmaceuticals industry (SIC order 257) for each year


Column 154

since 1983 ; if he will provide an estimate for 1988 ; and if he will express the figures in each case as an index with the latest available year as the base.

Mr. Alan Clark : The information is shown in the table :


Column 153


Pharmaceuticals                                                                         

SIC Group 257                                                                           

                                |1983   |1984   |1985   |1986   |1987   |<4>1988        

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Index of production 1985=100<1> |91     |95     |100    |105    |112    |121            

Employment '000s <2>            |68     |68     |67     |68     |71     |-              

Trade Balance £ million<3>      |+591   |+664   |+823   |+840   |+829   |+867           

Import Penetration per cent.<3> |22     |25     |25     |25     |25     |24             

                                                                                        

Series expressed as index numbers referenced to 1987=100<5>                             

Index of production<6>          |81     |85     |89     |93     |100    |108            

Employment                      |95     |95     |94     |96     |100    |-              

Import Penetration              |88     |100    |100    |100    |100    |96             

Source:                                                                                 

<1> Central Statistical Office.                                                         

<2> Department of Employment.                                                           

<3> Department of Trade and Industry.                                                   

<4> Provisional                                                                         

<5> No index numbers have been provided for the trade balance as it is not suitable for 

treatment in this way.                                                                  

<6> Index of production re-referenced to 1987=100.                                      

Mr. Cousins : to ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the output of, employment in, balance of trade for, and extent of import penetration in, the medical equipment manufacture industry (SIC order 372)


Column 154

for each year since 1983 ; if he will provide an estimate for 1988 ; and if he will express the figures in each case as an index with the latest available year as the base.

Mr. Alan Clark : The information available is shown in the table :


Column 153


Medical equipment manufacturing industry                                                

SIC Group 372                                                                           

                                |1983   |1984   |1985   |1986   |1987   |<4>1988        

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Index of production 1985=100<1> |90     |100    |100    |101    |108    |122            

Employment '000s <2>            |-      |-      |-      |2      |22     |-              

Trade Balance £ million<3>      |+52    |+52    |+88    |+105   |+99    |-              

Import Penetration per cent.<3> |64     |69     |84     |84     |82     |-              

                                                                                        

Series expressed as index numbers referenced to 1987=100<5>                             

Index of production<6>          |83     |93     |93     |94     |100    |113            

Employment                      |-      |-      |-      |100    |100    |-              

Import Penetration              |78     |84     |102    |102    |100    |-              

Source:                                                                                 

<1> Central Statistical Office.                                                         

<2> Department of Employment.                                                           

<3> Department of Trade and Industry.                                                   

<4> Provisional                                                                         

<5> No index numbers have been provided for the trade balance as it is not suitable for 

treatment in this way.                                                                  

<6> Index of production re-referenced to 1987=100.                                      

Mr. Cousins : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the output of, employment in, balance of trade for, and extent of import penetration in, the measuring instrument manufacture industry (SIC order


Column 154

371) for each year since 1983 ; if he will provide an estimate for 1988 ; and if he will express the figures in each case as an index with the latest available year as the base.

Mr. Alan Clark : The information available is shown in the table :


Column 153


Measuring Etc. Instrument Manufacture                                                   

SIC Group 371                                                                           

                                |1983   |1984   |1985   |1986   |1987   |<4>1988        

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Index of production 1985=100<1> |84     |87     |100    |101    |110    |118            

Employment '000s <2>            |-      |-      |-      |56     |55     |-              

Trade Balance £ million<3>      |+88    |+67    |+80    |+120   |+94    |-              

Import Penetration per cent.<3> |21     |21     |19     |18     |19     |-              

                                                                                        

Series expressed as index numbers referenced to 1987=100<5>                             

Index of production<6>          |76     |79     |91     |92     |100    |107            

Employment                      |-      |-      |-      |102    |100    |-              

Import Penetration              |111    |111    |100    |95     |100    |-              

Source:                                                                                 

<1> Central Statistical Office.                                                         

<2> Department of Employment.                                                           

<3> Department of Trade and Industry.                                                   

<4> Provisional                                                                         

<5> No index numbers have been provided for the trade balance as it is not suitable for 

treatment in this way.                                                                  

<6> Index of production re-referenced to 1987=100.                                      

Mr. Cousins : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the output of, employment in, balance of trade for, and extent of import penetration in, the instrument engineering industry (SIC order 37) for each


Column 156

year since 1983 ; if he will provide an estimate for 1988 ; and if he will express the figures in each case as an index with the latest available year as the base.

Mr. Alan Clark : The information available is shown in the table :


Column 155


Instrument engineering industry                               

SIC group 37                                                  

                                |1983|1984|1985|1986|1987     

--------------------------------------------------------------

Employment '000s<1>             |104 |104 |105 |105 |103      

Trade balance £ million<2>      |-182|-268|-309|-387|-350     

Import penetration per cent.<2> |55  |58  |57  |56  |58       

                                                              

Series expressed as index numbers referenced to 1987=100<3>   

Employment                      |101 |101 |102 |102 |100      

Import penetration              |95  |100 |98  |96  |100      

Source:                                                       

<1> Department of Employment.                                 

<2> Department of Trade and Industry.                         

<3> No index numbers have been provided for the trade balance 

as it is not suitable for treatment in this way.              

Mr. Cousins : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the output of, employment in, balance of trade for, and extent of import penetration in, the shipbuilding and shiprepairing industry (SIC order 361)


Column 156

for each year since 1983 ; if he will provide an estimate for 1988 ; and if he will express the figures in each case as an index with the latest available year as the base.

Mr. Alan Clark : The information available is shown in the table :


Column 155

Shipbuilding and shiprepairing industry

SIC group 361

1983 1984 1985 1986 1987

Index of production 1985=100 124 113 100 86 87

Employment '000s -- -- -- 83 76

Trade balance £ million 195 326 158 69 122

Import penetration per cent. 11 34 11 48 31

Series expressed as index numbers referenced to 1987=100 Index of production 143 130 115 99 100

Employment -- -- -- 109 100

Import penetration 36 110 36 155 100

Source :

Central Statistical Office.

Department of Employment.

Department of Trade and Industry.

Provisional.

No index numbers have been provided for the trade balance as it is not suitable for treatment in this way.

Index of production re-referenced to 1987=100.


Next Section

  Home Page