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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
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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.
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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.
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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 :
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|£'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.
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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.
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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.
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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 :
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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 :
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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)
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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 :
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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)
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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 :
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Shipbuilding and shiprepairing industrySIC 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.
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