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Column 218

ENERGY

Departmental Policy

Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the policy areas where his Department has failed to reach its targets since May 1979 ; and if he will identify why these failures occurred and set out how these failures will be rectified :

Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the failures in policy implementation in his Department since May 1979.

Mr. Parkinson : My Department has been successful in implementing its main policy objectives since May 1979.

Nuclear Material

Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) Official Report, 22 December 1988, column 439 , if he will list those bilateral agreements, by date of completion, permitting International Atomic Energy Agency inspection of nuclear material in the United Kingdom ; how often these inspections have been conducted ; and whether any anomalies have ever been reported.

Mr. Michael Spicer : The earlier agreements with the IAEA referred to in the answer given to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) are as follows :

Japan/United Kingdom : 15 October 1968--INFCIRC 125

United Kingdom : 14 December 1972--INFCIRC 175

Inspections under these agreements are carried out at regular intervals. After analysis of the inspection data the IAEA has always concluded that the nuclear material present was in accordance with the declarations made by the United Kingdom.

SOCIAL SECURITY

Actively Seeking Work Test

Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether the change in benefit requirements for the unemployed from being available for work to being actively seeking work will be used by local unemployment offices before its official implementation in October 1989.

Mr. Lee : I have been asked to reply.

No.

Income Support

Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what reviews he is carrying out on women who


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may make a fresh or new claim for income support and housing benefit in respect of hostel accommodation after October ; if he will ensure that they will not be placed on a lower benefit than currently when they claim board and lodging allowance ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Halifax (Mrs. Mahon) on 27 April, at column 652.

Social Fund

Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has under review for social fund officers to be redeployed on takeup campaigns ; what resources he proposes to allocate to this purpose ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : The Department has no plans at present to redeploy social fund officers specifically for the purpose of dealing with take-up campaigns. There are already sufficient staff employed in local offices to deal with variable levels of demand for social fund awards. In the event of a significant unexpected local increase in the


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numbers of social fund applications, the local office manager would manage resources according to competing priorites.

Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish the number of refusals for social fund applications for both grants and loans, due to (i) applicant not being on income support, (ii) amount requested below £30 minimum, (iii) applicant not considered credit-worthy, (iv) applicant did not satisfy six-month qualification rule, (v) applicant not considered a high priority group, (vi) applicant not requesting a high priority item and (vii) insufficient funds in local office budget both actual and as a percentage of all refusals for the year April 1988 to March 1989.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : Provisional figures for the period 11 April 1988 to 31 March 1989 are set out in the table. The figures relate to the number of occasions on which the particular reason for refusal was used. It is possible for an individual application to be refused for more than one reason.


Column 219


Refusals of Social Fund loans and grants where selected reasons given, 1988-89                                                                                             

                                               Loans                                             Grants                                                                    

                                              |number of refusals where|as a percentage of all  |number of refusals where|as a percentage of all                           

                                              |selected reason given   |refusals                |selected reason given   |refusals                                         

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

Applicant                                                                                                                                                                  

  not in receipt of IS                        |35,589                  |9.5                     |13,689                  |9.4                                              

  not in receipt of IS for 26 weeks           |99,817                  |26.6                    |n/a                     |-                                                

                                                                                                                                                                           

Amount > £30 (not travelling expenses)        |11,930                  |3.2                     |3,298                   |2.3                                              

                                                                                                                                                                           

Inability to repay                            |14,513                  |3.9                     |n/a                     |-                                                

                                                                                                                                                                           

Insufficient SF funds, priority too low       |83,888                  |22.3                    |11,864                  |8.1                                              

                                                                                                                                                                           

No serious damage or risk to health or safety |22,455                  |6.0                     |n/a                     |-                                                

n/a=not applicable.                                                                                                                                                        

Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the areas in which social fund allocations increased, decreased or remained the same from April 1989.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : A list giving the information requested has been placed in the Library.

Sir Ian Gilmour : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will monitor the effects of social fund loans on the living standards of income support claimants during the period when they are repaying them.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : We have recently commissioned the social policy research unit at York university to carry out a programme of detailed research on the social fund. This will include case studies of people who have taken out a social fund loan and will take account of the effect of repayment arrangements.

Sir Ian Gilmour : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what is done to ensure that deductions made from the income support allowances of claimants repaying social fund loans leave them with enough income to meet their essential needs ;

(2) how quickly people who receive social fund loans are expected to repay them, assuming loans of (a) £50, (b) £100, (c) £150 and (d) £200.


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Mr. Peter Lloyd : The period and rate of repayments of a social fund loan do not depend solely on the amount of the loan. In agreeing repayment terms with the applicant before the loan is made, account is taken of the applicant's income, existing commitments and commitments which are likely to arise during the repayment period. Repayments are, however, expected to be completed within 78 weeks, although this can be extended to 104 weeks in certain circumstances. If an applicant finds difficulty in meeting the repayments, or if his circumstances change, he should discuss his problems with the staff of the local office.

Sir Ian Gilmour : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many and what percentage of children born in England during 1988 were eligible for maternity payments through the social fund ; and what was the average payment made ;

(2) how many and what percentage of children born in Scotland during 1988 were eligible for maternity payments through the social fund ; and what was the average payment made.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : The information is not available in the form requested. During 1988, 654,000 and 66,000 children were born in England and Scotland respectively, with 141,231 and 18,324 social fund maternity payments being made. These payments were set at a flat rate--£80


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before 11 April 1988 and £85 thereafter --and were payable to income support and family credit beneficiaries, subject to a £500 capital disregard, for each child expected, born or adopted.

Provisional figures.

Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will state, for the financial year 1988-89, the proportion of social fund expenditure which has become the subject of civil legal proceedings on the ground of fraud.

Mr. Peter Lloyd [holding answer 20 April 1989] : I regret that the information requested is not available.

During the year ended 31 March 1989, however, 229 social fund cases were submitted for consideration of civil proceedings in England and Wales, and 13 in Scotland.

Unemployment Benefit

Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if there are any trial areas for the change in unemployment benefit policy due to be implemented in October 1989 ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : There are no trial areas.

Income Support

Sir Ian Gilmour : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the minimum, net amount of income support payable to a lone-parent with three children under 11 years, after deducations for rent, rates, rent -rate arrears, gas-electricity arrears and social fund loan.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : The amount of income support payable in the circumstances described would depend on a number of factors, including the level of deduction for the social fund loan, which is at the discretion of an officer acting on behalf of the Secretary of State, and on the claimant's income. However, a hypothetical assessment, assuming income of child benefit and one-parent benefit with a social fund deduction of 5 per cent. and with no deduction for current rent, rates or fuel consumption, would be :


                     |£              

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

Personal allowance   |34.90          

Children's allowance |35.25          

Lone Parent premium  |3.90           

Family premium       |6.50           

                     |-------        

Applicable amount    |80.55          

HEALTH

Mental Handicap

Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funds were allocated from his Department for directly commissioned research relevant to mental handicap for each of the past five years ; and whether he intends for those funds to be increased over the next five to 10 years.

Mr. Freeman : The funds allocated for directly commissioned research relevant to mental handicap for the past five years were as follows :


Year    |£              

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

1984-85 |679,700        

1985-86 |709,100        

1986-87 |520,700        

1987-88 |771,100        

1988-89 |659,800        

The Department will continue to develop its research strategy in the field of mental handicap over the next five to 10 years.

Maternal Deaths

Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the figures on the number of (a) direct and (b) indirect maternal deaths in England and Wales in 1982, 1983 and 1984 in National Health Service hospitals without consultant obstetric units, and the number of these associated with anaesthesia, are yet available.

Mr. Freeman : In England and Wales between 1982 and 1984 there were 18 maternal deaths from anaesthesia and one in which anaesthesia contributed to the death. Information on where death occurred is not available in the precise form requested. However, we do have the following details :


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                                                     <1>Place of death                                                                                                                                          

Type of maternal death    |Total number             |Consultant Obstetric Unit|Intensive Care Unit      |<2>Other hospital ward   |<3>Home                  |<4>Elsewhere                                       

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

Direct death              |138                      |38                       |49                       |24                       |23                       |4                                                  

Associated with                                                                                                                                                                                                 

   anaesthesia (all                                                                                                                                                                                             

   included in direct                                                                                                                                                                                           

   death)                 |19                       |4                        |14                       |1                        |0                        |0                                                  

Indirect death            |71                       |22                       |16                       |13                       |14                       |6                                                  

<1> Not always the place where the anaesthetic complication occurred. (No direct or indirect deaths occurred in GP units or GP maternity homes.)                                                                

<2> Includes neurosurgical units, medical and surgical wards, accident and emergency departments.                                                                                                               

<3> None of the deaths at home were booked home deliveries.                                                                                                                                                     

<4> Includes two deaths in private nursing homes approved under the Abortion Act.                                                                                                                               


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Hospital Beds

Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give for each district health authority in England in 1987 (a) the total number of beds in non-psychiatric National Health Service hospitals, (b) the total number of beds in private hospitals, nursing homes and clinics registered under section 23 of the Registered Nursing


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Homes Act 1984 and (c) the number of beds in private institutions expressed as a percentage of the number of non- psychiatric hospital beds.

Mr. Freeman : The information requested is given in the table. As the distribution of private nursing homes is not controlled by the needs of the resident community to the same extent as NHS provison of services, comparisons of bed stock may be misleading, particularly at district health authority level.


Column 223


National Health Service non-psychiatric beds for 1987-88, beds in private institutions as at 31 March 1988, by district health authority      

District Health Authority             |Average daily available  |Beds in private          |Beds in private                                    

                                      |NHS beds                 |institutions             |institutions, as a                                 

                                      |(non-psychiatric)                                  |percentage of NHS                                  

                                                                                          |non-psychiatric beds                               

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

                                                                                                                                              

  Northern                                                                                                                                    

Hartlepool                            |558                      |164                      |29                                                 

North Tees                            |688                      |86                       |12                                                 

South Tees                            |1,454                    |282                      |19                                                 

East Cumbria                          |874                      |167                      |19                                                 

South Cumbria                         |740                      |172                      |23                                                 

West Cumbria                          |571                      |31                       |5                                                  

Darlington                            |622                      |623                      |100                                                

Durham                                |733                      |139                      |19                                                 

North West Durham                     |544                      |8                        |1                                                  

South West Durham                     |587                      |55                       |9                                                  

Northumberland                        |1,092                    |68                       |6                                                  

Gateshead                             |768                      |25                       |3                                                  

Newcastle                             |2,566                    |130                      |5                                                  

North Tyneside                        |666                      |39                       |6                                                  

South Tyneside                        |609                      |n.a.                     |n.a.                                               

Sunderland                            |1,606                    |136                      |8                                                  

                                                                                                                                              

  Yorkshire                                                                                                                                   

Hull                                  |1,344                    |194                      |14                                                 

East Yorkshire                        |782                      |387                      |49                                                 

Grimsby                               |739                      |167                      |23                                                 

Scunthorpe                            |692                      |308                      |45                                                 

Northallerton                         |372                      |303                      |81                                                 

York                                  |1,097                    |640                      |58                                                 

Scarborough                           |572                      |493                      |86                                                 

Harrogate                             |769                      |1,078                    |140                                                

Bradford                              |1,750                    |464                      |27                                                 

Airedale                              |723                      |1,124                    |155                                                

Calderdale                            |874                      |355                      |41                                                 

Huddersfield                          |836                      |172                      |21                                                 

Dewsbury                              |708                      |38                       |5                                                  

Leeds Western                         |1,957                    |383                      |20                                                 

Leeds Eastern                         |1,788                    |678                      |38                                                 

Wakefield                             |811                      |79                       |10                                                 

Pontefract                            |673                      |57                       |8                                                  

                                                                                                                                              

  Trent                                                                                                                                       

North Derbyshire                      |1,051                    |354                      |34                                                 

Southern Derbyshire                   |1,767                    |812                      |46                                                 

Leicestershire                        |3,008                    |859                      |29                                                 

North Lincolnshire                    |1,124                    |1,257                    |112                                                

South Lincolnshire                    |1,048                    |587                      |56                                                 

Bassetlaw                             |378                      |175                      |46                                                 

Central Nottinghamshire               |1,162                    |622                      |54                                                 

Nottingham                            |2,608                    |1,503                    |58                                                 

Barnsley                              |848                      |84                       |10                                                 

Doncaster                             |1,151                    |211                      |18                                                 

Rotherham                             |899                      |120                      |13                                                 

Sheffield                             |3,324                    |539                      |16                                                 

                                                                                                                                              

  East Anglian                                                                                                                                

Cambridge                             |1,187                    |403                      |34                                                 

Peterborough                          |969                      |89                       |9                                                  

West Suffolk                          |947                      |363                      |38                                                 

East Suffolk                          |1,420                    |315                      |22                                                 

Norwich                               |2,017                    |684                      |34                                                 

Great Yarmouth and Waveney            |779                      |95                       |12                                                 

West Norfolk and Wisbech              |692                      |190                      |27                                                 

Huntingdon                            |443                      |104                      |23                                                 

                                                                                                                                              

  North West Thames                                                                                                                           

North Bedfordshire                    |783                      |265                      |34                                                 

South Bedfordshire                    |772                      |22                       |3                                                  

North Hertfordshire                   |715                      |289                      |40                                                 

East Hertfordshire                    |614                      |184                      |30                                                 

North West Hertfordshire              |747                      |206                      |28                                                 

South West Hertfordshire              |666                      |276                      |41                                                 

Barnet                                |1,327                    |403                      |30                                                 

Harrow                                |734                      |141                      |19                                                 

Hillingdon                            |1,167                    |120                      |10                                                 

Hounslow and Spelthorne               |1,097                    |170                      |16                                                 

Ealing                                |570                      |329                      |58                                                 

Brent                                 |704                      |72                       |10                                                 

Paddington and North Kensington       |943                      |49                       |5                                                  

Riverside                             |1,573                    |710                      |45                                                 

                                                                                                                                              

  North East Thames                                                                                                                           

Basildon and Thurrock                 |1,032                    |n.a                      |n.a                                                

Mid Essex                             |1,076                    |286                      |27                                                 

North East Essex                      |1,013                    |324                      |32                                                 

West Essex                            |931                      |199                      |21                                                 

Southend                              |980                      |397                      |41                                                 

Barking, Havering and Brentwood       |1,820                    |324                      |18                                                 

Hampstead                             |789                      |185                      |23                                                 

Bloomsbury                            |1,655                    |1,142                    |69                                                 

Islington                             |759                      |30                       |4                                                  

City and Hackney                      |1,338                    |108                      |8                                                  

Newham                                |842                      |9                        |1                                                  

Tower Hamlets                         |1,086                    |135                      |12                                                 

Enfield                               |789                      |267                      |34                                                 

Haringey                              |925                      |307                      |33                                                 

Redbridge                             |727                      |268                      |37                                                 

Waltham Forest                        |1,065                    |n.a                      |n.a                                                

                                                                                                                                              

  South East Thames                                                                                                                           

Brighton                              |1,314                    |1,502                    |114                                                

Eastbourne                            |842                      |1,200                    |142                                                

Hastings                              |712                      |1,084                    |152                                                

South East Kent                       |1,004                    |673                      |67                                                 

Canterbury and Thanet                 |1,175                    |984                      |84                                                 

Dartford and Gravesham                |823                      |116                      |14                                                 

Maidstone                             |628                      |396                      |63                                                 

Medway                                |921                      |207                      |22                                                 

Tunbridge Wells                       |1,027                    |810                      |79                                                 

Bexley                                |561                      |112                      |20                                                 

Greenwich                             |1,130                    |40                       |4                                                  

Bromley                               |867                      |563                      |65                                                 

West Lambeth                          |968                      |36                       |4                                                  

Camberwell                            |1,144                    |n.a                      |n.a                                                

Lewisham and North Southwark          |1,425                    |394                      |28                                                 

                                                                                                                                              

  South West Thames                                                                                                                           

North West Surrey                     |720                      |410                      |57                                                 

West Surrey and North East Hants      |668                      |529                      |79                                                 

South West Surrey                     |777                      |773                      |100                                                

Mid Surrey                            |599                      |448                      |75                                                 

East Surrey                           |623                      |740                      |119                                                

Chichester                            |574                      |847                      |148                                                

Mid Downs                             |775                      |790                      |102                                                

Worthing                              |931                      |1,353                    |145                                                

Croydon                               |1,032                    |735                      |71                                                 

Kingston and Esher                    |634                      |290                      |46                                                 

Richmond, Twickenham and Roehampton   |646                      |453                      |70                                                 

Wandsworth                            |1,207                    |507                      |42                                                 

Merton and Sutton                     |1,099                    |587                      |53                                                 

                                                                                                                                              

  Wessex                                                                                                                                      

East Dorset                           |1,897                    |2,221                    |117                                                

West Dorset                           |750                      |327                      |44                                                 

Portsmouth and South East Hampshire   |1,608                    |849                      |53                                                 

Southampton and South West Hampshire  |1,714                    |624                      |36                                                 

Winchester                            |698                      |392                      |56                                                 

Basingstoke and North Hampshire       |697                      |253                      |36                                                 

Salisbury                             |675                      |306                      |45                                                 

Swindon                               |809                      |287                      |35                                                 

Bath                                  |1,733                    |759                      |44                                                 

Isle of Wight                         |474                      |174                      |37                                                 

                                                                                                                                              

  Oxford                                                                                                                                      

East Berkshire                        |1,032                    |800                      |78                                                 

West Berkshire                        |1,316                    |344                      |26                                                 

Aylesbury Vale                        |727                      |278                      |38                                                 

Wycombe                               |702                      |372                      |53                                                 

Milton Keynes                         |406                      |187                      |46                                                 

Kettering                             |786                      |39                       |5                                                  

Northampton                           |1,046                    |969                      |93                                                 

Oxfordshire                           |2,063                    |792                      |38                                                 

                                                                                                                                              

  South Western                                                                                                                               

Bristol and Weston                    |1,464                    |1,630                    |111                                                

Frenchay                              |951                      |261                      |27                                                 

Southhead                             |772                      |676                      |88                                                 

Cornwall and Isles of Scilly          |1,360                    |1,103                    |81                                                 

Exeter                                |1,527                    |815                      |53                                                 

North Devon                           |577                      |419                      |73                                                 

Plymouth                              |1,709                    |1,131                    |66                                                 

Torbay                                |999                      |837                      |84                                                 

Cheltenham                            |861                      |456                      |53                                                 

Gloucester                            |1,221                    |582                      |48                                                 

Somerset                              |1,719                    |842                      |49                                                 

                                                                                                                                              

  West Midlands                                                                                                                               

Bromsgrove and Redditch               |546                      |206                      |38                                                 

Herefordshire                         |674                      |225                      |33                                                 

Kidderminster and District            |387                      |139                      |36                                                 

Worcester and District                |803                      |955                      |119                                                

Shropshire                            |1,733                    |285                      |16                                                 

Mid Staffordshire                     |744                      |696                      |94                                                 

North Staffordshire                   |2,016                    |258                      |13                                                 

South East Staffordshire              |959                      |273                      |28                                                 

Rugby                                 |213                      |163                      |76                                                 

North Warwickshire                    |503                      |120                      |24                                                 

South Warwickshire                    |923                      |712                      |77                                                 

Central Birmingham                    |1,421                    |420                      |30                                                 

East Birmingham                       |862                      |135                      |16                                                 

North Birmingham                      |574                      |290                      |51                                                 

South Birmingham                      |1,340                    |222                      |17                                                 

West Birmingham                       |1,343                    |98                       |7                                                  

Coventry                              |1,349                    |75                       |6                                                  

Dudley                                |1,219                    |102                      |8                                                  

Sandwell                              |854                      |107                      |13                                                 

Solihull                              |462                      |82                       |18                                                 

Walsall                               |799                      |65                       |8                                                  

Wolverhampton                         |1,221                    |243                      |20                                                 

                                                                                                                                              

  Mersey                                                                                                                                      

Chester                               |792                      |337                      |43                                                 

Crewe                                 |820                      |170                      |21                                                 

Halton                                |274                      |98                       |36                                                 

Macclesfield                          |568                      |622                      |110                                                

Warrington                            |729                      |107                      |15                                                 

Liverpool                             |2,605                    |871                      |33                                                 

St. Helens and Knowsley               |998                      |232                      |23                                                 

Southport and Formby                  |576                      |1,185                    |206                                                

South Sefton                          |1,466                    |309                      |21                                                 

Wirral                                |1,541                    |1,565                    |102                                                

                                                                                                                                              

  North Western                                                                                                                               

Lancaster                             |664                      |230                      |35                                                 

Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde             |1,284                    |880                      |69                                                 

Preston                               |1,198                    |224                      |19                                                 

Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley |1,132                    |384                      |34                                                 

Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale        |967                      |379                      |39                                                 

West Lancashire                       |631                      |90                       |14                                                 

Chorley and South Ribble              |244                      |326                      |134                                                

Bolton                                |1,024                    |228                      |22                                                 

Bury                                  |671                      |422                      |63                                                 

North Manchester                      |1,297                    |104                      |8                                                  

Central Manchester                    |1,153                    |72                       |6                                                  

South Manchester                      |1,869                    |281                      |15                                                 

Oldham                                |786                      |92                       |12                                                 

Rochdale                              |645                      |242                      |38                                                 

Salford                               |1,306                    |284                      |22                                                 

Stockport                             |1,309                    |1,028                    |79                                                 

Tameside and Glossop                  |820                      |112                      |14                                                 

Trafford                              |582                      |422                      |73                                                 

Wigan                                 |1,179                    |72                       |6                                                  

Orthopaedic Treatment, North Staffordshire

Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to reduce the time out-patients in north Staffordshire have to wait for a first available orthopaedic appointment.

Mr. Mellor : Waiting lists and waiting times for orthopaedic treatment in north Staffordshire are being investigated by an independent management team. If the team identifies the need for an injection of funds, the regional health authority will be able to apply for an allocation from the £6 million reserved from the waiting list fund for districts with particular waiting problems.

Waiting Lists

Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the average waiting list times in days for National Health Service operations (a) nationally, (b) by regional authorities and (c) for Halton district health authority.

Mr. Mellor : The available information in respect of in-patients treated in surgical departments in National Health Service hospitals during the financial year 1987-88 is given in the following table :


Median interval, in weeks, between the time an in-patient<1> was                      

placed on the waiting list and admission to hospital                                  

Location of hospital                        |Weeks                                    

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

England                                     |6.6                                      

                                                                                      

Northern Regional Health Authority          |8.4                                      

Yorkshire Regional Health Authority         |6.3                                      

Trent Regional Health Authority             |5.1                                      

East Anglian Regional Health Authority      |6.4                                      

North West Thames Regional Health Authority |4.4                                      

North East Thames Regional Health Authority |5.9                                      

South East Thames Regional Health Authority |7.7                                      

South West Thames Regional Health Authority |9.7                                      

Wessex Regional Health Authority            |7.3                                      

Oxford Regional Health Authority            |7.4                                      

South Western Regional Health Authority     |7.0                                      

West Midlands Regional Health Authority     |6.0                                      

Mersey Regional Health Authority            |6.5                                      

North Western Regional Health Authority     |6.5                                      

                                                                                      

Halton District Health Authority            |3.1                                      

<1> Ordinary admissions and day cases, booked and waiting list cases.                 

Halton District General Hospital

Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the length of the out-patient list for Halton district general hospital ; and what is the length for each specialty within it.

Mr. Mellor : We do not collect information on out-patient waiting times centrally.


Column 230

Cervical Cancer

Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths occur annually from cervical cancer ; and what estimates he has made of the reduction in that number if there were a 100 per cent. response to a call and recall system.

Mr. Freeman : There have been for several years around 2,000 deaths annually in England and Wales from malignant neoplasm of the cervix uteri and there were 1,903 deaths in 1987. Cervical smears taken every five years between the ages of 20 and 64 could reduce by more than 80 per cent. the number of deaths which would otherwise occur from cancer of the cervix.

Electoral Register

Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the percentage change in the numbers on local government electoral registers between 1988 and 1989 in (a) Kensington and Chelsea, (b) Manchester, (c) Liverpool, (d) Bristol and (e) Rochester upon Medway ; and if he will make a statement.

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


E

Percentage change between 1988 and 1989 local government             

electorates                                                          

County district/London |Percentage                                   

borough                                                              

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

Kensington and Chelsea |-4.3                                         

Manchester             |-4.2                                         

Liverpool              |-9.6                                         

Bristol                |-2.6                                         

Rochester upon Medway  |-11.3                                        

Possible reasons for changes in electorates were indicated in OPCS "Monitor EL 89/1", a copy of which has been placed in the Library.

Encephalopathies

Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the research being sponsored by his Department into transmissible encephalopathies.

Mr. Freeman : The Department of Health is not sponsoring any research in transmissible encephalopathies.

However, a committee has been set up by this Department and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food under the chairmanship of Dr. David Tyrrell to advise the Departments on research in progress or required on bovine spongiform encephalopathy and other transmissible encephalopathies.


Column 231

HOME DEPARTMENT

Hillsborough Disaster

Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he now expects Lord Justice Taylor to present his interim report on the Hillsborough disaster ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. John Patten : It is for Lord Justice Taylor to decide in the light of his inquiries whether there are matters which should be the subject of an interim report and if so the timing of it.

Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with the Football Supporters Association since the Hillsborough tragedy ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. John Patten : None. It is of course open to the association to put forward evidence to Lord Justice Taylor's inquiry, or views to the Department of the Environment or the Home Office on matters within our responsibilities.

Rapists

Mr Nicholas Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research is being carried out, or is planned, into the circumstances and treatment of mentally disordered rapists in prison and into ways of seeking to prevent them from reoffending.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : There is no research being carried out, or planned, which is solely concerned with mentally disordered rapists. However, a certain amount of research is being carried out (separately) on mentally disordered offenders and sexual offenders which may, inter alia, provide some information about mentally disordered rapists and possible ways of preventing them reoffending. With regard to research on mentally disordered offenders, I refer the hon. Member to the reply to a question by the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) on 20 March 1989 at columns 405-06

As to research on sex offenders, the Institute of Psychiatry is carrying out a study of sex offenders in prisons. The purpose of this study (the results of which should be available later this year) is to try to identify factors in sex offenders' histories which appear to distinguish them from other types of offender and non-offender populations. It will be particularly concerned with rapists. The study may help in making decisions about which types of sexual offender are likely to benefit from treatment and which are not. Mr Malcolm Cowburn of the Nottingham probation service is carrying out an investigation and evaluation of the work being undertaken with sex offenders (including rapists) in prisons in England and Wales. The results of this study should also be available this year. Consideration is being given by the Department to carrying out a study of convicted rapists. The purpose of the study would be to describe the offenders and their offences in detail and to assess their treatment needs. A history of mental disorder would be noted as part of that description.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many men are currently serving a sentence of imprisonment for rape ; and what proportion of such prisoners are mentally disordered.


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Mr. Douglas Hogg : On 30 June 1988 about 1,070 males were serving sentences for rape offences, including attempted rape, in prison service establishments in England and Wales. Information on the number who are mentally disordered is not recorded centrally.

Football Grounds, (Safety)

Mr. David Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) arrests and (b) ejections from the ground were made by the police before, during and after the games between (i) West Ham United and Millwall and (ii) Chelsea and Leeds United, played on Saturday 22 April.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis has provided the following information. Of the 94 people arrested in connection with the match between Chelsea and Leeds United, 59 were arrested before., 12 during and 23 after the game. Twenty eight people were ejected from the ground. Of the 24 people arrested in connection with the match between West Ham United and Millwall 15 were arrested before, seven during and two after the game. Twenty four people were ejected from the ground. Police figures do not distinguish between ejections made before and during a game.

Drug Traffickers

Mrs. Golding : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the oral answer to the hon. Member for Altrincham and Sale of 13 April, Official Report, column 1053, what account is taken of the sums confiscated from convicted drug traffickers in setting the allocations for (a) rehabilitation of drug offenders, and (b) the prevention of drug trafficking.

Mr. John Patten : We allocate funds to work against drug misuse according to needs and priorities. No direct account is taken of the varying and unpredictable sums confiscated from convicted drug traffickers in different parts of the country.

Police National Computer

Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will place the invitation to tender documents for the new police national computer in the Library.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : No. Publication of these documents would be a breach of commercial confidentiality.

Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will describe the new facilities, applications or indexes that are envisaged for the new police national computer.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : The new police national computer will initially provide the police with the same facilities as are provided on the current system. No decisions have yet been taken about the provision of additonal facilities on the new computer.

Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will list the indexes and the data items contained within each index of the new police national computer.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : All names applications on the new police national computer may contain information in the following data classes :


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Name

Aliases

Driver Number

Place of Birth

Date of Birth

Sex

Colour (White, Non-White, or Unknown)

Ethnic Appearance

Height

Information Markers

Address

Home Force

Marks and Scars

Warning Signals

Cross References

Police Gazette Reference

Date and Time of Last Update

Each of the specific names applications may contain information in the following additional data classes :

Criminal Name index :

Criminal Record Office Number

Fingerprint Indicator

Criminal Record Weed Years

Place first to notice

Date first to notice

Regional Cross References

Fingerprint index :

Henry Code

Pattern Codes

Ridge Counts

Offence types

Places to notice

Wanted/Missing index

Wanted/Missing number

Force/Station code

Class (the reason for the report having been entered)

Reference to case papers

Location of case papers

Report date

Incident date

Expiry date

Offence/Class qualification

Date of Warrant

Fine amount

Court Name

Offence location

Power of arrest

Warrant backed for bail

Text

Date entered on PNC

Disqualified Driver index

Disqualified Driver Reference Number

Disqualified Driver Information Number

Force/Station code

Court Name

Court Date

Police Expiry Date

DVLC Expiry Date

Test Required marker

Report Confirmed marker

Prosecutions index (formerly known as the convictions index) : Report type (either Impending Prosecution or Conviction)

If impending prosecution :

Fingerprint Indicator

Photographic Indicator

Force/Station code

Crime Reference

Date charged

Bail/Custody indicator

Weed Date

If conviction :

Fingerprint Indicator

Photograph Indicators


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