| Previous Section | Home Page |
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many low- level sorties will be carried out during exercises Highland Cardinal and OSEX 16.
Mr. Neubert : A maximum of 40 low-level sorties daily are planned for Exercise Highland Cardinal and a maximum of 120 daily for Exercise OSEX 16.
Nuclear Tests
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if, pursuant to his answer to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South of 16 May, Official Report, column 140, he will outline in the Official Report the considerable differences in the situations pertaining to British and United States of America nuclear tests.
Mr. Sainsbury : The temporal and special variations of the potential radiation hazards that may arise from nuclear tests depend, in a complex manner, on various factors, including device type and disposition, topography of the location, meteorological conditions and the test objectives. The doses of radiation received by individuals depend on the position and movement of individuals relative to the hazards, making due allowance for any protective measures taken. It is thus inevitable that the situations pertaining to United Kingdom and United States were considerably different.
Radioactive Waste
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to seek support of the Governments of the United States and France to introduce an amendment to the London dumping convention to allow the sea dumping of military radioactive waste arising, including submarine hulls.
Mr Sainsbury [holding answer 4 May 1989] : The London dumping convention allows the disposal at sea of low and intermediate-level radioactive waste, in accordance with internationally agreed guidelines and procedures, although a non-binding moratorium has been in place since 1983. The Government have decided not to resume sea-disposal of drummed radioactive waste, including waste of military origin. None the less, the Government intend to keep open this option for large items arising from decommissioning operations, although they have taken no decisions about how redundant nuclear submarines will be disposed of.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Income Support
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many children were in families on income support in 1988-89.
Column 465
Mr. Needham : The appropriate analysis of the income support caseload has not yet been completed.I shall let the hon. Member have the information as soon as it is available
Hospital Beds
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list for each year since 1979 (a) the number of acute beds available and (b) the number of non-acute beds available in each health board ; and if he will give the total for each year.
Mr. Needham : The information is set out in the table :
Year |Northern Ireland|Eastern Board |Northern Board |Southern Board |Western Board
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total acute beds available
1979 |7,173 |4,198 |1,049 |998 |928
1980 |7,167 |4,222 |1,056 |974 |915
1981 |7,074 |4,199 |1,013 |963 |899
1982<1> |- |- |- |- |-
1983 |7,036 |4,206 |979 |973 |878
1984 |6,973 |4,140 |1,000 |977 |856
1985 |6,997 |4,090 |1,051 |1,001 |855
1986 |6,506 |3,652 |1,023 |984 |847
1987 |6,221 |3,520 |989 |895 |817
Total non-acute beds
1979 |9,953 |4,532 |1,406 |1,663 |2,352
1980 |9,894 |4,547 |1,417 |1,632 |2,298
1981 |9,942 |4,605 |1,472 |1,622 |2,243
1982<1> |- |- |- |- |-
1983 |9,943 |4,710 |1,377 |1,633 |2,223
1984 |9,744 |4,485 |1,444 |1,630 |2,185
1985 |9,601 |4,354 |1,457 |1,608 |2,182
1986 |9,457 |4,345 |1,434 |1,572 |2,106
1987 |9,191 |4,208 |1,384 |1,537 |2,062
Total beds available
1979 |17,126 |8,730 |2,433 |2,661 |3,280
1980 |17,061 |8,769 |2,473 |2,606 |3,213
1981 |17,016 |8,804 |2,485 |2,585 |3,142
1982<1> |- |- |- |- |-
1983 |16,979 |8,916 |2,356 |2,606 |3,101
1984 |16,717 |8,625 |2,444 |2,607 |3,041
1985 |16,598 |8,444 |2,508 |2,609 |3,037
1986 |15,963 |7,997 |2,457 |2,556 |2,953
1987 |15,412 |7,728 |2,373 |2,432 |2,879
<1> Not available due to industrial action.
1988 figures are not yet available.
Environmental Protection
Mr. Jim Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his statement in the First Standing Committee on Statutory Instruments, Official Report, 15 February, column 16, concerning the Nature Conservation and Amenity Lands (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 1988, whether written consents
Column 466
under that order from the Department of the Environment (Northern Ireland) to owners or occupiers of areas of special scientific interest for the carrying out of notifiable operations on such land will specify the exact nature of the consented operation, its limits in time and area, and such other conditions as may be deemed appropriate.Mr. Needham : Written consents issued to owners or occupiers of land with within areas of special scientific interest under the Nature Conservation and Amenity Lands (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 will specify the exact nature of the consented operations and, where relevant, any limits in time and area. Consents will also specify such other conditions as may be deemed appropriate. There will be no difference in the form of consents issued under this order from those issued under the Nature Conservation and Amenity Lands (Northern Ireland) Order 1985.
Mr. Jim Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his statement in the First Standing Committee on Statutory Instruments, Official Report, 15 February, column 16, whether he has now considered further the matter of progress in designing special protection areas in Northern Ireland under EC directive 79/409 on the conservation of wild birds, and if he will make a statement on measures to speed up the process.
Mr. Needham : The Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland has re-examined the procedures for the designation of special protection areas under the terms of EC directive 79/409 on the conservation of wild birds. While priority is being given to the declaration of areas of special scientific interest under the Nature Conservation and Amenity Lands (Northern Ireland) Order 1985, where ASSIs are also potential SPAs, the Department will proceed towards SPA designation as soon as is practicable after such ASSI declarations have been confirmed.
It is expected that a small number of SPAs will be designated under the above arrangements during the next two years.
Social Security Payments
Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what figures are available to indicate the distribution of single payments and caseloads at social security offices during the period 16 December 1986 to 28 July 1987.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 16 May 1989] : The information is set out in the table.
Column 465
Single payments and supplementary benefit caseloads for the period 18 December 1986 to 28 July 1987
Single payments Supplementary benefit
caseloads at<1>
Social Security office |Number |£ |10 February 1987 |8 May 1987 |28 July 1987
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Andersonstown |7,504 |899,549.64 |7,775 |7,600 |7,754
Antrim |9,163 |419,947.62 |5,597 |5,448 |5,487
Armagh |3,426 |307,000.02 |4,941 |4,814 |5,078
Ballymena |3,984 |356,515.64 |6,263 |5,971 |6,547
Ballymoney |3,635 |255,552.61 |4,363 |4,552 |4,358
Ballynahinch |476 |34,043.00 |1,418 |1,463 |1,502
Banbridge |1,961 |145,245.38 |3,378 |3,268 |3,358
Bangor |2,279 |155,179.84 |4,520 |4,519 |4,848
Carrickfergus |2,520 |152,719.20 |3,075 |3,021 |3,078
Coleraine |5,982 |409,362.68 |6,220 |5,973 |6,066
Cookstown |2,260 |250,337.70 |3,559 |3,444 |3,586
Corporation Street |9,486 |1,051,663.53 |12,359 |12,159 |12,596
Downpatrick |3,086 |155,807.16 |2,300 |2,458 |2,797
Dungannon |4,821 |386,850.35 |5,965 |5,873 |6,137
Enniskillen |2,895 |261,338.69 |8,266 |8,290 |8,490
Falls |9,884 |727,109.01 |9,485 |9,034 |9,390
Holywood Road |6,928 |453,436.27 |9,018 |8,783 |9,286
Kilkeel |676 |51,275.48 |1,437 |1,440 |1,480
Knockbreda |2,760 |225,072.52 |6,357 |6,223 |6,657
Larne |3,052 |151,624.30 |2,888 |2,799 |2,965
Limavady |2,084 |127,109.04 |3,202 |3,136 |3,227
Lisburn |7,108 |728,054.03 |6,540 |6,628 |6,694
Londonderry |11,470 |1,118,808.56 |14,786 |14,818 |15,901
Lurgan |5,854 |856,702.31 |5,806 |5,688 |6,100
Magherafelt |3,027 |425,225.75 |5,080 |5,175 |5,289
Newcastle |1,339 |67,989.42 |1,888 |1,861 |1,941
Newry |5,010 |669,516.30 |9,600 |9,457 |9,748
Newtownabbey |4,840 |247,413.38 |5,774 |5,415 |5,941
Newtownards |1,702 |123,481.10 |3,840 |3,986 |3,910
Omagh |3,783 |378,413.86 |5,577 |5,530 |6,039
Portadown |2,268 |194,414.67 |3,837 |3,728 |3,992
Shaftesbury Squar |6,465 |565,737.83 |6,662 |6,896 |8,152
Shankill |4,220 |365,981.69 |5,367 |5,209 |5,328
Strabane |5,193 |381,830.67 |6,045 |6,121 |6,039
|------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |151,141 |13,100,309.25 |193,183 |190,780 |199,761
<1>During the period in question there were three counts of the caseload as shown.
Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information is available to indicate the total numbers in receipt of (a) mobility allowance (b) attendance allowance and (c) invalid care allowance and to indicate the total number of claims received for each allowance in each of the past five years indicating the number of claims from each year which were successful.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 16 May 1989] : The total numbers of people in Northern Ireland in receipt of mobility allowance, attendance allowance and invalid care allowance at the latest date for which information is available are 13,530, 29,394 and 6,174 respectively. The total numbers of claims received for each allowance in each of the last five years and the total numbers of claims allowed in those years are as follows :
Year |Claims received|Claims allowed
----------------------------------------------------------------
Mobility Allowance
1984 |4,544 |2,055
1985 |5,017 |2,330
1986 |5,427 |2,959
1987 |6,382 |2,838
1988 |6,278 |2,866
Attendance Allowance
1984 |12,043 |8,697
1985 |12,285 |8,186
1986 |12,409 |9,078
1987 |13,951 |8,651
1988 |15,709 |10,852
Invalid Care
1984 |208 |183
1985 |391 |156
1986 |5,072 |1,264
1987 |2,995 |3,528
1988 |1,873 |1,849
Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information is available to indicate the age profile of those receiving (a) mobility allowance (b) attendance allowance and (c) invalidity care allowance.
Column 468
Mr. Needham [holding answer 16 May 1989] : The latest available information is as follows :
(a) Mobility Allowance
Age at 31 December
1988
|Number
------------------------
Under 5 |8
5-9 |365
10-14 |351
15-19 |472
20-24 |493
25-29 |465
30-34 |528
35-39 |580
40-44 |757
45-49 |942
50-54 |1,232
55-59 |1,760
60-64 |2,354
65+ |2,615
|-------
Total |12,922
(b) Attendance Allowance
Age at 29 December 1988 |Number
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2-4 |577
5-9 |1,246
10-14 |1,032
15 |190
16-19 |776
20-24 |910
25-29 |812
30-34 |695
35-39 |716
40-44 |694
45-49 |798
50-54 |901
55-59 |1,168
60-64 |1,499
65-69 |2,147
70-74 |2,524
75-79 |3,444
80-84 |3,828
85-89 |3,039
90-94 |1,663
95+ |735
|---
Total |29,394
(c) Invalid Care Allowance
Age at 23 February 1989 |Number
------------------------------------------------------------------------
16-20 |46
21-25 |162
26-30 |427
31-35 |628
36-40 |805
41-45 |1,061
46-50 |969
51-55 |890
56-60 |881
61-65 |269
66-70 |24
70+ |12
|---
Total |6,174
Attendance Allowance Board
Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information is available to indicate the number of adjudication officer decisions reviewed by the Attendance Allowance Board in each of the past five years, the number of the board's own decisions which were further reviewed and the outcome of such reviews.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 17 May 1989] : The numbers of decisions reviewed by the Attendance Allowance Board in each of the last five years and the outcomes of the reviews are as follows :
Year |Decisions Reviewed |Claims allowed on Review ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1984 |1,663 |899 1985 |1,665 |866 1986 |2,079 |830 1987 |2,982 |1,219 1988 |3,055 |1,487
The number of appeals on a point of law heard by the social security commissioner against decisions of the Attendance Allowance Board in each of the last five years and the outcomes of such appeals are as follows :
Year |Appeals Heard |Appeals Allowed ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1984 |6 |3 1985 |16 |5 1986 |22 |7 1987 |33 |8 1988 |71 |17
Mobility Allowance
Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information is available to indicate the number of adjudication officer decisions in respect of mobility allowance which were reviewed on appeal by the medical board in each of the past four years, the outcome
Column 470
of such reviews, the number of such decisions further appealed to the medical appeal tribunal and the outcome of such appeals.Mr. Needham [holding answer 17 May 1989] : The numbers of appeals heard by medical boards and medical appeal tribunals in respect of claims to mobility allowance in Northern Ireland in each of the last four years and the outcome of such appeals are as follows :
Year |Appeals heard |Appeals allowed
----------------------------------------------------------------
Appeals to medical boards
1985 |733 |188
1986 |822 |186
1987 |697 |135
1988 |987 |210
Appeals to medical appeal tribunals
1985 |226 |83
1986 |273 |75
1987 |277 |97
1988 |292 |117
Royal Ulster Constabulary
Mr. Shersby : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary have lost their lives in the course of their duty in Northern Ireland during each of the past five years for which figures are available.
Mr. Ian Stewart [holding answer 18 May 1989] : The information is as follows :
Year |Number of Officers --------------------------------------------------------- 1984 |10 1985 |23 1987 |17 1988 |7
These figures include members of the RUC and RUC Reserve.
Medical Cards
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many medical cards were issued in Northern Ireland in each of the five weeks beginning 16 April, 23 April and 30 April, 7 May and 14 May and the five corresponding weeks in 1988.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 22 May 1989] : The information is as follows :
Week CommenNumber of Medical
Cards issued
|1989 |1988
----------------------------
16 April |1,372|527
23 April |785 |516
30 April |845 |555
7 May |1,789|840
14 May<1> |1,148|786
<1> Up to and including 18
May.
Vehicles
Mr. Henderson : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many vehicles and at what value were purchased by (a) his Department and (b) other
Column 471
public sector agencies for which he is responsible, in 1988 ; and how many of these vehicles were British made within the definition of British as set out by the Department of Trade and Industry in its arrangement on content with the European Community.Column 472
Mr. Ian Stewart [holding answer 17 April 1989] : The information available is as follows :
Column 471
Department Vehicles purchased bVehicles purchased bNumber of British m
department public sector agencivehicles<1>
|Number |Value<2> |Number |Value<2>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
DANI |74 |918,705 |- |- |52
DOE |134 |1,691,242|135 |2,992,866|237
DENI<3> |1 |11,000 |134 |2,626,734|-
DHSS<4> |183 |2,067,550|- |- |118
DED |3 |22,902 |213 |2,120,527|161
<1> This list is based on the definition employed by the Department
of Trade and Industry for statistical purposes, under which a vehicle
is classified as United Kingdom-produced if the United Kingdom
context exceeds 50 per cent. of the ex-works value.
<2>Includes VAT.
<3> Department of Education was unable to establish number of British
made vehicles.
<4> Department of Health and Social Services could provide only a
total figure for both Departments and the public sector.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Fishing Industry
Mr. Salmond : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his assessment of the current financial position of the fishing industry ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Donald Thompson : After a series of good years the United Kingdom fishing industry is on a strong financial footing. Although landings so far this year are down compared with 1988, their average value remains high. And fuel prices, a major cost item for most fishermen, have fallen substantially over the past five years.
Mr. Salmond : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the level of third country fish imports since the beginning of the current year ; and what assessment he has made of possible breaches of the reference pricing system.
Mr. Donald Thompson : Imports of fresh, chilled and frozen fish from countries outside the European Community in the first three months of 1989 were 47,552 tonnes at a value of £59 million. A small number of consignments have been below the reference price but none has been significant enough to trigger Community action .
Mr. Salmond : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what will be the areas of priority in the fishing industry which he will seek to raise at the Council of Ministers on 21 June ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Donald Thompson : There are a number of issues of concern to the industry which I expect to be discussed by the Council and I will take a view on what else I need to raise when I see the draft agenda.
Mr. Salmond : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on tonnage and horsepower in the United Kingdom fishing fleet and on how these relate to the targets accepted by Her Majesty's Government under the multi-annual guidance programme.
Mr. Donald Thompson : The size of the United Kingdom fishing fleet, as at 1 January 1989, was 174,774 gross
Column 472
registered tonnage (GRT) and 890,995 kilowatts (kw) (1,211,753 horsepower). Under our multi-annual guidance programme the United Kingdom is obliged to reduce fleet capacity to 161,231 GRT and 831, 708 kw by the end of this year, to 150,336 GRT and 785,340 kw by the end of 1990, and to 141,620 GRT and 748,245 kw by the end of the programme on 31 December 1991.Mr. Salmond : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will reconsider the decision to grant an extension of registration and licensing facilities to the flags-of-convenience vessels currently under legal debate ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Donald Thompson : There has been no decision to grant an extension of registration to any flag-of-convenience vessels. With effect from 1 April 1989 any vessels which failed to satisfy the new registration rules for fishing vessels under part II of the Merchant Shipping Act 1988 have been removed from the register, and cannot lawfully fish against United Kingdom quotas.
Provided they do not fish in the meantime, the owners of those vessels party to the legal challenge to the new registration rules (in the Factortame case) have until 1 October 1989 to transfer their licences upon the sale of the vessels to genuine British owners who meet the new registration rules.
Mr. Salmond : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what further consideration he has given to the introduction of a scheme of decommissioning of the fishing fleet under European Community regulation No. 4028/86.
Mr. Donald Thompson : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on Monday 22 May to the hon. Member for Greenock and Port Glasgow (Dr. Godman), at column 372.
Mr. Salmond : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on licensing policy for the United Kingdom fishing fleet.
Mr. Donald Thompson : Access to United Kingdom quota species continues to be governed by the restrictive licensing scheme first introduced in 1984 and subsequently amended on several occasions. Fisheries Departments are considering whether further amendments might be
Column 473
desirable in the light of the wide-ranging and diverse responses from the fishing industry to our consultation exercise last year.Brogdale Experimental Horticulture Station
Mr. Straw : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why the Brogdale experimental horticulture station is to be closed ; and what arrangements will be made for the care and maintenance of the national fruit variety collection there.
Mr. Donald Thompson : The proposal to close Brogdale experimental horticulture station, which was announced to the House on 21 March, stems from the withdrawal of public funding from near market R and D. Final decisions on the closure of Brogdale will not be taken until consultations with industry have been concluded. We intend however to ensure that the national fruit collection is preserved, and we are considering what arrangements should be made in the event that the station is closed.
Mr. Straw : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the total cost to public funds of (a) the Brogdale experimental horticulture station and (b) the national fruit variety collection there, for each of the years 1979 to date in (i) current prices and (ii) constant prices.
Mr. Donald Thompson : The information relating to the gross full economic cost of Brogdale experimental husbandry station from 1981-82 is as follows :
Gross full economic cost (£ thousands)
Year |(a) current prices |(b) constant prices
|(1987-88 base)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1981-82 |502 |672
1982-83 |656 |820
1983-84 |739 |882
1984-85 |785 |892
1985-86 |917 |984
1986-87 |876 |911
1987-88 |881 |881
Important elements of the overall cost of maintaining the national fruit collection are undertaken in common with support to other work undertaken at Brogdale EHS. Separate NFC costings have not been collected throughout the period in question, but on the basis of manpower required to maintain the NFC it is estimated that, as part of Brogdale EHS, the NFC accounted for some 7 per cent. of Brogdale's total costs in 1987-88, equivalent to some £60,000. It is not thought likely that this relative cost has been significantly different in earlier years.
Cash Limits
Mr. Gill : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether it is intended to change the cash and running cost limits on any Department vote for which he has responsibility.
Mr. MacGregor : Yes. Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary revised Estimate the cash limit for class IV, vote 2, (Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce ; administration) will be reduced by £1,284,000 from £39,509,000 to £38,225,000, and that for class IV,
Column 474
vote 5 (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food ; departmental research, advisory services and administration) will be reduced by £72,000 from £257,014,000 to £256,942,000. The running cost limit for class IV, vote 2 will also be reduced by £76,000 from £19,957,000 to £19,881,000 and that for class IV, vote 5 will be reduced by £72,000 from £262,458,000 to £262,386,000.The reductions in the running cost limits on votes 2 and 5 reflect the transfer of provision to the Scottish Office administration vote (class XVI, vote 21) for processing data from England and Wales in connection with the beef special premium scheme. The remainder of the reduction to the cash limit of £1,208,000 on vote 2 arises on IBAP's agency payments to DANI in respect of the beef variable premium scheme which has ended.
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will place in the Library copies of the letters he received on 22 June 1988 and 15 November 1988 from Sir Richard Southwood which contained the interim recommendations of his committee and Government action on bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
Mr. Donald Thompson [holding answer 22 May 1989] : Yes, I have arranged for copies of the letters to be placed in the Library of the House today.
Meat Products (Animal Brains)
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether any statutory restrictions exist on the use of animal brains in the manufacture of human foodstuffs.
Mr. Donald Thompson [holding answer 22 May 1989] : The Meat Products and Spreadable Fish Products Regulations 1984 prohibit the use of brains in the manufacture of uncooked meat products. I shall shortly be issuing proposals for legislation which would prohibit the sale of baby foods containing brains and other specified offal. I understand through trade sources that brains are not used in baby foods.
Pollution
Mr. Speller : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will now ban the discharge into waters off the north Devon coast of untreated sewage and chemical waste.
Mr. Donald Thompson : The discharge of waste by pipeline is regulated by water authorities. Water authorities' own discharges of sewage by pipeline are regulated by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment.
My Ministry licenses deposits from vessels. There are no licences for deposit off the north Devon coast of chemical waste. Most of the sewage sludge which is licensed has been treated. The disposal site is periodically monitored and no significant adverse effects have been identified.
Column 475
HEALTH
NHS Reform
8. Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what he estimates will be the average capital charge to self-governing hospital trusts in London.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : Self-governing trusts will not pay capital charges, but they will be given a financial regime similar to the capital charging system for district managed hospitals. The precise details are still being finalised and I expect to give further details within the next few weeks.
12. Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the number and location of those hospitals considering self-governing status.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : Regional health authorities have been asked to send expressions of interest to the Department by 31 May. But I understand that well over 100 expressions of interest have been received throughout the country.
13. Mr. Knapman : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on the White Paper proposals for medical audit.
36. Mr. Stevens : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on the proposals for medical audit outlined in the White Paper "Working for Patients".
60. Mr. Paice : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the proposals in the White Paper "Working for Patients" on medical audit.
Mr. Mellor : Our proposals on medical audit have been widely welcomed by doctors. The White Paper made it clear that there would be discussions with the medical profession and first meetings have already been held in a constructive manner.
23. Mr. Hague : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether National Health Service self-governing hospitals will have to retain emergency services.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : Yes, unless it would be better for these services to be provided elsewhere.
24. Mr. Adley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to ensure that copies of the White Paper "Working for Patients" are available to doctors.
Mr. Mellor : Copies of "Working for Patients" were sent to health authorities and family practitioner committees to explain the proposals to doctors in their management role. Copies of the three working papers directly relevant to the family doctor service were sent to all GPs. Individual copies of the White Paper are available from Her Majesty's Stationery Office, price £8.80, or by order through public libraries.
29. Mr. Knox : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many representations he has received from members of the public about his White Paper "Working for Patients".
Mr. Mellor : In excess of 4,000 letters.
Column 476
31. Mr. Day : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on the proposals to allow hospitals to become self governing National Health Service hospitals.
47. Mr. Ian Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on his proposals to allow hospitals to become self governing.
Mr. Mellor : We have received a large number of letters from members of the public and many responses from representational bodies on the White Paper proposals including those relating to enabling hospitals to become self governing within the NHS. Many people find the proposals attractive.
32. Mr. Janman : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the consequences of allowing general practitioners' practices to hold their own budgets.
53. Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the proposals to allow general practitioners' practices to hold their own budgets will affect patient care.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : Practice budgets will offer general medical practitioners new opportunities to improve the quality and standard of service to their patients. GPs with budgets will have control over large sums of taxpayers' money which they will be able to use as they judge best for the provision of care to their patients. This means that GPs will, for the first time, be able to back their referral decisions for those conditions covered by the budget with taxpayers' money to provide the chosen hospital with finance for the treatment. As a result hospitals will be encouraged to be more responsive to the needs of individual GPs and their patients, and GPs in the practice budget scheme will have a much greater role than at present in influencing the provision of hospital services. This can only be of benefit to patients and to the NHS as a whole.
33. Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received from professional bodies and trades unions concerning the review of the National Health Service.
Mr. Mellor : A good many expressing many different views.
34. Mr. Andy Stewart : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what will be the effect on doctors who choose to operate a practice budget, as proposed in the White Paper "Working for Patients" of an overspend in their budget.
Mr. Mellor : There is of course no question of patients not receiving the treatment they need as a result of a budget overspend. Larger practices which volunteer to hold a practice budget will be allowed to overspend by up to 5 per cent. a year on the basis that a corresponding reduction will be made the following year. Where the overspend is due to the changed cirumstances of a practice such as an increase in the number of patients or in their relative need for services, the practice may ask for a review of its budget. If a practice overspends by more than 5 per cent., or persistently overspends at a lower level, the family practitioner committee will initiate a thorough audit. An overspend greater than 5 per cent. for two years in succession may lead to the practice losing the right to hold its own budget.
| Next Section
| Home Page |