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Sir Eldon Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the result of the appeal by Therese Devine, of Hargrave Green, Bury St. Edmunds, against his decision in 1986 that she was not entitled to supplementary benefit ; and what steps he has taken to make the appropriate payments to her in the light of the tribunal's judgment.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The local social security office have no record of an appeal being received from Therese Devine in 1986 nor was a decision issued at that time refusing her supplementary benefit. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply to his letter of 1 March and the subsequent reply from my hon. Friend the Parliamentary
Under-Secretary of State for Employment, dated 12 April in which these matters are fully explained.
Dr. Michael Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement about the future of Ilford Park Polish home.
Mr. Scott : Ilford Park Polish home, located near Newton Abbot, Devon, is the last remaining resettlement camp operated by the Department under the Polish Resettlement Act 1947. Polish people who satisfy the criteria laid down in the Act can be considered for admission. The current residents occupy accommodation which mostly predates the opening of the original camp in 1948. The buildings are situated in the central part of a 42-acre site owned by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment.
In view of the declining resident population and the age of the accommodation the Department has for some time now been considering the future of the home. The average age of the residents is increasing and some of them are becoming frail. The present home has more the characteristics of a residential care home for elderly people rather than its original function as a resettlement camp. The present accommodation, age apart, is unsuitable and does not meet the standards required today for residential care homes.
We have therefore concluded that Ilford Park Polish home should be rebuilt at its present site. The aim is to provide accommodation and facilities that meet the standards required of registered residential care homes and nursing homes. On provisional plans the work will be complete by 1992. There will be full consultation with residents and staff, as the details of the scheme are worked out.
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Mr. William Powell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list in the Official Report each parliamentary constituency, together with the proportion, in which the proportion of children born outside marriage in the latest year for which figures are available exceeds 20 per cent.
Mr. Freeman : This statistic is routinely available for local authority districts and for health districts and is published in the annual volume "Key Population and Vital Statistics" for local and health authority areas, which is in the Library. I regret that the statistic is not normally tabulated by parliamentary constituency and so could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases were seen at genito-urinary medicine clinics in England in each year from 1980 to the latest available year.
Mr. Freeman : The information is given in the table.
New cases seen at NHS genito-urinary medicine clinics, England, 1980 to 1987-88 Grand Total all conditions |Males |Females|Persons ---------------------------------------- 1980 |271,614|187,365|458,979 1981 |281,189|198,735|479,924 1982 |296,675|220,993|517,668 1983 |309,040|238,397|547,437 1984 |319,483|250,445|569,928 1985 |332,840|272,466|605,306 1986 |349,190|298,169|647,359 1987 |328,467|291,799|620,266 1987-88 |310,753|282,972|593,725 Source: DH fors SBH60.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what indication he has on those district health authorities which are setting as a local priority the provision of a genito-urinary clinic.
Mr. Freeman : In a letter sent to health authorities in February the Department advised them that, as part of the reports required under the AIDS (Control) Act 1987, details should be given of all completed and planned developments in genito-urinary medicine services. District health authorities are due to publish their reports by the end of June.
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Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for each of the members of the Health Service management board his or her experience (a) in Health Service affairs and (b) in the supply of personal services to members of the public for which there is no fee or charge.
Mr. Mellor : The members of the NHS policy board were chosen for their capacity to give high calibre independent advice about the strategic direction of the NHS. A significant proportion have had distinguished careers in the Health Service. Others bring a variety of experience from the business world, and an outstanding record of achievement in giving direction to very large organisations.
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Mr. Turner : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish a list showing for each family practitioner committee whose chairman was not reappointed in March-April 1989, the name of the chairmen not reappointed, their length of service on that family practitioner committee, their status on that committee, namely, as a contractor or lay person, and the name of the person appointed in their place, together with a note of their length of service on that family practitioner committee and their status and, where no reappointment has yet occurred, the date on which he hopes to announce the name of the new chairman and the cause of the hiatus.
Mr. Mellor : The information is contained in the table. We hope to announce names for the two remaining vacancies shortly.
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Family practitioner Outgoing chairman Length of service Status New chairman Length of service Status committee ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bedfordshire |Mrs. W. Brothwood |4 |(2)<1> |Lay |Dr. A. Wood |- |Lay Birmingham |Dr. A. Llewellyn-Lloyd |8 |Contractor |Mrs. C. Vaughan-Griffiths|- |Lay Bolton |Mrs. J. Rothwell |4 |Contractor |Mr. A. Pettengell |- |Lay Bury |Dr. A. Burt |15 |Contractor |Mr. B. Wood |- |Lay Camden and Islington |Mr. K. Judge |2 |Lay |Mr. H. C. Gilbert |- |Lay City and East London |Mr. J. Keir |2 |Lay |Ms. J. Lait |- |Lay Croydon |Mr. B. Pringle |15 |Lay |Mr. R. Lane |- |Lay Derbyshire |Mr. B. Ashby |3 |Lay |Mr. M. Boissier |- |Lay Dorset |Mr. B. Gillam |5 |Lay |Mrs. K. Mulliner |- |Lay Durham |Mr. N. Thomas |12 |Lay |Mr. I. Bonas |- |Lay Enfield and Haringey |Mr. B. Whycer |6 |Contractor |Vacant |- |- Greenwich and Bexley |Mr. J. Stickland |5 |Lay |Mr. B. Marson-Smith |- |Lay Kingston and Richmond |Mr. D. Lewis |12 |Lay |Mr. D. J. G. Banks |- |Lay Lancashire |Mr. F. Pethybridge |4 |Lay |Mr. C. Jeanes |- |Lay Liverpool |Mr. R. Clark |5 |Lay |Mrs. R. Hawley |- |Lay North Tyneside |Dr. J. Gordon |7 |Contractor |Dr. G. Hetherington |- |Lay Nottinghamshire |Dr. A. MacLaren |10 |Contractor |Mr. M. Dessau |- |Lay Oxfordshire |Lady Williams |12 |(3)<1> |Lay |Mrs. D. Levy |- |Lay Redbridge and Waltham Forest |Mr. L. Bridgeman |4 |Lay |Vacant |- |- Sefton |Mr. B. Worster-Davies |10 |Lay |Mr. C. D. Darley |- |Lay Trafford |Dr. B. Tennant |8 |Contractor |Mr. A. Russell |- |Lay Walsall |Mr. M. Wolverson |7 |Lay |Mr. J. Howell |- |Lay Warwickshire |Mrs. M. Backhouse |13 |Lay |Mr. R. Gardner |- |Lay Wigan |Mrs. C. Caley |4 |(11)<1> |Lay |Mr. J. Lewis |- |Lay Wolverhampton |Mr. D. Evans |4 |Contractor |Ms. T. Evans |- |Lay <1> Figures in brackets show the length of service as a member before becoming chairman.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his policy on the use of patients in the United Kingdom for experimental test purposes for an American drug company provided that the company holds a valid clinical test certificate or clinical trial exemption certificate issued by the United Kingdom licensing authority ; what arrangements there are for the patients to be informed that they are to be used for experimental test purposes ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Mellor : Within the National Health Service all research proposals on human subjects, including drug trials, should be approved by a local research ethics committee before they commence. The committee will want to look at all aspects of the research proposal, including any certificates issued by the United Kingdom Licensing Authority and what arrangements have been made for the information of patients involved, before giving or withholding their approval.
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Mr. Amos : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the level of pay for medical physicists in the National Health Service ; and if he has any plans to change the level of retention and recruitment of staff.
Mr. Mellor : The pay of medical physicists is a matter for negotiation between the management side of the scientific and professional staffs council and the staff side representing scientists employed in the NHS. Negotiations are continuing on the staff side pay cliam for 1989/90. I understand that the management side has set up a working party which has been investigating the position with regard to recruitment and retention of scientists.
Mr. Key : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress he is making in negotiations to resolve the Whitley council PTAA staff pay claim for 1989, covering health care professionals, including clinical psychologists,
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biochemists, microbiologists and other scientists, including those at the public health laboratory service, Porton Down ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Mellor : The pay of clinical psychologists, biochemists, microbiologists and other scientists, including those employed at Porton Down, is a matter for negotiation between the management side of the scientific and professional staffs council and the staff side representing scientists employed in the NHS. Negotiations are continuing on the staff side pay claim for 1989-90.
Mr. Andrew Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out the current remit of the Health Education Authority.
Mr. Mellor : The remit of the Health Education Authority is set out in its establishment and constitution order. The authority's main tasks are to advise my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Health on health education matters and to undertake programmes of health education in England, except for AIDS public education, which is on a United Kingdom-wide basis.
Mr. Andrew Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what guidance has been given by his Department to the Health Education Authority on strategic and operational planning for health education programmes for elderly people ;
(2) what particular responsibility the Health Education Authority has for the promotion and support of health education programmes for elderly people.
Mr. Mellor : The Health Education Authority has no responsibility to provide health education for any specific age group. The planning guidelines issued by the Department of Health to the Health Education Authority ask that the Health education needs of elderly people be taken into account in the authority's forward plans which are currently being developed.
Mr. Amess : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list in the Official Report those hospitals which opened in each district health authority in 1988, together with the number of beds.
Mr. Freeman : I regret that this information is not available centrally.
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Mr. Amess : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list in the Official Report those recommendations contained in the Select Committee on the Abortion (Amendment) Bill 1974-75 which have been implemented ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : The then Secretary of State announced acceptance in principle of the nine recommendations made by the Select Committee and all of them were subsequently implemented in part or in full.
Mr. Amess : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list in the Official Report those recommendations contained in the First and Second Reports of the Select Committee on Abortion 1976 which have not been implemented ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : The first report of the Select Committee recommended that the Government should introduce legislation to amend the Abortion Act 1967 in a number of ways. This would, however, have involved departure from the longstanding practice of leaving legislation on abortion to Bills brought forward by private Members as successive Governments have been neutral on abortion legislation. The second report concentrated on research, conscientious objection, disparity in the provision of NHS services, and the cost of abortion in the NHS, and made four recommendations which were not taken forward in the terms in which they were expressed.
Mr. Amess : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list the number of abortions performed on girls aged 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 years according to the grounds of termination in each year since 1968 ;
(2) what was the total number of abortions performed on girls aged 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 years since 1968.
Mr. Freeman : I regret that the information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Amess : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the number of abortions performed on girls aged 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 years according to the grounds of termination in 1987 and 1988 for 18 weeks and each week thereafter to 28 weeks.
Mr. Freeman : The exact information requested cannot be released for reasons of maintaining confidentiality. The table shows the data which can be released within these constraints for 1987 ; data for 1988 are not yet available.
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Number of abortions carried out under the Abortion Act 1967 by gestation, statutory grounds and mothers age. Residents and non-residents of England and Wales, 1987. Statutory grounds Age Gestation weeks |17-18|19-20|21-22|23+ ---------------------------------------------------- All grounds Under 15 |67 |27 |35 |31 15 |204 |92 |71 |38 16-19 |1,608|978 |539 |336 2 (alone) Under 15 |65 |25 |35 |31 15 |201 |91 |71 |38 16-19 |1,552|926 |520 |329 3 (with or without 2) Under 20 |34 |23 |9 |4 4 (alone)+4 (with any other except 1) Under 20 |26 |30 |9 |5 Others Under 20 |1 |2 |1 |0
Mr. Amess : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of abortions at 21 weeks, 23 weeks and 24 weeks gestation were performed during 1987 and 1988 on girls aged 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 years to save the life of the pregnant woman.
Mr. Freeman : There were three abortions performed in England and Wales in 1987 with mention of ground 5 of the 1967 Abortion Act (which allows abortions to be performed in order to save the life of the pregnant woman). Further details relating to age or gestation cannot be given for reasons of maintaining confidentiality. Data for 1988 are not yet available.
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how far the recently agreed programme of breast screening for women aged over 50 years has been implemented ; and whether he has any plans to widen the service.
Mr. Mellor : The table lists those breast screening centres in England which are now operational.
Under the programme, all women aged between 50 and 64 years will be invited to be screened by mammography every three years ; older women will be screened on request. The purpose of screening is to detect changes in breast tissue which might be cancerous at an early stage when treatment can be simple and most likely to be effective. Plans for extending the breast screening programme to cover all district health authorities in England are well advanced ; a full nationwide service comprising about 80 centres (including mobile units) is expected to be operational in 1990.
The breast screening programmes in the other parts of the United Kingdom are the responsibilities of my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales and for Northern Ireland and of my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland. Screening centres operational as at June 1989--
Region and centres
Northern
Gateshead
Newcastle
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YorkshireHuddersfield
Trent
Nottingham
Leicester
Lincoln
East Anglian
King's Lynn
Suffolk
Peterborough
North West Thames
Barnet
North East Thames
Epping
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital
South East Thames
Camberwell
South West Thames
Guildford
Wessex
Southampton
Isle of Wight
Portsmouth
Oxford
Aylesbury
Northampton
Wycombe
South Western
Cornwall
Avon
West Midlands
Stoke on Trent
Coventry
Dudley
Walsall
Mersey
Liverpool
North Western
Manchester
Bolton
Wigan
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Mr. Canavan : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he now expects to respond to the Social Services Committee regarding midwives' regrading ; and whether he will make a statement.
Mr. Mellor : I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Wallsend (Mr. Garrett) and my hon. Friend the Member for Batley and Spen (Mrs. Peacock) on 10 May 1989, at columns 450-51.
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