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Cervical Smears

Miss Lestor : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements are made in (a) the Eccles constituency, (b) the city of Salford, (c) Greater


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Manchester and (d) the north-west region for cervical cancer smear tests for women up to the age of 30 years, 30 to 40 years, 40 to 50 years, 50 to 60 years and over 60 years of age ; if he will provide the figures for these tests and these age groups for 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985 and 1988 ; what new proposals on these tests have been made by the North West regional health authority ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Mellor : We do not hold data for the Eccles constituency and the city of Salford centrally in the form requested. Data for North Western regional health authority and Greater Manchester is provided in the table.


Cervical cytology                                                           

Number of smear tests                                                       

Thousands                                                                   

                   |North Western RHA |Greater Manchester                   

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

1970               |<1>99             |n/a                                  

1975               |283               |209                                  

1980               |333               |240                                  

1985               |399               |274                                  

1987-88            |389               |235                                  

Source: Form SBH 140.                                                       

<1> There were boundary changes between 1970 and 1975. This figure relates  

to the Manchester region.                                                   

The national cervical cancer screening programme will provide screening for women aged 20 to 64. Health authorities are making arrangements to invite all eligible women for screening within five years of introduction of each district's computerised call and recall system. All districts in England commenced their programme by April 1988.

Opting Out

Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what regulations or guidance exist to govern the balloting of consultants on opting out ; and whether these were applied in the recent ballot at Queen's medical centre, Nottingham.

Mr. Mellor : None, although we have made it clear that when the time comes for formal application, it would not be sensible for RHAs to organise ballots of staff or any other groups with an interest.

NHS Grading

Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for Health by how much Southampton district health authority was underfunded for the purposes of nurses regrading.

Mr. Mellor : The Government met the full cost of funding the nurse regrading exercise, based upon regional health authorities' own estimates of the costs. This is therefore a matter for the regional health authority and my hon. Friend may wish to contact the chairman, Mr. Buchanan, for such information as he requires.

Nurses (Retraining)

Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how long he estimates it will take to retrain all state enrolled nurses who have currently expressed an interest in retraining in each health authority in England and Wales ;

(2) what moneys he intends to make available to the health authorities for state enrolled nurses to undergo conversion courses.


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Mr. Mellor : My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State has given an assurance that the Government regard enrolled nurse conversion and plans for safeguarding the continued contribution of those who do not convert as an integral part of the implementation of the Project 2000 reforms of nurse education and training. Thirteen Project demonstration districts have submitted plans for enrolled nurse conversion, and funding has been made available to those districts. The overall timetable for the national implementation of Project 2000 has not yet been decided.

The number of training institutions approved to conduct conversion courses has increased from six in 1985-86 to 138 in December 1988. We welcome the guidance which has been issued by the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing Midwifery and Health Visiting on more flexible means of conversion.

Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many state enrolled nurses have been accepted for retraining this year in each health authority in England and Wales ;

(2) what is the current size of the list of state enrolled nurses waiting to be retrained by each health authority in England and Wales.

Mr. Mellor : We do not collect this information for England centrally. Information relating to Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

Accident and Emergency Services

Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, further to his answer of 27 June, Official Report, column 424, how he intends that district health authorities should be responsible for securing accident and emergency services in their districts where regional health authorities refuse any accident and emergency service provision for that district.

Mr. Mellor : All district health authorities will be responsible for seeing that contracts are in place which ensure that their residents have access to comprehensive health services, including accident and emergency provision. It will be the responsibility of regional health authorities to monitor the performance of their districts to secure this objective. Regions' performance of this role (and others) will be monitored by the NHS management executive.

Smoking

Mr. Sims : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many letters from individuals his Department received about smoking in the workplace in the last 12 month period and in the immediately preceding 12 months ; and if he will make a statement.


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Mr. Mellor : In the 12 months ending on 30 June 1989 the Department received 54 letters on this subject, nine of which had been forwarded by Members of Parliament.

The corresponding figures for the 12 months ending on 30 June 1988 were 480 and 42.

Tobacco

Mr. Sims : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will be discussing the continued existence of the Health Promotion Research Trust in his current negotiations with the tobacco industry ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Freeman : Funding for the Health Promotion Research Trust does not figure in the formal voluntary agreements with the tobacco industry which we hope shortly to renegotiate. However, the trust has undertaken much valuable work since its creation in 1984. Careful consideration will therefore need to be given to its future as the industry's agreed contributions will cease at the end of this financial year.

Mr. Sims : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the committee for monitoring agreements on tobacco advertising and sponsorship receives audited reports of expenditure on advertising from the United Kingdom tobacco companies ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Freeman : Under the voluntary agreement with the tobacco industry on tobacco products' advertising and promotion, and health warnings, the Tobacco Advisory Council and the Imported Tobacco Products Advisory Council provide the Department with confidential quarterly returns of net cigarette brand and hand rolling tobacco advertising expenditure data for press and posters. The position is then reported to the committee for monitoring agreements on tobacco advertising and sponsorship.

Speech Therapists

Rev. Martin Smyth : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the grades of speech therapists in England, Wales and Scotland following the regrading under HSS(TC7)3188 broken down by area board, showing the percentage in each grade before regrading and the percentage after.

Mr. Mellor : We do not have the information in the form requested, but the tables show the percentage of speech therapists in each grade in regional health authorities in England at 30 September 1989. The information relating to Wales and Scotland is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland. The position by English region is as follows :


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Percentage speech therapy staff by grade as at 30 September 1987                                                                                                                                                                          

Regional health authority |Snr II                   |Snr I                    |Ch IV                    |Ch III                   |Dist CH II               |Dist CH I                |Dist Snr chief                                     

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

Northern                  |39.43                    |40.89                    |3.99                     |6.33                     |8.73                     |0.00                     |0.63                                               

Yorkshire                 |35.69                    |49.78                    |1.12                     |3.60                     |6.08                     |2.48                     |1.24                                               

Trent                     |47.94                    |32.38                    |4.55                     |10.37                    |2.38                     |0.40                     |1.98                                               

East Anglian              |47.05                    |36.27                    |2.22                     |7.87                     |5.73                     |0.86                     |0.00                                               

North West Thames         |40.70                    |41.08                    |4.40                     |8.67                     |3.75                     |0.47                     |0.94                                               

North East Thames         |36.13                    |39.18                    |3.18                     |15.59                    |4.66                     |0.85                     |0.42                                               

South East Thames         |39.38                    |39.94                    |3.60                     |10.62                    |5.08                     |0.92                     |0.46                                               

South West Thames         |28.83                    |51.20                    |0.42                     |13.82                    |5.14                     |0.60                     |0.00                                               

Wessex                    |46.47                    |27.99                    |4.90                     |13.21                    |4.45                     |2.97                     |0.00                                               

Oxford                    |31.87                    |44.40                    |3.48                     |15.38                    |2.09                     |2.78                     |0.00                                               

South Western             |34.47                    |49.26                    |2.75                     |8.03                     |2.20                     |2.20                     |1.10                                               

West Midlands             |45.07                    |36.03                    |6.17                     |6.05                     |5.11                     |0.79                     |0.79                                               

Mersey                    |41.53                    |34.48                    |0.88                     |13.58                    |6.88                     |2.65                     |0.00                                               

North Western             |44.98                    |37.75                    |4.05                     |6.76                     |5.60                     |0.43                     |0.43                                               


Percentage speech therapy staff by grade as at 30 September 1988                                                                                                                      

Regional health authority |Grade A                  |Grade B                  |Grade C                  |Grade D                  |Grade E                                            

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

Northern                  |13.37                    |47.96                    |25.13                    |11.17                    |2.38                                               

Yorkshire                 |7.11                     |49.83                    |33.68                    |5.98                     |3.40                                               

Trent                     |10.72                    |56.83                    |26.79                    |2.38                     |3.28                                               

East Anglian              |9.40                     |59.77                    |21.78                    |6.49                     |2.56                                               

North West Thames<1>      |10.93                    |63.80                    |16.37                    |5.32                     |3.58                                               

North East Thames         |12.55                    |32.01                    |36.06                    |14.67                    |4.72                                               

South East Thames         |15.03                    |52.02                    |22.14                    |8.43                     |2.38                                               

South West Thames         |10.28                    |54.30                    |27.56                    |5.24                     |2.62                                               

Wessex                    |5.23                     |61.72                    |24.10                    |5.23                     |3.73                                               

Oxford                    |6.85                     |53.45                    |28.51                    |7.19                     |3.99                                               

South Western<2>          |-                        |-                        |-                        |-                        |-                                                  

West Midlands             |10.59                    |59.21                    |20.43                    |7.58                     |2.20                                               

Mersey                    |13.30                    |48.23                    |29.79                    |6.03                     |2.66                                               

North Western             |14.81                    |39.98                    |36.60                    |4.30                     |4.30                                               

<1> North West Thames figures at 31 March 1989.                                                                                                                                       

<2> South Western figures not available in comparable form.                                                                                                                           

Northern 13.37 47.96 25.13 11.17 2.38

Yorkshire 7.11 49.83 33.68 5.98 3.40

Trent 10.72 56.83 26.79 2.38 3.28

East Anglian 9.40 59.77 21.78 6.49 2.56

North West Thames 10.93 63.80 16.37 5.32 3.58

North East Thames 12.55 32.01 36.06 14.67 4.72

South East Thames 15.03 52.02 22.14 8.43 2.38

South West Thames 10.28 54.30 27.56 5.24 2.62

Wessex 5.23 61.72 24.10 5.23 3.73

Oxford 6.85 53.45 28.51 7.19 3.99

South Western -- -- -- -- --

West Midlands 10.59 59.21 20.43 7.58 2.20

Mersey 13.30 48.23 29.79 6.03 2.66

North Western 14.81 39.98 36.60 4.30 4.30

North West Thames figures as at 31 March 1989.

South Western figures not available in comparable form.

Cytogeneticists (Salaries)

Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the average salary in each of the last 10 years for a cytogeneticist with a PhD or MSc in (a) Greater London and (b) Manchester.

Mr. Mellor : We do not hold this information centrally.

Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the pay increases for cytogeneticists in each of the past 10 years.

Mr. Mellor : Cytogeneticists have received the same increases each year as physicists, biochemists and clinical psychologists. The percentage increases in the pay round year 1 August to 31 July for the last ten years are as follows :


           |Percentage           

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

1978-79    |27.0                 

1979-80    |14.0                 

1980-81    |6.0                  

1981-82    |<1>10.77             

1982-83    |<1>10.77             

1983-84    |4.5                  

1984-85    |4.7                  

1985-86    |6.0                  

1986-87    |5.0                  

1987-88    |5.5                  

<1> This figure represents an    

increase implemented with effect 

from 11 September 1982 to cover  

a two year period.               

This figure represents an increase implemented with effect from 11 September 1982 to cover a two year period.

Natural Medicines

Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has plans to introduce regulations to outlaw the sale of natural, herbal and homeopathic medicines and drugs other than through a pharamaceutical outlet to bring the United Kingdom into line with other EEC countries.

Mr. Mellor : We have no such plans at present. The European Community is committed to directives on homeopathic medicines and conditions of supply of


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medicines to the public, but specific proposals have not yet been submitted to the Council of Ministers. When EC proposals are published, we shall consider them carefully for compatibility with United Kingdom traditions and communicate with interested parties as to the United Kingdom input to negotiations.

Haemoglobinopathy

Mr. Boateng : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish in the Official Report the results of his survey of haemoglobinopathy services ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Freeman : The analysis of district health authorities' responses to the Department's request for information on screening and counselling services for sickle cell and thalassaemic diseases in nearing completion. When the completed analysis has been studied, I will write to the hon. Member.

Mr. Boateng : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he has proposed to co-ordinate the activities of the haemoglobinopathy charities ; what plans he has for further action ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Freeman : Officials of the Department separately met representatives of three of the national voluntary organisations concerned in September 1988 to discuss the possibility of a national umbrella body to co-ordinate the activities of the haemoglobinopathy charities. The voluntary bodies concerned expressed doubts about the usefulness of such a body. In view of the expressed lack of interest we have no plans to proceed further with these proposals.

Drug Costs

Mr. Sayeed : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to be able to make available the net ingredient cost of prescriptions using the names of the products dispensed by pharmacy contractors in 1988 ; and if he will place a copy in the Library.


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Mr. Mellor : We do not expect to have the information requested until October 1989 at the earliest. When it becomes available a copy will be placed in the Library.

Ancillary Staff

Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the total numbers of ancillary staff employed in each district and regional health authority.

Mr. Mellor [holding answer 14 June 1989] : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson) on 4 July.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

Set-aside Scheme

Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many hectares of agricultural land have been set aside under the European Economic Community scheme in each member state for the current year.

Mr. Ryder : The information for the 11 member states required to implement the scheme is as follows :


Member states      |Hectares set aside                   

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

Belgium            |329                                  

Denmark            |Nil                                  

France             |15,707                               

Germany            |169,729                              

Greece             |n.a.                                 

Ireland            |1,310                                

Italy              |155,606                              

Luxembourg         |Nil                                  

Netherlands        |2,621                                

Spain              |34,229                               

United Kingdom     |54,779                               

                   |----                                 

  Total            |434,310                              

Source: European Commission.                             

Morecambe Bay (Shellfish)

Mr. Pike : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why he has not designated shellfish waters in Morecambe bay under the provisions of European Community directive 79/923/EEC.

Mr. Howard : I have been asked to reply.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 20 February 1989 to the hon. Member for Bootle (Mr. Roberts), Official Report, column 496 .

Fylde Coast (Sewage Outfall)

Mr. Pike : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what contacts his Department has had with the North West water authority over its proposals to construct a long sea outfall at Rossall point on the Fylde coast.


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Mr. Donald Thompson : Officials were informed of the North West water authority's work at an early stage. Before plans were drawn up the Ministry were asked to provide information about fisheries in the Fylde coast area. After consultation with local fisheries organisations this information was provided with a view to seeking to ensure that interference with fisheries was avoided. The Ministry sought from the authority information about the possible locations of the discharge and the nature and likely effect of the effluent. The authority gave a detailed presentation of the results of its studies of the various options and explained the reasons for the preferred option, and the Ministry has clarified further points of detail. The Ministry has since been formally consulted under the Control of Pollution Act 1974 on the proposed outfall.

Mr. Pike : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the potential for hydro transportion of sediment-associated viruses from the proposed long sea outfall in to the Lyne deep from Rossall point on the Fylde coast to shell fisheries in Morecambe bay and adjoining coastlines.

Mr. Donald Thompson : Based on the designcharacteristics of the proposed outfall, the location of the shellfisheries and experience with viral-related shellfish contamination elsewhere, the Ministry does not expect sediment transport of viruses to present a problem. To demonstrate that no problem occurs the Ministry have recommended to North West water authority that, if the outfall is constructed, monitoring of the microbiological quality of relevant shellfish stocks be undertaken before and after discharge commences.

Intervention Stores

Sir Geoffrey Johnson Smith : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total amount of wheat, beef and olive oil which is stockpiled (i) in the United Kingdom and (ii) in the European Economic Community as a whole, in (a) 1989, (b) 1984 and (c) 1979 ; and what was the total cost of storage and maintaining these for 1988.

Mr. Donald Thompson : The table shows the total amount of wheat, beef and olive oil held in public intervention stores in (i) the United Kingdom and (ii) the European Community in 1979, 1984 and 1989. EC stocks of beef and wheat reached peak levels of 711 and 11, 843 thousand tonnes respectively in 1985. The current levels of EC beef and wheat stocks represent reductions of 53 per cent. and 82 per cent. respectively from the peak levels.


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Commodity  <2>United Kingdom          <3>EC stock '000                   

           stocks '000 tonnes         tonnes                             

          |1979    |1984    |1989    |1979    |1984    |1989             

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

Wheat     |Nil     |95      |255     |<1>1,219|<1>4,989|<1>3,289         

Beef      |11      |10      |21      |161     |295     |331              

Olive Oil |n/a     |Nil     |Nill    |n/a     |185     |259              

The cost of storing and maintaining these stocks during 1988 was :


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£ million<5>                                                

               |EC            |United Kingdom               

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

Cereals<4>     |440           |74                           

Beef           |382           |36                           

Olive Oil      |11            |0                            

               |--            |--                           

Total          |833           |110                          

<1> Includes durum wheat. No intervention for durum wheat   

in the United Kingdom.                                      

<2> End April.                                              

<3> End April, except for olive oil in 1984 (end March).    

<4> Separate breakdown for wheat not available.             

<5> Expenditure charged to the 1988 budget relates to       

expenditure during the period November 1987 to October 15   

1988.                                                       

Tenderising Enzymes

Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he plans to introduce legislation prohibiting the administration of meat tenderising enzymes ;

(2) what research has been commissioned by his Ministry into the use of tenderising enzymes administered by inter-jugular injection prior to slaughter.

Mr. Donald Thompson : On 20 June I announced that our decision not to accept the recommendation by the Farm Animal Welfare Council in its report on the slaughter of red meat animals that the administration of the tenderising enzyme papain to cattle before slaughter should be banned would stand.

Research into the effects of the technique on the live animal was carried out following publication of the council's report. I have placed a copy of the results of the research in the Library.

Dichlofenthion

Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to restrict the fat-soluble pesticide, dichlofenthion, for use in sheep-dips and other agricultural uses.

Mr. Donald Thompson [holding reply 27 June 1989] : Pesticides and veterinary medicines containing dichlofenthion require licences. One such sheep dip is currently licensed but has not been marketed for some years and its licence will expire later this year.

THE ARTS

National Museums

Mr. Fisher : To ask the Minister for the Arts whether he has received the corporate plans of the national museums.

Mr. Luce : I have received the 1989 corporate plans of the national museums and galleries. I and my officials have met a number of the institutions to discuss their plans and will be meeting others in the near future.

Mr. Fisher : To ask the Minister for the Arts whether he plans to publish the corporate plans of the national museums.

Mr. Luce : It is for the trustees and director of the individual national museums or gallery to consider the circulation of their corporate plan, including whether this should be published.


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SOCIAL SECURITY

Industrial Disablement Benefit

Mrs. Beckett : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claims for industrial disablement benefit have been made in each year since October 1984 up to the latest available date.

Mr. Scott : The information is as follows :


                               |Number             

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

October 1984 to September 1985 |112,298            

October 1985 to September 1986 |124,518            

October 1986 to September 1987 |104,222            

October 1987 to September 1988 |90,727             

October 1988 to March 1989     |<1>44,734          

<1> Six months.                                    

Mrs. Beckett : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in how many cases of claims made since 1 October 1986 for industrial disablement benefit (a) awards were made at less than 14 per cent. on the basis of (i) provisional and (ii) final awards and (b) awards were made at 14 per cent. or more.

Mr. Scott : Between 1 October 1986 to 31 March 1989, there were 101,359 assessments of disablement at less than 14 per cent. Between 1 October 1986 and 31 March 1988, the latest date for which information is available, there were 14,693 awards for assessments at more than 14 per cent. disablement. It is not possible to distinguish between provisional and final awards.

Mrs. Beckett : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what savings have been made in each year since October 1986 up to the latest available date by operation of the 14 per cent. rule for industrial disability.

Mr. Scott : The estimated savings are as follows :


                           |£ million          

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

October 1986 to April 1987 |10.9               

April 1987 to April 1988   |35.0               

April 1988 to April 1989   |39.5               

Vaccine Damage

Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security why, pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Stoke on Trent, South, Official Report, 20 June, columns 94-96, some of the information requested regarding all vaccine damage payments made in 1980, 1981 and 1982 is not available.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : The details requested cannot be supplied for any of the vaccine damage payments made in 1980 as these have been destroyed in accordance with normal arrangements. Unfortunately some of those records for 1981 and 1982 are missing and cannot be found despite a very thorough search.

Office Reorganisation

Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will ensure that outstationing of Department of Social Security offices will not take place until such time as the operational strategy computer provisions have been completed.


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Mr. Peter Lloyd : The project to move out of 21 London offices the "backroom" work that does not need face to face contact with the public is now well advanced. We are going ahead with this initiative because of our commitment to ensuring our customers receive the highest quality service.

We are confident that the operational strategy computer systems are capable of supporting the needs of the project and of our customers.

Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will ensure that when outstationing of Department of Social Security offices is completed, telephone calls to the social security centres by claimants from local offices, public kiosks, and their homes, will be charged at the local rate and that the same charges will be available to advisers acting on the claimants' behalf.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : Telephone calls to the social security centres made from claimants' homes and public kiosks in the London local call area will be charged at the local rate. Calls made from the telephones to be sited in the public areas of the branch offices will give direct access to the social security centre and will be free. Advisers acting on behalf of claimants will be able to use the same facilities and, provided the call is made from within the London local call area, they will be charged at the local rate.

Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what facilities for people with disabilities will be provided in the new Department of Social Security branch offices to enable proper access and a comfortable wait.


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