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Conservative Conference
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what additional resources were made available for policing and security at the 1989 Conservative conference at Blackpool.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The additional costs of policing the Conservative party conference at Blackpool will be met by the Lancashire police authority. Under the normal police
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funding arrangements, the Government contribute both directly through police grant--which is at 51 per cent.-- and indirectly through block grant.I understand from the chief constable of Lancashire that the additional costs including related security measures, are estimated to be £1.08 million.
The Conservative party, like other political parties, also incurs costs on specific security measures at its conference.
Immigration Enforcement
Mr. David Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were removed from the United Kingdom in 1988 as a result of immigration enforcement powers ; and what was the figure five years ago.
Mr. Renton : In 1988, a total of 3,046 persons were removed from the United Kingdom under the enforcement powers in the Immigration Act 1971, either as illegal entrants or under the deportation process. The corresponding figure for 1983 was 1,196. More detailed information is published in tables 23 and 24 of the Home Office Command Paper "Control of Immigration : Statistics United Kingdom 1988" (Cm. 726), a copy of which is in the Library.
Police National Computer
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if there are plans to link the vehicle and name indices of the police national computer so that the name extracted from the vehicle index could automatically search the names index ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : There are no present plans for such a project.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the trend in the use of the names indices of the police national computer ; what are the reasons for the changes in frequency of use ; and what steps his Department takes to ensure that each access to the names index is for a bona fide police purpose.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The number of accesses to the names indices of the police national computer increased by 13.87 per cent. between 1986 and 1987 and by 12.23 per cent. between 1987 and 1988. The reasons for individual inquiries are not monitored centrally. This is a matter for chief officers of police, who are also responsible for ensuring that inquiries are made only for appropriate police purposes.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will describe the purpose of the extremists crime index of the police national computer ; if he will define the circumstances when information is added to the index ; and if he will list the items of data held within the index.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The purpose of the index is to assist the police in the detection of crimes which might have a political, religious, social or environmental motive. It can be updated only by the Metropolitan police and accessed by a limited number of terminals in regional crime intelligence offices. The index contains the following data items :
Crime description
Date and time of crime
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Modus operandiProperty value and description (if applicable)
Suspect details (if applicable)
Vehicle registration mark, value and description(if applicable) Forensic and pathology data (if applicable)
Asylum Seekers (Turkey)
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the latest available figures for asylum seekers from Turkey who have arrived since 18 January who have (a) been returned to Turkey, (b) interviewed but held in detention, (c) given temporary asylum for up to one year, (d) given leave to remain for more than one year and (e) granted refugee status.
Mr. Renton : The information is not available in the form requested. From the beginning of January up until the introduction of a visa requirement for Turkish nationals on 23 June some 3,900 Turkish nationals claimed asylum on arrival in the United Kingdom. As at 11 October, 34 have been refused asylum and returned to Turkey. On 11 October, nine remained in detention, all of whom had been interviewed. There is no status of temporary asylum, but temporary admission pending consideration of their claims was granted to all those who were not detained. Exceptional leave to remain, initially for 12 months, has been granted in 243 cases. A total of 71 have been recognised as refugees under the terms of the 1951 United Nations convention on refugees and granted four years leave to remain initially. A total of 229 have returned voluntarily to Turkey before examination of their cases was completed.
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from non-statutory organisations concerning their call for resources to assist Kurdish asylum seekers ; what response he has given ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Renton : Representations have been received from a number of Church, community and voluntary organisations seeking among other things financial assistance for emergency reception arrangements for Turkish asylum seekers who arrived in the United Kingdom in May and June. Exceptional payments to reimburse some of the expenses incurred have been made to most non-statutory organisations which assisted ; a few others remain under consideration and will be settled shortly.
Parking Enforcement
Mr. Shersby : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has yet considered the conclusions of the parking enforcement working party ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds, North-East (Mr. Kirkhope) on 27 July 1989 at column 799.
Edinburgh International Television Festival
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representatives of his Department attended sessions of the Edinburgh international television festival.
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Acid House Party, Rickmansworth
Mr. Shersby : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Chief Constable of Hertfordshire on the policing of an acid house party at Stochers Farm, Rickmansworth on 2 September and of the number of persons arrested and charged with an offence and the number of police officers deployed ; and what policy guidance he is giving on the policing of such events with a view to maintaining the peace in the interests of local residents in the areas in which such parties take place.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I understand from the chief constable of Hertfordshire that a total of 36 people were arrested in connection with the event, one of whom was subsequently charged. The number of police officers deployed was 120. We welcome the vigorous action which the police have taken to deal with events of this kind. My right hon. Friend will shortly be discussing with chief officers of police the policing of these parties and the problems to which they have given rise.
Roskill Inquiry
Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans there are to implement the recommendation of the Roskill inquiry that fraud cases should no longer be tried before a jury.
Mr. John Patten : We want to give the reforms introduced by the Criminal Justice Acts 1987 and 1988, which were designed to make the jury's task easier, a chance to prove their worth before we consider the recommendation further.
Immigration
Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were detained under Immigration Act powers for a period of more than two months on completion of a custodial sentence during 1988.
Mr. Renton [holding answer 28 July 1989] : Eleven.
Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for (a) single entry and (b) multiple entry visit visas were (1) received, (2) granted and (3) refused at each post in the Indian sub-continent, Ghana, Nigeria and Jamaica in each quarter of 1988 and the first quarter of 1989 ; and what was the delay between application and interview for those whose applications were felt to need a second or long interview at each of the above posts in (i) June 1988,(ii) January 1989 and (iii) June 1989 or the nearest available date.
Mr. Renton [pursuant to his reply, 28 July 1989, c. 1054] : Information on applications in Jamaica for a visit entry clearance, and separate information on applications in the other countries for single entry and multiple entry visas, are not available centrally. The other information requested is given in the tables.
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Table 1
Persons applying for a visit visa to the United Kingdom
Number of persons
Applications
Post |Newly received<1>|Granted<2> |Refuse initially
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dhaka
1988
1st quarter |2,020 |1,410 |380
2nd quarter |3,030 |2,380 |450
3rd quarter |2,830 |2,100 |540
4th quarter |2,450 |1,690 |560
|------- |------- |-------
Year |10,320 |7,580 |1,940
1989
1st quarter |2,130 |1,590 |420
New Delhi
1988
1st quarter |7,120 |5,740 |800
2nd quarter |15,270 |13,360 |1,140
3rd quarter |11,360 |9,380 |1,400
4th quarter |7,160 |5,720 |1,110
|------- |------- |-------
Year |40,910 |34,200 |4,450
1989
1st quarter |8,160 |6,600 |1,040
Bombay
1988
1st quarter |6,650 |6,230 |260
2nd quarter |17,050 |16,330 |320
3rd quarter |10,960 |10,210 |450
4th quarter |5,850 |5,360 |400
|------- |------- |-------
Year |40,500 |38,130 |1,430
1989
1st quarter |7,290 |6,850 |460
Calcutta
1988
1st quarter |880 |850 |20
2nd quarter |2,810 |2,790 |40
3rd quarter |2,220 |2,190 |40
4th quarter |1,00 |970 |20
|------- |------- |-------
Year |6,910 |6,800 |110
1989
1st quarter |1,110 |1,090 |20
Madras
1988
1st quarter |1,300 |1,280 |10
2nd quarter |3,120 |3,080 |20
3rd quarter |2,740 |2,720 |30
4th quarter |1,230 |1,210 |20
|------- |------- |-------
Year |8,390 |8,290 |80
1989
1st quarter |1,830 |1,780 |30
Islamabad
1988
1st quarter |5,650 |4,000 |1,480
2nd quarter |10,190 |8,320 |1,910
3rd quarter |9,030 |7,230 |1,780
4th quarter |5,410 |3,800 |1,440
|------- |------- |-------
Year |30,270 |23,350 |6,620
1989
1st quarter |6,130 |4,700 |1,240
Karachi
1988
1st quarter |4,000 |3,310 |450
2nd quarter |10,360 |8,330 |850
3rd quarter |6,820 |5,940 |710
4th quarter |4,330 |3,640 |590
|------- |------- |-------
Year |25,510 |21,220 |2,600
1989
1st quarter |4,200 |3,570 |480
Accra
1988
1st quarter |1,430 |1,180 |160
2nd quarter |2,320 |2,010 |200
3rd quarter |4,100 |3,530 |280
4th quarter |2,110 |1,720 |180
|------- |------- |-------
Year |9,970 |8,440 |820
1989
1st quarter |2,390 |1,930 |270
Lagos
1988
1st quarter |9,430 |8,380 |710
2nd quarter |11,750 |10,590 |700
3rd quarter |17,490 |13,940 |1,190
4th quarter |11,820 |8,940 |1,550
|------- |------- |-------
Year |50,490 |41,860 |4,160
1989
1st quarter |9,190 |6,240 |1,410
Kaduna
1988
1st quarter |1,470 |1,280 |120
2nd quarter |1,730 |1,550 |110
3rd quarter |2,250 |2,020 |140
4th quarter |1,460 |1,220 |210
|------- |------- |-------
Year |6,910 |6,060 |580
1989
1st quarter |1,070 |880 |140
<1> Including applications subsequently withdrawn.
<2> Granted initially or on appeal.
Table 2
Waiting time for persons applying for a visit visa who required
a
lengthy interview
Number of days
Waiting time for
person interviewed at
end of period
Post |June 1988 |January 1989|June 1989
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Dhaka |- |- |-
New Delhi |- |- |-
Bombay |14 |- |-
Calcutta |- |- |-
Madras |- or 1 |- or 1 |- or 1
Islamabad |1 |1 |7
Karachi |7 |- |-
Accra |10 |16 |. .
Lagos |1 |1 |1
Kaduna |- |- |-
-=same day.
. .=not available centrally.
Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for entry clearance in order to seek asylum in the United Kingdom were (a) received and (b) granted by country during 1988 and the first quarter of 1989.
Mr. Renton [pursuant to his reply, 28 July 1989, c. 1054] : Information on applications for refugee status in the United Kingdom made abroad is given in the following table :
Applications for refugee status in the United Kingdom
received by British posts abroad and referred to the Home Office
for decision<1>, and grants of refugee status, by nationality
(provisional estimates<2>)
Number of persons
Applications received Grants of refugee
status<3>
Nationality |1988 |First quarter 1989|1988 |First quarter 1989
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Angola |- |* |- |-
Colombia |* |- |* |-
Czechoslovakia |* |- |- |-
Ethiopia |5 |* |* |*
Ghana |* |- |5 |-
India |* |* |- |-
Iran |25 |- |15 |*
Iraq |5 |5 |* |5
Libya |* |- |- |-
Pakistan |* |- |- |-
Poland |5 |- |* |-
Romania |5 |* |- |-
Seychelles |* |- |- |-
Somalia |- |* |- |-
Sri Lanka |* |- |- |-
Syria |* |- |* |-
Turkey |15 |* |- |5
Uganda |10 |5 |- |-
Zaire |- |* |- |-
Nationality uncertain *
|------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |80 |15 |25 |5
<1>In addition some applications for refugee status in the United Kingdom, made in India by nationals of
Afghanistan, were processed locally by the British High Commission in New Delhi. 1,725 such applications were
received in 1988 and 5 in the first quarter of 1989. No grants of refugee status were made during this time; 1,
200 applications were awaiting a decision at the end of March 1989.
<2>Figures rounded to the nearest 5, with *'=1 or 2.
<3>Grants in the time periods shown do not necessarily relate to applications made in those periods.
Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many outstanding immigration
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applications there are at Lunar house ; what time savings in dealing with applications from (a) students, (b) family members in the United Kingdom applying for variation of stay, (c) settlement entry clearance applications referred from overseas posts and (d) asylum-seekers have been achieved by recent changes in procedures and practice ; and what are the average times applicants in each category might expect to wait before a decision.Mr. Renton [pursuant to his reply, 28 July 1989, c. 1055] : At the end of June 1989, there were 34,800 cases outstanding in the immigration caseworking groups and 9,600 active cases in the refugee and special cases unit.
A number of changes in procedure and practice have been introduced recently with the aim of reducing the level of outstanding applications and reducing the time taken to process them. Information on the effects of these changes is not available in the form requested.
The estimated average length of time between the receipt of an application and the decision, for cases decided in caseworking groups and the public inquiry offices, in the second quarter of 1989 was 4.5 months for students and 13.5 months for applicants for refugee status. Information on average waiting times for family members in the United Kingdom for variation of leave and for settlement entry clearance applications referred from overseas posts is not available.
Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for entry clearance from (a) wives, (b) husbands, (c) fiance s, and (d) fiance es made at British posts in (1) New Delhi, (2) Bombay, (3) Calcutta, (4) Madras, (5) Dhaka, (6) Islamabad, (7) Karachi, and (8) Colombo for each quarter since January 1988 to the nearest available date were (a) received, (b) granted and (c) refused ; how many refusals at each post were (i) wholly and (ii) partly because the visa officer was not satisfied that the primary purpose of the marriage was not immigration ; how many refusals at each post were (i) wholly and (ii) partly because the visa officer was not satisfied that the couple could support and accommodate themselves without recourse to public funds ; what was the refusal rate at each post and what percentage of those refusals were (x) wholly and (y) partly on primary purpose grounds.
Mr. Renton [pursuant to his reply, 28 July 1989 c. 1059] : Information for the Indian sub-continent for the whole of 1988 and, where available, for the fourth quarter of 1988 and first quarter of 1989 is given in the tables. For information for the first three quarters of 1988, I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 20 December 1988 at columns 179-82. Where the numbers are small, the figures for individual posts have been combined. Information on refusals which takes account of successful appeals is not compiled for periods shorter than 12 months. Corresponding information for Colombo is not available centrally.
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Table 1:
Spouses and fiance(e)s in the Indian sub-continent applying for entry clearance for settlement in the United Kingdom
Number of persons or percentage
Husbands Fiances Wives Fiancees
1988 1989 1988 1989 1988 1989 1988 1989
|4th qtr.|Year |1st qtr.|4th qtr.|Year |1st qtr.|4th qtr.|Year |1st qtr.|4th qtr.|Year |1st qtr.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Delhi (including Calcutta)
Applications received<1> |50 |230 |60 |70 |260 |50 |120 |560 |170 |60 |250 |70
Applications granted<2> |30 |140 |40 |40 |120 |40 |160 |560 |120 |40 |200 |60
Applications refused initially 40 120 20 50 200 40 10 20 10 20 90 20
Refusal rate (percentage)<3> |n/a |42 |n/a |n/a |60 |n/a |n/a |3 |n/a |n/a |30 |n/a
Bombay (including Madras)
Applications received<1> |50 |240 |70 |50 |240 |100 |190 |940 |370 |30 |190 |80
Applications granted<2> |40 |220 |50 |50 |170 |40 |230 |1,080 |190 |50 |180 |40
Applications refused initially 40 140 50 70 220 50 <4> 20 10 10 40 10
Refusal rate (percentage)<3> |n/a |34 |n/a |n/a |49 |n/a |n/a |2 |n/a |n/a |19 |n/a
Dhaka
Applications received<1> |60 |280 |90 |<4> |20 |<4> |270 |1,300 |250 |<4> |20 |20
Applications granted<2> |40 |110 |60 |<4> |10 |<4> |380 |1,290 |560 |10 |20 |10
Applications refused initially 30 100 60 <4> 10 <4> 70 270 70 <4> <4> <4>
Refusal rate (percentage)<3> |n/a |44 |n/a |n/a |63 |n/a |n/a |11 |n/a |n/a |12 |n/a
Islamabad (including Karachi)
Applications received<1> |300 |1,390 |460 |100 |670 |110 |580 |2,770 |920 |40 |230 |40
Applications granted<2> |110 |340 |140 |50 |210 |50 |650 |2,610 |750 |70 |250 |80
Applications refused initially 230 560 320 200 510 260 30 110 40 <4> 20 10
Refusal rate (percentage)<3> |n/a |60 |n/a |n/a |68 |n/a |n/a |3 |n/a |n/a |5 |n/a
<1> Including applications subsequently withdrawn or lapsed
<2> Granted initially or on appeal
<3> Applications refused, after taking account of successful appeals, as a percentage of applications decided
<4> = 5 or fewer
n/a = not available
Table 2
Spouses and fiance(e)s in the Indian sub-continent refused<1> entry clearance for settlement in the United Kingdom in 1988
Number of persons or percentage
Number refused because Number refused because Primary purpose
couple could not primary purpose of the refusals as a percentage
accommodate and/or marriage was to obtain of all refusals:
maintain themselves admission to the United
without recourse to Kingdom:
public funds:
|Solely for these reasons |Partly for these reasons |Solely for this reason |Partly for this reason |Solely on primary purpose|Partly on primary purpose
|grounds |grounds
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Delhi (including Calcutta)
Husbands |10 |10 |90 |10 |85 |9
Fiances |<5> |10 |150 |30 |79 |15
Wives |<5> |<5> |10 |<5> |53 |5
Fiancees |<5> |10 |30 |20 |30 |25
Bombay (including Madras)
Husbands |<4> |<5> |100 |<5> |90 |3
Fiances |<5> |10 |150 |10 |90 |5
Wives |<5> |<4> |10 |<4> |48 |<4>
Fiancees |<5> |<5> |20 |<5> |49 |5
Dhaka
Husbands |<5> |20 |60 |20 |67 |22
Fiances |<4> |<5> |10 |<5> |<2>100 |<2>10
Wives |10 |10 |10 |10 |6 |4
Fiancees |<4> |<4> |<5> |<4> |<3> |<3>
Islamabad (including Karachi)
Husbands |<4> |190 |300 |190 |58 |37
Fiances |<5> |130 |300 |130 |67 |29
Wives |<5> |<5> |<5> |<5> |6 |1
Fiancees |<5> |<5> |<5> |<5> |<2>29 |<2>7
Total Indian sub-continent
Husbands |10 |220 |540 |220 |67 |27
Fiances |10 |150 |610 |170 |75 |21
Wives |20 |10 |40 |10 |12 |3
Fiancees |<5> |20 |50 |20 |36 |17
<1> After taking account of successful appeals.
<2> Percentage based on fewer than 15 applications refused.
<3> Percentage not calculated for 5 or fewer applications refused.
<4> Nil.
<5> 5 or fewer.
Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for settlement by wives and children in (i) Dhaka and (ii) Islamabad were (a) received, (b) granted, (c) refused, (d) deferred at first interview, (e) lapsed and (f) outstanding and awaiting first interview for each quarter since the beginning of 1988.
Column 30
Mr. Renton [ pursuant to his reply, of 28 July 1989,c. 1060 ] : Information for the fourth quarter of 1988 onwards is given in the table ; for information for the first three quarters of 1988, I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 20 December 1988 at columns 179-80.
Column 29
Wives and children applying for entry clearance for settlement in the United Kingdom<1>
Post Applications
|Newly received |Granted<2> |Refused initially |Referred or deferred<3> |Withdrawn or lapsed |Awaiting first interview
|at end of period
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dhaka
1988 4th quarter |1,490 |1,780 |420 |490 |400 |3,500
1989 1st quarter |1,410 |2,220 |470 |780 |470 |2,600
Islamabad
1988 4th quarter |860 |890 |90 |840 |90 |2,100
1989 1st quarter |1,200 |1,110 |90 |840 |170 |2,100
<1> Including persons considered for a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode in the United Kingdom
<2> Granted initially or on appeal
<3> Referred to Home Office for decision or deferred for further inquiries.
Immigration
Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were waiting for special quota vouchers in (i) India and (ii) East Africa in (a) May 1988 and (b) December 1988 ; when those issued with vouchers on those dates had applied ; how many vouchers were issued in (i) India and (ii) East Africa in (a)
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1988 and (b) the first quarter of 1989 ; when those applying can now expect to receive vouchers ; and how many applicants there were for vouchers in (i) India and (ii) East Africa in (a) 1988 and (b) the first half of 1989.Mr. Renton [pursuant to his reply, 28 July 1989, c. 1063] : The information which is currently available is given in the tables :
Table 1. Persons applying for a special voucher for entry to the United Kingdom
Number of persons
Country Applications<1> newly Vouchers issued Applications awaiting
received decision at end of month
|1988 |1989 1st Qtr |1988 |1989 1st Qtr |May 1988 |December 1988
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
India |400 |80 |600 |140 |1,800 |1,700
Kenya |330 |120 |300 |50 |550 |520
Tanzania |50 |10 |40 |10 |170 |60
Malawi |40 |10 |80 |10 |40 |20
Zambia |110 |20 |140 |10 |40 |20
Elsewhere |50 |10 |10 |+ |+ |10
Total |980 |240 |1,170 |220 |2,600 |2,300
+=5 or fewer
<1>Including applications subsequently withdrawn or lapsed.
Table 2. Waiting times for persons applying for a special voucher
Months
Country Waiting time to main
interview for
Persons interviewed at Persons applying at end
end of month of month<1>
|May 1988 |December 1988|June 1989
----------------------------------------------------------------------
India<2> |84 |72 |24
Kenya |2" |2 |2
Tanzania |1 |1 |1"
Malawi |- |3/4 |"
Zambia |1 |1 |<3>1
<1> Data relate to expected waiting times.
<2> Data relate to non-priority applicants. Priority applicants (ie.
widows with a child in the United Kingdom, heads of household aged 65
or over, and special compassionate cases) are interviewed within
three months.
<3> Estimated.
Column 30
HEALTH
Family Practitioner Committees
Mr. Michael Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding was made available for the running of family practitioner committees in 1988-89 ; and what sum has been agreed for 1989-90.
Mr. Freeman : The funding made available for the running of family practitioner committees for these two financial years is as follows :
|Revenue |Capital
|£ |£
--------------------------------------------
1988-89 |55,735,000|3,278,000
1989-90 |64,417,000|5,505,000
Prescribing Budgets
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library PACT data aggregated at family practitioner level.
Mr. Mellor : We have no plans to do so. We are, however, considering what statistical information to make available to the House routinely in connection with the indicative prescribing budget scheme.
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultations he has held, and what action he proposes, relating to his implementation of section 8 of working paper No. 4 concerning budgets for prescribing by general practitioners.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : I continue to invite discussions with all interested parties on the operation of indicative drug budgets for general practitioners and I issued working paper No. 4 in order to stimulate such discussions. I held a useful discussion with representatives of the British Medical Association on 27 September at which I repeated and they accepted by assurance that the arrangements for managing the indicative prescribing budget scheme will not infringe in any way the right of a general practitioner to prescribe all those medicines which individual patients might need. As I announced in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Wyre Forest (Mr. Coombs) on 24 July at column 540, a new prescribing budgets information system to implement prescribing budgets is being developed at the Prescription Pricing Authority. The system will be piloted in November 1990.
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what current instructions he has given to family practitioner committees in respect of abnormal volumes or cost of prescribing by any of its contractor general practitioners ; and in how many cases in 1988 any such matter was drawn to the attention of the relevant local medical committee.
Mr. Mellor : No guidance has yet been issued to family practitioner committees on this issue, as they do not assume the responsibility of monitoring prescribing by individual general medical practitioners until April 1990. It is not current practice to refer cases of over-prescribing to local medical committees. A new procedure for handling such cases at FPC level will be introduced as part of the implementation of the NHS review.
Registered Nurses (Mental Health)
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what arrangements have been made to protect the pay, conditions, training opportunities, career prospects, continuity of service and pension rights in the short, medium and long term of those staff possessing the registered nurse mental health qualification who transfer from health authority to local authority employment as a result of implementation of Government proposals concerning care in the community ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) what proposals he is considering concerning the standardisation of the registered nurse mental health qualifications held by employees of health authorities and the certificate of social services held by employees of local authorities ; and if he will make a statement.
Column 32
Mr. Mellor : Our detailed proposals for the future organisation and funding of community care will be published in the forthcoming White Paper. The issues we are considering include the implications for staff who transfer from health authority to local authority employment. A number of certificate in social services schemes now contain an element of joint training leading to the award of both the certificate in social services and entry to part V of the UKCC Register of nurses trained in the nursing of persons suffering from mental handicap. The proposed introduction of the diploma in social work, which will replace both the certificate in social services and the certificate of qualification in social work is expected to increase further the opportunities for joint training.
Self-Governing Unit
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what will be his Department's expenditure on its self-governing unit in the present financial year.
Mr. Freeman : The self-governing hospitals unit is part of the Department of Health's regional liaison division. The budget for the unit for the financial year 1989-90 is about £210,000 for staff and travel and subsistence.
Convalescent Care
Mr. Andrew Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has any plans to introduce national guidelines on the provision of convalescent care.
Dental Auxiliaries
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the current claim before committee H of the Whitley council on the pay of dental auxiliary staff.
Mr. Mellor : The staff side of committee H of the Professional and Technical Staffs B Whitley Council has accepted an increase of 6.5 per cent. for dental auxiliaries effective from 1 July 1989.
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the change in pay in real terms of a senior dental surgery assistant aged 21 in every year since 1980, expressing the pay level for 1980 as 100.
Mr. Mellor : Information is not available in precisely the form requested. The available information is given in the table which shows both the minimum and the maximum paypoints of the relevant basic pay scale for each year, deflated by the RPI, and expressed as an index with 1980 as 100. Information on total earnings is not available centrally.
Senior Dental Surgery Assistant
Year |Minimum of basic pay|Maximum of basic pay
|scale (real terms) |scale (real terms)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1980 |100 |100
1981 |96 |96
1982 |93 |93
1983 |93 |93
1984 |94 |94
1985 |92 |92
1986 |95 |95
1987 |96 |95
1988 |96 |96
1989 |95 |94
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his latest estimate of annual turnover of dental auxiliaries in the hospital service and the community dental service.
Mr. Mellor : We do not hold this information centrally.
Calibre Cassette Library
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will restore the Government grant to the Calibre cassette library for the blind and handicapped.
Mr. Freeman : Calibre received funding under our section 64 scheme of grants from 1976 until 1984 when a three-year tapering grant ended. We have since received no further application for funding. Any new application for funding from Calibre will receive careful consideration. However, as their activity relates to the provision of a library, rather than a health or social service, it is very unlikely that their application would meet our criteria for grants under the section 64 scheme.
Autistic Children (Avon)
Ms. Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of the numbers of autistic children in Avon aged between two and 16 years.
Mr. Freeman : Information on which such an estimate could be based is not held centrally or routinely collected locally.
Regional and District Health Authorities
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will state the numbers of members of regional and district health authorities in England and Wales who are currently (a) directly appointed by him, (b) appointed by his appointees and (c) appointed by elected statutory bodies ; and what will be the comparable numbers for regional and district health authorities and new bodies after implementation of his current proposals.
Mr. Mellor : My right hon. and learned Friend is presently responsible for the appointment of 234 members of regional health authorities in England. The majority of members of English district health authorities, 2,348, are appointed by regional health authorities with a smaller number, 862, appointed by local authorities.
Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary legislation, my right hon. and learned Friend will appoint the five non-executive members of each RHA and up to three non-executive directors of each NHS hospital trust. The relevant RHA will appoint the five non-executive members of each DHA and at least two non-executive directors of each NHS hospital trust.
Each RHA and DHA will have up to five executive members. Of these, the general manager will be appointed
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by the chairman and the non-executive members ; and the remainder by the chairman and the non-executive members acting with the general manager. NHS hospital trusts will have up to five executive directors. Of these, the general manager will be appointed by the chairman and non-executive directors, and the remainder by the chairman and non-executive directors acting with the general manager.The appointment of members of DHAs in Wales is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
Rats
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action does he expect to take to combat rat infestations within the system of public sewers ; and what action he requires of district health authorities to monitor rodent control within their respective areas.
Mr. Freeman : Local authorities are responsible under the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949 for ensuring that their areas, including sewers, are kept as free as practicable from rats and mice. District health authorities are not required to monitor rodent control within their areas.
Accounting Staff
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his latest estimate of the total numbers of additional accounting staff which will be needed, and of what numbers will need specific qualifications, to operate his proposals for cost comparison within the National Health Service.
Mr. Mellor : It is a matter for health authorities themselves to determine their staffing needs and additional needs in relation to finance activities, including costing and contracting, following the National Health Service White Paper "Working for Patients". The National Health Service management executive has made available £9.87 million in this financial year to strengthen the finance function in health authorities, units and hospitals in support of the White Paper proposals which require strong financial management--for example, developing contracts, capital charges and self-governing hospitals. In addition, £1.66 million is being spent this year on a training programme for finance staff targeted at the new skills needed. The National Health Service management executive will be discussing future finance staff resource needs with regions at the end of the year.
Lowermoor
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his proposals to set up an independent panel of scientists to consider water pollution-related incidents in the light of Dame Barbara Clayton's report on the Lowermoor incident.
Mr. Freeman : As I wrote to the hon. Member on 21 August, I will make an announcement at the earliest possible moment.
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Blood Supplies
Sir David Price : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the National Blood Transfusion Service has taken to ensure that all blood supplied through the service is free of the HIV-2 virus, as well as the HIV-1 virus ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : Since August 1983 potential donors have been given a leaflet which asks those at risk of HIV infection not to give blood. In addition, since June 1988 samples from donors who have visited those countries where HIV-2 is more common have been tested for antibodies to HIV -2. The need for testing on a wider basis is kept under constant review in the light of the test results and any new developments.
All blood donations have been tested for antibodies to HIV 1 since October 1985.
Autistic Children
Ms. Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines he provides for the diagnosis and statementing of autistic children for pre-nursery entry.
Mr. Freeman : Recent guidance on the procedures involved in the assessment and statementing of children with special educational needs has just been issued jointly by my Department and the Department of Education and Science. This guidance covers children under five, including autistic children. Copies of the guidance have been placed in the Library. [DH circular HN (89) 20 and DES circular 22/89].
Bed Closures
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will tabulate the number of beds in hospitals of each regional health authority that have been closed in 1989 to a recent convenient date, and not yet reopened by virtue of shortage of funds ; and what action he expects to take to ensure that they reopen in the remainder of 1989 or during 1990.
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