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Project |Total estimated
|expenditure by WO
|£
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welsh Office
Milford Haven Enterprise Zone |4,668,440
Housing improvement grants |645,180
Repair and improvement of local authority
housing |76,000
Pembrokeshire Community Drug Scheme |32,850
Regional Selective Assistance |25,000
Sports Council for Wales
Milford Haven Comprehensive School-
Multipurpose Hall |40,000
Milford Haven Bowling Club |7,500
Wales Tourist Board
Millmoor Farm |40,000
Welsh Development Agency
Environmental Enhancement Schemes:-
Hamilton Terrace |57,163
Memorial Gardens |11,208
Town and Waterfront |40,000
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Parking (Disabled People)
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Lord President of the Council what are the current parking arrangements for staff of the House who are disabled and are orange badge scheme holders.
Sir Geoffrey Howe : There are no places specifically set aside for orange badge scheme holders, but there are 12 parking spaces in Star Chamber Court and two parking spaces in the Norman Shaw car park reserved for the use of vehicles driven by or used by photo-identity pass holders who are disabled. At present eight hon. Members, four Members' secretaries and eight staff of the House have been authorised by the Serjeant at Arms to use these spaces on a first-come first-served basis. In addition, authority for their use is given from time to time to disabled visitors and to photo-identity pass holders suffering from a temporary period of incapacity. These arrangements were confirmed by the Accommodation and Administration Sub-Committee of the Services Committee in January 1988, as a result of a survey carried out into the use of the disabled spaces in Star Chamber Court.
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CHURCH COMMISSIONERS
Redundant Vicarages
Mr. Frank Field : To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, as representing the Church Commissioners, if he intends discussing with the Commissioners the proposal that wherever possible redundant vicarages are sold on long leases.
Mr. Alison : I will discuss the matter with my fellow Commissioners. It is, however, for the incumbent and the diocese concerned to make an initial judgment as to the best method of disposal of a redundant parsonage house. The Commissioners, as a consenting party, then consider each proposal on its merits. Leasehold sales are not ruled out, but they may reduce the price or prejudice disposal and thus produce less for the support of the Church's ministry.
TRANSPORT
Bus Doors
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will summarise the response to his draft regulations which include provisions relating to the risk of people being trapped in power-operated bus doors ; what action he now proposes to take, including provision of finance ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Portillo : In my reply to the hon. Member on 27 July I said that I was consulting on whether the proposed new measures for centre doors should be applied to buses already in service. I now propose that they should so apply and will lay the appropriate order shortly. No special provision for funding will be made.
Radioactive Material
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list by year for the last 10 years how many tonnes of radioactive material were imported via the ports of (a) Barrow, (b) Dover, (c) Felixstowe, (d) Harwich, (e) Liverpool, (f) Portsmouth, (g) Southampton and (h) Workington ; how many tonnes were exported through these ports ; where were (i) the sources and (ii) the destinations of material imported and exported ; and what method of transport was used to convey the material to and from the ports.
Mr. McLoughlin : The Department does not collect this information, and it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Don Valley on 4 May, Official Report , column 188 , whether one of the columns, "UF 6 imported" should read, "exported" ; if he will show the source and destination of material travelling through the Humber ports, and what is included in the column, "Natural exported", where this material originated and what was its destination.
Mr. McLoughlin : The middle four column headings of the answer are "Natural UF6 exports" and "imports" and "Enriched UF6 exports" and "imports". The additional detailed information requested on sources and destinations can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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Railways (Noise)
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations he had with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds prior to his determination of future statutory limits on noise from railway trains ; and if he will tabulate their limits in the Official Report stating whether they apply to machinery or to cumulative levels of noise over a given period of time and whether they are based on existing or projected line speeds.
Mr. Portillo : I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Dartford (Mr. Dunn) of 10 April 1989 at column 409 . What the Government intend to establish is a standard for the purposes of noise insulation of properties affected by new railway lines, equivalent to that which already exists for new roads. The Government's conclusion will be published. There is no intention to establish an absolute statutory limit on noise from trains. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has not been consulted.
Road Signs
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received regarding the standard of signs on motorways and other trunk roads.
Mr. Atkins : As well as those of the hon. Member, four representations about shortcomings in maintenance standards for signs on motorways and all-purpose trunk roads have been received in the last year. In addition, members of the public bring specific cases to the Department's attention from time to time.
Correspondence
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of letters from hon. Members to his Department received a reply (a) in under four weeks, (b) within four to six weeks, (c) within six to eight weeks and (d) over eight weeks, in each of the last three years.
Mr. Atkins : This question could be answered only at
disproportionate cost, but the requirement to answer correspondence from hon. Members as promptly as possible is a priority of the Department.
A47 Rutland
Mr. Latham : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will make a statement on progress since July 1985 in preparing proposals for a bypass on the A47 trunk road around Glaston, Rutland, Leicestershire ; and when draft lines of route will be published.
Mr. Atkins : Earlier investigations suggested that a bypass of Glaston could not be justified. We are now reassessing the case for a bypass in the light of the revised national road traffic forecasts announced in May. It is too early to say whether a scheme can be added to the trunk road programme, or when details of any routes would be made known.
Mr. Latham : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will make a statement on the accident record in and around Glaston, Rutland, on the
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A47 trunk road ; and what proposals he has for traffic management to reduce accidents, following the meeting in Glaston involving his officials on 5 October.Mr. Atkins : The accident record for the A47 trunk road in and around Glaston is close to the national average for this type of road. The Department is now investigating road safety measures including those discussed at the meeting in Glaston on 5 October. Any worthwhile improvements will be carried out.
A2 (Road Works)
Mr. Dunn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish in the Official Report the number of weeks that the A2 between the Danson interchange and the Swanscombe cutting, has been under road works from 1 January 1984 to date.
Mr. Atkins : I shall write to my hon. Friend with the details as soon as possible.
King's Cross Railway Lands
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Islington South and Finsbury of 20 October, Official Report, column 257, his Department expects to provide the comments referred to, to the London borough of Camden, in relation to the planning application for the King's Cross railway lands.
Mr. Portillo : The Department has been asked to submit its comments on the latest planning application by 14 November 1989.
Scottish Lowland Airports Policy
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to consider the evidence to be given at the Civil Aviation Authority public hearing on 14 and 15 December when making his decision on Scottish lowland airports policy ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. McLoughlin : My right hon. Friend's decision will be based on the responses received to the consultation document issued on 27 September, for which the closing date is Wednesday 29 November.
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to seek the advice of the Civil Aviation Authority in determining whether there is sufficient evidence to justify licensing additional flights to the United States of America from Scotland, in his consultation exercise on Scottish lowland airports policy.
Mr. McLoughlin : Air transport route licensing is a matter for the Civil Aviation Authority. The authority's decisions are made in accordance with its statutory duties and are subject to any traffic distribution rules that may be in force.
Air Deregulation
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the impact of air deregulation in Europe on Edinburgh and Glasgow airports ; and if he will make a statement on air traffic movements expected at these airports following deregulation.
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Mr. McLoughlin : The United Kingdom's liberal agreements with several countries mean that the benefits of liberalisation have already been achieved in several major markets.
In its consultation document on traffic distribution policy for the London area and strategic options for the long term (CAP 548), the Civil Aviation Authority noted this ; it did not attempt to forecast demand against a range of liberalisation options but assumed that further liberalisation would give a mild stimulus to traffic. Growth in passenger demand will continue to be largely determined by the rate of economic growth. The Department's forecasts of United Kingdom air traffic demand in the period to 2005 are not disaggregated to airport level.
Road Improvements, Banbury
Mr. Baldry : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when his Department intends to give financial clearance for improvements to the Ruscote Avenue-Orchard Way junction in Banbury.
Mr. Atkins : Financial approval was given on 17 October 1989.
M40 Extension
Mr. Baldry : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the progress of the construction of the M40 extension.
Mr. Atkins : Excellent progress is being made. Subject to reasonable weather conditions over the next two months I expect the Warwick section of M40 to open to traffic around the turn of the year. I hope that the whole of the M40 extension will be open to traffic by spring 1991.
A20, Dover
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to make an announcement on the route of the eastern section of the A20 extension into Dover ; and when he expects the project to be completed.
Mr. Atkins : It is hoped to announce the decision on the route shortly. The aim remains to complete the project in time for opening of the Channel tunnel in 1993 subject to the satisfactory completion of the outstanding statutory procedure.
Road Safety Code of Good Practice
Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has received a copy of the road safety code of good practice published on 5 October by the local authority associations ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins : I congratulate the associations on having produced such an excellent publication. It is attractively presented, well written and contains much sound practical advice. I commend it to all local authorities. It represents a major contribution to the national effort to reduce road casualties by a third by the year 2000. Its recommendation that individual authorities should identify local targets for casualty reduction and develop road safety plans, to be reviewed and published on an annual basis, by which to achieve them is particularly welcome, as complementing our action in setting national and regional targets.
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I shall be considering with local authorities at the regional annual consultative committees over the coming weeks the future arrangements for reconciling local and regional targets and for monitoring progress.The enthusiastic and committed implementation by local authorities of the code's recommendations is essential if we are to achieve the dramatic reduction in casualties which we know to be possible.
HEALTH
Cochlear Implant Operations
Mr. Ashley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to make a statement regarding the funding of cochlear implant operations.
Mr. Mellor : As soon as possible.
Health Authorities (Capital Allocations)
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the annual capital allocations to (a) North East Thames region and (b) Waltham Forest area in each of the past 10 years ; and if he will show these figures adjusted with the National Health Service's deflator.
Mr. Freeman : Initial capital allocations over the past 10 years to North East Thames regional health authority are as follows :
|Allocations (at cash) |Allocations revalued at
|1989-90 prices
|£ million |£ million
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1980-81 |37.700 |63.104
1981-82 |45.800 |69.852
1982-83 |43.182 |61.505
1983-84 |45.452 |61.873
1984-85 |48.933 |63.476
1985-86 |48.617 |59.778
1986-87 |53.610 |63.867
1987-88 |54.143 |61.290
1988-89 |57.923 |61.109
1989-90 |73.076 |73.076
Figures have been inflated to the current price level by use of the gross domestic product deflator and exclude in-year additions to the regional health authority's initial capital allocation through land sales and virement from revenue. The allocation of funds to districts is a matter for regional health authorities and this information is not held centrally.
Correspondence
Mr. Cran : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many letters were received from and sent to hon. Members by his Department in (a) January of the current year and (b) the present Session up to 1 July.
Mr. Freeman : The information requested is as follows :
|Letters received|Replies issued
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(a) January 1989 |1,165 |1,176
(b) Current Session up to and
including 30 June 1989 |14,337 |10,615
RU 486
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the drug RU 486, produced by Roussel, is to be made freely available in the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Mellor : RU 486, like other medicinal products, may not be marketed in the United Kingdom without a product licence. At the present time there is no such licence in respect of this product.
Mrs. Mahon : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received concerning the drug RU486 ; and if he wuill make a statement.
Mr. Mellor : In the past 12 months we have received 10 representations about the drug RU486. Four were in favour of its introduction, three against and three sought information.
Child Abuse
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the indication of anal reflex and dilatation accompanied by additional symptoms is standard practice for diagnosing child abuse.
Mr. Mellor : The diagnosis of child sexual abuse is a matter for medical practitioners to reach based on the history of the case as well as any symptoms and physical signs that might be present. Recent guidance to doctors from the standing medical advisory committee makes it clear that no physical sign (of which reflex anal dilatation is an example) can at present be regarded as being uniquely diagnostic of child sexual abuse.
Kidney Transplants
Mr. Simon Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many kidney transplants there have been in each of the last five years for which figures are available ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : According to information provided by the United Kingdom transplant service, the number of cadaveric kidney transplants performed within the National Health Service in the United Kingdom is as follows :
|Number
---------------------
1984 |1,443
1985 |1,336
1986 |1,493
1987 |1,485
1988 |1,575
Coronary Heart Disease
Mr. Simon Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the latest available estimates of the cost for (a) hospital in-patient care, (b) hospital out-patients care and (c) general practitioner consultations, resulting from coronary heart disease.
Mr. Freeman : It is estimated that the total cost of hospital in- patient treatment related to coronary heart disease in England is £175.5 million per year (1987-88 prices). I regret that information is not collected centrally
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on either the cost of out-patient care or on general practitioner consultations resulting from coronary heart disease.Drug Trials
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are known to have died or suffered adverse reactions following their participation in drug trials.
Mr. Freeman : Adverse reactions, including deaths, are reported to the Medicines Control Agency. It is not possible to say how many of these are related to a particular drug being trialed.
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will introduce legislation to impose controls and monitoring on the use of volunteers in pharmaceutical drug trials ;
(2) if he will take steps to require companies which recruit human volunteers for drug trials to register with his Department ; if he will institute controls on the use and payment of volunteers ; and if he will take steps to monitor the effects on health of participation in drug trials ;
(3) what information his Department has regarding the circumstances, financial position and health of those who voluntarily take part in pharmaceutical drug trials
Mr. Mellor : We have no plans to introduce monitoring or legislation in this area. Within the NHS all clinical research investigations involving human subjects, including healthy volunteer studies, must be approved by a local research ethics committee. Draft revised guidance on the role, scope and function of these committees is currently available for consultation and a copy is available in the Library. This guidance will be drawn to the attention of those outside the NHS sponsoring such studies.
Hearing Aids
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what action is being taken following the finding that the National Health Service is being overcharged for some hearing aids ;
(2) what is the estimated cost to the National Health Service of the overcharging by some hearing aid manufacturers ;
(3) when there was last an investigation of the charges made to the National Health Service by hearing aid manufacturers relative to those made to the private sector ;
(4) which hearing aid manufacturers have been charging the National Health Service more for their aids than they charge private suppliers ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman Responsibility for the procurement, storage and distribution of goods required for the NHS national hearing aid service passed from the Department to the Mersey regional health authority on 1 April 1985.
An in-house study was undertaken by the Mersey RHA during January and February 1989, during which the prices charged to the NHS by all the major suppliers of commercial hearing aids were reviewed. The results of the review suggest that considerable savings could be made if suppliers were to charge the same prices to the NHS as those charged to private dispensers.
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All the main suppliers have now offered to supply commercial equipment to the NHS at reduced prices and the Mersey RHA is actively pursuing these matters with the companies concerned.Drug Prices
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the National Health Service ever pays a higher price for pharmaceutical drugs than that charged by manufacturers to other customers ; and what procedure there is for routinely comparing prices.
Mr. Mellor : The prices of branded medicines supplied to the National Health Service are controlled through the operation of the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme under which an overall limit is set on the profit which a company can make from such sales. Manufacturers' list prices apply to the home market generally ; they do not distinguish between supply for use by NHS or private patients. There are no arrangements for individual price comparisons.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to replace or modify the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme due to come to an end in October 1992, in light of his plans for the National Health Service, outlined in the White Paper and accompanying documents.
Mr. Mellor : When the changes in "Working for Patients" have been implemented they will place a greater emphasis for prescribers on the price of drugs, and it may be sensible to modify the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme to reflect the fact. Paragraph 2.1 of the scheme, a copy of which is in the Library, provides the flexibility required to facilitate this.
National Health Service (Prices)
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health who negotiates prices charged to the National Health Service for supplies ; and what monitoring there is to ensure reasonable charges and that the prices are not higher than those used in the private sector.
Mr. Freeman : Negotiation of prices charged for NHS supplies is a matter for individual health authorities acting under the strategic guidance of the NHS procurement directorate. The level of contracting depends on many strategic, technical and commercial factors that need to be considered by the directorate working closely with health authorities. The procurement directorate is charged by the NHS Management Executive to ensure that all health authorities operate an effective and efficient procurement service.
Handicapped Children
Mrs. Mahon : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many handicapped children are in long-term hospitals, local authority and voluntary sector care.
Mr. Freeman : Information is not available in the precise form requested. There are 14 children under 16 identified by regional health authorities in July 1989 as receiving longer-term care in large mental handicap hospitals. In addition there were, at 31 December 1986 (the latest year for which figures are available) 350 children resident in NHS community units for mentally handicapped children.
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The number of children in care in accommodation for children with special educational needs at 31 March 1987 was 1,651. Many of these children will have physical and mental handicaps.Infertility
Mrs. Mahon : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the latest statistics on infertility.
Mr. Mellor : We do not hold this information centrally.
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements his Department makes for the provision of IVF treatment for patients residing within the Wakefield constituency.
Mr. Mellor [holding answer 24 October 1989] : We believe that decisions about the priority and resources to be given to infertility services should be left to individual health authorities rather than the Department of Health. This is the case with nearly all NHS services, since health authorities are in the best position to determine priorities in the light of local needs and circumstances.
Clinical Research Centre
Mr. Bermingham : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals he has for the future use of the clinical research centre in Harrow following closure ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Mellor : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science has asked the Advisory Board for the Research Councils for further advice by next spring on their proposals to reallocate support currently given to units at the clinical research centre to ensure a more effective use of scientific resources. This report will also cover the implications for NHS provision, and officials from this Department will be kept fully informed as the proposals develop.
Eye Tests
Mr. Eastham : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how frequently his Department will be monitoring the number of non-National Health Service sight tests ; from what sources the statistics will be derived ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Mellor : A survey of sight test numbers will be commissioned later this year. On present plans, the survey will be conducted by an independent market research company and a representative sample of people will be asked if they have had an NHS or private sight test since 1 April 1989. The results will be compared with information for previous years already held by the Department.
Ambulance Service (Paramedics)
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish a table showing for each ambulance authority the number of trained paramedics among its crews.
Mr. Freeman : Figures in the form requested are not available centrally.
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Working for Patients"
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what element of cost benefit analysis will be included in the indicative drug budgets proposed in "Working for Patients".
Mr. Mellor : The main purpose of indicative prescribing budgets is to encourage more cost-effective prescribing through more critical analysis of prescribed patterns. In consequence I expect cost benefit studies in this area to become more commonplace following the introduction of the scheme and that the results will be disseminated to general medical practitioners to help them to decide what is the most cost-effective form of treatment for each patient.
Post-operative Infections
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the latest figure per year for the number of hospital admissions that are due to post-operative infections.
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