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National Rivers Authority
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 24 November to the hon. Member for Caerphilly, Official Report, column 119, if he will make it his policy to send copies of the National Rivers Authority report to the hon. Members for Caerphilly, Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney (Mr. Rowlands) and Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) when it is available.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : It is for the National Rivers Authority to determine to whom it circulates such reports.
Homelessness
Mr. Gwilym Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the average number of persons registered as homeless by each of the district councils in Wales for the latest available date.
Mr. Grist : The number of cases and persons in households accepted as homeless by local authorities during the second quarter of 1989 (April to June) are shown in the following table :
Number of cases and persons accepted as homeless; April-June 1989
Welsh districts |Cases |Persons
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Aberconwy |18 |48
Alyn and Deeside |53 |130
Arfon |6 |15
Blaenau Gwent |87 |211
Brecknock |25 |60
Cardiff |308 |718
Carmarthen |16 |43
Ceredigion |20 |56
Colwyn |12 |42
Cynon Valley |41 |119
Delyn |80 |217
Dinefwr |12 |23
Dwyfor |20 |47
Glyndwr |8 |17
Islwyn |32 |78
Llanelli |39 |89
Lliw Valley |16 |45
Meirionnydd |21 |51
Merthyr Tydfil |35 |100
Monmouth |32 |77
Montgomeryshire |11 |22
Neath |77 |142
Newport |274 |725
Ogwr |148 |389
Port Talbot |40 |78
Preseli Pembrokeshire |13 |31
Radnorshire |6 |12
Rhondda |35 |78
Rhuddlan |14 |48
Rhymney Valley |76 |168
South Pembrokeshire |14 |41
Swansea |42 |94
Taff Ely |33 |95
Torfaen |112 |221
Vale of Glamorgan |108 |305
Wrexham Maelor |103 |176
Ynys Mon |6 |21
|--- |---
Wales total |1,993 |4,832
Housing
Mr. Gwilym Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the average number of persons registered on the housing waiting list by each of the district councils in Wales for the latest available date.
Mr. Grist : The information is not collected centrally.
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the increase in real and cash terms in money given to Tai Cymru in the next financial year ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Grist : We are providing for an increase of over £27 million in the funds made available to Tai Cymru in the next financial year. This is a cash increase of almost 42 per cent. over the previous year and represents an increase in real terms of almost 35 per cent. This significantly increased level of public sector investment increases the gross programme for Tai Cymru to over £102 million next financial year. This and the additional private finance levered in through the use of mixed funding arrangement will enable a record number of homes for people in housing need to be provided by the housing association movement in Wales.
Public Appointments
Mrs. Roe : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many persons above the age of (a) 60, (b) 65 and (c) 70 years he has appointed to public bodies in each of the last 10 years.
Mr. Peter Walker : It would be disproportionately costly to provide the information required. Wherever possible, however, it is my policy to appoint younger individuals to such bodies.
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Bilingual Road Signs
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will take steps to require that all temporary roadwork signs must be comprehensively bilingual.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : The Traffic Signs (Welsh and English Language Provisions) Regulations and General Directions 1985 (S.I. 1985 No. 713) prescribe the bilingual signs which may be used in Wales, including temporary roadwork signs. These regulations are to be reviewed along with the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 1981 (S.I. 1981 No. 859).
Community Health Councils
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has for the financing and composition of the community health councils in Wales.
Mr. Grist : Arrangements for the financing and composition of community health councils in Wales are among the issues to be considered in the light of the current consultation exercise on the future structure of community health councils in Wales. A consultation paper outlining my right hon. Friend's proposals to reduce the number of community health councils in Wales was issued at the end of November and comments have been requested by 28 February 1990. A copy of the consultation paper has been sent to all hon. Members in Wales.
Full-time Education (Staying-on Rates)
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will make a statement on staying-on rates in full-time education in each of the counties of Wales ;
(2) what was the staying-on rate in full-time education by education authority, as a percentage of the population aged 16 years in 1987-88 and 1983-84.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : The information is shown in the table :
Percentage of 16-year-olds staying on in full-time education
Academic year
LEA |Per cent. 1983-84|Per cent. 1987-88
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clwyd |52 |49
Dyfed |49 |50
Gwent |48 |49
Gwynedd |49 |54
Mid Glamorgan |49 |49
Powys |54 |59
South Glamorgan |43 |49
West Glamorgan |50 |51
Low Birth Weight
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the number of low birth weight babies born ; and what it was as a proportion of all births for each Welsh health district for 1983-84 and the latest available year.
Mr. Grist : Information derived from all registered births to residents of health districts in Wales is shown in the table :
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Health district rBirths under 2,500 grams
|<1>Number |<2>Percentage|Number
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clwyd |339 |7.0 |333 |6.3
East Dyfed |142 |5.8 |162 |5.9
Gwent |411 |7.4 |425 |6.6
Gwynedd |171 |6.2 |197 |6.5
Mid Glamorgan |535 |7.1 |520 |6.6
Pembrokeshire |95 |6.9 |106 |7.5
Powys |75 |5.9 |78 |5.6
South Glamorgan |358 |6.7 |388 |6.4
West Glamorgan |302 |6.6 |258 |5.4
<1> Estimated.
<2> Percentage of all births.
Welsh Development Agency
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his assessment of the real terms increase in cash and as a percentage in the Welsh Development Agency budget for 1990-91 as against 1989-90 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Walker : The information is shown in the following table :
Gross provision On-year increase
|1989-90 |1990-91 |cash |per cent.
|£m |£m |£m
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Cash |130.4 |150 |19.6 |15
1989-90 prices<1> |130.4 |142.9 |12.5 |9.6
Note:
<1> Derived using latest GDP deflator.
The WDA's gross budget for 1990-91 is 76 per cent. more than the 1987-88 budget, an increase of 46 per cent. in real terms.
Non-manual Workers
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the percentage of households whose head is a non-manual worker by education authority.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : The latest available information comes from the 1986 Welsh inter-censal survey. The percentages classified to non-manual groups are shown in the following table :
Percentage of households headed by non-manual <1> head, 1986 County |Per cent. ------------------------------------ Clwyd |37.5 Dyfed |38.2 Gwent |34.2 Gwynnedd |43.1 Mid Glamorgan |29.9 Powys |41.5 South Glamorgan |47.3 West Glamorgan |35.0 <1> Professional, managers, employers, intermediate and junior non manual. Includes farmers working on own account. Includes retired heads of household whose former occupation was non-manual.
Third Dee Crossing
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what moneys he intends to make available to the Clwyd city council for the building of the third Dee crossing ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : The capital resources to be made available to local authorities in 1990-91 were announced
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on 29 November. They include 50 per cent. transport grant towards the £803,000 Clwyd county council plan to spend on the third Dee crossing. The non-grant element will be covered by supplementary credit approvals.Babies (Intensive Care)
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total number of intensive care baby cots available in Wales in 1983-84, or the nearest available year ; and what is the number in each health authority and their locations within each health authority.
Mr. Grist : The available information, which relates to special care baby cots is shown in the table :
Average daily available cots 1983-84
-------------------------------------------
Clwyd
H M Stanley |19.0
Ysbyty Maelor |24.0
East Dyfed
Bronglais |2.0
West Wales General |8.0
Gwent
Nevill Hall |15.0
Royal Gwent |25.0
Gwynedd
St. Davids |21.0
Mid Glamorgan
Bridgend General |15.0
East Glamorgan |10.0
Merthyr |8.0
Pembrokeshire
Withybush |13.0
South Glamorgan
University Hospital of Wales |24.38
St. Davids |16.05
West Glamorgan
Morriston |14.67
Neath General |15.00
National Museum of Wales
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has on the admission figures for the National Museum of Wales in each of the past five years.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : Reported attendance figures for all branches of the National Museum of Wales in each of the past five years to 1988 are shown in the following table.
Year |Attendances ------------------------------------ 1984 |758,043 1985 |765,249 1986 |723,173 1987 |1,036,535 1988 |838,820
Teachers (First Aid Training)
Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what proposals he has to ensure that every school has at least one teacher trained in first aid to statutory level ;
(2) what proposals he has to increase the number of teachers trained in first aid both to statutory level and to a lower level.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : Under common law, local authorities have a general responsibility to take reasonable care for the health and safety of pupils and students in their care. Their duties as an employer relating to first aid provision are defined in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and regulations made thereunder.
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By means of the guidance note "Arrangements for First Aid Provision in Schools and Colleges" prepared by the Department of Education and Science and the Welsh Office in consultation with interested bodies and issued, in September 1987, the Government encourage local education authorities to ensure that a proportion of the teaching staff of every school and college should have attended a course of training and have acquired a certificate in first aid, issued by an organisation approved by the Health and Safety Executive.Food Poisoning
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the number of reported cases of food poisoning per 1,000 of the population for each district in Wales with the comparable figures for 1988.
Mr. Grist [holding answer 30 November 1989] : Available data on recent food poisoning notifications are shown in the following table :
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Notification of food poisoning<1>: for the first 11 four-week periods 1988 and 1989
Number of notifications Population Rates per 1,000<2>
County district |1988 |1989 |1988 |1988 |1989
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Alyn and Deeside |35 |156 |72.6 |0.5 |2.1
*Colwyn |69 |102 |54.8 |1.3 |1.9
*Delyn |74 |264 |65.1 |1.1 |4.1
*Glyndwr |51 |72 |41.5 |1.2 |1.7
*Rhuddlan |53 |80 |56.1 |0.9 |1.4
*Wrexham Maelor |119 |179 |117 |1 |1.5
Carmarthen |29 |30 |55.8 |0.5 |0.5
Ceredigion |63 |64 |67 |0.9 |1
Dinefwr |7 |15 |38.9 |0.2 |0.4
Llanelli |23 |34 |74.1 |0.3 |0.5
Preseli Pembrokeshire |114 |71 |70.7 |1.6 |1
South Pembrokeshire |28 |25 |41.9 |0.7 |0.6
Blaenau Gwent |7 |3 |77.3 |0.1 |0
Islwyn |65 |34 |66.4 |1 |0.5
Monmouth |13 |20 |81.3 |0.2 |0.2
Newport |77 |45 |128.1 |0.6 |0.4
Torfaen |4 |7 |92.4 |0 |0.1
Aberconwy |28 |22 |54.1 |0.5 |0.4
Arfon |13 |10 |55.2 |0.2 |0.2
Dwyfor |3 |18 |27 |0.1 |0.7
Meirionnydd |2 |12 |31.6 |0.1 |0.4
Ynys Mon (Isle of Anglesey) |34 |37 |71 |0.5 |0.5
Cynon Valley |15 |19 |64.3 |0.2 |0.3
Merthyr Tydfil |5 |10 |58.1 |0.1 |0.2
Ogwr |20 |35 |137.5 |0.1 |0.3
Rhondda |9 |27 |76.6 |0.1 |0.4
Rhymney Valley |36 |69 |104.5 |0.3 |0.7
Taff-Ely |8 |10 |94.9 |0.1 |0.1
Brecknock |18 |36 |41.1 |0.4 |0.9
Montgomeryshire |18 |17 |51.2 |0.4 |0.3
Radnorshire |7 |0 |22.6 |0.3 |0
Cardiff |289 |450 |283.9 |1 |1.6
Vale of Glamorgan |78 |132 |119.5 |0.7 |1.1
Port Talbot |35 |41 |49 |0.7 |0.8
Lliw Valley |37 |70 |61.8 |0.6 |1.1
Neath |61 |71 |65.2 |0.9 |1.1
Swansea |219 |328 |186.9 |1.2 |1.8
Source: OPCS weekly return (WR series). Figures are provisional.
<1>Notifications formally made and cases ascertained by other means.
<2>OPCS mid-year estimates of population for 1989 not yet available, rates for 1989 based on mid-1988 population estimates.
Note: Just over half (444) of the 853 notifications of food poisoning in the districts of Clwyd in the first 11 four-week
periods of 1989 were recorded in the four-week period up to 18 August 1989. It was during this latter period that the major
north Wales salmonella outbreak occurred.
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the number of reported cases of food poisoning for each district in Wales for each month in the current year, with the comparable figures for 1988.
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Mr. Grist [holding answer 30 November 1989] : Available data on food poisoning notifications on a four-weekly basis are shown in the tables :
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Notfications of food poisoning<1>: for each of the thirteen 4-week periods 1988 and 1989
County Districts |1 |2 |3 |4 |5 |6 |7 |8 |9 |10 |11 |12<2> |13<2>
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alyn and Deeside |1988 |1 |1 |1 |2 |5 |6 |7 |5 |5 |0 |2 |0 |1
|1989 |4 |4 |5 |3 |0 |5 |9 |92 |19 |9 |6 |- |-
Colwyn |1988 |11 |1 |2 |4 |4 |14 |4 |8 |7 |5 |9 |11 |2
|1989 |4 |1 |2 |1 |2 |19 |8 |26 |25 |5 |9 |- |-
Delyn |1988 |13 |2 |1 |1 |4 |16 |8 |5 |13 |4 |7 |0 |3
|1989 |6 |1 |3 |5 |1 |8 |3 |181 |32 |11 |13 |- |-
Glyndwr |1988 |2 |2 |3 |1 |3 |6 |14 |5 |4 |3 |8 |2 |0
|1989 |0 |2 |3 |3 |7 |7 |7 |28 |8 |0 |7 |- |-
Rhuddlan |1988 |11 |0 |2 |8 |4 |5 |5 |8 |3 |2 |5 |2 |1
|1989 |4 |0 |0 |5 |1 |7 |7 |27 |15 |7 |7 |- |-
Wrexham Maelor |1988 |5 |5 |7 |5 |9 |13 |18 |22 |16 |8 |11 |12 |2
|1989 |4 |15 |6 |6 |11 |25 |17 |38 |21 |20 |16 |- |-
Carmarthen |1988 |1 |1 |0 |4 |1 |4 |3 |2 |2 |5 |6 |16 |5
|1989 |0 |4 |0 |6 |1 |3 |1 |2 |1 |10 |2 |- |-
Ceredigion |1988 |3 |2 |0 |2 |5 |10 |8 |6 |13 |7 |7 |3 |3
|1989 |2 |1 |6 |1 |4 |10 |14 |8 |12 |5 |1 |- |-
Dinefwr |1988 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |3 |0 |1 |1 |2 |0 |1 |0
|1989 |2 |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |4 |0 |4 |0 |- |- |-
Llanelli |1988 |0 |1 |0 |1 |0 |1 |4 |0 |5 |5 |6 |3 |1
|1989 |1 |1 |0 |2 |0 |0 |4 |5 |10 |5 |6 |- |-
Preseli Pembrokeshire |1988 |4 |4 |22 |16 |10 |13 |16 |5 |5 |11 |8 |21 |9
|1989 |6 |6 |6 |5 |15 |11 |5 |4 |0 |9 |4 |- |-
South Pembrokeshire |1988 |2 |2 |2 |1 |2 |4 |4 |4 |4 |3 |0 |4 |0
|1989 |2 |2 |2 |1 |7 |1 |1 |3 |1 |3 |2 |- |-
Blaenau Gwent |1988 |0 |0 |1 |2 |0 |0 |1 |0 |0 |2 |1 |0 |0
|1989 |0 |1 |0 |0 |0 |0 |1 |1 |0 |0 |0 |- |-
Islwyn |1988 |3 |3 |5 |13 |8 |9 |9 |5 |7 |1 |2 |2 |1
|1989 |1 |1 |4 |7 |2 |1 |2 |10 |3 |3 |0 |- |-
Monmouth |1988 |1 |1 |0 |0 |3 |0 |1 |0 |2 |0 |5 |5 |1
|1989 |2 |2 |1 |0 |1 |4 |0 |4 |0 |5 |1 |- |-
Newport |1988 |4 |7 |1 |3 |9 |6 |7 |14 |4 |12 |10 |3 |2
|1989 |0 |6 |9 |1 |0 |2 |10 |6 |4 |3 |4 |- |-
Torfaen |1988 |1 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |1 |1 |- |0 |1 |1 |0
|1989 |0 |0 |1 |1 |0 |0 |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |- |-
Aberconwy |1988 |1 |0 |0 |0 |1 |2 |3 |7 |4 |6 |4 |2 |0
|1989 |2 |2 |1 |1 |1 |2 |0 |6 |3 |1 |3 |- |-
Arfon |1988 |3 |2 |0 |0 |0 |3 |1 |2 |1 |0 |1 |2 |0
|1989 |1 |0 |1 |1 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |5 |2 |- |-
Dwyfor |1988 |1 |0 |0 |0 |0 |1 |0 |1 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
|1989 |0 |0 |0 |0 |1 |2 |1 |2 |10 |2 |0 |- |-
Meirionnydd |1988 |0 |0 |0 |0 |1 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |1 |0 |0
|1989 |0 |1 |0 |0 |1 |2 |2 |3 |1 |0 |2 |- |-
Ynys Mon |1988 |4 |2 |0 |6 |6 |3 |1 |2 |6 |3 |1 |1 |3
(Isle of Anglesey) |1989 |1 |4 |0 |2 |6 |2 |2 |7 |4 |4 |5 |- |-
Cynon Valley |1988 |2 |1 |1 |1 |1 |2 |5 |0 |0 |2 |0 |4 |0
|1989 |3 |1 |1 |2 |1 |0 |1 |1 |5 |2 |2 |- |-
Merthyr Tydfil |1988 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |1 |0 |0 |4 |0 |0 |1
|1989 |1 |0 |1 |0 |0 |1 |2 |2 |0 |3 |0 |- |-
Ogwr |1988 |0 |1 |0 |0 |2 |3 |9 |4 |1 |0 |0 |0 |0
|1989 |0 |0 |7 |0 |1 |1 |7 |10 |2 |2 |5 |- |-
Rhondda |1988 |0 |0 |0 |2 |0 |0 |1 |3 |1 |2 |0 |0 |1
|1989 |1 |1 |2 |4 |1 |1 |5 |5 |2 |2 |3 |- |-
Rhymney Valley |1988 |1 |1 |0 |1 |4 |6 |5 |12 |2 |3 |1 |3 |1
|1989 |1 |2 |7 |5 |3 |5 |3 |5 |25 |6 |7 |- |-
Taff-Ely |1988 |0 |1 |0 |1 |0 |0 |0 |1 |2 |0 |3 |1 |0
|1989 |0 |0 |0 |1 |0 |0 |0 |3 |4 |1 |1 |- |-
Brecknock |1988 |2 |0 |1 |0 |1 |5 |3 |2 |2 |1 |1 |1 |1
|1989 |4 |1 |0 |4 |6 |1 |3 |3 |10 |2 |2 |- |-
Montgomeryshire |1988 |5 |0 |0 |1 |3 |1 |2 |4 |1 |0 |1 |2 |0
|1989 |0 |0 |1 |1 |2 |0 |1 |4 |4 |4 |0 |- |-
Radnorshire |1988 |0 |0 |0 |0 |3 |4 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
|1989 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |- |-
Cardiff |1988 |2 |17 |14 |19 |12 |20 |30 |26 |66 |54 |29 |18 |10
|1989 |23 |43 |29 |24 |25 |31 |31 |66 |89 |43 |46 |- |-
Vale of Glamorgan |1988 |0 |1 |2 |1 |2 |4 |5 |17 |25 |14 |7 |3 |1
|1989 |7 |37 |5 |1 |3 |10 |9 |16 |24 |4 |16 |- |-
Port Talbot |1988 |0 |4 |1 |2 |3 |7 |3 |9 |1 |3 |2 |6 |1
|1989 |0 |0 |4 |4 |5 |12 |5 |1 |2 |3 |5 |- |-
Lliw Valley |1988 |2 |3 |1 |1 |2 |5 |1 |9 |2 |8 |3 |4 |1
|1989 |1 |2 |4 |1 |5 |13 |7 |9 |11 |12 |5 |- |-
Neath |1988 |2 |5 |1 |3 |6 |12 |10 |7 |7 |7 |1 |4 |1
|1989 |1 |2 |6 |4 |5 |13 |11 |5 |8 |7 |9 |- |-
Swansea |1988 |11 |5 |3 |8 |22 |33 |17 |40 |19 |30 |31 |16 |10
|1989 |18 |29 |30 |28 |19 |37 |35 |55 |34 |22 |21 |- |-
<1> Notifications formally made and cases ascertained by other means.
<2> Data for the last two 4-week periods of 1989 not yet available.
Source: OPCS Weekly Return (WR Series). Figures are provisional.
HEALTH
Mentally Ill Patients
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the National Health Service and Community Care Bill and services for mentally ill patients.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Wyre Forest (Mr. Coombs) on 14 November at column 193, following which the Government's White Paper on community care entitled "Caring for People" was published. I also refer my hon. Friend to the letter my right hon. and learned Friend sent to all members on 20 October 1989 about the implementation of the National Health Service review and its implications for, among other client groups, mentally ill patients.
Medical Equipment (Advice)
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is his Department's normal practice with regard to consultation with interested parties and the seeking of external advice before taking a decision to contribute to the funding of the purchase of special medical equipment ;
(2) what is his Department's working definition of external advice used in the context of consultation with interested parties before taking a decision to provide funds for the purchase of special medical equipment.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : There is no set procedures. Each case would be considered on its merits.
Kidney Stone Patients
Mr. Rooker : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he plans to take steps to expand treatment for kidney stone patients in the west midlands region.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The provision of treatment services in the west midlands is a matter for the regional health authority.
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Funding (North Western RHA)
Mr. Jack : To ask the Secretary of State for Health which organisations in the north-west have made representations to him on his proposed funding arrangements for the North Western regional health authority for the financial year 1990-91
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : We have received a number of representations about the funding arrangements for the North Western regional health authority for 1990-91 and subsequent years from hon. Members and organisations in the north west including district health authorities and community health councils.
Nottingham DHA
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the effect of changes to the National Health Service during his tenure as Secretary of State in the Nottingham district health authority.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : In common with the rest of the NHS, Nottingham health authority has continued to strive to provide the best possible service for its population. The district received an initial revenue allocation of £180.7 million for 1989-90 from Trent regional health authority which is a real terms increase of 2.9 per cent. over the previous year and one of the highest increases in the region. The authority is planning to expand its patient services, both in-patient and day cases, during the year. Recent developments include improved facilities at Nottingham city hospital for renal and radiotherapy services and for the elderly mentally infirm. The district has also been working hard to improve its mental illness services and following the development of a range of modern, community-based services was able to close Saxondale hospital, a large institution for the mentally ill, at the end of last year.
Tower Hamlets DHA
Ms. Gordon : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will specify the hospitals and services which are included in the bid from within Tower Hamlets district health authority for self-governing status.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The sponsors of the expression of interest in NHS trust status submitted for the
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London Hospital Group propose to include the London hospitals at Whitechapel, Mile End, and St. Clements together with associated community services to provide the bulk of services currently provided by Tower Hamlets health authority.Health Service Reform
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the additional administrative computing and allied costs associated with his proposed changes in the National Health Service, including opting out of hospitals, over the next three years ; and what is his estimate of the increases which will be required in numbers of staff in each tier of the National Health Service.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State announced that an additional £82 million is being made available this year, and an additional £257 million next year, to the NHS in England, for initiatives arising from the White Paper "Working for Patients". It is not possible at this stage to estimate the full cost of the changes, because the White Paper builds on developments that have been taking place over a number of years. These include resource management and improvements in management information, including computerisation. In addition, the total cost will depend on such factors as the number of NHS trusts and GP practice fund holders which are approved.
The changes will increase the efficiency of the service, and create opportunities for achieving better value for money so that extra costs will be outweighed by savings.
The estimate of the increase in staff needed for the changes includes up to 3,000 at hospital level and up to 400 in regions and family practitioner committees. In the longer term, as regional and district health authorities reduce their own functions, total staffing levels are expected to fall. The number of extra staff needed by the prescription pricing authority, up to 300, is expected to reduce significantly in two or three years.
Mr. Kennedy : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has had any representations about the use of National Health Service staff and resources to prepare hospitals and other medical units to become self- governing medical trusts prior to the passing of the relevant legislation ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kennedy : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will detail in the Official Report any instructions or guidelines he has issued to health authorities, hospitals and any other relevant medical units about anticipating or taking account of possible changes, which may be made to the details of the National Health Service and Community Care Bill during its parliamentary progress ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : It is for Parliament to determine the final form of the National Health Service and Community Care Bill. It would not be sensible to issue instructions or guidance seeking to anticipate such changes (if any) as Parliament may approve. Health authorities are, of course, fully aware of the Government's proposals set out in "Working for Patients", Cm 555. It has frequently been pointed out to them that some of these plans will require primary legislation before they can be fully implemented.
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Patient Records (Ownership)
Mr. Hayes : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has obtained the views of the Committee on Safety of Medicines, the Medicines Commission or the Medicines Control Agency regarding the opinion offered by Mr. Mummery QC on the ownership of patient records regarding the effects of this advice on clinical research in the United Kingdom.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Yes.
Mr. Hayes : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the implications of Mr. Mummery's opinion on the ownership of patient records for the conduct of fundamental clinical research, clinical trials and post-marketing surveillance studies which involve the collection and analysis of anonymised patient records.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : This is still being considered.
Mr. Hayes : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has received representations expressing contrary views to those of Mr. Mummery QC relating to the ownership of general practitioners' patient records held on computer ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Yes. The Government intend to consult interested parties on draft guidance to be issued in January 1990 regarding this and related subjects.
Prescriptions
Mr. Jim Lester : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what would have been the cost to the Exchequer over the last 12-month period for which figures are available if all appliance prescriptions written by dispensing doctors in England and Wales had been dispensed (a) by pharmacy contractors and (b) by appliance contractors.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : This information is not available in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Ambulance Service
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the average cost of non-emergency ambulance journeys.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Information in the form requested is not available centrally. However, the average costs per patient carried and per mile in England for 1986-87, the latest figures currently available, are £13.78 and £1.90 respectively.
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the numbers of patients transported by the ambulance service in the most recent year for which figures are available in (a) emergency situations and (b) non-emergency situations.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The number of emergency and non-emergency patient journeys for 1987-88, by ambulance authority, is given in the table. One patient journey is defined as a single trip to, or return from, a place where a patient receives medical care or treatment.
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Total number of patients' journeys 1987-88 England Source: KA32 Summary.
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received in favour of opening to competitive tender the management and organisation of the routine transport ambulance service.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : We have received no such representations. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply my hon. Friend gave to hon. Member for Warrington, North (Mr. Hoyle) on 30 November 1989, at column 411.
Public Appointments
Mrs. Roe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many persons above the age of (a) 60, (b) 65 and (c) 70 years he has appointed to public bodies in each of the last 10 years.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost, since the Department is responsible for 144 public bodies with the present number of appointments totalling almost 10,000.
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NHS Reform
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the cash allocation system to regions and family practitioner committees outlined in his letter to hon. Members of 20 October will calculate and weight the number and needs of chronically sick patients.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Allocations for the hospital and community health services will continue to be based on the size, age and health of regions' populations. This will ensure that regional health authority budgets take account of the presence of chronically sick patients, by the use of a proxy measure of morbidity and higher cost-weightings for elderly people living in the region.
Allocations to RHAs in respect of the indicative prescribing budget scheme will not be cash-limited. GPs will, as now, be able to prescribe any clinically necessary medication for their patients.
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the contracts district health authorities will make with providers of patient services will reflect given levels and quality of service as outlined in his letter to hon. Members of 20 October.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : The level and quality of services to be provided will be agreed between the district health authority and the provider and specified in the contract. The degree of precision used will increase over time as health authorities become more expert at assessing their population's requirements, as information about hospital activity improves and as better-quality measures are developed. My Department will assist this process by providing guidance and disseminating examples of good practice. However, even the simplest contracts will make much clearer than now what services are to be provided in return for a particular level of funding. Patients can only benefit as a result.
Community Care
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to undertake further research into the special needs of seriously mentally ill people before the implementation of the community care proposals.
Mr. Freeman : The proposals for services for people with a mental illness set out in "Caring for People" build on established good practice. They envisage that health and social services professional staff will assess the health and social care needs of individual patients and judge whether these can realistically be met in the community. We plan to commission research into the effectiveness of our care programme approach in due course.
Children Act
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of the numbers of people who will require training in (a) the Health Service and (b) the voluntary sector as the Children Act is implemented and what resources he will supply to assist with such training.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : From information held centrally is is not possible to identify the numbers of health services staff whose duties will be affected by the Children Act. Information on staff of voluntary organisations is not held centrally.
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As part of the Department's phased programme of awareness and specialist training for local authority and other agency staff, the Department launched on 1 December 1989 "An Introduction to the Children Act". The guide will be of use to all social services staff and other practitioners who will be concerned with implementation of the Children Act. Copies of the guide have been sent to local authorities, and the National Council for Voluntary Child Care Organisations for them to distribute to their members, regional health authorities, district health authorities, royal colleges and other relevant agencies. A dissemination and training strategy for implementation of the Children Act is being developed in consultation with the statutory and voluntary agencies.National Care Homes Association
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last met representatives from the National Care Homes Association ; and if he will take steps to include unregistered homes in its inspection process.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State last met representatives from the National Care Homes Association at its annual conference on 19 October 1989.
Under part I of the Registered Homes Act 1984, local social services authorities are required to inspect private and voluntary residential care homes catering for four or more residents. There are no plans at present to extend this requirement to cover homes with fewer than four places. But, as our White Paper "Caring for People" makes clear, our intention is that the quality of all residential care provided and monitored for local authorities by the independent sector should be safeguarded by clearly defined contractual arrangements.
Crack
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money has been spent by his Department on research on crack and its effects.
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