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Welsh Water
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish for Welsh Water plc the estimated percentage held by (a) individual shareholders and (b) financial institutions as on the first day of trading in the new company.
Mr. Grist : The allocations to applicants for shares in Welsh Water plc were announced by Schroders in a press release on 11 December. The offer of Welsh Water shares to the general public was oversubscribed to an extent that the clawback provisions set out in the prospectus on the water share offers were triggered. Thus, 39.25 per cent. of the shares on offer was allocated to institutions and 46.875 per cent. of the shares on offer was allocated to applicants in the retail public offers.
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish the percentage of shares in Welsh Water plc which were in the hands of shareholders with addresses outside Wales on the first day of trading in the new company.
Mr. Grist : No. This information is not readily available, but at least half of the shares allocated to applicants in the retail public offer were to customers, employees and pensioners of Welsh Water.
Improvement Grants
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report the details of the means-testing for the new improvement grants payable from 1 April 1990.
Mr. Peter Walker : Details of the test of resources will be included in regulations which are currently being prepared and will be laid before this House in due course.
European Regional Development Fund Aid
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his best estimate of the total level of European regional development fund aid commitments jointly to all eligible public bodies in the three counties of Powys, Gwynedd and Dyfed in each of the years 1984 to 1988.
Mr. Peter Walker : European regional development fund commitments to eligible public bodies in the three counties of Powys, Gwynedd and Dyfed in each of the past five years are shown in the following table :
Year |£ million ------------------------------ 1984 |6.6 1985 |19.5 1986 |7.5 1987 |5.6 1988 |14.0
Figures do not include some Welsh projects which cross the boundaries of administrative areas.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his best estimate of the total level of European regional development fund aid commitments to all eligible public bodies in Clwyd in 1989 and 1990.
Mr. Peter Walker : The latest estimate for European regional development fund non-quota commitments to all eligible public bodies in Clwyd for 1989 is £2.4 million.
No commitments have yet been made for 1989 and 1990 under the Clwyd integrated development operation programme.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his most up-to-date estimate for the amount of European regional development fund assistance commitments to all eligible public bodies in the four counties of industrial south Wales in each of the years 1984 to 1988.
Mr. Peter Walker : European regional development fund commitments to eligible public bodies in the four counties of industrial south Wales in each of the past five years are shown in the following table :
Year |£ million ------------------------------ 1984 |51.1 1985 |17.0 1986 |17.8 1987 |41.9 1988 |29.1
Figures do not include some Welsh projects which cross the boundaries of administrative areas.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his most up-to-date estimate for the amount of European regional development fund commitments to all eligible public bodies in the four counties of industrial south Wales in (a) the present year and (b) 1990.
Mr. Grist : The latest estimate for European regional development fund commitments to the mid-Glamorgan national programme of community interest and for non-quota grant in the four counties of industrial south Wales for 1989 is £10.4 million.
No commitments have yet been made for 1989 and 1990 under the integrated development operation programme for industrial south Wales.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his most up-to-date estimate of the amount of European regional development fund commitments to all eligible public bodies in Clwyd in each of the years 1984 to 1988.
Mr. Peter Walker : European regional development fund commitments to eligible public bodies in Clwyd in each of the past five years are shown in the following table :
--------------- 1984 |4.3 1985 |18.3 1986 |19.2 1987 |10.2 1988 |20.2
Figures do not include some Welsh projects which cross the boundaries of administrative areas.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his most up-to-date estimate of the likely final total of European regional development fund aid commitments jointly to all eligible public bodies in the counties of Powys, Gwynedd and Dyfed in 1989 and 1990.
Mr. Grist : The latest estimate for European regional development fund commitments to all eligible public bodies in the three counties of Powys, Gwynedd and Dyfed for 1989 is £20.4 million.
No commitments have yet been made for 1990.
Health Service Resources
Mr. Gwilym Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has reached a decision about the allocation of resources for health and personal social services in Wales in 1990-91.
Mr. Peter Walker : Subject to parliamentary approval, I propose to allocate £1,472 million in 1990-91 to central Government's own expenditure on health and personal social services in Wales. This represents a cash increase of £156.7 million over 1989-90 plans, and an increase of some £98 million over planned provision for 1990-91. My proposals include £1,055.8 million for the hospital and community health services, an increase of £101.1 million over planned provision in 1989-90. I will announce allocations to individual health authorities as soon as
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possible. In addition to their allocations, health authorities will retain the benefit of cash released through cost improvement programmes, income from charges for the treatment of private patients and from income generation schemes, and receipts from the sale of surplus land and buildings.These additional resources will allow substantial investment in the information management systems that are required to support implementation of the White Paper "Working for Patients", and will also make possible the further development of modern patterns of service for those with mental handicaps, and those suffering from mental illness ; of breast and cervical cancer screening services ; of programmes to address the problems of alcohol and other drug abuse ; and of initiatives to support the promotion of a healthy lifestyle.
HEALTH
Expenditure
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give for each year since 1974-75 capital spending on hospital and community health services in net terms after deducting proceeds from land and property sales (i) in cash terms, (ii) adjusted using the gross domestic product deflator and (iii) adjusted using the relevant index of National Health Service prices.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : I see no logical reason for excluding proceeds of land and property sales from figures on capital spending by the NHS and I have given these proceeds in addition to the information requested in order to give a sensible picture of capital investment in the service.
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Hospital and community health services-gross capital expenditure since 1974-75
£ million
Total at 1988-89 prices adjusted by:
|Public expenditure|Capital receipts |Total expenditure |the GDP deflator |the HCBS capital
|(mainly land |deflator
|sales)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1974-75 |243 |- |243 |960 |950
1975-76 |327 |- |327 |1,027 |979
1976-77 |356 |- |356 |986 |952
1977-78 |315 |- |315 |767 |737
1978-79 |358 |8 |366 |805 |766
1979-80 |395 |10 |405 |763 |703
1980-81 |540 |16 |556 |885 |766
1981-82 |651 |20 |671 |972 |896
1982-83 |682 |19 |701 |947 |921
1983-84 |692 |33 |725 |936 |934
1984-85 |767 |50 |817 |1,005 |1,010
1985-86 |803 |85 |888 |1,037 |1,037
1986-87 |812 |149 |961 |1,085 |1,069
1987-88 |807 |201 |1,008 |1,081 |1,066
1988-89 |804 |280 |1,084 |1,084 |1,084
<1>1989-90 |920 |291 |1,211 |1,132 |<2>
<1>Estimated.
<2>Estimates of HCHS capital inflation are not made until after the financial year has ended.
Community Care
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the redeployment of financial resources from long-stay hospitals in the closure/partial closure programme and on how and where these have been used to develop services for community care for people with mental handicap.
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Mr. Freeman : Decisions regarding the redeployment of financial resources released from long stay hospitals are primarily a matter for health authorities in consultation with the relevant local authorities and in the light of local needs and circumstances. Proceeds from the sale of mental handicap hospitals must be used specifically for the development of services for that client group unless there are exceptional circumstances and the Department has agreed otherwise. Systematic information as to how resources have been redeployed to community services is not available centrally.
Energy Statistics
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give, for each region and as a total for England and Wales (a) the total number of licensed vehicles at the latest available date, (b) the total amount spent on energy during the latest year for which figures are available, broken down into (i) petrol supply, (ii) electricity supply, (iii) gas supply and (iv) other and (c) the total amount spent on insulation on the National Health Service estate ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : Statistics on the total number of licensed vehicles which include Crown cars, ambulances and commercial vehicles, are not held centrally. The total amounts, for hospital sites in England and Wales, spent by health authorities on petrol supply, electricity supply, gas supply and others, in the financial year 1988-89 (£ million rounded up to two decimal places) are provisionally estimated as follows :
Region |Petrol |Electricity|Gas |Other
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern |1.40 |6.28 |4.14 |3.02
Yorkshire |1.49 |7.13 |5.48 |2.66
Trent |1.98 |10.60 |6.37 |5.04
East Anglian |1.10 |3.75 |2.39 |1.77
North West Thames |0.74 |7.67 |5.42 |2.90
North East Thames |0.89 |9.62 |4.45 |5.31
South East Thames |1.12 |8.18 |5.82 |2.66
South West Thames |2.32 |5.97 |5.26 |2.27
Wessex |1.14 |5.36 |3.88 |1.79
Oxford |1.00 |4.47 |2.65 |1.66
South Western |1.41 |6.16 |3.91 |1.75
West Midlands |1.91 |10.26 |4.34 |6.60
Mersey |1.00 |5.32 |3.19 |2.21
North Western |1.44 |8.21 |6.67 |3.92
SHA's |0.02 |2.13 |1.17 |0.52
Total amount spent in
1988-89 |------ |------ |------ |------
In England |18.96 |101.11 |65.14 |44.07
In Wales<1> |- |6.19 |3.71 |3.17
|------ |------ |------ |------
Grand Total England £229.23 million
Wales £13.07 million
<1>There is not a separate figure for total amount spent on petrol in Wales.
Expenditure on petrol is included in "other" column.
(c) Figures for the total amount spent on insulation on the NHS estate are not
available. Guidance on insulation and other energy-saving measures is available
to the NHS in my Department's national energy code (ENCODE'). Ministers have, on
a number of occasions, stated their wish for energy savings in the NHS
commensurate with providing a proper service. So too has the Public Accounts
Committee and its target of a saving in energy consumption of 1.5 per cent. per
annum is generally being achieved.
Infections
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the incidence of infection by county in England and Wales caused by (a) campylobacter, (b) cryptospiridia and (c) leptospira.
Mr. Freeman : The data requested are not available by county. The provisional data given in the table are a breakdown of reports by National Health Service health regions for England and Wales and are based on reports received by CDSC from laboratories in England and Wales. They cover 1989 up to and including the week ending 8 December 1989.
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Region |Campylobacter |Cryptosporidium|Leptospira
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern |1,639 |134 |1
Yorkshire |3,049 |651 |11
Trent |3,429 |519 |3
East Anglia |1,018 |163 |1
North West Thames |1,756 |239 |1
North East Thames |1,786 |236 |1
South East Thames |2,049 |655 |1
South West Thames |2,648 |576 |1
Wessex |2,133 |864 |7
Oxford |1,761 |596 |5
South Western |2,385 |760 |11
West Midlands |3,159 |837 |4
Mersey |770 |125 |2
North Western |2,640 |864 |2
Wales |1,697 |475 |2
|------- |------- |-------
Total |31,919 |7,694 |53
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has concerning the incidence by county in England and Wales and by occupational group of salmonella infection caused by (a) drinking unpasteurised milk and (b) contact with sick animals.
Mr. Freeman : Information is not available in the form requested. Three outbreaks of salmonellosis associated with drinking unpasteurised milk, in which there was microbiological or epidemiological evidence to confirm the association, were recorded in 1988 (provisional total), two in the north western region, and one in Wessex region. One outbreak affected the local community and two outbreaks
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affected farming personnel from the implicated milk-producing farms as well as persons in the local community. No outbreaks have been recorded so far in 1989.This information is based on reports of outbreaks of salmonella infection to the public health laboratory service communicable disease surveillance centre by laboratories and local authority environmental health departments in England and Wales.
It is not possible to identify separately salmonellosis which is linked to contact with sick animals as distinct from that of a food origin.
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Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has concerning the incidence of chlamydiosis arising from (a) domestic poultry and (b) other birds ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The information available is set out in the table. Person-to-person transmission of chlamydia psittaci is rare : outbreaks of the disease in humans occur mainly among aviary and quarantine station workers, poultry processors and veterinarians.
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Chlamydia B/Chlamydia Psittaci 1984-88
Laboratory reports to the PHLS Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre
(not incidence), where contact with birds mentioned
Year Total Poultry<1> Other birds Total birds contact
|laboratory
|reports |Number |Per cent. |Number |Per cent. |Number |Per cent.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1984 |410 |5 |1 |59 |14 |64 |16
1985 |322 |16 |5 |58 |18 |74 |23
1986 |326 |9 |3 |52 |16 |61 |19
1987 |430 |13 |3 |61 |14 |74 |17
1988 |460 |15 |3 |67 |15 |82 |18
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total 1984-88 |1,948 |58 |3 |297 |15 |355 |18
Average year
1984-88 |390 |12 |3 |59 |15 |71 |18
<1> Chicken, duck, goose and poultry unspecified.
Ambulance Service
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the average time spent by an ambulance man on transporting (a) emergency cases and (b) non-emergency cases.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : This information is not available centrally.
Nurses Grading
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the numbers of nursing grade appeals that have not been dealt with by each health authority.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : This information is not collected centrally.
Capital Expenditure
Mr. Thornton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will provide estimates showing the amount of capital expenditure on hospital and community health services in each financial year from 1978-79 to 1989-90.
Mr. Freeman : The information requested is shown in the table.
Hospital and community health
services-
Gross capital expenditure
since 1978-79
Year |Cash
|£ million
-------------------------------
1978-79 |366
1979-80 |405
1980-81 |556
1981-82 |671
1982-83 |701
1983-84 |725
1984-85 |817
1985-86 |888
1986-87 |961
1987-88 |1,008
1988-89 |1,084
<1>1989-90 |1,211
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Laboratory Facilities
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether any health authority laboratory facilities in the North West regional health authority area are used for veterinary purposes.
Mr. Freeman : We are aware of only one health authority in this region whose laboratory facilities are being used for veterinary purposes, that being Oldham health authority, which does a very small amount of specimen testing.
Self-governing Trusts
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list all the expressions of interest in self-governing trust status that he has so far rejected.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : A total of 188 expressions of interests in NHS trust status have been received so far. I understand that sponsors of some 79 of these intend to prepare draft applications for NHS trust status in April 1991. My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State will consider all applications for trust status on their merits when received.
Deaf-Blind People
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health(1) how many registered deaf-blind people there are in each local authority ; (2) what assessment he has made of the efficacy of the current methods of recording deaf-blind people in local authorities ; (3) what is his Department's estimate of the total number of deaf-blind people in Britain ;
(4) whether any pilot project is being carried out to identify numbers of deaf-blind people.
Mr. Freeman : The numbers of registered blind persons in each local authority who are also deaf or hard of hearing are published in "Registered Blind and Partially Sighted Persons at 31 March 1988 : England", a copy of which is in the Library.
The social services inspectorate has recently undertaken an inspection of personal social services for deaf-blind
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people. The inspection's findings confirm that the number of people registered with local authorities as blind who are also deaf or hard of hearing cannot be used as a reliable basis for a national estimate of the numbers of deaf-blind people because registration with a local authority is voluntary and not all deaf-blind people choose to register.However, using a broad, functional definition of deaf-blindness, the National Deaf Blind and Rubella Association (SENSE) has estimated that there may be some 11,000 deaf-blind people in the United Kingdom.
The Department is not carrying out any pilot project to identify numbers of deaf-blind people. However, I understand that the Royal National Institute for the Deaf has done some work in this area and will be publishing a report in January 1990.
Profoundly Handicapped People
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times local authorities have used their powers under section 43 of the National Assistance Act 1948 to assume responsibility for the care of adults who are unable to care for themselves as a result of profound handicap.
Mr. Freeman : I assume that the right hon. Member is referring to section 47 of the Act. This information is not collected centrally.
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times profoundly mentally handicapped people have been sanctioned under the terms of the Mental Health Act in order to ensure their safety.
Mr. Freeman : In 1987-88 there were 186 admissions, under sections of the Mental Health Act 1983, of patients categorised as mentally impaired or severely mentally impaired. Information is not held centrally as to how many of these patients were admitted for their own safety, rather than the other reasons specified in the Act.
Severely Disabled People
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether he has any plans to introduce an at-risk register for severely disabled adults being cared for at home, where there is doubt as to the quality of the care they are receiving ;
(2) whether he has any plans to review the legislation available for protecting the interests of severely disabled people over the age of 18 years who are unable to look after themselves ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : We have no plans to do so.
Speech Therapy
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has any plans to review the procedure whereby district health authorities which fund speech therapy provision in schools should give reasonable notice to the schools concerned before withdrawing funding arrangements.
Mr. Freeman : No. District health authorities are responsible for determining the level of speech therapy provision for schools in their area, in the light of local circumstances, their assessment of priorities, and the available resources. We expect district health authorities to liaise closely with local education authorities over provision of speech therapy in schools.
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Wythenshawe Hospital
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has had from the head of medical services at Manchester airport in regard to the future of the accident and emergency department at Wythenshawe hospital ; what reply he is sending ; if there is any action he will be taking ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : We have received a letter from the chief executive of Manchester Airport plc about the provision of accident and emergency services in the area of Manchester airport and referring to the proposals of the South Manchester district health authority to rationalise acute and other services at the Withington and Wythenshawe hospitals. The South Manchester district health authority has invited comments on its rationalisation plans from all interested parties including the community health council. The district authority will be able to proceed to implement the plans only with the agreement of the local community health council or, if that is withheld, with the agreement of the North West regional health authority. This is the standard procedure for dealing with significant changes in the use of Health Service facilities. The planning of health services at district level is of course best dealt with at a local level. Ministers would not wish to be involved unless no local agreement can be reached.
The Department will be replying to the chief executive in these terms.
Health Service (Bradford)
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many people are to be appointed to assist Dr. Mark Baker to prepare Bradford's acute hospital services for self-government ; what budget has been agreed to meet staff costs and other costs associated with this preparatory work ; who is to pay these costs ; who has authorised this preparatory expenditure ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) what salary and expenses will be paid to the person appointed as district general manager of Bradford health authority, to succeed Dr. Mark Baker ; how long the appointment is to last ; whether the person appointed will be given a contract ; whether Dr. Mark Baker has the right to resume his former role as district general manager ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : These matters are for decision locally. The hon. Member may wish to contact the chairman of Bradford health authority, Mr. R. G. Brooke, in the first instance.
Benzodiazepines
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will provide a breakdown of the number of prescriptions issued by community pharmacists during 1988 for the following benzodiazepines (a) diazepam, (b) tenazepam, (c) lorazepam, (d) nitrazepam and (e) chlordiazepoxide.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The number of prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists for the drugs requested is as follows :
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|Millions
-----------------------------------
Diazepam |4.5
Tenazepam |7.7
Lorazepam |2.1
Nitrazepam |4.6
Chlordiazepoxide |0.9
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has of the number of chronic users of benzodiazepines in the United Kingdom and what action he intends to take to reduce this number.
Mr. Freeman : There are no precise figures to show the level of benzodiazepine dependence. A number of measures have been taken to tackle the problem, including the issue of advice to doctors on the careful use of these drugs, the promotion of alternatives to their use, and the development of services to help those dependent on them.
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what grants have been made in 1989-90 under the central drugs initiative to services specifically for those dependent on benzodiazepines.
Mr. Freeman : The central drugs initiative was established in 1983- 84 as a pump-priming scheme to provide capital and revenue resources for local projects to assist people suffering from drug dependence. Each grant was to last for three years, and the last approach was made in 1987, so that the scheme is now drawing to a close.
Grants specifically for those dependent on benzodiazepines or other tranquillisers under this initiative totalled over £300,000. None of these grants fell into the current financial year. It is not possible to estimate the extent to which these grant-aided schemes also provide services for this group.
The initiative is in addition to the other funds for drug dependence, in particular the earmarked money allocated to regional health authorities for drug dependence in each financial year since 1986, and which in the current year totals nearly £15 million.
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health why people dependent on benzodiazepines are classed by his Department as drug misusers.
Mr. Freeman : The Department is concerned with the prevention and treatment of drug dependence irrespective of whether the condition arises from illicit or prescribed drug use. Equally, the funds that the Department has made available are for the development of services both for those dependent on prescribed drugs and those experiencing problems with illicit drug use.
Medicine Leaflets
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the European Community proposal to require leaflets to be provided with medicines has now been adopted ; and when it will be implemented in the United Kingdom.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : European Community (EC) Council directive 89/341 of 3 May 1989, among other things, introduced a requirement to provide leaflets with medicines. The content of such leaflets is still under
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consideration. The EC Commission has recently announced its intention to forward a proposal to the Council of Ministers early in the new year. It would be premature to make commitments about United Kingdom implementation in advance of negotiations and adoption by Council of the directive, but we look forward to playing a constructive part in discussions.Disabled People
Mr. Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to begin consultation with local authority associations and voluntary organisations on sections 1, 2 and 3 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986.
Mr. Freeman : We are currently examining these sections with a view to identifying those provisions with significant resource implications. We will then seek the assistance of interested bodies to help us to estimate their cost.
Mr. Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date he expects to publish the first report to Parliament under section 11 of the disabled persons Act 1986, due to be implemented at the end of 1989.
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