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Mr. Rifkind : Although local authorities make returns to my Department of the administrative cost of collecting the community charge and previously made similar returns in respect of rates, the returns do not show separately the cost of collecting debts.
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Mr. Adley : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether all local authorities in Scotland have offered the facility of single payment by one member of the household on their community charge payment forms ; and what the response to this facility has been.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : In order to increase the accountability of local authorities to their electorates, the community charge legislation requires every person who is liable to pay the personal community charge to be sent a demand notice. Where more than one person in a household receives a demand notice it is a matter for members of that household to decide whether each individual should pay his or her own bill or whether to adopt some other arrangement. Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidance his Department has issued to Scottish local authorities on use of the debt recovery mechanisms outlined in the Abolition of Domestic Rates Etc. (Scotland) Act 1987 and the application of the provisions of the Debtors (Scotland) Act 1987 in relation to the recovery of poll tax payments from those who have defaulted on such payments ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 12 January 1990] : None. It is for local authorities to consider the most effective method of recovering debt, including community charge arrears.
Mentally Ill People
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many beds for mentally ill patients have been taken out of service over the last 10 years, showing the closed beds by health board area in Scotland.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The information is not centrally available in the form requested. Figures given in the table show the change over the last 10 years in the available staffed beds in psychiatric specialties in Scotland :
Day care facilities |Residential accomodation
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ayreshire and Arran
Garnock Day Hospital, Irvine |Core and Cluster Development, Irvine
|Group Tenancy House, Ayr
Argyll and Clyde
|Joint development between Health Board, Local Authority and
| Church of Scotland in Elderslie
|Cluster Accomodation, Paisley
Borders
Firholm Day Unit, Peebles
Day Unit, Hawick
Fife
Day Care Unit, Glenrothes
Day Care Unit, Cowdenbeath
Forth Valley
Day Unit, Clackmannan County Hospital |Various locations in Falkirk. Joint venture with Health Board, Local
| Authority Voluntary Organisations
Grampian
|Joint development between Health Board, Local Authority and
| Voluntary Agencies. Location still to be determined
Greater Glasgow
Day Care Centre at the Scotish Assosiation for Mental Health, |Queen's Cross and Belleisle Street, Glasgow- Joint Ventures with
Training Centre, Glasgow | Voluntary Organisations
|East End and Drumchapel, Woodside "E" and Priesthill, Glasgow
| -Core and Cluster projects in Association with Voluntary
| organisations
|Anniesland and Allerton, Glasgow- Joint developments with
| Voluntry Organisations
Highland
Day Centre, Bruce Gardens, Inverness
Day Centre, Royal Northern Infirmary, Inverness
Travelling Day Centre- use of mini-bus to visit different locations
outside Inverness
Day Centre, Inverness- joint venture with Alzheimer's Scotland
Timbury Unit Day Centre, County Hospital, Invergordon
Lanarkshire
Day Hospital, Motherwell |Blantyre- Joint venture with Health Board and Voluntary
| Organisations
Day Centre, Motherwell.Joint Venture with Health Board and |Halfway House, Carluke
Alzheimer's Scotland
Lothian
Day Care Unit, Hedmanflat,Haddington |Uphall, West Lothian. Joint venture with Health Board, Local
| Authority and Voluntary Organisation
Day Care Hospital with respite care facilities at Restalrig, Edinburgh. |Various locations at Edinburgh. Joint venture with Health Board and
Joint Venture with Health Board and Local Authority | Local Authority
Day Hospital, Newbattle, Midlothian |Myreside, Edinburgh. Joint venture with Health Board and Church of
| Scotland
Mental Health Centre, Midlothian. Joint venture with Health Board
and Local Authority
Tayside
|Dudhope House, Dundee
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all new day care facilities and other residential projects for the mentally ill currently being planned by health boards or social work departments in the coming year.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The information, set out by health board location, is as follows :
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Day care facilities |Residential accomodation
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ayreshire and Arran
Garnock Day Hospital, Irvine |Core and Cluster Development, Irvine
|Group Tenancy House, Ayr
Argyll and Clyde
|Joint development between Health Board, Local Authority and
| Church of Scotland in Elderslie
|Cluster Accomodation, Paisley
Borders
Firholm Day Unit, Peebles
Day Unit, Hawick
Fife
Day Care Unit, Glenrothes
Day Care Unit, Cowdenbeath
Forth Valley
Day Unit, Clackmannan County Hospital |Various locations in Falkirk. Joint venture with Health Board, Local
| Authority Voluntary Organisations
Grampian
|Joint development between Health Board, Local Authority and
| Voluntary Agencies. Location still to be determined
Greater Glasgow
Day Care Centre at the Scotish Assosiation for Mental Health, |Queen's Cross and Belleisle Street, Glasgow- Joint Ventures with
Training Centre, Glasgow | Voluntary Organisations
|East End and Drumchapel, Woodside "E" and Priesthill, Glasgow
| -Core and Cluster projects in Association with Voluntary
| organisations
|Anniesland and Allerton, Glasgow- Joint developments with
| Voluntry Organisations
Highland
Day Centre, Bruce Gardens, Inverness
Day Centre, Royal Northern Infirmary, Inverness
Travelling Day Centre- use of mini-bus to visit different locations
outside Inverness
Day Centre, Inverness- joint venture with Alzheimer's Scotland
Timbury Unit Day Centre, County Hospital, Invergordon
Lanarkshire
Day Hospital, Motherwell |Blantyre- Joint venture with Health Board and Voluntary
| Organisations
Day Centre, Motherwell.Joint Venture with Health Board and |Halfway House, Carluke
Alzheimer's Scotland
Lothian
Day Care Unit, Hedmanflat,Haddington |Uphall, West Lothian. Joint venture with Health Board, Local
| Authority and Voluntary Organisation
Day Care Hospital with respite care facilities at Restalrig, Edinburgh. |Various locations at Edinburgh. Joint venture with Health Board and
Joint Venture with Health Board and Local Authority | Local Authority
Day Hospital, Newbattle, Midlothian |Myreside, Edinburgh. Joint venture with Health Board and Church of
| Scotland
Mental Health Centre, Midlothian. Joint venture with Health Board
and Local Authority
Tayside
|Dudhope House, Dundee
Sight Tests
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the change in the number of sight tests carried out in Scotland after the introduction of charges for the latest period for which figures are available ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The results of a survey on the total number of sight tests in the first quarter of 1990 compared with earlier periods should be available after Easter.
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RENAVAL Programme
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the areas which meet the criteria qualifying them for European regional development fund assistance under the terms of the RENAVAL programme ; what applications he has submitted for any of these areas ; which have been successful ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang : Bids to establish eligibility for Strathclyde and Fife under RENAVAL were submitted to the European Commission in May 1989. We still await a response. Providing a favourable decision is reached,
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detailed programmes of measures will be drawn up by Government in consultation with the relevant local authorities and other public agencies.Correspondence
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the hon. Member for Greenock and Port Glasgow can expect to receive a substantive reply to his letter of 30 November 1989, which was addressed to the Minister for Home Affairs and the Environment, concerning Mr. A. Renaud, 2 Shaw place, Greenock.
Mr. Rifkind : I replied to the hon. Member on 11 January.
Environment
Mr. Wray : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what specific research projects and studies regarding (a) environmental pollution, (b) climate changes and their effect on (i) the health of the people and (ii) wildlife in Scotland his Department is funding or sponsoring.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 13 December 1989] : The main sources of funds for research in the broad areas of environmental pollution and climate change are United Kingdom Departments and research councils. Scottish Departments, however, have funded a range of projects in the areas in which the hon. Gentleman has expressed an interest and these reflect their own policy and programme responsibilities.
Research funded by the Scottish Development Department deals with issues particular to Scotland and is designed to be complementary to that sponsored through United Kingdom Departments. Annex A shows projects related to environmental pollution currently being funded by SDD.
The broad objectives of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland are to ensure that the work undertaken makes a significant contribution to and, where appropriate, leads the agricultural R and D effort in the United Kingdom, while including work of special relevance to the soils, crops and livestock of northern Britain. Some of this research is concerned with aspects of environmental pollution--for example, how soil processes affect nutrient availability particularly as regards element cycling and flows ; the effect of pollutants from the atmosphere entering the soil-plant-animal system ; and how soil water is affected by fertilisers and pesticides. Annex B lists currently funded agricultural and related research concerned with environmental pollution.
Research on fisheries and the aquatic environment is undertaken by DAFS as part of a Great Britain programme co-ordinated with the main stocks of fish and shellfish in Scottish waters, and also investigates the impact of natural and manmade changes on those stocks and on the environment which supports them.
The marine research programme involves study of the hydrography, chemistry and biological productivity of the sea, and includes examination of the effects of pollution from disposal in the sea of materials such as oil compounds, dredge spoils, industrial waste, materials from marine fish farms, and sewage. DAFS also commissions work on seals and fish-eating birds.
On the freshwater side, where the DAFS interest is primarily in salmonid fish, research is commissioned into the impact of environmental stresses generated by surface
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water acidification, coniferous afforestation, fish farming, and land use change upon both freshwater fisheries and the freshwater environment.The Scottish Home and Health Department, through its chief scientific office, aims to identify, encourage, promote and support good quality research relevant to the improvement of health and the National Health Service in Scotland. One project related to environmental pollution is currently funded by SHHD--"A study of neuropsychological function in children exposed to low levels of lead in the environment".
At present, Scottish Departments are not funding work directly related to climate changes and their effect on (i) the health of the people and (ii) wildlife in Scotland where given the global nature of such changes lead responsibility rests with other United Kingdom Departments.
Annex A
The Scottish Development Department is currently funding the following research projects in the environmental pollution arena. Trace Element Toxicity in the River Don
Acidification of Inland Waters
Environmental Effects of Fish Farming
Monitoring of Phosphorus, Chlorophyll and Water Clarity on Loch Leven
Effect of Afforestation on Catchment Yields
Radionuclide Transfer in Heather-Dominant Ecosystems
Annex B
DAFS--Relevant Agricultural Research
Predictive models of losses of nitrogen from the soil-plant system.
The retention or movement of heavy metals in polluted soils and their availability to herbage.
Effect of organic matter content of soil on the cycling of radio-caesium and its availability to various upland plant species. Factors affecting the uptake of radio-caesium by sheep. Lead deposition from the atmosphere on Scottish soils.
Polychlorinated biphenyl congeners in hill and upland environments.
Proton budgets for hill and upland soils under sown grass pasture and grazed indigenous vegetation.
The extent of acidification and pollution of Scottish soils in hill, upland and marginal areas in recent decades.
The role of individual soil properties on the relationship between soil acidity and aluminium.
The ameliorating effects of selective liming on acidified catchments.
Movement of nitrates and pesticides in soil and water and gaseous soil emissions.
The effects of afforestation of blanket peat on water quality. The hydrological and hydrochemical consequences of various forestry practices.
The effects of hill farm management systems on soil hydrology and hydrochemistry.
Reduction of the potential for silage effluent pollution. The chemical and biological properties of animal wastes. Environmentally acceptable animal waste management systems. Systems to minimise the pollution of the environment by agricultural inputs and wastes.
The detoxification and use of organic wastes.
The evaluation of algal culture on settled effluent from aerobic treatment of pig slurry.
Biomass composition and nutrient cycling in algal ponds. The physiological regulation of microalgal growth in multi-pass fermenter systems.
The potential for integration of farm waste treatment and aquaculture.
The improvement of energetic efficiency of aerobic treatment of farm waste.
The potential of nematodes and selected micro-organisms as indicators of pollution.
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Inputs and outputs at a series of long-term environmental monitoring sites.Elimination or reduction of silage effluent.
Extracts of Convictions
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he proposes to take to make mandatory the availability of extracts of convictions in the Scottish courts, including the district courts, at reasonable cost to members of the public and their advisers who can demonstrate a legitimate interest therein.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 11 January 1990] : Extracts of conviction are already available to those with a legitimate interest in them. Problems which have arisen in respect of records stored on computer are at present under consideration.
Random Breath Tests
Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now introduce a system of random breath tests for drivers in Scotland.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 12 January 1990] : Earlier last year the Government embarked on a public consultation exercise on whether police breath testing powers should be extended. A considerable number of representations was received proposing a variety of measures including support for the introduction of random breath testing. The Government are still considering the important issues which would be involved in giving the police increased powers in this area.
Warrant Sales
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many warrant sales were carried out on behalf of regional councils against those defaulting on domestic rate payments in each year since 1979 until the most recent year for which figures are available.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 12 January 1990] : This information is not available.
HEALTH
Hypothermia
Mr. Andrew Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the number of cases where hypothermia was mentioned on the death certificate for each of the last 10 years for which figures are available ; and how many of each annual total were people aged (a) 65 years and over (b) 80 years and over.
Mr. Freeman : The number of deaths with mention of hypothermia on the death certificate for persons of (a) all ages (b) 65 years and over, (c) 80 years and over, in England and Wales, 1979--1988 were :
Year |All ages |65 years and|80 years and
|over |over
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1979 |863 |688 |374
1980 |596 |497 |237
1981 |685 |574 |326
1982 |664 |541 |319
1983 |538 |450 |261
1984 |555 |462 |257
1985 |827 |708 |417
1986 |837 |698 |439
1987 |559 |448 |276
1988 |440 |354 |205
Fostering, Doncaster
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by age the number of children currently in foster care in the Doncaster area ; and what the figures were (a) 10 years ago and (b) five years ago.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The most recent data available relates to 31 March 1988 ; 1981 is the earliest that such data is available. The number of children in the care of Doncaster district council, boarded with foster parents is given in the table showing those children boarded out in the Doncaster district area and in other areas. Information is not available about the numbers of children in the care of other local authorities who are boarded out in the Doncaster area.
Boarded out by Doncaster
31 March 1981 31 March 1983 31 March 1988
Age band |Own |Other |Own |Other |Own |Other
|area |areas |area |areas |area |areas
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Under 1 |7 |0 |5 |0 |6 |0
1 to 4 |49 |2 |46 |2 |36 |1
5 to 9 |48 |6 |57 |4 |45 |0
10 to 15 |79 |18 |77 |13 |68 |2
16 and over |12 |2 |26 |5 |17 |0
All children |195 |28 |211 |24 |172 |3
Resource Management Initiative
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the six pilot sites of the Government's resource management initiative scheme ; and if he will list for all sites the number of times they have been updated and the dates.
Mr. Freeman : The six acute hospital pilot sites for the resource management initiative (RMI) are :
Arrowe Park Hospital (Wirral)
Freeman Hospital (Newcastle)
Guy's Hospital (Lewisham and North Southwark)
Huddersfield Royal Infirmary (Huddersfield)
Pilgrim Hospital, Boston (South Lincolnshire)
Royal Hampshire County Hospital (Winchester)
During the early part of 1988 Clatterbridge hospital (Wirral), originally a pilot site, withdrew from the RMI but work resumed as a result of a merger with Arrowe Park hospital in the summer of 1989. The Pilgrim hospital, Boston, was adopted as a pilot site in April 1988. On 20 March 1989 I announced the extension of resource management and the names of 50 hospitals to prepare for it in this financial year. On 14 December 1989 I announced the names of 20 hospitals, from the list of 50, which will implement the main resource management process in 1989-90.
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Psycho-geriatric Provision, Doncaster
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the numbers of psycho-geriatric and geriatric beds in each hospital within the Doncaster area health authority on 1 January 1980, 1 January 1985, 1 January 1989 and at 1 January 1990.
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Mr. Freeman : The available information is given in the table :
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Average daily number of available beds, Geriatric and Psycho-geriatric specialties
National Health Service hospitals, Doncaster district health authority
Year ending:
Hospital |31 December 1979|31 December 1984|31 March 1989
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Geriatric
Doncaster Royal Infirmary |20.5 |21.6 |20.0
Fullerton Hospital |0.0 |34.0 |34.0
Tickhill Road Hospital |171.0 |178.2 |121.8
Conisborough Hospital |101.0 |99.0 |96.2
Montagu Hospital<2> |25.1 |25.4 |21.0
|----- |----- |-----
Total |317.6 |358.2 |293.0
Psycho-geriatric<1>
Tickhill Road Hospital |44.5 |88.3 |98.1
Loversall Hospital |30.0 |0.0 |0.0
|----- |----- |-----
Total |74.5 |88.3 |98.1
<1>In 1979 beds for psycho-geriatric patients were not always separately identifiable from those
designated mental illness.
<2>Transferred from Rotherham district in the 1982 reorganisation.
Sources: 1979, 1984: SH3 return (geriatric, psycho-geriatric specialties); 1989: KH03 returns (
ward classifications: general patients-elderly, mental illness-elderly).
Food Hygiene (Military Aircraft)
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what food hygiene regulations apply to military aircraft operated by (a) the Royal Air Force and (b) foreign air forces operating out of the United Kingdom that are equipped for carrying passengers.
Mr. Freeman : None. The Food Safety Bill proposes the removal of immunity from food safety law from most Crown premises from 1 April 1992. Ground-based military catering establishments (but not the aircraft themselves) will then be within the scope of the food hygiene regulations.
The Bill also seeks powers to enable Ministers to make an order extending the definition of premises to include aircraft of any specific description for the purposes specified in the order. The Government have no plans at present to make such an order in respect of military aircraft.
Social Factor Questions
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to ensure confidentiality, after general practitioners have asked social factor questions of new patients from April 1990, when they are passed on to the local family practitioner committee.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Many general practitioners, in accordance with their training, already seek and record information about their patients concerning social and
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lifestyle factors relevant to their health, for example housing circumstances, diet, exercise, use of tobacco and consumption of alcohol.General practitioners will be obliged to record from April 1990 the history and findings arising from a health check-up to ensure that a full medical record is maintained. However there is no requirement that specific information about social factors should be passed on to family practitioner committees.
General practitioners have always been obliged to return patients' records to the family practitioner committee so that they can be forwarded to a new doctor. Both general practitioners and family practitioner committees have a duty to maintain confidentiality and there is no suggestion that the arrangements to be introduced from April 1990 will result in a greater likelihood of breaches of confidentiality.
1991 Census
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the various issues of the Census Newsletter, in respect of the 1991 census of Great Britain, are freely available to members of the public ; and where they can be obtained.
Mr. Freeman : Yes. Copies of the Census Newsletter can be obtained from Census Division (Room 823), Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, St. Catherine's house, 10 Kingsway, London WC2B 6JP or Customer Services, General Register Office, Ladywell house, Ladywell road, Edinburgh EH12 7TF.
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Migrants
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many inquiries have been received by his Department regarding migrants and the Child Migrants Trust.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The Department has received 22 inquiries since 1987 about child migrants and the Child Migrants Trust.
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial contribution his Department is making to the costs incurred by Nottinghamshire county council in seconding Margaret Humphries from her normal duties to work connected with migrants and the Child Migrants Trust.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The Department is making no financial contribution.
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department first received the request for grant funding from the Child Migrants Trust.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The Department received an initial inquiry from the Child Migrants Trust about financial assistance on 16 June 1988. A formal grant application was received on 26 January 1989.
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department first requested additional information on the grant funding of the Child Migrants Trust.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Officials from the Department requested additional information from representatives of the Child Migrants Trust at a meeting to discuss the grant application on 29 August 1989. This information was received by the Department on Thursday 11 January 1990.
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