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Erskine Bridge
Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the latest accumulated debt on the Erskine bridge.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The accumulated debt at 31 March 1988 was £73.68 million. Accounts for 1988-89 will be laid before Parliament later this spring.
Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he plans to take concerning the finances of the Erskine bridge.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : No decision has yet been taken on the financing of the bridge beyond the end of the tolling period in 1991.
Mr Roy Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the latest figure for the overall operating deficit on the Erskine bridge.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The latest account for 1987-88 shows an operating surplus for the year of £784,763.
Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to write off the accumulated debt on the Erskine bridge.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Future financing arrangements for the Erskine bridge are under consideration.
Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to (a) end or (b) increase tolls on the Erskine bridge.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : No decisions have yet been taken.
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Secondary Schools
Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for East Lothian on 14 December 1989, Official Report, column 807, in which he undertook to write to the hon. Member about the review of the staffing formula for secondary schools, if he will now write to the hon. Member.
Mr. Lang : I have written to the hon. Member.
Public Land Sales
Mr. McAvoy : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what rules govern the advertising for sale of public land in Scotland ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 24 January 1990] : Advertising the sale of public land is carried out in accordance with instructions issued by the owning body and is general practice except in special circumstances where it is judged that the best overall benefit to the public interest is achieved without advertising. In these circumstances, it is usual for an open market value to be assessed.
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Sport 2000
Mr. Canavan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to respond to the report of the Scottish Sports Council, Sport 2000 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 25 January 1990] : I discussed the Sport 2000 report with Professor Raymond Miquel, chairman of the Scottish Sports Council, on 20 October 1989. As the document points out, sport has an important contribution to make to the health, social fabric and economy of Scotland.
Hospital Spending
Mr. Dunn : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report , hospital expenditure per head for each of the regional health authorities in Scotland for each of the last five years.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 30 January 1990] : The information is as follows :
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Health board |1984-85 |1985-86 |1986-87 |1987-88 |1988-89
|£ |£ |£ |£ |£
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Argyll and Clyde |171 |181 |194 |215 |240
Ayrshire and Arran |149 |159 |173 |191 |212
Borders |150 |161 |173 |197 |233
Dumfries and Galloway |197 |206 |208 |236 |259
Fife |151 |165 |180 |194 |214
Forth Valley |185 |200 |215 |235 |259
Grampian |199 |210 |222 |243 |276
Greater Glasgow |318 |336 |355 |382 |429
Highland |205 |213 |231 |250 |278
Lanarkshire |160 |169 |179 |192 |216
Lothian |247 |260 |282 |302 |337
Orkney |126 |129 |141 |158 |171
Shetland |129 |137 |145 |169 |194
Tayside |282 |292 |312 |332 |370
Western Isles |151 |161 |170 |190 |203
DEFENCE
Military Nuclear Materials
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the United Kingdom chiefs of defence staff revealed any details to their counterparts from the Warsaw pact of United Kingdom production capacity and stockpile of unsafeguarded military nuclear materials in the meeting in Vienna that began on 16 January.
Lost Property
Mr. Rogers : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the 112 vehicles and 25 items of plant lost over a four-year period at an Army unit outlined in the "Losses Statement of the Appropriations Account 1988-89, Class I, Vote 1" ; and what action he is taking in respect of the likely fraud or misappropriation.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The circumstances of this loss are that the vehicles and plant were written off throughout the whole of the Falklands in the four-year period 1982 to
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1986, in the immediate aftermath of Operation Corporate when operational needs were of the highest priority and proper accounting systems had not been installed.The lack of accounting controls at that time meant that, although there was no evidence either way, the possibility of fraud or misappropriation could not be entirely discounted. However, full stores accounting procedures and systems are now in operation and all vehicles and plant in theatre are, therefore, properly controlled and documented.
Mr. Rogers : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the estimated sum lost by failure to make adequate charges for the use of support elements at a military establishment outlined in the "Losses Statement of the Appropriations Account 1988-89, Class I, Vote 1".
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The sum noted in the appropriation account 1988-89 is in respect of estimated losses in revenue arising from low charges levied on non-Ministry of Defence students attending courses at the Royal Military College of Science, Shrivenham in the period August 1984 to July 1988. The sum represents a proportion of the military overheads of the establishment in that period, provision for which was omitted from
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course price calculations following the contracting out of the academic and academic support task to Cranfield institute of technology in August 1984. A staged increase in course prices has been carried out in order to bring them up to the correct levels and this has been reached in the majority of cases. We anticipate that the remaining courses will reach correct price levels in the next two to three years.Sellafield (Decommissioning)
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what payments have been made by his Department to British Nuclear Fuels plc over the past five years in regard to post-operational decommissioning work on facilities at Sellafield used to carry out contracts for his Department ; what proportion of the work required arose from the pre-1971 period ; and over what period of time negotiations were entered into over the payments for the work.
Mr. Alan Clark : My Department has paid £12.5 million to British Nuclear Fuels plc in respect of decommissioning work carried out on facilities at Sellafield. All the payments made so far relate to pre-1971 liabilities.
Formal discussions concerning the basis on which payments for pre-1971 liabilities would be made to the company took place in the period 1986 to 1988. Those discussions involved not only the MOD but other bodies concerned with work at Sellafield. The MOD made its first payments for decommissioning work in early 1989.
Defence Procurement
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he next expects to review the level of defence procurement.
Mr. Alan Clark : As normal, plans for all aspects of defence expenditure, including procurement, will be reviewed in the 1990 public expenditure survey.
European Fighter Aircraft
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the radar order for the European fighter aircraft.
Mr. Alan Clark : I have nothing to add to my reply to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, East (Mr. Strang) on 23 January 1990, at columns 869- 72.
Mr. Stern : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many countries have made purchase inquiries about the European fighter aircraft.
Mr. Alan Clark : My Department has already received several inquiries relating to potential future sales of the European fighter aircraft, and we expect many more closer to the aircraft's date of completion. My hon. Friend will, of course, be aware that it has been the consistent policy of successive Administrations not to comment on individual applications for defence exports.
Service Personnel (Benefits)
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what figures he has for the number of services personnel and their families receiving (i) social security benefits and (ii) housing benefit.
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Mr. Archie Hamilton : This information is not held by the Ministry of Defence. Any social security benefit or local authority housing benefit which a service man may receive is a private matter concerning himself and the Department of Social Security or the local authority, and does not have to be reported to the Ministry of Defence.
Defence Contracts
Mr. Allan Stewart : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those contracts his Department has with Blue Circle Industries plc and its subsidiaries.
Mr. Neubert : We have no current headquarters contracts with Blue Circle Industries plc. Information on subsidiary companies could be provided only at disproportionate costs and, in any event, it is not our custom to release details of individual contracts for reasons of commercial confidentiality.
Mr. Allan Stewart : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the contracts between his Department and Armitage Shanks.
Mr. Neubert : Following the holding reply I gave on 16 November 1989, at column 417, I wrote to my hon. Friend informing him that we were considering, with Armitage Shanks, the precise implications of the proposed closure of its Barrhead factory, and that the extent to which alternative sources of supply would be needed was not yet clear. That remains the position.
Piers Helps
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the hon. Member for Rugby and Kenilworth will receive a reply to his letter dated 4 December 1989 referring to Piers Helps.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State for the Armed Forces wrote to my hon. Friend on 29 January 1990.
HMS Conqueror
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 29 January, Official Report, column 62 , on what grounds he has decided not to declassify the captain's narrative of HMS Conqueror's Falklands deployment.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The captain's narrative contains information of current operational and technical significance.
Common Land
Mr. Benn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all the cases when the Land Clauses Consolidation Act 1845 has been used in combination with the Defence Acts 1842 and 1854 to extinguish commoners' rights over any common land in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Archie Hamilton [holding answer 25 January 1990] : The Land Clauses Consolidation Act 1845 has been used in combination with the Defence Acts 1842 and 1854 to extinguish rights of common on at least three occasions : at RAF Fylingdales in 1960, at RAF Lakenheath in 1961, and at RAF Woodbridge in 1964. There may have been other instances, but a comprehensive list could not be provided without disproportionate cost.
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WALES
Surgery
Mr. Rogers : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list, in order of frequency and with the estimated number of operations, the 10 most common forms of surgery for which patients are admitted to hospitals in (a) Wales and (b) each health authority in Wales.
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Mr. Grist : The available figures for 1987 are shown in the table. However, the information may understate the true position in that not all hospitals provide complete clinical details relating to patient discharges and deaths.
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OPCS operation codes<1> |Type of operation |Number
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wales
703-706 |Dilation, curettage, biopsy, and excision of lesion of cervix |9,937
420, 421, 425-433, 439 |Operation of stomach-other |9,291
607, 608 |Cystoscopy (with destruction of lesion) |8,369
770-779 |Post-natal or post-abortion operations |7,646
752, 753, 758-762 |Delivery operations-excluding normal, Caesarian section and forceps|7,411
780-789 |Treatment of fracture by operations |7,393
912-914 |Excision of superficial lesion |7,219
941-959 |Vascular procedures and operations with ill-defined site |5,610
742 |Termination of pregnancy (excluding hysterotomy) |4,732
230-239 |Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy |4,646
Clwyd
420, 421, 425-433, 439 |Operation on stomach-other |1,587
607, 608 |Cystoscopy (with destruction of lesion) |1,135
780-789 |Treatment of fracture by operations |1,113
703-706 |Dilation, curettage, biopsy, and excision of lesion of cervix |1,074
468 |Sigmoidoscopy |1,052
230-239 |Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy |1,018
912-914 |Excision of superficial lesion |954
170-179 |Operations on lens |927
941-959 |Vascular procedures and operations with ill-defined site |849
770-779 |Post-natal or post-abortion operations |762
East Dyfed
420, 421, 425-433, 439 |Operations on stomach-other |1,184
607, 608 |Cystoscopy (with destruction of lesion) |745
703-706 |Dilation, curettage, biopsy, and excision of lesion of cervix |664
780-789 |Treatment of fracture by operations |624
170-179 |Operations on lens |583
752, 753, 758-762 |Delivery operations-excluding normal, Caesarian section and forceps|576
230-239 |Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy |543
912-914 |Excision of superficial lesion |542
941-959 |Vascular procedures and operations with ill-defined site |532
210, 211, 215-224 |Operations on nose (excluding nasal septum) |505
Pembrokeshire
752, 753, 758-762 |Delivery operations-excluding normal, Caesarian section and forceps|450
607, 608 |Cystoscopy (with destruction of lesion) |420
770-779 |Post-natal or post-abortion operations |401
780-789 |Treatment of fracture by operations |393
703-706 |Dilation, curettage, biopsy, and excision of lesion of cervix |343
400-409 |Operation on abdominal wall, peritoneum, and mesentery |323
941-959 |Vascular procedures and operations with ill-defined site |317
912-914 |Excision of superficial lesion |286
742 |Other termination of pregnancy (excluding hysterotomy) |241
440-445 |Operations on appendix |226
Gwent
912-914 |Excision of superficial lesion |2,067
770-779 |Post-natal or post-abortion operations |1,905
607-608 |Cystoscopy (with destruction of lesion) |1,635
703-706 |Dilatation, curettage, biospy, and excision of lesion of cervix |1,588
420, 421, 425-433, 439 |Operations on stomach-other |1,331
752, 753, 758-762 |Delivery operations-excluding normal, Caesarian section and forceps|1,189
780-789 |Treatment of fracture by operations |1,058
764-769 |Caesarian section |742
410, 411 |Inguinal hernia operations |632
210, 211, 215-224 |Operations on nose (excluding nasal septum) |616
Gwynedd
420, 421, 425-433, 439 |Operations on stomach-other |1,091
703-706 |Dilatation, curettage, biopsy, and excision of lesion of cervix |1,082
780-789 |Treatment of fracture by operations |600
400-409 |Operations of abdominal wall, peritoneum, and mesentery |584
607, 608 |Cystoscopy (with destruction of lesion) |581
752, 753, 758-762 |Delivery operations-excluding normal, Caesarian section and forceps|571
170-179 |Operations on lens |460
440-445 |Operations on appendix |457
468 |Sigmoidoscopy |397
764-769 |Caesarian section |371
Mid Glamorgan
703-706 |Dilatation, curettage, biopsy, and excision of lesion of cervix |2,228
607, 608 |Cystoscopy (with destruction of lesion) |1,725
770-779 |Post-natal or post-abortion operations |1,602
780-789 |Treatment of fracture by operations |1,601
752, 753, 758-762 |Delivery operations-excluding normal, Caesarian section and forceps|1,601
420, 421, 425-433, 439 |Operations on stomach-other |1,424
912-914 |Excision of superficial lesion |1,293
651 |Ligation of vasectomy of vas deferens |1,145
941-959 |Vascular procedures and operations with ill-defined site |971
764-769 |Caesarian section |931
Powys
703-706 |Dilatation, curettage, biopsy, and excision of lesion of cervix |106
651 |Ligation or vasectomy of vas deferens |93
770-779 |Post-natal or post-abortion operations |78
410, 411 |Inguinal hernia operations |76
230-239 |Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy |50
742 |Other termination of pregnancy |40
890-898 |Operations on veins |40
752, 753, 758-762 |Delivery operations-excluding normal, Caesarian section and forceps|36
754-757, 763 |Forceps delivery |35
400-409 |Operations on abdominal wall, peritoneum, and mesentery |30
South Glamorgan
250, 251 |Drainage of abscess and simple dental extraction |1,831
703-706 |Dilation, curettage, biopsy, and excision of lesion of cervix |1,643
420, 421, 425-433, 439 |Operations on stomach-other |1,609
770-779 |Post-natal or post-abortion operations |1,471
912-914 |Excision of superficial lesion |1,431
300-329 |Operations on heart and intrathoracic vessels |1,218
607, 608 |Cystoscopy (with destruction of lesion) |1,163
252-259 |Operations on teeth, gums and jaw-other |1,145
780-789 |Treatment of fracture by operations |1,069
752, 753, 758-762 |Delivery operations-excluding normal, Caesarian section and forceps|957
West Glamorgan
941-959 |Vascular procedures and operations with ill-defined site |2,016
742 |Other termination of pregnancy |1,784
752, 753, 758-762 |Delivery operations-excluding normal, Caesarian section and forceps|1,485
703-706 |Dilation, curettage, biopsy, and excision of lesion of cervix |1,209
880-889 |Operation on arteries |1,049
703-706 |Cystoscopy (with destruction of lesion) |964
780-789 |Treatment of fracture by operations |928
420, 421, 425-433, 439 |Operations on stomach-other |870
680-683, 685-689 |Operations involving oviduct-excluding division and ligation |840
770-779 |Post-natal or post-abortion operations |811
<1> Based on a condensed list of the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys classification of surgical operations, 3rd revision.
Health Authority Income
Mr. Rogers : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish for each health authority (a) the net income from private patients and clinics and (b) the amounts written off as bad debts in each year since 1979.
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Mr. Grist : The information requested is shown in the following tables :
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Net income from private patients<1>
£ thousands
|1979-80|1980-81|1981-82|1982-83|1983-84|1984-85|1985-86|1986-87|1987-88
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clwyd |120.1 |171.2 |202.7 |156.6 |251.8 |305.4 |363.4 |358.9 |419.2
East Dyfed<2> |63.7 |111.6 |117.4 |106.8 |90.9 |139.5 |153.4 |194.4 |220.9
Gwent |3.2 |2.2 |0.9 |0.4 |- |7.0 |16.1 |13.2 |16.8
Gwynedd |69.6 |98.4 |99.4 |97.9 |107.4 |104.5 |201.1 |209.8 |203.8
Mid Glamorgan |11.9 |14.3 |22.0 |14.5 |29.5 |20.4 |27.2 |51.5 |52.2
Pembrokeshire<2> |- |- |- |40.0 |46.1 |58.4 |62.2 |84.8 |87.1
Powys |- |- |- |- |- |- |0.3 |- |-
South Glamorgan |41.4 |26.5 |18.2 |30.3 |29.0 |45.4 |91.2 |101.5 |85.6
West Glamorgan |12.7 |19.0 |33.4 |35.0 |47.5 |59.4 |86.3 |100.7 |141.5
WHCSA |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
|--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |--- |---
Total Wales |332.6 |443.2 |494.0 |481.5 |602.2 |740.0 |1,001.2|1,114.8|1,226.6
Source: Health authorities annual accounts.
<1>Consists of private in-patients (section 65), private non-resident patients (section 65) and
accommodation and services provided under section 58 of the National Health Service Act 1977.
<2>Dyfed health authority until 1982-83.
Bad debts and claims abandoned: Private patients<3>
£ thousand
|1979-80|1980-81|1981-82|1982-83|1983-84|1984-85|1985-86|1986-87|1987-88|1988-89
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clwyd |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |2.9 |2.2 |1.4 |1.4
East Dyfed<4> |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |0.5 |2.7 |1.1 |0.5
Gwent |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |- |- |- |-
Gwynedd |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |0.1 |2.9 |1.2 |0.7
Mid Glamorgan |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |0.6 |1.0 |0.4 |0.7
Pembrokeshire<4> |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |2.2 |1.7 |0.4 |1.9
Powys |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |- |- |- |-
South Glamorgan |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |0.0 |0.2 |1.2 |0.2
West Glamorgan |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |- |1.0 |2.2 |4.2
WHCSA |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |- |- |- |-
Wales |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |6.3 |11.7 |7.9 |9.6
<3>Consists of private in-patients (section 65) and private non-resident patients (section 66). Private
patients' bad debts and claims abandoned were not separately identified until 1985-86.
<4>Dyfed health authority until 1982-83.
Source: Health authorities annual accounts.
Bad debts and claims abandoned: total £ thousand
|1979-80|1980-81|1981-82|1982-83|1983-84|1984-85|1985-86|1986-87|1987-88|1988-89
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clwyd |0.9 |3.7 |3.3 |4.2 |1.0 |37.1 |12.6 |9.3 |11.2 |3.0
East Dyfed<5> |0.6 |1.0 |3.2 |2.1 |28.8 |3.8 |4.4 |200.4 |7.0 |6.2
Gwent |0.5 |1.7 |0.7 |1.2 |0.4 |2.1 |2.7 |4.2 |5.1 |12.1
Gwynedd |0.1 |1.3 |1.9 |4.8 |4.0 |6.3 |12.2 |5.4 |14.9 |22.8
Mid Glamorgan |0.5 |0.4 |0.3 |1.0 |3.8 |9.1 |6.8 |16.0 |19.0 |12.1
Pembrokeshire<5> |- |- |- |0.3 |0.3 |11.1 |2.2 |1.7 |1.9 |3.9
Powys |1.1 |0.9 |0.2 |0.2 |0.5 |1.4 |0.7 |0.7 |1.2 |1.1
South Glamorgan |1.2 |2.1 |1.6 |2.8 |8.3 |37.5 |6.5 |17.2 |117.1 |9.5
West Glamorgan |0.8 |51.9 |3.1 |4.2 |8.5 |107.9 |12.7 |33.8 |19.8 |13.2
WHCSA |- |- |- |- |- |17.4 |246.2 |253.9 |- |-
Wales |5.7 |63.0 |14.3 |20.8 |55.6 |233.7 |307.0 |542.6 |197.3 |83.9
<5>Dyfed health authority until 1982-83.
Source: Health authorities annual accounts.
Wintech
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will make available to the public the correspondence between his Department and the chairman of the Welsh Development Agency regarding the future of Wintech ;
(2) if he will make it his policy to expand the work of Wintech ; and if he will make a statement ;
(3) if he will place copies of correspondence between his Department and the chairman of the board of the Welsh Development Agency regarding the future of Wintech in the Library ;
(4) if he will review the provision of technological and scientific support services to industry by the Welsh Development Agency ; (5) what representations he has (a) had and (b) proposes to have about the future of Wintech.
Mr. Peter Walker : It is agency policy to keep its operations under continuous review in order to respond more effectively to the changing demands of industry. A review of the agency's technology development activities was completed last year and changes announced in September 1989. These were directed to focusing the agency's technology activities more closely on improving service to high technology businesses in Wales and increasing efforts to secure technology transfer through the attraction of key research and development operations to Wales, in order to enhance Wales' technological base.
Apart from the hon. Gentleman's questions, I have received no representations concerning the future of the
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agency's technology development activities ; nor do I intend to elicit any. It is not my policy to publish such correspondence as I may have with the chairman of the Welsh Development Agency.Drainage
Sir John Stradling Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he proposes to deal with the question of drainage rates and the relationship of the internal drainage boards' finance and membership in relation to district councils.
Mr. Peter Walker : The Internal Drainage Board (Finance) Regulations 1990, which came into force on 24 January, make provision both for the financing arrangements for internal drainage boards and for the membership of these boards. Each internal drainage board is given power to raise its expenses by means of a drainage rate on the agricultural sector, and special levies on the charging authorities, within its area. The regulations provide that the composition of each board should broadly reflect the relative financial contributions of the agricultural and non- agricultural sectors to its expenditure. Members representing the agricultural sector will continue to be elected or otherwise qualify as at present. Those representing the non-agricultural sector will be appointed by the district councils.
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Improvement Grants
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will make it his policy that individuals who had applied for housing improvement and repair grants and (a) were told that there was no hope of money being forthcoming and therefore had to go ahead without help but (b) would now have received money under the recently announced open-ending of grant money, should be compensated for at least a part of what they have lost.
Mr. Grist : The priority given to home renovation grants must be a matter for individual local authorities to determine. There is no justification for compensation for those who have undertaken work without grant.
Hospital Services
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) against what criteria he intends to advise health authorities in Wales to judge the advisability of contracting a particular service to a hospital outside the authority's own area ;
(2) how he intends to assess the impact on journeys for patients and their families of any decisions by a health authority in Wales to contract particular services to a hospital outside that authority's own area ;
(3) whether he will instruct health authorities in Wales to assess the likely impact on travel for patients and their families of contracting any service to a hospital outside the health authority's own area and to weigh that assessment in the balance with other relevant criteria before letting any contract.
Mr. Grist : It will be the responsibility of district health authorities to secure an adequate range, quality and depth of services for their local populations through appropriate contractual arrangements. The document "Contracts for Health Services : Operations Principles", which was circulated to the National Health Service in Wales on 20
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October 1989, stated that, in determining the content of the contracts they seek to let, district health authorities will need to reconcile need for service, quality of access to service, and value for money in the mode of provision. As now, the majority of services will be provided in local hospitals. However, referrals already take place to hospitals in other districts and health authorities will therefore wish to make some contracts for such referrals. In considering these contracts, authorities will carefully consult general practitioners to establish anticipated patterns of referral and will take into account the impact of travelling on patients and their families. We should emphasise that in all cases the object will be to secure the patterns of referral preferred by referrers themselves and that no patients will be forced to travel against their will for treatment. The arrangements made by health authorities to secure services for their populations will be subject to scrutiny in the annual reviews of performance chaired by director, National Health Service (Wales).Consultants (Distinction Awards)
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will list the amount of distinction awards paid to consultants in each of the area health authorities of Wales for the last five years ;
(2) what sums have been made available for top-up bonuses to hospital consultants in each health authority in Wales in the financial year 1988-89 and in the current financial year ; and how much will be budgeted for each authority for the 1990-91 financial year ;
(3) what total sum has been made available for distinction awards to hospital consultants in Wales in the financial year 1988-89 and in the current financial year ; and how much will be made available in the 1990-91 financial year.
Mr. Grist : The information is as follows :
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Payments of Distinction Awards to Consultants<1>
Health Authority |1984-85 |1985-86 |1986-87 |1987-88 |1988-89
|£ |£ |£ |£ |£
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clwyd |151,435 |169,892 |176,187 |166,838 |328,862
East Dyfed |85,265 |113,465 |93,683 |87,044 |94,720
Gwent |193,194 |216,255 |257,142 |321,938 |343,278
Gwynedd |58,123 |70,186 |95,904 |115,189 |113,659
Mid Glamorgan |111,784 |86,101 |121,133 |127,622 |164,590
Pembrokeshire |26,317 |30,106 |30,559 |51,174 |54,734
Powys |4,489 |9,780 |10,700 |5,717 |12,364
South Glamorgan |1,146,812 |1,360,037 |1,621,917 |1,814,516 |1,906,649
West Glamorgan |197,253 |217,700 |210,540 |8,752 |253,742
|------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Wales |1,974,672 |2,273,522 |2,617,765 |2,698,790 |3,272,598
Allocations to Health Authorities for Consultant Distinction Awards
Health Authority |1988-89 |1989-90<2><3> |1990-91<2><3>
|£ million |£ million |£ million
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clwyd |0.599 |0.348 |0.231
East Dyfed |0.142 |0.127 |0.138
Gwent |0.418 |0.382 |0.412
Gwynedd |0.281 |0.216 |0.231
Mid Glamorgan |0.344 |0.168 |0.181
Pembrokeshire |0.095 |0.065 |0.069
Powys |0.014 |0.006 |0.007
South Glamorgan |2.092 |2.108 |2.277
West Glamorgan |0.522 |0.320 |0.343
|------- |------- |-------
Total all Health |4.507 |3.740 |3.889
Authorities
Notes:
<1> Medical and dental consultants, NHS staff and honorary contract holders
<2> Allocation in 1989-90 takes account of overprovision in 1988-89.
<3> Further funding may be made available in the light of any recommendation for
increases in the numbers of consultant distinction awards by the Review Body on
Doctors and Dentists Remuneration.
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will set out the procedure by which distinction awards are allocated for senior hospital consultants in Wales.
Mr. Grist : Distinction awards are made on the recommendation of the Advisory Committee on Distinction Awards. That committee approaches its
Column 325
regional network of committees, the Royal College and Faculties, the public health laboratory service, the Medical Research Council and regional specialist advisers for nominations. The chairman of the committee then visits each regional committee between May and September to discuss their recommendations and all the nominations received from other sources in order to draw up a provisional list for the consideration and final decision of the advisory committee.Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the criteria against which distinction awards are made to senior hospital consultants in Wales.
Mr. Grist : There are no formal objective criteria of award worthiness. General guidelines only are used by the awards committees which look for performances
"over and above the call of duty."
Principally these can be indicated by (a) clinical excellence and recognition of leadership in a specialty ; (b) research, innovation and improvement in the service ; and (c) hard work and outstanding service to the NHS.
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the number of hospital consultants who received top-up bonuses in each health authority in Wales in the financial year 1988-89 and in the current financial year.
Mr. Grist : The numbers of practitioners who received distinction awards in 1988-89 in each health authority are as follows :
|Number
------------------------------
Clwyd |35
East Dyfed |17
Gwent |35
Gwynedd |23
Mid Glamorgan |24
Pembrokeshire |6
Powys |4
South Glamorgan |127
West Glamorgan |36
Notes:
Although practitioners are
eligible for only one
distinction award, some are
included more than once in
the above list because they
work for more than one health
authority.
Figures for 1989-90 are not
available because the awards
for this financial year have
not yet been announced.
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the period of years for which any distinction awards will operate when awarded to any hospital consultant in Wales.
Mr. Grist : Distinction awards are, at present, paid to consultants until they retire. The White Paper "Working for Patients" proposes a number of changes which would result in the new awards being reviewable every five years and new or increased awards being pensionable only if the practitioner works for another three years in the NHS.
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales who is involved in deciding the allocation of distinction awards to senior hospital consultants in Wales and who takes the final decision.
Mr. Grist : Consultant distinction awards in Wales are made by the Secretary of State on the recommendation of the Advisory Committee on Distinction Awards.
Column 326
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the maximum salary of National Health Service consultants in Wales, inclusive of distinction awards.
Mr. Grist : The maximum salary of NHS consultants is currently £38, 340. In addition to this, a consultant may be in receipt of one of the following distinction awards A £36,420 ; A £26,840 ; B £15,340 or C £6,760. The current maximum compares with a maximum of £15,279 in 1979, an increase in real terms of 36 per cent.
Truancy
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will make a statement on truancy in each of the local education authorities in Wales ;
(2) what is his estimate of truancy as a percentage in the (a) fourth and (b) fifth years in high schools in (i) Clwyd, (ii) Powys, (iii) Gwynedd, (iv) Mid Glamorgan, (v) South Glamorgan, (vi) West Glamorgan, (vii) Gwent ; and if he will make a statement ; (3) what measures he proposes to lessen truancy concerning the schools of Wales ; and if he will make a statement.
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