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<1>For properties shown on the Valuation list at 31 December 1989.
A large increase in the average rate bill for industrial properties in South Pembrokeshire is due to the large upward revaluation of the Milford Haven oil refinery complex.
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The average rateable values requested are not representative of the majority of premises. Inevitably they are weighted towards the upper end by the existence of a few companies with very large properties--viz British Steel at Port Talbot. A more appropriate measure would have been the median rateable values. That information is not available.Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the figures and percentages for the income of each Welsh district for the latest year for which figures are available broken down into the following categories : central Government grant, domestic rate, business rate, mixed hereditament rate, income from fees and charges.
Mr. Peter Walker : The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will give the general rate for each Welsh district in 1989-90 broken down into its component parts of county precept and community and district council levies ;
(2) what was the (a) domestic rate, (b) hereditament rate and (c) business rate for each Welsh district in 1989-90 ;
(3) what was the average rate paid by (i) commercial and (ii) industrial premises in each Welsh district in 1989-90.
Mr. Peter Walker : The information requested is published in table 9.3 of Welsh Local Government Financial Statistics No. 13, 1989.
Health Promotion Authority
Mr. Gwilym Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what allocation of resources is to be made to the Health Promotion Authority for Wales for the financial year 1990-91.
Mr. Grist : Subject to parliamentary approval, £2.257 million will be made available for allocation to the HPAW in 1990-91. The allocation will be conditional upon satisfactory completion of annual performance review. It represents a further and substantial additional commitment of resources to HPAW over the £2.057 million allocated in 1989-90.
School Buildings
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he intends to commission a survey comparable to the "Survey of School Buildings 1986" by the Department of Education and Science.
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Mr. Wyn Roberts : No. I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 19 December 1989, when I said that in the context of my efficiency initiative local authorities had prepared reports on energy and property management and had further action in hand. The property review recommends the setting up of appropriate records in regard to age and condition of buildings including schools.
Contaminated Land
Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any plans to update and supplement the register of land contaminated by industrial and landfill activities in Wales.
Mr. Grist : The survey to locate contaminated sites in Wales was conducted for the Welsh Office and the Welsh Development Agency in 1982-83 and updated in 1987-88. Further updates will be considered as appropriate.
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether the computer facilities at his Department enable local authorities in Wales to receive information on the contaminated land sites in their area.
Mr. Grist : Yes. The information is available to local authorities and other inquirers on request.
Health Workers' Wages
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will indicate the figure and the proportion of the total budget for each health authority in Wales spent on (a) wages of consultants, (b) wages of junior hospital doctors, (c) wages of nursing staff, (d) wages of managers and administrator and (e) wages of cleaners and ancillary staff.
Mr. Grist : The information which the hon. Gentleman has asked for is not available centrally in the form requested, since budgets are determined locally by each authority from the resources which my right hon. Friend allocates to them and from the proceeds which they realise from cost improvement and income generation schemes. However, the information requested, expressed as a proportion of total expenditure, can be obtained from the authorities' most recent annual accounts as follows :
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Health Authorities' Salaries and Wages Expenditure: 1988-89<1> <1> NHS staff and non-NHS staff (Agency etc.). <2> Medical and Dental consultants.
<3> General Managers, Administrative and Clerical staff, and chairman's remunerations. <4> Ancillary staff includes cleaners. Source: Health Authorities' Annual Accounts for 1988-89.
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will indicate the figure and the proportion of the total wages budget for each health authority in Wales spent on (a) wages of consultants, (b) wages of junior hospital doctors, (c) wages of nursing staff, (d) wages of managers and administrators and (e) wages of cleaners and ancillary staff.
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Mr. Ian Grist : The information which the hon. Gentleman has asked for is not available centrally in the form requested since budgets are determined locally by each authority from the resources which my right hon. Friend allocates to them and from the proceeds which they realise from cost improvement and income generation schemes. However, the information requested, expressed as a proportion of total expenditure, can be obtained from the authorities' most recent annual accounts as follows :
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Health authorities' salaries and wages expenditure: 1988-89<1> expenditure expenditure <1> NHS staff and non-NHS staff (agency etc.). <2> Medical and dental consultants. <3> General managers, administrative and clerical staff, and chairman's remunerations. <4> Ancillary staff includes cleaners. Source: Health Authorities' Annual Accounts for 1988-89.
Water Supply
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the water supply problems which arose or were imminent in Wales during 1989 ; and what steps he intends to take to ensure that such problems do not arise in future.
Mr. Grist : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 25 October 1989, c. 451-52.
Arts Funding
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will estimate the impact upon arts funding in Wales by (a) local authorities tax and (b) business sponsorships consequent upon the implementations of the uniform business rate.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : I do not expect the community charge or the uniform business rate to have any effect on the funding of the arts in Wales.
Opencast Mine, Bannel Bridge
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will visit Bannel bridge, Clwyd ;
(2) if he will visit Bucrley, Clwyd ;
(3) if he will visit Megs Lane, Clwyd ;
(4) if he will visit Spon Green, Clwyd.
Mr. Peter Walker : Not in the immediate future.
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Health Service (Income Generation)
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a list of full-time Health Service employees who are directors of, or who work for, companies operating in areas related to their work in the National Health Service where there are opportunities for income generation.
Mr. Grist : This information is not available.
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if Mid Glamorgan health authority has sought his advice about the conflict of interest which has arisen from the involvement of two full-time Health Service employees as majority shareholders and company secretary and chairman of Healthcare Diagnostics Ltd. based at the innovation centre on the Mid Glamorgan science park, Bridgend.
Mr. Grist : No. This is primarily a matter for the health authority to satisfy itself that there is no conflict of interest arising when any of its employees become involved in activities which could affect their terms of employment with the NHS.
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what guidelines he has issued in addition to DHSS Circular PM(79) 11 (November 1979), with its attached standard contract, for dealing with potential conflicts of interest when full-time National Health Service employees are involved as directors, shareholders,
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workers, or all three, in private companies operating in areas related to their work in the National Health Service where there are opportunities for income generation ;(2) whether he will issue guidelines to prevent full-time National Health Service employees from being involved in any capacity in a private company operating in the same field as that in which they are employed in the National Health Service where there are opportunities for income generation.
Mr. Grist : The Department is currently considering the possibility of issuing advice on general principles of good conduct within the NHS which will include aspects such as the declaration of interests in cases where staff may have a private pecuniary interest in a firm contracting to provide a service.
Ynys-y Fro Reservoir
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will investigate the growth of blue-green algae at Ynys-y fro reservoir, Newport, in the summer of 1989.
Mr. Grist : This is a matter for the National Rivers Authority, which is conducting investigations into the cause of algal blooms last year.
HEALTH
Milk Tokens
91. Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he next intends to review the working of the welfare milk token scheme.
Mr. Freeman : Operational matters such as the workings of the welfare milk token scheme are kept under constant review to ensure that they are as efficient and effective as possible.
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what further representations he has received concerning the working of the welfare milk token scheme.
Mr. Freeman : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Bradford, West (Mr. Madden) on 23 January at column 682 and to the record of the debate on the regulations introducing the change on 29 January at columns 113-32.
Local Government Finance
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received about alleged underfunding of (a) North East Thames regional health authority and (b) Waltham Forest district authority ; and what response he has made.
Mr. Freeman : We have received a number of representations about financial allocations to North East Thames regional health authority, and Waltham Forest district health authority, including one from the hon. Member, to which I replied on 31 January 1990.
Environmental Medicine Foundation
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Rugby and Kenilworth of 22 January, Official Report, column 555, if
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an application has been received for funds from his Department from the Environmental Medicine Foundation.Mr. Freeman : No application has been received in the Department of Health.
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the criteria used by his Department for making funds available to organisations such as the Environmental Medicine Foundation.
Mr. Freeman : The Medical Research Council (MRC) is the main agency through which the Government support biomedical and clinical research in the United Kingdom. The Department of Health funds health and personal social services research which meets departmental objectives in public health. The criteria employed are the relevance and scientific promise of the work proposed. The then Minister for Health, the late Lord Trafford, wrote to the chairman of the foundation last year, advising it of the role of the MRC in funding medical research, and of the availability of facilities in the United Kingdom for analysing low concentrations of chemicals in human tissue.
Disabled Persons
Mr. Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what guidance his Department gave to local authorities concerning money allocated for the implementation of sections 5 and 6 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986 ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) what money has been, and will be, made available to local authorities for the implementation of sections 5 and 6 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986 in the years 1988-89, 1989-90, 1990-91 and 1991-92 ;
(3) whether the money made available to local authorities for the implementation of sections 5 and 6 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986 was ring-fenced ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : We agreed with the local authority associations in 1987 that the additional costs of implementation of sections 5 and 6 of the Act were in the region of £5 million in 1988-89 and £19 million in 1989-90, rising to around £24 million in a full year. These amounts have been taken into consideration in determining the level of central Government support to local authorities for the appropriate year. They have not been ring-fenced or separately identified, as is the case with the vast majority of our support for local authorities. Our guidance to local authorities on implementation of sections 5 and 6 included a reminder that the resource implications had been agreed and taken into account in public expenditure discussions.
Doctors and Nurses
Mr. Hayward : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will identify the number of doctors and nurses employed in each regional health authority (a) now and (b) in June 1979.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The number of doctors and nurses employed in each regional health authority now and in 1979 are given in the table. Validated figures are available only in September each year.
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|1979 |1988 |1979<4> |1988
Northern |2,530 |2,820 |23,940 |27,770
Yorkshire |2,690 |2,910 |26,980 |30,330
Trent |3,160 |3,990 |32,500 |38,280
East Anglia |1,360 |1,720 |12,830 |16,140
North West Thames<5> |3,430 |3,530 |26,800 |27,830
North East Thames |3,640 |4,270 |30,930 |34,480
South East Thames |3,300 |3,730 |29,040 |30,480
South West Thames |2,460 |2,600 |23,830 |23,780
Wessex |1,970 |2,160 |19,660 |23,680
Oxford |1,760 |2,080 |14,730 |17,010
South Western |2,350 |2,700 |23,620 |27,300
West Midlands |3,870 |4,540 |36,350 |42,160
Mersey |2,000 |2,280 |20,960 |22,180
North Western |3,490 |4,220 |32,160 |37,530
|------- |------- |------- |-------
England<5><6> |38,990 |44,750 |358,450 |403,880
<1> All figures are independently rounded to the nearest ten (10) whole-time equivalent.
<2> Includes medical/dental locums.
<3> Includes qualified nurses, learners, unqualified staff and agency staff.
<4> Figures not adjusted to take account of reduction of nurses working hours (from 40 to 37.5 per week) during 1980-81.
<5> Excludes 80 whole-time equivalents medical and dental consultants for 1988 because of insufficient information.
<6> Includes staff at the Dental Estimates Board, Prescription Pricing Authority, London Postgraduate Special Health Authorities, and Family
Practitioner Committees.
Source: Annual census of NHS Medical and Non-Medical Manpower.
Hospital Building
Mr. Hayward : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his replies of 16 January, Official Report, columns 194-95, if he will set out the value of each hospital building project listed in the answers.
Mr. Freeman : The construction cost at tender of each of the hospital building projects listed is as follows :
AIDS
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department received an application for a grant for 1990-91 from AIDS care education and training ; and when this will be approved.
Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will approve the AIDS care education and training application for a grant under section 64 for the current financial year.
Mr. Freeman : ACET sent its application for section 64 funding for 1990-91 to the Department on 11 January 1990. A decision will be given as soon as consideration of the application is completed.
Durham Health Authority
Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the total spending allocated to Durham district health authority for each year since 1979, and then adjusted for inflation.
Mr. Freeman : Allocations to district health authorities are a matter for the regional health authority. The hon. Member may wish to contact the chairman of Northern regional health authority.
Drug Promotion
Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has any plans to halt the increase in drug promotion by companies.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Expenditure on promotion by pharmaceutical companies supplying the NHS with drugs within the terms of the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme is limited by that scheme. For the companies in aggregate it is limited to 9 per cent. of sales revenue.
Junior Doctors (Working Hours)
Mr. Anthony Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will announce the outcome of recent studies on junior doctors' hours of work.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : In 1985 the Department commissioned Dr. Robin Dowie of the British Postgraduate Medical Federation to undertake research into patterns of hospital medical staffing. She has completed an interim report on junior doctors' hours of work, which is published today. A copy will be placed in the Library.
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The report covers the period before we launched two initiatives on junior doctors' hours of work. It cannot, therefore, be expected to reflect progress made during the last couple of years or so. In our first initiative, launched in June 1988, we asked health authorities to take further action to reduce the onerous rotas worked by some junior doctors. Good progress has been made on this. Reports from regions show that about 27 per cent. of all junior doctors were on rotas worse than one in three in 1988. By September 1990, around one in eight junior doctors will undertake duties which are onerous.In the second initiative, which began in July 1989, we announced the establishment of nine pilot studies across six regional health authorities aimed at reducing average hours of duty to our long-term aim of 72 per week.
Another important feature of our drive to reduce the working hours of junior doctors is the appointment of 100 extra hospital consultants, as announced in the White Paper "Working for Patients". I announced details of the allocation of the first 35 of these posts in October last year, and hope to be in a position to announce the allocation of the remaining 65 by the end of this month.
I will be meeting representatives of the British Medical Association on Wednesday this week to discuss what further action is now appropriate. We are determined to see further progress in reducing the onerous rotas worked by some junior doctors. With the rapid pace of scientific and medical advances it is even more important than ever for junior doctors not to be tired when carrying out their duties. Progress depends largely on the commitment and co-operation of the medical profession. This week's talks with the British Medical Association will be a good beginning.
Foetuses
Mr. Burns : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will place a copy of the research carried out for the Department on the law and practice in other countries on in vitro fertilisation, embryo research, abortion and the use of foetal tissue in research and treatment in the Library.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : I have today arranged for a copy of this research report to be placed in the Library. It was commissioned by the Department of Health in recognition of the need for up-to-date, accurate information on these subjects. In particular, the introduction of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill has focused attention on the approach taken in other countries to the questions raised by the Bill. The study was undertaken by Dr. Jennifer Gunning, until recently secretary of the Interim Licensing Authority.
The report is a survey of the legislation and current practice in a number of countries. It does not attempt to analyse the merits of any particular approach and no conclusions are drawn. It will be of value to hon. Members here in the debates on the subject.
Regional Health Authorities (Expenditure)
Mr. Key : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much each regional health authority (a) budgeted and (b) spent on (i) genito-urinary medicine and (ii) AIDS in the latest year for which figures are available.
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Mr. Freeman : This information is not held centrally and I cannot add to the reply that I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Salisbury on 12 January 1990 at columns 776-77 .
Toxoplasmosis
Mr. Terry Davis : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pregnant women were tested for toxoplasmosis in 1989.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : This information is not collected centrally.
Great Ormond Street Hospital
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what was the final cost of the work to make safe the cardiac block at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children ;
(2) who bore the cost of the work to make safe the cardiac block at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children.
Mr. Freeman : The total works cost of the remedial works was £21.1 million. The cost of this work was borne centrally by the Department (70 per cent.) and by the University Grants Committee (30 per cent.). Litigation receipts of £8 million resulting from settlements in this case have been paid into the Consolidated Fund.
Correspondence
Mr. Shersby : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to reply to the letter he has received from the hon. Member for Uxbridge dated 16 January concerning the case of Mr. W. A. Taylor.
Mr. Freeman : I have now written to my hon. Friend.
Residential Care (Bolton)
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many elderly people were in residential care in the Bolton area in (a) local authority and (b) privately run homes in 1979 and 1989.
Mr. Freeman : Information for 1979 and 1988 is given in the table ; information is not yet available for 31 March 1989.
Number of residents aged 65 and over in homes for the elderly and younger physically handicapped, Bolton <1> All 1988 figures are provisional. <2> Includes 9 residents whose age was not known accommodated in homes primarily catering for elderly people.
Kuru and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Diseases
Mr. Boswell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the incidence in the United Kingdom in each of the last 10 years of reported cases of Kuru and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, respectively ; and whether there is any explanation for changes in their incidence.
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Mr. Freeman : Kuru does not occur in the United Kingdom ; on Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Hodge Hill (Mr. Davis) on 2 February.NHS Employees (Outside Interests)
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish a list of full-time National Health Service employees who are directors of, or who work for, companies operating in areas relating to their work in the National Health Service where there are opportunities for income generation.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : This information is not held centrally.
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what guidelines he has issued in addition to DHSS circular PM (79) 11 [November 1979], with its attached standard contract, to deal with the potential conflicts of interest where full-time National Health Service employees are involved as directors, shareholders, workers, or all three, in private companies operating in areas related to their work in the National Health Service where there are opportunities for income generation ;
(2) whether he will issue guidelines to prevent full-time National Health Service employees being involved in any capacity in a private company operating in the same field as that in which they are employed in the National Health Service where there are opportunities for income generation.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Health authorities as employers are responsible for ensuring that their employees' private interests do not conflict with those of the authority. It is for them to decide how this is achieved. The model contract of employment which the Department has issued for health authority general managers includes a stipulation that the employee must declare to the authority any financial interest or relationship which may affect the authority's policies or decisions. We are considering whether further guidance is needed in this field.
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