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Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether a unit applying for self-governing trust status will be allowed to withdraw their application (a) after it has been submitted to the regional health authority, (b) after consultation with the regional health authority and (c) after it has been submitted to him.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Applications may be withdrawn at any time before my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State signs the order establishing that particular trust.
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Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the criteria he will use when making decisions about an application to establish a self-governing trust.Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State will consider applications for national health service trust status individually in the light of all relevant information. We will expect them to meet the criteria set out in the White Paper "Working for Patients".
Health Authority Chairmen
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many district health authorities and family health services authorities there are in each of the three bands for remuneration of chairs ; and if he will list the district health authorities and FHSAs in each of the bands.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : For the remuneration of district health authority and family practitioner committee chairmen the number of authorities in each band is as follows :
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Band |District |Family
|health |practitioner
|authority |committee
----------------------------------------------------
1 |50 |15
2 |98 |61
3 |42 |14
A list of the district health authorities and family practitioner committees in each band has been placed in the Library.
West Berkshire Health Authority
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total number of beds, broken down by acute and non-acute, in West Berkshire health authority in each year since 1979.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The information requested is given in the table :
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|c|Average daily available beds West Berkshire health authority|c|
|1979 |1980 |1981 |1982 |1983 |1984 |1985 |1986 |1987-88|1988-89
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Acute |1,068 |1,021 |1,012 |1,013 |1,021 |977 |967 |946 |897 |846
Non-acute |1,919 |1,799 |1,746 |1,691 |1,605 |1,512 |1,457 |1,389 |1,306 |1,241
The numbers of patients treated in all specialties rose from 44, 000 to 50,000 between 1979 and 1987-88. Figures for 1988-89 patient activity are still provisional.
AIDS
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children in the United Kingdom were born with AIDS in 1989 ; what were the figures for the previous three years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley [holding answer 15 June 1990] : There are no reports to the public health laboratory service communicable disease surveillance centre or to the communicable diseases (Scotland) unit of children being born with AIDS. The cumulative total of reports of children born with HIV antibody, to end 1989 is 144. Most of these children are not infected but acquired HIV antibody from their mother. If the child is not itself infected this maternal antibody disappears within the first 18 months of life. There have been 23 reports of children developing AIDS, whose parents were HIV-infected or at risk of infection.
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the United Kingdom will be infected with the AIDS virus by the year 2000 if the current rate of growth is maintained.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley [holding answer 15 June 1990] : It is not possible to predict how many cases of AIDS or HIV-infected individuals there will be by the year 2000. The Day report "Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome in England and Wales to end 1993", published in February 1990, projected that there would be 4,980 cases of AIDS at the end of 1993, and up to 46,450 people infected with HIV by the end of 1990.
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The Day report made it clear that predictions beyond 1993 are subject to great uncertainty. A copy of it is available in the Library.Gamete Intra Fallopian Transfer
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to seek the views of the President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists on the procedure known as gamete intra fallopian transfer which may result in higher order multiple births ; and what reply he has received.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : On 14 May I wrote to Sir George Pinker KCVO FRCOG FRCS (Ed) the President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. I am publishing as follows the text of my letter and of his reply of 15 June. This makes it clear that the council of the college does not favour the statutory regulation of such procedures. Instead, it proposes to issue professional guidance to fellows and members about procedures which may result in higher order multiple births once the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill is enacted.
Sir George Pinker CVO FRCSEd FRCOG
President
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
27 Sussex Place
Regent's Park
London
NW1 4RG
14 May 1990
Dear George,
MULTIPLE PREGNANCY RESULTING FROM INFERTILITY TREATMENTS Now that continuation of research on the early human embryo has been agreed by a Committee of the whole House of Commons, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill is being considered in detail by a Standing Committee in the usual way. At its first session the Standing Committee
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discussed an amendment which, if accepted, would have brought the GIFT procedure under the control of the Statutory Licensing Authority.The view of the Council of your College, which you kindly provided for me last month, was made available to members of the Committee. There was a lengthy debate which, of course, was reported in Hansard (copy enclosed). You will see that the concerns expressed about GIFT related entirely to the possibility that it can result in triplets or higher order multiple births, just as could IVF, if too many eggs are replaced. However, as I explained, such multiple pregnancies also result from the use of superovulatory drugs alone in the treatment of infertility. To introduce legislative control of GIFT for this reason would thus point to a need to regulate superovulatory therapy in general which would indeed take us well on to the slippery slope of wider regulation of medical practice--something which in the long run would not, it seems to me, to be to the advantage of patients or doctors.
As you will see, the Committee rejected the amendment, but in view of the concerns expressed about the difficulties which may be experienced by women carrying and giving birth to triplets or more, I promised to write to you to ask that the College give consideration to ensuring that its Fellows and Members are fully aware of the Parliamentary concerns about high multiple pregnancy. The problems associated with this have been well documented in recent research by Frances Price of the Child Care and Development Group in Cambridge, whose research has been supported by the Department and which will be published by HMSO soon.
Clearly it would be most reassuring to those members of Parliament who have expressed concern about triplets and higher order multiple pregnancies resulting from infertility treatments if the College were prepared to convey this concern, perhaps with some advice, to its Fellows and Members.
Yours ever
Virginia
Mrs. V. Bottomley, MP
Minister of State for Health
Department of Health
Richmond House
79 Whitehall
LONDON SW1A 2NS
15th June 1990
Dear Mrs. Bottomley
Re : Multiple Pregnancy Resulting from Infertility Treatment Thank you very much for your letter of 14th May regarding the concern of the Members of Parliament about procedures such as GIFT resulting in higher order multiple births.
As you know, the Council of the College has on occasions discussed this and felt that regulation of procedures such as GIFT will not only set a precedent in terms of regulating medical practice but also that, as these forms of treatment are still evolving, any framework regulating the current practices may restrict further development. Therefore we feel that GIFT and similar procedures should not be included in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill. I think your point that legislative control of GIFT could also lead the way to regulating other treatments for infertility, such as the use of gonadotrophins for ovulation induction, is extremely important. We have in the past relied on the ILA, which as you know evolved from the VLA set up by the RCOG and the MRC, to issue guidelines to those of our Fellows and Members involved in the management of infertility patients where treatment such as IVF and GIFT were provided. The College would certainly be willing to reinforce this advice by circulating guidelines to Fellows and Members. We are now working on these and they will cover the following areas : counselling, the use of gonadotrophins in induction of ovulation, number of embryos or eggs to be transferred and other matters relating to the practice of GIFT. Once the Bill receives Royal Assent these will be put in their final form and circulated.
I look forward to receiving as soon as possible a copy of Frances Price's paper.
Yours sincerely,
George D. Pinker.
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NORTHERN IRELAND
Violent Deaths
Mr. Sheerman : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total number of deaths caused by violence in Northern Ireland in the years (a) 1984, (b) 1985, (c) 1986, (d) 1987, (e) 1988, and (f) 1989 respectively, and how this was subdivided by the number of (i) Catholics, (1) civilian, and (2) Irish Republican Army or paramilitary groups (ii) Protestants (1) civilian, and (2) Ulster Defence Regiment or other paramilitary groups (iii) security forces (1) local or (2) British and (iv) others.
Mr. Cope : A total of 427 deaths arose from the security situation in Northern Ireland during the period 1984-89. The data collated do not differentiate between Catholic and Protestant, or civilians or paramilitary groupings. The table sets out the available information :
E
|c|Deaths in Northern Ireland arising from the security situation|c|
|1984 |1985 |1986 |1987 |1988 |1989
---------------------------------------------------------------------
RUC |9 |23 |12 |16 |6 |9
Regular Army |9 |2 |4 |3 |21 |12
UDR |10 |4 |8 |8 |12 |2
Civilians<1> |36 |25 |37 |66 |54 |39
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------
Total |64 |54 |61 |93 |93 |62
<1>category includes known or suspected terrorists.
Condoms
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will make representations at a meeting of the Anglo- Irish ministerial conference to have the present prohibition on the sale of condoms in the Virgin Megastore in Dublin removed.
Mr. Brooke : The matter is not one which it would be appropriate to raise at a meeting of the Anglo-Irish Conference.
Replacement Dwellings
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he proposes to introduce conditions requiring the demolition of the building to be replaced to be attached to grants of permission for replacement buildings.
Mr. Needham : No. Each application is treated on its merits.
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the average size of approved replacement dwellings in amenity areas of special control in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Needham : The information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Pensioners' Christmas Bonus
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has any plans to increase the Christmas bonus for pensioners in December 1990.
Mr. Needham : I have no plans to do so.
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Beef Premium
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many farmers applied for special beef premium between 1 April 1989 and 31 March 1990 ; and, of these, how many were accepted and payment made.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : Between 3 April 1989 (the commencement date of the scheme) and 31 March 1990, 23,375 farmers submitted 37,595 applications for beef special premium. Of these, 36,761 have been accepted and paid to date ; 337 applications have been disallowed.
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what reasons were given for disallowing claims in respect of special beef premium between 1 April 1989 and 31 March 1990.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : The reasons for disallowance of claims were :
(a) Failure to comply with the on-farm retention requirement. (
(b) Inclusion in claims of animals on which premium had previously been paid.
(c) Inclusion in claims of female cattle.
(d) Inclusion in claims of animals below the minimum eligible age of 8 months at date of lodgement of the claim.
(e) Producers making more than three claims (the maximum permitted) in a calendar year.
Reduced Earnings Allowance
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons in Northern Ireland receive reduced earnings allowance ; and what were the total sums paid out in Northern Ireland during the last two financial years for which figures are available. Mr. Needham : At 8 May 1990 4,191 persons in Northern Ireland were receiving reduced earnings allowance.
Over £13 million was paid in benefits (including reduced earnings allowance) under the industrial injuries scheme in Northern Ireland in each of the 1987-88 and 1988-89 financial years. Separate figures are not available for reduced earnings allowance.
Teachers
Mr. Stott : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the total amount of teaching time taught by part-time teachers and in the form of additional hours for full-time teachers in the North Eastern education and library board area additional hours budget, broken down by college.
Dr. Mawhinney [holding answer 18 June 1990] : The hours taught by part-time teachers and the additional hours taught by full-time teachers vary throughout the year depending on demand. However, all FE colleges make a standard return each year to the Department of Education in respect of the position in the third week of October. In the week ending 20 October 1989 the following hours were worked in colleges in the North- Eastern Board area.
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|Part-time |Additional
|hours |hours
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Antrim |209.9 |27.4
Ballymena |376.42 |130.50
Coleraine |169.5 |100
Larne |109 |13
Magherafelt |129.07 |68.68
Newtownabbey |489.96 |44.46
North Antrim |85 |55
Northern Ireland Hotel and Catering College |41.16 |2.66
Mr. Stott : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the total number of part-time lecturers employed in each further education college in the North Eastern education and library board area, broken down by college.
Dr. Mawhinney [holding answer 18 June 1990] : The use of part -time lecturers is reported to the Department of Education annually to show the position in the third week of October. In the North-Eastern Education and Library Board area the following numbers of part-time lecturers were employed in the week ending 20 October 1989.
|Number
-----------------------------------------
Antrim |48
Ballymena |78
Coleraine |40
Larne |24
Magherafelt |23
Newtownabbey |140
North Antrim |28
Northern Ireland Hotel and
Catering College |5
Mr. Stott : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Department of Education has approved the 24 redundancies announced by the North Eastern education and library board.
Dr. Mawhinney [holding answer 18 June 1990] : The North- Eastern Education and Library Board has assessed the number of full-time lecturers which each of its further education colleges will require to deliver the youth training programme courses under the new block funding arrangements and has decided that the existing number of full-time YTP posts should be reduced. The revised number of YTP posts has been agreed with the Department of Education.
Mr. Stott : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what specific measures have been taken by the North Eastern education and library board to avoid redundancies.
Dr. Mawhinney [holding answer 18 June 1990] : The board has examined the possibility of redeployment within each college and to other colleges and schools in its area. It has also identified a number of full- time lecturers who wish to take early retirement. These steps have reduced the number of compulsory redundancies to a minimum.
Further Education Colleges
Mr. Stott : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken by the North Eastern library board to avoid religious discrimination against Catholics in further education colleges.
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Dr. Mawhinney [holding answer 18 June 1990] : The North-Eastern education and library board has published an equal opportunities policy statement indicating its commitment to the principle of equal opportunity in relation to both persons seeking to be employed by the board and persons already so employed. The board has recently made its statutory monitoring return to the Fair Employment Commission and will be reviewing its current position to determine if any corrective action is required to redress any imbalances that might be shown to be present.Training
Mr. Stott : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the staff/student ratio for each YTP course in the North Eastern education and library board area.
Dr. Mawhinney [holding answer 18 June 1990] : The information requested is not available in respect of each individual YTP course. However, the staff/student ratio in respect of the YTP provision in each college in the North-Eastern education and library board at 31 December 1989 was as follows :
|Ratio
-------------------------
Antrim |7.7
Ballymena |13.7
Ballymoney |6.6
Coleraine |7.7
Larne |10.1
Magherafelt |11.1
Newtownabbey |8.5
SOCIAL SECURITY
Bishopbriggs Resettlement Unit
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will provide a breakdown by age of the residents in the Bishopbriggs resettlement unit in the last full year for which figures are available ;
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(2) if he will provide a statistical breakdown of the length of stay of residents in the Bishopbriggs resettlement unit in the last year for which figures are available ;(3) what was the total number of people who used the Bishopbriggs resettlement unit in the last full year for which figures are available ;
(4) if he will list the agencies which have referred individuals to the Bishopbriggs resettlement unit in the latest 12-month period for which figures are available, and the number of individuals referred to each agency.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The information requested is not available.
The resettlement agency does not collect detailed statistics of individual residents because resettlement unit residents, who by definition are a transient population, are often resentful of detailed questioning. When admitting people the aim is to provide warmth, shelter and food and to restrict questions and statistics to the absolute minimum.
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total number of bed spaces available for use at the Bishopbriggs resettlement unit.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The number of bed spaces available at Glasgow resettlement unit (Bishopbriggs) is 77.
Unemployment Benefit
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table showing unemployment benefit, including earnings- related supplement, as a percentage of average earnings for the years (a) 1972, (b) 1979, (c) 1982, (d) 1987 and (e) 1989 for a single person and a married man with two children, both on average earnings.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The information requested is in the table.
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Single person Married man with 2 children
|1 |2 |3 |4 |5 |6
Year |Average |Standard rate |Benefit as a |Average |Standard rate |Benefit as a
|weekly |unemployment |percentage of |weekly |unemployment |percentage of
|earnings |benefit<1> |net income<3> |earnings<2> |benefit<1><2> |net income<2><3>
|(£) |(£) |(£) |(£)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
October 1972 |39.70 |13.75 |47.7 |40.60 |22.10 |68.0
November 1979 |114.10 |31.79 |39.8 |122.10 |54.64 |59.7
November 1982 |160.60 |25.00 |23.3 |172.30 |52.75 |42.5
April 1987 |224.00 |31.45 |20.2 |238.50 |65.35 |36.8
April 1989 |269.50 |34.70 |18.1 |284.00 |70.60 |33.1
<1> Earnings-related supplement is included with the rate of unemployment benefit up to and including November 1979.
<2> The amounts at columns 4, 5 and 6 include family allowance/child benefit.
<3> Net income used in columns 3 and 6 is income after deduction of tax and national insurance contributions.
Social Fund
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will be making extra staffing available for social fund duties to improve the rate of unprocessed applications.
Mr. Scott : Compared with the year 1989-90, the share of the total staff resources allocated to social fund increased by 1,615 posts for the year 1990-91. These resources, available to local offices from April 1990, reflect the ongoing review of resource requirements carried out by
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the Department. Both the resource needs and organisation of the social fund in local offices will continue to be kept under review by departmental officials.National Insurance
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps are being taken by his Department to improve the collection of outstanding national insurance contributions from employers and employees ; and what are the specific staffing, computerisation and time resources committed to collection.
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Mrs. Gillian Shephard : I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Wanstead and Woodford (Mr. Arbuthnot) on 21 May at columns 80-81 about improving the collection of national insurance contributions.At present some 1,600 inspectors are employed. There will be better training for these inspectors and in the first instance there will be 100 more of them to perform the tasks.
A fully computerised national insurance records system is used for recording contributions and providing information in relation to benefit claims. It also identifies potential underpayment and non-payment of contributions in relation to employed people and employers. It is the intention to develop further the information technology support available, to record such contributions and to assist the inspectorate.
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