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Mr. Winnick : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how far his decision on whether a hospital will become self-governing will depend on the number of individuals and organisations in the area who have been involved in the consultation process concerned being in favour of such a step being taken.
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, including any views expressed in the local consultation exercise.
Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research, Porton
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Salisbury (Mr. Key) of 19 April, Official Report, column 990, if he will make a statement on the state of negotiations with Porton International on the future of the centre for applied microbiology and research, Porton.
Mr. Dorrell : I have nothing to add to the reply my hon. Friend the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Salisbury (Mr. Key) on 19 April at column 990.
NHS Pay Bargaining
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his reply of 12 June, Official Report, columns 150-51, whether he intends to issue guidance in respect of pay to protect specific groups of workers and to prevent shortages in specialisms across the country.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : There are no plans to issue guidance on pay in national health service trusts. Guidance will be issued on non- medical education and training to ensure an adequate supply of suitably trained staff throughout the national health service.
Sheppey General Hospital
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for Health in the assessment made regarding the proposals to cut acute geriatric and acute medical provision at Sheppey general hospital, what regard was made to questions of (a) population influx to Sheppey in the summer months, (b) future housing development in Sheppey, (c) the nature of access to the island and (d) the availability of an ambulance service on the island.
Mr. Dorrell : Medway health authority is currently consulting locally on its proposals for Sheppey general hospital.
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The hon. Member should contact the chairman of Medway health authority for information about the factors taken into account in the authority's assessment of the future use of Sheppey general hospital.Clinical Waste
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has any plans to improve security arrangements for the collection and disposal of clinical waste in England.
Mr. Dorrell : Collection and disposal of clinical waste is governed by the Control of Pollution Act 1974 and the related Collection and Disposal of Waste Regulations 1988 (S.I. 1988, No. 819).
It is the responsibility of health authorities to ensure adequate arrangements are made for the safe storage, collection and disposal of clinical waste from their premises. The responsibility for collection and disposal of clinical waste from private dwellings rests with the local authority.
Obstetric Accidents
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if, in the light of recent evidence published in the British Medical Journal of 26 May on the causes of certain obstetric accidents, he will undertake a review of the training of junior doctors in relation to foetal heart monitoring and the use of obstetric forceps.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The training of junior hospital doctors in the use of techniques such as foetal monitoring and the application of forceps is a matter for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and the individual consultants under whose supervision such junior doctors work. However, issues like those identified in the recent article in the British Medical Journal will, as a matter of course, be raised during the regular meetings held between the Department and the college.
Energy Efficiency
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was invested in improving the energy efficiency of his Department in the latest available year.
Mr. Dorrell : For the whole of the period for which information is available, the Department of Health was part of the Department of Health and Social Security. I refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Social Security gave him today.
SCOTLAND
Flooding, River Tay
Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the expert hydrologists who will carry out the independent survey of the causes of the flooding in the River Tay valley on Sunday 5 and Monday 6 February will have powers to investigate the operation of the hydro board water control measures on these dates.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The independent study will be overseen by a working group of interested parties
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and the consultants will be free to investigate any matters within the agreed terms of reference. Scottish Hydro-Electric plc is represented on the working group and we would expect any relevant information to be made available.Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of the powers (a) under which the independent survey of the flooding in February in the River Tay valley will be carried out and (b) under which his Department is funding the survey.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The independent consultant is to be appointed by Tayside regional council which has powers under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 to investigate, and collect information relating to, any matter concerning its area.
The Government's contribution towards the cost of the survey will be made under the authority of the Small Landholders (Scotland) Act 1911 and the Appropriation Act.
Fishing Industries
Mr. Beith : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the likelihood of haddock quotas being exhausted before the end of 1990 ; and whether he has any plans to ensure that excess landings in any producer organisation's area do not lead to closures in other areas where quotas are not in danger of being exceeded.
Mr. Lang : The objective of the fisheries departments is to ensure maximum uptake in the United Kingdom's haddock fisheries without exceeding national quotas. Fisheries departments, therefore, closely monitor uptake as well as operating established penalty and compensation arrangements for overfishing. Departments are implementing in full special arrangements introduced in March in the North sea haddock fishery with the aim of spreading uptake more evenly throughout the year, thus minimising the risk of premature closure. At that time departments wrote to producer organisations setting a limit of the amount of fish they could take by 30 June. A further limit was set on the amount that could be taken by 30 September. To enforce this measure fisheries departments will, as a minimum, suspend the North sea haddock licence of any producer organisation which looks as though it will breach its 30 June limit (or 60 per cent. of the more recently circulated interim allocations, whichever is the greater) and are considering whether more stringent action is required if the 30 September limit is breached. Such suspensions will apply to individual producer organisations and can be effective for differing periods of time. To date none of the Scottish, and only one of the English producer organisations is likely to have problems remaining within its 30 June limit. I believe that the measures that departments have already taken considerably reduce the risk of United Kingdom catches getting out of hand, but it would be wrong of me to guarantee under any circumstances a full 12- month fishery since this will depend on self-discipline being exercised by fishermen and their organisations.
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if all cattle arriving at Scottish abattoirs are subject to examination for BSE.
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Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Since 1961 all cattle slaughtered in Scottish abattoirs have been subjected to statutory ante-mortem inspection by suitably qualified meat inspectors or veterinary surgeons in order to determine whether they are showing symptoms of any disease, including BSE, or signs of injury, disease or stress. This applies equally to export approved abattoirs and those producing meat for domestic consumption only.
GP Budgets
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the general practitioner practices in (a) Inverclyde and (b) Strathclyde which have indicated that they wish to become fund holders.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : This information is not available centrally.
Ambulance Services
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which ambulance services have expressed an interest in becoming self-governing trusts.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Chief ambulance officers, in common with a number of others working in the national health service, have asked for, and been given, background briefing on self-governing status.
Schools (Access)
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what specific funding has been made available to local education authorities to enable access to school and college buildings for pupils and teachers with disabilities in each of the last 10 years ; and if he has any plans to make specific grants available to local education authorities to carry out necessary capital works to facilitate physical access for people with disabilities ; (2) what advice he gives to local education authorities on the standards of access for people with disabilities for new designs for and adaptations to school and college buildings ; and whether he will consult interested parties concerning statutory provisions for standards of access for new school and college buildings ; (3) how many primary and secondary schools in (a) Inverclyde, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland are fully accessible to pupils and teachers with disabilities ; what are these figures as percentages of the total number of schools ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang : Authorities are responsible for funding educational building work and other capital programmes within the broad limits set each year on the total capital expenditure which each authority may incur. Authorities have wide discretion in the use of capital resources and the limits set are not hypothecated to particular projects or limited to use for individual programmes.
Since 1985, the Building Standards (Scotland) Regulations have required that the design of most new or altered or extended buildings, including schools, take proper account of the needs of disabled people. The Scottish Education Department published guidance to education authorities on access to educational buildings for disabled people in educational building note 19 in 1984. Copies of the regulations and the building note are in the Library.
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Information about local authority buildings which are accessible to the disabled is not held centrally.Nursing Homes
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has received any representations from (a) COSLA and (b) other interested parties on the provision of nursing home care ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : In responding to the White Paper "Caring for People" the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities suggested that the lead responsibility for the registration of nursing homes should lie with local authorities, rather than with health boards as at present. The Government remain of the view that, since nursing homes accommodate people who have a need for health care, health boards are best placed to ensure that standards in nursing homes are maintained.
I also receive from time to time representations from Members of Parliament and members of the public about various aspects of nursing home care, including the provision of care in individual homes.
Housing (Elderly People)
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consultations he proposes to have on the housing needs of the elderly.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The Scottish Development Department has recently carried out a research project into the housing needs of elderly people in Scotland. This involved interviews with elderly people themselves and consultation with various interest groups. A circular will be published later this year, based on this research and further informal consultation, giving new guidance on meeting the housing needs of the elderly and other groups who require care in the community.
Civil Servants (Outside Appointments)
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all beneficial appointments and non-governmental paid positions for which officials and former officials of his Department sought, and were granted, permission to accept since June 1979.
Mr. Rifkind : Since June 1979, 55 officials and former officials have sought and received such permission. It is not my Department's practice to release details of individual cases.
Manufacturing Industry
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the figures in constant value of the output in manufacturing industries in (a) Strathclyde and (b) Scotland as a whole (i) in 1979 and (ii) at the latest date for which figures are available.
Mr. Lang : Output figures in constant value terms are calculated for Scotland as a whole only in index form. Output figures for Strathclyde are not available. The table shows manufacturing output of Scotland at constant prices, indexed with 1985=100.
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Manufacturing output index ( 1985=100) Year |Index ------------------ 1979 |103.3 1980 |96.4 1981 |93.8 1982 |94.5 1983 |93.5 1984 |97.8 1985 |100.0 1986 |97.9 1987 |100.8 1988 |108.8 1989 |112.9 Source: Index of Industrial Production for Scotland.
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table, using 1979 at a value of 100, of investment in real terms in manufacturing in (a) Strathclyde and (b) Scotland as a whole for each of the last five years.
Mr. Lang : Figures are not available in the form requested because there are no separate price deflators for Scotland and the use of United Kingdom deflators for Scotland does not give sufficiently reliable constant price estimates.
The following table gives estimates of gross domestic fixed capital formation by manufacturing industry in Scotland at current prices for each year from 1979 to 1987, the latest year for which estimates are available.
Separate figures for Strathclyde region are not available.
Gross domestic fixed capital formation Manufacturing industry: Scotland Year |£ millions --------------------------------- 1979 |561 1980 |645 1981 |586 1982 |541 1983 |470 1984 |597 1985 |861 1986 |788 1987 |738 Source: Central Statistical Office.
Labour Statistics
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing by district council ward the numbers unemployed in the constituency of Greenock and Port Glasgow in 1979, 1983, 1987 and for the latest date for which figures are available.
Mr. Lang : The table gives the number of unemployed claimants by district council wards for Greenock and Port Glasgow constituency for May 1990, the latest figures available, May 1987 and June 1983, the earliest figures available. Figures on the number unemployed by ward are not available before June 1983.
Ward |1990|1987|1983 ------------------------------------------ Port Glasgow East |397 |759 |695 Port Glasgow South |337 |671 |487 Clune Brae |305 |642 |433 Port Glasgow West |274 |357 |277 Gibshill |407 |838 |723 Blairmore |262 |420 |489 Bellville |310 |493 |368 Greenock East Central |525 |663 |561 Broomhill |192 |330 |235 Gateside |208 |322 |213 Bow |342 |572 |462 Larkfield |286 |567 |414 Upper Larkfield |323 |643 |641 Greenock South |251 |493 |403 Greenock West Central |160 |356 |239 Greenock West End |123 |205 |120
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the percentage change in employment in (a) the service sector, (b) self- employment and (c) manufacturing industry between 1979 and 1990.
Mr. Lang : Between December 1979 and December 1989, the latest date for which figures are available, the number of employees in employment in the service sector increased by 10.5 per cent., and the number of employees in employment in the manufacturing sector decreased by 29.0 per cent. Over the same period the number of people who are self-employed is estimated to have increased by 54.1 per cent.
Dyslexic Children
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what new measures he intends to undertake to assist dyslexic children in schools ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang : Responsibility for dyslexic children within schools lies with education authorities, which employ learning support teachers to provide for their special educational needs. Additionally the Scottish Education Department has commissioned a research study of policy, practices and provision for children with specific learning difficulties, including dyslexia, which will identify any gaps in provision and offer guidance to teachers of such children. The research will be completed by spring 1992.
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many dyslexic children are educated in each of the education authorities ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) how many specialist teachers of dyslexics there are in post in each of the education authorities ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang : The information requested is not available.
Disabled Teachers
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of students with disabilities who have entered initial teacher training for each of the last 10 years ; and what percentage of the total number of student teachers this represents.
Mr. Lang : The information requested is not available centrally.
Local Government Finance
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met representatives of COSLA to discuss possible changes to the poll tax ; and if he will make a statement.
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Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : My right hon. and learned Friend and I met representatives of COSLA on 6 April when several aspects of the community charge, including possible changes to the system, were discussed.
Homelessness
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) families and (b) single people are accepted as homeless within (i) Inverclyde district, (ii) Strathclyde and (iii) Scotland as a whole.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The number of applicants under the homeless persons legislation assessed by local authorities as homeless, as recorded in the returns submitted to the Scottish Development Department in the year ended 31 March 1989, are as follows :
|Number
----------------------------------
Inverclyde district |111
Strathclyde region |4,494
Scotland |9,561
These returns do not record information on the composition of applicants' households. It is not therefore possible to say how many were from families and single people respectively.
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give an estimate of the current number of homeless in Scotland, and, of those, how many suffer from (a) alcoholism or drug dependency, (b) AIDS and (c) mental illness.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Information on which to base such an estimate is not held centrally.
EC (Civil Servants)
Mr. Salmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the number of people seconded from the Scottish Office to the United Kingdom's permanent representation to the European Community in Brussels, in each of the years since the United Kingdom entered the European Community ; and if he will break these down by Scottish Office department.
Mr. Rifkind : Scottish Office staff on secondment to the United Kingdom's permanent representation to the European Community in Brussels in each year since 1973 are listed in the table, by department.
Department |Year |Number ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland |1973 |1 Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland |1974 |1 Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland |1975 |1 Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland |1976 |1 Industry Department for Scotland |1977 |1 One Industry Department for Scotland, One Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland |1978 |2 One Industry Department for Scotland, One Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland |1979 |2 One Industry Department for Scotland, One Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland |1980 |2 One Industry Department for Scotland, One Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland |1981 |2 Two Industry Department for Scotland, One Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland |1982 |3 Industry Department for Scotland |1983 |1 One Industry Department for Scotland, One Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland |1984 |2 One Industry Department for Scotland, One Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland |1985 |2 One Industry Department for Scotland, One Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland |1986 |2 One Industry Department for Scotland, Two Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland |1987 |3 Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland |1988 |1 Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland |1989 |1 Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland |1990 |1
Mr. Salmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the numbers, ranks and departments within the Scottish Office of those civil servants who work exclusively on European Community affairs ; which are monitoring European Community activities ; and which are administering and advising on grants.
Mr. Rifkind : Information in the form requested is not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Legal Services
Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from the Scottish Consumers Council about the possible decline of legal services in rural areas.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The council has expressed concern about the possible effect of the Bill on rural legal services, and has welcomed our initiative in monitoring the position. The council welcomes the proposals in the Bill to widen consumer choice as something for which there is demand in Scotland.
Energy Costs
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to the answers of 30 April, Official Report, column 453, and 10 May, Official Report, column 214, about energy consumption, what is the square footage of office space to which these figures relate.
Mr. Rifkind : The figure is 1,241,664.
Energy Efficiency
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was invested in improving the energy efficiency of his Department in the latest available year.
Mr. Rifkind : About £62,000 in 1988-89.
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Water Pollution
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what instructions he has issued to regional councils, environmental health departments and other relevant authorities in Scotland regarding the dangers posed by freshwater algae.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 22 June 1990] : Regional councils are responsible for providing wholesome drinking water and they, together with environmental health and other relevant authorities in Scotland, are aware of the potential problems arising from certain types of freshwater algae. No specific advice has been issued as there is no evidence of a significant problem in Scotland, but the matter is under consideration.
EMPLOYMENT
Eastern Europe
Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what measures he is undertaking to assist the new democratic regimes in eastern Europe.
Mr. Howard : The reforming countries of eastern Europe urgently need practical help to develop their labour markets, to fight unemployment, to increase training and retraining, and to generate a spirit of enterprise. My Department is giving a high priority to providing such help, working with and through the Government's know-how fund.
In recent weeks I have visited Czechoslovakia and Hungary, and have signed agreements of co-operation in the labour market area with both Governments. This week I shall be in Poland, where I shall sign a similar agreement with the Polish Government. These individual agreements set out specific, practical measures, based on each country's particular needs, in a number of areas where my Department can help, including training and retraining, support for the development of small firms and enterprise, and the management of unemployment.
Departmental Public Relations Adviser
Mr. Blair : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he intends making an appointment to his Department of a public relations adviser.
Mr. Howard : I have no plans to appoint a public relations adviser.
Wages Inspectorate
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the annual publicity-promotional budget allocated to his Department's wages inspectorate for each year since 1979.
Mr. Nicholls : The cost of publicity and promotional activities undertaken by the wages inspectorate is not distinguishable from general running costs.
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the number of people employed by his Department's wages inspectorate in the north-west region for each year since 1979.
Mr. Nicholls The information requested is given in the table :
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Year |Number of
|staff
|employed in
|the north-west
|in September
|of each year
---------------------------------------------
1979 |38
1980 |36
1981 |28
1982 |27
1983 |29
1984 |29
1986 |28
1987 |<1>21.5
1988 |<1>19.5
1989 |<1>20.5
<1> Since 1987, staff employed in the
north-west have also had responsibility for
advisory and enforcement work in north
Wales.
Wages Councils
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment where he distributes literature about wage council protection.
Mr. Nicholls : Notices giving details of minimum rates are distributed to all establishments where workers covered by wages councils are thought to be employed. These notices and supplementary literature are also issued to other organisations and individuals, in particular those offering advisory services.
Technical and Vocational Education Initiative
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list those local education authorities participating for the first time in TVEI extensions in 1990-91 ; when each such authority was informed by the Training Agency of their budget for 1990-91 ; and when they were informed of their budget for 1991-92.
Mr. Eggar : Education authorities starting TVEI extension in 1990-91 are as follows :
Avon
Barnet
Central
Doncaster
Dorset
Harrow
Highland
Hillingdon
Humberside
Knowsley
Lancashire
Lincolnshire
Merton
Newham
Nottinghamshire
Redbridge
Rotherham
St. Helens
Strathclyde--districts of Ayr
Dumbarton
Lanark
Tayside
These authorities were given approval on 25 May 1990 to start extension. They were informed of their budgets shortly afterwards. Authorities have not yet been given their budgets for 1991-92.
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will provide the TVEI extensions budget
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