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Privacy
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he proposes to bring forward legislation to protect the individual against intrusion by journalists as recommended by the report of the Committee on privacy and related matters.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : As the hon. Gentleman will recall, on 21 June at columns 1123-24, my right hon. and learned Friend announced the Government's acceptance in principle of the proposals for new criminal offences which the Calcutt committee had put forward. We have been examining these proposals and the various representations, mainly from press interests, which we have received about them. We will inform the House of the Government's considered response to these proposals as soon as that consideration is completed.
Fire Stations
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total number of fire stations in each fire brigade area in the United Kingdom ; and on average, how many people are served by each fire station according to each fire brigade area.
Mr. John Patten : The statistics for England and Wales, based on the annual returns by fire authorities of the fire brigade establishment scheme in force in their areas on1 January 1990, are as follows :
Fire brigade |Fire |Population |Average
|stations |population
|served
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Avon |23 |956,200 |41,573
Bedfordshire |14 |530,700 |37,907
Berkshire |19 |752,900 |39,626
Buckinghamshire |25 |640,000 |25,600
Cambridgeshire |28 |652,740 |23,312
Cheshire |24 |951,900 |39,662
Cleveland |15 |553,400 |36,893
Clwyd |18 |407,000 |22,611
Cornwall |32 |460,000 |14,375
Cumbria |38 |487,000 |12,815
Derbyshire |31 |918,720 |29,636
Devon |58 |1,010,000 |17,413
Dorset |26 |655,700 |25,219
Durham |18 |586,700 |32,594
Dyfed |25 |348,400 |13,936
East Sussex |24 |712,800 |29,700
Essex |51 |1,521,800 |29,839
Gloucestershire |20 |527,500 |26,375
Gwent |20 |445,500 |22,275
Gwynedd |26 |238,000 |9,153
Hampshire |55 |1,615,000 |29,363
Hereford and Worcester |26 |650,773 |25,030
Hertfordshire |32 |996,198 |31,131
Humberside |31 |846,500 |27,306
Isles of Scilly |5 |2,000 |400
Isle of Wight |10 |132,000 |13,200
Kent |65 |1,520,400 |23,390
Lancashire |40 |1,386,300 |34,658
Leicestershire |19 |885,500 |46,605
Lincolnshire |37 |590,000 |15,946
London |114 |6,764,074 |59,334
Greater Manchester |41 |2,585,200 |63,053
Merseyside |28 |1,448,139 |51,719
Mid Glamorgan |24 |534,700 |22,279
Norfolk |40 |752,100 |18,803
Northamptonshire |22 |575,000 |26,136
Northumberland |19 |304,850 |16,044
North Yorkshire |36 |713,100 |19,808
Nottinghamshire |26 |1,007,700 |38,758
Oxfordshire |24 |600,400 |25,017
Powys |18 |112,500 |6,250
Shropshire |23 |400,800 |17,426
Somerset |24 |457,700 |19,071
South Glamorgan |8 |403,400 |50,425
South Yorkshire |27 |1,315,000 |48,704
Staffordshire |30 |1,039,900 |34,663
Suffolk |35 |643,900 |18,397
Surrey |24 |999,752 |41,656
Tyne and Wear |19 |1,135,900 |59,784
Warwickshire |20 |484,200 |24,210
West Glamorgan |12 |362,800 |30,233
West Midlands |41 |2,617,242 |63,835
West Sussex |28 |708,000 |28,286
West Yorkshire |52 |2,056,600 |39,550
Wiltshire |24 |564,000 |23,500
Population is just one factor among many--fully explained in fire service circular No. 4/1985, copies of which are in the Library--used in categorising risk and thus determining the number, location and staffing of fire stations.
Open Prisons
Mr. Bernie Grant : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will publish a table showing the numbers of prisoners transferred to open prisons in the last year, their categorisation, the number transferred to
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open prisons in the first week of their sentence and the period of their sentences which the remainder served prior to their transfer to the open prison ;(2) what are the current arrangements for deciding whether a prisoner is transferred to an open prison ; and whether he has any plans to change those arrangements.
Mrs. Rumbold : A judgment is made in each case, based on information about the prisoner including any previous convictions for violent or sex offences, as to whether he or she can reasonably be trusted in open conditions. In some cases sufficient relevant information takes time to acquire. In general, the prison service seeks to transfer suitable prisoners to open conditions as soon as possible after sentence. There are no plans to alter these arrangements.
Details of the number of prisoners transferred to open prisons, including those who are transferred in the first week of their sentences, are not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Deportation
Ms. Richardson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women currently serving prison sentences he currently plans to deport upon completion of their sentence ; what crimes they have committed ; and what are their countries of origin.
Mrs. Rumbold : The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Remand Prisoners
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many remand prisoners were held in police cells on 1 November ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : On 1 November, a total of 1,044 prisoners, the majority of whom were remand prisoners, were held in police cells. It is not possible to identify separately a precise total for the number of remand prisoners because at the time in question this information was not available centrally for all police areas.
Seizure for Debt Rules
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to amend the Magistrates' Courts Rules 1981 in order to bring the categories of goods exempt from seizure for debts into line with the provisions of the courts and Legal Services Act 1990 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. John Patten : We are actively considering, and will be consulting the Justices Clerks Society and others about amendments to the 1981 rules which would have this effect.
Broadcasting
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the capacity of the Independent Broadcasting Authority to provide adequate supervision and influence in the situation which has developed in regard to the future of British Satellite Broadcasting and of the D-MAC television technology.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The Independent Broadcasting Authority has the powers conferred on it by Parliament in
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broadcasting legislation. Having considered the merger between British Satellite Broadcasting and Sky Television plc, it has announced its decision to terminate the contract it held with British Satellite Broadcasting. The new company, British Sky Broadcasting, will require a non-domestic satellite service licence under the Broadcasting Act 1990, and the Independent Television Commission has full powers to draw up and award such a licence and enforce its conditions.The Government do not seek to impose new technology where it is not commercially viable. EC directive 86/529 requires all DBS services to be broadcast using the MAC transmission standard. The directive thus governed British Satellite Broadcasting but not Sky transmissions, and will apply to any future user of the DBS channels. It will be reviewed in 1991 and the Government are considering their attitude to a replacement directive in the light of recent events.
Animal Experiments
Mr. Dunnachie : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action his Department's inspectors have taken to ensure that the provisions of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 are observed in the conduct of experiments on animals at the National Institute for Medical Research laboratories, Mill Hill, London ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : All establishments in Great Britain designated under the Act, including the National Institute for Medical Research at Mill Hill, are subject to visits, mainly without notice, by the animals (scientific procedures) inspectorate to ensure that the controls of the Act and the terms and conditions of licences issued under it are being observed.
Prisoners (Compassionate Leave)
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department why Delroy Showers was not allowed to attend his mother's funeral from prison, following representations from the hon. Member for Liverpool, Riverside.
Mrs. Rumbold : Mr. Showers' request to attend the funeral of his mother was considered in the light of all the circumstances but was not allowed for security reasons.
Charity and the National Health"
Mr. Rowe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy on those recommendations which relate to his responsibilities contained in the report, "Charity and the National Health" (Directory of Social Change research paper No. 1), a copy of which has been sent to him ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. John Patten : We have not received a copy of the report, "Charities and the National Health," which was sent to the Department of Health. We will gladly consider any points which may be relevant to the Home Office if my hon. Friend cares to draw them to my attention.
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HEALTH
Asthma and Eczema
Sir Richard Body : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total annual cost of treatment for asthma and eczema, respectively (a) through the family practitioner service and (b) through the hospital service.
Mr. Dorrell : The estimated annual cost of treating asthma is £44 million through hospital in-patient treatment and £200 million through the family health services. It is not possible to estimate the hospital out-patient cost of asthma from information collected centrally. Eczema covers a range of conditions not separately identified in the information collected, and therefore information on costing is not available.
Sir Richard Body : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total number of national health service patients being treated for asthma and eczema, respectively ; and what is the number of new cases in each category every year.
Mr. Dorrell : This information is not held centrally.
South London Hospital for Women
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans there are for the future use of the South London hospital for women ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : I understand that the future use of the hospital is still being considered ; the hon. Member may like to contact Sir Peter Baldwin, the chairman of South East Thames regional health authority for further information.
Salmonella Enteritidis
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish a table showing for each county of England and Wales the number of outbreaks of salmonella enteritidis PT4 in 1990 to date.
Mr. Dorrell : Provisional figures for the first nine months of 1990 (weeks one to 39) show tht 315 outbreaks (including two or more people) of infection with salmonella enteritidis PT4 were reported to the PHLS communicable disease surveillance centre from England and Wales.
The distribution of these outbreaks by regional health authority is as follows :
|Number
--------------------------------
Northern |4
Yorkshire |62
Trent |36
East Anglia |13
North West Thames |15
North East Thames |7
South East Thames |18
South West Thames |18
Wessex |23
Oxford |10
South Western |43
West Midlands |22
Mersey |9
North Western |21
Wales |14
|--
Total |315
Child Care
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department's library will obtain a copy of "Caring for Children ; the 1990 Report," produced by the family policy studies centre.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Yes. A copy of the report was ordered by the Department's library service on 13 November 1990.
Day Nurseries
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken by his Department to increase the availability of day nursery places.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The number of places in day nurseries in England increased by nearly 14 per cent. in the year to 31 March 1989 to over 75,000.
The tax concession for employer-managed child care facilities in the 1990 Budget will encourage further development. The new review duty introduced in the Children Act 1989 (to be implemented in October 1991) will require local authorities regularly to look at local services used by young children and publish reports. This will ensure more coherent use and development of services.
NHS Trusts
Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health which outside agency is undertaking the analysis of national health service trust applications ; and at what cost.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The financial assessment of national health service trust applicants has been undertaken by Coopers and Lybrand Deloitte managament consultants. The total budget for this exercise is £536,000.
Custard
Mr. Steen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what European regulations exist or are proposed concerning the production and use of custard ; what representations he has received ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : No European regulations exist concerning the production and use of custard and we are not aware that any are proposed. Representations have been received concerning the implications of the Food Hygiene (Amendment) Regulations 1990 for custards and custard tarts which we are currently considering.
National Insurance
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of the net additional cost to the national health service of the changes to employers' national insurance contributions and reimbursement announced in the autumn statement.
Mr. Dorrell : No central estimate has been made of the effect on the NHS of the changes in national insurance rates.
Kidney Patients
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has about the number of renal patients who satisfy the criteria of the Renal Association
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of Great Britain, and approved by his Department for treatment with Erythropoietin ; and what percentage are receiving it.Mr. Dorrell : This information is not collected centrally.
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much additional money he has made available to health authorities for the newly approved drug Erythropoietin to be prescribed and what estimate he has made of the number of renal patients who will be treated as a result.
Mr. Dorrell : Health authorities are expected to finance Erythropoietin from their main allocations. Like other new treatments, it is being introduced progressively across the health service and spending throughout the NHS is, of course, increased to cover such new treatments, and services. It is for each region to assess their patients' requirements for the drug and make appropriate plans to ensure that need is met.
Graham Gaskin Case
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) on what date the judgment of the Government of the European court was given in the Graham Gaskin case ;
(2) if he will list what steps the Government have taken to implement the European court ruling of the Graham Gaskin case, listing dates and times of meetings, and those present ;
(3) what are the reasons for the length of time taken in completing consideration of the implementation of the ruling given in the European court on the Graham Gaskin case ;
(4) if he will place in the Library all the documents relating to the Graham Gaskin case held by his Department ;
(5) how many members of his Department's staff are engaged in the study to examine the implications of the Graham Gaskin case ; when the study was opened ; what the terms of reference of the study are ; and when the study will be completed.
Mr. Dorrell : The decision of the European Court of Human Rights in the Graham Gaskin case was given on 7 July 1989. The court held, by a majority vote, that there had been a violation of article 8 of the convention for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the handling of Mr. Gaskin's request for access to case records relating to the period he spent in care as a child, and that the United Kingdom should pay damages to Mr. Gaskin. Payment was made to Mr. Gaskin in 1989.
As I indicated in my reply to the hon. Member on 30 October at column 446 the implications of the decision in respect of policy on access to personal records are being studied. Progress is being made and I will write to the hon. Member once decisions have been taken. Copies of the judgment of the European Court in Mr. Gaskin's case are held in the Library.
Terminal Care
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received about the £8 million made available in England in 1990-91 for hospices and terminal care ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : A number of letters concerning the detailed implementation of this year's
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arrangements have been received. We are seeking information from health authorities and will be discussing with them any problems that arise.Adoption
Mrs. Wise : To ask the Secretary of State for Health which countries' adoption orders are recognised by the United Kingdom.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Adoption orders made under the law of any country specified in the Adoption (Designation of Overseas Adoptions) Order 1973 are recognised as valid under United Kingdom statutory law. A copy of the order is available in the Library.
Adoption orders made in countries which have ratified the Hague convention on jurisdiction, applicable law and recognition of decrees are also recognised. Like the United Kingdom, Austria and Switzerland have ratified the convention.
Mrs. Wise : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that adoption orders made in Romania will be recognised in the United Kingdom.
Mrs. Virgina Bottomley : Adoption orders made in Romania are not recognised as valid under United Kingdom statutory law. People who adopt a Romanian child are required, as part of the entry clearance procedures, to undertake to apply to adopt the child in the United Kingdom. The recognition of foreign adoption orders is being considered in the current adoption law review.
Census Information
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether information gathered during the completion of the census will remain private and confidential from community charge registration officers.
Mr. Dorrell : Yes. It would be an offence under section 8 of the Census Act 1920 for anyone employed on the census to pass personal information from the completed census returns to community charge registration officers, or anyone else outside the census offices, and any breach of confidence in this respect would also be treated as a serious disciplinary offence.
Charity and the National Health"
Mr. Rowe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his policy on those recommendations which relate to his responsibilities contained in the report, "Charity and the National Health" (Directory of Social Change Research Paper No. 1) a copy of which has been sent to him ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : The management and use of NHS trust funds is a matter for the appointed trustees in accordance with general trust and charity law. Trustees should have regard to the terms of individual trusts in deciding how funds are spent.
The Government encourage fund raising and ask health authorities to consult widely with voluntary groups in planning their fund-raising activities.
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Nurse-bed Ratios
Mr. Ralph Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the number of nurses employed by the national health service in 1960 , 1970, 1980 and 1990, or the latest date available and the number of occupied national health service hospital beds for each date, showing the nurse to occupied bed ratio in each case.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley [holding answer 12 November 1990] : The available information is given in the table. Figures for the earlier years cannot be provided on a comparable basis. There is no direct comparison between the manpower and the occupied bed information. The manpower figures relate to the total numbers of nursing and midwifery staff employed in the NHS hospital and community services. However, occupied beds relate to the hospital service only and are not a particularly meaningful measurement of service provision.
NHS nursing and midwifery staff and average number of
beds
occupied daily-England
Number and wholetime equivalents<1>
Year |Nursing and |Average
|midwifery at |number of
|September<2> |beds occupied
|daily
--------------------------------------------------------
1980 |370,100 |289,500
1986 |402,700 |254,600
1989 |405,300 |<3>-
Source: Department of Health (SM13) Annual Census of
NHS Non-Medical Manpower and SH3 Returns.
<1>All figures are independently rounded to the nearest
hundred (100).
<2>Includes all qualified nurses and midwives, learners
and unqualified nursing staff and agency staff.
<3>Information not available centrally beyond 1986.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Kilroot Power Station
Mr. A. Cecil Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the capital outlay for equipment which is already obsolete for phase 2 of Kilroot power station.
Dr. Mawhinney : None of the equipment for Kilroot phase 2 has been classed as obsolete.
Mr. A. Cecil Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the total outlay expended to date on equipment already purchased for phase 2 of Kilroot power station.
Dr. Mawhinney : Northern Ireland Electricity estimates this to be £65 million.
Mr. A. Cecil Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the approximate date when the decision will be reached regarding the commencement of phase 2 of Kilroot power station.
Dr. Mawhinney : Decisions on Kilroot 2 will be taken as soon as possible. A number of options which affect the timing are under consideration at present, in particular the possibility of developing an electricity interconnector with Scotland and the possibility of piping natural gas to Northern Ireland for electricity generation. Both issues are being progressed as a matter of urgency.
Column 300
Mr. Hood : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he last met British Coal representatives to discuss Kilroot 2 power station ; and if he will make a statement.
Dr. Mawhinney : I last met British Coal representatives on 14 November 1990. The discussion covered a number of topics including Kilroot 2.
Mr. Hood : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the effect Kilroot 2 power station will have on transport jobs in Northern Ireland if it is not coal fired ; and if he will make a statement.
Dr. Mawhinney : Over the past year I have had representations on this issue from Northern Ireland Electricity, the trade unions, Members of Parliament, Carrickfergus borough council and British Coal.
EMPLOYMENT
Employment Training
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the impending closure of employment training schemes initiated by the Allen Graham Trust for disabled and other disadvantaged young people ; and what action he is prepared to take to save these schemes.
Mr. Jackson [holding answer 23 November 1990] : The financial difficulties of the Allen Graham Trust were first brought to my attention early last week. Because of the valuable work done over a period of years by the trust, I asked my officials to meet immediately with representatives of the trust to explore what might be done to assist them. During this meeting, it was established that the trust had become insolvent. In those circumstances, it would be wrong to put at risk further substantial sums of taxpayers' money. The main concern now is to ensure that everything possible is done to provide alternative opportunities for trainees and others as quickly as possible and with the minimum amount of disruption for the people concerned.
DEFENCE
Community Charge
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel have been prosecuted to date for non-payment of the community charge.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Non-payment of the community charge is a civil rather than a criminal matter, so the question of prosecutions as such does not arise. I am aware of about 190 court appearances by Service personnel in connection with non-payment of the community charge.
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times bailiffs employed by local authorities have visited service accommodation in connection with non-payment of the community charge.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Twice, so far as I am aware.
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy regarding the admission of bailiffs employed by local authorities on to Ministry of Defence property.
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Mr. Archie Hamilton : Bailiffs employed by local authorities may be admitted to Ministry of Defence property, but they must be accompanied at all times by Service personnel when within unit boundaries.Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many attachment of possessions orders have been served on service personnel to date due to non-payment of community charges.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Liability orders for non payment of the community charge give local authorities a number of recovery options, including distraint. I am not aware that this latter option has been used against any Service personnel.
Attachment of Earnings
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether he will place in the Library copies of directives or documents distributed to regimental paymasters relating to the exemption of service personnel from attachment of earnings orders ;
(2) if he will place a copy of Ministry of Defence directive D/PSA/11/1/11 PS4 (A) in the Library.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : A copy of the directive sent to commands regarding the enforcement of liability orders and the exemption of service personnel from attachment of earnings orders is being placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what advice has been given to service personnel regarding their liability to attachment of earnings orders served on them by local authorities in respect of community charges.
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