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Acute Beds
Mr. Paice : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list all those National Health Service general hospitals by district and region which have less than 400 acute beds, giving the actual number of beds in each case.
Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 4 December 1990] : I am arranging for the table containing available information to be placed in the Library. It is not possible from central returns to identify district general hospitals separately. The tables provided list hospitals with over 50 and less than 400 beds excluding those hospitals where more than 50 per cent. of the total beds are maternity beds or beds in units of the young disabled.
Mr. Paice : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list all the National Health Service hospitals, by region and district, which provide accident and emergency services, together with, in each case (a) the number of acute beds in the hospital, (b) the total number of beds in the hospital and (c) a list of those services normally found in a district general hospital which are not available in that particular hospital.
Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 4 December 1990] : I am arranging for the table containing available information to be placed in the Library. The accident and emergency facilities concerned will range from simple first aid stations to departments providing the full range of accident and emergency services. No central record is held of the services available in each hospital.
SCOTLAND
Community Care
Mr. Dunnachie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if his Department will meet the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations to discuss availability of funding for voluntary organisations involved in community care and other matters ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Michael Forsyth : Officials met representatives of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations on 15 November 1990 to discuss the role of the voluntary sector in the provision of community care services and a further meeting will be held in January 1991. Officials are always happy to meet the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations on matters of concern to voluntary organisations. As far as funding is concerned, I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave on 15 October 1990.Pensioners' Electricity Charges
Mr. Dunnachie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from the Scottish Old Age Pensioners' Association for the abolition of electricity standing charges for pensioners ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Allan Stewart : Representations are received annually from the Scottish Old Age Pensioners Association on a range of topics, including the abolition of
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electricity standing charges. Electricity prices are determined by the public electricity suppliers, subject to the conditions on price control set out in the licences issued to them under the Electricity Act 1989. Compliance by the public electricity suppliers with those conditions and all other conditions of their licences is overseen by the Director General of Electricity Supply.Health Board Chairmen
Mr. Hood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the chairmen of each health board in Scotland including their political affiliations ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 26 January 1989 to the hon. Member for Strathkelvin and Bearsden (Mr. Galbraith) at columns 718-19, which contains as much information as is held centrally about the political affiliations of health board chairmen.
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Interest Rates
Mr. Hood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those European countries which have a lower rate of inflation than Scotland ; and if he will give details of the interest rates in each of the countries listed.
Mr. Allan Stewart : There is no official retail prices index (RPI) for Scotland. The table lists those European Community member states which in November 1990 had a lower inflation rate than the United Kingdom's 9.7 per cent. together with their respective average November 1990 short-term interest rates.
EC member state |Inflation<1> |Interest rates<2> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Denmark |2.2 |n/a Ireland |2.7 |n/a Netherlands |2.8 |8.7 West Germany |3.0 |8.8 France |3.6 |10.0 Belgium |4.0 |9.0 Luxembourg |4.5 |n/a Italy |6.5 |12.6 Spain |6.7 |14.1 <1> Percentage change on a year earlier. <2>Nominal three-month inter-bank rates.
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
Mr. Hood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what funding he proposes to give the M E Association and the M E Action Campaign organisations, to assist them in assisting Scottish sufferers of this illness.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The M E Association is receiving grant assistance of £14,668 towards its core headquarters running costs in the current year. Its application for funding in the financial year 1991-92 is still under consideration. I have received no application for funding from the M E Action Campaign organisations.
Mr. Hood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will meet with representatives of the M E Association and the M E Action Campaign to discuss how best to assist sufferers in Scotland.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : My officials are in contact with the M E Association as part of the arrangements for monitoring grant aid awarded under section 10(1) of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968.
Fishing
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what sanction he expects to enforce against those Scottish fishermen who exceeded their quota in any species during 1990.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : As part of the normal arrangements for distributing internally the United Kingdom's quotas it has been agreed with the United Kingdom industry that those groups disadvantaged as a result of any other group exceeding its quota in one year will be compensated in the subsequent year with correspondingly increased quotas. These arrangements will apply to all groups which are disadvantaged irrespective of where they are based in the United Kingdom. If an individual fisherman exceeds his monthly quota then, in cases where the quota in question is
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managed by Fisheries Departments, a report would be made to the procurator fiscal with a view to prosecution in the courts ; if the quota is managed by a producer organisation, the fisherman is subject to the discipline procedures of the organisation.Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions he has exercised his powers under section 1(8) of the Freshwater and Salmon Fisheries (Scotland) Act 1976 ; and how, following the making of a protection order, he monitors its operation to ensure the improvement of, or the giving or availability of access of, fishings under a protection order in comparison with the proposals submitted to him in terms of section 1(3)(a) of the Freshwater and Salmon Fisheries (Scotland) Act 1976.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : My right hon. Friend has no powers under section 1(8) of the 1976 Act. Responsibility for all public prosecution in Scotland rests with the Lord Advocate.
Proposers of protection orders are encouraged to set up liaison committees. Regular reports on the operation of the protection orders are sought from each liaison committee. In addition, my right hon. Friend takes into account the views of the Consultative Committee on Freshwater Fisheries and complaints or other comments by angling clubs, associations and members of the public.
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his policy of monitoring fish landings at Scottish ports and inquiring into allegations of misreporting concerning Scottish fishing vessels during 1990.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Landings at each of 20 major fishing ports in Scotland are monitored daily by staff of the Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department. Landings at other ports are monitored periodically. Confirmation of reported areas of fishing activity is sought by comparing log book entries with surveillance data provided by fishery protection vessels and aircraft. All suspected cases of misreporting are investigated thoroughly and where sufficient evidence is available, cases are submitted to the prosecuting authorities.
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list for each year since inception all those protection orders made under the provisions of the Freshwater and Salmon Fisheries (Scotland) Act 1976 ; and the body which the Secretary of State has consulted under section 1(3)(b) of the Freshwater and Salmon Fisheries (Scotland) Act 1976 in the case of each such protection order made.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The information is as follows :
1976-79 : None.
1980 : The Rivers Tweed and Eye Protection Order 1980 (renewed in 1983, 1986 and 1988).
1981 : None.
1982 : The Upper Spey and Associated Waters Protection Order 1982 (renewed in 1985 and 1988).
1983 : The River Tummel Catchment Area Protection Order 1983 (renewed in 1986 and 1988).
The River Lunan Catchment Area Protection Order 1983 (renewed in 1986 and 1988).
1984 and 1985 : None.
1986 : The River Tay Catchment Area Protection Order 1986 (renewed in 1990).
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1988 : The West Strathclyde Protection Order 1988.1989 : None.
1990 : The River Earn Catchment Area Protection Order 1990. The River Don Catchment Area (Part) Protection Order 1990. My right hon. Friend has appointed a Consultative Committee on Freshwater Fisheries which is consulted under section 1(3)(b) of the 1976 Act on proposals for, and other matters relating to, protection orders.
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will review the question of access to salmon fishings in Scotland ; and whether he will include a comparative study of access to fishing in Scotland with other countries such as the Republic of Ireland and France with respect to European Community law.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The Government have no plans to review the question of access to salmon fishings in Scotland.
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all those protection orders which have been varied or revoked by the Secretary of State under section 1(10) of the Freshwater and Salmon Fisheries (Scotland) Act 1976.
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will identify the destination of all payments made by the Secretary of State under section 5 of the Freshwater and Salmon Fisheries (Scotland) Act 1976.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : No such payments have been made.
Fishing (Protection Orders)
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all those proposals for a protection order under the provisions of the Freshwater and Salmon Fisheries (Scotland) Act 1976 presently under consideration by the Secretary of State.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Two proposals are presently under consideration, one for Loch Awe, Loch Avich and the River Avich and the other for Loch Morar and the River Morar.
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Acute Medical Services
Mr. Hood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) when he expects to announce his decision on the Lanarkshire health board's proposals to eliminate acute medical services in Clydesdale constituency ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) what is the projected figure for closure of acute medical services for each year from 1991 to 1994 in each health board area in Scotland ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Health boards are responsible for drawing up strategic plans for all services, including acute services. These plans may contain proposals for closures as well as for new capital investment. As strategy reviews are undertaken on a continuing basis by individual boards, it is not possible to give a full indication of new acute services developments and any consequent closures for the years 1991-1994. Lanarkshire health board is currently preparing an approval in principle submission for its acute services proposals. When this is received, I shall consider all aspects of the proposals, including the representations made by the hon. Member.
Industrial Investment
Mr. Hood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the percentage increase in investment each year in Scotland since 1979 in real terms in (a) chemicals, (b) man-made fibres, (c) textiles, (d) clothing, (e) footwear and (f) motor vehicle manufacturing ; to what extent this has resulted in an increase in capacity ; what has been the increase in the demand for such goods ; and whether he will publish in each case the increase in capacity since 1979, the increase in output as a percentage of 1979 and the figures for import penetration from the EEC and the rest of the world now and in 1979.
Mr. Allan Stewart : The information is not available in the form requested.
Net capital expenditure at current prices is available from the annual census of production. The figures are set out in the table.
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Net Capital Expenditure in Scotland (£ million)
Year |Chemicals |Man-made |Textiles |Leather |Footwear and |Motor Vehicles
|Fibres |Clothing
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979 |n.a. |n.a. |21.7 |1.0 |9.1 |17.2
1980 |n.a. |n.a. |15.4 |0.9 |9.2 |16.9
1981 |n.a. |n.a. |12.3 |0.6 |8.1 |7.4
1982 |n.a. |n.a. |13.4 |0.3 |7.0 |10.6
1983 |n.a. |n.a. |13.2 |0.6 |9.1 |6.8
1984 |n.a. |n.a. |18.0 |1.0 |10.2 |3.7
1985 |n.a. |n.a. |29.8 |1.2 |14.2 |14.6
1986 |n.a. |n.a. |30.7 |0.8 |10.5 |9.0
1987 |n.a. |n.a. |31.8 |1.3 |13.8 |2.9
1988<1> |n.a. |n.a. |33.9 |3.2 |18.0 |8.2
Source: Annual census of production.
<1> The definition of net capital expenditure changed between 1987 and 1988. Up to 1987, contributors were asked to
include annual payments for assets acquired on a financial leasing basis. From 1988, they were asked to include the
total value of such assets as capital expenditure during the year in which they were acquired. This change is estimated
to have increased total net capital expenditure for the United Kingdom as a whole by up to 7 per cent.
Figures are not available for demand or capacity.
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Output figures in real terms are published regularly in indexed form. The following table gives an index of production series for the sectors required, at published level, scaled to 1979 = 100.
Index of industrial output in Scotland (1979 = 100)
|Chemicals and |Textiles, |Motor
|man-made fibres|leather, |vehicles
|footwear and
|clothing
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979 |100.0 |100.0 |100.0
1980 |91.1 |89.1 |100.9
1981 |88.1 |83.2 |83.3
1982 |88.9 |77.1 |81.6
1983 |96.6 |78.0 |95.7
1984 |97.6 |86.3 |110.9
1985 |100.8 |95.8 |113.4
1986 |104.8 |92.6 |125.9
1987 |102.4 |98.2 |143.8
1988 |103.9 |102.7 |160.7
1989 |105.1 |99.6 |173.8
Source: Index of industrial production and construction-Scotland.
Figures for import penetration are unavailable.
Health Board Managers
Mr. Hood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of the salaries paid to each of the Scottish health boards' managers ; their projected salary increase for next year ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The salary ranges for Scottish Health Board General Managers effective from 1 September 1990 are set out in the table. Progression up the range is dependent on individual performance. No decisions on the salary ranges from 1 September 1991 have yet been taken.
Health board |Range ------------------------------------------------------------ Argyll and Clyde |£46,660 to £60,650 Ayrshire and Arran |£45,570 to £59,240 Borders |£42,750 to £55,570 CSA |£45,570 to £59,240 Dumfries and Galloway |£42,750 to £55,570 Fife |£45,570 to £59,240 Forth Valley |£45,570 to £59,240 Grampian |£47,200 to £61,360 Greater Glasgow |£53,710 to £69,820 Highland |£45,570 to £59,240 Lanarkshire |£46,660 to £60,650 Lothian |£51,270 to £66,650 Orkney |£33,640 to £43,730 Shetland |£33,640 to £43,730 Tayside |£47,200 to £61,360 Western Isles |£33,640 to £43,730
Labour Statistics
Mr. Maxton : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the change in (a) the number of employees in employment and (b) the number of employees in employment in manufacturing in Scotland between June 1979 and June 1990 ; and what the changes are in percentage terms.
Mr. Allan Stewart : The number of employees in employment in Scotland fell by 102,000 between June 1979 and June 1990, a decrease of 5 per cent. The number of manufacturing employees in employment in Scotland fell by 180,000 between June 1979 and June 1990, a decrease
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of 30 per cent. Although the number of employees in employment in Scotland fell between 1979 and 1990, other components of the labour force have grown, notably self-employed which have increased by 87, 000. At over 2.3 million, the civilian work force in Scotland is at its highest ever level.Mr. Hood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the numbers of unemployed in Scotland in December 1979 and 1989.
Mr. Allan Stewart : The seasonally adjusted series of unemployment provides the only figures that are comparable over the time period requested. In December 1989, the seasonally adjusted level of unemployed claimants in Scotland was 211,200 compared with 141,500 in December 1979.
General Practice
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will give the numbers both in absolute and percentage terms of general practitioners in Greater Glasgow health board who have a negative balance in their practice profile ;
(2) if he will give the current expenditure by Greater Glasgow health board on reimbursement of general practitioners for ancillary staff and the projected expenditure following the introduction of practice profiles ;
(3) if he will give the basis on which the practice profile is calculated in determining staff reimbursement cost for general practitioners in the Greater Glasgow health board.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Greater Glasgow health board's allocation for the financial year ending 31 March 1991 in respect of general practitioners' ancillary staff is £7,073,000. The board has indicated in returns to the management executive that it has spent £3,610,180 to October, the latest month for which figures are available. The distrubution of these funds to individual practices, and the management of the ancillary staff scheme, are matters for Greater Glasgow health board, within the terms of the state of fees and allowances.
Asthma
Mr. Dunnachie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations his Department has received from Action Asthma about its work ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : I have obtained a copy of the Action Asthma press information pack which launched the national asthma survey on 3 September 1990. I shall be interested to learn of the outcome of the survey in due course.
Cardiac Surgery
Mr. Hood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many open heart operations have been undertaken this year in Scotland ; how many people are on waiting lists waiting for open heart operations ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : A total of 2,969 cardiac procedures were undertaken in Scotland between 1 October 1989 and 30 September 1990. There were 1,268 people in Scotland waiting for cardiac operations at 30
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September 1990. Cardiac surgery services have been systematically expanded by the Government over recent years. Since central funding began in 1983, the number of cardiac operations performed in Scotland has increased from 1,717 to 2,518 by March 1990. This year an extra £467,000 has been provided to Greater Glasgow health board under the waiting list fund initiative to enable an additional 80 procedures to be undertaken.Community Charge
Mr. Hood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all categories of people who are exempt from the community charge in Scotland.
Mr. Allan Stewart : The categories of persons exempted from the personal community charge in Scotland are set out in schedule 1A to the Abolition of Domestic Rates Etc. (Scotland) Act 1987, as amended.
Migration
Mr. Maxton : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the net civilian outmigration from Scotland in the 12 months ending June.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The information requested is not yet available. It is planned that it will be published, together with the registrar-general's 1990 mid-year population estimates for Scotland, at the end of April 1991.
Hill Farmers
Mr. Hood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many hill farmers there are in Scotland on a county by county basis for the latest available date.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department does not collect information directly on the numbers of hill farmers in Scotland but does collect data on the numbers of holdings within the less favoured areas, which include the main hill areas. The holdings information, including an estimate for minor holdings, at June 1990 is as shown in the table.
Estimated number of holdings within less
favoured areas
Region |Estimated
|number
------------------------------------------
Borders |1,200
Central |1,080
Dumfries and Galloway |3,580
Fife |150
Grampian |5,100
Highland |8,670
Lothian |420
Strathclyde |6,350
Tayside |1,270
Orkney |2,170
Shetland |2,650
Western Isles |5,970
Schools
Mr. Maxton : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will set out the level of expenditure on books and equipment per child in Scotland in constant prices, in each year since 1978-79.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The information available is given in the table, which has been compiled from local
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authority financial returns. Expenditure on equipment was not separately identified in these returns until 1982-83. There has been some variation from year to year in recording expenditure under the respective headings and the figures for expenditure on books may include some expenditure on equipment and vice versa.Expenditure per pupil on text and library books and on educational tools, equipment and materials adjusted to 1989-90 prices using the GDP deflator [TITRE -------------------------- 1978-79 |14.14|n/a 1979-80 |14.44|n/a 1980-81 |12.37|n/a 1981-82 |12.22|n/a 1982-83 |12.03|24.90 1983-84 |15.13|21.92 1984-85 |14.98|24.92 1985-86 |13.55|23.11 1986-87 |16.01|24.47 1987-88 |12.16|29.82 1988-89 |15.07|30.91
West Lothian Hospital
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects phase II of the West Lothian district general hospital to be completed ; and if he will list the medical services which will be provided in it.
Mr. Lang : The building work of phase II of the West Lothian district general hospital will be completed by this summer and will be commissioned ready for patient use by April 1992.
Present plans are to provide the following medical services : General surgery
Orthopaedic surgery
ENT surgery
General medicine
Paediatric medicine
Gynaecology
Obstetrics
Special care baby unit
Intensive therapy unit
Coronary care unit
Plastic surgery and burns unit
Geriatric assessment
Geriatric long stay
Acute psychiatry
Psychogeriatric
General practitioner unit
Young chronic sick unit
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