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Mr. Dorrell : Appeals against clinical grading decisions are heard under a complicated and time-consuming procedure agreed by the general Whitley council. When the clinical grading structure was negotiated, we offered to discuss a streamlined procedure for clinical grading appeals, but the nursing trades unions chose not to pursue this possibility.
Under the agreed procedure the management and staff sides of the nursing and midwifery staffs negotiating council are both required to appoint members for each appeal hearing at national level. We are making every effort to process appeals as quickly as possible but future progress will depend on a number of factors, particularly
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the availability of people who are suitably qualified to hear appeals. Both parties to the dispute meet their own expenses : management side members can claim expenses under normal rules. There is no information held centrally on district level appeals. The information available on appeals at regional and national level at 28 February is as follows :--------------------------- Regional |1,515|904 National |504 |27
Information relating to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The appeals by nursing auxiliaries at the Alfred Norris unit, Musgrove Park hospital, are likely to be heard at the end of April.
Disabled People
Mr. Anthony Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for implementing the recommendations of the 1988 report on "Information Needs of Disabled People, Their Carers and Service Providers," prepared by Coopers and Lybrand.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : This report, which has been widely welcomed, highlighted the importance of improving information services for disabled people and those who care for them. It recommended a three stage strategy :
--the development of a national framework for the provision of information services to disabled people
--the creation of local "federations" of information providers, responsive to the needs of the community
--specific initiatives to develop improved common information services within the context of a national framework sensitive to local needs
In 1990, we commissioned a study by PE International to identify the managerial and resource requirements of implementing such a strategy. Following PEI's conclusions, we now intend to commit £3 million, subject to Parliamentary approval over three years (1991-1994) for a pilot initiative, known as the National Disability Information Projects, with the following objectives :
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--Nationally, to promote closer working between organisations which collect and disseminate information of national relevance, with clear objectives to reduce duplication and improve the relevance and accuracy of information.--Locally, to encourage the development of federations of information providers, in order to achieve greater co-ordination at the local level and to widen access to information.
The national disability information project will build on the achievements of a number of local federations already in existence, including those developed as part of the Oxford regional health authority information project which is supported by the Department of Health.
Dentists
Sir John Hunt : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is (a) the number of courses of treatment provided by dentists within the Bromley family health service authority and (b) the total monthly sums of money paid to them in respect of January and February ; and what were the corresponding figures for the months of January 1990 and February 1990.
Mr. Dorrell : It is not possible to compare on a like-for-like basis the total numbers of courses of treatment in the two years requested. Under the new dental contract introduced in October 1990, national health service treatment of children is provided under a capitation system and does not involve "courses of treatment". The information requested about total fees payable to dentists is provided in the table :
Bromley family health services
authority
Total fees scheduled for payment
to national health service
dentists
for the months of January and
February in 1990 and 1991
|1990 |1991
|£ |£
---------------------------------
January |516,466|484,425
February |443,311|413,103
Blood
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is Her Majesty's Government's policy on charging for blood and blood products using blood donated through the blood transfusion service ; what is the income from charges for 1990 nationally and in each NHS region ; what is the level of charges imposed currently, in 1990, and in 1989 ; and what was the source of the income from charges, whether inside the NHS, or from private hospitals or from disposals to commercial organisations.
Mr. Dorrell : There are no charges made for blood which is freely donated in this country. The costs of collection, testing, processing, handling and transport, which are incurred in supplying non-NHS hospitals with blood and blood derivatives, are recovered by regional transfusion centres (RTCs). The handling charges for 1989-90 and 1990-91 and the income from the charges for the latest year available are shown in the table. Blood is not supplied to commercial organisations.
The regional health authorities have traditionally allocated funds direct to the RTCs to cover their operating costs. However, from April 1991 those funds will be devolved to the district health authorities and the RTCs will recover their operating costs in proportion to the
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hospital users demands on the RTC for blood supplies. The reimbursement will not include any element for the freely donated blood itself.
|1989-90 |1990-91
|(per unit)|(per unit)
|£ |£
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Buffy coats |16.75 |17.50
Cryoprecipitate |11.00 |11.50
Filtered blood |32.75 |34.50
Fresh frozen plasma for clinical use |13.50 |14.25
Fresh frozen plasma for paediatric use |11.25 |11.75
Frozen/recovered red cells |22.00 |<1>86.00
Leukocyte-poor red cells |19.25 |20.25
Paediatric whole blood |31.00 |32.50
Plasma reduced blood |17.00 |18.00
Concentrated red cells |16.75 |18.00
Platelet concentrate |14.50 |15.25
Platelet concentrate (Apheresis) |- |46.00
Platelet-rich plasma |11.50 |12.00
Red cell compatible blood cells |31.25 |32.75
SAG(M) red cells |19.25 |20.25
Saline-washed blood red cells |33.25 |35.00
Whole blood |29.25 |30.75
<1>Note-more accurate costing for this product resulted in an
exceptional increase.
Table
Income from handling charges for
1989-90
|£
--------------------------------------
Northern |21,679
Yorkshire |125,693
Trent |82,111
East Anglia |77,465
North West Thames |631,752
North East Thames |155,634
South East Thames |129,947
South West Thames |463,022
Wessex |383,224
Oxford |104,136
South Western |123,726
West Midlands |208,099
Mersey |27,243
North Western |171,745
|-------
Total |2,705,476
Confidentiality
Mr. Gerald Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department will issue draft guidance on the confidentiality of personal health information in the national health service.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Yes. The Department is currently working on draft guidance on the confidentiality of personal health information in the NHS. This will be issued for consultation shortly.
Children (Employment)
Miss Lestor : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether he has received fresh evidence of illegal employment of children supplied by the child employment study carried out by the low pay unit and Birmingham city council ; and if he has any plans to issue new guidelines to the Health and Safety Executive to enforce legislation relating to the employment of children ;
(2) if he will now seek to implement the Employment of Children Act 1973 ;
(3) if he has any plans to review the minimum age above which a child may be legally employed ;
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(4) if he will initiate a review of all legislation affecting the employment of children.Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : We are studying the report published by the low pay unit and Birmingham city council in consultation with colleagues in other Departments with responsibility for enforcing current legislation on the employment of children. We shall then consider whether any further action is required to safeguard the welfare of such children.
Drugs (Costs)
Sir Peter Emery : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will list the actual cost of drugs provided under the national health service per family for each of the years 1980 to 1990 ; and what each of these costs would have been if there had been no inflation since 1980.
Mr. Dorrell : The information is not available in the precise form requested. The following table sets out the annual cost of drugs in the national health service in England per head of population (a) in cash terms and (b) at 1980-81 prices, for the financial years 1980-81 to 1989-90.
Financial |In cash |At 1980-81
year |terms |prices (based
|on GDP
|deflator)
|£ |£
--------------------------------------------------------
1980-81 |20.48 |20.48
1981-82 |23.29 |21.24
1982-83 |26.79 |22.81
1983-84 |29.81 |24.27
1984-85 |31.31 |24.26
1985-86 |33.35 |24.50
1986-87 |35.89 |25.49
1987-88 |39.83 |26.83
1988-89 |44.68 |28.05
1989-90 |49.40 |29.15
Care Homes
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of the number of private residential or nursing homes in each registration authority area which have closed within the last year for which figures are available.
Mr. Dorrell : Information is not available centrally for nursing homes. Information about residential homes could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for each local authority the number of directly provided care homes for the elderly which have either closed or transferred out of the local authority sector during each year since 1978.
Mr. Dorrell : The information that is available centrally could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Community Care
Mr. Rooker : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the continuing care of the mentally ill in the community after the three years' allocation of the specific grant for the mentally ill has elapsed.
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Mr. Dorrell : Consideration will be given to whether the specific grant needs to continue beyond 1993-94 in future public expenditure rounds ; in the light of judgments about the adequacy of community care provision for people with a mental illness.
Mr. Rooker : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how he plans to monitor the use local authorities make of funds allocated for community care to ensure that the money is not used to fund other local authority functions.
Mr. Dorrell : Where resources are specifically allocated to support aspects of community care, the Audit Commission ensures through its audit of local authority accounts that those resources have been used for the purposes for which they were allocated. Additionally, the Department generally calls for reports from authorities on the use that has been made of such resources. For the most part, however, Government support for community care is distributed through the revenue support grant, leaving local authorities free to determine their own expenditure priorities, though the Department receives information from authorities which enables it to monitor expenditure on community care.
Mr. Rooker : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to assist local authorities unable to fund the 30 per cent. necessary to claim their entitlement to the specific grant for the mentally ill.
Mr. Dorrell : Local authorities' need to make a 30 per cent. contribution has already been taken into account in their standard spending assessment figure for the personal social services.
SCOTLAND
Salmon
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what evidence he has of the effect of the North East England licensed net fishery upon Scottish salmon stocks returning to spawn in Scottish rivers.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : As required by section 39 of the Salmon Act 1986, the report to be presented to Parliament reviewing salmon net fisheries from the Humber to the Ugie will address the issue of adequacy of spawning escapement of salmon in the review area. A good deal of scientific information has been collated on this and other aspects of the review.
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to publish the report on East coast salmon netting, as reviewed under section 39(1) of the Salmon Act 1986.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : It is hoped to present the report to Parliament shortly.
Health Boards
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the occupation of each health board member and the original nominating body of each member not included in his answer of 28 February, Official Report, columns 574-75 .
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The information requested is as set out in the table :
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Board |Member |Occupation |Original nominating body, if any
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Argyll and Clyde |Mr. N. M. Faccenda |Self Employed, Businessman |Scottish Conservative Party
|Mrs. M. A. Foggie |Housewife, formerly Solicitor |Inverclyde Local Health Council
|Mrs. E. S. Lander |Company Director |CBI
|Mrs. J. C. Le Roux |Housewife |Cancer Research Committee
|Dr. J. Moffat |Consultant Psychiatrist |Royal College of Psychiatrists
|Mr. C. H. Parker |Company Managing Director |CBI
Ayrshire and Arran |Mr. J. Cahill |Maintenance Painter |Cunninghame District Council
|Mr. J. W. G. Donaldson |Self Employed Electrical Engineer |Health Board
|Mrs. A. Dunbar |Teaching Auxiliary |Cunninghame District Council
|Dr. K. G. Fegan |General Medical Practitioner |Health Board
|Mr. W. M. Ritchie |Retired, Managing Director |Health Board
|Mr. I. B. Valentine |Chartered Accountant |Ayr Constituency Conservative
| Association
Borders |Dr. D. W. Cameron, MBE |General Medical Practitioner |BMA
|Mr. D. A. G. Kilshaw |Solicitor |Health Board
|Miss M. Marshall |Self Employed Businesswoman |Scottish Association for Mental Health
|Mr. J. P. Metcalfe |Retired Company Divisional Chief |Mr. A. C. Purves
| Executive
|Lady Sanderson |Housewife |Borders Local Health Council
|Mr. R. A. Stewart, MBE |Self Employed Development Officer |BMA: STUC: Health Board
Dumfries and Galloway |Mrs. V. M. I. Jardine- |Housewife |Sir Hector Monro, MP
|Paterson
|Mr. H. S. McFadzean |Farmer |Health Board
|Mr. W. Seright |Consultant Surgeon |Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh
|Mrs. J. D. Tulloch |Company Director |Health Board: Western Joint
| Opthalmic Committee
|Dr. A. P. D. Wilkinson |General Medical Practitioner |BMA
|Mr. W. I. Wilson |Chartered Accountant |BMA: Wigtown District Council
Fife |Mrs. S. L. Aitken |Housewife |Mr. Barry Henderson
|Dr. A. C. A. Alexander |General Medical Practitioner |Dr. J. B. Gallacher
|Mr. F. J. R. Craig |Company Director |Self
|Dr. C. J. Ingram |University Lecturer |University of St. Andrews
|Mrs. M. Steedman, CBE |Retired Headmistress |Self
|Mr. G. M. Thomson |Company Financial Director |Health Board
Forth Valley |Mr. E. T. M. Bell-Scott |Solicitor |Health Board
|Mr. K. Harding |Self Employed Newsagent |Mr. Michael Forsyth
|Dr. G. B. Hastings |University Academic |Strathclyde University
|Mr. P. A. Joynson |Chartered Surveyor |Scottish Branch British Red Cross
| Society
|Mrs. K. A. Smith |Vice Chairman Scotland/Emergency |Womens Royal Voluntary Service
| Services Organiser, WRVS
|Mr. C. S. R. Stroyan |Solicitor |Self
Grampian |Mr. A. B. Broomfield |Company Director/Managing Director |Health Board
|Dr. C. A. Macleod |Company Chairman |Self
|Prof. D. Ogston |Professor of Clinical Medicine |University of Aberdeen
|Mr. J. A. Snedden |Retired Managing Director |Lord Sanderson
|Mr. N. Thornton-Kemsley |Farmer |Lord Sanderson
|CBE
|Mrs. J. G. A. Wisely, JP |District Councillor |Women into Public Life Campaign
Greater Glasgow |Rev. R. D. M. Campbell |Minister of Religion
|Mrs. A. Gilchrist |Company Director
|Lady Goold |Housewife |British Dental Association
|Mr. P. W. Holst |Insulation Contractor |BMA: Western Joint Ophthalmic
|Committee
|Prof. R. M. Mackie |Professor of Dermatology |University of Glasgow
|Mr. A. Scobbie |Company Managing Director |Self
Highland |Mr. J. G. Ligertwood |Retired Bank Manager |Health Board
|Mr. D. J. Mackay |Company Chief Executive |CBI
|Mrs. A. MacPherson |Housewife |Ross and Cromarty Council of
|Voluntary Service
|Mr. C. Neilson, JP |Self Employed Businessman |Health Board: Lochaber District
| Council: Lochaber Local Health
| Council
|Mrs. S. G. H. Stone |Company Managing Director |Ross and Cromarty District Council
|Mrs. C. Thomson |Housewife |Ross and Cromarty Local Health
|Council
Lanarkshire |Dr. W. Criggie |General Medical Practitioner |Health Board
|Mrs. A. S. Hinshalwood |Housewife |Health Board
|Mr. I. L. Livingstone |Company Consultant |Health Board
|Mr. R. J. Logan, MBE, JP |Farmer |Health Board
|Mr. J. P. Robinson, JP |Retired Regional Councillor |Strathclyde Regional Council
|Mr. J. Thomson, MBE |Assistant Head Teacher |Voluntary Association for Mental
|Health
Lothian |Prof. R. C. B. Aitken |Professor of Rehabilitation Studies |University of Edinburgh
|Mrs. G. Barton |Former Nurse and District Councillor
| District Council
|Mr. J. A. Campbell |Company Scottish Manager
|Mr. R. Findlay |Company Deputy Chairman and Chief |Self
| Executive
|Cllr. Mrs. M. B. M. Knox |District Councillor |Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
|Mr. G. S. Millar |Community Pharmacist |Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain
Orkney |Mr. J. Flett |Solicitor |Health Board
|Mr. E. M. Gibson, MBE |Retired Assistant Headmaster |Health Board
|Captain M. Gunn |Ships Master |CBI
|Mrs. E. B. Kerr |Housewife |Orkney Local Health Council
|Mr. J. Rendall |Sub Postmaster/Postman |Voluntary Services Orkney
|Dr. J. S. Walker |General Medical Practitioner |BME
Shetland |Mr. R. R. Bentley |Airport Fire Service |Health Board: Joint Ophthalmic
| Committee
|Mrs. M. U. Colligan |Retired Teacher |Shetland Islands Council
|Sqd. Ldr. B. P. Gregson |Squadron Leader, RAF |Health Board
|Dr. M. D. Hunter |General Medical Practitioner |BMA
|Mr. R. L. Johnston |Retired Businessman |Health Board
|Miss A. I. Manson |Retail Business Proprietrix |Shetland Islands Council
Tayside |Rev. K. Campbell |Minister of Religion |Health Board
|Mr.D.W.M.DavidsonJP |Pharmacist |Area Pharmaceutical Committee
|Mrs. S. H. Fallon |Housewife |Self
|Mr. R. J. Jarvis |Company Group Chief Executive |Self
|Rev. L. E. Luscombe |Primus of Scottish Episcopal Church |Lord Sanderson
|Prof. R. E. Olver |Hon. Consultant Paediatrician |University of Dundee
Western Isles |Mr. J. H. Downie |Retired Market Gardener/Fisherman |Lewis and Harris Local Health Council
|Mr. W. A. Hay |Retired Sales Director |CBI
|Mrs. C. R. MacAskill |Housewife/Seasonal Tourist Officer |Health Board
|Rev. J. A. MacDonald |Parish Priest |Health Board
|Mr. I. D. MacIver |Bank Manager |Health Board
|Mr. A. Matheson |Pharmacist |Western Isles Island's Council
Steel Industry
Mr. Maxton : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the total job losses in the steel indulstry in Scotland in each financial year since 1978-79.
Mr. Allan Stewart : The information is not available in the form requested. The table shows total annual average employment in the Scottish steel industry, in plants with 11 or more employees, for each year between 1979 and 1989 (the latest year for which data are available).
Employment in steel industry in Scotland 1979-1989 Year |Thousands ------------------------------ 1979 |20.0 1981 |14.9 1982 |13.4 1983 |10.7 1984 |9.5 1985 |9.3 1986 |8.1 1987 |7.4 1988 |7.4 1989 |7.4 Source: Scottish Office Industry Department. Regional Data System.
Nurses' Grading
Mr. Kennedy : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give a breakdwon of the total number of nursing clinical grading appeals already heard at national level, stating how many resulted in an appeal being upheld, rejected or a failure to agree.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : In Scotland 461 appeals have been heard at Scottish appeals committee level ; 150 have been upheld, 167 rejected and in 144 cases the committee failed to reach agreement. In Great Britain 71 appeals from Scotland have been lodged with the Nursing and Midwifery Staffs Negotiating Council and appropriate arrangements for determining their outcome are being made.
Mr. Kennedy : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the average cost associated with a single nursing clinical grading appeal hearing at (a) board level, (b) national level and (c) United Kingdom level.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Information on the average cost of a clinical grading appeal at board, national and United Kingdom level is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Kennedy : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many Scottish nursing clinical grading appeals are currently waiting to be heard at (a) board level, (b)
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national level and (c) United Kingdom level ; and how many appeals have already been completed at each of those levels.Mr. Michael Forsyth : Information on the number of nurse clinical grading appeals currently waiting to be heard and the number of appeals completed at board level is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. At Scottish appeals committee level 1,925 appeals were waiting to be heard and 461 had been completed at 1 March. No information is held on the total number of appeals lodged at United Kingdom level but in Great Britain as at 28 February, 602 appeals were lodged (71 from Scotland) of which eight have been heard (none from Scotland) and 589 are currently waiting to be heard.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Appeals against clinical grading decisions are heard under a complicated and time-consuming procedure agreed by the General Whitley Council and future progress will depend on a number of factors, particularly the availability of people who are suitably qualified to hear appeals. Consequently it is not possible to estimate when nurse grading appeals will be completed. There is no information held centrally on board level appeals. The information available on appeals at Scottish appeals committee level and national (Great Britain) level is as follows :
Number of Appeals Received (Scotland) Number of
|Appeals heard
|(Scotland)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Scottish Appeals Committee |nearly 2,500 |461
Great Britain |71 |None
Column 332
Liver Transplants
Dr. Reid : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to establish a liver transplant facility in Scotland.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Our priority has been to establish a heart transplant unit in Scotland and we expect the first operations to be carried out at the end of this year in Glasgow royal infirmary.
Social Work Supervision Orders
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many persons aged under 16 years were placed on social work supervision orders in (a) Dundee, (b) Tayside and (c) Scotland in each of the past five years for which figures are available.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The numbers of children aged 0-17 years, who were under supervision requirements at 31 March each year, are set out in the table :
|1985 |1986 |1987 |1988 |1989
---------------------------------------------
Dundee |237 |260 |307 |357 |322
Tayside |453 |476 |521 |549 |525
Scotland |8,099|8,582|8,333|8,387|8,533
Secure Accommodation
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many places in secure accommodation there are for persons aged under 16 years in Scotland ; and where they are located.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The information is as follows :
Column 331
Secure Unit |Region |Number of
|Places
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rossie School Montrose |Tayside |25
St. Mary's Kenmure School Glasgow |Strathclyde |24
Kerelaw School Stevenston |Strathclyde |24
Howdenhall Children's Unit Edinburgh |Lothian |5
Rimbleton House Glenrothes |Fife |2
Weedingshall Youth Care Centre, Polmont |Central |2
Closeburn Assessment Centre, Closeburn |Dumfries and Galloway|2
List D Schools
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the numbers of places available in list D schools in Scotland in each of the past 10 years for which figures are available ; and if he will indicate the average occupancy rate of these places in each year.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The list D category was abolished from 1 April 1986. The relevant information up to 1986 is as follows :
Year |Available |Occupancy
|places |rate
|(Per cent.)
------------------------------------------------
1980 |1,509 |86
1981 |1,514 |80
1982 |1,349 |77
1983 |1,203 |79
1984 |1,099 |78
1985 |1,107 |65
1986 |857 |75
The latest information on establishments used by local authorities for residential care after 1986 (including former list D schools) is set out in the statistical bulletin R6/1989 on "Residential Accommodation 1988", a copy of which is in the Library.
Column 333
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the names and locations of list D schools in Scotland which are (a) currently operating and (b) have closed down during the past 10 years.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The list D category was abolished from 1 April 1986, when local authorities assumed full funding responsibility for young people placed in residential care. Such establishments are required to be registered by local authorities. The following former list D schools are still operating : Kibble, Paisley
Wellington, Penicuik
Geilsland, Beith
Oakbank, Aberdeen
Kerelaw, Stevenston
Snowdon, Stirling
St. Mary's Kenmure, Glasgow
Ballikinrain, Glasgow
Balrossie, Kilmacolm
St. Joseph's, Tranent
St. Philip's, Airdrie
St. John's, Glasgow
Balnacraig, Perth
Rossie, Montrose
The following establishments closed since March 1980 : Loaningdale, Biggar
St. Andrew's, Shandon
Dr. Guthrie's Boys, Edinburgh
Dr. Guthrie's Girls, Edinburgh
Langlands Park, Port Glasgow
Dale, Arbroath
Thornly Park, Paisley
Tynepark, Haddington
St. Ninian's, Gartmore
St. John Bosco's Aberdour
Balgowan, Dundee
Balgay, Dundee
Therapy in Schools
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what advice he has given to local education authorities concerning the provision of speech therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and the teaching of dyslexic children in schools ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Speech therapy, physiotherapy and occupational therapy may be special educational needs of children for which education authorities have responsibility under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980. In such cases authorities usually make arrangements for health boards to make the necessary provision. Guidance on the identification, assessment and recording of special educational needs was given in circular 1087 issued on 9 December 1982.
The hon. Gentleman will be aware from the answer I gave him on 27 June 1990 that my Department has commissioned a research study which will offer guidance to teachers about the needs of children with specific learning difficulties. A report is expected in early 1992.
Cancer Screening Unit
Mrs. Ray Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made in supplying a mobile breast cancer screening unit at Woodside place, Glasgow to cover the Argyll and Clyde and Western Isles health boards ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The first mobile unit, operating from Woodside place, Glasgow, began screening women
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