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District Health Authorities (Telecommunications)
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those district health authorities that have not yet submitted their telecommunications strategies for approval and funding.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : All nine Welsh district health authorities have submitted their telecommunications strategies for approval and funding. Funding has been approved for eight authorities. However, further information has been requested from Pembrokeshire health authority.
Column 110
Trunk Road Improvements
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his latest estimate of his Department's spending on trunk road improvements in Wales for each of the next three years, together with the outturn for 1990- 91, and the current planned spending for 1991-92 for such purposes.
Sir Wyn Roberts : As indicated in the Welsh Office departmental report (Cm. 1516), provisional net outturn for motorway and trunk road new construction and improvement in Wales in 1990-91 is £163 million ; planned net expenditure in 1991-92 is £147 million. No firm decisions have been taken on the Secretary of State's allocation of block resources for 1992-93 to 1994-95, though provision for the motorway and trunk road programme in Wales is expected to exceed £550 million during this period.
Environmentally Sensitive Areas
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for each environmentally sensitive area in Wales and for each year of each scheme's existence the number of applicants for entry, the number of applicants accepted for entry, and the number of unsuccessful applicants who have subsequently withdrawn from each scheme.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The information is as follows :
|Applications|Applications|Successful
|received |accepted |applications
|withdrawn
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Cambrian Mountains Original Area
1987 |<1>293 |34
1988 |71 |Nil
1989 |27
1990 |5 |23 |-
Cambrian Mountains Extension
1988 |<1>367 |46
1989 |90 |Nil
1990 |162 |48
Lleyn Peninsula
1988 |210 |84
1989 |101 |180 |Nil
1990 |57 |42
<1> No separate figures available.
Outstanding applications continue to be processed.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total amount paid to farmers under the environmentally sensitive areas scheme in each of the designated areas for the last year for which figures are available.
Mr. David Hunt : Participants in the ESA schemes in the Cambrian mountains original area, Cambrian mountains extended area, and Lleyn peninsula received £477,000, £121,000 and £284,000 respectively in the year ended31 March 1991.
Privatisation
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total sum paid out in fees to outside organisations in the furtherance of privatisation by his Department in 1979-80 and in each following year ; and what is his estimate for 1990-91 and budget for 1991-92.
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Mr. David Hunt : No expenditure was incurred by my Department on privatisation prior to 1988-89.Subsequently, sums were paid in respect of water privatisation. The total sums paid to outside organisations on water privatisation in 1989-90 and 1990-91 were £13.3 million and £0.8 million respectively. Costs incurred in 1991-92 will be reported to Parliament in the usual way.
Press and Public Relations
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total expenditure by his Department on press and public relations in 1979- 80 and in each following year ; and what is his estimate for 1990-91 and budget for 1991-92.
Mr. David Hunt : Figures for expenditure by the Department's information division, including staff and press cutting service but excluding media advertising and promotional material, cannot readily be disaggregated for the years 1979-80 to 1987-88.
Figures for the succeeding years are :
|£
------------------------
1988-89 |469,000
1989-90 |487,000
1990-91 |481,000
Estimated budget for 1991-92 is £529,880.
CIVIL SERVICE
Next Steps" Agencies
38. Mr. Rowe : To ask the Minister for the Civil Service, if he will make a statement on the progress so far achieved by "Next Steps" agencies.
Mr. Renton [pursuant to his reply, 15 April, 1991, c. 37-39] : Good progress is being made in setting up "Next Steps" agencies. This month the number of agencies reached 50 and there are now over 200, 000 staff working on "Next Steps" lines. Announced candidates for agency status total 23 covering over 20,000 further staff. On top of this, the Inland Revenue will establish by April 1992 33 executive offices with nearly 60,000 staff working along "Next Steps" lines. By then I expect half the civil service to be working fully on "Next Steps" lines. The tables attached set out the existing agencies and announced candidates.
"Next Steps" places great importance on improving the delivery of Government services for all customers. The benefits of the programme can be seen from the numbers of improvements and initiatives which agencies are introducing to enable them to provide their customers with a better, more flexible, service. Agencies are increasingly consulting customers about their needs and where possible tailoring services to meet those needs. Each agency publishes its own annual report describing targets set, providing financial information and setting out what has been achieved. Last October the first annual review of "Next Steps" was published (Cm 1261) giving details of the achievements and improved performance of the agencies then established. I will ensure that this year a further review will be published to bring together for the benefit of the House information from these reports on all the agencies and what they are doing to meet the aims of "Next Steps".
Column 112
Demanding financial and quality of service targets are being set and delivered for each agency. They demonstrate very clearly that the initiative is succeeding.
"Next Steps"-
Executive agencies established as of April 1991
|Number
------------------------------------------------------------------
Building Research Establishment |69
Cadw (Welsh Historic Monuments) |22
Central Office of Information<1> |73
Central Veterinary Laboratory |58
Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment<2> |58
Civil Service College |21
Companies House |1,15
Defence Research Agency |11,70
Directorate General of Defence Accounts<2> |2,10
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency |5,45
Driving Standards Agency |2,05
Employment Service |35,60
Forensic Science Service |58
Historic Royal Palaces |30
Historic Scotland |58
Her Majesty's Stationery Office<1> |3,30
Hydrographic Office<2> |88
Information Technology Services Agency |3,35
Insolvency Service |1,45
Intervention Board |91
Laboratory of the Government Chemist |32
Land Registry |10,40
Meteorological Office |2,25
Military Survey<2> |85
National Engineering Laboratory |43
National Physical Laboratory |82
National Weights and Measures Laboratory |5
Natural Resources Institute |39
NHS Estates |12
Occupational Health Service |10
Ordnance Survey |2,50
Patent Office |1,15
Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre |7
Radiocommunications Agency |50
RAF Maintenance<2> |5,70
Rate Collection Agency (Northern Ireland) |28
Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency |32
Registers of Scotland |1,10
Resettlement Agency |51
Royal Mint<1> |1,05
Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency |23
Service Children's Schools (North West Europe)<2> |2,30
Social Security Benefits Agency |68,00
Social Security Contributions Agency |6,60
Training and Employment Agency (Northern Ireland) |1,70
United Kingdom Passport Agency |1,20
Vehicle Certification Agency |7
Vehicle Inspectorate<1> |1,65
Veterinary Medicines Directorate |7
Warren Spring Laboratory |32
|-------
50 in number |183,46
Customs and Excise<3> (30 executive units) |26,80
|-------
|210,260
<1>Trading funds.
<2>Defence Support Agency. Figure does not include service
personnel.
<3>Moving towards full operation on "Next Steps" lines following
publication of framework documents.
Staffing figures are based on staff in post on 1 October 1990.
"Next Steps"-activities announced by Departments as under
consideration as of April 1991
|Number
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
ADAS Agency |2,500
Agricultural Scientific Services<1> |130
Central Science Laboratory |340
Central Statistical Office |1,050
Chessington Computer Centre |440
Child Support Agency<2> |Not yet known
Fire Service College<1> |200
Fuel Suppliers Branch |30
Medicines Safety Division<1> |350
Pesticide Safety Division<1> |160
Planning Inspectorate |570
Pollution Inspectorate |230
Property Holdings |1,650
Public Record Office |430
RAF Training<3> |2,500
Royal Parks |600
Teachers' Pensions Branch |300
The Buying Agency<4> |120
Transport Road Research Laboratory<1> |580
Valuation Office |5,250
Youth Treatment Service |210
Ordnance Survey (Northern Ireland) |200
Social Security Operations (Northern Ireland) |5,000
23 in number |22,840
Inland Revenue<5> (excluding Valuation Office) |59,800
|82,640
<1> Current staffing figures.
<2> From 1 April 1993 the agency is estimated to require 4,500 staff, 1,
500 of which will come from the Social Security Benefits Agency.
<3> Defence Support Agency. Figure does not include service personnel.
<4> Trading fund.
<5> Moving towards full operation on "Next Steps" lines in accordance with
the action plan of February 1991: 33 executive offices by April 1992, each
with a framework document, sharper accountabilities and wider managerial
freedoms.
Notes:
Staffing figures are based on staff in post 1 October 1990, except where
specified.
Many other areas are under consideration.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Passport Control Checks
Mr. George : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what passport control checks will be applied to EC nationals entering the United Kingdom after 1992.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : We intend to retain immigration controls on non-EC nationals. In order to ensure that these controls are effective, we believe that it will be necessary to require EC nationals to show their passports or other identity documents.
Regional Scientific Advisers
Mr. Bill Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for each civil defence region (a) the number of regional scientific advisers other than the chief regional scientific adviser, (b) the number of regional scientific adviser appointments that are currently vacant, (c) the average age of the regional scientific advisers other than the chief regional scientific adviser and (d) the amounts paid to regional scientific advisers other than the chief regional scientific adviser in each of the last five years in the form of salary, retainer and expenses.
Mr. John Patten : The Home Office has responsibility for appointing regional scientific advisers (RSAs) for the nine home defence regions in England and Wales. The Scottish Home and Health Department and Northern Ireland Office have similar responsibilities for their own home defence regions.
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RSAs are not paid either a salary or a retainer as part of their civil defence duties. They are paid expenses in the form of professional lecturing fees together with costs for travel and subsistence in the course of their civil defence activities. With the exception of No. 5 region, each of the regions in England and Wales has a wartime operational scientific establishment of four RSAs. No. 5 region has only three. There are currently 43 RSAs appointed by the Home Office who in time of war could be assigned to any of the Home Defence regions ; there are no vacancies for the wartime operational establishment.The average ages of RSAs by region are given intable A. Aggregated figures for lecturing fees, subsistence and travel over the past five years are given in table B. Figures for individual regions and RSAs could be obtained only at disproportionate costs.
Table A
|Number of |Average age
|RSAs
-------------------------------------------------------------
Region 2: North East |4 |56
Region 3: East Midlands |3 |62
Region 4: East |5 |63
Region 5: Greater London |5 |63
Region 6: South East |7 |62
Region 7: South West |4 |70
Region 8: Wales |3 |61
Region 9: West Midlands |5 |58
Region 10: North West |7 |58
|-- |--
Total |43 |60
Table B
Travel and subsistence/professional fee
|Travel |Subsistence|Total
|£ |£ |£
------------------------------------------------------------
1986-87 |14,458 |42,416 |56,874
1987-88 |17,068 |46,933 |64,001
1988-89 |24,193 |44,777 |68,970
1989-90 |19,007 |50,741 |69,748
1990-91 |<1>- |<1>- |70,515
<1> Separate figures for travel and subsistence not yet
available.
Police Time (Witnesses)
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if any consideration has been given to transferring the cost of police time spent on duty as witnesses in court proceedings from the Home Office vote to the vote of the Lord Chancellor's office ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : No. A police officer giving evidence in court is acting in pursuance of the general duty of the police to preserve law and order. We have no plans to alter the present arrangements.
Animal Experiments
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make it his policy to remove the exemptions which are currently allowed as part of the January 1990 regulations to oblige laboratories to buy only specifically bred cats and dogs from registered suppliers.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : Where animals of a species specified in schedule 2 to the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, which includes cats and dogs, are
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not obtainable from designated sources, requests to obtain such animals from non-designated sources will continue to be considered on a case-by-case basis.Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Pollok (Mr. Dunnachie) of 11 March, Official Report, column 335, what evidence he has received from the Medical Research Council on alleged deliberate breaches of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : We received a number of documents on 16 April from the Medical Research Council and we are now considering them.
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will instruct inspectors not to allow any dispensation from the requirements of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, in the light of the Medical Research Council report on Professor Feldberg ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : The Medical Research Council inquiry report alleged that a dispensation was agreed at the National Institute for Medical Research, with the approval of the Home Office inspector, which allowed Professor Feldberg and Mr. Stean to leave anaesthetised animals undergoing procedures unattended for short periods. We have been assured by the director of NIMR that it was at the time and remains NIMR policy that under no circumstances must such animals be left unattended. The inspectorate did not give any dispensation to override these local instructions, nor would such a dispensation be given at any establishment.
Advertising
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give separate figures for the spending by the Metropolitan Police on (a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) newspaper advertising and (d) other promotional material in 1979-80 and in each following year ; and what are his latest estimates for 1990-91 and budgets for 1991-92.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I understand from the deputy commissioner that expenditure by the Metropolitan police on all forms of recruitment and other advertising and other promotional material in each financial year since 1979-80 is as follows--it is not possible to give separate spending figures for the years prior to 1987-88 :
-
|£
------------------------------
1979-80 |759,000
1980-81 |967,000
1981-82 |1,062,000
1982-83 |1,028,000
1983-84 |1,675,000
1984-85 |1,747,000
1985-86 |1,868,000
1986-87 |2,269,000
|Television |Radio |Newspaper |Other
|advertising|advertising|advertising|promotional
|literature
|£ |£ |£ |£
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1987-88 |- |3,000 |1,722,000 |1,111,000
1988-89 |- |6,000 |1,881,000 |1,258,000
1989-90 |472,000 |15,000 |1,660,000 |663,000
<1>1990-91 |683,000 |59,000 |978,000 |1,402,000
<2>1991-92 |313,000 |75,000 |1,466,000 |1,550,000
<1> Estimated outturn.
<2> Budget estimate.
Press and Public Relations
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total expenditure by his Department on press and public relations in 1979-80 and in each following year ; and what is his estimate for 1990-91 and budget for 1991-92.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : The full cost of staff, accommodation and administration for the Home Office press office from 1979-80 to 1989-90 was :
|£
------------------------
1979-80 |283,140
1980-81 |392,532
1981-82 |381,799
1982-83 |424,290
1983-84 |516,362
1984-85 |560,512
1985-86 |606,996
1986-87 |548,136
1987-88 |599,282
1988-89 |674,945
1989-90 |715,646
Notes:
The estimated cost for
1990-91 is £786,519.
The budget for 1991-92
is £882,582.
1. Figures supplied
before 1986-87 were the
costs estimated by the
Treasury. After
devolved budgeting in
1986 the estimates are
based on Home Office
costs.
2. Press office figures
include the costs for
staff, accommodation
and administration
costs.
Privatisation
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total sum paid out in fees to outside organisations in the furtherance of privatisation by his Department in 1979-80 and in each following year ; and what is his estimate for 1990-91 and budget for 1991- 92.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : For information up to 1989-90, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the then Home Secretary on 15 March 1990, at column 358. In 1990-91 payments in respect of expenses in furtherance of privatisation of the Independent Broadcasting Authority transmission system are expected to be £767,000. The costs of the current privatisation of the IBA, including fees paid to advisers, will be reported to Parliament after the sale is completed.
Victim Support Schemes
Miss Lestor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide financial support to victim support schemes in Manchester, after June ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. John Patten : Home Office grant for local victim support schemes will rise to £5.4 million this year from £4.5 million last year, an increase of 20 per cent. Last
Column 117
year's grant of £328,910 to schemes in Greater Manchester area, mainly for co-ordinators' salaries, is also expected to increase. In addition, the criteria under which grants are administered have been changed for this year to allow running costs as well as salaries to be funded in schemes which would otherwise be at risk of closure because of withdrawal of local authority funding.HEALTH
Dentures
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will now disclose the full findings relating solely to the supply of dentures to the public reported to the then Minister for Health following the inquiry carried out by the Office of Fair Trading from 1983 to 1985.
Mr. Dorrell : The Director General of Fair Trading wrote to my right hon. and learned Friend the then Minister for Health on 20 June 1985 following allegations by the Association for Denture Prosthesis that dentists were abusing their monopoly through high prices and profits from the supply of private dentures and that the quality of treatment would improve if dental technicians were allowed to take impressions and fit dentures--a practice called "denturism". In his letter the director general said :
"Denturism appears to have reduced the cost of dentures, including those provided by dentists, in countries without a National Health Service. However, in the United Kingdom the office's survey suggests that dentures can be obtained readily on the NHS although it may be necessary to change dentists, especially in London and the South East, in order to do this. The price is closely controlled by the DHSS and there is no evidence that dentists are making monopoly profits on providing them. It seems unlikely that denturists providing facilities to see patients could provide them much more cheaply. Against any savings would need to be set the cost of additional training for denturists if this was provided at public expense. In general therefore I am reasonably satisfied that the NHS provides a competitive alternative to private treatment, and I see little justification for the introduction of denturism on economic grounds. We did not assess the arguments about health care and quality of service but found little to suggest they would strengthen the case for denturism in the United Kingdom in present circumstances."
NHS (Highest Paid Employees)
Mr. Ralph Howell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list in order the top 10 highest paid employees within the national health service, stating the name of the health authority and the salary in each case.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : No. Details of payments awarded to individual NHS employees are a confidential matter between employer and employee.
Privatisation
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total sum paid out in fees to outside organisations in the furtherance of privatisation by his Department in 1979-80 and in each following year ; and what is his estimate for 1990-91 and budget for 1991-92.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : No expenditure prior to 1986-87 has been identified. Expenditure in 1986-87 and subsequent years has been incurred for work by
Column 118
professional advisors on the sale of the General Practice Finance Corporation. The expenditure for each year is as follows :
|£
------------------------
1986-87 |23,000
1987-88 |37,800
1988-89 |174,621
1989-90 |414,000
1990-91 |Nil
All expenditure up to and including 1988-89 has been from a joint health and social security budget.
There are no plans for any expenditure in 1991-92.
Advertising
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give separate figures for the spending by the HEA/HEC on (a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) newspaper advertising and (d) other promotional material in 1979-80 and in each following year ; and what are his latest estimates for 1990-91 and budgets for 1991-92.
Mr. Dorrell : This information is not held centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact Sir Donald Maitland, the chairman of the Health Education Authority, for details.
Press and Public Relations
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total expenditure by his Department on press and public relations in 1979- 80 and in each following year ; and what is his estimate for 1990-91 and budget for 1991-92.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Functions which are commonly associated with press and public relations are carried out by the Department's information division, the manpower and running costs of which are :
&
|£'000s
--------------------------------------
1989-90
Expenditure |890
1990-91
Estimated expenditure |1,279
1991-92
Budget |1,527
Information for the years 1979-80 to 1987-88 is not available in the form requested.
NHS Trusts
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the salaries and pension entitlements of (a) the chairpersons, (b) the deputy chairpersons, (c) the chief executive or manager, (d) the other executive directors and (e) the non-executive directors of each national health service self-governing trust in the period to 31 March 1991 and in the year 1991-92.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : On the question of the remuneration of NHS trust chairmen, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the Member for Sheffield,
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Brightside (Mr. Blunkett) on 25 January at column 356. All other non executive directors of NHS trusts are remunerated at a standard rate of £5,000 per annum. Remuneration is taxable and subject to national insurance contributions, but is not pensionable. The salaries and pension entitlements of NHS trust chief executives and other executive directors are matters for the individual trust boards.Health Authorities (VAT Increase)
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what will be the cost to health authorities in 1991-92 of the increase in the rate of VAT to 17.5 per cent.
Mr. Dorrell : Health authorities have been asked to provide information to enable us to estimate additional costs following the increase in the standard rate of VAT. Adjustments will be made to health authority provision to reflect these costs.
General Practitioner Fundholders
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the total sum of money paid out in start-up and preparation costs for general practitioner fundholders in the financial year 1990-91 ; and if he will provide such estimates for each of the NHS regions.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The table provides the estimated expenditure, during 1990-91, on GP fundholding preparatory allowance broken down by regional health authority. Information on other payments made to potential fundholders is not available as it is not separately identifiable.
Region |Estimated
|total
|expenditure
|1990-91
------------------------------------------
Northern |464,000
Yorkshire |558,481
Trent |438,518
East Anglia |157,353
North West Thames |396,640
North East Thames |186,317
South East Thames |254,000
South West Thames |347,417
Wessex |233,200
Oxford |401,480
South-Western |300,228
West Midlands |450,000
Mersey |335,999
North-Western |312,754
|-------
Total |4,372,387
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what would be the cost of making financial transactions internal to the NHS as a result of contracts and general practitioner budgets subject to VAT at the standard rate ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : The information requested is not available.
Grove Park Children's Home
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish the report of the social services inspectorate into Grove Park children's home, Southwark ; and if he will make a statement.
Column 120
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The social services inspectorate report into residential child care services in Southwark has been received by the Department and is being considered. It is expected that the report will be published shortly.
Inter-Authority Comparisons and Consultancy
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the full report of the Inter-Authority Comparisons and Consultancy is now available for 1990-91 ; whether this consultancy is to continue in 1991-92, what estimate has been made of the cost ; and what is its programme of work for 1991-92.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Inter-Authority Comparisons and Consultancy (IACC) expects to publish its full report in the summer. A copy will be placed in the Library. In 1991-92 IACC will be working on the reduction of waiting time in the West Midlands region. As announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 27 February, we have engaged Qa Business Services to carry forward studies of 80 of the worst lists in 1991 -92 ; £9 million will be available from the waiting list fund to finance the team's recommendations.
Waiting List Initiative
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list all the schemes agreed for funding from the waiting list initiative fund from the £12 million reserved for Inter-Authority Comparisons and Consultancy recommendations.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The districts and specialties examined by Inter-Authority Comparisons and Consultancy and the funding allocated from the waiting list fund is given in the table.
Schemes which received funding from the £12 million reserved from
the waiting list fund to finance the recommendations of
Inter-Authority Comparisons and Consultancy in 1990-91
District and specialty list |Fund allocated
|£
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aylesbury
Plastic surgery |35,000
Barking, Havering and Brentwood
General surgery |167,000
Trauma and orthopaedics |120,000
ENT |51,000
Oral surgery |100,000
Basildon and Thurrock
General surgery |500,000
Plastic surgery |50,000
Bath
Trauma and orthopaedics |283,000
Bloomsbury
Trauma and orthopaedics |267,000
ENT |212,000
Plastic surgery |43,000
Bolton
General surgery |156,000
Bradford
ENT |86,000
Plastic surgery |95,000
Brighton
Trauma and orthopaedics |200,000
Bristol and Weston
General surgery |242,000
Central Manchester
Ophthalmology |29,000
Trauma and orthopaedics |125,000
City and Hackney
ENT |34,000
Dartford and Gravesham
ENT |37,000
Dudley
Plastic surgery |179,000
Durham
General surgery |56,000
East Berkshire
Plastic surgery |59,000
East Cumbria
General surgery |121,000
East Suffolk
Trauma and orthopaedics |260,000
Greenwich
General surgery |111,000
Hastings
Trauma and orthopaedics |250,000
Hillingdon
Trauma and orthopaedics |160,000
Hounslow
ENT |48,000
Hull
Urology |106,000
ENT |50,000
Kettering
General surgery |219,000
Trauma and orthopaedics |488,000
Kingston and Esher
Ophthalmology |396,000
Leicestershire
Plastic surgery |134,000
Lewisham and North Southwark
General surgery |375,000
Trauma and orthopaedics |200,000
ENT |16,000
Medway
General surgery |17,000
Mid Downs
General surgery |102,000
Trauma and orthopaedics |174,000
Newcastle
Plastic surgery |143,000
North Devon
General surgery |60,000
North East Essex
General surgery |250,000
North Staffordshire
General surgery |50,000
Trauma and orthopaedics |410,000
Gynaecology |50,000
North Warwickshire
Plastic surgery |160,000
North West Surrey
Trauma and orthopaedics |218,000
Norwich
General surgery |55,000
Trauma and orthopaedics |266,000
Plastic surgery |89,000
Nottingham
Plastic surgery |142,000
Oldham
General surgery |216,000
Preston
Plastic surgery |12,000
Richmond, Twickenham and Roehampton
Plastic surgery |255,000
Salisbury
Plastic surgery |288,000
Sheffield
Trauma and orthopaedics |492,000
Shropshire
General surgery |382,000
Trauma and orthopaedics |350,000
Somerset
Trauma and orthopaedics |114,000
Southampton
Trauma and orthopaedics |211,000
South Manchester
Plastic surgery |200,000
Tower Hamlets
Trauma and orthopaedics |25,000
Oral surgery |25,000
Waltham Forest
ENT |82,000
West Essex
General surgery |32,000
Trauma and orthopaedics |221,000
West Lancashire
Trauma and orthopaedics |294,000
West Surrey and North East Hampshire
General surgery |50,000
Trauma and orthopaedics |100,000
Ophthalmology |143,000
Winchester
Trauma and orthopaedics |179,000
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he proposes to produce a detailed report on the expenditures from the waiting list initiative showing each project approved, together with its outcome.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : We do not intend to publish a detailed report on all the projects which have received funding under the waiting time initiative. Allocations from
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the waiting list fund are made to regional health authorities (RHAs) which use the funds in a variety of ways, with the common objective of reducing the number of patients who wait over one year for hospital treatment. Allocations to RHAs for 1990-91 are shown in the table. In the first half of that year, the total number of patients waiting over one year fell by 2 per cent. and the number waiting over two years fell by 12 per cent. Provisional figures indicate a further fall in the five months to February 1991 of 12 per cent. in the number waiting over one year and 21 per cent. in the number waiting over two years.
Waiting list fund-allocations to regions
|1990-91<1>
|(£ million)
------------------------------------------
Northern |1.798
Yorkshire |2.017
Trent |2.923
East Anglian |1.135
North West Thames |1.690
North East Thames |3.808
South East Thames |2.738
South West Thames |2.138
Wessex |2.024
Oxford |1.638
South Western |1.546
West Midlands |4.472
Mersey |1.515
North Western |2.860
SHAs |0.200
|-------
Total |£33 million
<1> Includes allocations from the £12
million set aside for the 100 longest
specialty waiting lists in the country.
Auditing of Accounts
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health who has the responsibility for the audit of national health service self-governing trusts and general practitioner fundholders accounts ; and whether these accounts will be available to hon. Members.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The Audit Commission has the responsibility for appointing the auditors of the accounts of general practitioner fundholders. A summary of these accounts is included in family health services authority's accounts which are submitted to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. There has never been a requirement that these should be published and we do not propose to introduce such a change.
The Audit Commission is also responsible for appointing the auditors of the accounts of national health service trusts. NHS trusts are required to present their annual reports, audited accounts and any report on those accounts made by the auditor at a public meeting which the trust is required to hold in every calendar year except the year in which it becomes operational. These reports will also be available to hon. Members.
Anti-cancer Drugs
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the cost per head of population in 1990 in each standard health region of general practitioner prescribed anti-cancer drugs such as boplatin and interleukin ; and what were the hospital allocations of such drugs in each national health service health region in 1990-91.
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Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Information is not held centrally on the hospital allocations of such drugs. Information on the cost of general practitioner prescribed anti-cancer drugs could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance has been given to purchasing authorities about making provision for the cost of anti-cancer drugs in placing contracts ; and what agency is responsible for monitoring the results of any such guidance.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Guidance about contracts has not been given to purchasing authorities in that level of detail.
Child Cancer
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what conclusions he has reached, and what research is being undertaken, on the possibility of links between water supply from ground and river sources and the increased incidence of child cancer.
Mr. Dorrell : The numerous published studies of cancer rates in relation to the type of source of drinking water do not point to an association for childhood cancers.
The Department is not aware of any current or proposed research in the United Kingdom on this hypothesis.
Inter-Authority Comparisons and Consultancy
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health which of the recommendations of Inter-Authority Comparisons and Consultancy with regard to the Newcastle plastic surgery waiting list have been acted on ; with what result ; and at what cost.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : As recommended by Inter-Authority Comparisons and Consultancy (IACC), Newcastle district health authority employed a locum consultant in plastic surgery for nine months in 1990-91 to undertake additional in-patient, day case and out-patient sessions. This scheme received an allocation of £143,000 from the £12 million reserved for problem lists from the waiting list fund. The district has met the requirements of its contract with IACC. Between April 1990 and March 1991 it reduced the numbers waiting over a year for in-patient and day case plastic surgery by 565 and has treated an additional 422 in-patients and day cases, and 400 out-patients.
Health Authorities (Discharge Procedures)
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will arrange for the reports of health authorities on their discharge procedures as per HC(89)5 together with the subsequent comments and action of regional health authorities and his own Department to be placed in the Library.
Mr. Dorrell : Information about action taken by district health authorities is not available centrally, since they were asked to report to their regional health authorities. Action by special health authorities is being followed up through the quality control and business planning process. Business plans will be published in due course.
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Work-related Health Problems
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has on the number of health authorities who have staff in post specifically to advise, instruct and inform on preventable work- related health problems such as repetitive strain injury ; what guidance his Department offers health authorities on this point ; and what steps he is taking to review the results of the guidance he has given.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Each health authority is responsible for ensuring the health, safety and welfare of its employees at work and will be guided by particular advice issued by the Health and Safety Executive. The Department has issued guidance on the establishment of occupational health services generally, but does not collect information on the number of health authority staff deployed on such services.
Abortion
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health in how many cases of breaches of the Abortion Act 1967 and regulations relating to abortion his Department has referred the cases to the legal authorities in the last 12 months ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : None.
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