| Previous Section | Home Page |
Births
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish figures showing the number of (a) twins, (b) triplets, (c) quadruplets, (d) quintuplets and (e) sextuplets born in England and Wales in 1990 ; what was the total number of maternities in that year ; and what was the total number of multiple cases of each type which were conceived as a result of (i) IVF, (ii) GIFT and (iii) other forms of assisted births.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : In 1990, there were 701,130 maternities in England and Wales. These included :
$
|Numbers
------------------------------------
Twins |7,934
Triplets |201
Quadruplets |10
Quintuplets or over |0
|---
Total number of
maternities with
multiple births |8,145
Data on the number of births which occurred following IVF, GIFT or other procedures to assist conception are not yet available.
Female Circumcision
Miss Lestor : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he is going to issue new interdepartmental guidelines on inter-agency working in cases of child protection, with special reference to female genital mutilation.
Mr. Dorrell : Guidelines on inter-agency working in cases of child protection are to be issued under the title of "Working Together" in Autumn 1991. This will draw attention to the Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act 1985.
Column 427
Manchester Hospital Trusts
Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on further plans for changes in the provision of services and jobs within the opted-out hospitals in central and south Manchester ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : National health service trusts in central and south Manchester will ensure that they respond to priorities set by district health authorities and fund holders.
Health Care, London
Ms. Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he received a copy of a report published by the Health Economics Consortium at York university called a "Review of the Evidence of Higher Costs of Health Care Provision in Inner London and a Consideration of Implications for Competitiveness."
Mr. Dorrell : We received a copy of this report on 24 April from the Inner London Health Authorities Group who commissioned it. We are studying it carefully and will be discussing any implications with the Thames regional health authorities.
Regional Health Authorities (Expenditure)
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the expenditure by each regional health authority in each year since 1978- 79 in cash terms and adjusted for changes in input unit costs.
Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 16 April 1991] : Tables showing the total revenue and total capital expenditure by regional health authorities for the years since 1978-79 have been placed in the Library.
The figures for RHAs are influenced by the extent to which they directly manage and account for services, including capital schemes ; the balance of such responsibility between the RHA and the district health authorities comprising each region varies from one region to another and has been subject to changes over the period. Additional tables showing expenditure by health regions--RHAs and DHAs--have therefore been provided.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Doncaster Office
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many items of post are outstanding currently at his Department's offices in the Doncaster area ;
(2) what are his current plans to alter the structure and staffing levels of his Department's offices in the Doncaster area ; (3) how many staff are employed and at what level in each of his Department's offices covering the Doncaster area ; and what were the comparable figures (a) 12 months ago and (b) 24 months ago.
Miss Widdecombe : The administration of social security benefits is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.
Column 428
Pensioners, Plaistow
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners in the E6 and E13 postal districts served by the Plaistow office have not received pensions for up to five or more weeks due to non- receipt of pension books ; and if he will make a statement concerning the visit of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Maidstone (Miss Widdecombe), to the office on 30 April.
Miss Widdecombe : The information is not available in the form requested, since local social security offices do not keep statistical records of delay in issuing instruments of payment. When this problem occurs, it is dealt with on an individual basis. The manager of the Plaistow office is aware of a number of cases of non-receipt of new order books in time for the next pay day. I visited Newham district, which comprises the offices at Stratford, Plaistow and Canning Town, on 30 April. I saw the problems associated with accommodation in the district. The situation is being addressed urgently and a number of options are being pursued to improve the service to our customers.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Language Studies
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to ensure that French or German will continue to be offered in primary schools after the modern language option in primary B. Ed courses in Northern Ireland has been discontinued.
Dr. Mawhinney : Language studies is not a compulsory area of study within the common curriculum at primary level ; it is, therefore, a matter for schools to decide whether to offer a modern language to their pupils.
The proportion of primary schools which teach French is small and there is no evidence that this provision is constrained by a shortage of teachers. The Department of Education for Northern Ireland is not aware of German being offered by any primary schools ; nor was this language available as an option in the B.Ed.
The Department has recently established a working group on modern languages, which will prepare programmes of study and attainment targets for key stages 3 and 4. It is expected that the working group will offer comment on the introduction of modern languages at earlier stages.
Northern Ireland Electricity
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he will publish details of regulations and licences to cover generators, transmission, distribution and supply and the grid code for successor companies to Northern Ireland Electricity.
Mr. Needham : I expect to be able to place preliminary drafts of licences for the generation, transmission and supply of electricity in the Libraries of both Houses and in the Assembly Vote Office at Stormont before the end of June 1991. Details of a grid code will be available later in the year.
Column 429
Limavady-Aghinaloo Road
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects work to begin on upgrading the road between Limavady and the industrial site at Aghinaloo.
Mr. Needham : No proposals exist for such upgrading.
Fair Employment
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the names of the executive directors in each of the four area health and social services boards ; whether their appointments comply with the provisions of the fair employment guidelines ; if these appointments reflect the religious breakdown of the work forces in their respective areas ; and if he will make a statement about the proportion of Protestants employed by the area health and social services boards.
Mr. Hanley : The names of the officer members of each health and social services board, appointed to date, are as follows : Eastern board :
Mr. P. G. Kinder
Mr. I. R. Reid
Northern board :
Mr. D. D. Smyth
Mr. R. S. Ross
Miss M. S. Irwin
Mr. J. S. MacDonnell
Miss E. M. McNair
Dr. J. D. Watson
Southern board :
Mr. J. E. Lamb
Mr. B. P. Cunningham
Mr. R. Blair
Mr. M. Doris
Dr. P. Kilbane
Mr. F. A. Rice
Mr. T. J. Frawley
Mr. S. Cuddy
Mr. D. Burke
Dr. W. W. McConnell
Column 430
Members of health and social services boards are holders of an office ; in that capacity they do not act as officers or employees of the boards, and their appointments as members of the boards do not fall within the scope of the Fair Employment Acts 1976 and 1989. As for their capacity as officers--that is, as employees--of the boards, I am satisfied that the procedures for appointment are such that any appointments since 1976 have been made with due and proper regard for the law relating to fair employment.With regard to the request for a statement on the proportion of Protestants employed by the boards, I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the recent publication by the Fair Employment Commission, "A Profile of the Workforce in Northern Ireland : A Survey of the 1990 Monitoring Returns", copies of which are in the Library. This shows that the employees of the four health and social services boards were composed of 50.9 per cent. Protestants, 39.3 per cent. Roman Catholic and 9.8 per cent. non-determined. Excluding those for whom a community was not determined, the proportion of Protestants was 56.5 per cent.
Strip Searches
Mr. McNamara : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will detail the number of strip searches made on female persons in Her Majesty's prison Maghaberry monthly since May 1990, giving the number of persons involved and the number of times each person was searched ; if any prison contraband, smuggled item, or illegal correspondence was discovered in any search, indicating which items ; in how many cases prisoners refused to be searched and had to be restrained while the search was being conducted ; and what were the reasons for the search.
Dr. Mawhinney : Details of the number of, and reasons for, strip searches of female prisoners in Her Majesty's prison Maghaberry from December 1989 to May 1990 were provided on 4 July 1990, at columns 601-4 . The statistics from June 1990 to March 1991 are as follows :
Column 429
1990 1991
Number of searches |June |July |August |September |October |November |December |January |February |March
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total number of searches carried out 27 28 25 37 56 39 37 21 16 37
Total number of inmates searched |19 |22 |17 |26 |31 |21 |21 |15 |16 |27
Number of prisoners searched
once |13 |17 |9 |18 |23 |15 |13 |10 |16 |18
Number of prisoners searched
twice |5 |4 |8 |6 |7 |4 |6 |4 |nil |8
Number of prisoners searched
more than twice |1 |1 |nil |2 |1 |2 |2 |1 |nil |1
Reasons for search
First admission on remand/ |11 |7 |4 |7 |13 |7 |2 |4 |4 |10
awaiting trial
First admission on sentence/final |5 |12 |13 |13 |15 |14 |8 |7 |5 |15
discharge
Attending remand court |nil |nil |nil |nil |1 |nil |nil |nil |nil |nil
Attending trial |nil |nil |nil |nil |nil |nil |1 |1 |nil |nil
Inter-prison visit |3 |2 |nil |5 |1 |2 |7 |4 |3 |5
Pre-release home leave |7 |7 |6 |9 |4 |3 |8 |2 |3 |2
Compassionate home leave |nil |nil |nil |nil |nil |nil |nil |nil |nil |nil
Visits to outside hospital |nil |nil |nil |nil |nil |nil |2 |nil |nil |nil
Returning from bail application |nil |nil |nil |nil |nil |nil |nil |nil |nil |nil
Attendance at court for bail |nil |nil |nil |nil |nil |nil |nil |nil |1 |nil
Fines paid |1 |nil |nil |nil |nil |nil |nil |2 |nil |nil
Working out scheme |nil |nil |nil |2 |19 |13 |9 |nil |nil |nil
Bail granted |nil |nil |2 |1 |3 |nil |nil |1 |nil |5
No prohibited article was found during these searches and no prisoner refused to be searched.
Column 431
Births
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish figures showing the number of (a) twins, (b) triplets, (c) quadruplets, (d) quintuplets and (e) sextuplets born in Northern Ireland in 1990 ; what was the total number of maternities in Northern Ireland for that year ; and what was the total number of multiple cases of each type which were conceived as a result of (i) IVF, (ii) GIFT and (iii) other forms of assisted births.
Mr. Hanley : The information on multiple births and maternities will be included in the Registrar General's annual report which will be published in June 1992. However, figures will be available in unpublished form by the end of May 1991 and I will send a copy to the hon. Member when they are available. In 1990, seven sets of twins and two sets of triplets were conceived following IVF treatment. There were no multiple births resulting from other forms of specialist infertility treatments.
Press and Public Relations Staff
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give for each year from 1979-80, including 1991-92, the number of staff actually employed on 1 April and the full complement of staff, including vacant posts in the press and public relations office of his Department.
Dr. Mawhinney [holding answer 26 April 1991] : It would require disproportionate time and cost to provide data on staff complements from 1979.
The available information including vacant posts is as follows :
|Staff |Staff in post
|complement |as at 1 April
--------------------------------------------------------
1989-90 |52 |50
1990-91 |61 |54
1991-92 |60 |58
Column 432
WALES
Press and Public Relations
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give for each year from 1979-80, including 1991-92, the number of staff actually employed on 1 April and the full complement of staff including vacant posts in the press and public relations office of the Welsh Development Agency.
Mr. David Hunt : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave him on Wednesday 1 May 1991.
Prefabricated Reinforced Concrete Houses
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the 10 Welsh housing authorities which share the £4.29 million for prefabricated reinforced concrete houses ; how much each received for which purposes ; and how many prefabricated reinforced concrete houses are involved in each housing authority.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett [holding answer 3 May 1991] : The 10 authorities which share the additional allocation are shown as follows, together with the amounts made available, and the numbers of precast concrete houses in each authority's area.
The additional resources are mainly to help homeowners who are eligible for assistance under the housing defects legislation. The allocation for Glyndwr and Port Talbot is to assist in dealing with particular difficulties over system built houses in their own stock. The additional funds are allocated against ongoing reinstatement programmes and not specific dwellings.
Column 431
Stock of PRC Houses (at 1 April 1989)<1>
|LA stock |Private sector|Total |Additional
|allocation
|£
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brecknock |228 |28 |256 |120,000
Cardiff |172 |16 |188 |500,000
Ceredigion |146 |34 |180 |400,000
Dinefwr |143 |29 |172 |150,000
Glyndwr |191 |21 |212 |66,000
Monmouth |529 |260 |789 |1,200,000
Newport |166 |177 |343 |750,000
Port Talbot |650 |80 |730 |500,000
Ogwr |774 |142 |916 |175,000
Swansea |1,343 |29 |1,372 |430,000
<1> Latest available verified information.
Wool
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement concerning his assessment of the prospects in 1991 and 1992 for the Welsh wool-producing sector of agriculture.
Mr. David Hunt : Returns in Wales from wool production form, on average, 4 to 6 per cent. of individual producers' total returns from sheep farming. Prospects for wool producers thus depend on a range of factors, including market prices and input costs. Prices for finished lambs in 1991 so far have been following the usual seasonal trend and prices for British wool, although weak,
Column 432
have shown some improvement in recent sales. In addition, Welsh sheep farmers enjoy significant financial support through the EC sheep regime and hill livestock compensatory allowances. This support, which takes account of both market prices and income levels, is estimated to total some £96 million in 1990.Craft Industry
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the funding of the craft industry in Wales by the Welsh Office, the Welsh Development Agency and the Development Board for Rural Wales respectively.
Column 433
Mr. David Hunt : The Welsh Development Agency and Development Board for Rural Wales contribute a grant to the Wales Craft Council, employ craft business advisers and undertake a range of marketing activities. Also, craft producers are able to apply for a range of general grants, loans and business services offered by the agencies. The development board estimates support will amount to more than £220,000 in the current financial year. WDA support is estimated at £518, 500. Craftspeople may also apply for the services and grants offered by the Welsh Office.Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement concerning the extent of any public funding of the Wales Craft Council for 1991-92, including any conditions upon which such funding will be based.
Mr. David Hunt : The Welsh Development Agency and the Development Board for Rural Wales have agreed to provide a total of £40,000 a year for two years to the Wales Craft Council to cover specific activities. The funding will be subject to normal conditions.
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place in the Library a copy of the report which he received recently from the Welsh Development Agency concerning the craft industry in Wales.
Mr. David Hunt : I have received no such report. I have, however, received an evaluation of the craft initiative, prepared by my Department in consultation with the Welsh Development Agency, among others, and I have placed a copy of this in the Library.
Births
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish figures for 1990 showing the estimated percentage of women delivering in Wales whose deliveries were (a) spontaneous, including abnormal presentation of head and breech spontaneous, (b) instrumental, including forceps, vacuum and breech extractions, (c) caesarean section and (d) other and unspecified means.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : The information requested is not yet available for 1990. Figures for 1989 are given in the table.
Estimated percentages of hospital deliveries by
type of delivery:
Wales 1989
Type of delivery |Estimated
|percentage
---------------------------------------------------
Spontaneous |80.0
Instrumental |7.0
Caesarean |13.0
Note: The information is based on OPCS 4th
revision codes for the classification of surgical
operations and procedures which were introduced in
1988.
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish figures for 1990 showing the estimated percentage of women delivering in Wales (a) whose labours were induced, (b) whose labours were of spontaneous onset and (c) who had elective caesarean section.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : The information requested is not yet available for 1990. Figures for 1989 are given in the table.
Estimated percentages of hospital deliveries by type of onset of labour: Wales 1989 Type of onset of labour |Estimated percentage ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Induced |3.0 Spontaneous |85.0 Elective caesarean |5.0 Other caesarean |7.0 Note: The information is based on OPCS 4th revision codes for the classification of surgical operations and procedures which were introduced in 1988.
East Glamorgan District General Hospital
Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the date upon which construction work will commence on the replacement East Glamorgan district general hospital.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : It is for Mid Glamorgan health authority to decide the date in which construction work commences.
Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many beds are to be included in the replacement East Glamorgan district general hospital.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : This new hospital development is being planned on the basis of a district general hospital of 640 beds. Initially it is proposed that 533 beds will be provided.
Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will ensure that sufficient revenue capital will be available to ensure that the existing level of health provision at East Glamorgan district general hospital will be maintained until the opening of the replacement East Glamorgan hospital ; and if he will make a statement as to the likely cost, per annum, of ensuring that provision.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : Until such time as the new hospital is open, services will continue to be provided from East Glamorgan hospital. The extent to which services are provided will depend upon the contracts placed with the hospital by the purchasers of its services--mainly Mid Glamorgan health authority and the local GP fund-holding practices. Health authorities and GP fund holders have a duty to secure the best quality and value for money in the services they obtain with the funds provided to them. They will have to satisfy themselves that East Glamorgan hospital meets these criteria if the existing level of provision is to be maintained or increased.
Cardiac Patients
Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many health authorities in Wales, besides Mid Glamorgan, have issued directives or recommendations that patients of 70 year of age or over, suffering from cardiac conditions, should be treated differently from patients who have not reached that age.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : This information is not held centrally. Admission policies and the provision of health care are matters for health authorities to determine in the light of local circumstances and in the best interest of patients.
Column 435
Asthma
Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list, by health authority district, the number of in-patients admitted to hospitals in Wales who were diagnosed as suffering from asthma in 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1991.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : The number of in-patient deaths and discharges from NHS hospitals in Wales, by district health authority of treatment, with a principal diagnosis of asthma is shown in the table for 1987, 1988 and 1989. Information for 1990 and 1991 is not yet available.
In-Patient deaths and discharges with
principal diagnosis of
Asthma<1><2>
|1987 |1988 |1989
----------------------------------------
Clwyd |640 |686 |690
East Dyfed |365 |388 |311
Gwent |825 |901 |793
Gwynedd |440 |409 |339
Mid Glamorgan |1,102|1,147|881
Powys |87 |90 |135
South Glamorgan |1,108|1,299|1,108
West Glamorgan |786 |907 |902
Pembrokeshire |192 |218 |217
<1> Excludes day cases.
<2> The information may understate the
true position in that not all hospitals
provide complete clinical details
relating to patient discharges and
deaths.
Neath and Port Talbot Hospital
Mr. Hain : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give a date upon which work will begin on the new Neath and Port Talbot hospital.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : It is for the West Glamorgan health authority to decide the date on which work commences.
Conwy Tunnel
Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the cost to the tourism industry of the delays in opening the Conwy tunnel ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Wyn Roberts : There has been no significant delay in the construction of the A55 Conwy crossing scheme, which is planned for completion this autumn. The upgrading of 51 of the 60 miles of the A55 to dual carriageway standard has already greatly enhanced prospects for the economy of north Wales, including the tourism industry.
Pregnancy Services
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish figures for 1990 of the number of clinics in Wales offering (a) in vitro fertilisation--IVF--gamete inter-fallopian
transfer--GIFT--and other procedures and (ii) GIFT and other procedures but excluding IVF.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : This information is not available centrally.
Archaeological Remains
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will introduce legislation to require planning authorities in Wales to inform solicitors making their local searches if there are archaeological remains present on the land.
| Next Section
| Home Page |