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Mr. Scott : Motability is an independent charity. The terms and conditions under which companies provide vehicles under the scheme are a matter for Motability.
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Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many, and what percentage, of people on mobility allowance have purchased a vehicle through the motability scheme.Mr. Scott : The administration of the motability scheme is a matter for Motability itself. However, as at 9 May 1991, mobility allowance was being paid direct to Motability Finance Ltd. on behalf of 79,997 people who have lease agreements with Motability and 17,042 with hire purchase agreements. The combined total represents 14.9 per cent. of all mobility allowance beneficiaries.
Mr. Neil Farmer
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects the compensation recovery unit to resolve its position in respect of Mr. Neil Farmer of 7 Welton gardens, Bulwell, Nottingham, and to write to him.
Mr. Scott : The administration of the compensation recovery scheme 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.
Farmer's Lung
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will now take steps to provide a scheme of no-fault compensation for those who have suffered farmer's lung after working in agriculture.
Mr. Scott : Employed workers in agriculture who suffer disablement as a result of farmer's lung are eligible for benefits under the industrial injuries scheme.
Pensioner Couples
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list those benefits and their average value which are available to pensioner couples on basic pensions who are in receipt of income support.
Miss Widdecombe [pursuant to her reply, 22 April 1991, c. 327] : I regret that some of the information given was incorrect. In the list of benefits, the entry "Industrial injury benefit" should read "Industrial injuries benefits". Also, the third foot-note should explain that invalidity benefit and sickness benefit can continue for up to five years after pensionable age in place of retirement pension. For invalidity benefit this will be paid at an equivalent rate, for sickness benefit there is a 5 per cent. abatement. One partner may elect to retain their invalidity or sickness benefit while the other may choose to receive retirement pension. However, a married woman, relying solely on her husband's contributions, cannot take her retirement pension until he has claimed his.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Hong Kong
Sir David Steel : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of Hong Kong on the recent recommendations of the Electoral Reform Society on electoral reform in Hong Kong.
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Mr. Lennox-Boyd : This report deals with matters which are the responsibility of the Hong Kong Government. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has not discussed it with them.
Dr. Marek : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 31 January, Official Report, column 599, regarding his proposed non-involvement relating to the new airport for Hong Kong, if he will give details of any action taken during and subsequent to his visit to the far east.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : As I said in my answer of 31 January at column 599 , the provision of a rail link to Hong Kong's new airport is a matter for the Hong Kong Government.
Antarctica
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to repeal the Antarctic Minerals Act 1989 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Garel-Jones : Not at present. We shall await the outcome of the next meeting of Antarctic treaty parties in Madrid next month before a decision is taken on what action is required.
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to sign the draft protocol of the Antarctic treaty parties agreed at the Madrid summit.
Mr. Garel-Jones : The final text of the protocol has not yet been agreed by the Antarctic treaty parties. It would, therefore, be premature to speculate on a date for its signature.
Arms Control
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out the achievements and failures in international arms control involving his Department in the past year.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : In the course of the last 12 months, the CFE treaty has been signed, although problems remain over Soviet implementation of certain of its provisions. The treaty eliminating United States and Soviet intermediate nuclear forces has been implemented successfully. There is also the prospect of a START treaty reducing United States and Soviet strategic arsenals, and of reductions in short-range nuclear forces in Europe. We are working to strengthen the nuclear non-proliferation regime ; for the continued expansion of the missile technology control regime ; and to make a success of United Nations Security Council resolution No. 687's requirements in relation to Iraq's nuclear, biological chemical and missile capabilities. We have welcomed President Bush's recent proposal for completion of a chemical weapons convention within 12 months, and are preparing for the third review conference of the biological weapons convention which will offer an opportunity to strengthen that regime.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what investigative groups have been established, pursuant to United Nations Security Council resolution 687 on verification and
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destruction of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction ; what involvement there is of United Kingdom experts in these groups ; what offers of personnel and resource assistance were made by Her Majesty's Government to the United Nations in support of resolution 687 ; and what estimation of cost to the Exchequer has been made of United Kingdom participation in furtherance of resolution 687.Mr. Douglas Hogg : Pursuant to section C of Security Council resolution 687, the Secretary-General of the United Nations has established a special commission, and the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, with the assistance and co-operation of the special commission, has established an action team. They are making arrangements for inspections required by the resolution. The United Kingdom has given technical help and equipment to the International Atomic Energy Agency for its initial inspection in Iraq, which is already in progress. A senior United Kingdom expert in chemical and biological defence matters is the British member of the special commission and is playing a prominent part in its work. The United Kingdom has offered to make available other experts and analytical services. We are now considering what further assistance we can provide. The cost to the United Kingdom of these aspects of Security Council resolution 687 cannot yet be estimated because the scale of the required activities is still being assessed and no decision has yet been made on how they will be funded.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to extend to two hours the time the Minister of State with responsibility for arms control spends with non-governmental organisations at the next collective meeting held to discuss Government policy on arms control and disarmament matters.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : I attend the meeting for as long as my other commitments permit, and allow ample time for discussion of the major issues. Additional questions are thereafter fielded by a team of officials.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the meeting with non-governmental organisations with the Minister of State with responsibility for arms control on 14 May.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : At my meeting with non-Governmental organisations on 14 May a wide range of arms control and disarmament topics were discussed. The proceedings were held under Chatham house rules and were thus off the record.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will raise the issues of nuclear non- proliferation controls and a comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty at the forthcoming North Atlantic Treaty Organisation summit meeting.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Preparations for the NATO summit are at an early stage ; but we regularly discuss these matters with our allies and partners.
EFTA
Mr. John Townend : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will endeavour to ensure that in the negotiations between European Free
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Trade Association countries and the EC, any reduction in tariff rates is matched by the restoration of access for EC fishermen to EFTA country waters.Mr. Garel-Jones : The EC/EFTA negotiations on a European economic area are aimed at extending the Community single market to the EFTA countries. On fisheries, the Community is pressing for greater access to EFTA fishing grounds in exchange for some liberalisation of trade between the two sides. We are working to ensure that the final outcome satisfies the interests of the United Kingdom fisheries industry.
South Atlantic Fisheries
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response he has given to the Uruguay proposals for south Atlantic fisheries.
Mr. Garel-Jones : The proposed Uruguayan scientific conference in Montevideo in June to discuss South Atlantic fisheries has now been cancelled. As the Falklands fishery is one of the main fisheries in the region, we had arranged United Kingdom representation at the conference, and will always give due attention to any Uruguayan proposals on South Atlantic fisheries.
UNESCO
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on what progress has been made in UNESCO towards reforms and as to what issues remain unresolved in the way of the return of the United Kingdom to UNESCO.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We recognise that progress towards reform has been made in UNESCO since we left in 1985. But before we are able to consider re -joining, we need to see real improvements to achieve programme concentration ; progress towards greater decentralisation ; implementation of management and administration reforms ; and improvements in setting UNESCO's budget.
Kuwait
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will direct Her Majesty's ambassador to Kuwait to lodge a formal protest with the Kuwaiti Government about the conduct of trials of alleged Iraqi collaborators.
Mr. Fraser : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Government of Kuwait about the quality of justice dispensed to those charged with collaboration with the Iraqis.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We have stressed to the Kuwaiti authorities on a number of occasions in the last few months our hope that trials of detainees for war crimes or collaboration would follow due processes of law and respect human rights. Her Majesty's ambassador has recently re- emphasised the Government's concern that proper arrangements for the presentation of evidence and the defence of those accused at such trials should be carefully observed. We understand that the courts in Kuwait have adjourned a number of cases to enable defence lawyers to study prosecution evidence and prepare their cases more thoroughly. We welcome this.
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President Mubarak
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he had with President Mubarak prior to the announcement on 8 May of the withdrawal of Egyptian troops from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs' discussions with President Mubarak in Cairo on 2 May covered bilateral and regional issues, including regional security.
We have consistently made clear that it is for the states of the region to take the lead in devising arrangements for their security.
Arab Security Force
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made towards the establishment of an Arab security force in the Gulf.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The Gulf Co-operation Council, Egypt and Syria are developing regional security proposals based on the Damascus declaration. GCC countries have agreed in principle to establish a common deterrent force. We have said that we will help to underpin regionally agreed arrangements, if asked, but do not envisage troops in the region permanently.
Chemical Weapons
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy towards challenge inspections to support a chemical weapons control regime.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We consider that a system of intrusive challenge inspection will be necessary to provide an effective verification regime for a future chemical weapons convention.
Gas Fires
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the inside ambient temperature at his Department below which the gas fires are permitted to be used ; and what steps have been taken at his Department to improve energy efficiency.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The Foreign and Commonwealth Office aims to provide an inside ambient temperature of 16C (61F) in accordance with the Office, Shops and Railways Premises Act of 1963. With the objective of reducing energy consumption by 15 per cent. over a five-year period, heating management systems and energy efficient lighting are being installed in a rolling programme and as part of the refurbishment of the main building. A staff awareness campaign has been launched and is to be intensified.
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Chile
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he made to the Government of Chile concerning the visit on 18 May of General Pinochet ; what information he has about the nature and purpose of the visit ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Garel-Jones : We made known to the Chilean Government our reservations about this visit which, they told us, would be a private one. On 18 May, at the invitation of Royal Ordnance, General Pinochet visited their premises at Hatfield and Aylesbury. Neither Ministers nor officials had contact with General Pinochet.
Security Council Resolution 687
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the information gathered by the United Nations investigation commission in Iraq, established in pursuance of United Nations Security Council resolution 687, will be published by either the United Nations or member Governments involved in the operations to liberate Kuwait.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We are not yet aware of any arrangements to publish information arising from inspections by the special commission or the International Atomic Energy Agency.
NATIONAL FINANCE
Gross Domestic Product
Mr. John Townend : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the GDP per head in (a) Scotland and (b) Yorkshire and Humberside.
Mr. John Maples : GDP per head in Scotland and in Yorkshire and Humberside in 1989 is provisionally estimated at £7,021 and £6,649 respectively.
Local Authority Expenditure
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish an analysis, comparable with table 5.7 of Cm 1520, showing (a) that local authority expenditure in Wales which falls outside expenditure within the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Wales and (b) that local authority expenditure in Northern Ireland which falls outside expenditure within the responsibilty of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Mr. Mellor : The information requested for local authority expenditure in Wales, consistent with that given in the statistical supplement to the 1990 autumn statement (Cm 1520), is given in the table below. All local authority expenditure in Northern Ireland falls within the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
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Local authority expenditure in Wales which falls outside the responsibility of the
Secretary of State for Wales by economic category
£ million
|1985-86|1986-87|1987-88|1988-89|1989-90|1990-91
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pay |175 |189 |209 |222 |251
|329
Other current expenditure on
goods and services |28 |29 |34 |42 |43
Current grants to persons |212 |229 |232 |254 |273 |301
Net capital expenditure on
assets |10 |10 |13 |12 |17 |7
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------
Total |426 |458 |488 |531 |585 |638
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish an analysis, comparable with table 5.8 of Cm 1520, showing that local authority expenditure in (a) Scotland which falls outside expenditure within the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Scotland, (b) Wales which falls outside the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Wales and (c) Northern Ireland which falls outside the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
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Mr. Mellor : The information requested for local authority current expenditure in Scotland and Wales, consistent with that given in the statistical supplement to the 1990 autumn statement (Cm 1520), is given in the tables. All local authority expenditure within Northern Ireland falls within the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
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b
Local authority current expenditure in Scotland which falls outside the responsibility of the
Secretary of State for Scotland by function
£ million
|1985-86|1986-87|1987-88|1988-89|1989-90|1990-91
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Agriculture, fisheries, food and forestry |3 |4 |4 |3 |3 |8
Trade, industry, energy and employment |9 |9 |9 |15 |13 |15
Social security |299 |349 |404 |419 |476 |553
|-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |--
Total |311 |362 |417 |437 |492 |576
Local authority current expenditure in Wales which falls outside the responsibility of the
Secretary of State for Wales by function
£ million
|1985-86|1986-87|1987-88|1988-89|1989-90|1990-91
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Agriculture, fisheries, food and forestry |1 |1 |1 |1 |1 |1
Trade, industry, energy and employment |7 |7 |8 |9 |9 |10
Law, order and protective services |189 |204 |225 |246 |275 |304
Education |45 |46 |49 |53 |60 |75
Social security |174 |190 |192 |209 |222 |239
|-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |--
Total |416 |448 |475 |518 |568 |631
Incomes
Mr. John Townend : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the average income in (a) Scotland and (b) Yorkshire and Humberside.
Mr. Maples : Household income per head in Scotland and Yorkshire and Humberside in 1989 is provisionally estimated at £6,890 and £6, 583 respectively. Region and county income statistics are published today 23 May in the April issue of Economic Trends.
Government Expenditure
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish tables showing, for the years since 1961, identifiable general Government expenditure by function in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom, expressed (a) in cash terms, (b) as a percentage of United Kingdom total identifiable general Government expenditure, (c) as an amount per capita and (d) as an amount per capita expressed as an index, United Kingdom identifiable general Government expenditure=G100.
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Mr. Mellor : Data on identifiable general Government expenditure by function and territory in the years 1985-86 to 1989-90 are given in appendix E of the statistical supplement to the 1990 autumn statement (Cm. 1520). Corresponding data for earlier years are not readily available on a directly comparable basis with these figures.
Manufacturing Output
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish figures showing the value of total manufacturing output in the United Kingdom in each year since 1975 at constant 1975 prices.
Mr. Maples : Changes in the level of output of manufacturing industry at constant prices are best measured by the index of manufacturing production based on 1985 prices. Annual figures from 1975 are given in the following table.
Index of Manufacturing production ( 1985=100) Year |Index ------------------ 1975 |101.6 1976 |103.5 1977 |105.5 1978 |106.1 1979 |106.0 1980 |96.8 1981 |91.0 1982 |91.2 1983 |93.8 1984 |97.4 1985 |100.0 1986 |101.3 1987 |106.6 1988 |114.2 1989 |119.0 1990 |118.3
Inflation
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a list showing the latest available figures for the rate of inflation in each OECD member country.
Mr. Maples : The following table gives the information :
Consumer price indices-annual percentage
changes
April 1991 unless stated
|Per cent
-----------------------------------------
Australia (Q1, 1991) |4.9
Austria (March) |3.5
Belgium |2.9
Canada |6.3
Denmark |2.6
Finland (March) |4.8
France |3.2
Germany (West) |2.8
Greece |21.5
Iceland (March) |5.6
Ireland (Q1, 1991) |2.5
Italy |6.9
Japan (March) |4.0
Luxembourg |2.9
Netherlands |2.6
New Zealand (Q1, 1991) |4.5
Norway (March) |3.6
Portugal |11.8
Spain |5.9
Sweden (March) |10.7
Switzerland (March) |5.8
Turkey (March) |62.4
United Kingdom |6.4
United States |4.9
Fishing Boats
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the net effect on taxation revenue by way of (a) corporation tax and (b) capital gains tax of the Government's proposed decommissioning scheme for fishing trawlers ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : I have been asked to reply. There are no plans to introduce a Government-funded decommissioning scheme, but I have said that, if industry representatives could produce an industry funded scheme which offered long-term conservation benefits, the Government would consider it.
Northern Ireland
Mr. McNamara : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will publish a table summarising the results for 1989-90 of the annual exercise conducted according to the Northern Ireland (Share of United
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Kingdom Taxes) Regulations 1975, as amended, using, where relevant, the categories of tables 3.14 and 3.15 of Financial Statistics, identifying for each which of methods 3(1) and 3(2) have been used and separately identifying gross revenues and revenues net of collection costs ;(2) if he will place in the Library (a) a technical explanation of the methodology adopted and of the difficulties encountered in its application, (b) a note indicating the number of years for which the exercise required by the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973 and its predecessors has been undertaken in broadly comparable form and (c) a reconciliation, if necessary, between the figures provided above Northern Ireland's attributed share of United Kingdom taxes as published in Cm 1123.
Mr. Mellor [holding answer 22 May 1991] : Payments into the Northern Ireland Consolidated Fund in 1989-90 in respect of Northern Ireland's attributed share of United Kingdom taxes comprised £2,578 million for taxes collected in 1989-90 and £105 million for adjustments to payments in previous years--as published in Cm 1123. Adjustments to the 1989-90 payment are not yet available. I have placed details of the breakdown and other information requested in the Library.
HEALTH
Regional Health Authorities
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the sums which his Department will transmit to regional health authorities in the current financial year, if he will publish a table showing the increases and decreases in real terms in the allocation of such hospital and health service funding in each of the past 10 years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Waldegrave : The total amount available for net revenue spending on hospital, community health, family health and related services in 1991- 92 is £17.96 billion. Of this, the main population based allocation for the 14 regional health authorities (RHAs) is £14.85 billion. RHAs will also receive special allocations such as the service increment for teaching, and increased support for centrally financed initiatives such as the AIDS programe, project 2000 and 100 consultants.
The table shows the main population based allocations for the 14 RHAs over the past 10 years. These are given at current cash levels and at 1991-92 cash levels using the GDP deflator, and demonstrate a real term increase over the period of 23 per cent.
Year |Allocation |Allocation
|cash |1990-91 cash
|levels
----------------------------------------------------
1982-83 |7,281,698 |12,113,906
1983-84 |8,166,250 |12,985,562
1984-85 |8,454,184 |12,793,463
1985-86 |9,049,056 |12,985,938
1986-87 |9,615,451 |13,342,496
1987-88 |10,215,098 |13,441,945
1988-89 |11,276,275 |13,828,885
1989-90 |12,330,178 |14,215,832
1990-91 |13,377,893 |14,314,346
1991-92 |14,853,676 |14,853,676
Note: To allow for consistency of comparison the
allocations shown
above exclude additional allocations made in-year
such as the cost of
review body pay awards.
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Cottage Hospitals
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cottage hospitals have been closed in England in the last five years ; and what provisions are made for the closure of these units and the disposal of hospital buildings and property.
Mr. Dorrell : Information is not held centrally in the form requested. The available information on acute, mainly acute and partly acute hospitals with fewer than 50 beds is given in the table.
National Health Service acute, mainly acute and partly acute hospitals with less than 50 beds, England Year |Number ---------------------- 1985 |255 1986 |246 1987-88 |<1>n/a 1988-89 |232 1989-90 |221 <1> In 1987-88 the method of collecting statistics changed. The detailed analysis to provide these figures was not possible because of problems with data quality of some site-level returns.
Cottage hospitals are subject to the same rules for consultation on closure as other hospitals. A copy of a guidance booklet, "Consultation and Involving the Consumer", giving advice on this was issued last year, and a copy has been placed in the Library. The disposal of hospital buildings and property is a matter for health authorities.
Ativan
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the role of his Department in checking the drug Ativan for harmful side effects and addictiveness.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : When the licensing of medicinal products was introduced in the United Kingdom the drug Ativan was already on the market and was therefore given a licence of right. The quality, safety and efficacy was subsequently examined in order that a reviewed product licence might be granted.
The Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) carefully monitors reports of adverse reactions to all licensed medicinal products and advises the Licensing Authority when action is required in relation to specific safety issues. The problem of addiction with benzodiazepines, the group of drugs with similar properties to Ativan, has been recognised for a number of years. This problem has been drawn to the attention of the medical profession on a number of occasions and the CSM has recommended restrictions in the use of these substances. The CSM continues to monitor this situation.
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department first received evidence of the harmful side effects, including addictiveness, from the drug Ativan ; and what action was taken to end its availability on prescription.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) operates a yellow card scheme for physicians to report suspected adverse reactions to drugs. Under the scheme, the CSM received the first report of a suspected reaction to Ativan in November 1973. The first
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report for drug dependence was received in May 1977. It is important to recognise that the report of a suspected adverse reaction does not necessarily imply a causal relationship. Ativan remains available on prescription in the NHS under itsnon-proprietary name.
HIV (Irish Republic)
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many citizens of the Irish Republic are receiving treatment in respect of HIV or AIDS within the national health service.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : This information is not collected centrally.
NHS Trusts
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his statement of 14 May, Official Report, column 174, if he will arrange to place in the Library full information gathered as a result of the monitoring exercise of health trusts to which he referred.
Mr. Waldegrave : No. As I made clear at the time, this preliminary information gathered as part of the routine monitoring of NHS trusts by the NHS management executive may well change from week to week. It is possible that the information about job prospects at Guy's and Lewisham NHS trust given to the Select Committee by its chief executive on 22 May means that it has already been overtaken, and it is more likely that there will be about as many jobs created as lost in the 57 first wave trusts.
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department and the NHS management executive have to provide managerial and management development assistance to the Guy's and North Lewisham hospital trust.
Mr. Waldegrave : The Guy's and Lewisham hospitals national health service trust will continue to be eligible to apply for funding from central initiatives such as resource management. We have no plans to provide any other managerial or management development assistance to the NHS trust. Each NHS trust is responsible for its own management development.
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the annual salary for 1990-91 for the district general manager of each of the predecessor district health authorities of NHS trusts.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Details of payments awarded to individual national health service employees are a confidential matter between employer and employee. District general managers are paid on performance- linked contracts. The rates payable from 1 September 1990 were within the ranges of :
DGM 1 £43,940 to £63,470
DGM 2 £41,500 to £59,950
DGM 3 £37,980 to £55,060
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what upper limit he will place on the proportion of hospitals eligible to achieve trust status, provided each hospital complies with his current criteria for it.
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