| Previous Section | Home Page |
Enterprise allowance
scheme: expenditure on
publicity in 1991
|£
-----------------------
January |17,947
February |1,230
March |27,007
April |nil
May |2,053
June |1,524
July |2,290
HEALTH
HIV
Sir Michael McNair-Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many persons in the United Kingdom are currently estimated to have AIDS or are HIV positive ; and how many of these people have been notified and are known by name.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The AIDS case reports for the United Kingdom to the end of May 1991 total 4,666--4,412 males and 254 females--of which 2,695--2,568 males and 127 females--are known to have died. Adjusting for an estimated under-reporting rate of 20 per cent. would give a current estimate of 2,500 AIDS patients in the United Kingdom at the end of May 1991. These were all individuals tested in named testing programmes who would have been informed of their results.
The HIV antibody positive reports received at the PHLS communicable disease surveillance centre numbered 15,337 for the United Kingdom at the end of March 1991. However, this represents an underestimate of the total number of infected persons because it is based only on those who have presented for testing. These people also would have been informed of their results.
Names are not collected centrally.
In addition we have available the results of the first phase of the anonymised HIV surveys.
These indicate that among women attending certain ante-natal clinics in inner London the rate of HIV prevalence is one in 500. These figures show a fivefold range from about one in 200 to more than one in 1,000. In the small number of clinics surveyed in outer London there was a wider range from about one in 300 to one in 2,500, but half these clinics had no positive results. In other parts of the country only one of 16,000 tests performed was positive.
Among heterosexual women attending certain sexually transmitted diseases-- STD--clinics in inner London prevalence is one in 500. It is, however, one in 100 for
Column 190
heterosexual men. Among homosexual and bisexual men attending the same clinics the current prevalence rate is one in five.These preliminary results provide valuable information, but because they are based on studies of specific groups of people in selected areas they do not enable us to estimate the number of people in the general population that are HIV positive.
More information about prevalence will become available as further results are published.
Tranquillisers
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has commissioned into the question of manufacturers' negligence in relation to tranquillisers.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : None.
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of the number of people who have been permanently disabled as a result of taking tranquillisers.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : This information is not held centrally.
Population Statistics
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion the population of Wales represents as a percentage of the population of England on the most recent available information.
Mr. Dorrell : Resident populations for England and Wales relating to mid-1990 have now been estimated, and will be published shortly in "OPCS Monitor PP1 91/1". The figures are :--
|Million
------------------------
England |47.837
Wales |2.881
The estimated resident population of Wales is therefore 6 per cent. of that of England.
Hospital Chaplains
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will consult the Joint Committee for Hospital Chaplaincy on a revision of the guidelines for the appointment of chaplains within the national health service, to ensure that appropriate representation for all relevant faith communities is taken into consideration by regional and district health authorities.
Mr. Dorrell : The decision whether to appoint a chaplain is a matter for local decision. There is no bar on access to patients by representatives of non-Christian faiths.
Infant and Maternal Deaths
Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the change in the number of infant and maternal deaths in England and Wales since 1979.
Mr. Dorrell : The information is shown in the table.
Column 191
Number of Infant and Maternal
deaths in England and Wales
1979 to 1990
|Infant |Maternal
|deaths |deaths
------------------------------------
1979 |8,178 |74
1980 |7,899 |70
1981 |7,021 |57
1982 |6,775 |42
1983 |6,381 |54
1984 |6,037 |52
1985 |6,141 |46
1986 |6,313 |45
1987 |6,272 |46
1988 |6,270 |41
1989 |5,808 |56
<1>1990 |5,564 |57
<1>1990 figures are provisional.
Carers National Association
Dr. Gilbert : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department has considered an application for an exhibition relating to the Carers National Association to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Under the procedures agreed by the Services Committee, I understand that arrangements have been made with the authorities of the House for the exhibition to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall from 2 to 6 December 1991.
Energy Efficient Lighting
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to encourage local health authorities to introduce energy-efficient lighting to cut costs and save energy ; and whether he will assist them with such schemes.
Mr. Dorrell : The national health service is committed to the objective of achieving a 15 per cent. saving in energy consumption over the five years from 1 April 1991. This programme, to which energy-efficient lighting will make a contribution, will release over £30 million for improved patient care within the NHS.
Private Health Care
Mr. Doran : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those hospitals which comprise the European Private Patients Group.
Mr. Dorrell : About 30 national health service hospitals are involved in the European Private Patient Group which is carrying out a feasibility study on the sale of NHS private patient facilities to other European countries. The results of the study, and those hospitals involved, will be announced by the group in the autumn.
Garlands Hospital, Carlisle
Mr. Martlew : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients or ex-patients of the Garlands hospital, Carlisle, have fallen or jumped from the footbridge that crosses the M6 motorway from the hospital to Scotby village in the last 10 years ; and how many were fatally injured.
Mr. Dorrell : The information requested is not held centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. Ian Carr, the chairman of East Cumbria health authority, for details.
Column 192
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the anticipated cost of running the new Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority ; what are the anticipated revenues from sale of licences for each category of activity ; and if he would make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : In the first full year, 1992-93, the running costs of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority are estimated at £1.7 million. Fees have been set at a level which is intended overall to recoup from treatment and research centres about 50 per cent. of the costs of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. The other 50 per cent. is contributed from public funds. The decision to increase the contribution from public funds from one third, as envisaged during the passage of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, to one half was made following an analysis of the costs once the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority was set up. The proportions reflect the approximate costs attributable to the licensing process, to be recouped from treatment and research centres, and to the wider safeguards and requirements of the Act as laid down by Parliament, to be paid for from public funds.
The initial fee which must accompany an application for a licence to carry out treatment or research has been set as follows :
The total number of women who have had more than one legal termination in Great Britain, for:
(1) each of the last five years;(2) each ground.
Year Total number Statutory grounds under which the current termination was performed, by number of women
|of women
|who have had
|more than
|one
|termination in
|Great Britain
|1 |2 |3 |4 |4 |5 or 6
|(with any |(alone |(with or |(alone) |(with any
|other) |without 2) |other except
|1, excluding 4
|alone)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1986 |32,539 |87 |28,448 |3,671 |194 |139 |-
1987 |34,591 |76 |29,976 |4,212 |194 |132 |1
1988 |37,939 |99 |33,187 |4,360 |196 |97 |-
1989 |40,650 |70 |35,469 |4,804 |210 |97 |-
1990 |43,048 |94 |38,085 |4,563 |234 |70 |2
1. Risk to life of woman.
2. Risk of injury to physical or mental health of woman.
3. Risk of injury to physical or mental health of existing child(ren).
4. Substantial risk of child being born seriously handicapped.
5. In emergency, to save life of woman.
6. In emergency, to prevent grave permanent injury to physical or mental health of woman.
The full definition of statutory grounds appears in the introduction to the OPCS annual publication `Abortion Statistics'.
The total number of women who have had more than one legal termination in Great Britain, for:
(1) each of the last five years; and (2) by the number of previous terminations.
Year Total number Number of women who have had a termination in the current year, by the number of previous terminations
|of women
|who have had
|more than
|one
|termination in
|Great Britain
|1 |2 |3 |4 |5 |6 |7 |8 |9 |Not
known
1986 |32,539 |27,927 |3,732 |655 |161 |27 |22 |8 |4 |3 |-
1987 |34,591 |29,542 |4,092 |740 |159 |37 |14 |3 |2 |2 |-
1988 |37,939 |32,424 |4,463 |794 |184 |48 |14 |8 |2 |2 |-
1989 |40,650 |34,444 |4,935 |975 |206 |53 |24 |9 |1 |3 |-
1990 |43,048 |36,243 |5,446 |1,001 |228 |75 |34 |9 |3 |8 |1
Treatment centres will be charged an additional fee calculated on the basis of the number of treatment cycles performed by the centre in the year preceding the issue of a licence. The rate is £7 per donor insemination treatment cycle and £30 per in vitro fertilisation treatment cycle.
Community Health Councils
Ms. Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his policy towards the retention of the existing community health councils when new health authorities are being established.
Mr. Dorrell : When two or more existing district health authorities are being merged, there will in future be no automatic expectation that the matching community health councils--CHCs--should also merge. It will be for regional health authorities to ensure after consultation, that CHCs are organised in a way that allows them to carry out their duties economically and effectively.
Abortion
Mr. Amos : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total number of women who have had more than one abortion in the United Kingdom ; and if he will list the figures (i) for each of the last five years, (ii) under each ground and (iii) by number of abortions ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 25 June 1991] : The tables provide the data requested for Great Britain. There are no available data for Northern Ireland.
Column 193
SOCIAL SECURITY
Resettlement Unit, Notting Hill Gate
Mr. Rooker : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the estimated cost of repairs to drains and sewers at the Notting Hill Gate resettlement unit before its closure ; and what was the charge made by Dyno-Rod for solving the problem.
Miss Widdecombe : The management of resettlement units is a matter for Mr. Tony Ward, the chief executive of the Resettlement Agency. He will write to the hon. Member and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.
Student Benefits
Mr. Ron Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations have been made to him by the National Union of Students about the recent changes in his Department's rules concerning benefits for students ; and if he will make a statement.
Miss Widdecombe : We received a letter and submission in October 1989 and a further letter, together with a copy of the National Union of Students' response to the Social Security Advisory Committee's consultation on the new regulations, in June 1990.
Column 194
Income Support
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy to provide an increase above the rate of inflation in income support for people in residential care throughout the United Kingdom when income support is next uprated ; and if he will make a statement.
Miss Widdecombe : In setting the income support limits we have to make decisions within the context of the Government's public expenditure objectives, which embrace not only spending on people in independent homes but on the rest of the social security system, the NHS, and other public services. It is our policy to direct available resources to where the need is greatest and where such targeting will prove most effective.
Rates of income support in Northern Ireland are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. The same considerations do, of course, apply there as well as in the rest of the United Kingdom.
Income-related Benefits
Mr. Lee : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what information is available on the take-up of income-related benefits in the year before the 1988 reforms.
Column 195
Mr. Jack : Take-up estimates for 1987 confirm previous results and indicate that, overall, almost £9 out of every £10 of income-related benefit was claimed, and some 80 per cent. of those eligible to receive some income-related benefit made a claim. These figures are derived from "Technical Notes" covering take-up estimates for the income-related benefits for 1987, copies of which have been placed in the Library.Tax-Benefit Model Tables
Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he intends to publish tax-benefit model tables for 1991-92.
Mr. Jack : Copies are being printed and should become available within the next few days. I will ensure that they are placed in the Library as soon as they are ready.
Young People (Benefit Claims)
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he plans to make any changes in the arrangements for dealing with benefit claims from 16 and 17-year-olds.
Mr. Jack : I announced measures yesterday, in reply to the hon. Member for Cunninghame, North (Mr. Wilson), which will further improve delivery of income support under the severe hardship provision to 16 and 17 -year-olds. These will improve further the service provided to young people by Benefits Agency offices. I also stated the Government's intention to improve the handling of young people leaving care. We will legislate for 16 and 17-year-olds leaving care who live independently and continue in full- time education to receive income support without having to prove that they are estranged from their parents. We further intend to give those leaving care to live independently, who are registered for work and youth training, entitlement to income support for up to eight weeks. This initiative in conjunction with the earlier referral under the liaison arrangements, which we also announced yesterday, will give valuable assistance to this vulnerable group in establishing themselves in their new environment.
Social Fund
Mr. Andy Stewart : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he intends to publish his annual report on the social fund ; and when he will publish the social fund commissioner's annual report.
Mr. Newton : My report (Cm. 1580) has been published today and I have laid it before Parliament. The social fund commissioner's annual report has also been published today and copies placed in the Library.
LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL
Accommodation
Sir Gerard Vaughan : To ask the Lord President of the Council for how many hon. Members and how many personal staff of hon. Members it is now planned to provide accommodation in the first stage of the new parliamentary building ; what change these numbers
Column 196
represent from those previously envisaged ; how this accommodation will be allocated ; and when hon. Members and their staff will be able to move in.Mr. MacGregor : 1 Parliament street will contain single rooms for 65 Members, together with desk spaces for 75 Members' staff. Further accommodation will become available in the Palace of Westminster, in consequence of staff moving into the new building and of the renovation of rooms in Speaker's Court. 1 Parliament street will be available for occupation in September 1991 ; the Speaker's Court renovations should be completed in January or February 1992. By early 1992, it is estimated that there will have been net gains across the parliamentary estate of 95 Members' offices and 99 desk spaces for Members' staff. The Services Committee report setting out the original design brief for 1 Parliament street suggested that space was likely to be available within that building for about 60 Members and 100 Members' secretaries. The report continued :
"These numbers are indicative only. We believe the balance proposed represents the pattern of Members' work as it exists at present, but changes are sure to come about and we do not regard the relative figures mentioned here as in any way sacrosanct."
--Select Committee on House of Commons (Services), Third Report of Session 1983-84, The New Building : The Design Brief (HC 571), paragraph 22.
On the question of the allocation of offices, I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the right hon. Member for Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale (Sir D. Steel) on 9July1991 at column 341.
SCOTLAND
Agency Status and Privatisation
17. Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those public bodies and utilities that he is considering for either agency status or privatisation.
Mr. Lang : I announced that the agricultural scientific services were candidates for agency status on 16April. Further candidates for agency status or privatisation will be brought forward when the case for any such change has been fully considered.
Roads
20. Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he will take to improve roads in crofting areas.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Most roads in crofting areas are local roads and are the responsibility of the regional and islands councils, which are the local roads authorities. The improvement of such roads, therefore, is a matter for the councils concerned. Recent major improvements to the trunk road network have greatly benefited the crofting areas by providing improved access.
37. Mr. Cran : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been spent in Scotland since 1979 on road building and improvements.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Since 1979 to the end of the financial year 1990-91 a total of £2,430 million has been spent on new road construction and improvements in Scotland ; £1,060 million on motorways and trunk roads and £1,370 million on local roads.
Column 197
Earnings
21. Mr. Ian Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the improvement in average earnings in Scotland over the past decade.
Mr. Allan Stewart : Average real earnings in Scotland increased by over a fifth in the 10 years to April 1990.
Companies Acts
22. Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) prosecutions have been instituted and (b) convictions obtained in respect of breaches of the Companies Acts in Scotland in each year since 1987 and in the present year to date.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The information requested is not separately identifiable within the Scottish Office classification of crimes and offences.
Poll Tax (Civil Penalties)
23. Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent representations he has received on poll tax civil penalties.
Mr. Allan Stewart : My right hon. Friend has recently received a small number of representations about the imposition of civil penalties by community charges registration officers for the failure to return community charge registration forms.
Electoral Registration
24. Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on electoral registration trends in Scotland in the light of the OPCS analysis on pages 1 to 3 of "Population Trends 64".
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The table of total electoral registrations in Scotland, produced on page 2 of "Population Trends 64", shows that there were 151,000 more registrations in 1991 than on the 1976 electoral register, although there has been a slight fall since 1987. As the analysis indicates, there are a number of reasons for these changes and it is not possible to evaluate their impact separately.
Local Government Finance
18. Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has of the amount of poll tax that has been collected in the year 1991-92 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Allan Stewart : According to information provided by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, a total of £43 million had been collected by the end of May. This low figure is not surprising given that some authorities, including Strathclyde, did not issue revised 1991-92 charge bills until last month.
29. Mr. Wray : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now remove people on income support and students from liability to pay the poll tax.
Mr. Allan Stewart : My right hon. Friend is keeping all aspects of the community charge under review, but has no plans for changing the arrangements affecting the liability of people on income support to pay the charge.
Column 198
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table, otherwise comparable to that provided for England in the answer of 17 April, Official Report, columns 184-85, to the hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) showing (a) reductions in 1991-92 in community charge in Scotland by successive increments of £10 from £0 to £140 for (i) charge payers and (ii) pensioners and (b) average community charge less community charge reduction scheme less community charge benefit, both before and after the £140 budget reduction in gross community charge, consistent with his written answer of 3 June, Official Report, columns 19-20.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 15 July 1991] : It is estimated that in 1991-92 the average community charge in Scotland, after the community charge reduction scheme and community charge benefit, would have been £320 before the Community Charges (General Reduction) Act and will in the event be £198. These figures make no allowance for reductions due to selective action. Beyond this I am unable to add to the reply I gave on 4 June.
35. Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next plans to meet representatives of Scottish local authorities to discuss local government finance.
Mr. Allan Stewart : I refer to my right hon. Friend's reply earlier today to the hon. Member for Falkirk, East (Mr. Ewing).
19. Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on what basis Scottish local authorities are being funded to compensate them for the reductions in poll tax charges announced by Her Majesty's Government.
Mr. Allan Stewart : Community charge grant is being paid to local authorities to compensate them for the £140 reduction in headline community charges for this year.
25. Mr. Graham : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the shortfall in local authority receipts of poll tax income for the first two years of the operation of the tax in Scotland.
Mr. Allan Stewart : Based on the latest collection figures issued by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, and using local authorities' own payment assumptions, the shortfall in budgeted charge income is £80 million--8.8 per cent.--in 1989-90 and £220 million--21.9 per cent.--in 1990-91. An improvement in these figures, particularly for 1990- 91, can be expected as collection procedures continue.
Scottish Enterprise
26. Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next intends to discuss with Scottish Enterprise its strategy for tackling the current recession in the Scottish economy.
Mr. Allan Stewart : My right hon. Friend and I have frequent opportunities to discuss with the chairman, and members of the board, of Scottish Enterprise a range of topics concerned with further improving Scotland's economic performance.
Lothian Regional Council
27. Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will review the revenue support grant of Lothian regional council.
Column 199
Mr. Allan Stewart : Lothian regional council's revenue support grant for 1992-93 will be determined entirely according to the principles of grant allocation jointly agreed with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities through the distribution committee of the working party on local government finance. These principles are reviewed each year, incorporating, where appropriate, changes in service delivery nationally and improved information sources, to achieve the fairest possible distribution of the available Government support. Claims that the Government treat Lothian unfairly in terms of grant distribution are accordingly absolute nonsense.36. Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the outcome of his intervention to reduce the budget of Lothian regional council.
Mr. Allan Stewart : My right hon. Friend withdrew his proposal to reduce Lothian's 1991-92 personal community charge by £50 after the council agreed to a voluntary reduction of £37.
Strathclyde (Finance)
28. Mr. McKelvey : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will next meet representatives of Strathclyde regional council to discuss its present financial situation ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Allan Stewart : I refer to my reply earlier today to the hon. Members for Glasgow, Springburn (Mr. Martin) and Glasgow, Rutherglen (Mr. McAvoy).
Mar Lodge
30. Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what further representations he has had for the purchase of Mar Lodge for the nation.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : On 27 June I met representatives of the World Wide Fund for Nature, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the Chris Brasher Trust who outlined their proposals for the purchase of the Mar Lodge estate.
| Next Section
| Home Page |