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Column 509
--a reduction in tax liability is not a main benefit to be expected from the inclusion of the term and in particular, is not an arrangement, or part of an arrangement to facilitate early redemption of the security.The Government propose that this amendment should not operate to remove any transfer or redemption of a security from the charge on deep gains when
--the security would be a deep gain security but for the proposals described above ;
--the security is redeemed before maturity on the happening of an event described above ; and
--the security is held on redemption by a person connected with the issuer, or as the case may be the transfer is by such a person within 12 months before the redemption.
In the meantime, in anticipation of such legislation, and with my agreement, the Inland Revenue will, by concession, not enforce liabilities in respect of transactions in securities which are strictly deep gain securities under current law, but would not be were legislation on these lines in effect.
Public Expenditure
Mrs. Beckett : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will publish the figures in table 2.2 in Cm 1520, including the latest estimated outturn for 1990-91, as a percentage of gross domestic product ;
(2) if he will publish in (a) cash, (b) 1990-91 prices and (c) as a proportion of gross domestic product, the figures as used in table 2.3 in Cm 1520, including the latest estimated outturn for 1990-91 and with the series extended back as far as is possible ;
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(3) if he will publish in 1990-91 prices, an update of table 2.3 in Cm 1520, including the latest estimated outturn for 1990-91 ; (4) if he will publish an update of table 2.2 in Cm 1520, including the latest estimated outturn for 1990-91.Mr. Mellor [holding answer 5 November 1991] : Information on general Government expenditure by function in the period 1978-79 to 1990-91 in cash, real terms (1990-91 prices) and as a percentage of GDP has been placed in the Library of the House. The figures given are consistent with those published in the autumn statement press notice. Corresponding data for earlier years are not available on a consistent basis.
Mrs. Beckett : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish an extended version of table 3.5 of the "Autumn Statement Statistical Supplement", including departmental planning totals for each year back to 1978-79, on as consistent a basis as possible and in 1990-91 prices.
Mr. Mellor [holding answer 5 November 1991] : Information on the planning total by department in real terms (1990-91 prices), in the period 1984-85 to 1994-95 is given in the following table. The figures given are consistent with those published in the autumn statement. Corresponding data for earlier years are not available on a consistent basis.
Column 509
Planning total by department in real terms<1>
£ billion
|1984-85 |1985-86 |1986-87 |1987-88 |1988-89 |1989-90 |1990-91 |1991-92 |1992-93 |1993-94 |1994-95
|outturn |outturn |outturn |outturn |outturn |outturn |outturn |estimated|new |new |new
|outturn |plans |plans |plans
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Defence |24,468 |24,225 |23,703 |23,347 |22,040 |22,522 |21,800 |21,360 |21,630 |21,130 |20,760
Foreign Office |843 |820 |847 |851 |854 |943 |936 |990 |1,000 |1,020 |1,000
Overseas Development |1,732 |1,678 |1,691 |1,598 |1,780 |1,811 |1,743 |1,880 |1,920 |1,950 |1,950
Agriculture, Fisheries and
Food |2,633 |3,087 |2,095 |2,237 |1,823 |1,587 |2,107 |2,140 |1,960 |1,910 |1,910
Trade and Industry |2,228 |1,971 |2,570 |826 |1,553 |1,400 |1,118 |900 |840 |780 |780
ECGD |757 |468 |381 |190 |134 |388 |372 |230 |100 |60 |30
Energy |3,632 |882 |-278 |244 |-494 |503 |1,189 |880 |540 |440 |380
Employment |4,391 |4,441 |5,014 |4,833 |4,451 |4,101 |3,778 |3,400 |3,460 |3,340 |3,280
Transport |3,982 |3,769 |3,532 |3,275 |3,154 |3,849 |4,721 |5,270 |6,220 |5,680 |5,110
DOE-Housing |4,873 |4,158 |3,913 |3,689 |3,359 |3,371 |6,899 |7,130 |6,950 |6,860 |6,870
DOE-Environment |1,835 |1,644 |1,288 |1,181 |774 |1,208 |1,263 |1,280 |1,150 |1,100 |1,050
DOE-PSA |- |- |- |- |- |- |114 |90 |60 |30 |10
DOE-Local Government |21,771 |21,156 |22,260 |22,582 |21,744 |21,188 |20,392 |26,420 |27,740 |28,020 |28,450
Home Office |3,957 |3,726 |3,969 |4,224 |4,261 |4,585 |5,045 |5,370 |5,370 |5,520 |5,590
Legal departments |727 |767 |850 |957 |1,042 |1,221 |1,308 |1,560 |1,580 |1,590 |1,600
Education and Science |4,690 |4,596 |4,656 |4,901 |4,971 |6,258 |6,643 |6,840 |7,110 |7,220 |7,330
Arts and Libraries |384 |388 |448 |456 |478 |484 |496 |520 |550 |520 |520
Health |19,248 |19,267 |19,984 |20,782 |21,338 |21,685 |22,509 |24,020 |25,180 |25,870 |26,520
Social Security |56,536 |58,328 |60,850 |60,387 |57,089 |56,609 |56,075 |60,800 |63,100 |65,600 |66,800
Scotland |10,032 |9,734 |9,875 |9,730 |9,833 |9,733 |9,690 |10,950 |11,210 |11,270 |11,390
Wales |3,772 |3,733 |3,952 |4,046 |4,130 |4,119 |4,436 |4,920 |5,190 |5,220 |5,270
Northern Ireland |5,750 |5,764 |5,873 |5,977 |6,279 |6,210 |5,871 |6,050 |6,280 |6,390 |6,470
Chancellor's departments |3,713 |3,846 |4,189 |4,256 |4,277 |4,548 |4,597 |4,490 |4,500 |4,500 |4,550
Cabinet office, etc. |288 |296 |298 |310 |316 |325 |349 |370 |410 |410 |410
European Communities |1,390 |1,104 |1,403 |2,057 |1,162 |2,512 |2,013 |850 |2,200 |2,210 |2,440
Reserve |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |3,580 |6,900 |10,040
Privatisation proceeds |-2,916 |-3,649 |-5,820 |-6,364 |-8,166 |-4,577 |-5,345 |-7,480 |-7,150 |-4,740 |-4,600
Adjustment |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |300 |- |- |-
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Planning total |180,717 |176,199 |177,543 |176,573 |168,181 |176,581 |180,119 |191,500 |202,700 |210,800 |215,900
<1> Cash figures adjusted to 1990-91 price levels by excluding the effect of general inflation. The deflator series used is that for GDP at
market prices adjusted to
remove the distortion caused by the abolition of domestic rates.
Mrs. Beckett : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will publish an update of table 2.5 in Cm 1520, including the latest estimated outturn for 1990-91, with a back series to 1978-79;
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(2) if he will publish the figures in table 2.5 in Cm 1520, including the latest estimated outturn for 1990-91, with a back series to 1978-79 (a) in cash prices, (b) in 1990-91 prices and (c) as a percentage of gross domestic product.Column 511
Mr. Mellor [holding answer 5 November 1991] : I am arranging for copies of tables setting out information on general Government expenditure by detailed function in the period 1986-87 to 1990-91 in cash, real terms (1990-91 prices) and as a percentage of GDP to be placed in the Library of the House. The figures are consistent with those published in the autumn statement press notice. Corresponding data for earlier years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.Public Investment
Mr. Battle : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the level of public investment as a proportion of gross national product for (a) all EC countries, (b) Japan and (c) the United States of America in the period 1970 to 1991.
Mr Maples [holding answer 11 November 1991] : Data for gross domestic product and public investment for the period 1977 to 1989 are published by the OECD in "National Accounts 1977-89".
Civilian Employees
Rev. Ian Paisley : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when an announcement will be made on the issue of additional payment for civilians in Ministry of Defence employment in Northern Ireland.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard [holding answer 11 November 1991] : The matter is under discussion with the Ministry of Defence.
HEALTH
Ealing Health District
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were treated in (a) Ealing health district and (b) Ealing hospital since the inception of each ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : The information requested for Ealing health authority is given in the table. The information for Ealing hospital is not held centrally. My hon. Friend may wish to write to Lady Eccles of Moulton, the chairman of Ealing health authority, for details.
NHS hospital activity-Ealing district health authority
Year |In-patient<1>|Day case |Total out-
|cases treated|attendances |patient
|attendances
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1982 |17,597 |3,332 |106,481
1983 |18,449 |3,357 |111,113
1984 |19,733 |3,733 |104,799
1985 |20,092 |3,703 |108,128
1986 |19,644 |3,530 |104,678
1987-88 |19,341 |2,512 |98,013
1988-89 |24,741 |3,821 |91,417
1988-89 |25,196 |3,821 |91,417
1989-90 |23,024 |3,734 |95,098
<2>1990-91 |23,354 |4,040 |105,593
<1> Hospital discharges and deaths 1982 to 1988-89; Finished
consultant episodes 1988-89 to 1990-91.
<2> Provisional.
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NHS Statistics
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the number of (a) heart transplant, (b) kidney replacement, (c) hip replacement and (d) eye cataract operations carried out in the national health service in (i) 1979 and (ii) the most recent year for which the figures are available ; and if he will estimate the figures for 1991-92.
Mr. Dorrell : The table gives the number of operations for 1979 and for the latest year available. The rate of heart and kidney transplant operations is dependent on the availability of suitable organ donors. Future numbers cannot therefore be reliably estimated. Information on the projected number of hip replacement and cataract operations is not held centrally.
|Latest year
Operation |1979 |1990 |1990-91
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Heart transplant<1> |3 |329
Kidney transplant<1> |842 |1,870
Hip replacement |<2>28,800 |<3>44,477
Eye cataract |<2>39,700 |<3>94,739
<1> Figures supplied by the United Kingdom Transplant Support
Service Authority-collected by calendar year.
<2> Estimate from Hospital In-Patient Enquiry.
<3> Figures from 1990-91 Regional Outturn Reports-collected by
financial year.
Hospitals
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total investment in hospitals in each of the past three years ; how many entirely new hospitals are now under construction ; and how many hospitals were closed down in each of the past three years.
Mr. Dorrell : Health authority capital expenditure in the last three years has been as follows :
|£ million
---------------------------------
1988-89 |1,082
1989-90 |1,306
1990-91 |1,514
There are 106 building schemes each costing over £1 million under construction. These include extensions and adaptations to existing hospitals as well as new schemes. There is no central record of the number of building schemes which are entirely new hospitals. Figures for hospital closures are no longer routinely collected centrally as changes in the use of buildings are not a good measure of services to patients provided by the NHS.
Dental Checks
Mr. Shersby : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has concerning the extent to which children at school are currently having a regular dental check through the school dental service ; and if he will publish in tabular form the percentage of children who had a check-up in the most recent 12-month period for which figures are available in respect of each local authority in England and Wales.
Mr. Dorrell : District health authorities have responsibility for the screening of the teeth of children in state
Column 513
funded schools at least three times in each child's school life. The percentage of school children inspected in each district health authority in England and Wales during the year ended 31 March 1990 is shown in the table.
District health authority |Percentage of
|school children
|inspected<1>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern RHA |62.8
Hartlepool<2> |71.3
North Tees |85.8
South Tees |50.1
East Cumbria |72.0
South Cumbria |66.2
West Cumbria |88.7
Darlington |58.5
Durham |21.8
North West Durham |49.8
South West Durham |73.8
Northumberland |77.5
Gateshead |66.9
Newcastle |61.7
North Tyneside |78.1
South Tyneside |58.3
Sunderland |48.7
Yorkshire RHA |60.9
Hull |39.1
East Yorkshire |60.3
Grimsby |64.1
Scunthorpe |61.9
Northallerton |64.9
York |46.4
Scarborough |55.9
Harrogate |57.1
Bradford |70.8
Airedale<2> |92.6
Calderdale |49.6
Huddersfield |65.6
Dewsbury |70.2
Leeds Western |57.2
Leeds Eastern |57.4
Wakefield |69.7
Pontefract |72.2
Trent RHA |60.7
North Derbyshire |63.3
South Derbyshire |73.7
Leicestershire |59.3
North Lincolnshire |70.0
South Lincolnshire |74.1
Bassetlaw |25.8
Central Nottinghamshire |44.4
Nottingham |41.2
Barnsley |53.5
Doncaster |62.8
Rotherham |50.8
Sheffield |83.7
East Anglia RHA |54.7
Cambridge |26.8
Peterborough |63.5
West Suffolk |69.0
East Suffolk |67.5
Norwich |60.2
Great Yarmouth and Waveney |35.9
West Norfolk and Wisbech |47.6
Huntingdon |56.9
North West Thames RHA |55.8
North Bedfordshire |48.6
South Bedfordshire |51.0
North Hertfordshire |50.0
East Hertfordshire |49.3
North West Hertfordshire |45.3
South West Hertfordshire |40.2
Barnet |78.5
Harrow |55.5
Hillingdon |58.3
Hounslow and Spelthorne |82.3
Ealing |60.0
Parkside |53.2
Riverside |46.3
North East Thames RHA |52.3
Basildon and Thurrock |76.8
Mid Essex |36.0
North East Essex |49.0
West Essex |47.1
Southend |33.4
Barking/Havering/Brentwood |60.9
Hampstead |40.7
Bloomsbury |46.8
Islington |35.1
City and Hackney |53.2
Newham |89.3
Tower Hamlets |50.1
Enfield |52.9
Haringey |82.1
Redbridge |38.0
Waltham Forest |32.2
South East Thames RHA |61.8
Brighton |76.2
Eastbourne |68.2
Hastings |59.6
South East Kent |50.4
Canterbury and Thanet |51.2
Dartford and Gravesham |72.7
Maidstone |70.8
Medway |62.4
Tunbridge Wells |60.3
Bexley |43.6
Greenwich |19.0
Bromley |56.2
West Lambeth (2) |76.2
Camberwell |62.0
Lewisham and North Southwark |95.4
South West Thames RHA |48.7
North West Surrey |29.7
West Surrey and NE Hants |40.8
South West Surrey |47.7
Mid-Surrey |58.3
East Surrey |91.7
Chichester |47.5
Mid Downs |46.1
Worthing |50.7
Croydon |63.3
Kingston and Esher |11.4
Richmond, Twickenham and Roehampton |18.9
Wandsworth |73.3
Merton and Sutton |51.3
Wessex RHA |58.1
East Dorset (2) |61.1
West Dorset |67.1
Portsmouth and South East Hampshire |79.1
Southampton and South West Hampshire |50.5
Winchester |53.5
Basingstoke and North Hampshire |39.6
Salisbury |84.7
Swindon |22.2
Bath |60.9
Isle of Wight |51.7
Oxford RHA |49.6
East Berkshire |66.9
West Berkshire |66.9
Aylesbury Vale |47.5
Wycombe |56.0
Milton Keynes |16.4
Kettering |25.1
Northampton |44.9
Oxfordshire |48.4
South Western RHA |60.0
Bristol and Weston |55.6
Frenchay |61.3
Southmead |35.5
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly |63.1
Exeter |51.2
North Devon |75.2
Plymouth |91.0
Torbay |55.7
Cheltenham |41.5
Gloucester |66.7
Somerset |55.6
West Midlands RHA |64.0
Bromsgrove and Redditch |43.1
Herefordshire |70.4
Kidderminster and District |67.8
Worcester and District |36.6
Shropshire (Salop) |50.2
Mid-Staffordshire |62.7
North Staffordshire |66.9
South East Staffordshire |57.5
Rugby |66.8
North Warwickshire |87.5
South Warwickshire |88.0
Central Birmingham |58.0
East Birmingham |42.8
North Birmingham |36.6
South Birmingham |74.1
West Birmingham |53.0
Coventry |90.9
Dudley |53.1
Sandwell |86.5
Solihull |72.6
Walsall |77.1
Wolverhampton |61.0
Mersey RHA |64.0
Chester |77.4
Crewe |54.0
Halton |75.2
Macclesfield |54.1
Warrington |58.5
Liverpool |57.1
St. Helens and Knowsley |72.5
Southport and Formby |36.3
South Sefton |81.2
Wirral |67.8
North Western RHA |61.3
Lancaster |25.0
Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde |33.8
Preston |34.0
Blackburn, Hynburn and Ribble Valley |58.6
Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale |49.4
West Lancashire |27.4
Chorley and South Ribble |26.1
Bolton |75.7
Bury |84.4
North Manchester |83.0
Central Manchester (<2>) |99.7
South Manchester |54.9
Oldham |84.5
Rochdale |73.3
Salford |35.8
Stockport |73.4
Tameside and Glossop |72.9
Trafford |69.0
Wigan |79.5
Total England |58.7
Wales |57.3
Clwyd |43.2
East Dyfed |40.4
Gwent |44.6
Gwynedd |45.1
Mid Glamorgan |59.8
Powys |67.8
South Glamorgan |63.4
West Glamorgan |84.8
Pembrokeshire |87.9
Total England and Wales |58.6
(<1>) The 1989-90 data on inspections are available for all school
children only. The percentage of children who had a dental check up
have been calculated using the June 1989 population estimates for
children aged 5 to 16.
(<2>) 1988-89 data.
Amputees
Mr. Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to ensure that at all artificial limb fitting centres there is adequate provision for professional counselling of amputees.
Mr. Dorrell : We know that some centres do employ professional staff specifically for counselling of limbless disabled people. It is not, however, a subject on which we have given central guidance and is a matter for individual health authorities.
Tobacco Advertising
Mr. Sims : To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what assessment he has made of the evidence from New Zealand on the effects of tobacco consumption of the ban on tobacco advertising imposed in December 1990.
Mr. Dorrell : Changes in New Zealand's attitude to smoking led to a decline in tobacco consumption before the imposition of the ban and this decline has continued. At the same time, economic factors such as a fall in incomes have had an impact on consumption. The available data refer to a short time period, during which the "transitory shock" of the publicity surrounding the ban would have been operating. We have asked officials to keep us up to date on the evidence as it becomes available.
South London Hospital for Women
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has for the future use of the closed South London hospital for women.
Mr. Dorrell : The management of the national health service estate is normally delegated to the appropriate regional health authority which can best assess requirements so far as individual properties are concerned.
Northern Devon Hospital Trust
Mr. Speller : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints he has received about the Northern Devon hospital trust since it was established.
Mr. Dorrell : This information is not held centrally. Such operational matters are the responsibility of the NHS trust board. The hon. Member may wish to contact Sir Michael Knight, the chairman of the Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust, for details.
Column 517
Organ Transplants
Sir Michael McNair-Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospitals take part in providing organ removal facilities for the transplant programme ; and if he will list the number of organs provided by hospitals in the various regions, either on a hospital-by-hospital basis or regionally during the past 12 months.
Mr. Dorrell : Information on human organ removal facilities is not collected centrally. The table gives the numbers of centres providing organs and the numbers of organs retrieved by English regions in 1990, the latest year for which information is available.
Region |Number of centres|Number of organs
|providing organs |provided<1>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern |20 |179
Yorks and Humberside |12 |126
Trent |13 |149
East Anglia |12 |97
North West Thames |13 |147
North East Thames |21 |196
South East and
South West Thames |33 |279
Wessex |13 |140
Oxford |11 |125
South Western |12 |128
West Midlands |27 |270
Mersey |14 |106
North Western |22 |222
|--- |---
Total |221 |2,164
<1> Based on information provided by the United Kingdom Transplant
Support Service Authority for 1990.
Cardiologists
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cardiologists per million population there are in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) the United States of America and (c) Germany.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : There are 1.17 cardiologists per million population in the United Kingdom. Similar information in respect of the United States and Germany is not collected centrally.
Qa Business Services
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the West Midlands regional health authority will re-establish a computer bureau and re-employ ex-Qa Business Services staff ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : This is a matter for the West Midlands regional health authority. However, I understand that AT and T ISTEL has acquired some of the assets of Qa Business Services and will ensure the continuity of information technology services to the group of West Midlands health authorities.
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions have taken place between the West Midlands regional health authority, the inter-regional collaboration co-ordinators, Praxis, and the computer firm ICL regarding the transfer of support contracts ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Dorrell : The West Midlands regional health authority has been working closely with the administrative
Column 518
receivers of Qa Business Services to ensure the continuity of computer services contracts with NHS authorities; the responsibility for a successful transfer of contracts and hence a successful sale of Qa Business Services is a matter for the administrative receiver. I understand that AT and T ISTEL has acquired some of the business assets which will ensure the continuity of information technology services.Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what lessons his Department has drawn for the NHS staff and services, of the recent collapse of Qa Business Services ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : Management buy-outs are one of the range of options for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of local services which have been successfully implemented in many parts of the NHS. In the case of the administrative receivership of Qa Business Services, the Department is keeping in close touch with West Midlands regional health authority and will ensure that any wider lessons are shared throughout the NHS.
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will call for a report from the chairman of the West Midlands regional health authority as to the effects on the regional national health service of the collapse of Qa Business Services ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : Health services in the west midlands have not been adversely affected by Qa Business Services going into administrative receivership.
West Midlands RHA
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the financial terms involved in the management buy-out of the management services division of the West Midlands regional health authority ; what was the surplus generated by the management services division for the national health service in the last financial year it was within the regional health authority ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : The financial and other contractual terms of the management buy-out of the management services division of the West Midlands regional health authority are matters of commercial confidentiality.
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guarantees were given to the former employees of the management services division of the West Midlands regional health authority as to their continuity of employment for redundancy and other purposes ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : One of the conditions of the management buy-out of the management services division of the West Midlands regional health authority was that regional health authority employees transferring to the new consultancy would transfer with continuous service and on terms and conditions no less favourable than those in their contracts of employment with the regional health authority.
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of the transfer of undertaking regulations which governed the 1989 privatisation of the former management services division of the West Midlands regional health authority ; and if he will make a statement.
Column 519
Mr. Dorrell : The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 (SI No. 1794) is available in the Library. The management buy-out of the management services division of the West Midlands regional health authority was regarded as a transfer within the terms of those regulations.GP Fundholders
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the numbers and the size of budgets of the GP fundholders in London.
Mr. Dorrell : This information is not held centrally.
Legionnaire's Disease
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how long elapsed before the Liverpool patients diagnosed as having legionnaire's disease were notified of the nature of their illness ; and what guidelines and advice his Department issues to hospitals about patients' rights in these matters.
Mr. Dorrell : The timing and nature of the information that patients receive about their medical condition involves the exercise of professional judgment by the individual clinician responsible for those patients' care. The Department does not issue guidance in these matters.
Column 520
Cot Deaths
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department was informed about the New Zealand research and the factors associated with cot deaths ; what steps he then took to assess that research ; and what other action was taken.
Mr. Virginia Bottomley [holding answer 5 November 1991] : The Department was first informed about the findings of New Zealand research through letters published in The Lancet in July this year. This correspondence indicated that a change in certain of the factors associated with cot death had been accompanied by a reduction in the incidence of cot death. Over the next few months, further information was sought. Four reports, including one from this country not yet published, showed that a reduction in the prone sleeping position of infants had been accompanied by a fall in the incidence of cot death.
I announced on 21 October at column 423 the setting up of an expert group to report to the chief medical officer its findings and recommendations about this latest available evidence. The group's advice was published on 31 October.
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