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working to promote good practice and enhancing residents' quality of life, drawing on recommendations made in the report "Residential Care : A Positive Choice". The final results will be made widely available next year. Copies of the existing publications are available in the Library.NHS Trusts
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the salaries, remuneration, pension entitlements and other benefits payable to (a) each chair or shadow chair of each national health service trust or proposed trust in the Northern region from 1 December, (b) members of each national health service trust or proposed trust in the northern region from 1 December and (c) when he proposes next to revise salaries and other remuneration for trust chairs and board members.
Mr. Dorrell : The chairmanship and non-executive directorships of NHS trusts are not salaried posts, although chairmen and non-executive directors receive remuneration for their services. Remuneration, though taxable, is not pensionable. The rates of remuneration from 1 December are given in table 1. Chairmen and directors are also entitled to claim travel and subsistence allowances, the current rates of which are given in table 2. The timing of the next review of remuneration and allowances has yet to be decided.
Table 1
NHS Trust Chairmen's
remuneration
|£
---------------------
Band 1 |19,285
Band 2 |17,145
Band 3 |15,125
Banding criteria Turnover ------------------------------------------- in excess of £50 million |Band 1 between £20-£50 million |Band 2 less than £20 million |Band 3 Note: Turnover means the unit's turnover for 1988-89.
Table 2
NHS trust chairmen, non executive directors, committee members
and sub-committee members
Travelling and other allowances
|Current
|rates
--------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Public transport allowances (from 1 June 1990) |20.1p
2. Motor mileage allowance (from 1 April 1991)
a. Up to 1500cc
Up to 7000 miles |35.7p
Over 7000 miles |13.0p
b. 1500cc to 2000cc
Up to 7000 miles |37.0p
Over 7000 miles |15.0p
c. Over 2000cc
Up to 7000 miles |39.0p
Over 7000 miles |17.0p
3. Motor cycle allowance (from 1 April 1991)
a. Up to 125cc
Up to 5000 miles |15.4p
Over 5000 miles |5.5p
b. Over 125cc
Up to 5000 miles |24.7p
Over 5000 miles |8.1p
4. Overnight absence allowance (from 1 August 1990)
Inner London |£98.70
Elsewhere |£85.85
5. Day subsistence allowance (from 1 August 1991)
5-8 hours |£3.90
Over 8 hours |£8.60
Over 12 hours |£12.50
NHS Hospitals
Sir Anthony Grant : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his policy for the amalgamation of NHS hospitals ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : Hospital and community health services at a local level are the responsibility of regional and district health authorities, which should seek local agreement to significant changes in the provision of health services.
AIDS
Mr. Amess : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to mark World AIDS Day ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : World AIDS Day is a World Health Organisation initiative held on 1 December each year designed to expand and strengthen the worldwide effort to curb the spread of HIV infection and AIDS. The theme this year is "Sharing the Challenge", calling for a partnership of nations, groups, individuals and organisations from all walks of life to combat the pandemic. As in previous years, we asked Mrs. Margaret Jay, director of the National AIDS Trust, to form a group to steer the United Kingdom response. The membership of the group has included people from the United Kingdom statutory, voluntary and media sectors. The day is being marked by many events throughout the United Kingdom. On Friday 22 November I launched the Surrey and East Hampshire AIDSlink as a charity. In the week running up to World AIDS Day I am attending events in Bristol and in London. There will also be a preview of an exhibition of photographs of innovative local initiatives on HIV/AIDS. On 28 November the Chief Medical Officer and I will address the all-party parliamentary group on AIDS. My final World AIDS Day engagement will be to open a nursing conference on changing attitudes to AIDS in Cambridge on 2 December.
On World AIDS Day itself the Chief Medical Officer, the Chief Social Services Inspector and the Deputy Chief Nursing Officer will attend an ecumenical service at Southwark cathedral. They will also visit people with HIV and AIDS and those who care for them, at the London Lighthouse and the Mildmay Mission hospital. These organisations have pioneered the provision of palliative care and support for people with HIV and AIDS. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will also visit London Lighthouse on 4 December. We hope that the press, radio and television will help focus national attention on action to curb the spread of HIV infection and foster compassion and support for those already affected.
Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many non- haemophiliacs in England, Wales and
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Northern Ireland who have contracted HIV infection as a result of contaminated NHS blood-tissue transfers (a) remain alive, (b) have developed AIDS and remain alive and (c) developed AIDS and have since died.Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : There have been 51 reports in England, Wales and Northern Ireland of HIV infection in people who received blood or tissue transfer in the United Kingdom. The number of infected persons thought to be alive is 26.
The number reported with AIDS is 27, of whom 22 are known to have died. We have no information on the cause of death.
NHS Residential Estate
Mr. Gerald Howarth : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the report of the national health service residential estate commissioned from CSL Group Ltd.
Mr. Dorrell : CSL Group Ltd. was commissioned to examine the utilisation of national health service staff accommodation. Its report analyses NHS residential accommodation by type and number of units and recommends target rates for utilisation and availability. This will be incorporated in guidance about to be issued to the NHS. A copy of the report has been placed in the Library.
Home Care Standards
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessments his Department has undertaken of standards of nursing home care provided by national health service hospitals ; (2) what consultations he has had with local health authorities over the standards of home care provided by national health service hospitals.
Mr. Dorrell : Continuous nursing care may be provided in long-stay NHS hospital wards, community units, directly managed nurse-led units or through independent providers. It is for health authorities to decide the appropriate type and level of care and how best to secure it, taking account of local needs and priorities. Independent nursing homes are subject to the registration and inspection procedures laid down in part II of the Registered Homes Act 1984.
Health authorities as purchasers of health care services are expected to ensure that their contracts include appropriate quality standards and to monitor the delivery of care. The Department is in continuous contact with the health service through the NHS management executive.
Nasogastric Feeding Tubes
Mr. Terry Davis : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 11 November, Official Report, column 409, when he expects to complete his consideration of whether to make nasogastric feeding tubes available on general practitioner prescription.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : A decision on whether to make nasogastric feeding tubes available on general practitioner prescribing depends on the resource implications for the family health services and consultations on the transfer of a service that is currently the responsibility of health authorities.
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Dental Services
Mr. Terry Davis : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has plans to introduce a charter for dental patients.
Mr. Dorrell : We have no such plans.
Mr. Terry Davis : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has any plans to review the working of the capitation system for dental treatment for children ; and whether he will introduce an item of service payment formula within the capitation framework.
Mr. Dorrell : We keep all aspects of the working of the new dental contract under review. The capitation system includes provision for item of service payments. These are listed under item 41 of the fee scale in the "Statement of Dental Remuneration".
Mr. Terry Davis : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money has been paid in pre-entry payments for children on a monthly basis in the period since the inception of the new dental contract.
Mr. Dorrell : The information is given in the table.
Month/Year |Payment (£) --------------------------------------- October 1990 |336,560 November 1990 |4,100,607 December 1990 |6,928,169 January 1991 |6,079,356 February 1991 |6,579,365 March 1991 |6,709,034 April 1991 |6,541,420 May 1991 |5,834,846 June 1991 |5,301,253 July 1991 |5,309,673 August 1991 |4,587,857 September 1991 |3,349,053 October 1991 |4,138,035 Note: The figures refer to payments made under items 42(a) and 42(b) of the fee scale published in the "Statement of Dental Remuneration".
National Health Service News Management
Ms. Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the cost of establishing the national health service management executive news management unit ; and what is its budget.
Mr. Dorrell : The NHS management executive does not have a news management unit.
Secure Accommodation
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce an additional option for accommodating children midway between secure accommodation and open children's homes.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : If a child needs to have his liberty restricted it should be in premises which can hold him safely and securely and in accordance with the statutory safeguards provided by section 25 of the Children Act 1989.
Radiotherapy, Sunderland
Mr. Mullin : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the average waiting time for patients needing radiotherapy treatment in Sunderland district health authority.
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Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : This information is not available centrally. At March 1991 there were no patients waiting for radiotherapy treatment in Sunderland district health authority.Hospital Waiting Lists
Ms. Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what response he has received from regional health authorities as a result of their being requested by his Department to notify the Department of approaches to regions from the hon. Member for Peckham about patients on waiting lists.
Mr. D. H. Bullock
Mr. Loyden : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will investigate the case of the constituent of the hon. Member for Liverpool, Garston, Mr. D. H. Bullock, who was admitted to Broadgreen hospital, Liverpool on 25 September 1991, discharged on 9 October 1991, and re- admitted on 13 October 1991 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : We have received a full report on this case, which concerns a patient who contracted legionnaires disease at the cardiothoracic centre, Liverpool. We are satisfied that the hospital took immediate action to both isolate the infection and to take the necessary measures in line with the two codes of practice issued by the Health and Safety Executive and this Department.
Healthy Eating Campaign
Mr. Couchman : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what guidance he has given the food industry and educators with regard to the healthy eating campaign running alongside the HEA publication "Enjoy Healthy Eating" ; and if he will make a statement ; (2) whether he will issue additional advice to the food industry and educators as to the role they can play in working towards a healthier nation ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : When my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State launched the COMA report on dietary reference values in July, he asked the Health Education Authority to take the lead in developing a healthy eating campaign. The booklet "Enjoy Healthy Eating", which was published on 5 November, a copy of which is available in the Library, represents the start of that campaign. Further nutrition education resources for both professionals and the public are being developed.
So far as the food industry is concerned, the Government maintain a constructive dialogue with it on issues such as food labelling and the production and marketing of healthy choices in food supplies. In the context of the Green Paper "The Health of the Nation", the responses of those representing the food industry have given a positive welcome to the initiative and have signalled their intention to play a full and constructive role.
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Departmental Telephone Calls
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information is available on the number of calls made to directory inquiries from his Department since 1 April 1991.
Mr. Dorrell : Only two months' information is kept on telephone calls from the Department. Since 16 September, 3,900 calls have been made to directory inquiries.
Psychiatric Facilities
Ms. Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the level of provision of medium secure psychiatric facilities in Wessex regional health authority ; and whether there are any plans to develop them.
Mr. Dorrell : West Dorset health authority has been invited to co- ordinate the purchasing requirements of all the health authorities in Wessex for the provision of medium secure psychiatric facilities. A decision will be taken about the nature, location and size of future provision, taking into consideration the recommendations emerging from the current national review of services for mentally disordered offenders and others requiring similar services.
Juveniles (Secure Accommodation)
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make assistance available to local authorities to meet revenue expenditure in repect of the provision of secure accommodation for juveniles.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Secure accommodation in community homes forms part of a range of residential facilities provided by local authorities for children they are looking after. The revenue costs of such accommodation fall to the providing local authority, which may recharge other local authorities making placements there. The local authority associations have an opportunity to express views on pressures that might lead to additional expenditure, or savings, on personal social services as part of the discussions leading to the annual local authority settlement.
Grant aid is available from central Government to meet the full capital cost of providing secure accommodation in community homes.
Patients Charter
Ms. Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will state the cost of production and distribution of (a) the patients charter and (b) the summary of the patients charter.
Mr. Dorrell : The costs of the production and distribution of the patients charter and the summary of the patients charter were £200, 000 and £1,400,000 respectively.
EMPLOYMENT
Training Credits
14. Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he expects to report on the training credit pilot schemes.
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Mr. Jackson : My right hon. and learned Friend was delighted to be able to announce yesterday the names of the training and enterprise councils and local enterprise companies that will be developing a second round of training credits schemes, to come into operation in April 1993. This second round of credit schemes will build on the experience of the existing training credit pilots and we hope to publish evaluation results from the first nine months of operating the pilots in the spring of 1992.Unfair Dismissal
15. Mr. Jack Thompson : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to protect employees against unfair dismissal when they are trying to enforce a statutory right.
Mr. Forth : Employees who qualify can complain of unfair dismissal to an industrial tribunal. My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to amend the existing legislation.
17. Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will amend the qualifying conditions for unfair dismissal for employees trying to enforce section 8 of the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978.
22. Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to amend the qualifying period for unfair dismissal when employees are dismissed for trying to enforce a statutory right.
Mr. Forth : My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to amend the existing legislation.
Unemployment
16. Mr. Skinner : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment which are the latest figures for unemployment ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Howard : This month's rise in seasonally adjusted unemployment of 15,700 is the smallest since September 1990 and the third successive fall in the rate of increase. In Scotland, Wales and the Northern region seasonally adjusted unemployment fell in October 1991.
18. Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were unemployed in the United Kingdom on the latest date for which figures are available ; and what was the comparable figure published in November 1979.
Mr. Howard : On the seasonally adjusted, consistent basis, there were 2,472,900 unemployed people in October 1991 compared with 1,052, 500 in October 1979.
Wages Councils
19. Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will make a statement about the operation of the wages councils.
Mr. Forth : The wages councils have no permanent place in the labour market, but so long as they exist, the wages inspectorate will continue to enforce wages orders effectively.
Government Training Schemes
20. Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are participating in Government training schemes now relative to 1979.
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Mr. Howard : A total of 737,000 people entered Government training programmes in 1990-91 compared with 108,000 in 1978-79--a sevenfold increase.
Training and Enterprise Councils
21. Mr. Viggers : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on training and enterprise councils.
Mr. Jackson : All 82 training and enterprise councils are now operational and turning their ambitious plans into practical action to improve training and business services in every part of the country. The enthusiasm and commitment shown by the top business people leading the TEC initiative is without parallel and is laying a firm basis for the high- skill, high-productivity economy this country needs.
Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will give information showing the differences between profiled and actual expenditure by each training and enterprise council/local enterprise company and area office for each of the training and enterprise councils/local enterprise companies five funding blocks in each region and for Great Britain in total in 1990-91 and the latest available period ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) what were the differences between profiled targets and actual performance of training and enterprise councils/local enterprise companies and area offices for (a) youth training starts, (b) youth training non- vocational qualifications I and II, (c) youth training non-vocational qualifications III and IV, (d) employment training starts, (e) employment training positive outcomes and (f) enterprise allowance scheme starts, in each region and for Great Britain in total in 1990-91 and the latest available period ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Jackson : It is not possible to provide the information requested. Profiles are produced for internal management information purposes only.
The part of the question that relates to local enterprise companies is for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland to answer.
Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many directors of training and enterprise councils are (i) men, (ii) women, (iii) from ethnic minority backgrounds and (iv) from the private sector ; what information he has about from which industrial sectors directors with a private sector background come ; and, of those non-private sector directors, how many are from (a) local authorities, (b) local education authorities, (c) other educational organisations, (d) trade unions, (e) voluntary organisations, (f) ethnic minority organisations, (g) employers' associations and (h) others.
Mr. Jackson : The information available is shown in the table. Information on the industrial sector background of directors from the private sector is not held centrally.
Category |Number of
|directors
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(i) Men |1,014
(ii) Women |122
(iii) Ethnic minority background<1> |40
(iv) Private sector |805
(v) Non-private sector directors local authorities |331
of which;
(a) Local authority |97
(b) Local Education Authority (not included in (a)) |48
(c) Other educational organisation |27
(d) Trade Union |58
(e) Voluntary organisations |42
(f) Ethnic minority organisations |4
(g) Employer Association |11
(h) Others |44
<1>Based on information collected in June/July 1991: 12 Directors
preferred not to state their ethnic origin.
Unemployment (North Tyneside)
23. Mr. Ted Garrett : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will announce his proposals to reduce young male unemployment in north Tyneside.
Mr. Jackson : The Employment Service and Tyneside training and enterprise council deliver a wide range of employment, enterprise and training programmes to help unemployed people in north Tyneside, including young men. In particular, the Employment Service and Tyneside TEC, together with the local authority, other local bodies and residents, are involved in action to help the regeneration of the Meadow Well estate.
Wages Inspectorate
24. Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to expand the wages inspectorate.
Mr. Forth : None. The wages inspectorate has adequate resources to enforce wages council orders effectively.
Textile Industry
25. Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many jobs have been lost in the textile industry during the latest period for which figures are available ; and what steps are being taken to prevent further losses.
Mr. Forth : The number of employees in employment in the textile industry in Great Britain decreased by 2,100 in the month to September 1991. The Government have created and will maintain a climate which encourages enterprise and diversification, so that industry as a whole remains competitive. It would be
counter-productive to try to support any individual sector.
Cumbria TEC
26. Mr. Martlew : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he last met the chairman of Cumbria TEC to discuss its budget plans.
Mr. Jackson : My right hon. and learned Friend spoke to all TEC chairmen in England including the chairman of Cumbria TEC on Wednesday 6 November immediately following the autumn statement, to inform them of the Department's budgets next year as they affect TECs.
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Youth Training
27. Ms. Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement about the number of trainees on YT schemes in the Bristol, South constituency.
Mr. Jackson : I understand that Avon training and enterprise council has supplied the hon. Member with the information requested. The Government have guaranteed that all young people who are under 18 and not in full-time education or a job and are seeking training are offered, and if necessary re-offered, a suitable youth training place. The Government remain committed to ensuring that the YT guarantee is met and has ensured that adequate funding is available to do so.
Wage Rises
28. Mr. Beaumont-Dark : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what research he has funded in his Department into the effect of wage rises on the level of employment.
Mr. Howard : The estimation of the effect of wage rises on employment is best dealt with by using a model which considers the economy as a whole. We therefore use results reported by the Treasury which indicate that a 1 per cent. rise in the average real wage lowers employment by about 110,000 to 220,000 overall.
My Department commissions much research on labour market issues and some projects may also shed light on the wage-employment relationship in particular sectors.
Services (Redundancies)
Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has about the participation of people leaving Her Majesty's forces in the full range of training and employment schemes which are made available for the unemployed ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Jackson : The Employment Department group does not collect statistical information about ex-HM forces members entering training schemes or participating in Employment Service programmes.
Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what provision including the levels of funding he is asking training and enterprise councils/local enterprise councils and the Employment Service to make available in 1991-92 and over the next three years to members of Her Majesty's forces to resettle into employment following "Options for Change" ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Jackson : The Employment Service's full range of programmes and services is available to forces personnel to help them resettle into employment. Additional funding was allocated to the Employment Service in 1991-92 to allow it to introduce new programmes for newly unemployed people. These programmes are particularly suited to the needs of forces personnel and comprise job review workshops, which help with careers advice, and jobsearch seminars to improve job hunting techniques. The Employment Service has a long tradition of helping
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ex-forces personnel into employment and it is discussing with the Ministry of Defence ways in which this can be built on.Training and enterprise councils and local enterprise companies will take account of the training and enterprise support needs of members of Her Majesty's forces seeking resettlement, as they will for any particular group. Ex-service personnel may enter employment training through a special eligibility route.
The proportion of training and enterprise budgets used to train ex-service personnel is the responsibility of individual training and enterprise councils and local enterprise companies and is determined by local needs and priorities.
Disablement Resettlement Officers
Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people have been on the caseloads of disablement resettlement officers in Great Britain and each standard region in each month since September 1990 ; how many interviews disablement resettlement officers have carried out in each of those months ; what information he has on the outcomes of those interviews ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Jackson : Questions on operational matters in the Employment Service executive agency are the responsi-bility of Mike Fogden, the agency's chief executive, to whom I have referred this question for reply.
Midwives
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many midwives were employed and registered as unemployed in each of the last four years.
Mr. Jackson : I regret that information is not available on midwives registered as unemployed.
The following information on midwives, including student midwives, employed in English NHS hospitals and community health services has been supplied by the Department of Health :
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