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Ms. Hoey : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much money has been allocated to individual sports in 1990-91.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Rugby League
Ms. Hoey : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what financial support has been given to the playing of rugby league with the armed forces.
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Mr. Archie Hamilton : None. Only officially recognised sports qualify for financial assistance from public funds towards the cost of travel and purchase of sports equipment. There is, at present, insufficient support within the services for the playing of rugby league to warrant its recognition as an official sport.
Falkland Islands
Mr. Leighton : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what supplies to the Mount Pleasant base in the Falkland islands are purchased from south America ; and what encouragement has been given to local companies to provide produce and supplies ;
(2) what is the total annual value of contracts undertaken at the Mount Pleasant base by civilian contractors ; what proportion of these contracts has been offered to local companies for tender ; and what is the total annual value of contracts undertaken by local companies ;
(3) what is the value of non-recreational spending by the military garrison in the Falkland islands ; and what percentage this represents of the Falklands' gross national product ;
(4) what is the annual value of supplies to the Mount Pleasant base (a) of Falkland origin and (b) of non-Falkland origin purchased from local companies.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : We encourage the use of local suppliers in meeting our requirements where this is cost effective. Local companies are encouraged to tender for contracts.
Excluding the major contracts with PSA International/Turners for works and maintenance, and with Bristows for the provision of support helicopters, the total annual value of civilian contracts for goods and services at the Mount Pleasant complex is currently some £2.4 million. Over three quarters of these contracts are let to local companies, representing some £777,000 of non-recreational spending by the garrison in the Falklands. The Falkland Islands Government do not publish a figure for gross national product, nor are records available showing the origin of the goods supplied by local companies.
No supplies are currently purchased directly by the garrison from south America, although a trial has been conducted to establish whether such arrangements would be feasible and cost effective. The results of the trial are being considered.
Incendiary Devices
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a detailed list on an annual basis since 1962 of the number of incendiary devices that have been detonated by the Royal Navy on the marshes of North Gower ; and if he will indicate the likely date when all such devices will have been removed.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Records of items cleared from the North Gower marshes are available only for the past two years. In 1990, 99 and in 1991, 130 devices were disposed of. It is not possible to forecast when all such devices will have been removed as the exposure of unexploded ordnance is dependant upon tidal movements.
RAF Greenham Common
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the future use of RAF Greenham Common.
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Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Newbury (Sir M. McNair- Wilson) on 21 January, Official Report, column 190.Disability Compensation
Mr. John Browne : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, further to his answer on 21 January, Official Report, column 190, if he will list the claims now outstanding under the Crown Proceedings (Armed Forces) Act 1987, showing names and date of accident.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : To list the information requested would breach confidentiality and be in contravention of the Data Protection Act 1984.
Injury Claims
Mr. John Browne : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list by amount the interim payments paid, over the last five years, to those injured members of the armed forces whose claims are awaiting precise assessment and agreement as to their final level of disability.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : There are currently some 30 cases outstanding on which interim payments have been made. The payments vary between £2,000 and £150,000.
Tactical Air-to-surface Missiles
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when his Department was informed of President Bush's decision to cancel the United States Government's procurement of the SRAM-T missile ; and for how long his Department continued to consider the SRAM-T as a possible option for the United Kingdom's tactical air-to-surface missile following President Bush's decision ;
(2) pursuant to his answer, 19 December, Official Report, column 284, if he will list the systems that are currently being developed in the United States which are being considered by his Department as a possible replacement for the WE177 bomb.
Mr. Alan Clark : I have nothing to add to the answers I gave the hon. Member on 19 December 1991, Official Report, column 284.
Equipment
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's assessment of how many (a) combat aircraft (b) armoured combat vehicles, (c) artillery pieces and (d) attack helicopters, as presently defined under the conventional forces in Europe treaty counting rules, the United Kingdom will deploy by 1995.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Clackmannan (Mr. O'Neill) on 3 December 1991, Official Report, column 88.
Trident
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the United Kingdom is paying the United States Government towards the research and development costs of the Trident D5 missile ; how much has already been paid ; and how much is outstanding.
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Mr. Alan Clark : The United Kingdom has undertaken to pay a fixed, but index-linked, contribution towards the research and development of the Trident II D5 strategic weapon system, including the missile. At current prices, the total contribution will be some $157 million, of which $58 million has been paid.
Woolwich Garrison
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to announce a decision about the future of the Royal Artillery garrison at Woolwich.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : A number of initiatives are being pursued to achieve economies in the support area, including training and logistic units.
As no final decisions have been taken it would be inappropriate to comment on individual locations.
Directorate General of Defence Quality Assurance
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to reach a decision about the future of the Directorate General of Defence Quality Assurance ; and how many of the staff currently employed at Woolwich will be offered posts after the reorganisation.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Options for the reorganisation of the Directorate General of Defence Quality Assurance are currently being considered and a decision will be made as soon as possible. The retention of the Royal Arsenal site is not among the options under consideration. The future deployment of staff will depend on the decision.
Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to announce a decision about the future of the Queen Elizabeth military hospital, Woolwich, in the light of the reduced demands from service personnel and their dependants.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The review I referred to on 21 November, Official Report, column 301, is not yet complete.
Suicides
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many suicides there have been in the armed forces in the last five years ; and if he will list them according to date, the barracks where they took place and the regiment of the person committing suicide.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The number and dates of the suicides which have taken place within the Armed Forces during the five years 1987-1991, and the available information on the ships, regiments, corps or locations where the suicides occurred, are as listed.
Service and Date of Death
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1987
Royal Navy/Royal Marines
8 May 1987
19 June 1987
11 July 1987
26 September 1987
Army
29 January 1987
30 March 1987
1 April 1987
29 April 1987
27 May 1987
11 August 1987
23 August 1987
20 September 1987
8 October 1987
8 October 1987
11 October 1987
16 October 1987
7 November 1987
13 November 1987
23 December 1987
Royal Air Force
4 January 1987
12 January 1987
11 February 1987
13 February 1987
5 April 1987
21 June 1987
30 November 1987
29 December 1987
Total for 1987: 27
1988
Royal Navy/Royal Marines
2 March 1988
16 May 1988
31 August 1988
7 September 1988
28 January 1988
Army
5 January 1988
9 January 1988
22 January 1988
22 January 1988
24 January 1988
6 February 1988
7 February 1988
16 February 1988
18 February 1988
15 March 1988
1 May 1988
23 May 1988
16 June 1988
23 June 1988
24 June 1988
25 June 1988
8 August 1988
14 August 1988
13 September 1988
26 October 1988
7 November 1988
8 November 1988
11 November 1988
14 November 1988
2 December 1988
3 December 1988
7 December 1988
11 December 1988
Royal Air Force
9 January 1988
20 February 1988
31 March 1988
6 October 1988
22 November 1988
19 December 1988
30 December 1988
Total for 1988: 40
1989
Royal Navy/Royal Marines
28 February 1989
6 March 1989
28 March 1989
13 June 1989
8 November 1989
Army
3 January 1989
9 January 1989
9 January 1989
13 March 1989
18 March 1989
19 March 1989
19 April 1989
23 April 1989
17 May 1989
27 May 1989
29 May 1989
11 June 1989
13 June 1989
13 June 1989
22 June 1989
27 June 1989
6 July 1989
13 July 1989
22 July 1989
3 August 1989
14 August 1989
19 August 1989
29 September 1989
13 October 1989
20 October 1989
12 November 1989
12 November 1989
Royal Air Force
22 March 1989
29 June 1989
17 July 1989
11 August 1989
8 November 1989
16 November 1989
Total for 1989: 38
1990
Royal Navy/Royal Marines
5 January 1990
3 April 1990
31 May 1990
6 June 1990
25 June 1990
26 June 1990
14 September 1990
26 December 1990
Army
3 January 1990
9 January 1990
10 January 1990
16 January 1990
23 January 1990
25 January 1990
18 February 1990
5 April 1990
6 April 1990
29 April 1990
5 May 1990
27 May 1990
6 June 1990
23 June 1990
28 June 1990
1 July 1990
6 July 1990
21 July 1990
11 September 1990
29 September 1990
23 November 1990
3 December 1990
18 December 1990
Royal Air Force
3 January 1990
12 January 1990
23 January 1990
2 February 1990
21 February 1990
28 March 1990
17 April 1990
23 April 1990
8 May 1990
14 May 1990
16 May 1990
30 August 1990
11 September 1990
16 September 1990
14 October 1990
24 November 1990
Total for 1990: 47
1991
Royal Navy/Royal Marines
4 March 1991
19 March 1991
26 April 1991
10 August 1991
16 October 1991
11 November 213
Army
1 January 1991
5 January 1991
6 January 1991
4 February 1991
19 February 1991
15 April 1991
22 April 1991
29 May 1991
29 June 1991
6 July 1991
14 July 1991
28 July 1991
3 August 1991
9 September 1991
17 September 1991
23 September 1991
11 October 1991
21 October 1991
26 October 1991
30 October 1991
3 November 1991
13 November 1991
16 November 1991
18 December 1991
Royal Air Force
12 February 1991
17 February 1991
8 May 1991
6 June 1991
17 June 1991
18 August 1991
7 October 1991
10 October 1991
14 October 1991
18 November 1991
Total for 1991: 40
British Forces Overseas
Mr. Mates : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation status of forces agreement as it affects British forces in NATO countries are currently under consideration ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : No changes to the NATO status of forces agreement itself are currently under consideration. The supplementary agreement to the NATO status of forces agreement--which regulates the status of foreign forces stationed in Germany--is currently under review.
Mr. Mates : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made in discussions with the Federal Republic of Germany over the future status of British forces in Germany ; what amendments to existing agreements have been proposed as a result of these discussions ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The German Government and representatives of the six members of the North Atlantic alliance with forces stationed in Germany--United Kingdom, United States of America, Netherlands, France, Belgium and Canada--began in September 1991 a detailed and wide-ranging review of the supplementary agreement to the NATO status of forces agreement, to which they are the signatories. The supplementary agreement regulates the status of foreign forces stationed in Germany. The review of the agreement, which has taken place in a constructive and co-operative spirit, is continuing. It is detailed and covers a wide range of subjects, including manoeuvres and training, accommodation and construction, transport, and criminal, civil, labour and procedural law.
HEALTH
NHS Reforms
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has any plans to meet representatives of the national health service support federation to discuss the impact of national health service reforms.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : We have no such plans at present.
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Orthopaedic Staff
Sir Michael Neubert : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff of consultant status were available at Oldchurch hospital, Romford, for the treatment of adult orthopaedic patients in (a) 1979, (b) 1989, and (c) the latest date for which figures are available ; what are the respective ratios of orthopaedic consultants to the population in the Barking, Havering and Brentwood health district ; what is the currently recommended national standard for such appointments ; and what is the target set for 2005.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : This information is not collected centrally. It is for individual health authorities to decide on the relevant number of consultant posts in each specialty in the light of local needs and circumstances.
Arachnoiditis
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he proposes to extend free prescriptions to sufferers from arachnoiditis.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : There are no plans to extend the range of conditions which currently attract free prescriptions on medical grounds. There are already wide-ranging exemption arrangements, underpinned by the separate scheme for remission on the ground of low income, which ensure that no one need be deterred from obtaining any necessary medication on financial grounds. Nearly 80 per cent of NHS prescription items are currently dispensed free of charge.
Incontinence
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance is given to general practitioners on the quantities of incontinence pads to be issued on prescription.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Incontinence pads are provided by the hospital and community health services free of charge to NHS patients. They may not be prescribed by general practitioners.
Patients (Confidential Information)
Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department takes in conjunction with health authorities and regions and others to guard against the unauthorised release to the press and media of confidential information about day or in-patients attending mental hospitals or treatment centres.
Mr. Dorrell : Guidance was issued to the NHS in 1956 which still applies, commending a routine procedure for answering press inquiries about the condition of individual patients. All persons within the NHS involved in the handling of personal health information owe a legal duty of confidence and fidelity both to patients and to the NHS. In the event of unauthorised disclosure it will be open to the relevant NHS authority to take appropriate disciplinary action against the employee concerned.
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MyodilMr. Terry Fields : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what reasons prompted the ban on Myodil prior to 1987.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Myodil was withdrawn from the United Kingdom market in 1987 by the manufacturers for commercial reasons.
Mr. Terry Fields : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what advice has been issued to health authorities and the medical profession on side effects caused by the use of Myodil ;
(2) under what conditions and circumstances the use of Mydol was approved for spinal X-ray procedures.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : I refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South (Mr. Ashley) on 13 December 1990, Official Report, at columns 466-69.
Mr. Terry Fields : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has on the level of use of Myodil in the health service in (a) England and (b) the Mersey region.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : This information is not collected centrally. Myodil has not been available commercially since 1987.
General Practitioners (Computers)
Mr. John Browne : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to make provision for a carry-forward of claims made by general practitioners' reimbursement for the cost of computers which the Government have not covered in the current financial year.
Mr. Dorrell : Such a provision already exists within paragraph 58.3 of the general medical services statement of fees and allowances (SFA). A copy of the SFA is available in the Library.
Vitamin B12
Mr. Kennedy : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the future of the research unit into vitamin B12 at Westminster children's hospital, London.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The head of the vitamin B12 research unit at Westminster children's hospital has been invited to meet officials to discuss the research unit's current situation.
Mr. Kennedy : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those hospitals presently able to carry out diagnostic tests on premature babies for vitamin B12 deficiency.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : This information is not held centrally.
NHS Trusts
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 21 January, Official Report, column 143, to the hon. Member for Coventry, South-East, if he will list the non-executive directors appointed to the national health service trusts in the west midlands.
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Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : There are 47 non- executive directors appointed to the national health service trusts in the west midlands, in the first and second wave of trusts. Their names areFirst Community Health NHS Trust
David Sandy
Susan Massey
Michael Heenan
Kenneth Jackson
Rugby NHS Trust
Vivian Rizk
Arnold Laws
Ian Fell
Peter Morgan
Peter Galliford
Mental Health Foundation of Mid-Staffordshire NHS Trust Judith Dalgarno
Dr. James Fleming-Patterson
Roy Trainor
The Lord Stafford
Roger Craven
Walsall NHS Trust
Mavis Bladon
Calum McFarlane
Ronald Anderson
David Frost
Terence Kelly
South Warwickshire Health Care NHS Trust
Barry Gillitt
Amanda Docker
Peter Clarke
Douglas Tuckey
Judith Marsh
Staffordshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Julia Jessel
Frances Beatty
William Gourlay
Jeremy Lloyd-Davies
Professor Kenneth Lee
Premier Health NHS Trust
Dr. Peter Bradfield
Peter Atkinson
Kenneth Hope
Professor Matthew Olsen
Irene Davis
Herefordshire Community Health NHS Trust
Albert Priday
Heather Philpott
Richard Smith
Ronald Higgins
Magdalen Praill
East Birmingham Hospital NHS Trust
Philip Couse
Christine Kenrick
Lady Sybil Thompson
Michael Wilcox
Walsgrave NHS Trust
David Evans
Harold Corker
Rita Stewart
Frank Bunting
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