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Cardiff Bay Barrage
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Cardiff, North of 20 January, Official Report, columns 177-79, what information he has on (a) the cost and (b) the length of time required for the completion of a study of the application of de-watering pumps to the reduction of side-effects on property affected by the proposed Cardiff bay barrage.
Mr. David Hunt : My Department has no firm views at present on the length of time or cost of this study.
Royal Navy Armaments Depot, Trecwm
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what is his best estimate of the civilian job losses that will arise in the local community as a consequence of the closure of the Royal Navy armaments depot, Trecwn ; and when these will take place ; (2) what is his estimate of the civilian job losses that will arise in the local community as a consequence of the closure of RAF Brawdy ; and when the jobs will go.
Mr. David Hunt : Around 80 direct jobs will be lost at RAF Brawdy and 415 direct jobs are affected at RNAD, Trecwn which is to close in 1996. The wider effects of these decisions will be considered by the task force which I announced on 24 January.
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the cash contribution currently made to the local economy as a result of the employment provided at the Royal Navy armaments depot, Trecwn.
Mr. David Hunt : No official estimate is available of the cash contribution of RNAD, Trecwn to the local economy.
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Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the cash contribution currently made to the local economy as a result of the employment provided at RAF Brawdy.
Mr. David Hunt : No official estimate is available of the cash contribution made to the local economy by RAF Brawdy. I am, however, aware that the local authorities and the Transport and General Workers Union published figures in their social and economic study of RAF Brawdy in March last year. This report will be taken into consideration by the task force which I announced on 24 January.
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) whether he will take steps to launch an initiative to provide new jobs in the local economy to replace those being lost as a result of the proposed closure of the Royal Navy armaments depot, Trecwn ;
(2) whether he will take steps to launch an initiative to provide new jobs in the local economy to replace those being lost as a result of the proposed closure of RAF Brawdy.
Mr. David Hunt : In the light of the Secretary of State for Defence's announcement on 24 January that RNAD, Trecwn is to be progressively run down and closed in March 1996 and that flying training at RAF Brawdy is to end on 31 August 1992, I have announced that a special task force for the area is to be established with immediate effect. It will be the responsibility of the task force to : consider and make recommendations on short-term measures to alleviate the impact of these decisions ; study the economic potential of the area affected, identify its strengths and weaknesses and make recommendations on measures to secure the economic regeneration of the area ; seek alternative uses, including possible defence uses, for the site at RAF Brawdy ; and to consider alternative uses for the site at RNAD, Trecwn following its closure ; and review the co-ordination of the activities and plans of central and local government and of the principal agencies in the area. In addition, I also propose to chair a strategy group, comprising the chairmen of all the relevant organisations, to launch the task force programme and monitor its progress.
RNAD, Milford
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many jobs were lost to the local area as a result of the closure of the Royal Navy armaments depot, Milford.
Mr. David Hunt : The Ministry of Defence announced in March 1988 that the Royal Navy armaments depot at Milford Haven would be gradually run down and close by March 1991. At the time of the announcement 175 people were employed at the base. Of these, 79 transferred to RNAD, Trecwn ; 11 to other Government Departments ; 12 were lost through natural wastage and 73 were made redundant.
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the financial contribution made by the Royal Navy armaments depot, Milford to the local economy, directly and indirectly (a) when operating at its height and (b) in the year prior to closure, expressed in 1992 prices.
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Mr. David Hunt : I am not aware of any official assessment of the financial contribution made by the RNAD, Milford to the local economy.Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he took to launch an initiative to provide new jobs in the local economy to counteract the effect on jobs, the local economy and the local community arising from the closure of the Royal Navy armaments depot, Milford.
Mr. David Hunt : Following the announcement in 1988 that RNAD, Milford Haven would close in 1991, my predecessor met a delegation, led by my hon. Friend the Member for Pembroke (Mr. Bennett). Subsequently the Milford Haven business initiative was established under the auspices of the Welsh Development Agency. Under the initiative and assocaited programmes a total of £2.5 million actual and approved expenditure has been spent in the town to date by the WDA on improvements.
Since the depot closed on 31 March 1991, the MOD has sold the site for a variety of industrial and housing purposes, including a £35 million jetty to handle super-tankers for Gulf Oil.
There is also a wide range of measures available through my Department and the other agencies, including the West Wales training and enterprise council which became operational on 27 March last year, to assist those made redundant to secure alternative employment and to stimulate job creation.
Job Losses
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list, for each of the last four years, each company or organisation which has (a) shed jobs or (b) closed a unit in Pembrokeshire, together with the number of jobs involved in each case ; and what action he has taken to counteract the effects of those specific job losses in each case.
Mr. David Hunt : The number of confirmed redundancies for the last four years for the Haverfordwest, Fishguard and South Pembrokeshire travel- to-work areas are : 113 (1988), 106 (1989), 295 (1990) and 166 in 1991. The details of the individual companies cannot be provided for reasons of confidentiality.
Unemployment rates for the three travel-to-work areas were as follows in December 1985 and December 1991 :
|December |December
1985 |1991
|Percentage|Percentage
-----------------------------------------------------
South Pembrokeshire |20.1 |14.8
Haverfordwest |16.8 |11.1
Fishguard |14.6 |9.2
There is a wide range of measures available through my Department and the other agencies to assist those who are unemployed and to stimulate job creation.
Quangos
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many quangos have been set up in Wales since 9 June 1979 ; and if he will list each of them with the year in whch they were set up.
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Mr. David Hunt [holding answer 21 January 1992] : Five non- departmental public bodies have been set up in Wales since 9 June 1979. Their names and the year in which each was set up are shown as follows :
Body |Year
|set up
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Welsh National Board for Nursing Midwifery and Health
Visiting |1983
Cardiff Bay Development Corporation |1987
Curriculum Council for Wales |1988
Housing for Wales |1989
Countryside Council for Wales |1991
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Nominee Shareholdings
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will introduce legislation to abolish nominee shareholdings.
Auditors
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many registered auditors there are in the United Kingdom ; and what information he has on the number of registered auditors in Germany.
Mr. Redwood : At 14 January some 27,800 individuals were registered with supervisory bodies under the Companies Act 1989 as being eligible for appointment as company auditors or responsible for company audit work on behalf of registered audit firms. I understand that there are two categories of auditors in Germany : about 12,000 Wirtschaftspruefer, who audit the accounts of large companies, and about 52,000 Steuerberater, who normally act for individuals and small companies.
Shipbuilding Intervention Fund
Ms. Quin : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his Department's policy on implementation of the recent EC decision on the level of intervention funding allowed to smaller ships.
Mr. Leigh : Following the decision of the European Commission, notified to member states on 7 January 1992, I have decided to reduce the maximum level of support for large merchant ships from 13 to 9 per cent. with effect from 1 January 1992. I have similarly decided that maximum support for small ships will be reduced from 9 to 4.5 per cent. from the same date. The new levels, which are the maximum permitted by the European Commission are inclusive of shipbuilders relief at 2 per cent. A sliding scale will no longer be applied to applications for aid in respect of small ships. In addition, the United Kingdom definition of "small ship" will be amended to "a ship costing less than the equivalent of ECU10 million to build"
thus aligning it with the EC definition. Vessels costing less than £1 million will no longer be eligible for shipbuilding intervention fund support.
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Privatisation
Mr. Page : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give in respect of each privatisation since 1979 (a) the loss or profit of each company in the five years prior to privatisation and (b) any grants or loans made over the same period.
Mr. Redwood : The figures for the major privatisations undertaken by my Department are as follows :
Rolls-Royce
£ million
|1982 |1983 |1984 |1985 |1986
---------------------------------------------------------
Profit/(loss) |(93) |(115)|26 |81 |120
Launch aid (net of |41.0 |64.8 |8.2 |6.6 |7.1
receipts)
Other grants |1.2 |8.4 |0.2 |0 |1.3
(including offers)
BT
£ million
|1980 |1981 |1982 |1983 |1984
--------------------------------------------------
Profit |317 |570 |936 |1,031|990
HMG loans |2,196|2,949|3,057|2,944|2,790
ERDF payments |0 |0 |4.0 |20.2 |15.2
Cable and Wireless
£ million
|1979 |1980 |1981 |1982 |1983
-------------------------------------------
Profit |59.5 |61.0 |62.0 |89.2 |156.7
(No grants or loans during the period)
British Steel
£ million
|1984 |1985 |1986 |1987 |1988
-----------------------------------------------------
Profit/(loss) |(229)|(378)|42 |177 |419
Grants/subsidies |425 |701 |565 |0 |0
Jaguar
£ million
|1980 |1981 |1982 |1983 |1984
--------------------------------------------------------
Profit/(loss) |(47.3)|(31.7)|9.6 |50.0 |91.5
(No grants or loans during the period)
Rover
£ million
|1984 |1985 |1986 |1987 |1988
--------------------------------------------------------------
Profit/(loss) |(73.3) |(125.3)|(455.0)|(9.3) |985.6
(No grants or loans during the period)
British Aerospace
£ million
|1981 |1982 |1983 |1984 |1985
----------------------------------------------------
Profit |71 |85 |82 |120 |150
Grants/loans |0.29 |40.0 |2.9 |1.28 |1.19
Launch aid (net |(0.4)|(0.4)|(0.4)|(0.4)|46.1
payments/
(receipts)
ECGD Insurance Services Group ("ISG")
Prior to privatisation, no separate audited
financial statements were prepared for ISG,
although some financial details of the ISG business
are contained in ECGD's annual trading accounts,
copies of which are held in the Libraries of the
House.
For the purposes of inviting tenders for ISG,
illustrative pro forma financial information
concerning the business was compiled by
ECGD's accountancy advisers on the sale. Copies of
this information were provided to the Library of
the House in April and May 1991.
ECGD did not receive grants or loans during the
period 1986 to 1991.
Cable and Wireless
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has any plans to vary the terms of the golden share he holds in Cable and Wireless.
Mr. Redwood : I have no such plans.
Company Boards
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list all those companies where the Government have the right to appoint directors to company boards, and publish a list of all such directors appointed since 1987.
Mr. Redwood : This information is not held centrally.
Regional Selective Assistance
Mr. Hind : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the number of applications granted for regional selective assistance and total amount of grant allocated in the district of West Lancashire in 1990-91 and 1991-92 to date.
Mr. Leigh : In the financial year 1990-91 the Department made offers totalling £647,000 on six applications for regional selective assistance in the local authority district of West Lancashire. Between 1 April 1991 and 23 January 1992 a further nine offers were made with a total value of £1,006,000.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Cardiff, West of 22 January, Official Report, column 243 when the cost per job limit for regional selective assistance was last altered.
Mr. Leigh : The cost per job limit is an administrative criterion which forms part of the terms under which Treasury authority to make financial assistance available under section 7(1) of the Industrial Development Act 1982 is delegated to the Secretary of State. The terms of the delegated powers are subject to regular review ; the cost per job limit has remained unchanged since 1984.
Instruments of Torture
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will investigate the supply of equipment by British companies for use for execution or torture.
Mr. Sainsbury : I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave on 23 January, Official Report, columns 292-94.
Steel Production
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what quantity of steel and engineering steel was produced in the United Kingdom in the last quarter of 1991 and in the same period in 1988 and 1989.
Mr. Leigh : Information on crude steel production is regularly published in "Economic Trends" which is available in the Library of the House. "Engineering steel" cannot be separately identified in production statistics.
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Furniture Industry
Mr. Kennedy : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to be in a position to respond to the concerns of the British Self-Catering Federation with regard to EC proposals on material content in furniture and associated issues ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Leigh [holding answer 27 January 1992] : The Commission decided, in May 1991, to suspend work on the draft EC directive on the fire behaviour of upholstered furniture pending further research into the fire characteristics of materials used in furniture and into test methods. The objective of this research is to support requirements imposing limits on the burning behaviour of upholstered furniture and the associated emission of smoke and toxic gases. We have made it clear to the Commission that we will retain our furniture regulations until a regime consistent with the level of protection in the United Kingdom is available under the directive. The application of the United Kingdom's Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations to self-catering holiday accommodation has necessitated a wide ranging review of the legal position with the involvement of other Departments. I am consulting with colleagues about a possible way forward and I hope to be able to make some positive proposals shortly.
Bank of Credit and Commerce International
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry at what time he received the letter from the Official Receiver on 14 January ; and at what time his letter was dispatched appointing the liquidators of the BCCI.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 28 January 1992] : On the making of the winding up order against BCCI on 14 January 1992 the Official Receiver applied by fax to the Secretary of State for the appointment of joint liquidators in his place. This fax was received by officials at 12.57 on 14 January who confirmed the appointment by the Secretary of State by fax at 13.09 on the same day.
HEALTH
Factor 8
Mr. Hayes : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of factor 8 produced by the Bio Products Laboratory is of high purity 8 SM.
Mr. Dorrell : This information is commercially confidential.
Mr. Hayes : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the number of units of factor 8 which the national blood transfusion service or the national health service has purchased from overseas suppliers in each of the last two years.
Mr. Dorrell : This information is not available centrally.
Blood and Plasma
Mr. Hayes : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment his Department has made of the implications of the single European market on progress towards national self-sufficiency in blood and plasma products ; and if he will make a statement ;
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(2) by what date he envisages that the United Kingdom and Europe will have self-sufficiency in blood and plasma products.Mr. Dorrell : The EC directive which harmonises the licensing requirements for blood products promotes a policy of Community self- sufficiency in such products derived from the donations of voluntary and unpaid donors but does not forbid importation. This is consistent with our own long-standing policy of seeking self-sufficiency in blood products sourced from our own volunteer donors. Nevertheless, while promoting self- sufficiency we also recognise the clinical freedom of doctors to choose the product most suitable for an individual patient.
Imported products are being prescribed in this country as the result of the preference of individual clinicians. The Bio-Products Laboratory is meeting in full the current demand for its blood products and continues to make efforts to increase its share of the blood products market but the choice of product remains with the clinician.
No target date has yet been set for the achievement of self-sufficiency in blood products throughout the EC.
National Blood Authority
Mr. Hayes : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received regarding his recent circular on the establishment of a national blood authority ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : We have received a wide range of responses to the consultation document on the proposal to establish a national blood authority--NBA--to oversee the provision of blood supplies in England. Respondents have generally supported the principle of a NBA to replace the national directorate of the National Blood Transfusion Service and the Central Blood Laboratories Authority. We now propose to set up a technical working group of the main National Health Service interests to consider the relevant operational matters. Our blood supply is among the safest in the world thanks to our blood services and the voluntary donors who freely give their blood for the benefit of those who need it. We consider the NBA will be effective in maintaining and improving on the high standards of safety, quality and efficiency in our blood services to the benefit of both patients and donors.
Waiting Lists (Haringey)
Mr. Bernie Grant : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the latest waiting list for each specialty in the Haringey health authority and the number of people who have waited (a) for over one year and (b) for over two years, in each specialty.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The latest information available centrally is given in the table.
Waiting list data-at 31 March 1991
Haringey health authority-ordinary admissions and day cases
Specialty |Gross |Number |Number
|waiting |waiting |waiting
|list |over one |over two
|year |years
----------------------------------------------------------------
General surgery |965 |266 |66
Urology |436 |74 |20
Trauma and Orthopaedics |684 |249 |85
Ear, nose and throat |0 |0 |0
Ophthalmology |253 |25 |1
Oral surgery |76 |1 |0
Plastic surgery |0 |0 |0
Gynaecology |259 |1 |0
General medicine |132 |0 |0
Other |14 |0 |0
|------- |------- |-------
Total |2,819 |616 |172
Capital Charging System
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the total cost of administering the first year of the capital charging system for his Department.
Arachnoiditis
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of medical negligence (a) have been settled and (b) are still outstanding by sufferers of arachnoiditis.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : This information is not collected centrally.
NHS Staff and Beds
Mr. Cummings : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many beds and nursing and auxiliary nursing staff there were in the Ryhope general hospital in the years from 1985 to 1991 ;
(2) if he will list the number of acute beds in (a) Sunderland general hospital, Sunderland royal infirmary, (b) Hartlepool general hospital and (c) Dryburn general
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hospital, Durham, during the years 1985 to 1991 ; and if he will indicate the number of nursing staff and auxiliary staff in the above named hospitals during the same years.Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : This information is not collected centrally.
Myelograms
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has offered to health authorities on the continued use of myelograms.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : None. Prescribing information is available to doctors in the data sheets of the individual products used in myelograms. It is for doctors who use a product to ensure that they are fully familiar with the benefits and the risks of any procedure or treatment.
Research Institutes
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by standard region (a) the research institutes operated for, or on behalf of, his Department and the total employment thereat, (b) the total number of such institutes and the total employment therein and (c) if he will express the regional totals as a percentage of the national totals.
Mr. Dorrell : The Department provides funding in support of research through its centrally commissioned research--CCR--programme, the national health service and a number of non-departmental public bodies.
Information in the form requested is available only for the research units funded under the CCR. This is set out in the table. Further information on the CCR is contained in the "DH Yearbook of Research and Development 1990" a copy of which is available in the Library.
As a result of our new R and D strategy announced last April, we expect an increase in employment opportunities for health researchers in coming years.
Column 587
Region |Unit/Programme |No. of Staff
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Northern Region |1. Incapacitating Disease and Social|7
| Support Research Programme.
|2. Centre of Health Services |1
| Research.
|3. Ambulatory Care Programme. |7
|4. Organisation and Delivery of |6
| Direct Patient Care Services.
|Regional Total=21
2. Yorkshire Region |1. Social Policy Research Unit |16
|2. Centre for Health Economics |6
|Regional Total=22
3. Trent Region |1. Blind Mobility Research Unit |8
|2. Medical Care Research Unit |26
|Regional Total=34
4. East Anglian Region
5. North West Thames Region |1. Health Economics Research |6
| Group
|2. Clinical Accountability Service |16
| Planning and Evaluation-
| CASPE
|Regional Total=22
6. North East Thames Region |1. National Institute for Social |14
| Work
|2. Thomas Coram Research Unit |22
|3. Clinical Operational Research |6
| Unit
|4. Institute for Social Studies in |7
| Medical Care
|Regional Total=49
Private Nursing Homes
Mr. Cummings : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce legislation to ensure that private nursing homes, as a condition of being licensed, provide physiotherapy, and chiropody services ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Regulations made under the Registered Homes Act 1984 already require that, among other things, the person registered shall, having regard to the age and condition of patients, provide adequate professional and other staff and adequate treatment facilities. It is our view that this would extend, in an appropriate case, to physiotherapy and chiropody services.
Putting Women in the Picture"
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he received a copy of "Putting Women in the Picture", produced by the British Medical Association.
Mr. Dorrell : We received a copy of the version of this report published in the British Medical Journal --BMJ volume 304, 11 January 1992- -on 10 January 1992.
Home Care Services
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what, in the last 12 months, was the number of (a) social services clients receiving home care services, (b) how many of these paid a charge, (c) how many of those who are
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chargeable had the charge waived on hardship grounds and (d) how many of those charged were in receipt of attendance allowance.Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : This information is not collected centrally. Some information about numbers of clients is contained in the annual Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy publication "Personal Social Service Statistics Actuals", a copy of which is available in the Library.
Low Income Scheme
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will extend the national health service low income scheme to include the cost of glasses.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Help with the cost of spectacles is already available under the NHS low income scheme to people with limited resources.
Specialist Hospital Units
Sir David Price : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what proportion of patients will be taken on by specialist hospital units on an extra-contractual arrangement after April 1992 ; whether this will be both in the short-term and the long-term ; and what arrangements will be made to accommodate any consequential financial shortfall arising from the transition to the new system of contracts ;
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(2) which specialist hospital units have completed the drawing up of contracts with regions and districts ; and for each unit what is the number of contracts made.Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : This information is not collected centrally. Regional and district health authorities are currently agreeing and finalising their 1992-93 contracts with providers.
Spinal Injury Units
Sir David Price : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department issued guidance on contracting after 1992 to the spinal injuries units ; and what was the advice given.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : In his annual statement about supra- regional services my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced in February 1991 the transfer of responsibility for funding spinal injury services to regions. This will become effective on 1 April 1992 and allows regional health authorities time to plan for smooth incorporation of units into the normal contracting arrangements.
Sir David Price : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding spinal injuries units will receive directly from central Government after April 1992 ; how the former supra-regional funding will be distributed ; and on what basis each unit will receive its allocation.
Mr. Dorrell : From 1 April 1992 funding currently provided to the spinal injury units via the supra-regional services has been included in the main revenue allocations of regional health authorities. Former supra- regional funding has been distributed to regions on the basis of historical patient flows to each unit. Units will receive funding via contracts agreed with purchasers.
Mesothelioma
Mr. Watson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the number of deaths from mesothelioma in England and in Wales during each of the last five years for which figures are available.
Mr. Dorrell : The number of deaths in England, and Wales, with any mention of mesothelioma on the death certificate in 1986-90 is as follows :
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