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Council of Ministers
Mr. Ian Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish a statement of forthcoming business in the European Community's Council of Ministers.
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Mr. Garel-Jones : The Foreign Affairs Council will meet on 3 February. It will consider the next stages on the European economic area in the light of discussions between the Commission and the European Free Trade Association over how to resolve the problems resulting from the European Court of Justice opinion. The Council will discuss follow-up to the Washington conference on aid to the former Soviet Union, and consider ways to develop the Community's relations with the former republics. The Council will discuss whether trade and co-operation agreements should be negotiated with Brazil and the Andean pact. A European Community trade and co- operation agreement with Paraguay will be signed in the margins. The Council will also consider policy towards Haiti following the coup. The Council will also discuss conciliation procedures on Asia/Latin America and European Community investment partners with a delegation from the European Parliament. The Commission will make a presentation on export controls on dual use goods.
The Economic and Finance Council will meet on 10 February. Ministers will consider multilateral surveillance of the economies of member states, including the Irish convergence programme, and also the formal adoption of the Commission's annual economic report. The Council will also consider aid to central and eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. The Council may also consider the revision to the financial perspective for 1992, the investment services directive ; and the legislative programme relating to economic and monetary union arising from the treaty on European union. Ministers may also formally adopt the legal text of the draft directive on the commercial movement of excise goods in the single market which they agreed at the Economic and Finance Council on 16 December 1991. It is also expected that Ministers will formally adopt a new regulation for enhanced administrative cooperation between member states. This will provide for the automatic exchange of information between EC tax authorities.
The Agriculture Council will meet on 10 and 11 February. Ministers will discuss reform of the common agricultural policy, agricultural aspects of the GATT Uruguay round, public health problems affecting the killing of wild game and the marketing of wild game meat. The Internal Market Council will meet on 25 February. Ministers may consider the final adoption of the public procurement directive for remedies in the utilities sectors, and the adoption of common positions on the third non-life insurance directive. Consolidation directives on tractors and on units of measurement, and a directive on veterinary homeopathic medicines will also be discussed by Ministers. There may also be further ministerial discussions on frontier controls, and draft legislation on data protection, precursor chemicals, food colourings and food irradiation.
Antarctica
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the abandoned British bases in Antarctica, stating for each what plans he has to ensure that they do not despoil the Antarctic environment.
Mr. Alan Howarth : I have been asked to reply.
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Stations and field huts abandoned since 1947 by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey or its successor, the British Antarctic Survey--BAS--are :South Orkney Islands :
Cape Geddes
South Shetland Islands :
Admiralty Bay
Deception Island
Trinity Peninsula :
Hope Bay
View Point
Antarctic Peninsula :
Portal Point
Danco Island
Port Lockroy
Anvers Island
Prospect Point
Detaille Island
Orford Cliff
Stonington Island
Brunt Ice Shelf :
Halley Bases I-IV
Each of these bases has been visited by an inspection party to assess the work required, with the exception of Halley I and Halley II, which are now buried and inaccessible. The sites will be maintained, removed, or, in a limited number of cases, maintained as historical monuments, and the survey is now drawing up a programme to undertake the necessary work.
Remedial work has already been undertaken as follows :
Deception Island --Clean up work in 1990-91 and 1991-92, with removal of waste and fuel oil.
Halley III --Clean-up work and removal of waste in 1990-91, before the base became too unsafe for access.
Anvers Island --Removal of the base, except for the foundations, by a United States group on behalf of BAS.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Manor House Residential Home
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans there are to increase the physiotherapy service to patients at Manor House residential home in Rathfriland, County Down.
Mr. Hanley : The management and delivery of services in Rathfriland is the responsibility of Southern health and social services board. The hon. Gentleman may wish to contact the chairman of the board Mr. J. Daniel Thompson DL.
Health Board Management Units
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what are the current waiting times for speech therapy appointments in each of the units of management of each health board in Northern Ireland ;
(2) what are the current waiting times in respect of chiropody care in each unit of management in each health board in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Hanley : This information is not collected centrally. The hon. Gentleman may wish to contact the chairmen of the four health and social services boards.
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Speech Therapy
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many speech therapists are employed in each unit of management of each health board in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Hanley : Details of the number of speech therapists employed in each unit of management of each health and social services board at 30 September 1991, the latest date available, are as follows :
Health and Social Services Board and |Numbers |Whole time
unit of management |employed |equivalent
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eastern Board
Belfast City Hospital Unit |6 |6.00
Down and Lisburn Unit |15 |13.83
Green Park Unit |10 |9.53
Mater Infirmorum Hospital Unit |1 |1.00
North and West Belfast Community
Unit |13 |12.01
North Down and Ards Community
Unit |11 |8.98
Royal Group of Hospitals Unit |3 |3.00
South and East Belfast Community
Unit |24 |20.30
Ulster, North Down and Ards
Hospitals Unit |6 |4.50
|---- |----
Total |89 |79.15
Northern Board
Antrim Hospital Unit |- |-
Bannside Unit |15 |13.07
Causeway Unit |10 |7.97
Loughside Unit |10 |8.99
|---- |----
Total |35 |29.98
Southern Board
Area Mental Health Unit |- |-
Armagh and Dungannon Unit |8 |8.00
Craigavon and Banbridge Community
Unit |6 |6.00
Craigavon Area Hospital Unit |- |-
Newry and Mourne Unit |6 |6.00
|---- |----
Total |20 |20.00
Western Board
Altnagelvin Group of Hospitals Unit |- |-
Area Mental Health Unit |- |-
Foyle Community Unit |6 |6.00
Omagh and Fermanagh Hospital and
Community Unit |12 |10.24
|---- |----
Total |18 |16.24
|---- |----
Northern Ireland Total |129 |118.71
Chiropody
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many chiropodists are employed in each unit of management of each of the health boards in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Hanley : Details of the number of chiropodists employed in each unit of management of each health and social services board at 30 September 1991, the latest date available, are as follows :
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Health and Social Services Board and |Numbers |Whole time
Unit of Management |employed |equivalent
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eastern Board
Belfast City Hospital Unit |1 |1.00
Down and Lisburn Unit |10 |9.12
Green Park Unit |1 |0.66
Mater Infirmorum Hospital Unit |- |-
North and West Belfast Community
Unit |10 |10.00
North Down and Ards Community
Unit |10 |9.55
Royal Group of Hospitals Unit |1 |1.00
South and East Belfast Community
Unit |22 |20.16
Ulster, North Down and Ards
Hospitals Unit |1 |1.00
|--- |---
Total |56 |52.49
Northern Board
Antrim Hospital Unit |- |-
Bannside Unit |13 |12.00
Causeway Unit |11 |8.70
Loughside Unit |21 |18.35
|--- |---
Total |45 |39.05
Area Mental Health Unit |- |-
Armagh and Dungannon Unit |10 |9.08
Craigavon and Banbridge Community
Unit |10 |9.09
Craigavon Area Hospital Unit |- |-
Newry and Mourne Unit |6 |5.00
|--- |---
Total |26 |23.17
Western Board
Altnagelvin Group of Hospitals Unit |- |-
Area Mental Health Unit |- |-
Foyle Community Unit |14 |14.00
Omagh and Fermanagh Hospital and
Community Unit |11 |10.80
|--- |---
Total |25 |24.80
Northern Ireland Total |185 |166.17
Home Help Service
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many people have to pay for home help service in the Down section of the Down and Lisburn unit of management.
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(2) how many people had home help service withdrawn in the Down section of the Down and Lisburn unit of management in each of the years since 1 April 1989 to 31 March 1991 and from 1 April 1991 to 31 December 1991, respectively.Mr. Hanley : This information is not collected centrally. The hon. Gentleman may wish to contact the chairman of the Eastern health and social services board, Mr. Norman Fergusson, CBE.
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people are in receipt of free home help service in each of the units of management of each health board in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Hanley : This information is not collected centrally. The hon. Gentleman may wish to contact the chairman of the four health and social services boards.
Mental Handicap
Mr. Kennedy : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what arrangements for transfer of dowry funds with resettled mental handicap patients to local authorities have been made in each regional health authority ; under what terms these payments are made ; and if he will list by regional health authority the sums transferred each year on this basis.
Mr. Hanley : The principle of dowry transfer to local authorities does not apply in Northern Ireland because of the integrated nature of the provision of health and personal social services.
HEALTH
Pulmonary Tuberculosis
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give for each region the number of deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis for each month of the last two years.
Mr. Dorrell : The latest available information is given in the tables.
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Deaths (underlying cause) from pulmonary tuberculosis (ICD 011), for England, Wales and elsewhere
and for each RHA separately: and for each month of 1989.
1989
Regional Health Authority |January |February |March |April |May |June |July |August |September |October |November |December
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
England, Wales and Else<1> |23 |31 |25 |37 |37 |20 |23 |17 |24 |29 |20 |40
England |22 |30 |24 |35 |32 |20 |22 |16 |20 |26 |18 |34
Wales |1 |1 |1 |2 |5 |- |- |1 |4 |3 |2 |3
Else<1> |- |- |- |- |- |- |1 |- |- |- |- |3
Northern |1 |3 |1 |2 |2 |1 |2 |1 |1 |- |2 |3
Yorkshire |1 |2 |2 |2 |3 |1 |2 |1 |1 |- |1 |2
Trent |2 |6 |1 |3 |5 |- |3 |- |2 |2 |2 |5
East Anglian |1 |- |- |2 |- |- |- |1 |- |2 |- |-
North West Thames |2 |2 |4 |3 |- |2 |1 |- |2 |2 |1 |6
North East Thames |2 |3 |2 |3 |3 |6 |3 |2 |3 |3 |2 |5
South East Thames |2 |- |6 |4 |4 |1 |1 |3 |5 |2 |2 |3
South West Thames |2 |1 |- |1 |2 |1 |1 |- |2 |2 |- |1
Wessex |1 |1 |1 |2 |- |- |2 |1 |- |- |- |2
Oxford |1 |1 |1 |1 |1 |2 |- |- |- |- |- |3
South Western |3 |3 |- |1 |2 |1 |- |- |1 |3 |- |-
West Midlands |1 |5 |3 |7 |3 |3 |4 |2 |2 |6 |3 |1
Mersey |2 |1 |2 |3 |3 |1 |2 |3 |- |1 |1 |2
North Western |1 |2 |1 |1 |4 |1 |1 |2 |1 |3 |4 |1
Wales |1 |1 |1 |2 |5 |- |- |1 |4 |3 |2 |3
<1> Else (Elsewhere) are those deaths registered in England and Wales to individuals not normally resident.
Deaths (underlying cause) from pulmonary tuberculosis (ICD 011)
for England, Wales and elsewhere, and for each regional health authority separately;
and for each month of 1990
RHA |January |February |March |April |May |June |July |August |September|October |November |December
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
England, Wales
and elsewhere<1> 30 38 27 34 20 15 26 26 16 21 28 33
England |23 |37 |20 |30 |19 |15 |25 |25 |15 |19 |26 |28
Wales |7 |1 |7 |4 |1 |- |- |1 |1 |2 |2 |4
Elsewhere<1> |- |- |- |- |- |- |1 |- |- |- |- |1
Northern |3 |3 |1 |1 |- |- |2 |1 |1 |2 |4 |1
Yorkshire |- |1 |2 |3 |- |1 |2 |1 |- |- |2 |-
Trent |3 |3 |3 |3 |3 |1 |5 |2 |3 |3 |3 |4
East Anglian - 3 - 1 1 - - - - - 1 -
North West Thames 3 3 1 2 - 2 2 1 3 2 4 3
North East Thames 2 6 3 2 2 - 3 1 - 1 1 3
South East Thames 1 5 1 6 3 2 1 - 2 1 3 1
South West Thames 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 4 1 2 1 3
Wessex |- |1 |1 |2 |- |1 |1 |- |1 |- |2 |2
Oxford |- |1 |1 |- |- |2 |1 |1 |- |1 |1 |-
South Western 2 3 - 1 - - - 1 1 2 1 2
West Midlands 6 4 5 4 1 3 2 8 3 4 1 3
Mersey |- |1 |- |- |2 |- |1 |2 |- |- |1 |3
North Western 2 1 1 4 6 2 4 3 - 1 1 3
Wales |7 |1 |7 |4 |1 |- |- |1 |1 |2 |2 |4
<1> Elsewhere are those deaths registered in England and Wales to individuals not normally resident.
Deaths (underlying cause) from pulmonary tuberculosis (ICD 011), for England, Wales and elsewhere, and for each RHA
separately; and for
each month of 1991 for which there are data available (January-September).
1991
RHA |January |February |March |April |May |June |July |August |September
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
England, Wales and Else<1> |46 |30 |30 |29 |22 |23 |19 |30 |21
England |45 |23 |27 |24 |19 |22 |19 |29 |18
Wales |1 |6 |2 |4 |3 |1 |- |1 |3
Else<1> |- |1 |1 |1 |- |- |- |- |-
Northern |5 |2 |1 |- |- |2 |1 |2 |1
Yorkshire |3 |2 |3 |1 |2 |2 |1 |1 |1
Trent |5 |2 |1 |4 |1 |2 |3 |3 |2
East Anglian |- |- |- |1 |- |- |- |- |-
North West Thames |3 |4 |- |1 |4 |3 |2 |2 |3
North East Thames |3 |4 |4 |2 |2 |2 |- |5 |1
South East Thames |2 |2 |2 |3 |1 |1 |2 |2 |2
South West Thames |1 |1 |3 |- |- |1 |4 |2 |1
Wessex |2 |2 |1 |1 |3 |1 |- |4 |1
Oxford |2 |- |3 |1 |- |1 |1 |1 |2
South Western |2 |- |1 |1 |- |2 |- |1 |-
West Midlands |8 |4 |3 |6 |3 |1 |3 |3 |2
Mersey |3 |- |1 |1 |- |- |- |1 |-
North Western |6 |- |4 |2 |3 |4 |2 |2 |2
Wales |1 |6 |2 |4 |3 |1 |- |1 |3
<1>Else (Elsewhere) are those deaths registered in England and Wales to individuals not normally resident.
Psychopathic Persons
Sir Michael McNair-Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration is being given to amending the Mental Health Act 1983 to enable psychopathic persons, though deemed untreatable, to be admitted to mental hospitals.
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Mr. Dorrell : The needs of people suffering from psychopathic disorder, and how they can best be met both in the prison service and in the health and social care system, are one of the issues being considered by the joint Department of Health/Home Office review of services for mentally disordered offenders. We shall be considering very carefully the conclusions reached by the review and any questions they raise about possible changes in the present law.
National Health Service (Salaries)
Mr. Andrew Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the national health service, and at which grades, earn more than £20,280 a year.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : At least 70,000 people working in the NHS in England, and in the categories listed below are estimated to have basic earnings greater than £20,280 per annum. An additional and significant number in most of those categories have gross earnings in excess of £20,280, because they receive additional payments such as overtime and allowances. Review body awards as well as pay settlements due on 1 April will further increase the numbers earning more than £20,280.
Groups containing people whose earnings in the NHS exceed £20,280 per annum
Administrative and Clerical
Ambulance Officers
Community Medical and Dental Staff
Hospital Medical and Dental Staff
Nursing and Midwifery Staff
Professions Allied to Medicine
Scientific and Professional Staff
Professional and Technical Staff
General/Senior Managers
General Medical Practitioners
General Dental Practitioners
Criminal Justice Act 1991
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 5 November, Official Report, column 108, he will state the timetable for the action plan on the implementation of Social Service Department involvement in the Criminal Justice Act 1991.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The juvenile remands national steering group intends to complete its work as quickly as possible and to produce an action plan no later than October.
Patients Charter
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he intends to take if any of the charter standards and patient rights are not met by any unit of the national health service.
Mr. Dorrell : The patients charter gives the individual patient the right to have any complaint about denial of charter rights investigated by the chief executive of the NHS, who will take any necessary remedial action. Health authorities will have to publish information about their performance against national and local standards annually. Performance against standards will be a key feature in the NHS performance review process.
Mental Handicap
Mr. Kennedy : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many sales of capital assets have arisen from closures of mental handicap hospitals ; and if he will list the assets disposed of and the money raised by each sale.
Mr. Dorrell : The information requested is not available centrally.
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Oral Health
Mr. Shersby : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to publish the consultative document on oral health strategy ; what opportunities there will be for representations by interested parties ; and if he intends to establish external consultative committees.
Mr. Dorrell : Once the final version of the consultative document is completed a firm date for publication can be set. It is expected that this will be within the next few months. When the document is issued, there will be an opportunity for all interested parties to make representations. It may then be considered appropriate to establish a consultative committee.
Pharmaceuticals (Price Regulations)
Mr. Sims : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the current turnover threshold below which companies who participate in the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme are exempt from the requirement to submit detailed accounts and price structure analyses to his Department ; when that figure was fixed ; what plans he has to raise the threshold ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The pharmaceutical price regulation scheme (PPRS) is a voluntary agreement between the Government and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI). It applies to all companies supplying branded medicines to the National Health Service which are prescribed by medical or dental practitioners. Under the terms of the agreement, companies with annual sales to the NHS of over £4 million are asked to supply the full details required by the annual financial returns specified in the scheme. Companies with annual sales to the NHS of between £500,000 and £4 million are asked to provide copies of their audited accounts and of a statement giving a breakdown of turnover between NHS sales, export sales of NHS medicines and other sales, plus details of sales promotion costs. Companies with annual sales to the NHS not exceeding £500,000 are exempt from supplying financial information except when specifically called for.
These threshold levels were established when the current PPRS was agreed with the ABPI in 1986. The scheme runs until 1 October 1992, but will continue beyond that if neither party gives due notice of termination. The Government are therefore now considering whether any changes to the current scheme are needed. The possibility of raising thresholds is one of the points which could be discussed with the ABPI.
Departmental Computers
Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how long each computerised system in his Department would take to return to full operation in the event of a disaster.
Mr. Dorrell : Each IT system in the Department contains elements designed to reduce the likelihood of a disaster and minimise the impact of any disaster that may occur. Recovery time would depend on the severity of the breakdown.
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Physiotherapists
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health which departments or other authorities have responsibility for the education and training of state registered physiotherapists to meet the needs of non-NHS employers and of the public for independent practitioners ; what arrangements exist for the co-ordination of these needs with those of the NHS ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Education and training for state registered physiotherapists is provided at both further education and NHS institutions. Regional health authorities purchase the majority of places available and also provide bursaries to physiotherapy students. In determining how many places to purchase they consult locally with public, private and voluntary sector interests so as to assess and meet overall demand.
Caring for Children
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will issue guidance to local authorities on the implementation of the Disqualification for Caring for Children Regulations 1991 ; (2) if the guidance contained in Home Office circular 88(102) is superseded by the Disqualification for Caring for Children Regulations 1991 ;
(3) if he will make a statement on his plans for publicising the Disqualification for Caring for Children Regulations 1991 ; (4) if he will extend the principles concerning the schedule of offences established in the Disqualification for Caring for Children Regulations 1991 to the vetting of (a) applicants for social work employment and social work students seeking placements, (b) applicants to work in childrens homes and (c) potential foster parents.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Guidance on the implementations of the Disqualification for the Caring for Children Regulations 1991 is contained in volume 8 of the Children Act Regulations and Guidance series, which also reproduces the text of the regulations. Copies of volume 8 were distributed to local authorities, voluntary organisations and others with an interest on 15 October 1991. The Disqualification for Caring for Children Regulations apply to applicants who wish to work in registered childrens homes or voluntary homes or as private foster parents, child minders or providers of day care. Local authorities have discretion under the Children Act to lift a disqualification, although the guidance in volume 8 is that this should be done only in the most exceptional circumstances.
Although the regulations do not apply to the local authority sector, the guidance in volume 8 advises that local authorities should have regard to the regulations when considering the appointment of staff to any services which are run by the local authority and when assessing people's suitability to work as childminders or foster parents employed by a local authority. Volumes 2 ("Family Support, Day Care and Educational Provision for Young Children"), 3 ("Family Placements") and 4 ("Residential Care") in the Children Act series contain clear guidance on the necessity for local authorities to undertake a thorough assessment of the suitability of people who wish to work with children in any services run by the local authority. These provisions ensure that
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equivalent measures exist for safeguarding the welfare of children care for in such services as in any in the private and voluntary sectors.The guidance in Home Office circular 88(102) is not superseded by the Disqualification for Caring for Children Regulations 1991 and continues to apply to local authorities in addition to the Children Act guidance in volumes 2, 3 and 4.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Resettlement Units
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many places are currently available in resettlement units throughout the United Kingdom, showing the location of each unit and the number of places in each unit ;
(2) what sums have been allocated in his Departmental budget to provide resettlement unit places ; and what plans he has made for the next three years ;
(3) what research has been undertaken to investigate the need for places in resettlement units.
Miss Widdecombe : The management of the Resettlement Agency is a matter for Mr. Tony Ward, the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement outlining Her Majesty's Government's current plans for those remaining resettlement units in terms of the duty imposed on him under the Social Security Act 1980.
Miss Widdecombe : Under the plans announced in 1985 we will have replaced eight resettlement units with better alternative facilities by March 1993. These units include most of those whose physical condition was the poorest.
We have now decided that the best way forward is to work towards the transfer of most of the remaining hostels directly to voluntary organisations and others who have skills and experience in caring for single homeless people.
The Resettlement Agency which is now responsible for running the units therefore intends to invite suitable organisations with the appropriate skills to tender for these, starting with the hostels at Newbury and Camden. The agency will continue to provide funding to organisations that take over the running of transferred units. If any savings are produced by this revised strategy they will be recycled to fund further replacement provision. The tendering process will also encourage outside organisations to make positive proposals for re-employing resettlement unit staff.
We believe that this approach is the best way to secure improved service to unsettled homeless people quickly, avoids the loss of local service and offers the best all-round value for money. By a combination of transfer and replacement the Resettlement Agency is now looking to complete its task of securing replacement providers within five years.
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