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Angola
Mr. Hunter : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement on his policy towards the achievement of a settlement in Angola and the representations which he is making to the parties involved.
Mrs. Chalker : We attach importance to the convening of free and fair elections in September 1992 in completion of the settlement agreed in Portugal on 31 May 1991 which ended the Angolan civil war. We have regular discussions with both sides, and are assisting in the formation of a new integrated army to help bring stability to the country.
Mozambique
Mr. Hunter : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement on his policy towards the achievement of a settlement in Mozambique and the representations which he is making to the parties involved.
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Mrs. Chalker : We seek the earliest possible end to the fighting in Mozambique and have been encouraged by recent progress in the peace talks in Rome. We are members of the joint verification commission, which was set up to monitor the partial ceasefire agreement of 1 December 1990, and have participated in European Community de marches to both parties encouraging them to reach early agreement. In addition to regular bilateral contact with the Mozambican Government, we have urged RENAMO to adhere to the partial ceasefire and reach an early comprehensive settlement.
Civil Rights
Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will take into account the civil rights record of a country and, in particular, its use of capital punishment and the persecution of any group of people in respect of their sexual orientation, ethnic background, religion or minority status before he establishes or re-establishes diplomatic relations.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : When considering whether to establish or re- establish diplomatic relations with a country, we judge each case on its merits.
Qaiser Khan
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when a decision is to be made on the application of Qaiser Khan, Ref. CON/3343, to the post in Islamabad for British citizenship ; when his application was submitted ; when he was interviewed ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Qaiser Khan's application form, which was dated 9 October 1989, was submitted to the British high commission at Islamabad on 6 December 1989. In interview on 27 February 1990, the family were asked to produce a further document in support of the application. To date, that document has not been received and the application therefore remains pending.
I have asked the high commission for a full report on the case and will write to the hon. Member when it is to hand.
Albania
Sir Russell Johnston : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contribution the United Kingdom has made to the special account for emergency aid for Albania, opened by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.
Mr. Alan Howarth : I have been asked to reply.
In conjunction with the local authority associations, the Government launched an appeal on 4 February to help Albanian schoolchildren. Aimed at schools and other educational institutions, the appeal seeks their help in providing a number of essential items such as paper, exercise books, books, pens, pencils and educational toys. Feed the Children, a charity operating in Albania, is administering the day-to-day running of the appeal with financial assistance from the Government towards the administrative costs of collection, storage, transportation and distribution of the material raised.
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OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
East Timor
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the oral answer of the Minister for Overseas Development on 9 December, Official Report , column 607 , on East Timor, what review has taken place of the United Kingdom aid programme to Indonesia.
Mrs. Chalker : As far as new commitments are concerned, following the shootings in East Timor on 12 November, we concluded that projects already agreed would continue as planned.
We also concluded that projects under our technical assistance programme should continue to be developed as planned. The next major such project is in support of primary education.
As for capital aid, the second concessional loan with Indonesia expired in August 1991. No decisions have been made about a successor agreement.
Development Market Research
Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will adopt development market research for the design and implementation of development projects in Overseas Development Administration activities ;
(2) what is the policy of the Overseas Development Administration on the use of market and opinion research in relevant target areas when evaluating the feasibility of development projects ; (3) if he will consider the use of the "Training Manual for Development Market Research Investigators" recently published by the BBC World Service to benefit aid projects in which Britain is involved.
Mrs. Chalker : Aid projects in developing countries are very varied in nature. The Overseas Development Administration takes forecast demand, users' willingness to pay and the views and opinions of people affected into consideration in designing and appraising projects, as appropriate. The techniques used are numerous and are constantly being refined. They could, in some instances, involve procedures used in market research, including those used by the BBC.
Angola
Mr. Hunter : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy regarding Overseas Development Administration spending in Angola.
Mrs. Chalker : British bilateral aid to Angola totalled £1.2 million in 1990. It was divided more or less equally between food and other emergency aid and technical co-operation, mainly in support of English language teaching. The attainment of peace in Angola has opened the prospect of a more substantial aid involvement and present plans include assistance for the forthcoming elections, support for the resettlement of refugees, displaced persons and ex-combatants and continued assistance with the teaching of English, with which we are particularly well placed to help.
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Mozambique
Mr. Hunter : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy regarding Overseas Development Administration spending in Mozambique.
Mrs. Chalker : British bilateral aid to Mozambique totalled £25.4 million in 1990. Of that, £12 million was in the form of balance-of-payments assistance in support of the continuing programme of economic reform, while project aid--devoted primarily to the rehabilitation of transport infrastructure--and technical co-operation mainly in the form of manpower assistance, consultancies and training, accounted for some £3 million each. A further £6 million took the form of food and other emergency aid in response to the long-standing emergency. Expenditure is likely to remain substantial in the period immediately ahead.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Disability Allowances
Mr. Rowlands : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what measures he intends to take to advertise the new disability allowances ; and at what time of day he intends adverts to be screened on television.
Mr. Scott : The advertising campaign for disability living allowance and disability working allowance commenced on 5 February. The campaign includes television commercials, supported by advertising in the national, local, specialist and ethnic press, as well as a number of other publications. The television commercials are being shown at various times throughout the day and evening, on both ITV and Channel 4. The current schedule is available in the Library. The advertisements invite people to telephone a freephone number or send off a coupon to a freepost address to obtain the "Guide to New Benefits for Disabled People".
The advertisements form part of a larger publicity campaign targeted at disabled people, carers, advisers and health professionals. As part of this campaign, we have written to over 1 million existing beneficiaries of attendance allowance and mobility allowance to let them know about the benefit changes and how to claim extra help, if appropriate. We are also writing to organisations of and for disabled people, advisers and health professionals--such as doctors, nurses and therapists--telling them about the benefits and how they can help their clients and patients to claim. We are also making use of the new out-of-hours service BBC Select to broadcast a series of information programmes about DLA and DWA.
The key materials--including the commercials and advertisements--have been researched with disabled people, and the campaign has been prepared in liaison with representatives of organisations of and for disabled people.
Mr. Rowlands : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what training and advice has been given to staff in preparation for the introduction of the new disability allowances on 15 April.
Mr. Scott : The administration of the new disability benefits is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief
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executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member, and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.Residential Care
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proposals he has to ensure that the personal expenses allowance for those in residential care or nursing homes is ring-fenced from being used to meet shortfalls between the maximum income support limit and the weekly residential care charge.
Miss Widdecombe : How the personal expenses allowance is used is a matter for the claimant. From April 1993, local authorities will ensure that people placed under the new community care arrangements will retain an amount of their income for personal expenses.
Terminal Illness
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the definition of terminal illness used for those cared for in hospices and residential care nursing homes deemed eligible for the higher income support limit ; and if he will make a statement.
Miss Widdecombe : People staying in a nursing home which is able to provide a level of care appropriate to someone suffering from a terminal illness may receive the terminal illness limit if they are actually receiving such care.
Retirement Pension
Mr. George Howarth : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many people would benefit by increasing the retirement pension for a single pensioner by £5 in each constituency in Merseyside and in the constituencies of Ellesmere Port and Neston ; Chester ; Warrington, South ; Halton ; and Lancashire, West ; (2) how many couples would gain by an increase in the retirement pension for a married couple in each Merseyside constituency and in the constituencies of Ellesmere Port and Neston ; Chester ; Warrington, South ; Halton ; and Lancashire, West.
Miss Widdecombe : I understand from Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency that the information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Community Charge
Mr. George Howarth : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people would benefit and on average by how much from abolition of the 20 per cent. minimum rule for the payment of the community charge as it affects people in receipt of benefit in each Merseyside constituency and in the constituencies of Ellesmere Port and Neston ; Chester ; Warrington, South ; Halton ; and Lancashire, West.
Miss Widdecombe : The latest available information relates to August 1991, and at that time about 287,000 people were receiving community charge benefit on Merseyside as a whole, of which about 155,000 were in receipt of income support. Abolishing the 20 per cent. community charge contribution by awarding maximum
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rebates of 100 per cent. of liability would help all those currently receiving benefit. In addition, a number of people would become entitled to benefit for the first time. In the Merseyside area as a whole, the 20 per cent. contribution is currently estimated to be £1.13 a week and, assuming no reduction in the amounts currently included in income-related benefit levels to help towards the 20 per cent. contribution, all current benefit recipients would gain to this extent.Information concerning the individual constituencies requested is not available.
Source : August 1991 Management Information System.
Pensions
Ms. Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate as to the effect on future funds of the Maastricht pensions protocol overriding the Barber judgment on equal treatment in pensions.
Miss Widdecombe : The protocol to article 119 of the treaty of Rome, which was agreed at Maastricht, is intended to clarify the retrospective effect of the Barber judgment--it does not overturn the judgment. The full implications of the protocol are still being considered.
Private Nursing Care
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what qualifications and training adjudication officers have in order to establish whether claimants in receipt of income support towards private nursing care (a) actually require such care and (b) are in receipt of it ;
(2) what steps are taken by adjudication officers to confirm that in addition to residing in private nursing homes, claimants of income support towards private nursing care are (a) in receipt of such care and (b) actually in need of such care.
Miss Widdecombe : The administration of income support is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.
Social Fund
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how social fund budgets are adapted to meet increased demands arising from increased unemployment ; and what account is taken of regional trends in unemployment in setting the budgets.
Mr. Scott : The trend in unemployment is one of the factors taken into account during our routine reviews of the amounts allocated to the national and district social fund budgets. These reviews have resulted in total increases of £49.6 million to the discretionary budget in 1991- 92.
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his latest estimate of the remaining social fund budget of the Wakefield district Benefits Agency office.
Mr. Scott : The administration of the social fund is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member, and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.
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Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the number of successful claims for the last three years for which figures were available for (a) social fund loans and (b) social fund grants in (i) Wakefield, (ii) Yorkshire and Humberside and (iii) the United Kingdom.Mr. Scott : Such information as is available is in the Library.
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what action is taken to assist benefit agency offices when increased claims exceed social fund budgets during any financial year.
Mr. Scott : The administration of the social fund is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the benefits agency. He will write to the hon. Member, and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.
National Insurance
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people in 1991-92 are liable to pay national insurance contributions who have earnings between the lower earnings limit and £64.80 per week in Great Britain.
Mr. Jack : It is estimated that, on average, some 600,000 people with weekly earnings between the lower earnings limit and £64.80 will be liable to pay national insurance contributions in 1991-92.
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the current lower earnings limit for national insurance contributions if revalued from its 1980 level in line with earnings ; and how many people have weekly earnings between this figure and the current lower earnings limit.
Mr. Jack : If the lower earnings limit for national insurance contributions had been revalued in line with the increase in earnings since 1980, its present level would be £64. It is estimated that nearly 600,000 people have weekly earnings between this figure and the current lower earnings limit of £52.
Local Government Finance
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the calculated public expenditure on benefits and grants to local authorities for benefit subsidy for rate rebates in England and Wales, and community charge benefit in Scotland, for income support claimants in Great Britain in 1989-90.
Miss Widdecombe : Outturn figures are not available in the form requested. However, we estimate that rate rebate subsidy paid to local authorities in England and Wales in respect of income support claimants for 1989-90 was about £730 million. The comparable estimate of benefit subsidy for community charge rebates in Scotland is £120 million.
Local Office, Stratford
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give details of the refurbishment programme for the Jubilee department of social security offices in Stratford, London E15.
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Miss Widdecombe : The planning for the refurbishment of local DSS offices is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available, and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.
Child Support Agency
Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the policy of the Child Support Agency on demanding maintenance payments from former husbands regardless of whether a former wife has asked for such payments or whether a court has imposed a maintenance order in cases where the former wife is claiming income support.
Mr. Jack [pursuant to his reply, 27 January 1992, c. 469-470] : Incorrect information was given in the reply. The correct information is as follows :
From April 1993, the Child Support Agency will take over from the courts the main responsibility for obtaining maintenance for children. It will provide a service for use by all families for whom child maintenance is an issue whether they are on benefit or not. Where the parent with care of a child claims income support, family credit or disability working allowance provisions in the Child Support Act 1991 mean that she will be expected to authorise the Child Support Agency to take maintenance action for her child. The agency will not act without such authorisation. Experience shows that most parents wish to co-operate in arranging financial support for the benefit of their children. It is very much in the child's interest that both parents should do what they can to support their child.
HOUSE OF COMMONS
House of Commons Services
Mr. Harris : To ask the Lord President of the Council what arrangements will be made for answering hon. Members' questions relating to the services of the House, following the appointment of the new committees recommended in Sir Robin Ibbs' report on House of Commons services.
Mr. MacGregor : I intend in the near future to make a minor change in the question rota consequent upon the replacement of the Services Committee by the Finance and Services Committee and the new Domestic Committees. After consultation with the House of Commons Commission, I have agreed that a small amount of time should be set aside for oral questions to the Chairman of the Finance and Services Committee, who will respond in particular to questions concerning the estimates for House of Commons expenditure (which will be prepared under his Committee's supervision), the financial performance of Departments of the House, and the financial implications of any new or expanded services which may be proposed by the committees appointed under Standing Order No. 125 (Domestic Committees).
In order to accommodate these questions without further consequential changes to the rest of the question rota, I intend to arrange for questions to the Chairman of the Finance and Services Committee to be taken every
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third Monday at 3.20 pm, with questions to the Lord President of the Council as Leader of the House following at 3.25 pm.Questions to the Member answering on behalf of the House of Commons Commission will continue to be taken every sixth Monday, at 3.15 pm. In addition, following the replacement of the Services Committee by individual Domestic Committees, Questions concerning the exercise of the responsibilities of those Committees should be tabled for written answer to the Chairman of the Committee concerned.
I shall, of course, continue to answer questions on a wide range of matters as Leader of the House.
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Data Information Systems
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what data information systems his office has (a) agreed and (b) been consulted about with a view to taking
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part in ; what are the criteria for inclusion in such systems ; whether they will be linked to (i) the police national computer and (ii) other computer systems ; what data protection provisions apply to them ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Chris Patten : The Duchy of Lancaster office has a data information system for routine administrative purposes. It is not linked to any other computer system. The office is bound by the Data Protection Act 1984 to the extent specified in section 38 of the Act.
HEALTH
Mental Illness
Mr. Callaghan : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the total number of beds available in the NHS hospitals in the Greater Manchester area, for the treatment of mental illness in 1989, 1990 and 1991.
Mr. Dorrell : The information requested is as follows :
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Number of available beds for mental illness
Greater Manchester health |1988-89 |1989-90 |1990-91 |<1>Community
districts |reprovision
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bolton |227 |226 |244 |0
Bury |117 |133 |128 |7
North Manchester |321 |298 |271 |19
Central Manchester |84 |87 |88 |21
South Manchester |242 |220 |206 |1
Oldham |199 |203 |190 |20
Rochdale |132 |132 |136 |0
Salford |1,018 |903 |788 |128
Stockport |286 |269 |273 |0
Tameside and Glossop |185 |145 |169 |19
Trafford |150 |130 |119 |8
Wigan |290 |277 |238 |30
|------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |3,231 |3,023 |2,850 |253
<1> Source: District Purchasing Plans Quarterly Monitoring Community 1991-92.
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Column 457
Management Executive
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will state the present organisational structure of the NHS management executive with the numbers of staff involved in each directorate area and division within their grades.
Mr. Dorrell : The present structure of the NHS management executive and the numbers of staff involved are shown in the tables.
NHS Management Executive
Staff in Post on 1 January 1992
Chief Executive and |Number
Directors
------------------------------------------------------------------
Grade 1a |1
Grade 2 |6
Principal Nursing Officer |1
|----
Total |<1>8
<1> non-executive Director
Corporate Affairs Directorate
Central Management of the |Number
Management Executive
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grade 5 |2
Senior Medical Officer |1
Grade 7 | 6.5
Senior Executive Officer |6
Higher Executive Officer |15
Executive Officer |13
Administrative Officer |7
Administrative Assistant |5
Personal Secretary |4
Typist |1
| ----
Total | 60.5
Policy unit |Number
-------------------------------------------------
Grade 5 |1
Senior Executive Officer |1
Personal Secretary |1
|-------
Total |3
Column 458
Information management |Number
Group
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grade 3 |1
Grade 5 |2
Grade 6 |2
Grade 7 |15
Senior Executive Officer |19
Higher Executive Officer |16
Executive Officer |12
Administrative Officer |11
Administrative Assistant |4
Personal Secretary |5
Consultants |39
NHS Technical and
Administrative Support |34
| ----
Total | 160
Economic and operational |Number
research
Grade 5 |2
Grade 7 |7
Economic Assistant/Senior
Economic Assistant |3
Senior/Higher/Scientific Officer |3
Executive Officer |1
Personal Secretary |1
|-------
Total |17
Personnel and Resources in the
Management Executive
|Number
----------------------------------------
Grade 5 |1
Grade 6 |2
Grade 7 |4
Senior Executive Officer |2
Higher Executive Officer |13
Executive Officer |12
Administrative Officer |5
Administrative Assistant |1
Senior Personal Secretary |1
Personal Secretary |2
|---
Total |43
Performance Management Directorate
|Number
----------------------------------------
Grade 3 |1
Grade 4 |2
Grade 5 |5
Grade 6 |2
Grade 7 |21
Senior Executive Officer |1
Higher Executive Officer |15
Executive Officer |16
Administrative Officer |7
Administrative Assistant |5
Senior Personal Secretary |4
Personal Secretary |7
|---
Total |86
Research and Development Directorate
|Number
-----------------------------------------
Grade 4 |1
Grade 5 |1
Grade 6 |2
Grade 7 |2
Senior Executive Officer |2
Higher Executive Officer |6
Executive Officer |4
Administrative Officer |6
Administrative Assistant |2
Personal Secretary |1
|-------
Total |29
Finance and Corporate Information
Directorate
|Number
----------------------------------------
Finance
Grade 3 |1.0
Grade 5 |4.0
Grade 6 |2.0
Grade 7 |14.5
Senior Executive Officer |5.0
Higher Executive Officer |22.0
Executive Officer |17.0
Administrative Officer |15.5
Administrative Assistant |3.0
Senior Personal Secretary |1.0
Personal Secretary |6.0
|----
Total |90.0
Corporate Information |Number
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Grade 5 |2.0
Grade 6 |3.0
Grade 7 |15.0
Senior Executive Officer |3.0
Higher Executive Officer |11.0
Executive Officer |14.0
Administrative Officer |5.0
Administrative Assistant |2.0
Personal Secretary |2.0
|----
Total |47.0
Health Care Directorate
|Number
--------------------------------------------
Medical manpower and education
Grade 3 |1.0
Grade 5 |4.0
Grade 7 |4.0
Senior Executive Officer |2.0
Higher Executive Officer |5.0
Executive Officer |9.0
Administrative Officer |2.0
Administrative Assistant |2.0
Personal Secretary |3.0
Senior Personal Secretary |1.0
Typist |1.0
|-------
Total |34.0
|Number
Services Development
Grade 3 |2.0
Grade 5 |6.5
Grade 7 |11.0
Senior Executive Officer |5.0
Higher Executive Officer |9.0
Executive Officer |13.0
Administrative Officer |10.0
Administrative Assistant |3.0
Senior Personal Secretary |3.0
Personal Secretary |7.0
Typist |1.0
|-------
Total |73.0
|Number
Public Health
Grade 3 |1.0
Grade 5 |4.5
Higher Executive Officer |2.0
Senior Personal Secretary |1.0
Personal Secretary |2.5
|-------
Total |11.0
Nursing Directorate
|Number
------------------------------------------
Grade 3 |1.0
Grade 5 |1.0
Grade 6 |13.0
Higher Executive Officer |1.0
Executive Officer |0.6
Administrative Officer |1.0
Senior Personal Secretary |1.0
Personal Secretary |8.0
|-------
Total |26.6
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Personnel Directorate
Personnel development division (
including NHS Women's Unit)
|Number
-----------------------------------------
Grade 3 |1.0
Grade 5 |2.0
Grade 6 |1.0
Grade 7 |.5
Senior Executive Officer |3.5
Higher Executive Officer |5.0
Executive Officer |3.0
Administrative Officer |3.0
Administrative Assistant |1.0
Personal Secretary |1.0
|-------
Total |21
Health Authority Personnel (including HAP
statistics)
|Number
------------------------------------------
Grade 3 |1.0
Grade 4 |1.0
Grade 5 |4.0
Grade 6 |2.0
Grade 7 |12.5
Senior Executive Officer |9.5
Higher Executive Officer |26.0
Executive Officer |31.5
Administrative Officer |25.0
Administrative Assistant |9.0
Senior Personal Secretary |2.0
Personal Secretary |5.0
Typist |2.0
|-------
Total |130.5
|Number
Grade 6 |1.0
Grade 7 |4.0
Senior Executive Officer |12.0
Higher Executive Officer |32.0
Executive Officer |102.0
Administrative Officer |277.0
Administrative Assistant |106.5
Personal Secretary |1.0
Support Manager Grade 3 |1.0
Support Grade Band 1 |8.0
Support Grade Band 2 |46.0
Typist |13.5
|-------
Total |604.0
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will state the numbers of staff employed on the NHS management executive, and the cost of salary ranges of such staff (a) before the functions review took place and (b) at the present time.
Mr. Dorrell : Before the functions review took place there was a chief executive and nine directors, plus one part-time non-executive director, on the NHS management executive at an annual cost of £719, 492. The salary range was £44,205 to £85,447. One director was on secondment for whose services a fee is paid. Following the functions review there is the chief executive and seven directors plus one part-time non- executive director. The annual cost is £591,614 and the salary range is £44,205 to £85,447, with a fee paid in respect of one director.
Column 461
Local Authority Secure Places
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many approved local authority secure places were available in the northern region on 1 January 1985 and on the same date in each succeeding year.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Information collected centrally relates to the position at 31 March, and is shown in the table.
Number of approved places available in secure units
in the Northern Region
Year |Number of
|approved
|places
|available at
|31 March
1985 |51
1986 |53
1987 |53
1988 |53
1989 |58
1990 |55
<1>1991 |49
<1>Provisional.
NHS Trusts
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what external audit requirements he has imposed on NHS trusts and companies and trade subsidiaries linked to trusts ; and whether he has required external auditors to report on the financial performance and prospects of trusts and their related companies and financial subsidiaries to him, to the trust directors, to Parliament and to the public.
Mr. Dorrell : NHS trusts will be externally audited by the Audit Commission. External auditors will certify public annual financial statements to ensure that they represent a true and fair view of the state of affairs of a NHS trust and of its income and expenditure for the year in question.
NHS trusts are firmly part of the NHS and will therefore be included in the Audit Commission's programme of NHS value for money studies.
Financial statements will be adopted by the boards of NHS trusts, and presented to the general public at annual meetings. Summarised accounts will be laid before Parliament.
NHS trusts have no powers to set up subsidiary or trading companies.
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what reporting requirements he has laid on NHS trusts for financial information ; what information he has required them to produce in public annual financial reports ; and if he will require them to produce information on salary ranges and other data analogous to that in company reports.
Mr. Dorrell : All NHS trusts are required to produce financial information for NHS management executive monitoring purposes on a quarterly basis. Published annual financial statements for each trust will generally follow commercial disclosure requirements. They will show the number of employees receiving remuneration of over £40,000 in bands of £5,000. They will also show the emoluments of the highest paid board member separately and the number of board members receiving emoluments in bands of £5,000 with no lower limit.
Column 462
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how often he proposes to report the statistical returns from NHS trusts to Parliament ; in what form employment returns will be reported ; and whether NHS trust employment continues to be included in the overall returns for district, regional and national NHS hospital and community health service data.
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