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Council Tax
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish his estimate of the total number of discounts for (a) single person households and (b) other eligible groups he expects to be available under his council tax proposals.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : It will be for billing authorities to decide which households qualify for discounts under the council tax. The Welsh intercensal survey estimated that in 1986 there were about 256, 000 single- adult households in Wales. The other information requested by the hon. Gentleman could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the numbers of single people with incomes of over £40,000 per annum who will qualify for a 25 per cent. discount under his council tax proposals.
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Mr. Nicholas Bennett : I have made no estimate of the number of single people with income over £40,000 per annum who will qualify for a 25 per cent. discount under the council tax.Ambulance Authorities
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give for each year since 1987 and for each ambulance authority the number of complaints lodged.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : This information is not held centrally.
Waiting List Initiative
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent financial provision he has made for the expenditure of waiting list initiative money on long waiting-list elective surgery cases at the Prince of Wales orthopaedic hospital, Rhydlafar near Cardiff ; what arrangements he has made with the South Glamorgan health authority ; and what the comparable follow-on arrangements will be for the same category of cases after 1 April.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : The total level of funding made available in 1991-92 for the treatment centre at the Prince of Wales hospital, Rhydlafar is £654,777. This will enable a total of 250 operations to be performed. Under the waiting times initiative a further 40 operations have been funded at a cost of £64,000. The treatment centres will continue to be centrally funded in 1992-93 and district health authorities will shortly be informed of the arrangements.
Signposts
Mr. Murphy : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he intends to erect signposts, indicating the way to the Pembrokeshire national park, on the western end of the M4, in line with similar signposting for English National Parks.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The Pembrokeshire Coast national park covers several geographical areas. This presents problems as to where drivers should be directed after leaving the M4.
Watershed Training Centre
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 28 January, Official Report, column 536, what proposals he has for the allocation of expenditure on the Cardiff Bay development corporation watershed training centre in 1992-93 ; when he expects further details of his 1992-93 spending proposals to be agreed with the training and enterprise councils ; and when he expects to lay such details before the House.
Mr. David Hunt : My Department has no plans for direct expenditure on the proposed Watershed project. Details of the training and enterprise councils 1992-93 spending proposals are in the final states of preparation and my officials anticipate allocating funds shortly. Details of provision for training programmes for 1992-93 have been presented to Parliament in the Welsh Office departmental report, Cm 1916.
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Children's ENT Hospital, Cardiff
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairman of the South Glamorgan health authority regarding the alteration of the date of closure of the children's ear, nose and throat hospital, Cowbridge road west, Ely, Cardiff ; and if he will make a statement.
Emergency Calls (Wales)
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give, for 1987 and 1991, and for each ambulance service in Wales, the percentage of emergency calls responded to within (a) seven to eight minutes and (b) 14 to20 minutes.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : The available information is shown in the table :
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Higher Education Funding Council
Mr. Gwilym Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to announce the membership of the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales.
Mr. David Hunt : The following have accepted invitations to become members of the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales. Professor Sir John Cadogan CBE FRS
Mr. Alan Cox CBE
Professor Sir Sam Edwards FRS
Mr. Michael Griffith CBE
Professor Richard Griffiths
Sir Philip Jones CB
Dr. Alfred Morris
Dr. Brynley Roberts
Dr. Ann Robinson
I expect that the appointments will be for three years from the date on which the council is established.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
Malawi
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in what ways Her Majesty's Government's policy of linking aid and good government has been applied to Malawi.
Mrs. Chalker : I refer the hon. Lady to the answers to the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Mr.
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Kirkwood), on 14 February 1992, at column 649 ; and on 2 March 1992, to my right hon. Friend the Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale (Mr. Jopling), at column 2 .As my right hon. and noble Friend, the Earl of Caithness said in another place on 20 November 1991, we have already cut our programme aid to Malawi from £10 million to £5 million because of lack of progress on human rights and good government. The Malawi Government are aware that we will place increasing emphasis on adherence to these principles in determining future aid levels.
Angola
Mr. Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on United Kingdom aid and assistance for the Angolan peace process.
Mrs. Chalker : Following a troika visit by EC Development Ministers to Angola in February, the European Commission is preparing an assistance plan for consideration by Community representatives later this month. We shall be contributing our normal share of the cost of Community aid to be provided under the plan. Bilaterally, we have provided food and other assistance for soldiers awaiting demobilisation ; we are assisting, through British non-governmental organisations, with resettlement and agricultural rehabilitation ; and we expect to provide financial and technical assistance for the planned election process. Under military assistance arrangements, Britain is also helping with the formation of a new integrated army.
Food Aid
Sir Geoffrey Johnson Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much has been contributed by the United Kingdom towards the European Community's programme of food aid credit and food aid grants ; how much the EC programme is in total ; how much has so far been spent ; and what representations have been made by Her Majesty's Government to the European Commission to prevent delays in allocating money to British companies willing to assist the former Soviet Union.
Mrs. Chalker : The Community programme for the former Soviet Union comprises :
(a) Technical assistance of 400 million ecu (£280 million) in 1991 which has been fully committed, and 450 million ecu (£315 million) in 1992 which is so far unallocated.
(b) Food grants of 450 million ecu (£315 million), which is mostly distributed.
(c) Loans and credits totalling 1.75 billion ecu (£1.225 billion), the first tranche of which is about to be distributed.
The United Kingdom's share of the aid and grants is some 18 per cent. The loans have made no charge on the EC budget. The United Kingdom has repeatedly pressed for both humanitarian food aid and technical assistance for the former Soviet Union to be released rapidly once a clear need has been established, and for companies in the United Kingdom to play a full role in these programmes.
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Aid and Trade Provisions
Mr. Hunter : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 27 November, Official Report, column 553, what further measures he proposes to take to promote the use of United Kingdom companies under the aid and trade provisions.
Mrs. Chalker : The aid and trade provision is currently the subject of an interdepartmental policy review.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Eritrea
Mr. Shersby : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current situation in Eritrea and the extent to which it is practicable for child refugees from that territory to be reunited with their families in safety.
Mrs. Chalker : Eritrea has enjoyed a very large measure of peace and stability since the collapse of the Mengistu regime in May 1991. The economy continues to suffer from drought and the consequences of the civil war, but I am not aware of any general factors which now need prevent Eritrean children refugees wishing to return, from being reunited with their families in safety. Cases of Eritrean children who have sought asylum in the United Kingdom will continue to be assessed on their individual merits.
Angola
Mr. Shersby : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current situation in Angola and the extent to which it is practicable for child refugees from that country to be reunited with their families in safety.
Mrs. Chalker : Peace offers the potential for recovery in Angola and should be cemented by free and fair elections in September this year. But though the fighting has stopped there remains a serious law and order problem, the criminal activity plus the danger from unexploded mines still hamper the return home of people displaced by the war. The return of such people, especially children separated from their families, plus troop demobilisation are the highest priorities for international aid. We very much admire the excellent work of non-governmental organisations, such as Save the Children Fund which has a successful and expanding programme of child tracing in Angola. The European Community has just committed a substantial sum for assistance in these areas.
Ethiopia
Mr. Shersby : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current situation in Ethiopia and the extent to which it is practicable for child refugees from that country to be reunited with their families in safety.
Mrs. Chalker : Since the end of the civil war and the collapse of the Mengistu regime in May 1991, Ethiopia has enjoyed relative peace and stability. There is still some insecurity in the east of the country, but I am not aware of any special factors which need prevent Ethiopian child
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refugees wishing to return, from being reunited with their families in safety. Cases of the Ethiopian children who have sought asylum in the United Kingdom will continue to be assessed on their individual merits.Uganda
Mr. Shersby : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current situation in Uganda and the extent to which it is practicable for child refugees from that country to be reunited with their families in safety.
Mrs. Chalker : Since President Museveni came to power in 1986, the security and economic situation has improved considerably in Uganda. Peace and stability prevail in most regions of the country, although there are still isolated pockets of rebel activity in parts of the north and north- east.
Cases of Ugandan children who have sought asylum in the United Kingdom will continue to be assessed on their individual merits, but I am not aware of any general factors which need prevent Ugandan child refugees from returning to that country to be reunited with their families in safety.
European Union
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the articles in the draft treaty on European union which affect the prerogatives of the Crown of the United Kingdom.
Mr. Garel-Jones : The prerogatives of the Crown will remain unaffected by the treaty on European union.
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the earliest and latest dates respectively when he expects the treaty on European union to be published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office ; and what arrangements he has made for members of the public to obtain, or to peruse, copies before those dates.
Mr. Garel-Jones : The treaty on European union will be published as a Command Paper as soon as it is possible to do so, and in any case before any legislation is put before the House. We expect it to be ready by the end of April. Members of the public will be able to obtain copies through Her Majesty's Stationery Office. In the meantime, copies have been made available to Parliament and may be obtained by members of the public on request.
Guyana
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what actions are being taken to ensure that free and fair elections are held in Guyana ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The Guyanese Government have introduced electoral reforms and invited a team of international observers. We take every opportunity to impress upon Guyanese Ministers the importance that Her Majesty's Government attach to the holding of free and fair elections in Guyana as soon as possible.
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Western Sahara
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he is taking to ensure that the United Nations sponsored referendum on the future of the western Sahara takes place ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We remain concerned that a UN supervised referendum should be held soon and are encouraging the
secretary-general in his efforts towards that goal. We have also made our views clear to the parties to the dispute.
Albania
Sir Michael McNair-Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the holdings in the United Kingdom of gold owned by the current or former Albanian Governments so far as the affect United Kingdom-Albanian relations.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : There is gold bullion and coin in the account at the Bank of England of the tripartite commission for the restitution of monetary gold. Some of this gold has been earmarked for eventual delivery to Albania.
El Salvador
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what role is being played by representatives of Her Majesty's Government in the monitoring of the El Salvador ceasefire ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Garel-Jones : Our ambassador in San Salvador is closely following developments in the peace process there, and is in regular contact with the chief of mission of ONUSAL, the body established by the United Nations to monitor all the elements of the peace agreement including the ceasefire.
Yugoslavia
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current position in respect of the quota arrangements for the import of wine from the six republics which formerly constituted Yugoslavia ; if he will seek a review of these arrangements within the European Community in order to ensure an even-handed approach as between these republics ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Garel-Jones : As part of the European Community's positive measures programme for those republics considered to be co-operating with the peace process, the European Community has restored to Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia and Montenegro the quota arrangements which previously applied to Yugoslavia as a whole. The republics share a quota of 545,000 hectolitres. The extension of these privileges to Serbia or a review of these arrangements depends on Serbia's attitude to the peace process.
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HEALTH
General Practitioners (Budgets)
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the estimated over or undershoot in cash and percentage terms of general practitioner indicative prescription budgets nationally and in each FHSA area.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Copies of the Prescription Pricing Authority's breakdown of the total basic price of drugs and appliances prescribed by general practitioners in England and in each family health services authority showing monthly spend to January 1992 ; cumulative spend ; projected annual outturn and percentage projected over/underspend, have been placed in the Library.
Eye Tests
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has been taking to monitor the pattern of referrals by general practitioners to consult ophthalmologists since the introduction of eye test charges.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Patients are referred for out-patient consultation, usually in a consultant clinic. The majority of referrals are made by GPs, although the referrals may be made by others, including self- referral by the patient. The information collected centrally on referrals is given in the table.
K
Consultant ophthalmology clinics
National health service hospitals
England
Year |Number of |Did not |Total
|referrals seen|attend
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1987-88 |588,973 |76,286 |665,259
1988-89 |574,532 |82,822 |657,354
1989-90 |579,693 |83,948 |663,641
1990-91 |599,520 |82,626 |682,146
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has commissioned into the long-term effects of charges for eye tests.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Questions on sight tests have appeared in the general household survey in 1987 and in each year since 1990. In addition, figures on referrals to the hospital eye service are collected on a regular basis. These show that referrals rose by 3.6 per cent. in 1988- 89, fell slightly by 1 per cent. in 1989-90 and rose again by 3.3 per cent. in 1990-91.
Blood Cholesterol Testing
Mr. Sims : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to be in a position to respond to the report of the standing medical advisory committee on blood cholesterol testing ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : The report of the Standing Medical Advisory Committee on blood cholesterol testing raised many complex issues and we decided that it should go out for public consultation. A large number of comments were received. The subject of cholesterol levels is also part of the wider issue of limiting the levels of coronary heart disease. This was one of the areas of health highlighted in the "Health of the Nation" Green Paper issued last June, on
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which more than 2,000 responses were received and are now being studied. A high proportion of these included comments on coronary heart disease in general and the relevance of cholesterol. In the light of these two consultation exercises, and continuing medical debate relating to cholesterol, the Government will publish their conclusions as soon as possible.Opticians (Referrals)
Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the number of patients who were referred to doctors by opticians for each year since 1981.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : This information is not collected centrally.
Barking, Havering and Brentwood Health Authority
Sir Michael Neubert : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 28 November 1991, Official Report, column 591 , whether he can now give the total expenditure by the Barking, Havering and Brentwood health authority in the year 1990-91 ; and what estimate he has made of total expenditure in the year 1991-92.
Mr. Dorrell : Total expenditure attributable to the area covered by Barking, Havering and Brentwood health authority amounted to £148.2 million, cash, in 1990-91. This figure represents a cash increase of 9.8 per cent. on 1989-90.
The information for 1990-91 is derived from annual accounts on the same basis. Expenditure information from the 1991-92 accounts should be available in the autumn.
Non-cosmetic Surgery
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will indicate, for non-cosmetic surgery undertaken at Sheffield hospitals from outside the Sheffield health authority boundary within the Trent region (a) how many operations have been performed, (b) how many operations are planned, (c) the average waiting time for such operations and (d) how much money has been spent ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : This information is not held centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. J. Neill, chairman of Sheffield health authority, for details.
Skin Cancers and Cataracts
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about the current cost of treating a patient with (a) non-melanoma skin cancer and (b) an eye cataract.
Mr. Dorrell : Based on hospital in-patient average lengths of stay, the estimated costs are :
|Cost per case
|(1990-91 prices)
|£
-----------------------------------------------------------
Non-melanoma skin cancer |1,200
Cataract |1,200
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Health Staff, Wiltshire
Sir Charles Morrison : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors, dentists and nurses there were in Wiltshire in 1979 ; and how many there were in 1991.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The information required is not collected by county boundaries. The earliest and latest available information in respect of Wiltshire family health services authority is given in the tables.
General Medical Practitioners
(Unrestricted Principals)
1 October 1979--224
1 October 1990--288
Dentists
(includes Principal Assistants and Vocational Trainees) 1 September 1979-- 117
1 September 1991--158
Practice Nurses
1 October 1988--48.6
1 October 1990--101.9
Whole time equivalents
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