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Human Organs
Sir Michael McNair-Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with his counterparts in other EC countries about establishing an EC directive banning the sale of human organs.
Mr. Dorrell : None. The sale of human organs for transplantation is prohibited in the United Kingdom by the Human Organ Transplant Act 1989.
Nurses
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses are currently employed by the national health service ; how many there were five years previously ; and how many in 1979.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The whole-time equivalent number of nursing and midwifery staff, including agency staff, employed by the NHS in England was 402,100 at September 1990, 401,200 at September 1985 and 358,400 at September 1979. These figures are derived from the Department's annual census of non-medical manpower. They have not been adjusted for the reduction in nurses' working hours during 1980-81 from 40 to 37.5 hours per week.
Adoption
Mr. John Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action his Department is taking in relation to children coming to this country from Romania for adoption.
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Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : I understand that the Romanian Adoption Committee is not at present authorising arrangements for overseas adoption pending agreement with foreign Governments on the arrangements to be made. A delegation of officials from the Department is at present in Romania and I hope that a voluntary working arrangement can shortly be agreed on behalf of the United Kingdom.Mr. Carrington : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will establish a helpline for local authorities and prospective adopters seeking information on adoption from overseas.
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made with setting up a helpline for inter-country adoption ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : We have now reached an agreement with the Bridge Child Care Consultancy who will host the project to start as soon as possible. The Bridge is a well-established registered charity with a reputation for work with children in substitute families and I am confident that they will provide an excellent base for this project. The objective of the project is to provide a service of sound information on intercountry adoptions and for prospective adopters themselves. The project will not arrange adoptions for particular children.
The grant of the order of £43,000 will be for six months in the first instance during which time requirements for the service will be assessed.
The project will be steered by a board on to which I am inviting members from statutory and voluntary sector.
GPs (Referrals)
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has as to the number of written referral requests by general practitioners to consultant ophthalmologist out-patient clinics for each of the last five years.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley The information available centrally is given in the table.
Consultant Ophthalmology Out-patient clinics, NHS hospitals, England Year |General practitioner |written referral requests ------------------------------------------------------------------------------1987-88 |451,006 1988-89 |467,371 1989-90 |462,710 1990-91 |478,141
Eye Tests
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether his Department has been monitoring the costs charged by optometrists for a private eye test ; and if he will make a statement ; (2) if he will conduct any further surveys into the numbers of people having their eyes tested.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The Department collects information on NHS sight tests only. Other sight tests are private transactions and, as such are inappropriate for Government information gathering. Surveys conducted by the optical profession indicate that the total number of sight tests has returned to 1987 levels, the last typical year before changes in the sight testing arrangements were announced.
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Hypertension and Diabetic Clinics
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what initiatives have been taken by the Government in developing specialist hypertension and diabetic clinics.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Clinics are held by hospital consultants and by some general practioners for the treatment of diabetes. Some hospitals have specialist hypertension clinics and some GPs run clinics which include screening for hypertension.
Kevin Rooney
Mr. Robert G. Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the case of Kevin Rooney.
Mr. Dorrell : An independent inquiry has been established by the North East Thames regional health authority. The chairman is Mr. Andrew Collins QC. The other members are Dr. Oscar Hill, consultant psychiatrist, St. Luke's Woodside hospital, and Mr. Michael Taylor, director of social services, London borough of Hillingdon. The committee will seek other professional advice as the need arises. The terms of reference are :
"To inquire into the arrangements for the assessment, care, discharge and follow-up of Mr. Kevin Rooney by the mental health and related services in City and Hackney Health Authority and North East Thames Region ;
To consider the adequacy of these arrangements ;
To report their findings and to recommend any action which, in the light of these, might assist the assessment and care of mentally disordered patients and the protection of those patients and the public from the risk of harm."
The committee has been asked to report by July 1992.
Infant Deaths
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has on the numbers of infant deaths each year between 1974 and the most recent year for which figures are available (a) in numbers and (b) as a rate per thousand live births.
Mr. Dorrell : The information for the period 1974-1990, is given in the table.
Infant deaths, England and Wales 1974-1990: (a) Numbers; (b) rates (per 1, 000 live births) Year |Numbers|Rates --------------------------------1974 |10,459 |16.3 1975 |9,488 |15.7 1976 |8,334 |14.3 1977 |7,841 |13.8 1978 |7,881 |13.2 1979 |8,178 |12.8 1980 |7,899 |12.0 1981 |7,021 |11.1 1982 |6,775 |10.8 1983 |6,381 |10.1 1984 |6,037 |9.5 1985 |6,141 |9.4 1986 |6,313 |9.6 1987 |6,272 |9.2 1988 |6,270 |9.0 1989 |5,808 |8.4 1990 |5,564 |7.9 Source: Key population and vital statistics, Series VS.
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Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the infant mortality rate in 1979 and the most recent year for which figures are available.Mr. Dorrell : The information requested is given in the table.
Infant mortality rate (England and Wales) Year |Rate per |thousand |live births ------------------------------------1979 |12.8 1990 |7.9
Waiting Lists
Mr. Amess : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the change in waiting lists in all specialties of health care in each of the last three years.
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Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : I will write to my hon. Friend.
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give, by specialty and by region, the decrease in the numbers of people waiting over two years during his recent initiative to reduce long waits.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley [holding answer 21 February 1992] : The latest information available centrally by region and specialty is given in the table. Provisional figures for January show that since last March the number of patients waiting over two years in all specialties has fallen by a further 30,730--60 per cent. in January alone, over-two-year waiters fell by 30 per cent.--the largest monthly fall ever.
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Waiting lists: changes in the number of patients waiting over two years-March 1990-March 1991 Regional health authority |General |Urology |Trauma and |ENT |Opthalmology |Oral |Plastic |Obs and gyn |Other |All |surgery |orthopaedics |surgery |surgery |(gynaecology) |specialties ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Northern |-433 |-129 |-262 |-32 |-79 |-123 |-507 |-19 |-14 |-1,598 Yorkshire |223 |-257 |-123 |-18 |125 |-110 |-480 |-117 |60 |-697 Trent |-391 |-228 |-685 |-167 |-112 |-208 |-912 |-180 |-73 |-2,956 East Anglia |-2 |98 |-180 |-49 |7 |-206 |-455 |-222 |-62 |-1,071 North West Thames |-98 |159 |-8 |0 |57 |264 |-1,772 |6 |-24 |-1,416 North East Thames |-795 |-33 |-1,259 |-1,068 |-44 |-1,805 |-1,191 |-152 |-209 |-6,556 South East Thames |-1,184 |342 |-1,219 |-569 |-58 |-158 |-12 |-134 |-130 |-3,122 South West Thames |-718 |-218 |-811 |-436 |-485 |-132 |-266 |-364 |-47 |-3,477 Wessex |-344 |-136 |-454 |-10 |-1 |-120 |96 |181 |30 |-758 Oxford |-183 |-64 |-250 |-137 |9 |6 |-324 |-98 |1 |-1,040 South Western |-423 |44 |-304 |-106 |-11 |-200 |-62 |26 |-7 |-1,043 West Midlands |-679 |-420 |-109 |-594 |-113 |-286 |-327 |-212 |-226 |-2,966 Mersey |n/l |n/l |n/l |n/l |n/l |n/l |17 |n/l |n/l |-17 North Western |-657 |-278 |-325 |-504 |-285 |-249 |-627 |-83 |-214 |-3,222 Notes: Based on KH07 returns at 31 March 1990 and 31 March 1991. Includes ordinary admissions and day case waiting lists. n/l denotes no one waiting over two years at March 1990 and March 1991. Positive values indicate an increase from March 1990 to March 1991. Negative values indicate a decrease from March 1990 to March 1991.
Drugs Abuse, Basildon
Mr. Amess : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what initiatives and programmes have been launched over the past five years to prevent drug abuse in Basildon.
Mr. Dorrell : I will write to my hon. Friend.
Disabled Organisations, Basildon
Mr. Amess : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what grants and help has been made available to disabled organisations in Basildon in each of the last five years.
Mr. Dorrell : I will write to my hon. Friend.
Patient Statistics
Mr. Trotter : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will give the number of in-patients, out-patients and day patients treated in the northern region in 1990 and 1991.
Mr. Dorrell : I will write to my hon. Friend.
Lead
Dr. Woodcock : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward proposals to amend the law relating to lead levels in the light of recent research ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Dorrell : The Department keeps under review the results of research into the effects of lead on health and advises as necessary those Departments that are responsible for legislation to control exposure to lead.
I understand that there are no proposals currently to amend any regulations or guidelines relating to lead levels.
Measures already taken have reduced lead exposure through petrol, water, air, food, industrial emissions, paint, cosmetics, ceramic glazes and toys, and monitoring programmes have shown a continuing fall in blood lead levels in children and adults.
The Government's policy remains to contain and reduce exposure to lead wherever practicable.
Community Pharmacists
Mr. Speed : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will state the factors taken into account in attributing the profit of £20.6 million under the community pharmacists balance sheet in its final year of operation 1988-89.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Pure profit was calculated at 1 per cent. of the total cost of labour, overheads, interest charges, ingredients and containers.
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Children
Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to give assistance to the international initiative, Children Youth Families ; what help he is giving to the Boys and Girls Welfare Society in England ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : I will write to the hon. Member.
Relocation
Mr. Meale : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those parts of his Department which are currently under review for relocation ; how many of these posts are being considered for relocation to the east midlands ; how many of these posts are being considered for relocation to Mansfield ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : During 1992-93, the Department will relocate to Leeds around 1,100 posts in the National Health Service Management Executive and the National Health Service Estates Agency. There are no plans at present to relocate further posts, to Leeds or elsewhere.
Immunisation
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many reports of serious adverse reactions to immunisation there have been in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley [holding answer 2 March 1992] : The reports were as follows :
Year |Number of |reports ------------------------------1982 |125 1983 |104 1984 |165 1985 |160 1986 |162 1987 |121 1988 |242 1989 |272 1990 |210 1991 |159
A report of a suspected adverse reaction does not necessarily denote a causal association between the reaction, the outcome and the vaccine.
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many reports of serious adverse reactions to the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine there have been in each year since it has been widely used.
Mrs. Viginia Bottomley [holding answer 2 March 1992 : Measles, mumps and rubella vaccine was introduced in this country in October 1988. Reports of suspected serious adverse reactions since then have been as follows :
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|Number ----------------------<1>1988 |13 1989 |110 1990 |58 1991 |37 <1>Part.
Intensive Care Beds
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the ratio of intensive care beds per 1,000 of the population or other convenient measures, in Coventry, the west midlands, and the United Kingdom ; and what is the ratio of intensive care beds to the total number of national health service beds in Coventry, the west midlands and the United Kingdom at (a) the latest convenient date, (b) three years ago, (c) seven years ago and (d) 12 years ago.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley [holding answer 9 March 1992] : I will write to the hon. Member.
Health Service, York
Mr. Caborn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many registered private hospital and nursing home beds there were in the York health authority area, and previously in York health district, in 1979 and each year since then.
Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 11 March 1992] : The information available centrally is given in the table. Information prior to 1985 is not held centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact the chairman of the York health authority for details. Private hospitals, homes and clinics registered under section 23 of the Registered Homes Act 1984, in York health authority area are as follows :
Number of beds in private institutions Year |Nursing |<1>Hospitals |Homes ----------------------------------------------------1985 |414 |24 1986 |478 |24 1987-88 |616 |24 1988-89 |936 |34 1989-90 |1,201 |34 1990-91 |1,218 |34 <1>Private institutions with operating theatres.
Mr. Caborn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many full-time equivalent hospital doctors worked in York health authority hospitals, and previously in York health district hospitals, in 1974 and each year since then ;
(2) how many national health service staff, expressed (a) in terms of a full-time equivalent and (b) in terms of total hours worked, were employed by York health authority, and previously in York health district, in 1974 and each year since then.
Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 11 March 1992] : The available data are shown in the following table :
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NHS hospitals, York Health Authority Year Hospital doctors in Directly Employed Total Number of |York Health |Staff in post at 30|In-patients |Day Cases |Authority-30 |September each year |September each year|-York DHA |analysis by WTE<1> |(WTE)<2> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1979 |- |- |27,296 |4,444 1980 |- |- |28,085 |4,658 1981 |- |- |28,330 |4,548 1982 |89.9 |4,340 |27,071 |3,796 1983 |88.2 |4,290 |29,641 |4,444 1984 |89.7 |4,590 |30,020 |4,469 1985 |79.8 |4,420 |31,646 |4,801 1986 |84.0 |4,370 |32,596 |5,686 1987-88 |88.4 |4,310 |34,062 |4,549 1988-89 |87.4 |4,230 |<3>34,176 |5,523 1988-89 |- |- |<4>38,184 |5,523 1989-90 |98.7 |3,970 |39,434 |5,626 1990-91 |79.6 |3,950 |39,530 |5,425 Notes: <1> Please note that the figures include permanent paid and honorary staff but exclude consultants and senior registrars whose contracts are held by the region. Details therefore refer to junior doctors, clerical assistants and hospital practitioners. Information prior to 1982 is not available. Mental health services transferred from Clifton Hospital, York to Harrogate, Northallerton and Scarborough in 1982. Doctors transferred with the service. <2> (1) All figures are rounded to the nearest ten whole-time equivalent. (2) Medical staff-figures include permanent paid and honorary staff but exclude consultants and senior registrars whose contracts are held by the region. (3) Figures include agency nursing and midwifery staff. Information prior to 1982 is not available. Information in terms of total hours worked is not collected centrally. <3> discharges and deaths <4> finished consultant episodes in-patients 1979-1988-89 discharges and deaths in-patients 1988-89-1990-91 finished consultant episodes 1990-91 figures provisional
Between 1979 and 1990-91 in York health authority the numbers of in-patient cases treated in the acute sector increased from 19,460 hospital discharges to 26,726 finished consultant episodes, an increase of 31 per cent. on a comparable basis, and for all sectors increased by 30 per cent. from 27,296 hospital discharges to 39,530 finished consultant episodes.
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Health Service Finance
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will provide detailed information on the amount and origins of the income from charges column of table 4 in Cm. 1913.
Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 3 March 1992] : The information requested is as follows :
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Breakdown of origins of income from charges which supports the data shown in table 4 of Cm. 1913 Breakdown of income from charges Year |Total income |Hospitals<2> |Pharmaceutical|General |General |Welfare |from charges |dental |ophthalmic |foods |£ million |£ million |£ million |£ million |£ million |£ million ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1978-79 |141.0 |35.0 |24.0 |55.3 |26.5 |0.2 1979-80 |171.0 |38.2 |39.1 |66.3 |27.2 |0.2 1980-81 |245.0 |52.5 |71.2 |92.0 |29.0 |0.3 1981-82 |298.0 |64.3 |86.2 |115.1 |32.1 |0.3 1982-83 |348.0 |66.7 |102.1 |141.1 |37.8 |0.3 1983-84 |383.2 |74.2 |110.0 |155.3 |43.4 |0.3 1984-85 |414.8 |78.0 |122.1 |170.7 |43.8 |0.2 1985-86 |422.6 |85.7 |129.2 |195.9 |11.5 |0.3 1986-87 |465.5 |91.1 |150.1 |223.5 |0.5 |0.3 1987-88 |493.5 |95.6 |157.5 |240.1 |- |0.3 1988-89 |601.3 |106.8 |203.6 |290.6 |- |0.3 1989-90 |956.7 |398.7 |191.3 |366.2 |- |0.5 1990-91<1> |1,014.8 |404.8 |220.6 |389.2 |- |0.2 1991-92<1> |1,059.2 |395.1 |237.6 |426.0 |- |0.5 <1> Estimated. <2> Mainly income from pay and amenity beds. <3> Figures for 1978-79 to 1989-90 are from the appropriation accounts and for 1990-91 and 1991-92 are from the Vote Estimates.
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TRANSPORT
Marine Accidents (Reports)
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he intends to publish the marine accidents investigation branch report into the Wilhemina J and the Zulficar.
Mr. McLoughlin : The Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents expects to submit his report to the Secretary of State around mid April ; following which it will be published.
Quality Assurance
Mr. Hunter : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will restrict the awarding of his Department's contracts to companies with accredited quality assurance ;
(2) if he will make a further statement on his policy regarding quality assurance and companies tendering for his Department's contracts ;
(3) what favourable consideration he gives when awarding his Department's contracts to companies which have accredited quality assurance.
Mr. Chope : I will write to my hon. Friend.
Seafreight Freeway
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will provide the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, North with a copy of all reports relating to the Seafreight Freeway incident of 1988.
Mr. McLoughlin : The investigation into the engine room fire on board the Seafreight Freeway on 23 May 1988 was carried out by the Department on behalf of Bermuda, the flag state. A report was produced for the Bermudian authorities, but was not generally released.
Road Improvement Schemes
Dr. Hampson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the value of road improvement schemes for Yorkshire/Humberside between (a) 1979 and 1987 and (b) 1987 and 1991 ; and how much is due to be spent over the next five years.
Mr. Chope : I will write to my hon. Friend.
Red Routes (London)
Mr. Carrington : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will extend the consultation period on the red route proposals for London.
Mr. Chope : I will write to my hon. Friend.
Taxis
Mr. Dykes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he plans to make any adjustments to the existing policy of supply of taxi services to registered disabled persons by licensed taxi cab operators in the Greater London area ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. McLoughlin : No. This is a matter for the London boroughs, which operate the London taxicard scheme.
Mr. Dykes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on Government policy on subsidies for the transport by taxis and similar vehicles of registered disabled persons making essential journeys.
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Mr. McLoughlin : Throughout the country the provision and funding of concessionary fares schemes for elderly and disabled people and special service transport--for example, dial-a-ride services--are responsibilities of local authorities. Some special services in London are also provided by London Transport.
Channel Tunnel Rail Link
Mr. Prescott : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library copies of the working papers produced by his Department and British Rail for the high-level forum on the channel tunnel rail link.
Mr. Rifkind : No papers were produced for the inaugural meeting of the high-level consultative forum on the rail link held on 17 February. Some of the material for subsequent meetings will need to be confidential to forum members so as to avoid generating unnecessary blight.
Relocation
Mr. Meale : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those parts of his Department which are currently under review for relocation ; how many of these posts are being considered for relocation to the east midlands ; how many of these posts are being considered for relocation to Mansfield ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. McLoughlin : One formal relocation review--of part of the Department's highways, safety and traffic command--is currently in progress.
The review has only recently begun and a short list of locations has yet to be drawn up.
M3
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was his original estimate of the cost of the M3 extension from Bar End to Compton ; what is his current estimate ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Chope : I will write to the hon. Member.
Basildon
Mr. Amess : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to place "Welcome to Basildon" signs on trunk roads and motorways in the Basildon area.
Mr. Chope : I will write to my hon. Friend.
Citizens Charter
Mr. Amess : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what will be the impact of the citizens charter on the standards of rail services delivered to Pitsea, Basildon and Laindon stations. Mr. McLoughlin : The objective of BR's passengers charter is to raise standards on all lines, including the London, Tilbury and Southend line. To this end it outlines a range of measures to encourage efficient management and to make BR more responsive to customers' needs. On the London, Tilbury and Southend line a further key factor in achieving a significant improvement in quality of service will be the £50 million resignalling programme for which BR intends to let a contract shortly.
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