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Mr. Allan Stewart : The total number of patients waiting for hospital treatment at 30 September 1991 is shown in the table :
Health board |In-patient |Day case
|treatment
-------------------------------------------------------------
Argyll and Clyde |3,715 |1,377
Ayrshire and Arran |4,686 |819
Borders |571 |182
Dumfries and Galloway |2,023 |229
Fife |2,681 |1,487
Forth Valley |2,190 |723
Grampian |4,046 |1,609
Greater Glasgow |16,777 |4,835
Highland |2,223 |693
Lanarkshire |4,199 |1,357
Lothian |12,222 |3,830
Orkney |14 |9
Shetland |45 |71
Tayside |6,020 |2,470
Western Isles |138 |52
|------- |-------
Scotland |61,550 |19,743
Information about the number of patients waiting for the removal of tattoos is not centrally available.
Funerals
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next plans to meet representatives of the Institute of Burial and Cremation Administration to discuss the operation of cemeteries, crematoria and funeral undertakings in Scotland ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Allan Stewart : My right hon. Friend has no plans at present for such a meeting.
Health Service
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing the average number of national health service beds available in the Argyll and Clyde health board area in each year since 1982 and the average number of those described as acute ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Allan Stewart : The information requested is shown in the table.
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|c|National Health Service hospitals in Argyll and Clyde Health Board|c| |c|-average available staffed beds|c| Year ending |All |Acute 31 March |specialties|specialties ------------------------------------------------ 1982 |4,484 |1,259 1983 |4,455 |1,258 1984 |4,433 |1,255 1985 |4,437 |1,248 1986 |4,386 |1,245 1987 |4,312 |1,236 1988 |4,307 |1,233 1989 |4,130 |1,276 1990 |4,103 |1,275 1991 |3,976 |1,257
Forests (Equestrian Access)
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will require the Forestry Commission to guarantee equestrian access as of right in the titles of any forests disposed of by the commission ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Hector Monro : No. The sale of Forestry Commission woodlands does not affect horse riding on public rights of way which are bridleways. Other equestrian access to Forestry Commission woodlands is only allowed by express permission of the commission. In such cases, permission to ride in Forestry Commission woodlands after sale will be a matter for agreement with the new owners.
Local Development Companies
Mr. Ingram : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will give details of the number and cost of the external consultancy studies on local development companies under Scottish Enterprise ; (2) if he intends to publish the findings of the external consultancy studies on local development companies under Scottish Enterprise.
Mr. Allan Stewart : Decisions on whether to commission external consultancy studies and whether to publish the findings of any such studies are matters for Scottish Enterprise. I have asked the chairman to write to the hon. Member.
Child Care, Fife
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the report on the inquiry into child care in Fife was completed ; if he will publish the report ; what were the total costs of the inquiry ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Allan Stewart : I understand that the report of the inquiry into the child care policies in Fife region is likely to be completed within the next few days. So far as publication of the report and the costs of the inquiry are concerned I refer the hon. Member to my replies of 19 May, at columns 123-24 .
HIV
Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many payments have been made to non-haemophiliacs infected with HIV as a result of NHS blood/tissue transfers, or to families of the deceased, following the announcement by his Department on17 February that special provisions would be made.
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Mr. Allan Stewart [holding answer 21 May 1992] : Payment of five claims received under the scheme has been made. A further three claims are in the process of being validated and payment will be made as soon as possible.
Electoral Registration
Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent on advertising electoral registration in Scotland in 1989, 1990 and 1991 ; how much will be spent in the current year ; and of this sum how much is spent on (a) television, (b) newspaper, (c) billboard and (d) other advertising.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 3 June 1992] : Annual publicity expenditure on electoral registration in Scotland in recent years is as follows :
|£
---------------------------------------
1989-90 |30,648.48
1990-91 |39,192.05
1991-92 |41,640.50
1992-93 |<1>48,000.00
<1> Estimate.
The expenditure for 1992-93 will cover newspaper advertisements along with an associated poster display in council and other public offices, libraries etcetera.
Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of the population in each parliamentary constituency ; and what is the number of (a) electors on each constituency register and (b) those registered on the community charge register within the area of each constituency.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 3 June 1992] : The information requested by the hon. Member is set out in the table for the latest available population estimates and electoral registrations by parliamentary constituency. No information is available centrally about the number of persons within parliamentary constituency areas who are on the community charge register.
Parliamentary constituency |<1>Population |Total electors
|estimate at |on 1992
|1990 |register
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aberdeen North |75,500 |60,623
Aberdeen South |73,800 |59,230
Angus, East |82,400 |63,637
Argyll and Bute |66,200 |48,436
Ayr |84,700 |66,284
Banff and Buchan |85,000 |65,631
Caithness and Sutherland |39,800 |31,173
Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley |72,100 |56,024
Central Fife |72,400 |56,543
Clackmannan |63,600 |49,441
Clydebank and Milngavie |63,200 |47,773
Clydesdale |82,600 |62,684
Cumbernauld and Kilsyth |63,100 |47,155
Cunninghame North |72,500 |55,490
Cunninghame South |65,100 |49,745
Dumbarton |79,800 |57,894
Dumfries |78,400 |61,773
Dundee East |76,000 |59,328
Dundee West |77,700 |60,386
Dunfermline East |67,800 |50,452
Dunfermline West |69,300 |51,310
East Kilbride |83,100 |64,824
East Lothian |85,500 |67,588
Eastwood |84,100 |64,560
Edinburgh Central |69,100 |56,839
Edinburgh East |57,700 |46,157
Edinburgh Pentlands |69,600 |56,433
Edinburgh South |76,100 |61,999
Edinburgh West |74,700 |59,702
Falkirk East |68,000 |52,387
Falkirk West |65,600 |50,631
Galloway and Upper Nithsdale |70,000 |54,977
Glasgow Cathcart |60,200 |45,149
Glasgow Central |64,200 |48,383
Glasgow Garscadden |55,400 |41,675
Glasgow Govan |61,400 |46,199
Glasgow Hillhead |73,600 |57,586
Glasgow Maryhill |63,600 |48,791
Glasgow Pollok |62,000 |46,655
Glasgow Provan |49,700 |36,986
Glasgow Rutherglen |70,600 |53,325
Glasgow Shettleston |68,500 |52,381
Glasgow Springburn |60,100 |46,216
Gordon |102,500 |81,097
Greenock and Port Glasgow |70,000 |52,661
Hamilton |82,500 |62,347
Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber |90,400 |70,164
Kilmarnock and Loudoun |81,100 |62,777
Kincardine and Deeside |84,900 |67,216
Kirkcaldy |67,400 |52,191
Linlithgow |82,000 |61,979
Livingston |82,700 |62,122
Midlothian |81,300 |61,178
Monklands East |65,800 |49,059
Monklands West |68,300 |49,935
Moray |84,500 |63,944
Motherwell North |78,000 |58,106
Motherwell South |68,800 |50,674
North East Fife |68,900 |54,196
North Tayside |72,600 |56,353
Orkney and Shetland |41,800 |31,837
Paisley North |61,800 |46,867
Paisley South |63,600 |48,385
Perth and Kinross |85,300 |65,826
Renfrew West and Inverclyde |76,000 |58,897
Ross, Cromarty and Skye |74,100 |56,112
Roxburgh and Berwickshire |54,100 |44,001
Stirling |74,900 |58,814
Strathkelvin and Bearsden |84,600 |61,924
Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale |49,400 |39,907
Western Isles |30,700 |23,015
|------- |-------
Total |5,102,600 |3,929,112
<1> The derivation of these population figures involved a number of approximations.
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Plantable Land
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give for each financial year since April 1980 (a) the amount of plantations and plantable land in hectares that has been sold by the Forestry Commission, (b) the proceeds from the sale and (c) the book value of the sale ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 3 June 1992] : The information is available in the form requested only from 1986, as follows :
Year ended |Areas |Receipts |Book value 31 March |(hectares)|(£000) |(£000) ------------------------------------------------------- 1986 |8,314 |9,592 |7,845 1987 |6,186 |8,308 |6,120 1988 |6,387 |6,839 |6,406 1989 |4,328 |4,993 |6,967 1990 |5,559 |6,972 |7,992 1991 |4,770 |7,073 |11,509
The receipts are the actual prices received from the sale of plantations and plantable land, and reflect the state of the market at the time of sale. The book value is calculated from the expected future value of the wood production at the time of felling, discounted at the commission's target rate of return of 3 per cent.
Postgraduate Grants
Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has to review the Scottish Education Department grants regime with regard to students wishing to pursue postgraduate qualifications.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 4 June 1992] : The operation of the postgraduate students' allowance scheme, which provides assistance to students undertaking vocational postgraduate courses, is reviewed at regular intervals in common with other schemes of student support.
Fisheries Decommissioning
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment has been made of the employment consequences of the introduction of the proposed decommissioning package.
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 4 June 1992] : The detailed arrangements for the proposed decommissioning scheme are currently the subject of consultation with the industry. The impact of the scheme will also depend on the circumstances of the particular vessels which take up the scheme, but in the long term employment in fishing and related industries will best be protected by our proposals to reduce fishing pressure and hence conserve fish stocks.
Fishermen (Retraining)
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he proposes any measures to ensure proper access to training and retraining facilities for those choosing to leave the fishing industry ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 4 June 1992] : At present Scottish Enterprise and several of its enterprise companies are actively engaged with representatives of the
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fishing industry, its companies and local authorities to plan for the future needs of fishermen. The implications of reduced fishing activities in fisheries dependent areas are currently being addressed within the European Community, both as part of the common fisheries policy mid-term review and as part of the reform structural funds. Work is currently being undertaken by the European Commmission to identify dependent areas and possible measures to retrain and reorientate fishermen leaving the industry into other economic activities. The Government will give careful consideration to the results which emerge from these studies.EC Cohesion Fund
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment his Department has made of the possible advantages to Scotland of the EC cohesion fund ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Allan Stewart [holding answer 4 June 1992] : No such assessment has been made because no assistance will be available to Scotland through the cohesion fund. It will assist only member states whose per capita GNP is less than 90 per cent. of the Community average-- Portugal, Spain, Greece and the Republic of Ireland--provided they meet certain macro-economic policy conditions.
Creel Fisheries
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his Department has considered the report jointly commissioned by Highland regional council and Highlands and Islands Enterprise into the prospect for creel fisheries in north of Scotland waters ; and if he will make a statement on the implications of the reports recommendations for his Department.
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 4 June 1992] : The report was prepared to assist Highland regional council and Highlands and Islands Enterprise in developing their own strategies relating to the industry in their region.
Community Charge
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has on the amount of community charge in each district and islands area in (a) 1991-92 and (b) 1992-93 which is attributable to the costs of covering non-payment in previous years.
Mr. Allan Stewart [holding answer 4 June 1992] : This information is not collected centrally.
Forestry
Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will take steps to prevent the straight-up ploughing for forestry at Forest farm, Glen Croick, Sutherland.
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 5 June 1992.] : The Forestry Commission has approved an application for grant aid to plant about 2,000 hectares of native pinewood at Croick. It is a condition of this approval that any poughing is carried out in accordance with the commission's forests and water guidelines. Straight-up ploughing is generally acceptable under these guidelines. However, a small, steeply sloping area at Croick has been ploughed contrary to the approved plan, and the owners have agreed to carry out remedial action.
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Education
Mr. Gallie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland in the current revenue support grant provision for Strathclyde regional council, what proportion is intended for the purpose of education ; and what proportion of that sum is considered necessary to meet nursery education requirements.
Mr. Allan Stewart [holding answer 5 June 1992] : Local authority current expenditure is supported by aggregate external
finance--AEF--which consists of non-domestic rate income--NDRI--revenue support grant--RSG--and specific grants. The NDRI and RSG components are not hypothecated to particular services.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Comber Bypass
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if the land has been acquired for phases 2 and 3 of the Comber bypass ; and if he will make a statement about progress with the design work for this bypass.
Mr. Atkins : Land acquisition and design work for phase 2 is well advanced. No work has commenced on phase 3 which currently falls outside the five-year major works programme.
Tattoos
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list for each health authority in Northern Ireland the number of patients waiting for operations ; and of those how many are waiting for the removal of tattoos.
Mr. Hanley : Information is not collected centrally on the numbers waiting for operations. The numbers of patients waiting for in-patient admission to the relevant surgical specialties in hospitals managed by each of the health and social service boards as at 31 March 1992 are as follows :
Board |All surgical |Plastic surgery
|specialities
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Eastern |16,542 |1,695
Northern |1,664 |-
Southern |1,298 |-
Western |3,489
Northern Ireland |22,993 |1,695
The removal of tattoos is only one of the procedures carried out within the specialty of plastic surgery and the number waiting for treatment is not available centrally.
Equal Opportunities
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make it his policy to ensure that all lists of candidates for public appointments in Northern Ireland contain equal numbers of men and women.
Mr. Mates : All appointments to public bodies are made on merit and the particular expertise which each individual
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brings to the post. I will continue to ensure that sufficient numbers of women's names appear on the list of candidates submitted for consideration to increase substantially the representation of women on all public bodies in Northern Ireland.New Zealand Flatworm
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland at how many places in Northern Ireland the New Zealand flatworm has been identified ; what effect its presence has had on native earthworm populations ; what research he has undertaken as to the consequences for soil fertility as a result of infestation by the flatworm ; whether any control measures have been implemented ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hanley : The New Zealand flatworm has now been identified at just over 300 sites, the majority of which are domestic gardens. It has occasionally been associated with reductions in earthworm numbers. The diversity of earthworm species may also be reduced by this flatworm.
The importance of earthworms to soil fertility is well established and the impact of the flatworm on earthworm populations in Northern Ireland is being studied by scientists from the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland.
There are no control measures currently available.
Tobacco
Rev. Martin Smyth : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he intends to extend the provisions of the Children and Young Persons (Protection from Tobacco) Act 1991 to Northern Ireland ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hanley : The Children and Young Persons (Protection from Tobacco) (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 will come into operation on 1 July 1992.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Household Incomes
12. Mr. Michael Alison : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the results of the households below average income analysis for 1989 is likely to be available and published.
Mr. Burt : As we announced on 12 December 1991, we expect the next edition of "Households Below Average Income" to be ready for publication in July. The date will be announced in due course in the Central Statistical Office monthly bulletin.
Maxwell Pensions
13. Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the current position of the current pensioners, deferred pensioners and contributories of the Maxwell pension funds.
18. Mr. Winnick : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the latest Government position towards pensions in the Maxwell-owned companies.
Mr. Lilley : I understand that all Maxwell pensioners received their full payments for May apart from 240
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members of the Headington pension plan. I am well aware that the uncertainty facing many Maxwell pensioners must be causing them considerable anxiety and distress, and I share the deep concern of the House about this. I shall be making a statement shortly.Mrs. Helen Jackson : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy to guarantee payments to pensioners presently receiving payments from the Maxwell pension funds.
Miss Widdecombe : I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. and learned Member for Montgomery (Mr. Carlile) on 13 May at column 140.
Benefits (Means Testing)
14. Mrs. Lait : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to carry out a review of the scope for means testing of all universal benefits.
Mr. Lilley : On a number of occasions we have made clear our commitment to child benefit and retirement pension. We shall continue to monitor the effectiveness of the social security system, as we have done since introducing the major reforms of 1988.
Disabled People (Benefits)
16. Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has had on the levels of benefit payable to people with disabilities.
Mr. Scott : We receive a large volume of correspon-dence on disability benefits some of which touches on the rate of benefit payable. Under this Government, spending on benefits for disabled people has risen by 173 per cent. in real terms, a record of which we are rightly proud.
Occupational Pensions
17. Mr. Spring : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of pensioners currently have an occupational pension ; and what was the equivalent figure in 1979.
Miss Widdecombe : I am pleased to tell my hon. Friend that 57 per cent. of all pensioners, and 69 per cent. of those who had recently retired, were receiving income from occupational pensions in 1988. The equivalent proportions in 1979 were 44 and 54 per cent. respectively.
Mr. Cran : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many United Kingdom pensioners also have an occupational pension.
Miss Widdecombe : I am pleased to tell my hon. Friend that a total of 6 million people receive income from an occupational pension. Of these, 4.5 million are over state pension age.
Income Support
19. Mr. Jim Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to increase income support provision for young people.
Mr. Burt : We have no such plans, although all aspects of income support are kept under review as a matter of course.
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Social Fund
20. Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proposals he has to modify the structure and administration of the social fund.
Mr. Scott : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Tooting (Mr. Cox) earlier today.
Youth Training
21. Ms. Coffey : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will restore income support to 16 to 17-year-olds who cannot find a youth training place.
Mr. Burt : The Government's policy of providing a guarantee of a suitable youth training place to all young people who want one, instead of their depending on social security benefits, is the most effective way of encouraging young people to make the most of their opportunities. However, income support is available to those vulnerable groups of young people who are unable to participate in YT and to those seeking a YT place who would otherwise be at risk of severe hardship. We have no plans to restore general entitlement to income support, but we are monitoring closely the operation of these rules with a view to streamlining their administration where possible.
Retirement Age
22. Mr. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a further statement about the age of retirement.
Miss Widdecombe : Our discussion paper, published on 18 December 1991, has been well received and there have already been many considered responses from both individuals and organisations. The discussion period ends on 30 June and we intend to bring forward detailed proposals in the light of comments received.
Centenarians
23. Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many (a) men and (b) women reached their 100th birthday in the past year.
Miss Widdecombe : I am pleased to tell my hon. Friend that in the past year 263 men and 2,090 women celebrated their 100th birthdays.
Social Security Expenditure
24. Mr. David Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total of Government spending on social security as a percentage of gross domestic product.
Mr. Burt : For the year ending March 1992 social security spending is estimated to have been 11.73 per cent. of GDP.
Pension Fund Trustees
25. Mr. Ian Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he is taking to review the role and responsibility of pension fund trustees.
Miss Widdecombe : I refer my hon. Friend to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State earlier today.
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Benefits System
26. Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what further proposals he has for review of the benefits system.
Mr. Burt : We shall continue to build upon the reforms introduced in 1988 with the aim of further modernising and improving our social security system.
Benefit Rights
27. Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what studies he has made of the impact of the withdrawal of the standard rights to benefit on the health and well-being of unemployed 16 and 17-year -olds (a) who leave home and (b) who do not leave home.
Mr. Burt : This Department has not commissioned research on this specific topic. However, I welcome and study carefully reports on young people published by voluntary organisations and other groups.
Pension Payments
Mr. Harvey : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the effect on the availability of cash at post offices of the maximum limit of three months' pension which can be collected at one time ; and if he will review this limit.
Mr. Burt : Arrangements for benefit payment and liaison with the Post Office Counters Ltd. are 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.
Deserted Wives
Mr. Steen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he plans to introduce legislation which will require the pension and life assurance benefits of husbands to be taken into consideration when assessing the level of benefit for deserted wives ; and if he will make a statement.
Miss Widdecombe : We have no such plans.
Pension Law
Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he intends to publish his proposed review of pension law ; and if he will make a statement.
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