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Severe Disablement Allowance
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many people in receipt of severe disablement allowance at the last date for which figures are available became entitled because 196 days of continuous incapacity commenced before their 20th birthday ; and what proportion of these were (a) men, (b) single women and (c) married women ;
(2) how many people in receipt of severe disablement allowance at the last date for which figures are available became entitled because of previous receipt of non-contributory invalidity pension ; and what proportion of these were (a) men, (b) single women and (c) married women ;
(3) how many people in receipt of severe disablement allowance at the last date for which figures are available became entitled because they were deemed 80 per cent. disabled by virtue of receipt of attendance allowance, mobility allowance or war pensioners' mobility supplement ; and what proportion of these were (a) men, (b) single women and (c) married women ;
(4) how many people in receipt of severe disablement allowance at the last date for which figures are available became entitled because they were deemed 80 per cent. disabled by virtue of a previous assessment under the industrial injuries or war pensions schemes ; and what proportion of these were (a) men, (b) single women and (c) married women ;
(5) how many people in receipt of severe disablement allowance at the last date for which figures are available became entitled because they were deemed 80 per cent. disabled by virtue of receipt of a vaccine damage payment ; and what proportion of these were (a) men, (b) single women and (c) married women ;
(6) how many people in receipt of severe disablement allowance at the last date for which figures are available became entitled because they were deemed 80 per cent. disabled by virtue of being registered blind or partially sighted ; and what proportion of these were (a) men, (b) single women and (c) married women ;
(7) how many people in receipt of severe disablement allowance at the last date for which figures are available became entitled because they were deemed 80 per cent. disabled by virtue of receipt of an invalid tricycle, car or car allowance ; and what proportion of these were (a) men, (b) single women and (c) married women ; (8) how many people in receipt of severe disablement allowance at the last date for which figures are available became entitled because they were classified as 80 per cent. disabled by adjudicating medical authorities ; and what proportion of these were (a) men, (b) single women and (c) married women ;
(9) how many people were in receipt of severe disablement allowance at the last date for which figures are available ; and what proportion of these were (a) men, (b) single women and (c) married women.
Mr. Scott : Information is not available in the form requested. Such information as is available is in the table. The latest date for which information is available is March 1990. The information is based on a 1 per cent. sample and has been rounded to he nearest 1, 000. It is statistically unreliable to express the separate entries as proportions or percentages.
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Severe disablement allowance beneficiaries as at 31 March 1990
Condition |Male |Married women |Single women<1>|Total
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Under 20 when incapacity arose |20,000 |1,000 |15,000 |35,000
Links with NCIP/HNCIP/SDA |1,000 |1,000 |1,000 |3,000
MOB A/AA awarded |5,000 |15,000 |5,000 |25,000
Blind/partially sighted |<4> |2,000 |<4> |2,000
Other passport benefit<2> |1,000 |1,000 |1,000 |3,000
Adjudicating medical authorities |5,000 |10,000 |4,000 |18,000
Others |<3>81,000 |43,000 |76,000 |199,000
Total |112,000 |71,000 |101,000 |285,000
Notes:
<1> Single women includes single, divorced and widows.
<2> Other passport benefits include invalid tricycle, car or private car allowance, vaccine damage payments,
industrial injuries and war pensions.
<3> Other condition relates to those transferred from NCIP/HNCIP with continuous entitlement.
<4> Figure less than 500.
Totals may not sum due to rounding.
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many people awarded severe disablement allowance in the last year for which figures are available became entitled because they were deemed 80 per cent. disabled by virtue of receipt of attendance allowance, mobility allowance or war pensioners' mobility supplement ; and what proportion of these were (a) men, (b) single women and (c) married women ;
(2) how many people awarded severe disablement allowance in the last year for which figures are available became entitled because they were deemed 80 per cent. disabled by virtue of receipt of a vaccine damage payment ; and what proportion of these were (a) men, (b) single women and (c) married women ;
(3) how many people awarded severe disablement allowance in the last year for which figures are available became entitled because they were deemed 80 per cent. disabled by virtue of receipt of an invalid tricycle, car or car allowance ; and what proportion of these were (a) men, (b) single women and (c) married women ; (4) how many people awarded severe disablement allowance in the last year for which figures are available became entitled because 196 days of continuous incapacity commenced before their 20th birthday ; and what proportion of these were (a) men, (b) single women and (c) married women ;
(5) how many people awarded severe disablement allowance in the last year for which figures are available became entitled because they were deemed 80 per cent. disabled by virtue of a previous assessment under the industrial injuries or war pensions schemes ; and what proportion of these were (a) men, (b) single women and (c) married women ;
6) how many people awarded severe disablement allowance in the last year for which figures are available became entitled because they were deemed 80 per cent. disabled by virtue of being registered blind or partially sighted ; and what proportion of these were (a) men, (b) single women and (c) married women ;
(7) how many people awarded severe disablement allowance in the last year for which figures are available became entitled because they were deemed 80 per cent. disabled by adjudicating medical authorities ; and what proportion of these were (a) men, (b) single women and (c) married women ;
(8) how many people awarded severe disablement allowance in the last year for which figures are available ; and what proportion of these were (a) men, (b) single women and (c) married women.
Column 594
Mr. Scott : Information is not available in the form requested. Such information as is available is in the table. It is based on a 1 per cent. sample and has been rounded to the nearest 1,000. It is statistically unreliable to express the separate entries as proportions or percentages.
Severe Disablement Allowance Awards during the period
April 1989-31 March 1990
Condition |Male |Married Women |Single Women<1>|Total
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Under 20 when
incapacity arose |5,000 |<3>- |4,000 |10,000
Links with
NCIP/HNCIP/SDA |<3>- |<3>- |n/a |<3>-
MOB A/AA awarded |1,000 |3,000 |1,000 |5,000
Blind/partially sighted |n/a |<3>- |n/a |<3>-
Other Passport Benefit<2> |<3>- |<3>- |<3>- |1,000
Adjudicating
Medical Authorities |1,000 |2,000 |1,000 |4,000
Total |8,000 |6,000 |6,000 |20,000
n/a=Not available.
<1> Single women includes single, divorced and widows.
<2> Other passport benefits include invalid tricycle, car or private car allowance, vaccine damage
payments, industrial injuries and war pensions.
<3> Figures less than 500.
Totals may not sum due to rounding.
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people were refused severe disablement allowance in the last year for which figures are available (a) on grounds of age, (b) through failure to pass the incapacity conditions, (c) through failure to pass the 80 per cent. disability test, (d) through failure to satisfy residence and presence conditions and (e) for other reasons ; and what proportion in each category were (i) men, (ii) single women and (iii) married women.
Mr. Scott : The information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people applied for severe disablement allowance in the last year for which figures are available ; and what proportion of these were (a) men, (b) single women and (c) married women.
Mr. Scott : In 1991-92 almost 64,500 claims were received. Information by gender is not available.
Column 595
State Pensions
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners receive a state pension in Wales.
Miss Widdecombe : In September 1991, 529,000 pensioners received a state pension in Wales.
Notes :
(1) Figure rounded to nearest thousand.
(2) Figure does not include those in receipt of graduated retirement benefit only.
Pension Law
Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he intends to announce the names of the committee that will examine possible changes in pension law.
Miss Widdecombe : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State expects to make an announcement soon.
Benefits
Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what were the (a) administrative costs, (b) benefit expenditure and (c) administrative expenditure as a proportion of expenditure, for (i) supplementary benefit and (ii) single payments for the last three years of their operation.
Mr. Scott : Information is not available in the form requested. Such information as is available is in the table :
£ million
Year
|1985-86|1986-87|1987-88
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
(a) Administrative costs<1><2> |839 |929 |1,106
(b) Benefit expenditure <1> |7,377 |7,962 |7,952
(c) (a) as a percentage of total expenditure |10.2 |10.4 |12.2
<1> Supplementary benefit and single payments.
<2> Estimate.
Single Payments
Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the number and percentage of eligible applicants who were awarded single payments in the last three years of their operation ; and if he will provide a breakdown by (a) region and (b) DSS office.
Mr. Scott : Information is not available in the precise form requested. Single payments could be awarded to people entitled to supplementary benefit. National figures for the number of payments made in each year, and the total number of people receiving supplementary benefit is in the table.
The number of people who received awards is likely to be significantly lower than the number of payments in any given year, since any one person may have received more than one award. Similar information for each office can be derived from information held in the Library.
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-------------------------- 1985-86 |4,375|4.8 1986-87 |4,230|5.1 1987-88 |2,750|5.0
Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the number of claims for single payments which were initially rejected by DSS offices which were the subject of awards following appeal for the last three years of its operation.
Mr. Scott : The information is in the table.
Single payments
awarded following
Social Security
Appeal
Tribunal hearings
|Number
---------------------
1986 |13,920
1987 |20,866
1988 |31,034
Social Fund
Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total expenditure of providing (a) maternity payments, (b) funeral expenses and (c) cold weather payments for the past three years expressed (i) in cash terms, (ii) in cash terms at 1990-91 prices and (iii) as a percentage of total social security expenditure ; and if he will provide a breakdown by (1) region and (2) local DSS office.
Mr. Scott : Not all the information requested is readily available and it could not be obtained except at disproportionate cost. Such information as is available will be placed in the Library shortly.
Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps his Department is taking to draw the social fund to the attention of those it has identified as likely to be applicants ; and what is the total expenditure involved.
Mr. Scott : Information about the Fund is included in general guides to social security published by the Department. There are also two specific leaflets on the fund, numbered SFL2 and SB16. These leaflets have been revised and clarified recently. It is not possible to isolate expenditure on the social fund from other departmental publicity spending.
Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans his Department has to alter the eligibility criteria used in making discretionary awards under the social fund ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Scott : I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Tooting (Mr. Cox) on 8 June at columns 6-8.
Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what are (a) the administrative costs, (b) benefit expenditure and (c) administrative costs as a proportion of expenditure, for (i) the social fund, (ii) income support and (iii) income support and social fund combined, for each of the social fund's operation ;
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(2) what was the total expenditure of administering the social fund expressed (a) in cash terms, (b) at 1990-91 prices and (c) as a percentage of gross social fund expenditure ; and if he will provide a breakdown by (i) region and (ii) local DSS office ; (3) what is the total expenditure of the social fund expressed as a percentage of (a) total social security expenditure and (b) total running costs for each year of its operation.Mr. Scott : Information on social security expenditure and administration costs for 1988-89 to 1990-91 is in the Library. Details of social fund administration costs for 1991-92 are not yet available. Information about administrative costs by region or DSS local office is not available.
Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applications initially rejected by (a) social fund officers and (b) social fund inspectors were the subject of awards following review for each year of its operation ; and if he will provide a breakdown by (i) region and (ii) local DSS office.
Mr. Scott : The information requested about social fund officers' decisions is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Regarding social fund inspectors' decisions, I am informed by the social fund commissioner that information by each local office is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The table summarises the data collected by DSS region.
D Region |1988-89 |1989-90 |1990-91 |<1>1991-92 -------------------------------------------------------------------- London North |- |0 |10 |25 London South |- |1 |8 |9 Midlands |- |3 |3 |14 North East |- |3 |17 |26 North West |- |1 |11 |26 Scotland |- |0 |9 |47 Wales and South West - 1 8 21 <1> Data for 1991-92 is provisional.
Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total budget for (a) the social fund, (b) budgeting loans, (c) crisis loans and (d) community care grants and the percentage of each budget which was actually spent for each year of its operation ; and if he will provide a breakdown by (i) region and (ii) local DSS office.
Mr. Scott : Information on social fund allocations and expenditure is in the Library. The allocations for loans are not subdivided for budgeting and crisis loans.
Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what steps he is taking to ensure that social fund applicants and potential applicants are made aware of the role of the social fund inspectors ;
(2) what is the estimated cost and time scale for implementing any planned improvements to the computer system which are deemed necessary for the efficient operation of the social fund and the production of reliable performance data ;
(3) what is the level of departmental manpower absorbed by the social fund expressed (a) in numbers and (b) as a percentage of total departmental manpower for each year of its operation.
Mr. Scott : The administration of the social fund is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the
Column 598
Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.Loans and Grants
Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applicants were refused (a) budgeting loans, (b) crisis loans and (c) community care grants for each year of their operation ; and if he will provide a breakdown by (i) region and (ii) local DSS office.
Mr. Scott : Information is not available in the form requested.
Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what were the performance targets in working days which were set for (a) budgeting loans, (b) crisis loans and (c) community care grants and the actual average clearance times achieved in each of the years for which information is available ; and if he will provide a breakdown by region.
Mr. Scott : Performance targets and clearance of social fund applications are 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.
Mortgage Interest Payments
Ms. Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will change the procedures of his Department in respect of mortgage interest payments, so that mortgage lenders receive payments by the due date, instead of one month in arrears to prevent mortgagors being threatened with repossession.
Mr. Burt : The Council of Mortgage Lenders gave an assurance last December that lenders would not seek possession if the mortgage interest due was paid direct from income support. The present direct payment scheme began on 25 May.
Mortgage payments are usually made at the end of each calendar monthly period. Similarly, the direct payment of the income mortgage interest allowance is made to lenders at the end of each four-weekly period. While the payment date may be changed, that of itself would not have the adverse effect suggested. Consequently, we see no reason to change the procedures.
Priority Groups
Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he is taking to ensure greater consistency within and between local DSS offices in the treatment of priority groups.
Mr. Scott : Social fund officers are already provided with a framework of directions and guidance which allows them to meet highest priority needs whenever they occur. Copies are available in the Library.
Column 599
HEALTH
HIV Statistics
Mr. Cummings : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been (a) tested and (b) proven to be HIV positive in the Sunderland, Durham and Hartlepool health authority areas in each year since 1988-89.
Mr. Sackville : Records are not routinely kept by district health authorities of the total numbers of people tested for HIV and a detailed breakdown is therefore not available. In respect of Hartlepool, Sunderland, Durham, North West Durham and South West Durham health authorities, 23 individuals have been reported as infected with HIV to the Public Health Laboratory Service's communicable disease surveillance centre since April 1988 ; 14 of these were in the 12 months to March 1992. The AIDS (Control) Act provides that where the number of newly infected HIV persons is fewer than 10 the district health authority is not required to provide numbers.
Column 600
Heart Disease
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what form figures exist for the incidence of coronary heart disease broken down to local authority districts or wards ; and if she will publish the number of cases for both men and women in each local authority district or ward over the past five years.
Mr. Sackville : This information is not collected centrally.
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish the number of cases of coronary heart disease for both men and women for each health district within the North East Thames region over the past five years.
Mr. Sackville : Information on the incidence of heart disease in the community is not available centrally. The table shows the numbers of deaths for ischaemic heart disease in each health authority in the North East Thames region. Due to boundary changes in 1991, figures for Islington are no longer available separately.
Column 599
Ischaemic Heart Disease
(410-414)
|1987 deaths|1988 deaths|1989 deaths|1990 deaths|1991 deaths
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
North East Thames RHA
Male |5,881 |5,538 |5,401 |5,225 |5,341
Female |4,426 |4,404 |4,233 |4,193 |4,234
F01 Basildon and Thurrock
Male |429 |392 |382 |366 |412
Female |263 |293 |296 |258 |272
F02 Mid Essex
Male |403 |371 |381 |393 |355
Female |285 |288 |248 |265 |266
F03 North East Essex
Male |602 |578 |522 |500 |559
Female |451 |459 |436 |454 |470
F04 West Essex
Male |360 |371 |342 |328 |413
Female |269 |279 |246 |275 |262
F05 Southend
Male |553 |514 |516 |464 |462
Female |445 |437 |397 |377 |415
F06 Barking, Havering and Brentwood
Male |761 |688 |751 |729 |742
Female |559 |538 |573 |576 |564
F07 Hampstead
Male |148 |133 |117 |104 |125
Female |119 |104 |108 |114 |111
F08 Bloomsbury
Male |206 |193 |210 |166 |281
Female |144 |134 |142 |155 |247
F09 Islington
Male |218 |221 |227 |202 |<1>-
Female |181 |187 |158 |161 |<1>-
F10 City and Hackney
Male |245 |251 |216 |251 |231
Female |211 |187 |195 |185 |197
F11 Newham
Male |336 |282 |296 |270 |283
Female |220 |239 |210 |203 |227
F12 Tower Hamlets
Male |266 |243 |240 |222 |211
Female |193 |181 |164 |141 |160
F13 Enfield
Male |397 |382 |355 |341 |333
Female |315 |308 |289 |298 |318
F14 Haringey
Male |267 |239 |227 |240 |230
Female |240 |224 |219 |196 |199
F15 Redbridge
Male |384 |323 |324 |346 |382
Female |248 |286 |266 |304 |228
F16 Waltham Forest
Male |306 |357 |295 |303 |322
Female |283 |260 |286 |231 |298
<1> Please note there were certain boundary changes in 1991 to Bloomsbury and Islington.
Source: OPCS Death Registrations.
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list in rank order the incidence of coronary heart disease, as a percentage of the male and female population, of each health district in the North East Thames region ; and if she will break down these figures to local authority districts or wards.
Column 602
Mr. Sackville : The information is not available precisely in the form requested. The table shows the death rate per head of population for each district in North East Thames regional health authority. Figures on incidence within the community are not collected centrally.
Column 601
Estimated percentage of deaths by cause and by sex
1987 to 1991
Ischaemic heart disease (410-414)
|1987 |1988 |1989 |1990 |1991
|Per cent.|Per cent.|Per cent.|Per cent.|Per cent.
|of deaths|of deaths|of deaths|of deaths|of deaths
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
North East Thames RHA
Male |0.3 |0.3 |0.3 |0.3 |0.3
Female |0.2 |0.2 |0.2 |0.2 |0.2
F01 Basildon and Thurrock
Male |0.3 |0.3 |0.3 |0.3 |0.3
Female |0.2 |0.2 |0.2 |0.2 |0.2
F02 Mid Essex
Male |0.3 |0.3 |0.3 |0.3 |0.3
Female |0.2 |0.2 |0.2 |0.2 |0.2
F03 North East Essex
Male |0.4 |0.40.3 |0.3 |0.4
Female |0.3 |0.3 |0.30.3 |0.3
F04 West Essex
Male |0.3 |0.3 |0.3 |0.3 |0.3
Female |0.2 |0.2 |0.2 |0.2 |0.2
F05 Southend
Male |0.4 |0.3 |0.3 |0.3 |0.3
Female |0.3 |0.3 |0.2 |0.2 |0.2
F06 Barking, Havering and Brentwood
Male |0.3 |0.3 |0.3 |0.3 |0.3
Female |0.2 |0.2 |0.2 |0.3 |0.2
F07 Hamp0.3 |0.3 |0.3 |0.2 |<1>- |stead
Male |0.3 |0.3 |0.2 |0.2 |0.2
Female |0.2 |0.2 |0.2 |0.2 |0.2
F08 Bloomsbury
Male |0.3 |0.3 |0.4 |0.3 |<1>-
Female |0.2 |0.2 |0.2 |0.2 |<1>-
F09 Islington
Male |0.3 |0.3 |0.3 |0.2 |<1>-
Female |0.2 |0.2 |0.2 |0.2 |<1>-
F10 City and Hackney
Male |0.30.3 |0.2 |0.3 |0.2
Female |0.2 |0.2 |0.2 |0.2 |0.2
F11 Newham
Male |0.3 |0.3 |0.3 |0.3 |0.3
Female |0.2 |0.2 |0.2 |0.2 |0.2
Male |0.3 |0.3 |0.3 |0.3 |0.3
Female |0.2 |0.2 |0.2 |0.2 |0.2
F13 Enfield
Male |0.3 |0.3 |0.3 |0.3 |0.3
Female |0.2 |0.2 |0.2 |0.2 |0.2
F14 Haringey
Male |0.3 |0.3 |0.2 |0.3 |0.2
Female |0.2 |0.2 |0.2 |0.2 |0.2
F15 Redbridge
Male |0.3 |0.3 |0.3 |0.3 |0.3
Female |0.2 |0.2 |0.3 |0.2 |0.2
F16 Waltham Forest
Male |0.3 |0.3 |0.3 |0.3 |0.3
Female |0.3 |0.2 |0.3 |0.2 |0.3
Please note 1991 figures based on 1990's populations.
<1>Due to boundary changes in Bloomsbury and Islington Health Authorities the rates cannot be
calculated for 1991.
Column 603
Maternity Services
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what conclusions she has reached as a result of her review of maternity services ; and what steps she has so far taken to implement those conclusions.
Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will be responding to the report of the Health Select Committee on maternity services, second report, Session 1991-92.
Mr. Sackville : I refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury (Mr. Smith) on 22 May at column 306.
Abortion
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the progress of the research commissioned by her Department into the effects of post-abortion trauma.
Dr. Mawhinney : The Department funded a major study by the Manchester research unit of the Royal College of General Practitioners into the long and short-term sequelae of abortion. The study ran from 1976 to the end of 1990. A number of papers have been either published or are in the public arena having been presented through conferences. Only one of these papers, that on the psychiatric sequelae of abortion, addressed the effects of post-abortion trauma. The paper was presented to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Royal College of General Practitioners on 7 November 1990. The final conclusions of this part of the study are expected to be published later this year.
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research her Department is conducting as to the stage of development at which the unborn child experiences pain ; what steps she is taking to reduce the level of pain experienced by an unborn child which is aborted ; and if she will make a statement.
Dr. Mawhinney : The Department is not currently supporting any such research. The abortion procedure is a matter for the clinical judgment of the doctor concerned in discussion with the patient.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many national health service abortions have been performed in each year for the last 10 years ; and how many applications for national health service abortions have been refused over the same period.
Mr. Sackville : The number of abortions performed in the National Health Service in England, Wales and Scotland in each of the last 10 years for which full figures are available is shown in the table. Information on the number of applications for an NHS abortion which were refused is not available centrally.
Number of National Health Service abortions England, Wales and Scotland 1981-1990 1981 |72,430 1982 |75,144 1983 |75,694 1984 |78,776 1985 |80,168 1986 |83,800 1987 |86,828 1988 |88,439 1989 |89,980 1990 |93,312 <1>These figures include those abortions carried out in England and Wales under an agency agreement ( operations carried out in non-NHS premises on NHS patients).
Hospital Assaults
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the hospitals where (a) staff and (b) patients have been assaulted by either patients or members of the general public in the last six months ; and if she will provide the statistics of these assaults.
Mr. Sackville : This information is not available centrally.
Limbless Ex-Service Men
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will meet members of the British Limbless Ex-Sevicemen's Association to discuss her Department's guidance on priority treatment for their disabilities.
Mr. Yeo : We have no plans to meet members of the British Limbless Ex-Servicemen's Association at present.
Hospitals
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) hospitals have been closed, (b) beds have been closed, (c) hospitals have been opened and (d) beds have been opened, since 1979.
Mr. Sackville : Information is not available centrally in the form requested.
Smear Tests
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she has on the time between a smear test taking place and the result being given to the patient.
Mr. Sackville : Health authorities have made significant progress in ensuring that women receive the results of a smear test within the national one month target. At December 1990, around two thirds were meeting the target, by December 1991 more than 96 per cent. of health authorities were reporting cervical smear results within one month or less. We expect regional health authorities to monitor the performance of districts to ensure this high level of performance continues.
NHS Trust Federation
Mr. Waterson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the relative roles of the National Health Service Trust Federation and regional health authorities.
Dr. Mawhinney : The National Health Service Trust Federation is a body set up by the trusts themselves to represent them. It has no statutory role.
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