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Public Sector Pay
Mr. Clifton-Brown : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his target for the rate of increase of public sector pay in real terms.
Mr. Portillo : The Government set no such target.
Business Rate
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many appeals are outstanding against uniform business rate valuations on the Isle of Wight ; and how many appeals have been heard.
Mr. Dorrell : For the Isle of Wight 202 appeals against uniform business rate valuations have been heard and 863 remain outstanding.
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of the appeals of the Isle of Wight against uniform business rate valuations resulted in (a) a reduction and (b) an increase.
Mr. Dorrell : The information requested is not available and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Petroleum Revenue Tax
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what has been the total annual revenue raised through corporation tax paid by companies also liable for petroleum revenues tax for each of the years since petroleum revenue tax was introduced ;
(2) what has been the total annual revenue raised through petroleum revenue tax in each year since its introduction ; and what is his estimated yield for the current financial year.
Mr. Dorrell : Revenues raised from United Kingdom oil and gas production by petroleum revenue tax and corporation tax are as follows :
£ million
|Petroleum revenue tax<1>|Corporation tax<2>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1975-76 |0 |5
1976-77 |0 |10
1977-78 |0 |10
1978-79 |183 |93
1979-80 |1,435 |250
1980-81 |2,410 |341
1981-82 |4,415 |681
1982-83 |5,669 |521
1983-84 |6,017 |877
1984-85 |7,177 |2,432
1985-86 |6,375 |2,916
1986-87 |1,188 |2,676
1987-88 |2,296 |1,318
1988-89 |1,371 |1,230
1989-90 |1,050 |743
1990-91 |860 |971
1991-92 |-214 |647
<3>1992-93 |100 |600
<1> Including Supplementary Petroleum Duty in 1981-82 and 1982-83.
<2> Before ACT set-off.
<3> 1992-93 Financial Statement and Budget Report forecast.
Pensions
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list those EC member states who pay their national government employees index linked inflation proofed pensions.
Mr. Portillo : I regret that this information is not held centrally.
Bank of Credit and Commerce International
Mr. Higgins : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Bank of England will respond to the fourth report of the Treasury and Civil Service Committee of Session 1991-92, "Banking Supervision and BCCI : international and national supervision".
Mr. Lamont : I understand that the Bank of England has now responded to the fourth report of the Treasury and Civil Service Select Committee in Session 1991-92 "Banking Supervision and BCCI : international and national supervision". A copy of this response has been placed in the Library, together with a paper on minimum standards for the supervision of banking groups recently agreed by the Basle committee of G10 banking supervisors, to accompany and reinforce the 1983 Basle concordat.
Mr. Higgins : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is yet in a position to reply to the fourth report of the Treasury and Civil Service Committee of Session 1991-92, "Banking Supervision and BCCI : international and national supervision".
Mr. Lamont : As the former Economic Secretary told the House on 12 March 1992 at column 603, the Government will await Lord Justice Bingham's report on BCCI before reaching any conclusions on the Committee's recommendations.
Money Laundering
Mr. Burns : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about the work of the financial action task force on money laundering.
Mr. Nelson : The financial action task force on money laundering (FATF) published its third annual report on 25
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June. The FATF has focused on three key areas of work over the last year. It has reviewed the 40 recommendations that were drawn up in 1990 in the light of recent experience and developments in money laundering techniques. It has produced interpretative notes on matters such as unlawful use of shell companies and the use of lawyers as nominees for illegal entities. The FATF has also begun a study of ways to make it easier to track the movement of suspect funds through electronic payment systems.The external relations working group of the FATF, chaired by the United Kingdom, has continued to encourage world wide action against money laundering, and has drawn up a detailed action programme for future work. Over the past year FATF members, including the United Kingdom, have taken part in a number of regional meetings to discuss money laundering including the Caribbean financial action task force in Kingston, Jamaica and the South East Asia Central bank board of governors in Jakarta. Links with other international organisations, such as the United Nations international drugs control programme and the Council of Europe are being developed.
Finally, the FATF has established an effective mutual evaluation programme to assess progress among its members in implementing the anti-money laundering measures that it has developed. Four of these in-depth country examinations have so far taken place. Australia, France, Sweden and the United Kingdom have been examined. The FATF report includes summaries of these assessments.
The report on the United Kingdom is very complimentary. It notes the scale and international nature of the United Kingdom financial sector and the importance we attach to its remaining clean. The report commends the co- operative nature of the United Kingdom response to the threat of money laundering, and the good relations between the financial institutions, the regulators and the law enforcement community. The report concludes that the United Kingdom approach to combating money laundering could serve as a model for other countries.
I have arranged for copies of the report to be placed in the Library.
Banknotes
Mr. Trimble : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list all the banknotes issued in (a) England, (b) Northern Ireland and (c) Scotland, indicating which notes are legal tender in each jurisdiction.
Mr. Nelson [holding answer 7 July 1992] : In England, the Bank of England is the sole note-issuing authority and notes are currently issued in the denominations of £5, £10, £20 and £50. In Northern Ireland, four commercial banks (Bank of Ireland, Allied Irish banks, Northern bank and Ulster bank) issue notes of £5, £10, £20, and £100, with Northern bank and Ulster bank also issuing £50 notes. In Scotland, three commercial banks (Royal Bank of Scotland, Bank of Scotland and Clydesdale bank) issue £5, £10, £20 and £100 notes, with Clydesdale bank also issuing a £50 note and Royal Bank of Scotland a £1 note.
Bank of England notes are legal tender in England and Wales only. Notes issued by banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland are not legal tender anywhere. Notes
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that are not legal tender may be used-- anywhere in the United Kingdom--so long as both parties to a transaction agree that they are acceptable.Financial Services (Regulation)
Mr. Don Foster : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will publish the full report of the review by the Securities and Investments Board of the Investment Management Regulatory Organisation's regulatory responsibilities for Bishopsgate Investment Managers and London and Bishopsgate Investment.
Mr. Nelson [holding answer 6 July 1992] : I am advised that publication of IMRO's review in full, whether by the Government or the Securities and Investments Board (SIB), might be severely prejudicial to criminal proceedings. SIB has announced it will be making a statement on SIB's assessment of IMRO's and its own performance together with the conclusions and decisions about resulting action from the IMRO review.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Claim Processing Times
Ms. Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what rights to compensation or redress claimants have whose claims or review applications have not been processed within the Government's target periods.
Mr. Scott : The administration of social security benefits is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.
Cold Weather Payments
34. Ms. Lynne : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many households in Rochdale qualify for payments under the cold weather payments scheme.
Mr. Scott : The administration of the social fund is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.
Mr. Watson : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many households in Glasgow, Central qualify for payments under the cold weather payments scheme.
Mr. Scott : The administration of the social fund is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.
Mr. Watson : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) on what dates the cold weather payments system was triggered in Glasgow, Central during the winter of 1991-92 ; and how many households received payment on each occasion ;
(2) on what dates cold weather payments were made in Glasgow, Central in response to a forecast of a qualifying period ; and how long it took for these payments to be made.
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Mr. Scott : Such information as is available is in the Library.
Attendance Allowance
Sir John Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what is the date of the longest outstanding new claim for attendance allowance ;
(2) how many new claims for attendance allowance, made before April 1992, are outstanding ; and when it is expected that they will be decided ;
(3) how many applications for review of attendance allowance, made before April 1992, are outstanding ; and what is the date of the longest outstanding application for review.
Mr. Scott : The administration of attendance allowance is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to my hon. Friend and copies will be placed in the Library and Public Information Office.
Maxwell Pensions
Ms. Mowlam : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what contributions he has received into the fund set up for Maxwell pensioners.
Miss Widdecombe : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 28 June further details about the Maxwell pensioners trust. Work on the trust deed is being taken forward quickly and Sir John Cuckney and his fellow trustees hope to launch their formal appeal shortly.
Pending the formal establishment of the trust, the Department has opened a holding account to receive contributions in advance of Sir John's appeal and I am pleased to report that £120,000 has already been paid into this account.
Pension Rights
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 25 June, Official Report, column 307, if he will ask the Government Actuary to place in the Library the detailed calculation of his estimate of the cost of full retrospective equalisation of pension rights ; and how much of this estimate derives from recalculations of existing benefits in payment and the enhancement of pension payments to existing male occupational pensioners.
Miss Widdecombe : A copy of a detailed calculation of the Government Actuary's estimate has been placed in the Library. This was given in response to an inquiry from the European Commission. A copy of the Commission's inquiry has also been placed in the Library.
Disability Working Allowance
Sir John Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applications for disability working allowance have been received ; how this compares with the anticipated take-up ; what is the success rate ; and how long it is taking for new claims to be decided.
Mr. Scott : The administration of disability working allowance is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to my hon. Friend and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.
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Income Entitlement
Ms. Corston : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will specify the annual income entitlement (supplementary benefit or income support), excluding housing benefit, for (a) a single unemployed person aged 24 and (b) a man and a woman both aged 34 with two children aged 12 and 11 years respectively for each of the years 1979 to 1989 inclusive, at 1989 prices.
Mr. Burt : The information requested is in the table.
Part of our policy in replacing supplementary benefit was to target benefit on those groups most in need, and we succeeded. Since 1988 we have given extra help, over and above normal upratings, to families with children. The income support rates for single people aged 18 to 24 take account of the fact that the vast majority live as members of someone else's household.
------------------------------------ 1979-80 |1,542.25|3,802.38 1980-81 |1,572.16|4,002.40 1981-82 |1,612.82|4,270.16 1982-83 |1,654.58|4,379.18 1983-84 |1,704.56|4,509.83 1984-85 |1,706.86|4,516.65 1985-86 |1,709.09|4,523.13 1986-87 |1,725.19|4,571.23 1987-88 |1,707.39|4,524.02 1988-89 |1,398.44|4,820.73 1989-90 |1,394.52|4,885.92 Notes: Col. B-shows for 1979-88 the annual Supplementary Benefit entitlement, at 1989 prices, for a single householder. From April 1988 the figures are the annual entitlement to Income Support, at 1989 prices, for a single unemployed person age 18-24. No additions which might have been payable within Supplementary Benefit or Income Support premiums for special needs have been included. Col. C-shows for 1979-88 the annual Supplementary Benefit entitlement, at 1989 prices, for a couple (aged 18 or over) with two children aged 11 and 12. From April 1988 the figures are the annual Income Support entitlement, at 1989 prices, for the same family composition. No additions which might have been payable within Supplementary Benefit have been included. The Income Support figures include the family premium which is paid automatically. The Rossi Index (ie, the Retail Prices Index less housing costs) has been used to revalue at 1989 prices because there is no housing element in the entitlement amount.
Green Minister
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will outline the priorities for future action of the green Minister in his Department (a) over the next year and (b) over this Parliament ; and if he will make a statement.
Miss Widdecombe : The main priority for environmental issues over the next year will be to finalise an environmental strategy for the Department and to ensure that there is an action plan to implement it. In the longer term, the aim will be to ensure that, as far as possible, the Department's activities take environmental consideration fully into account. This will include cutting down our production of carbon dioxide by reducing our energy consumption by 15 per cent. by 1996.
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Social Fund
Mr. Wells : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he intends to publish his annual report on the social fund ; and when he will publish the social fund commissioner's annual report.
Mr. Scott : The Secretary of State's annual report (Cm 1992) has been published today and I have laid it before Parliament. This report records that in 1991-92 more than 1.5 million discretionary payments amounting to £276 million were made from the fund ; and that the total paid out from the fund, including the regulated maternity, funeral and cold weather payments was £361 million.
The social fund commissioner's annual report has also been published today and copies placed in the Library.
The findings of research on the social fund which we commissioned from the social policy research unit at the University of York have also been published today. This research--based on two years of fieldwork carried out in 1990 and 1991--provides a considerable amount of information and will require careful study.
The research unit acknowledges that the social fund budget is a small, but important, part of social security spending. It represents around 0.5 per cent. of the total DSS budget, now approaching £70 billion a year. The fund's discretionary budget alone has been increased to £302 million for 1992-93, an increase of 32 per cent. from April 1991.
I am pleased to note that the findings confirm the message of the Secretary of State's annual report that the fund has provided cash assistance for exceptional needs to millions of people ; and also recognise the excellent job being performed by social fund officers.
Stadex Industries Pension Fund
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will make a statement concerning the Stadex Industries Limited retirement savings plan ;
(2) when he expects that members' benefit entitlement can be determined consequent upon continuing investigations into Stadex Industries Limited retirement savings plan ;
(3) how many individuals are involved in the Stadex Industries retirement savings plan ; and what is his estimate of the arrears under the insurance content concerning the Stadex retirement savings plan ;
(4) for how long employee contributions were continuing to be deducted from the salary of members of the Stadex retirement savings plan and placed on deposit in a trustee bank account before members were contracted back into the state earnings-related pension scheme.
Miss Widdecombe : The information requested is not collected by the Department. The Stadex Industries Limited retirement savings plan is a contracted out, salary-related pension scheme first contracted out on1 June 1988. The Occupational Pensions Board, an independent statutory body, is currently considering the position of the scheme and its ability to meet its guaranteed minimum pension commitment.
Mortgage Payments
Mr. Simpson : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of households receiving income support have no record of being in arrears in their
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morgage interest payments to banks or building societies ; what consideration he has given to concerns that the introduction of automatic direct payments would remove from them a responsibility that they have hitherto discharged reliably and could be perceived as a slur on their willingness to pay ; and if he will make it possible for people in such circumstances to continue to make their own mortgage interest payments.Mr. Burt : Information on mortgagees receiving income support who are, or have ever been, in arrears with mortgage payments is not collected.
The new direct payment scheme is part of a package of measures agreed with mortgage lenders, aimed at reducing the number of repossessions. The previous selective scheme did not readily identify all arrears cases and therefore did not provide an adequate reassurance against the risk of repossession for claimants and their families. The new scheme does not suffer from this defect and ensures that benefit provided specifically for mortgage interest payments reaches the lender. There is no question of any such slur on any benefit recipients, the majority of whom discharged their liability towards mortgage lenders faithfully.
We have no plans to revise the new scheme.
Mr. Watson : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the estimated total additional administrative costs associated with introducing automatic direct payments to mortgage lenders of income support in respect of mortgage interest in 1992-93 ; and what contribution to these additional administrative costs have been made, or are likely to be made by mortgage lenders in 1992-93.
Mr. Burt : The scheme will result in extra administrative costs of about £15 million for each year beginning 1992-93. In addition there were start-up costs of about £2.5 million. Mortgage lenders are expected to contribute £10 million towards these costs.
Mr. Watson : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what arrangements are being made to meet the administrative costs of automatic direct payments to mortgage lenders of income support in respect of mortgage interest in 1993-94 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Burt : A review of the fees payable by qualifying lenders will take place later this year in consultation with appropriate lender organisations.
Young People
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the estimated cost of implementing each of the recommendations in the eighth report of the Social Security Advisory Committee regarding young people's benefit entitlements.
Mr. Burt : On the recommendation regarding removing the general exclusion of 16 and 17-year-olds from benefit, information about the cost of restoring entitlement to income support is not available. On the recommendation that young people under 25 living away from home should be paid the full rate of income support, the information is in the table.
Column 224
Benefit | Cost
| (£ million)
---------------------------------------------------
Income support |80
Community charge benefit |5
Housing benefit |25
|---
Total |110
Source: Modelled at 1992-93 prices and benefit
levels using data drawn from the 1987-88-89 Family
Expenditure Surveys. People living away from home
have been defined as those who are classified in
the Family Expenditure Survey as (a) heads of
household or (b) not related to the head of
household.
#TCW92070834A
J
Region |Number of |Number of |Percentage
|applications|refusals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1988-89
Budgeting loans
Wales and South West |103,186 |38,938 |37
Scotland |182,328 |62,785 |34
Midlands |130,227 |43,188 |33
North East |188,241 |69,419 |36
North West |172,817 |62,632 |36
London South |69,447 |22,233 |32
London North |80,062 |27,187 |33
Crisis loans
Wales and South
West |62,450 |4,705 |8
Scotland |83,198 |8,299 |10
Midlands |69,485 |6,967 |10
North East |79,745 |6,083 |8
North West |79,519 |5,077 |6
London South |57,342 |7,538 |13
London North |64,621 |5,981 |9
Community care grants
Wales and South West |35,640 |14,511 |40
Scotland |54,959 |26,978 |49
Midlands |45,907 |21,559 |47
North East |35,640 |26,010 |46
North West |56,003 |23,906 |46
London South |29,176 |12,770 |44
London North |38,327 |18,557 |48
#TCW92070834B
6
------------------------------------------------------
1989-90
Budgeting loans
Wales and SW |122,268|51,581 |42
Scotland |205,029|83,243 |41
Midlands |165,181|63,119 |38
North East |237,620|94,043 |40
North West |194,822|80,518 |41
London South |98,238 |37,804 |38
London North |109,290|44,491 |41
Crisis loans
Wales and SW |81,770 |5,835 |7
Scotland |106,320|8,969 |8
Midlands |83,265 |6,146 |7
North East |103,977|6,950 |7
North West |103,660|5,943 |6
London South |81,446 |6,333 |8
London North |84,374 |5,677 |7
Community care grants
Wales and SW |57,858 |29,294 |51
Scotland |98,652 |54,024 |55
Midlands |77,354 |41,351 |53
North East |94,711 |51,693 |55
North West |88,102 |47,798 |54
London South |47,123 |23,759 |50
London North |60,484 |32,409 |54
#TCW92070834C
6
------------------------------------------------------
Budgeting Loans
1990-91
Wales and SW |121,461|55,360 |46
Scotland |207,146|83,855 |40
Midlands |158,457|62,090 |39
North East |210,160|88,980 |42
North West |179,092|71,740 |40
London South |99,660 |41,609 |42
London North |116,419|48,872 |42
Crisis Loans
Wales and SW |78,315 |8,328 |11
Scotland |101,473|10,467 |10
Midlands |72,608 |6,317 |9
North East |93,662 |6,406 |7
North West |93,832 |6,372 |7
London South |78,290 |5,795 |7
London North |77,750 |6,155 |8
Community Care Grants
Wales and SW |69,928 |39,941 |57
Scotland |122,831|78,093 |64
Midlands |90,970 |56,058 |62
North East |111,314|68,196 |61
North West |100,896|62,614 |62
London South |58,947 |34,843 |59
London North |74,430 |47,428 |64
#TCW92070838A
( '
Table 1
Percentage of claims to Unemployment
Benefit disqualified by Adjudication
Officers under Section 20(1) of the
Social Security Act
1975, from 1989 to 1991.
Quarter |Percentage
|disqualified
|by
|Adjudication
|Officers
---------------------------------------
1989
Q1 |8.7
Q2 |9.1
Q3 |6.4
Q4 |8.3
1990
Q1 |6.6
Q2 |7.3
Q3 |5.4
Q4 |5.9
1991
Q1 |4.7
Q2 |5.0
Q3 |3.8
Q4 |4.6
1. Numbers of disqualifications are
based on quarter years derived from
three calendar months, while numbers
of claims are derived from whole
weeks.
2. In any particular quarter, a
number of disqualifications could
relate to a claim made in a previous
quarter.
Source: Departmental Statistics.
Sample: 100 per cent.
#TCW92070838B
- -
Table 2
Percentage of unemployed claims disqualified
because of misconduct
and leaving voluntarily and in receipt of
Supplementary Allowance/
Income Support 1980-91.
|Percentage in
|receipt of
|Supplementary
|Allowance/
Income Support
---------------------------------------------
May 1980 |42.4
November 1980 |44.2
May 1981 |-
November 1981 |-
February 1982 |42.2
May 1982 |47.1
November 1982 |41.9
May 1983 |44.8
November 1983 |44.2
May 1984 |-
November 1984 |42.0
May 1985 |38.4
November 1985 |42.4
May 1986 |46.9
November 1986 |45.4
May 1987 |58.9
November 1987 |56.2
May 1988 |51.5
November 1988 |57.1
May 1989 |65.7
November 1989 |64.5
May 1990 |68.8
November 1990 |66.4
May 1991 |72.0
November 1991 |72.5
Source: Half yearly Analysis of Unemployed
Claimants, Sample Size 5 per cent.
Notes:
1. Figures for May 1981, November 1981 and
May 1984 are not available due to industrial
action.
2. Income Support replaced Supplementary
Allowance from April 1988.
Overpayment
Mr. Austin-Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the amount of money which the Government have recovered from overpayments of social security benefits not involving fraud under section 20 of the Supplementary Benefits Act 1976, and as amended by section 53 of the Social Security Act 1986, in each of the years since 1 April 1979, the maximum amount in any individual case claimed in each year, the average amount claimed, and the proportion that the total represents of all claims for overpayment.
Mr. Burt : The information requested is not available.
Social Fund
Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the number and percentage of total applications which were refused for (a) community care grants, (b) budgeting loans and (c) crisis loans for each of the years of the social fund's operation ; and if he will provide a breakdown by (i) region and (ii) local DSS office.
Mr. Scott [holding answer 17 June 1992] : Information for 1988-89 and 1989-90 in respect of local offices is not available. Regional summaries for those years and for 1990-91 are in the tables. The 1990-91 information for DSS local offices and 1991-92 information for Benefits Agency districts is in the tables.
#TCW92070834A
#TCW92070834B
#TCW92070834C
Unemployment Benefit
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 25 June, Official Report , columns 311-13, whether he will give figures
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calculated on the same basis as tables 2 and 7 of the departmental survey "An Analysis of Voluntarily Unemployed Claimants" published in 1989, showing the proportion of unemployment benefit claims disqualified in each quarter from 1989 to 1991 and the proportion of disqualified claimants receiving income support from May 1980 to November 1991, with an explanation of the difference between these figures and those given in his answer of 25 June.Mr. Burt : The information is in the tables. The figures in table 2 of "An Analysis of Voluntary Unemployed Claimants" were limited to disqualifications under section 20 of the Social Security Act 1975, whereas the figure given in table 1 of the answer of 25 June included some disallowances on other grounds. Table 2 of the answer of 25 June differs from table 7 of "An Analysis of Voluntary Unemployed Claimants" in that table 2 contains numbers for all disqualifications and, as footnote 1 explains, some disallowances. Table 7 was based upon the "Half-yearly Analysis of Unemployed Claimants" which is limited to disqualifications on the grounds of misconduct and leaving voluntarily without just cause.
Table file CW920708.038 not available
Table file CW920708.039 not available
Table file CW920708.040 not available
HEALTH
Leeds General Infirmary
Mr. Mudie : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will review the need for the proposed redevelopment of Leeds general infirmary ; and if she will make a statement on (a) the cost implications and (b) the effect on the various hospital trusts in surrounding districts.
Mr. Sackville : I announced on 7 July that the Government have given approval in principle to the proposed redevelopment of the general infirmary at Leeds. In reaching this decision, careful consideration was given to the affordability of the likely capital and revenue costs and consistency with purchasers' strategies for the future health services for Leeds.
Mr. Mudie : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how it is intended to fund the capital cost of the Leeds general infirmary redevelopment ; what are the expected capital costs and if she will break these down by financial year ; and if she will give the details and timings of capital receipts which will be allocated to fund this development.
Mr. Sackville : The scheme will be funded through the United Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS trust's external financing limit. The outturn capital cost is estimated around £88 million. Capital expenditure is likely to be of the order of £15 million per year for five years.
Hip Replacement Operations
Mr. Gapes : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the waiting list for hip replacement operations in the North East Thames region and each of its component district health authority areas for (a) up to six months, (b) six months to one year, (c) one year to 18 months,
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(d) 18 months to two years and (e) more than two years on 1 April 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992 and the latest figures available.Mr. Sackville : Waiting time information is collected centrally by specialty not by procedure. Waiting times for trauma and orthopaedics, which includes hip replacements, are published in the six-monthly publication "Hospital In-patient Waiting Lists", copies of which are available in the Library.
Fostering
Mr. Anthony Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases she is aware of where children from ethnic minorities in care have been removed from white foster parents during the last 12 months ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Yeo : This information is not collected centrally.
Metabolic Disease
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding is currently allocated to each health region in England towards the provision of services for the detection of inherited metabolic disease ; and if she will make it her policy to ensure adequate funding is granted to existing schemes for a two-year period to allow successor arrangements to be fully evaluated.
Mr. Sackville : Services for the detection of inherited metabolic disease are funded out of general allocations to regional health authorities. Such allocations are made on the basis of the size, age and relative health of their resident populations. In turn regional health authorities fund their districts broadly on the same basis. District health authorities are responsible for purchasing health services for their populations including national health service genetic services which are provided by regional genetic centres, the supraregional assay service and in certain NHS trusts and directly managed units.
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