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Discretionary Awards
Mr. Denham : To ask the Secretary of State for Education how expenditure on discretionary awards for students is allowed for within the local authority grant mechanisms ; what are the figures for 1991-92 and 1992-93 ; and if he will break these down by local education authority.
Mr. Forman : In determining education's share of the local authority finance settlement, the Government take account of the broad range of pressures on local education authorities, including the demand for discretionary awards. The total of education standard spending for 1992-93 is £18,786 million, but it is for individual local authorities to decide how to deploy the resources available on the different services for which they are responsible. The proportion of individual local education authorities' standard spending assessments which is attributable to discretionary awards is not separately identified.
English Tests
Dr. Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to arrange a meeting between the School Examinations and Assessment Council and the Northern Examination Association to draft pilot tests in English at key stage 3 of the national curriculum.
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Local Education Authority Reorganisation
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the number of (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools affected by local education authority reorganisation for each year since 1987.
Mr. Forth : The number of schools is as follows :
|Primary |Secondary
----------------------------------------
1987 |451 |612
1988 |451 |360
1989 |364 |504
1990 |517 |223
1991 |408 |174
In some cases a school may have featured in more than one statutory proposal.
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the time taken for each local education authority schools reorganisation plan since 1987, from submission of the plan to the Department to a decision being made.
Mr. Forth : This information could be made available only at disproportionate cost.
Surplus Places
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make a statement on the reduction of surplus places in schools since August 1988.
Mr. Forth : It is estimated that since August 1988 local education authorities have removed about 100,000 places a year. But the net effect has to a large extent been balanced out by the provision of new places in areas where pupil numbers are expanding. As a result, there is still much more that needs to be done. I shall therefore continue to give high priority in the allocation of resources to cost-effective projects for the removal of surplus places.
Grant-maintained Schools
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Education which grant-maintained schools have made an application for a change in admissions arrangements ; and in each case (a) what was the proposed change and (b) was the proposed change approved.
Mr. Forth : Decisions have been taken on proposals for changes by the following grant-maintained schools, as indicated.
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School |Change proposed; decision
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maplesdon Noakes School, |Introduction of policy giving
Kent | priority to children of
employees of the school;
| approved
St. Francis Xavier's College, |Admission of a small number of
Liverpool
| change to the order of
| subscription criteria;
| approved
Wymondham College, Norfolk |Increase in number of day pupils;
| approved
Wilmingdon Grammar School |Modification to selection
for girls | arrangements; approved
Bingley Grammar School |Introduction of policy giving
| priority to children of employees of the school;
| approved
North Halifax High School |Clarification of existing selection
| arrangements;
| approved
Crossley Heath High School |Clarification of existing selection
| arrangements;
| approved
Caistor Grammar School |Modification of priority criterion
| relating to place of residence;
| approved
Budmouth School |Introduction of policy giving
| priority to children of parents
| prepared to participate in
| home-school partnership
| arrangements; approved
Bullers Wood School, Bromley |Introduction of policy giving
| priority to children of
| employees of the school; approved
Haydon School |Introduction of policy giving
| the school; approved
|Introduction of policy giving
| priority to siblings of former
| as well as current pupils at the
| school; rejected
Oldfield School |Introduction of policy giving
| priority to early applications;
| rejected
Queen Elizabeth's School, |Change to order of
Barnet | oversubscription criteria;
| approved
The King's School, Grantham |Removal of references to
| residence within the county
| boundaries; approved
In addition, decisions have yet to be taken on proposals by the following schools for changes to take effect for September 1993.
School |Change proposed;
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dartford Grammar School for |Modification to existing selection
Boys | arrangements
Dartford Grammar School for |Modification to existing selection
Girls | arrangements
Queensbury School, Dunstable |Introduction of a policy giving
| priority to early applications
Highams Park School, London |Replacement of catchment area
| with a policy of allocating
| places on the basis of
| proximity of a child's home
| to the school; higher priority
| to be given to siblings and
| children with medical needs
Send CE First School |Admission of children at the
| beginning of the year, rather
| than the term, in which they
| reach age 5
Heathside School, Weybridge |Up to 40 places to be allocated to
| children with a particular
| interest in information
| technology, music or sport
The John Fisher School, Purley |Clarification of existing policy;
| addition of further priority
| categories
King John School, Essex |Resumption of former
| catchment area
Coopers School, Kent |Introduction of a policy giving
| priority to children of
| employees of the school
Nonsuch High School for Girls, |Modification to existing selection
Surrey | arrangements
Departmental Objectives
Mr. Sproat : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will set out the objectives of each division and branch of his Department.
Mr. Forman : The Department's objectives were most recently published in its departmental report, Cm 1911. They are currently under review.
Student Loans
Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the indexation rate for student loans will be for the academic year 1992-93.
Mr. Forman : The indexation rate for the year beginning 1 September 1992 will be 3.9 per cent. This was the increase in the retail prices index in the year to June 1992. It represents a significant fall from the previous rates of 5.8 per cent. in the 1991-92 academic year and of 9.8 per cent. in 1990-91. This demonstrates the Government's success in driving inflation down.
We shall show the new indexation rate in a revised edition of "Student Grants and Loans--A brief guide 1992-93". We shall publish that revised edition shortly.
Special Needs
Mr. Anthony Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he is going to consult on his proposals to amend the Education Act 1981 for the benefit of children with special educational needs and their parents.
Mr. Forth : I am today issuing a consultation document on the Government's proposals to amend the Education Act 1981 which were announced by my noble Friend the Minister of State in another place on 29 June ; and on our intention to establish a special educational needs tribunal which I announced on 11 July. Our proposals would improve local education authorities' performance on assessing and issuing statements for pupils with SEN ; give parents of children with statements of SEN the right to state a preference for their child's school ; oblige governors of LEA and grant-maintained schools whose school is named in a statement of SEN to admit that pupil ; and provide for a clear and comprehensive system of rights of appeal by parents to an independent tribunal whose decisions would be binding on LEAs.
Column 727
Consultants' Contracts
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) if he will list the total number of contracts awarded to private consultants by his Department for each year since 1987 ;
(2) if he will list the total value of contracts awarded to private consultants by his Department for each year since 1987 ; and what is the projected cost for 1992 and 1993, respectively ;
(3) if he will list the title of each contract awarded to private consultants by his Department for each year since 1987.
Mr. Forman [holding answer 9 July 1992] : The total value of contracts awarded by this Department in each year since 1987 is as follows :
£ thousands Year |Value --------------------- 1988 |<1>438 1989 |555 1990 |974 1991 |1,517 <1> Additional costs of £535,000 and £92, 000 were spent on costs associated with the privatisation of the Plant Breeding Institute in 1987 and 1988 respectively.
The Department's estimate of expenditure on private consultants for 1992-93 is £1.677 million, including estimates for sport and science which transfer to other departments in the 1992-93 financial year. Decisions on the distribution of the Department's running costs for future years are taken on an annual basis. No estimate can yet be given for 1993-94.
Details of contracts awarded for each year since 1987 are as follows :
Consultant |Assignment
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1987
1. CMG Information Systems |Development of a new adminis-
| trative computer system for
| Her Majesty's Inspectorate
2. CCTA |Education information study
3. Research Services Limited |Undergraduate income and
| expenditure survey
4. Coopers and Lybrand |Advice on financial delegation
| to schools
5. Peat Marwick Mitchell & |Review of the preparation and
Co. | production of inspection
| reports
6. Spicer & Pegler Associates |Review of accounting pro-
| cedures at one of the
| Department's grant-aided
| bodies
7. Deloitte Haskins & Sells |Financial management advice
| and assistance to the
| University Grants
| Committee
8. Deloitte Haskins & Sells |Review of audit controls over
| teachers' pensions (payments
| and contributions)
9. Loughborough Consultants |Analysis of universities' respon-
Limited | ses to the Jarratt report
10. BIS Applied Systems |Office systems strategy-tele-
Limited | communications study
1988
1. Logica Limited |Technical study in connection
| with the Department's edu-
| cation information strategy
2. Logica Limited |Review of teacher information
needs
3. Peat Marwick McLintock |Study of requirements for an
| integrated Vote and management accounting system
4. CMG |Specification of needs for the
| Department's core resource
| information system
5. BIS Applied Systems |Communications strategy for
| HMI
6. FI Group |Study of ORACLE implementa-
| tion
7. Ernst Whinney |Management system for HMI
| travelling and subsistence
8. ITS Limited |Training review
9. Coopers and Lybrand |Study of holding board models for
| the ABRC
10. Coopers and Lybrand |Management framework for the
| control of information
| systems projects
11. Deloitte Haskins & Sells |Advice on computer accounting
| systems for the Department
12. Deloitte Haskins & Sells |Financial management advice
| and assistance to the
| University Grants
| Committee (UGC).
13. Loughborough Consultants |Research selectivity project for
Ltd.
14. City University |Financial services for the UGC
15. Royal Society |Analysis of the earth science
| review for the UGC
1989
1. Digitus |Desk Top Publishing
2. Coopers Lybrand Deloitte |Financial management survey of
| MRC
3. Peat Marwick McLintock |Financial Survey of SERC
4. Coopers Lybrand Deloitte |Financial Computer System
5. Peat Marwick McLintock |Financial Computer System
6. Peat Marwick McLintock |Student Loans
7. Illston & Crowcroft |Evaluation of Manufacturing
| Systems Engineering
| Programme
8. SCOLL |IT Specialist Productivity
9. BIS |CRAMM Reviews
10. Fearnhart |Service Desk
11. BIS |Telecommunications,
| Darlington
12. BIS |Data Collection and EDI
13. CMG |Data Modelling
1990
1. Ernst & Young |SARD: Financial management
| review of Central Council
| for Physical Recreation
2. Peat Marwick McLintock |Pensions branch: Pensions ad-
| ministation system
3. PE International |Developmnent of grade 7
| training
4. PE International |Development of management
| training
5. Touche Ross |Management consultancy: sur-
| vey of NERC
6. Peat Marwick McLintock |Feasibility study of commercial
| funding for development of
| training materials and
| production of workshop
| materials
7. Peter Pierce-Price |Quality assurance of ECCTIS
| 2000
8. Coopers Lybrand Deloitte |Youth Service: management imp-
lications of the ERA
9. Tunnock and Parish |Preparation and production of
| two COMMETT Strand B
| guides
10. F. Parrott |Summary report of survey of
| quality assurance for
| Computerised Management
| Information Systems in FE
| colleges
11. J. Broadbent |Specialist advisor to Youth
| Service Unit
12. CMC Management |Contribution to seminar on
Communicatie-Management | Restructuring an
Consultants | Inspectorate
13. Elizabeth Braiden |Her Majesty's Inspectorate
Management and Survey | survey on performance relat-
Consultant | ed pay: District Inspectors
| questionnaire
14. Coopers Lybrand Deloitte |Comparison of costs and effec-
| tiveness of a Her Majesty's
| Inspectorate Inspection
| Project with alternative
| approaches
15. Touche Ross |Advice on extension of LMS to
| Special Schools
16. PE International |Management consulting for
| development of branch in-
| duction programme
17. Coopers Lybrand Deloitte |Review of BACS payment
| system
18. FI Group |Grant payments system
19. Coopers Lybrand Deloitte |Network Security
20. LBMS |Ingres database
21. Coopers Lybrand Deloitte |Mainframe replacement
22. Butler Cox |FESR
23. ICL |CRIS-P report writing
24. SSADM (SCOLL) |Productivity Improvement Programme
25. Lalcrest |Productivity Improvement
| Programme
26. KPMG Peat Marwick |Annual Business Plan
27. RML |Advice on technical enhance-
| ments to PCs and network
28. KPMG Peat Marwick
| tion scheme
29. Intac |Videoconferencing
30. Hoskyns |Resource planning
31. BIS |Project review of Enhanced
| Technical Data Service
| (ETDS)
32. Oracle |Evaluation of software for
| ETDS
33. Henley |Feasibility of ETDS
34. BIS |Feasibility study into ETDS.
35. Oxford Computer Training |Programming Advice
36. Kinesis |Facilitator in implementation of
| IT Records Management
| System
37. Coopers Lybrand Deloitte |Management of change for IT
| Records Management
| System
38. Amtec |Feasibility Study for Policy
| Branch Information System
39. Tranrate |Programming work on New
| Basic Teachers Record
| System
40. Radius |Enhancement and Screen
| Production on Accounts
| Payable System
41. ICL |Report and general support to
| CRIS-F
42. ICL |Review Repair Status of main-
| frame operating system and
| recommend any necessary
| additions
43. Two B |Amendments to Software
44. CMG |Evaluating Network Carriers
45. Butler Cox |PIRE of the FESR System
46. BIS |Full Study for replacement of
| Data Collection Processing
| System (DCPS)
47. Oracle |Benchmark of Hardware for
| DCPS
1991
1. Robson Rhodes |Selection and implementation of
| Financial Management
| System for Teacher's
| Pensions Agency
2. Poplar Consultants |Accountancy arrangements for
| Pensions Branch
3. Price Waterhouse |Financial Management Survey of
| NCET
4. London University |Study on innovative uses of
| non-teaching staff
5. Forvus |Secondary schools staffing
| survey
6. High Whiteside |Consultancy services to
| Pensions Branch
7. Coopers Lybrand Deloitte |Open University review: Study
| of costs of part-time Higher
| Education provision in 3
| comparator institutions
8. PE International |Development of Staff Attitude
| Survey
9. PE International |Development of Customer Care
| training
10. KPMG Management |Training needs analysis of
Consultancy | proposed Teachers' Pensions
| Agency
11. McNeil Robertson |Development of Teachers'
Partnership | Pensions Agency
12. Coopers Lybrand |Review of Grant Maintained
| Schools for internal audit
13. LBMS Ltd |Development of productivity
| improvement initiative
14. Touche Ross |Budgeting and accounting for
| DES central services
15. Express Computer |Redevelopment of PC
Consultants
16. CSL Ltd |Grant maintained schools audit
17. EIS Ltd |Support for Policy Branch
| Information System
18. Insight Consulting |CRAMM review
19. Coopers Lybrand |Advice to schools on service
| contracts
20. W. S. Atkins |Policy Branch Information
| System
21. SEMA Systems |Procurement consultancies for
| UNIX/RDBMS purchases
22. LBMS Ltd |SSADM version 4 case tool
| support
23. Admiral |Project management guide for
| conducting IS projects
24. Derek Etherington |Sports sponsorship
25. PE International |Financial management and
| policy review of the Sports
| Council
26. Howard Whitehead and |Management consultancy:
Partners | survey of ESRC
27. Peat Marwick McLintock |Feasibility study of commercial
| funding for development of
| training materials and
| production of workshop
| materials
28. Michael Gill |Quality assurance of
| PROSPECT
29. Touche Ross |Preparation of FE colleges for
| independence
30. Ernst & Young |Relocation study for FEFC
31. Brown Associates |Financial management of ESRC
32. Touche Ross |Operational research assistance
33. Coopers Lybrand |Inner city youth work training
34. Neville Russell |Accounting advice on APS and MBS
35. Price Waterhouse |Technical advice on financial
| controls for National
| Curriculum Council
36. Robert Young |Rewriting school development
| plans
37. Software Sciences |IT strategy for A and B Branch
38. Kinsley Lord |Management of A and B
| Branch
39. SEMA Systems |Consultancy for Schools 4
| Branch
40. SEMA Systems |Support for Schools 1 and TPG
| UNIX/INGRES systems
41. MTA Ltd |Feasibility of use of computers
| in schools
42. Coopers Lybrand |Commitment audit and cash
| flow verification for Bacon's
| CTC
43. PA Consulting |Operational research assistance
| for A and B Branch
44. Forvus Computer Services |Continuous student record
45. Thorn EMI |A & B Review
46. Sybase |RDBMS Trials
47. Kinesis |Options for connecting PCs to
| network
48. Kinesis |Secretariat Review
49. BBT |ETDS Data Conversion
50. ORACLE |Programming Her Majesty's
| Inspectorate T and S
51. Duhig Berry |Project management for survey
| projects
52. PE International |IS Training Strategy study
53. LBMS |Productivity Improvement
54. Coopers Lybrand Deloitte |QA consultancy
55. NCC |Redrafting IS Standard C1
56. Duhig Berry |IPSM project
57. BIS |CRAMM review of PAS
58. Touche Ross |Re-charging
59. H. Whiteside |Project management consul-
| tancy
60. LBMS |Independent schools
61. LBMS |Her Majesty's Inspectorate pro-
| ject SSADM support
62. Admiral |QMS
63. SD Scicon |Changeman consultancy
64. Research Machines |Unix
65. Microsoft |Scoping study ITIS
66. MSL |Graphical user interface
67. Thorn EMI |A and B strategy study
68. Sema Group |A and B strategy study
| INGRES support
69. Express Consultancy |PC consultancy
70. W. S. Atkins |SSADM consultancy support
71. EIS |Policy branch information sys-
| tem
72. Oxford Computer Services |Superbase consultancy
73. Kinesis |Records management
74. Radius |Enhancements to PASS soft-
| ware
75. Sema Group |Evaluation of UNIX and
| 4GL/RDBMS
76. ORACLE |Her Majesty's Inspectorate
| management system
77. Dataflex |Her Majesty's Inspectorate
| management system
78. BIS |ETDS study
79. Coopers Lybrand Deloitte |ETDS and DCPS business case
80. Insight |ETDS CRAMM review
81. SCS |Project consultancy
82. SEMA |DCPS
83. ROCC |Project consultancy
84. Duhig Berry |NBTRS
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
European Council Agenda
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the powers of the European Commission over the inclusion of part A items on the agenda of the European Council.
Mr. Garel-Jones : The agenda for the European Council itself--Heads of State or Government and the President of the Commission--is not divided into parts A and B.
The President of the Council of Ministers is responsible for dividing the agenda for ordinary Council meetings into part A and part B. An "A" item may be withdrawn from the agenda if a member of the Council or the Commission so requests, unless the Council decides otherwise.
Chemical Weapons
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the measures required for implementation of the proposed chemical weapons convention by the United Kingdom.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The chemical weapons convention will require Her Majesty's Government to notify the future Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons of the legislative and administrative measures it has taken to implement the convention in the United Kingdom. This will include the establishment of a national authority.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the proposed chemical weapons convention text recently agreed at the conference on disarmament in Geneva.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We welcomed the presentation of a draft chemical weapons convention to the conference on disarmament on 22 June as offering a major step forward towards the completion of the convention this year. We will support efforts to achieve this and encourage others to do the same.
Column 734
Air Pollution
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to ratify the protocol to the 1979 convention on long-range transboundary air pollution concerning the control of emissions of volatile organic compounds or their transboundary fluxes.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The United Kingdom is working to ratify this protocol as soon as possible. This is likely to be at the same time as, or soon after, ratification by the European Community.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list all the protocols to the 1979 convention on long-range transboundary air pollution that have been agreed to by Her Majesty's Government, indicating which have been ratified by the United Kingdom.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The United Kingdom has signed and ratified the following protocols to the 1979 convention.
The protocol on Long-Term Financing of the Co-operative Programme for Monitoring and Evaluation of the Long-Range Transmission of Air Pollutants in Europe (EMEP) ;
The protocol concerning the Control of Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds or their Transboundary Fluxes.
In November 1991 the United Kingdom signed the protocol concerning the control of emissions of volatile organic compounds or their transboundary fluxes. Preparations to ratify this agreement are in hand.
Small Businesses
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the achievements of his Department and his policies in helping small businesses over the last 12 months relative to the previous 12 months ; and if he will publish the performance indicators by which his Department monitors those achievements and the statistical results of such monitoring.
Mr. Goodlad : The Government continue to place a high priority on helping small businesses, through improvements to the business climate, through deregulation and through specific programmes of support and assistance.
Small firms are given full opportunity to bid for business with my Department. It is also our policy to pay invoices on time. Business transacted by my Department with small firms in the United Kingdom has increased from £21.1 million in the financial year 1990-91 to £24.2 million in 1991-92. In 1991-92 17.7 per cent. of total expenditure on the purchase of goods and services was with small firms.
Peru
Sir David Steel : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Peruvian authorities concerning human rights ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Garel-Jones : As I told the hon. Member for Argyll and Bute (Mrs. Michie) on 29 June, we take every appropriate opportunity, both bilaterally and with our European partners, to emphasise to the Peruvian
Column 735
authorities their obligation to respect and protect human rights. When President Fujimori called on my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister earlier this year, he was left in no doubt about the strength of feeling in this country. On 17 June, our embassy in Lima reminded the Peruvian Foreign Ministry of the importance we attach to the issue of human rights. Most recently, on 26 June, the EC troika ambassadors called on the Peruvian Prime Minister. Inter alia, they stressed the need for full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.Prisoners of War
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Commonwealth of Independent States about President Yeltsin's recent statements about prisoners of war.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We have raised this issue in Moscow with the Russian authorities and will continue to pursue it.
Nuclear Exports
Mr. Ainsworth : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures were agreed at the nuclear suppliers group meeting in Warsaw in April to improve controls on nuclear exports.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The Nuclear Suppliers Group--NSG--achieved an important step forward in nuclear non-proliferation by the adoption of new controls on nuclear-related dual-use exports. The 27 participating countries reached agreement on guidelines governing transfers and on a list of the nuclear-related dual-use equipment and materials and related technology they will cover. They intend to bring the new arrangements into effect by the end of 1992. The group also adopted amendments to the existing NSG trigger list, published in 1978, which bring it into line with other international supplier controls.
The text of the two documents have been communicated to the Director- General of the International Atomic Energy Agency and will be published as parts I and II of a new agency circular--INFCIRC/254 Rev. 1--in July. When they are available, copies will be placed in the Library of the House.
GCHQ
Mr. Milligan : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans Her Majesty's Government have to place the Government communications headquarters on a statutory basis ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hurd : We shall bring forward proposals to place GCHQ on a statutory basis together with those for the Secret Intelligence Service to which my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister referred during the debate on the Address on 6 May.
Pakistan
Mr. Terry Davis : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 25 June, Official Report, column 269, how long
Column 736
the deputy high commission in Karachi has been waiting for information from the high commission in Islamabad to deal with the five outstanding applications for entry clearance.Mr. Lennox-Boyd [holding answer 9 July 1992] : My answer of 25 June referred to two outstanding applications not five. The deputy high commission in Karachi received the information requested from the high commission in Islamabad within six and seven weeks respectively. Both cases have now been resolved.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
Zambia
Mr. David Howell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response Her Majesty's Government have given to the recent request by President Chiluba of Zambia for additional relief for Zambia's foreign debts ; what proportion of these debts are owed to Governments ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We have already rescheduled debt service payments totalling some £4.1 million due in 1992 on past United Kingdom aid loans. We have also told the Zambian Government that, provided their economic reform programme remains in place, we will consider cancelling all Zambia's outstanding aid debt to the United Kingdom. Other official debt owed to the United Kingdom and other government creditors will be considered in the context of the Paris club. Subject to IMF approval of Zambia's economic reform programme, we shall be pressing for Zambia to receive Trinidad terms at a Paris club meeting later this month. These terms resulted directly from proposals made by the Prime Minister, in 1990, to relieve the burden of debt on the poorest, most heavily indebted countries.
Of Zambia's $4.8 billion--£2.7 billion--long-term debt, about $2.8 billion--£1.6 billion--is owed to Governments.
Slovakia
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list British assistance to Slovakia ; what are the levels of assistance for 1992-93 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : British bilateral assistance is provided to Czechoslovakia under the know-how fund--KHF. For 1992-93 we expect expenditure to amount to some £6 million. There is no separate programme for either Slovakia or the Czech lands. An updated list of all KHF projects was placed in the Library of the House on 29 June.
HEALTH
Dentistry
Ms. Eagle : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she intends to impose the new fee scale on 8 July if no agreement is reached with the British Dental Association.
Column 737
Dr. Mawhinney : I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave the hon. Member for Hazel Grove (Sir T. Arnold) on 23 June at columns 161-62.Ms. Janet Anderson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many dentists in the family health services authority covering Rossendale and Darwen constituency are now refusing to take new child national health service patients ; and what percentage that figure represents of the total number of dentists registered in that FHSA area ;
(2) how many dentists in the family health services authority covering the Rossendale and Darwen constituency are now refusing to take new adult national health service patients ; and what percentage that figure represents of the total number of dentists registered in that area.
Dr. Mawhinney : The information requested is not available. Lancashire family health services authority has not reported being unable to find a dentist for anyone who has asked for help. There are currently 454 dentists on Lancashire FHSA's dental list.
Radiation
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research studies have been sponsored by her Department into the effects of low dose ionising radiation on human blood cells.
Mr. Sackville : The Department of Health is currently sponsoring the following projects :
1. Collaborative studies on the development and inter-comparison of assays for the detection of abnormal radiosensitivity in individuals ;
2. Mutation frequencies in workers at the Sellafield Laboratory.
Care Homes
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will instruct health authorities, where they place patients in private and voluntary sector homes, to meet topping up costs ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Yeo : When a health authority accepts responsibility for a patient's in-patient care, it must meet the cost of that care in full, regardless of where it is provided. We have issued guidance, EL(91)108, a copy of which is available in the Library, to health authorities about the circumstances in which, under current legislation, they may make payments to independent sector residential care or nursing homes.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she will take to enforce the obligation of health authorities to provide nursing care for patients discharged from hospitals to nursing homes, by implementing the recommendations of this House's Social Security Committee contained in its fourth report of Session 1990-91, on the financing of private residential and nursing home fees ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Yeo : The Government's response to the recommendations of the Committee's fourth report was fully set out in February 1992, Cm 1828.
Column 738
District Health Authority Funding
Sir Michael Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the district health authorities in England and Wales whose 1992-93 revenue allocation is greater than 5, 10 and 15 per cent. below the target capitation figure which has been agreed by their regional health authorities.
Mr. Sackville : Allocations to district health authorities are the responsibility of the regional health authorities. The following information has been supplied by individual regional health authorities, and are not directly comparable. They should be taken as a broad indication of the relative positions of districts. The table shows the districts whose 1992-93 revenue allocation is more than 5 per cent., and more than 10 per cent., less than their weighted capitation share. There is only one district, Worthing, whose 1992-93 revenue allocation is more than 15 per cent. under its weighted capitation share.
The information relating to Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
Table file CW920715.037 not available
District health authority/ies
Regional health authority 5 to 10 per cent.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern |None |None
Yorkshire |None |None
Trent |None |None
East Anglian |Huntingdon |None
North West Thames |North Bedfordshire |None
|South Bedfordshire
|East Hertfordshire
North East Thames |North East Essex |None
|Mid Essex
|Tower Hamlets
|Southend
South East Thames |Brighton |Canterbury
|Hastings | and Thanet
South East Kent
South West Thames |None |Chichester
Wessex |None |None
Oxford |Kettering |None
South Western |Torbay |None
West Midlands |Sandwell |None
|Dudley
|North Staffs.
|South East Staffs.
Mersey |Southport and Formby
|Crewe
North Western |Blackburn |Blackpool
|Burnley
|Chorley
|Bolton
|Oldham
|Stockport
|Tameside
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Table 1
Patient transport services 1990-91
Quality of service
Emergency calls: Response times: Metropolitan authorities
Percentage of calls
where response within
Ambulance authority |7 minutes |14 minutes
|(target |(target
|50 per cent.) |95 per cent.)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northumbria Metropolitan |53.0 |91.5
West Yorkshire Metropolitan |34.4 |87.5
South Yorkshire Metropolitan |31.2 |75.4
London Ambulance Service |11.0 |73.7
West Midlands Metropolitan |51.9 |88.1
Mersey Metropolitan |59.6 |96.5
Greater Manchester Metropolitan |46.6 |94.6
Notes:
1. The response time of an ambulance is defined as the time elapsed from the receipt of
emergency call to the arrival of fully equipped ambulance at the scene of the incident.
2. When calculating the percentage of calls resulting in a response within a specified time
the total number of calls received was used as the denominator. It should be borne in mind
that some of these calls (for example, aborted calls or hoax calls) will not have resulted
in a response. The effect of this is to depress the percentage response figures slightly.
Source: KA34 DH Statistics Division (SD2B) 1992.
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< X
Table 2
Patient transport services 1990-91
Quality of service
Emergency calls: Response times: Non-Metropolitan authorities
England
Ambulance authority |Percentage of calls |Percentage of calls
|where response with- |where response with-
|in 8 minutes (Target |in 20 minutes (Target
|50 per cent.) |95 per cent.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cleveland |64.4 |91.1
Cumbria |55.6 |91.4
Durham |53.3 |96.7
Humberside |74.0 |99.6
North Yorkshire |65.8 |95.6
Derbyshire |49.2 |96.4
Leicestershire |53.0 |96.2
Lincolnshire |64.1 |95.7
Nottinghamshire |58.4 |96.5
Cambridgeshire |42.2 |89.0
Norfolk |54.5 |88.7
Suffolk |51.9 |88.4
Bedfordshire |57.2 |97.5
Hertfordshire |58.0 |95.2
Essex |50.3 |93.7
East Sussex |66.5 |91.8
Kent |59.1 |96.7
Surrey |51.0 |97.0
West Sussex |59.9 |93.6
Dorset |57.5 |93.5
Hampshire |53.1 |97.2
Wiltshire |64.3 |97.7
Isle of Wight |47.3 |83.9
Berkshire |47.0 |93.1
Buckinghamshire |55.1 |88.6
Northamptonshire |60.1 |98.2
Oxfordshire |50.9 |87.3
Avon |59.5 |96.3
Cornwall and Isles
of Scilly |40.7 |90.4
Devon |54.0 |94.2
Gloucestershire |59.9 |94.8
Somerset |55.2 |92.1
Hereford and
Worcester |58.0 |95.5
Shropshire |50.8 |92.4
Staffordshire |47.8 |97.7
Warwickshire |61.3 |96.0
Cheshire |56.2 |87.4
Lancashire |67.1 |98.9
Source: KA34 DH Statistics Division (SD2B) 1992.
Notes:
1. The response time of an ambulance is defined as the time elapsed from the receipt of
an emergency call to the arrival of fully equipped ambulance at the scene of the
incident.
2. When calculating the percentage of calls resulting in a response within a specified
time the total number of calls received was used as the denominator. It should be borne
in mind that some of the of these calls (for example, aborted calls or hoax calls) will
not have resulted in a response. The effect of this is to depress the percentage
response figures slightly.
Column 739
Romanian Adoptions
Mr. Jonathan Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prospective adoptive parents seeking to adopt a child from Romania through her Department are now ineligible as a result of the agreement with the Romanian Committee for Adoptions signed on 19 March.
Mr. Yeo : A total of 65 families in the United Kingdom who had applications with their respective Government Departments on 19 March were advised, normally via their respective local authority social services departments, that they were ineligible to adopt under the terms of the agreement.
Mr. Jonathan Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many prospective adoptive parents seeking to adopt a child from Romania are eligible for treatment as special cases as a result of securing parental permission to adoption prior to 16 July 1991 ; (2) what action her Department is taking to notify prospective adoptive parents seeking to adopt a child from Romania of the agreement of the Romanian Committee for Adoptions to process applications where parental permission was obtained prior to 16 July 1991.
Mr. Yeo : The Romanian Committee for Adoptions has recently agreed to consider adoption applications from United Kingdom citizens who are able to satisfy the committee that the birth mother had given formal consent to the adoption of her child to the prospective adopters before 17 July 1991. The Department is continuing to trace those to whom the concession may apply, via local authority social services departments.
Mr. Jonathan Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children from Romania have been adopted by parents resident in the United Kingdom since 1988 ; and how many of those children have since been received into local authority care.
Mr. Yeo : From the information provided by the Home Office I understand that approximately 340 children have been given leave to enter the United Kingdom from Romania for the purposes of adoption since 1988. Adoption orders are not made until a child has been resident in the United Kingdom for at least 12 months. We are aware of four Romanian children who have been received into local authority care.
Romanian Adoptions
Mr. Jonathan Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 16 June, Official Report, columns 477-78, if he will list the other 11 countries involved in the agreement with the Romanian Committee for Adoption, and if the age conditions are the same for all those countries.
Mr. Yeo : I understand from the Romanian Committee for Adoptions that as of 10 July 1992, the following countries have signed an agreement with it :
Belgium
Canada
Cyprus
Denmark
Finland
France
Holland
Italy
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