House of Commons Hansard Debates for 19 Oct 1992

Asbestosis

Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she will take to implement an ethical code of practice for the diagnosis and treatment of terminal victims suffering from asbestosis.

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Mr. Sackville : The Department of Health has no plans to implement such a code. Ethical issues relating to the diagnosis and treatment of the terminally ill are primarily a matter for the health care professions.

Clinical Regrading

Ms. Janet Anderson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list for each health district in England and Wales the number of applications for clinical regrading still outstanding.

Dr. Mawhinney : This information is not collected centrally.

Sir Alan Greengross

Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what correspondence she has received from Sir Alan Greengross concerning his resignation as chair of Islington and Bloomsbury health authority ; and if she will make a statement.

Dr. Mawhinney : Sir Alan Greengross wrote to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 23 June 1992. His decision to stand down as chairman of the Bloomsbury and Islington district health authority with effect from 31 July 1992 has been accepted.

Tobacco-related Diseases

Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her estimate of the total number of tobacco-related deaths in 1991-92.

Dr. Mawhinney : It is estimated that in the United Kingdom about 110,000 deaths each year are smoking related.

Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her estimate of the cost to the NHS of smoking-related diseases in 1990-91 and 1991-92.

Dr. Mawhinney : Treatment costs to the national health service are estimated to be £437 million annually. This figure is for hospital costs only and does not include the costs of the care given by GPs or at health clinics or other care in the community.

Tobacco Advertising

Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to publish the Smee report ; and if she will make a statement.

Dr. Mawhinney : A study on the effects of tobacco advertising will be published shortly.

Mrs. Roe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the draft EC directive on tobacco product advertising (EC document 6748/91) will be discussed at the Council of Health Ministers on 13 November.

Dr. Mawhinney : The agenda for Health Council on 13 November is not yet fixed. It is likely that the tobacco advertising directive will be discussed without a vote being taken.

Mrs. Roe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 15 May, Official Report, column

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167, to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn), when and in what form she now expects to make available the report of her chief economic adviser on the impact of banning tobacco advertising ; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Austin-Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to make public the findings of the Smee report ; and if she will make a statement.

Dr. Mawhinney : The Department of Health's report on the effects of tobacco advertising on tobacco consumption will be published shortly.

Wigan Area Health Authority

Mr. Stott : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the current remuneration of the chairman of the Wigan area health authority.

Dr. Mawhinney : The figure is £17,145.

Arts for Health

Mr. Alffred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what proposals she has for ensuring that the arts make the fullest possible contribution to the quality of the health care environment ; and if she will make a statement indicating, in particular, what role she sees for Arts for Health, established in 1988 at Manchester polytechnic, as the first centre offering a national service ; (2) what study her Department has made of the pioneering work and achievements of Arts for Health ; what consideration is being given to funding an expansion of its work in hospital and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Sackville : Ministers have long recognised the valuable contribution the arts can make within the national health service. My department has published three guidance documents on the subject, "Art in the NHS", "The Arts in a Health District" and "Art and Health Care". As part of the NHS management executive's quality initiative, the arts were introduced into the outpatient department demonstration project and have made a valuable contribution. At the "Hospital and Care Premises Management Conference" held in Birmingham between 29 September and 1 October 1992 the arts featured prominently in sessions on "The Caring Environment" and "The International Aspects of Healthcare Design".

While Ministers are supportive of the many initiatives throughout the country, it is for local decision, NHS trust or directly managed unit, as to whether they use the services offered by "Arts for Health" or any other organisation in this field. No moneys are specifically voted for the arts in my Department.

Cancelled Operations

Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish a table showing for each regional health authority area the proportion of operations cancelled in 1991-92 showing the figures in numbers and as a percentage of the total number of operations.

Mr. Sackville : The information is not available centrally.

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Midland Centre for Neurosurgery and Neurology

Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received on the lack of provision of magnetic resonance imaging at the midland centre for neurosurgery and neurology ; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Sackville : We have received a number of representations on this subject. In March we announced the successful bids for additional money for whole body scanners and other medical equipment. This included a proposal for a magnetic resonance imager to support a combined neuroscience facility in Birmingham. Decisions on the provision of these services and location of this equipment are matters for West Midlands regional health authority.

Charitable Trusts

Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospitals in (a) England and (b) London have access to charitable trusts ; and what role her Department plays in monitoring the use of those trust moneys.

Dr. Mawhinney : Very nearly all hospitals in England will benefit from trust funds held by their health authority, national health service trust or special trustees. As charitable funds, these are subject to the supervision of the Charity Commission. The Secretary of State for Health prescribes the format of annual accounts and the financial central environment, and receives any reports produced by statutory auditors relating to these accounts.

Trust Hospitals

Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many trust hospitals have (a) public relations budgets and (b) use outside consultants for public relations purposes ; and if she will make a statement.

Dr. Mawhinney : The information requested is not available centrally. It is a matter for national health service trusts to decide what use they make of public relations expertise to present themselves and the services they offer as part of the national health service to the authorities who purchase those services and the public who use them.

American Companies

Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the activities of National Medical Enterprises and the Psychiatric Institute of America in relation to health services in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Sackville : National Medical Enterprises and its United States counterpart are parent companies of an independent United Kingdom health care provider but do not, themselves provide health care in the United Kingdom.

NHS Information

Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the categories of information relating to the national health service of which her Department has discontinued publication since 9 April ; and if she will make a statement.

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Mr. Sackville : There are no categories of information for which publication has been discontinued since 9 April.

The need for the national health service to provide information to the Department of Health is under review. If information which is currently provided is clearly identified as being unnecessary for the management of the health service, that burden will be lifted from the national health service. A consequence of this would be that the information would no longer be available for central publication.

Lung Cancer

Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what new initiatives she plans to reduce the incidence of lung cancer in women.

Dr. Mawhinney : Reducing the incidence of lung cancer in women will mainly depend on reducing the prevalence of smoking. "The Health of the Nation" includes a target to reduce smoking among women from 28 per cent. in 1990 to 20 per cent. by the year 2000. The White Paper sets out a comprehensive strategy to achieve the target, including action on price, health education, ensuring effective controls on advertising and a greater national health service role in reducing smoking.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

Iraqi Shias

Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs is he will provide financial and logistical support for members of the all-party group for Iraqi Shias to monitor the delivery of aid in southern Iraq and related matters.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : There is no provision within the aid programme or elsewhere within the FCO's financial resources for funding monitoring visits by members of all party groups. ODA is providing finance for assistance to southern Iraq through non-governmental organisations, including those with which my hon. Friend is associated.

While suitable arrangements for monitoring this aid are important, members of the all party group for Iraqi Shias will be aware of the Iraqi Government's consistent refusal to renew the United Nation's humanitarian operations in Iraq, and of their rejection of the proposal to place United Nations human rights monitors in the south to report on the situation. In these circumstances the United Kingdom Government would not wish to encourage United Kingdom citizens to enter the region.

Southern Africa

Mr. O'Hara : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action Her Majesty's Government are taking for the provision of extra resources to help the recovery of agriculture in the drought-affected areas of southern Africa ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : Since the beginning of 1992 we have committed over £60 million including our share of EC food aid, to help the victims of the drought in southern Africa. We are supporting activities in the region to assist recovery of agriculture. These include agricultural research, including local irrigation, livestock, veterinary and pest control schemes in Zimbabwe, seeds and tools

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programmes in Mozambique and Malawi, and a seed multiplication project in Namibia. We are also funding a project in Zambia which, through checking and treatment of imported maize consignments, should help reduce the risk of infestation to future local crops by pests such as the larger grain borer. We shall continue to help, in concert with our partners in the donor community.

Mr. O'Hara : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support Her Majesty's Government are giving to the United Nations/Southern Africa Development Co-ordination conference appeal for US$854 million ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : Her Majesty's Government have so far committed more than £51 million of bilateral aid in response to the drought in southern Africa. This is in addition to an estimated £11.3 million of food aid given by Britain through the EC special food aid programme. The Government will continue to monitor the situation closely in consultation with our EC partners and other donors.

Mr. O'Hara : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans Her Majesty's Government have to enlarge the social funds to aid the poorest in the drought-affected areas of southern Africa to cope with economic change, and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : We have already committed over £51 million of bilateral aid to help drought victims in southern Africa in the form of balance of payments aid, food and support for non-governmental organisation programmes. More widely we are working closely with the IMF and World bank and both institutions are being flexible in modifying economic reform programme targets to help protect the populations of countries from the worst effects of the drought. Substantial extra multilateral resources have been made available to help cope with present difficulties.

Overseas Aid

Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the value of the British overseas aid programme in deutschmarks on15 September ; and what is its current value in deutschmarks.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : The planned aid programme to developing countries for 1992-93 is £1,831 million. At the exchange rate of Dm 2.78/£ on 15 September this was equivalent to Dm 5,090 million, and at an exchange rate of Dm 2.50/£, Dm 4,578 million. Fluctuation in the Deutschmark/sterling exchange rate does not itself materially affect the real value of the aid programme.

Rain Forests

Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals he has to increase awareness of how individuals and communities can assist in the preservation of rain forests.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : The individuals and communities best able to help preserve the rain forests are those living in and around the forests themselves. It is an important aim of many ODA-funded projects to encourage and enable these communities, along with their Governments, to participate in and benefit from the conservation and sustainable management of their forests.

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Somalia

Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what initiatives Britain has initiated at the United Nations or the EC to find a long-term solution to Somalia's problems.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : We have agreed within the EC and proposed to the United Nations, that the UN should develop a strategy for the rehabilitation, both physical and political, of Somalia. We would give this our strong support and have urged partners and other donors to follow the UN lead.

Poland

Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give full details of all assistance given to Poland under the know-how fund, including cost.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : The know-how fund for Poland is working well. Over 170 projects have been supported. The actual and anticipated expenditure to the end of this financial year should be over £34 million.

A list of the activities approved since the beginning of the know-how fund has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

South Africa

Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has yet received a full report from the South African Government in respect of the two South African defence force agents arrested in the United Kingdom in April ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : We received an interim report from the South African authorities in June. Investigations are continuing. One of the two South African officers has been dismissed from service. Other disciplinary action may be taken when enquiries in South Africa are complete. The South African Government have undertaken to provide full details of any links between South Africans and loyalist extremists in Northern Ireland.

Russia

Mr. Barry Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the total commitment to date to Russia in pounds sterling, against the know-how fund programme ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : The know-how fund has so far committed a total of £15 million for projects to Russia. The figure comprises £6 million spent in financial year 1991-92 and £9 million to date in 1992 -93.

Developing Countries (Debt Relief)

Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if debt relief and rescheduling agreed for developing countries under the Trinidad terms is accounted for as positive aid receipts by the Overseas Development Administration ; and by what criteria the Overseas Development Administration judges that debt relief equates to official development assistance.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : Debt relief under Trinidad terms is counted as a positive flow of official development

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assistance in accordance with directives agreed by the OECD's Development Assistance Committee (DAC). Trinidad terms directly benefit developing countries by significantly reducing their foreign exchange obligations. Eight countries have already benefited and we expect more to do so over the coming months.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

Male Cattle

Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many additional staff will be employed to register male cattle as required by the common agricultural policy ; and what is the estimated annual cost of this registration.

Mr. Curry : The European Commission has not yet proposed rules for the implementation of the beef special premium scheme after 1 January 1993, and it is therefore not yet clear whether a system of registration and passports will be required for eligible animals. It is not yet possible to estimate the staff numbers or cost of such a system.

Plant Health and Pesticides HQ

Mr. Bayley : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he intends to announce his decision on which site in York will be used for the new MAFF plant health and pesticides headquarters.

Mr. Curry : There is nothing to add to the reply given on this matter on 8 June 1992, Official Report, column 13.

Tobacco

Mrs. Roe : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in which areas of the EC tobacco is the only crop that can be cultivated.

Mr. Curry : In parts of southern Europe, and especially in Greece, infertile soils, dry climatic conditions, remoteness and poor transport links mean that no alternative crops can match tobacco's capacity to provide growers with a return.

Mrs. Roe : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total level of support, in sterling equivalent, for growing tobacco in the EC under the common agricultural policy in the latest year for which figures are available ; and what measures are in hand to reduce this sum.

Mr. Curry : In 1991, the EC spent around £930 million (1,330 mecu) on the CAP tobacco regime. The substantial reforms agreed by the Council in the recent CAP reform package should progressively reduce annual EC expenditure on tobacco. The Commission estimates that, by 1997, this reduction should amount to over a quarter of current expenditure. A further review is to take place, effective from the 1998 harvest.

Common Agricultural Policy

Mr. Allen : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the current sum paid per British family to support the common agricultural policy.

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Mr. Curry : Estimates of the current cost of the CAP to United Kingdom households are extremely difficult and depend critically on the a ssumptions used. For instance, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has estimated that the transfers from consumers and taxpayers resulting from agricultural policies in the European Community-- separate figures for the United Kingdom are not available--were equivalent to some £18 per week for a family of four in 1991. However, as the OECD makes clear, this estimate does not take into account the impact on world prices, and on other variables, if farm support were to be removed. It is likely, therefore, to overstate to a significant degree the true cost to United Kingdom consumers and taxpayers.

Mr. Tyler : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will attach environmental conditions to the area payments that compensate farmers for the cuts in arable support under the CAP reforms.

Mr. Curry : We believe that direct payments to farmers under the CAP should be subject to appropriate environmental conditions. All farmers claiming area payments on over 15 hectares in England will have to set land aside. The land set aside will be subject to management conditions intended to help protect the environment. The Community legislation establishing the new arable regime does not provide a legal basis under which such conditions could be applied to other arable land.

Mr. Tyler : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what environmental conditions he intends to apply to land set aside under the CAP reforms ; and if those conditions apply to all arable land in the rotation.

Mr. Curry : Rules for the management of set-aside land are set out in the explanatory booklet on the arable area payments scheme, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House. These include measures specifically intended to help protect the environment. The Community legislation establishing the new arable regime does not provide a legal basis under which these conditions could be applied to other arable land.

Mr. Tyler : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what increase in expenditure implementation of the multi-annual zonal schemes in the agri-environment package of the CAP's accompanying measures will require over and above existing expenditure plans on support for agriculture in special areas, capital grants and alternative land uses as published in the Government's expenditure plans 1992-93 to 1994-95.

Mr. Curry : No decisions on implementation of the agri-environment regulation have yet been taken. We have until July 1993 to draw up our implementation plans and will consult widely in doing so.

Mr. Worthington : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the cost of the CAP to the United Kingdom in 1992-93.

Mr. Curry : Details of public expenditure in the United Kingdom under the Common Agricultural Policy in 1992-93 will be contained in "Agriculture in the UK--1992", which is currently being compiled and is expected to be published in March 1993. Copies will be made available to the House.

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The forecast expenditure in the United Kingdom in 1991-92 (the last year for which figures are readily available) is contained in section 9 of "Agriculture in the UK--1991". Actual outturn information for 1991-92 is presently being gathered and will be published in "Agriculture in the UK--1992". In addition, however, the United Kingdom supports CAP spending elsewhere in the Community through our net contribution to the EC budget. This is not allocated to particular elements of the budget, such as agriculture.

Flags of Convenience

Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many Dutch fishing vessels sailing under flags of convenience have (a) area 7 beam trawl pressure stock licences and (b) area 4 beam trawl licences.

Mr. Curry : As at 9 October, 14 Dutch-owned or largely Dutch-owned United Kingdom-registered fishing vessels hold area VII beam trawl pressure stock licences. Ten of these also hold area IV beam trawl licences and a further five have area IV beam trawl licences only.

Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many flag of convenience fishery vessels operating from United Kingdom ports have not complied fully with the conditions attached to their licences ; and what action has been taken against them.

Mr. Curry : Sixteen non-British-owned or largely non-British-owned United Kingdom-registered fishing vessels contravened the conditions of their fishing licence in 1991 and in 1992 to the end of August. In one case there has been a successful prosecution and in two other cases an official warning has been given. One case has been dropped and 12 cases are still pending, while prosecution is considered.

Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many fishing vessels registered under flags of convenience are licensed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

Mr. Curry : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport is providing the hon. Member with a list of the 81 fishing vessels which qualified for registration either pursuant to the interim relief granted by the House of Lords or as a direct result of the Factortame judgment. As at 9 October 1992 all of these held United Kingdom fishing licences.

Starlings, Doncaster

Mr. Redmond : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what were the results of the inquiry carried out by his Department into the large number of starlings that have died on a Doncaster housing estate ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Soames : The incident was reported by local residents on 1 July. It was investigated the same day by an official of the Department together with an environmental health officer from Doncaster metropolitan borough. More than 300 young starlings were found dead. Following enquiries and discussions with other experts, including the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, it

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was concluded that the immature birds probably died as a result of hypothermia caused by the strong cold winds and heavy rain on the previous night and during the morning.

Organic Farmers

Mr. Livingstone : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent assessment he has made of the extent of unmet consumer demand for organic farm produce ; for what reasons organic farmers were included in the latest EC set-aside scheme ; and if he will take steps to remove organic farmers from EC set-aside arrangements.

Mr. Curry : Demand is difficult to estimate in such a small market but it is clear that there is potential for growth in the organic sector as shown by the high level of imports. We are keen that United Kingdom farmers and growers should meet that demand.

Under the EC rules, the new arable area payments scheme must be open to all growers who meet the relevant scheme conditions, including the set-aside requirements. It is not possible to remove organic growers from these arrangements.

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