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Correspondence
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his target timespan for responding to letters received from hon. Members ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Harwich (Mr. Sproat) on 2 December 1992 at col. 183.
Justices of the Peace
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the names and addresses of justices of peace serving the district of Renfrew ; and what plans he has to make further appointments.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : As for other commission areas, my right hon. Friend is advised on the need for new appointments as justices of the peace for the commission area of Renfrew by the Advisory Committee on Justices of the Peace for that area. I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible about the further information he requests.
Homelessness
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing the number of household units (a) making application for and (b) being awarded homeless persons status in each year since 1980.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The latest complete information is published in table 1 of "The Scottish Office Statistical Bulletin Operation of the Homeless Persons Legislation in Scotland 1980/81 to 1991/92, Housing/ 1992/6'," which is available in the House Library.
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the aims and objectives of the competition on measures to deal with homelessness referred to by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State with responsibility for housing on 16 December 1992 ; if he will list the likely competitors ; and what criteria he will apply in judging any submissions.
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Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : All local housing authorities in Scotland were invited to submit proposals by 11 December for the additional £7.5 million housing capital allocations in 1992-93 for projects to tackle homelessness which I announced in November. When proposals were invited, it was made clear that priority would be given to projects assisting homeless one-parent f amilies and those housed in bed-and- breakfast accommodation. Forty-eight local authorities submitted proposals and I announced the successful projects on 23 December. The extra £7.5 million will fund 59 projects in 48 local authorities to provide accommodation for over 470 homeless people.
City Status
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what criteria are applied in determining applications by Scottish towns for city status ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : City status in Scotland, which has no statutory significance, derives from royal charters granted by the Monarch. There are no formal criteria. No such charter has been granted for over a century.
Rights of Way
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on rights of way in Scotland.
Sir Hector Monro : Neither my right hon. Friend nor I have any plans to make a statement on rights of way in Scotland at present. Scottish Natural Heritage issued on 13 January a consultation paper entitled "Enjoying the Outdoors" which considers arrangements for access to the countryside in Scotland, including rights of way. It will report the results of its consultation exercise to me in due course and I shall consider then any recommendations which it may make.
Polling Stations (Access)
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will make available resources for the purchase of (a) static and (b) portable ramps to improve access to polling stations ; (2) what resources he made available in the last financial year for (a) static and (b) portable ramps to improve access to polling stations.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Finance is available from the consolidated fund to meet 50 per cent. of the cost of providing temporary ramps for polling stations to assist access by disabled voters. As elections are held only infrequently in comparison with the other uses made of buildings designated as polling stations, there is no justification for central Government to meet the full cost of providing either permanent ramps or the full cost of temporary ramps from election funds.
The Secretary of State assumed responsibility for financing parliamentary elections in Scotland on 22 August 1991. No applications for support towards the cost of providing ramps at polling stations were made by
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Scottish returning officers in the remainder of that financial year ; one such application has been made, successfully, in the current financial year.Water and Sewerage Services
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many representations he has received about the future of water and sewerage services in Scotland since July 1992 ; how many of these were letters from (a) individuals and (b) organisations or institutions ; what is his estimate of the number of signatures appended to any petitions he has so far received ; how many representations were (i) for and (ii) against taking these services out of the control of local authorities ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Hector Monro : To date, a total of 6,311 representations has been received. This includes 5,154 pre-printed postcards, 142 responses to the consultation paper and 1,015 other representations. There have been 1,056 letters from individuals and 101 from organisations or institutions and 23 petitions carrying 5,372 names. An analysis of responses to the consultation paper will be made after the end of the consultation period.
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many responses to representations about the future of water and sewerage services in Scotland have been issued since July 1992 (a) by him, (b) by Ministers, (c) by the engineering, water and waste directorate of the Environment Department and (d) by other representatives of the Scottish Office ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Hector Monro : To date, 5,703 responses have been issued. Ministerial replies have been given to 112 representations ; the engineerin, water and waste directorate of the Scottish Office environment Department has replied to 5,528 ; and 13 which dealt with matters in addition to the future of water and sewerage services have received replies from other parts of the Scottish Office.
Investing in our Future"
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will instruct the engineering, water and waste directorate of the Environment Department to advise where copies of the consultation paper "Investing In Our Future" may be obtained free of charge when it is responding to representations from members of the public.
Sir Hector Monro : The consultation paper is issued to everyone who expresses an interest in receiving it or in participating in the consultation process.
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland where copies of his consultation paper "Investing In Our Future" may be obtained free of charge by members of the general public.
Sir Hector Monro : The consultation paper can be obtained from the Scottish Office environment department, water restructuring division, room 203A, 27 Perth street, Edinburgh EH3 5RB.
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will instruct the engineering, water and waste directorate of the Environment Department to
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advise where copies of the consultation paper "Investing in our Future" may be obtained free of charge when it is responding to representation from members of the public.Sir Hector Monro : It is standard practice in replying to representations to draw attention to the availability of the consultation paper. The address from which copies of the consultation paper may be obtained has been given wide publicity, and all letters informing the public that the paper is available carry that address and telephone number.
Argyll and Clyde Health Board
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 9 June 1992, Official Report, column 133, when he plans to announce the appointments made to vacancies which will arise on Argyll and Clyde health board on 31 March ; what consultations he is undertaking or has undertaken prior to his decisions ; what plans he has to consult hon. Members representing constituencies within the health board area ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Stewart : My right hon. Friend expects to announce shortly appointments to fill vacancies arising in Argyll and Clyde health board. The consultation required by the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 has been carried out and the views of the health board chairman have been taken. There are no plans to consult hon. Members representing constituencies within the health board area ; it is open to hon. Members, as some indeed have done, to suggest names for possible appointment to health boards.
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Public Housing (Windows)
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what studies he has available on the need to replace metal-framed windows in public sector housing in Scotland ; what financial provision he has made for the programme in the current and future financial year ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : I have received no reports specifically on the need to replace metal-framed windows. Local authorities and other public sector housing landlords can carry out the replacement of metal-framed windows as part of their capital programmes if they see this as a priority in comparison with other housing needs. Gross capital expenditure resources available for public sector housing in Scotland in 1992-93 are estimated to be £549 million. An equivalent estimate for 1993-94 will not be available until decisions are taken on the allocation of Scottish Homes' budget and final capital allocations to local authorities are announced in March.
Scottish Homes
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing the (a) name, (b) occupation, (c) honoraria, salary or allowance and (d) estimated time commitment of each member of the board of Scottish Homes.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The information requested is set out in the following table :
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Name |Occupation |Salary |Estimated Time
|Commitment
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sir James Mellon KCMG (Chairman) |Former Diplomat |£35,330 |3 days per week
John Richards CBE, PPRIAS (Deputy Chairman) |Architect with John |£16,055 |1" days per week
|Richards Associates
Norman Lessels CA |Partner in Chiene and Tait,|£6,140 |" day per week
|also non-executive
|Chairman of Standard Life
|Assurance Company
Mrs. Frances McCall MBE |Chairperson of the |£6,140 |" day per week
|Confederation of Scottish
|Housing Co-operatives
Professor Duncan MacLennan |Director of the Centre for |£6,140 |" day per week
|Housing Research at
|Glasgow University
Tom Begg JP, BA, OBE |Lecturer in Economics at |£6,140 |" day per week
|Queen Margaret College,
|Edinburgh
Mrs. Heather Sheerin OBE |Co-Director of family- |£6,140 |" day per week
|owned retail carpet
|business
Mrs. Daphne Sleigh |Freelance Market |£6,140 |" day per week
|Researcher
Cameron Parker |Non-executive Vice- |£6,140 |" day per week
|Chairman of Lithgows Ltd
In addition the chief executive, Peter McKinlay, is an ex-officio member of the board. His salary is linked to civil service grade 2.
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Paisley (City Status)
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to award the burgh of Paisley city status.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : There are no such plans.
Wheel Clamping
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his plans to consider the wheel clamping of vehicles in Scotland.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The Appeal Court judgment of 12 June 1992 determined that wheel-clamping a vehicle on private land and demanding money for its release is a crime. There are statutory provisions which would authorise the police and parking attendants to clamp vehicles illegally parked on public roads. The power in relation to the police is exercisable by statutory instrument made by the Secretary of State at the request of a regional or islands council. The power has not so far been exercised in Scotland. The power in respect of parking attendants will not be brought into force until the operation of similar powers in London has been evaluated.
Health Service
Sir Patrick McNair-Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the number and location of intensive therapy units in Scotland ; and how many organ donors have arisen in each during the past 12 months.
Mr. Stewart : At 30 September 1992 there were 24 NHS intensive therapy units in Scotland. These are as listed.
NHS hospitals in Scotland with intensive therapy beds (by health board) Argyll and Clyde Health Board
Royal Alexandra Hospital, PaisleyAyrshire and Arran Health BoardAyr Hospital
Crosshouse Hospital, KilmarnockBorders Health BoardBorders General Hospital, MelroseDumfries and Galloway Health BoardDumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary, DumfriesForth Valley Health BoardStirling Royal InfirmaryGrampian Health BoardAberdeen Royal Infirmary Royal Aberdeen Children's HospitalGreater Glasgow Health BoardGlasgow Royal Infirmary
Glasgow Western General
Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow
Southern General Hospital, Glasgow
Stobhill Hospital, Glasgow
Victoria Infirmary, GlasgowHighland Health BoardRaigmore Hospital, InvernessLanarkshire Health BoardHairmyres Hospital, East Kilbride Law Hospital, Carluke
Monkland District General Hospital, AirdrieLothian Health BoardSt. John's Hospital, Livingston
Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh
Western General Hospital, EdinburghTayside Health BoardNinewells Hospital, Dundee
Perth Royal Infirmary
Stracathro Hospital, By Brechin
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Information on the numbers of organ donors in each unit is not collected centrally.The number of organ donors, by region, in the period January 1992 to December 1992 was as follows :
!
|Number
---------------------------------
West of Scotland |58
East of Scotland
Edinburgh |13
Dundee |12
Aberdeen
|-------
Total |103
Weapons Control
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to introduce legislation on the control of offensive and lethal weapons ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : As I indicated in my response to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Shettleston (Mr. Marshall) on 16 December at columns 423-24, we shall be consulting shortly on this issue with a view to legislating at the first available opportunity.
Smoke Alarms
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what resources he made available in the last financial year to enable (a) local authorities, (b) Scottish Homes, (c) housing associations, (d) housing co- operatives, (e) owner-occupiers, (f) tenants in the private-rented sector, (g) universities and colleges and (h) other housing providers to finance the installation of smoke alarms ; if he will issue a circular to the providers of public housing encouraging the installation of smoke alarms ; if he will introduce legislation to require smoke alarms to be fitted in all homes ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Resources are not earmarked to finance the installation of smoke alarms. Local authorities and other housing providers have substantial capital resources available to them which can be used for smoke alarms where they see this as a priority compared with other needs. The Scottish Office Environment Department wrote to all local housing authorities in 1991 and 1992 highlighting the contribution which smoke alarms can make to the saving of lives, and encouraging authorities which have not already completed a smoke alarm installation programme to include this in their forthcoming capital programmes.
We intend shortly to lay before Parliament an amendment to the Building Standards (Scotland) Regulations 1990 and the technical standards for compliance with these regulations which will require all new dwellings to be provided with mains-operated smoke alarms.
Mr. Thomas Adleigh
Mrs. Adams : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if the Scottish ambulance service is to hold a disciplinary inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr. Thomas Adleigh of 27 Glencairn road, Paisley ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Stewart [holding answer 14 January 1993] : No. Disciplinary matters are for the management of the Scottish ambulance service in the first instance and thereafter by the Board of the Common Services Agency as the statutory employer. The report prepared by the general manager of the Scottish ambulance service on the ambulance response to this patient does not indicate any grounds for disciplinary action against any member of staff. I have arranged for a copy of this report to be sent to the hon. Member.
Mrs. Adams : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will hold a full public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr. Thomas Adleigh of 27 Glencairn road, Paisley, to include the general effectiveness of ambulance services in the Argyll and Clyde health board area ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 14 January 1993] : Until my right hon. and learned Friend the Lord Advocate has reached a decision as to whether a fatal accident inquiry into the death of Mr. Adleigh should be held, it is not appropriate to consider whether any other form of formal inquiry should be undertaken into the service within Argyll and Clyde health board area.
Ambulance Service
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how the emergency response time of ambulance crews is calculated by the Scottish ambulance service ; what changes there have been to the method of calculation during the last 15 years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 14 January 1993] : The calculation of the response time of ambulance crews is made on the basis that the time begins from the moment the 999 call is answered by the control officer until the ambulance crew arrives at the side of the patient. Previously the calculation began when the vehicle started the journey to the patient.
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make available for public inspection the logged, written and audio records for emergency calls and consequent responses from depots of the Scottish ambulance service controlled from within the Argyll and Clyde health board area from 1 November 1992 until 31 December 1992.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 14 January 1993] : On request, the general manager of the Scottish ambulance service will make available all written and audio records of emergency calls and responses from ambulance stations to legitimate inquirers, subject to appropriate safeguards to protect the privacy and confidentiality of patients. If the hon. Member contacts the general manager he will make the appropriate records available.
Mrs. Adams : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy for the Scottish ambulance service to restore the shift patterns operating in the Argyll and Clyde health board area prior to October 1992 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 14 January 1993] : Shift patterns are an operational matter and are the responsibility of the management team led by the general manager of the Scottish ambulance service. I understand
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that these are based on historical level of demand at different times of the day and night. They are kept under review and are adjusted to take account of new patterns of demand. Revised shift arrangements were introduced in October following a careful assessment of the likely demand at various times of the day.Mr. McCartney : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the number of ambulance staff in Scotland employed by the NHS in the years 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1991, using whole-time equivalents.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 18 January 1993] : The number of ambulance staff was as follows :
Year |Ambulancemen/women|Ambulance officers|Total
|and control
|assistants
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1987 |1,751.0 |181.0 |1,932.0
1988 |1,789.7 |188.0 |1,977.0
1989 |1,793.2 |220.0 |2,013.2
1990 |1,802.7 |220.0 |2,022.7
1991 |1,963.0 |223.0 |2,186.9
The figures exclude administrative and clerical staff and other support staff employed by the Scottish ambulance service.
Royal Alexandra Hospital
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what salary, allowance or honorarium will be paid to (a) the chairman and (b) the members of the trust board of the Royal Alexandra hospital in Paisley ; what budget these will be drawn from ; which services are covered by that budget ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 14 January 1993] : The chairman of the trust board of the Royal Alexandra hospital will receive remuneration of £17,145 per annum and non-executive directors will receive £5,000. In addition the chairman and members are entitled to claim travelling and subsistence allowances at rates set for members of public bodies. These costs will be met from the trust's contract income.
Dentistry
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the reduction in turnover experienced by dental practices in Scotland as a result of the Government's recent changes in method of remuneration.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 18 January 1993] : There have been no recent changes in the method of dentists' remuneration. Since the introduction of the new dental fee scale in July 1992, turnover as reflected in gross income received by dentists in Scotland, which includes fees paid to dentists by health boards and charges collected by dentists from patients, has been at a higher level than in the comparable period for the previous year. From July to November 1992--the latest month for which figures are available--the total gross fees authorised to dentists (which include the value of charges paid by patients) were £56,379,000, compared with £56,316,000 for the same period in 1991.
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Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing the amount paid to dental practitioners in Scotland over the past three years at constant prices together with the planned level of expenditure for the next three years.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 18 January 1993] : The remuneration received by dentists in Scotland for provision of NHS services as reflected in the total gross fees authorised for payment to dentists (which include the value of charges paid by patients) is shown in the table for the last three financial years. Estimates of expenditure for future years are not yet available.
Year |Gross payments to |Gross payments to
|dentists |dentists at 1991-92
|prices
|£ million |£ million
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1989-90 |94.393 |108.971
1990-91 |111.463 |119.165
<1>1991-92 |132.822 |132.822
<1>Figures for 1991-92 reflect the fact that dentists' average gross earnings
for NHS work were significantly higher than the target average gross income (
TAGI) set for that year.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the assumptions used by his Department when seeking to estimate the fixed costs of a dental practice.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 18 January 1993] : No such estimate is made by the Department. Average national health service dental practice expenses in Great Britain are estimated each year by the dental rates study group and full reimbursement of these costs to dentists on an average basis is included in dental fees.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many courses of dental treatment were undertaken in each of the past five years.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 18 January 1993] : The figures for 1991 and the preceding four years are contained in the table. The figures from 1 October 1990 are for adults only as under the new dental contract introduced from that date children are now treated under capitation arrangements to provide continuing care, and information is not recorded on individual courses of treatment. The number of children registered with a dentist under these arrangements at the end of the calendar years since October 1990 is shown separately in the table. The number of courses of dental treatment undertaken in Scotland for 1992 is not yet available. To the end of November 1992--the latest month for which figures are available--a total of 2.357 million courses of adult treatment had been undertaken, and a total of 0.72 million children were registered with dentists.
Million
|Number of courses of|Number of children
|treatment |registered (as at
|December)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1987 |2.987 |n/a
1988 |3.053 |n/a
1989 |3.144 |n/a
1990 January to September |2.316 |n/a
1990 October to December<1> |0.545 |0.29
1991 |2.485 |0.66
<1>New contract for General Dental Services introduced on 1 October 1990.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the method of arriving at payments for courses of dental treatment, materials and laboratory fees.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 18 January 1993] : Dentists' remuneration for national health service work is set by a process of several stages. The Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration (DDRB) recommends a target average net income (TANI) which it considers dentists should earn from providing national health service general dental services, and the Government decide to accept or amend the recommendation and sets the TANI. The dental rates study group (DRSG) then forecasts the level of dentists' expenses (including materials and laboratory costs) for the coming year and adds this figure to the TANI to produce the target average gross income (TAGI).
The DRSG then applies a balancing mechanism to the TAGI figure to correct for any over or underpayments to dentists in previous years as a result of differences between forecast expenses and earnings and actual figures, and produces the amount due to the average dentist. Finally the DRSG forecasts the amount of national health service work that dentists will undertake in the coming year and sets the scale of individual payments and fees at a level that, taking account of the forecast amount of work, will deliver the TAGI due to the average dentist.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent representations he has received from dentists in Scotland regarding the current system of remuneration ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 18 January 1993] : My right hon. Friend has received a wide range of representations from dentists. The Government recognised the concern about the current system of dental remuneration and therefore commissioned Sir Kenneth Bloomfield to undertake his fundamental review of that system. Dentists were invited to contribute to the review.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many dental practices in each health board area have opted out of national health service dental treatment in the last 12 month period for which figures are available.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 18 January 1993] : According to information held by health boards, in the last 12 months one general dental practitioner in Fife health board area and one in Tayside health board area have left their dental lists because they no longer wish to provide national health service dental treatment.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland in which towns in the Borders health board area dental practices have gone private in the last 12 months for which figures are available.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 18 January 1993] : According to information held by Borders health board, in the last 12 months no general dental practitioner has left the Borders health board dental list in order to provide private treatment only.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects the Bloomfield review committee to report on the future system of remuneration for dentists.
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