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Home Helps and Home Carers (Hampshire)
3. Mr. Denham : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what were the total number of home helps' and home carers' hours provided in Hampshire in each year since 1987 ; and, in each year, what was the average number of hours (a) per user and (b) per pensioner in the county ;
(2) what was the charge per hour for home helps/home carers in Hampshire in each year since 1987, expressed in (a) actual prices and (b) 1987 prices.
Mr. Yeo : The Department does not collect data in the form requested. Information on hours of service received by clients, numbers of clients, and maximum, minimum and flat rate hourly charges made by individual local authorities for home help/home care services is available in "Personal Social Services Statistics--Actuals" published annually by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA). Copies of this publication covering the years up to 1990-91 are available in the Library.
Young Offenders
54. Mr. Tipping : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funds are available and in which financial years to allow local authorities to build more secure places to ensure that persons aged 15 or 16 years are not remanded to prison.
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Mr. Yeo : The capital allocation for 1992-93 and 1993-94 to fund additional secure places for juvenile remands is £680,000 and £3,248, 000 respectively. Funding for succeeding years has not yet been confirmed.
57. Mr. Tipping : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the estimated need for more places in secure units for juveniles in each county in the east midands.
Mr. Yeo : It is estimated that an additional five to eight secure places will be required by authorities in the East Midlands as a whole for the purposes of implementing the Criminal Justice Act. Because of the small numbers involved it is not practicable to break this estimate down between counties.
The ability of the existing secure facilities in the East Midlands to cater for existing demands, and the implications of plans to develop secure units in adjoining regions, are also being taken into account in developing a capital programme for the region.
General Practitioner Surgeries
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on her Department's or health authorities' roles and responsibilities in respect of each stage followed in building a new general practitioner surgery, including how the financing is arranged throughout.
Mr. Sackville : Under their terms of service general practitioners are required to provide proper and sufficient accommodation at their practice premises for the provision of general medical services. Under the cost rent and improvement grant schemes they can apply for financial assistance in purchasing premises or improving existing premises. The details of these schemes, and the procedures to be followed, are set out in the statement of fees and allowances payable to general practitioners.
Family health service authorities have delegated responsibility for managing these schemes within the resources allocated to them in line with local service priorities. Over £126 million were spent on such schemes in 1991-92, an increase, in real terms of some 72 per cent. over 1989-90.
Limited List Prescribing
Mrs. Ann Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has so far been made in extending the membership of the relevant advisory committees in the context of the recent announcement of the extension of the limited list prescribing system to include 10 new categories of pharmaceutical products.
Dr. Mawhinney : We have received suggestions from relevant organisations and will announce the names of new members shortly.
Mrs. Ann Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement giving details of the different options for reducing the medicines bill to the national health service which she considered prior to the announcement of the extension of the limited list prescribing system and, in the case of each of those options, why it was rejected.
Dr. Mawhinney : The selected list scheme has been in operation since 1986 and has limited the rate of growth in
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the drugs bill without jeopardising patient care. Extending its scope to additional therapeutic categories was therefore an obvious step to take, so that this effect could continue. We are also re-negotiating the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme. We are in discussion with the pharmaceutical industry about other possible ways of controlling the drugs bill, and any proposals which emerge from those discussions will be carefully considered.NHS Trusts
60. Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for Health is she will undertake a review of the working of the various national health service trusts to gauge how far (a) money if following patients about the country, (b) trusts are being monitored by regional health authorities, (c) what influence such authorities are exerting on trusts and (d) what further regulations she expects to bring in on trusts' responsibilities ; and if she will make a statement.
Dr. Mawhinney : The increased number of patients treated in 1991-92 (7.2 per cent. in all hospital/units, 8.2 per cent. in national health service trusts) and the successful elimination of two-year waits in all regions is clear evidence that the NHS reforms are working and that NHS trusts are leading the way in improving efficiency and patient care. Regional health authorities are responsible for overseeing health care in their regions, and can exert influence over trusts through district health authorities and their purchasing contracts. There is no reason to expand the existing regulatory framework for trusts.
Regional Health Authorities
61. Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to revamp the regional health authority tier in order to bring in new people and new thinking into regional strategic health care ; and if she will make a statement.
Dr. Mawhinney : As our reforms continue to be implemented, we will consider whether any changes should be made in relation to the functions of regional health authorities. We will announce any proposed changes when our considerations are complete.
Hospital Closures
83. Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the hospitals for which current plans for closure have been referred to her Department, including the proposed dates for closure.
Mr. Sackville : The following contested proposals to close facilities have been referred to, and are being considered by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State :
Clapham hospital
Leavesden and Harperbury hospital
Dates for closure or other changes can be announced only once final decisions have been taken.
Public Subscriptions
85. Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will issue guidelines (a) for health trusts and health authorities when working with appeals raising money for new equipment and building works and (b) on openness between trusts and appeals in raising a public subscription.
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Mr. Sackville : The Government greatly appreciate local fund- raising activities which supplement national health service funding, and continue to welcome a closer working relationship between the health service and local voluntary and community groups. We believe that the details on fund raising events are best decided at local level, and have no plans to introduce guidelines for NHS trusts and health authorities.
Smoking
87. Ms. Walley ; To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will send a copy of her statement on smoking in the workplace and public places to each hon. Member ; and if he will make a statement.
Dr. Mawhinney : My reply to the hon. Member for Crewe and Nantwich (Mrs. Dunwoody) is freely available in the Official Report at column 697 on 26 January 1993.
Hospitals (Brighton)
84. Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions have taken place between officials from her Department and Brighton health authority with regard to the future of the Royal Alexandra children's hospital, Brighton ; and if she will list the dates of and participants at each meeting.
Mr. Sackville : Representatives from South East Thames regional health authority gave me the South East Thames capital investment strategy on 2 July 1992, officials from the Department were present. Discussions are continuing between Brighton Health Care national health service trust and the national health service management executive southern outpost.
88. Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the date of the meeting when her Department and Brighton health authority first advised the Rockinghorse Appeal Trust that they no longer intended to proceed with further buildings and development at the Dyke road Brighton site.
Mr. Sackville : This is a matter for Brighton Health Care national health service trust, Brighton health authority and the Rockinghorse Appeal Trust. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. J. Simmonds, the acting chairman of Brighton health authority, for details.
90. Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when her Department agreed with Brighton health authority to bring forward the date of the move of the Royal Alexandra hospital, Brighton from its present site.
Mr. Sackville : The relocation of the Royal Alexandra hospital is part of the Brighton Health Care national health service trust development programme and will be submitted to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for approval in principle later this year.
91. Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the funds raised by the Rockinghorse Appeal Trust for the Royal Alexandra hospital will be used to develop children's hospital services in Brighton.
Mr. Sackville : Discussions are on-going between Brighton Health Care national health service trust and the Rockinghorse Appeal Trust.
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97. (P) Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will identify how much capital and revenue funding her Department has earmarked for the transfer of the Royal Alexandra children's hospital to the Royal Sussex site ;
(2) what capital and revenue funding commitments have been made to Brighton Health Care trust concerning the redevelopment of the Royal Sussex county hospital for each year from 1993 to 2003.
Mr. Sackville : Revenue funding for Brighton Health Care trust is a matter for Brighton health authority and other purchasers. Total capital spending for Brighton Health Care for the year commencing 1 April 1993 is £4.649 million. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. John Spiers, the chairman, for details.
Chelmsford Hospice
92. (P) Mr. Burns : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much extra money the Chelmsford hospice can expect to receive as a result of the Minister of State's announcement on 26 January increasing funding for the hospice movement in the current year.
Mr. Sackville : The funding of individual projects is a matter for discussion and agreement with the health authorities concerned.
Abortion
93. (P) Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she has on the rate of physical complications arising following an abortion after the specified period for the notification of the abortion to her Department.
Mr. Sackville : This information is not collected centrally. For information about the short and long-term sequelae of abortion I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 25 January at column 536 . Other information is given in two published studies ; the joint study of the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists entitled "Induced abortion operations and their early sequelae." Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners 1979 ; 135 : 175-180 ; and Saha A, Savage W and George J. "The Tower Hamlets Daycare Abortion Service Study", October 1992 : 49-56. Copies of both papers are available in the Library.
94. (P) Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she has regarding the percentage of cases in which a blood transfusion is required following an abortion.
Mr. Sackville : The information is not collected centrally.
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 25 January, Official Report, column 536, what specific procedures are required to be undertaken prior to an abortion to bring to the attention of the woman (a) the nature and risks of the operation and alternative treatments and (b) the way in which the operation affects the foetus.
Mr. Sackville : It is normal clinical practice to inform a patient about the risks of any operation and possible
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alternative courses of action. If a woman wishes to have information concerning the foetus we would expect whatever information is appropriate to be provided. The abortion counselling guidance in the Department's circular HC(77)26 is extant.Birmingham General Hospital
Mr. Burden : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action she is proposing to take following the submission to her by South Birmingham community health council of the Audit Commission report into the closure of medical beds at Birmingham general hospital.
Mr. Sackville : The Audit Commission report, along with other evidence, will be taken into account in reaching a decision on the proposed changes to health services in South Birmingham.
NHS (Capital Expenditure)
Mr. Kynoch : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the value of capital expenditure in the NHS in the years 1990-91, 1991-92 and 1992-93 ; and what was the split between hospital building and equipment.
Mr. Sackville : Gross national health service capital expenditure for 1990-91, 1991-92 and 1992-93 was £1,603 million, £1,668 million and £2,303 million respectively.
In 1990-91 capital spending within the hospital and community health services was divided as follows :
|Per cent.
---------------------------------------------------
Building and engineering works |61.3
Equipment and furniture |12.8
Vehicles |1.6
Other |24.4
Figures for later years are not yet available.
Azapropazone
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the expenditure on Azapropazone in cash terms, and as expenditure per 1,000 population in each NHS region and health district in 1991-92.
Dr. Mawhinney [Holding answer 19 January 1993] : Azapropazone is currently manufactured by one company. The release of the data requested would indicate the company's trading position and could affect the company's business. It is therefore considered commercially confidential.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Pa te de Foie Gras
Mr. Mullin : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 9 November to the hon. Member for Caerphilly (Mr. Davies), Official Report, column 610, if he will provide the figures for imports of pa te de foie gras for 1992.
Mr. Curry : The information requested is not yet available. Provisional data for the whole of 1992 is likely to become available from Her Majesty's Customs and Excise in mid-February. Upon receipt of the information I shall write to the hon. Member again.
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Mr. Mullin : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the controls on the production of pa te de foie gras in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Soames : Pa te de foie gras is not produced in the United Kingdom and there are therefore no specific controls on production methods. Were anyone to propose starting foie gras production, the Government would wish to introduce welfare rules to ensure that force feeding was not permitted.
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Mr. Alan W. Williams : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the latest number of cattle born after July 1988 that have now been certified as having contracted BSE.
Mr. Soames : At 22 January 1993, 1,197 cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy had been confirmed in Great Britain in cattle born after 18 July 1988. Investigations into many of these cases are continuing but it is clear that most had access to feed containing ruminant protein. All the evidence continues to show the ban on feeding such material to ruminants will ultimately eradicate bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
Salmonella
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 28 October 1992, Official Report, column 687, whether salmonella testing on eggs and poultry that takes place in the country of origin is to a similar standard as that required in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Soames : There are no harmonised rules for the salmonella testing of poultry within the European Community. A number of member states, including the United Kingdom, have introduced testing programmes of differing standards. With effect from 1 January 1994, all member states will have to comply with the requirements of directive 92/117/EEC which includes rules for the control of salmonella in poultry breeding flocks.
Milk
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the milk quota regulations and administration that will follow the winding-up of the Milk Marketing Board.
Mr. Curry : New EC regulations on milk quotas will come into effect on 1 April 1993. The Dairy Produce Quotas Regulations 1991 will be amended as soon as the detailed EC rules have been agreed. These regulations will be further amended once a decision has been taken on the future arrangements for carrying out the administrative tasks which are currently performed on behalf of the Agriculture departments by the Milk Marketing Boards.
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the Italian Government introduced a quota scheme for milk ; what was the original allocation for Italy ; what it is at the present time ; what assessment he has made of the reasons for the delay in implementation of milk quotas in Italy ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Curry : Domestic legislation to implement in full the milk quota system in Italy by allocating quota to individual producers was passed by the Italian Parliament in November 1992. When milk quotas were introduced in the EC in 1984, Italy was allocated in total 8.8 million tonnes of wholesale quota and 1.1 million tonnes of direct sales quota. In the current quota year (1992-93) Italy has at its disposal 8.3 million tonnes and 0.7 million tonnes respectively. No satisfactory explanation has been given by the Italian Government for the delay in fully implementing the quota system in Italy. The enforcement of the EC quota regulations is a matter for the EC Commission.
Beef
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has for his Department to use the service provided at commercial rates by the data centre for beef.
Mr. Soames : The recently adopted Community requirements for identification and subsidy controls do not require any great increase in the need for centralised computerised systems. The animal data centre would have to demonstrate that it was more efficient and cost effective than other interested organisations to obtain any work that was put out to tender.
Fisheries
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the nations exempted from the Fishery Limits Act 1976 to fish in British national waters, together with the dates of exemption.
Mr. Curry : The countries designated under section 2(1) of the Fishery Limits Act 1976 as counties whose fishing boats may fish within British fishery limits, and the dates of their designation, are Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands (1983) and Spain and Portugal (1986) although under the EC common fisheries policy Greece, Italy and Luxembourg have no quotas to fish in United Kingdom waters. Under their Act of Accession to the EC Spain and Portugal are currently limited to western waters. Under annual EC regulations fishing boats from the Faroes, Norway and Sweden may also fish in United Kingdom waters within the terms of bilateral fisheries agreements.
Common Agricultural Policy
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 28 October 1992, Official Report, columns 686-87, what further information is now available for farmers on CAP reform.
Mr. Curry : On 11 January a booklet on the allocation of quotas under the sheep annual premium scheme was sent to the majority (some 44,000) of sheep producers in England with the first round of allocations ; we aim to deal with the second round of allocations to producers during February. An explanatory booklet, "CAP Reform in the Beef Sector" was sent to all registered beef producers on 26 January. In addition, a consultation document was sent to organisations representing the farming industry on
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25 January covering aspects of implementation of the quota system in the livestock sector. Copies of all these documents have been placed in the Library of the House. Information on the implications of the integrated administration and control system will be made available as soon as possible.Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the impact of GATT on CAP ; and if he will make it his policy to get the relevant and appropriate information to the British farmer.
Mr. Curry : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Northampton, North (Mr. Marlow) on 30 November 1992 at column 59. My colleagues and I have regularly addressed the relationship of a GATT deal to the CAP in our contacts with farmers.
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy, when further reforms to the agricultural industry are being considered, to increase the lead time to represent one seasonal cycle of the particular commodity involved.
Mr. Curry : When reforms are being considered, my right hon. Friend and I make every effort to ensure that the timing of their eventual implementation is as helpful as possible to farmers.
Hill Farmers
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the income levels and prospects of hill farmers, in the light of changes in hill livestock compensatory allowances ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Curry : Income levels of hill farmers were fully considered during the recently completed autumn review of economic conditions in the hills and uplands. I have nothing further to add to the reply given to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Mr. Lloyd) on 10 December at column 757.
Slaughterhouses
7. Mr. Steen : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what evidence he has of the effectiveness of veterinary surgeons in identifying ante-mortem diseases including salmonellosis, listerosis and leptospirosis in the course of examining animals at slaughterhouses.
Mr. Soames : Veterinary surgeons are specifically trained to identify clinical signs of all animal disease. In the course of examining animals at slaughterhouses, veterinary surgeons make use of that training, and their experience in hygiene, pathology, bacteriology, parasitology, physiology and animal husbandry to detect diseases and conditions which may present a risk to the handlers of meat and the ultimate consumer, and which may not be detectable by routine post-mortem inspection.
Wool
44. Mr. Madden : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received regarding the withdrawal of the guaranteed price for wool ; if he will consider the phasing out of the guaranteed price over two or three years ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Curry : I have received a number of representations on this subject. The Government have no plans to reconsider abolishing the wool guarantee on 30 April, which will implement a decision announced more than four years ago.
Shamrock (GB) Ltd.
45. Mr. Morley : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what evidence his Department has of breach of quarantine regulations at Shamrock (GB) Ltd., and what action will be taken.
Mr. Soames : The Ministry became aware of an alleged breach of quarantine regulations at Shamrock (GB) Ltd. through a "World in Action" documentary, screened on 22 June 1992. A full investigation of the alleged incident has now been completed and it has been concluded that no criminal proceedings can be commenced. The alleged incident took place on 5 November 1991, so by the time the Ministry became aware of it, summary proceedings, which must be started within six months of the incident, were time barred. There was insufficient evidence to commence a prosecution for an indictable offence.
Fishing Industry (EC Funding)
46. Mr. David Porter : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on recent progress in defining how EC objective 6 funding may be harnessed by fishing communities.
Mr. Curry : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Glanford and Scunthorpe (Mr. Morley) on 11 January at column 623.
CHURCH COMMISSIONERS
Recreation
27. Mr. Steen : To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, as representing the Church Commissioners what plans they have to increase recreational opportunities on Church Commission land.
Mr. Alison : While the Commissioners are not planning any special initiatives, they are always prepared to discuss and consider any worthwhile proposal.
Bishops
28. Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, as representing the Church Commissioners for how many bishops the Church Commissioners are currently making financial provision ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Alison : To total of 44 Diocesan bishops (including the two archbishops) and 68 suffragan or assistant bishops.
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