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Health Authority Chairmen
Mr. Stern : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list all regional health authority chairmen who have received payments on retirement additional to their salary in the last five years, and the amounts of such payments in each year.
Dr. Mawhinney : With the agreement of the Treasury, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has decided to make a payment of £10, 000 to Sir James Ackers under the provisions of paragraph 9(3) of schedule 5 to the National Health Service Act 1977. There have been no other such payments in the last five years.
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Extra-contractual Referrals
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish the recent guidance issued by the management executive on extra- contractual referrals and the information to be made available to patients in the light of any deferral of treatment.
Dr. Mawhinney : No. It is not appropriate to publish guidance which simply deals with the administrations of the extra-contractual referrals system. Current good practice requires patients to be kept informed of decisions affecting their treatment.
All health authorities have set local charter standards and many have published their own local charters. These include access to detailed information about local health services including waiting times for treatment.
GP Practices (Staff)
Mr. Rowe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the number of (a) community nurses, (b) health visitors and (c) social workers employed in (i) fund-holding general practitioner practices and (ii) non- fund holding general practitioner practices.
Dr. Mawhinney : This information is not held centrally. Data on practice staff employed by all general practitioner practices are available, but the categories of staff are differently defined. The total whole-time equivalent numbers in England in these categories as at 1 April 1992 are given in the table.
----------------------------------------------
Management and Administration |6,069
Secretariat and Clerical |12,539
Receptionist |19,508
Computer Operator |1,133
Practice Nurse |8,945
Dispenser |1,014
Physiotherapist |77
Chiropodist |9
Interpreter/Link Worker |24
Counsellor |168
Message Taking |38
Other Duties |615
|-------
Total |50,139
Hygiene Regulations
Mr. Robert Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to ensure sensitive and appropriate enforcement of hygiene regulations.
Mr. Sackville : In 1991 the Department of Health issued statutory code of practice No. 9 advising environmental health officers to conduct food hygiene inspections according to the relative risk posed to public health. A copy is available in the Library.
The Department works closely with the Local Authorities Co-ordinating body on Food and Trading Standards--LACOTS--a local government central body whose purpose is to co-ordinate trading standards and food hygiene activity throughout the United Kingdom. It gives advice to local authorities on common enforcement problems. LACOTS has, with our encouragement, recently issued a circular to all environmental health departments giving
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advice on the enforcement of hygiene requirements in premises run by voluntary and charitable organisations. The circular advocates sensible enforcement based on assessment of risk to public health. A copy will be placed in the Library.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 [pursuant to his reply, 1 February 1992, c.72] : I regret that there was an error in my previous reply. The corrected and updated figures are as follows.
Gross NHS capital expenditure in 1990-91, 1991-92 and 1992-93 was £1,603 million, £1,645 million and £2,089 million respectively--the figure for 1992-93 is the estimate made for spring supply. In 1990-91 capital spending within 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.
SCOTLAND
GP Fund Holders
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what new services will be provided by fund-holding general practitioners ; and if he will publish the proposed remuneration scales.
Mr. Stewart : The regulations providing for the new services announced by my noble Friend the Minister of State on 26 January are in the process of being compiled. In broad terms they will permit GP fund holders, where appropriate and qualified and with the prior approval of the health board, to be reimbursed from the fund for providing certain specified diagnostic and minor surgical procedures for their own patients. There will be further discussion with health boards and the profession before the details of how the new services will operate are finalised
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many general practitioner fund holders he expects there to be in each health board area by January 1994 ; and how many there are currently in each area.
Mr. Stewart : Latest information from health boards indicates the expected numbers of general practitioner fund holders from January 1994 will be as set out in the table.
Number of GP
fund-holders
Health board |Currently |Expected by January
|1994
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Argyll and Clyde |1 |5
Ayrshire and Arran |Nil |3
Borders |Nil |1
Dumfries and Galloway |Nil |Nil
Fife |Nil |3
Forth Valley |Nil |5
Grampian |5 |25
Greater Glasgow |2 |4
Highland |Nil |1
Lanarkshire |Nil |14
Lothian |1 |7
Orkney |Nil |Nil
Shetland |Nil |Nil
Tayside |1 |8
Western Isles |Nil |Nil
|------- |-------
Total |10 |76
Hospitals
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will review the admission policies of intensive care units to ensure surgical patients are not deferred or transferred to another hospital pre- operatively because of budget requirements.
Mr. Stewart : Admission policies for intensive care units are primarily the responsibility of the relevant health board. Admission to an intensive care unit or transfer to another hospital should be determined by clinical decision.
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what evidence he has received of general practitioners using the emergency bed service for obtaining admissions because of ward closures by providers.
Mr. Stewart : None. The admission procedures employed by the health boards in Scotland work well.
Health Service Property
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate has been made of the cost of undertaking all the identified backlog in repairs and maintenance to health service properties.
Mr. Stewart : Health boards estimate that at 31 March 1992 the expenditure required to put the essential estate in a sound physical condition was £240 million. This figure embraces backlog maintenance and such other work as the replacement of building elements which have reached the end of their useful life.
Contracting Out
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide figures for the reduction in numbers of posts as a result of contracting out since 1979 in his Department and agencies for which he has responsibility.
Mr. Lang : Information on the reduction in personnel as a result of contracting out work for the period 1979 to 1986-87 is not readily available. In the years 1987-88 to 1991-92 there was a reduction of 117.5 full-time equivalent posts in my Department and agencies as a result of contracting out.
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Quangos
Mr. Sproat : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all those non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible which have the power to compel individuals, firms, companies or other institutions to carry out their instructions at the expense of the individuals, firms, companies or other institutions, and also to charge fees for the cost to the non-departmental public bodies of assessing the work which needed to be done.
Mr. Lang : This information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Genetic Fingerprinting
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what facilities are available to Scottish police forces in relation to genetic fingerprinting techniques ; what plans he has to increase or develop these facilities ; if he will list the resources he has allocated to (a) research and development and (b) provision of such services in the current financial year ; what consultations he has had with chief police officers about genetic fingerprinting ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 27 January 1993] : Scottish police forces have access to DNA testing or "genetic fingerprinting" facilities provided by police forensic laboratories, the Forensic Science Service for England and Wales and the private sector. Police authorities determine the resources allocated to their forces, on which police grant is paid at 51 per cent. of net expenditure. It is for chief constables to decide how the resources available to them are deployed. Scottish Office officials have discussed the issues relating to the holding of DNA test records with chief constables in the Scottish criminal record office controlling committee.
Radiation Emergencies
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he has taken in his Department to implement the Public Information for Radiation Emergencies Regulations 1992.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 8 February 1993] : These regulations, in so far as they embrace Scotland, apply to employers who conduct undertakings in relation to which a radiation emergency is reasonably foreseeable, and to regional and islands councils. The Scottish Office has no direct responsibility for their implementation.
Ambulance Services
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will authorise an inquiry into the management of the ambulance services in Renfrewshire.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 4 February 1993] : No.
EC Initiatives
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 17 December 1992, Official Report, columns 465-66, if he will list the projects.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 4 February 1993] : The information requested is given in the tables :
|£
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inverclyde
World Yachting Grand Prix |211,000 |1.2
Property Improvement Grants |205,000 |1.2
Industrial Units at Larkfield
Industrial Estate |131,500 |0.8
Small Business Assistance Scheme |94,000 |0.5
Capping Blairmore Road Tip |34,500 |0.2
Custom House Quay:
Environmental Improvement
Phase 1 |215,000 |1.3
East India Harbour: Improvement
Phase 1 |50,000 |0.3
East India Harbour: Infrastructure
Works Phase 1 |470,000 |2.8
Custom House Quay:
Infrastructure Works Phase 2 |324,000 |1.9
Srathclyde Business Centre,
Ladyburn |350,000 |2.0
|------- |----
Total |2,085,000 |12.2
|------- |----
Strathclyde excluding Inverclyde
Clydebank Environmental
Improvements |741,000 |4.3
Geotechnical Survey |20,000 |0.1
Linthouse Workspace |365,500 |2.2
|------- |----
Total |1,126,500 |6.6
|------- |----
As yet unattributed |13,896,793 |81.2
Total Strathclyde Allocation |17,108,293 |100.0
|£ |Approx percent of
|Fife allocation
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fife
Burntisland Environmental Imp Phase
1 |344,000 |12.5
Regional Enterprise Grant |187,500 |6.8
Robinson Crusoes Underwater World |175,000 |6.4
KDC Small Firms Assistance Schemes |100,000 |3.6
Business Development Grants |94,500 |3.5
Enterprise Levenmouth |93,000 |3.4
Regional Enterprise Grant |33,433 |1.2
Start-up Business Assistance Grant |30,000 |1.1
Forth Rail Bridge North Cantilever
Env Imp |28,000 |1.0
Meadowfield-Refurbishment of
Administration Block |3,500 |0.1
|------- |-------
Total |1,088,933 |39.6
|------- |-------
As yet unattributed |1,660,986 |60.4
Total Fife Allocation |2,749,919 |100.0
Market Testing
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many staff in his Department are assigned to the market testing programme ; how much the programme has cost his Department since November 1991 ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Lang [holding answer 15 February 1993] : A new division was established in my Department in August 1992 to co-ordinate the market testing programme. The six staff in the division are not exclusively assigned to market testing work. The division calls on the assistance of other Scottish Office staff and external consultants when required. The cost of the programme, including staff costs and fees for consultancy work, for the period November 1991 to the end of December 1992, is estimated at £425,000.
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all the market tests that have taken place in his Department since November 1991 ; whether the result was the maintenance of in-house provision or whether the service was contracted out ; what was the name of the successful contractor where appropriate ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 15 February 1993] : The information requested is set out in the table.
Market tested |Result |Name of contractor
activity
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Property |Contracted out |Povall Worthington
management at
Scottish Police
College
Toll collection at |Contracted out |Apcoa Parking (UK) Ltd
Erskine Bridge
Management and |Contracted out |Webster and Company
Maintenance of |Bernard Thorpe
Court Houses |Ryden (3 contracts)
(5contracts)
Solicitor's Office: |Retained in
conveyancing, debt |house
recovery and court
work (part)
Building and plan |Contracted out |Bell-Ingram
maintenance for the
Scottish Fire Service
Training School
Property |Contracted out |Bell-Ingram
management,
Marine Laboratory,
Aberdeen
Audit of 2 National |Contracted out |Coopers and Lybrand
Health Service |KPMG
Trusts (2contracts)
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Councillors' Allowances
Mr. McMasterster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the advantage allowance (a) including and (b) excluding expenses paid to elected members of (i) regional and (ii) district councils in Scotland in the last financial year ; what is the projected average in each of the same categories in the current financial year ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 20 January 1993] : The Scottish Office Environment Department does not hold details of the allowances paid to individual local authority members. Each authority decides on its own scheme within the requirements of the Local Authorities Etc (Allowances) (Scotland) Regulations 1991, as amended. Similarly, the Department does not hold details of the payment of travelling, day or night subsistence allowances to members which are payable outwith the scheme.
Rates of all allowances will continue to be reviewed on a regular basis.
KS Properties
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 17 December 1992, Offical Report, column 457, what information his Department had on sales by KS Properties Ltd. of extensive land and buildings assets immediately prior to approving the writing-off of moneys due under mortgage deed by that company to the Scottish Development Agency.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 22 January 1993] : I shall write to my hon. Friend.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Housing Benefit
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list (i) the expenditure on housing benefit rate rebates or poll tax benefit or community charge benefit in each region and nation for 1988- 89, 1989-90, 1990-91 and 1991-92 and (ii) the number of claimants of each benefit in each region or nation ; and if he will express the payments as a figure of expenditure per head in each region or nation.
Mr. Burt : The available information is in the tables :
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(i) Expenditure (£ millions)<1> Region |1988-89|1989-90|1990-91|1991-92 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- South East (excluding London) |183 |186 |361 |245 London |213 |225 |290 |209 North (including Cumbria) |90 |97 |181 |130 Yorkshire and Humberside |117 |128 |217 |164 East Midlands |87 |87 |182 |136 East Anglia |35 |38 |80 |70 South West |74 |82 |173 |126 West Midlands |149 |159 |273 |209 North West (excluding Cumbria) |212 |234 |372 |279 England |1,160 |1,237 |2,131 |1,568 Wales |48 |51 |94 |44 Scotland |170 |209 |224 |168 Note: <1> The expenditure figures are from information supplied by local authorities and represent the authorities' claim for benefit paid and not subsidy received. The 1991-92 are mainly from pre-audit claims.
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(ii) Caseload (Number of claimants)<1>
Region |1988-89 |<2>1989-90|<3>1990-91|1991-92
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
South East (excluding London) |666,200 |637,200 |929,000 |891,000
London |645,300 |620,800 |724,400 |732,700
North (including Cumbria) |365,900 |356,500 |504,200 |446,500
Yorkshire and Humberside |504,500 |493,300 |664,500 |635,100
East Midlands |325,000 |313,000 |430,300 |392,100
East Anglia |148,200 |141,700 |279,000 |257,700
South West |326,300 |319,300 |477,100 |453,400
West Midlands |522,400 |498,900 |687,800 |691,000
North West (excluding Cumbria) |700,200 |694,100 |960,300 |875,500
All England |4,204,000 |4,074,700 |5,656,600 |5,734,900
Wales |253,700 |251,800 |383,700 |324,600
Scotland |624,700 |850,300 |690,600 |640,300
<1> The numbers given are in benefit units and are averages of the four quarters
figures for each year, including estimates for non responding authorities. A benefit
unit may be a single person or a couple.
<2> The Community Charge was introduced in Scotland in April 1989. The figure given
for Scotland for 1989-90 is the Community Charge rebate caseload.
<3> The Community Charge replaced domestic rates in England and Wales in April 1990.
All figures for 1990-91 and 1991-92, therefore, refer to Community Charge Benefit.
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(iii) Expenditure per case (£/year)<1> Region |1988-89 |<2>1989-90|<3>1990-91|1991-92 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South East (excluding London) |270 |290 |390 |280 London |330 |360 |400 |280 North (including Cumbria) |250 |270 |360 |290 Yorkshire and Humberside |230 |260 |330 |260 East Midlands |270 |280 |420 |350 East Anglia |240 |270 |290 |270 South West |230 |260 |360 |280 West Midlands |280 |320 |400 |300 North West (excluding Cumbria) |300 |340 |390 |320 England |280 |300 |380 |290 Wales |190 |200 |240 |140 Scotland |270 |250 |320 |260 <1> The caseloads and expenditures from which the average amounts per case are derived are not measured in the same way. The caseloads are from four point in time counts for each year. Expenditure figures refer to the whole year. Amounts of benefit refer to the benefit unit (including couples) and, therefore, in 1990-91 and 1991-92, should not be linked with average Community Charges, which are expressed as the charge per person. <2> Due to the introduction of Community Charge in Scotland in April 1989, the 1989-90 figure for Scotland is for Community Charge rebate. <3> All figures for 1990-91 and 1991-92 refer to Community Charge Benefit.
Pensioners
Mr. Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what information he has on the changes in income each year of pensioners who retired in 1979.
Miss Widdecombe : Data on the average incomes of the same cohort of pensioners for successive years are not available.
Contracting Out
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will provide figures for the reduction in numbers of posts as a result of contracting out since 1979 in his Department and agencies for which he has responsibility.
Miss Widdecombe : Information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Disabled Employees
Miss Lestor : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of employees in his Department is registered disabled.
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Mr. Burt : On 1 July 1992, 1.7 per cent. of staff employed in the Department of Social Security were registered disabled. This figure excludes staff with disabilities who choose not to register.
National Insurance Contributions
Dr. Spink : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the additional revenue generated in a full year from the abolition of employees' national insurance contributions upper earnings limit.
Miss Widdecombe : If the upper earnings limit for employees' contributions was abolished, the additional revenue yield for 1993-94 would be about 2.9 billion. About 3 million employees would have to pay extra national insurance contributions as a result.
Pensions
Mrs. Anne Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the value of the basic state pension as a proportion of gross average earnings in the United Kingdom for each year since 1978.
Miss Widdecombe : The information requested in relation to Great Britain is in the table.
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Basic State
Pension as a per
cent. of gross
average earnings<1>
Year |Age |Single per cent.|Couple per cent.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
November 1978 |under 80 |23.2 |37.1
|80 and over |23.5 |37.7
November 1979 |under 80 |23.2 |37.1
|80 and over |23.4 |37.6
November 1980 |under 80 |22.6 |36.1
|80 and over |22.8 |36.6
November 1981 |under 80 |22.4 |35.8
|80 and over |22.5 |36.1
November 1982 |under 80 |23.1 |36.9
|80 and over |23.2 |37.3
November 1983 |under 80 |21.7 |34.8
|80 and over |21.9 |35.1
November 1984 |under 80 |21.4 |34.3
|80 and over |21.6 |34.6
November 1985 |under 80 |21.4 |34.3
|80 and over |21.6 |34.6
July 1986 |under 80 |20.5 |32.8
|80 and over |20.6 |33.0
April 1987 |under 80 |19.9 |31.8
|80 and over |20.0 |32.1
April 1988 |under 80 |18.8 |30.2
|80 and over |19.0 |30.4
April 1989 |under 80 |18.2 |29.1
|80 and over |18.3 |29.3
April 1990 |under 80 |17.8 |28.5
|80 and over |17.9 |28.7
April 1991 |under 80 |18.3 |29.2
|80 and over |18.4 |29.4
April 1992 |under 80 |17.8 |28.5
|80 and over |17.9 |28.6
<1> Average earnings are derived from the Department of Employment's New Earnings
Survey (Great Britain) estimates of all adult earnings. Equivalent figures for the
UK are not readily available.
Mrs. Anne Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what information he has about the value of state pensions as a proportion of gross average earnings in each member state of the European Community.
Miss Widdecombe : There are no comparable statistics available on average earnings for the United Kingdom and the other member states of the European Community. Therefore, it is not possible to provide the information requested.
Civil Servants
Mr. Cann : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people aged 60 years and over began employment in his Department in 1992.
Mr. Burt : A total of 25 such people started employment in the Department and its agencies in 1992. This figure excludes casual staff, but includes nine staff who transferred from other Government Departments.
Carers
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy to raise the earnings limits on benefits available to carers.
Mr. Scott : The earnings limit for invalid care allowance will be increased from £40 to £50 per week from April 1993. This will be the fourth substantial increase in successive years. Also from April, a £15 earnings disregard will be introduced for all carers receiving income-related benefits.
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Legal Aid
Mr. Olner : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of income that the compensation recovery unit will lose as a result of the Lord Chancellor's proposed changes in eligibility for legal aid.
Miss Widdecombe : This information is not available. Details held by the compensation recovery unit do not distinguish between those cases which have the benefit of legal aid and others.
Social Fund
Mr. Gerrard : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many grants and loans have been made from the social fund in Walthamstow in each of the last three years for which figures are available ; how many applications were made ; and what were the total sums involved.
Mr. Scott : The information requested is available in the Library for the years 1989-90, and 1990-91 by former departmental local office. Information is also in the Library for 1991-92 for the Benefits Agency's Lea-Roding district, of which Walthamstow is part.
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the ability of the social fund to meet the needs of the poorest claimants.
Mr. Scott : The operation of the social fund is closely monitored by the Department. We also commissioned detailed research from the university of York's social policy research unit, which we are currently considering along with other recent reports about the scheme.
Income support is the main help which the Government give to people who have insufficient income to meet their general needs. The social fund complements income support by helping people with specific expenses in certain circumstances, which may not necessarily be related to their general financial circumstances alone.
Sick and Maternity Pay
Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received about current arrangements for the payment of statutory sick pay and maternity pay ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Scott : Following publication of the National Audit Office report on the operation of the statutory sick pay and statutory maternity pay schemes, two parliamentary questions have been tabled by hon. Members and a letter about the schemes has been received from the general secretary of the TUC.
Since the EC pregnant workers directive was adopted last October, one hon. Member has tabled three parliamentary questions about the maternity pay aspects of the directive. Correspondence raising or referring to issues contained in the directive have been received from three hon. Members and one MEP, and a number of employers, employers' organisations and members of the public have asked questions about particular aspects of the directive's requirements. The Government are considering the maternity pay aspects of the directive.
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Quangos
Mr. Sproat : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list all those non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible which have the power to compel individuals, firms, companies or other institutions to carry out their instructions at the expense of the individuals, firms, companies or other institutions, and also to charge fees for the cost to the non-departmental public bodies of assessing the work which needed to be done.
Miss Widdecombe : Certain occupational and personal pension schemes are required to register, at their own expense, with the Occupational Pensions Board acting as pensions registrar and to pay a levy which is collected by the registrar to meet part of the cost of various consumer protection measures.
Voluntary Workers
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many social security applicants had applications refused or reduced because of the number of hours worked in the voluntary sector in each year since 1979.
Mr. Burt : There is no legislation limiting the amount of hours an unemployed person may spend working in the voluntary sector. Unemployed people who undertake unpaid voluntary work in this country may continue to receive benefits provided they satisfy the conditions of entitlement. These are that a person must be available for work and take reasonable steps, each week, to seek work.
Independent Living Fund
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what proposals he has to provide financial assistance for domiciliary care for those who would be in principle eligible for assistance from the independent living fund for the first time between 31 December 1992 and31 March ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) if he will make a statement on the provision of domiciliary care comparable to that provided by the independent living fund to those of pensionable age after 31 March.
Mr. Scott : The provision of domiciliary care is a matter for local authorities and for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health.
Income Support
Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Secretary of Social Security what elements of water charges have been included in the Rossi index for each year since April 1988.
Mr. Burt : Since April 1992 variations in the cost of water, sewerage and environmental charges have been included in the Rossi index.
WALES
One-stop Shops
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with Wales Enterprise regarding the development of one-stop shops for business and technology support in Wales.
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Sir Wyn Roberts : The chairman of Wales Enterprise is a member of the enterprise and business support working group and therefore takes part in the discussions regarding the development of a co-ordinated approach to business and technology support in Wales.
Training and Enterprise Councils
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total accumulated surplus of the seven Welsh training and enterprise councils since 1990.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The latest published annual accounts of the seven Welsh TECs show that at 31 March 1992 there were accumulated surpluses of £15,599,643. The TECs have plans to spend over £13.5 million of accumulated surpluses in the 1993-94 financial year in support of a range of training and enterprise measures.
Disabled Employees
Miss Lestor : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of employees in his Department are registered disabled.
Mr. David Hunt : As at 1 January 1993 1.7 per cent. of staff in my Department had registered as disabled. These are the latest available details.
My Department also employs several unregistered disabled people.
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