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Mr. Gordon Prentice : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many transport consultancy organisations tendered for the TransPennine study strategy commissioned by his Department.
Mr. Gordon Prentice : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the TransPennine study strategy report was commissioned ; when it was due to report ; when it reported ; and if he will make a statement on the delay in publication.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 3 July 1992 at column 726. The study was commissioned in January 1990 and expected to be completed in spring 1991. The scope of the work was extended and the study completed in spring 1992. The strategy report was published in September 1992. The study was wide ranging and addressed complex issues. Our consideration of the consultants' findings took longer than expected.
A1
Mr. William O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 8 February, Official Report, columns 670-71, what is his estimate of the extra length of journey it would take if the proposed route of the new A1 went to the east of Knottingley.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : About three quarters of a mile.
Mr. William O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 8 February, Official Report, columns 670-71, what is the estimated annual cost of the new A1 bypassing Knottingley ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The present prediction of the annual cost in operational terms of the proposed A1 motorway between Redhouse and Hook Moor is £80 million. The similar cost of a route to the east of Knottingley would be £100 million.
Mr. William O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the public inquiry to take place on the new A1 proposals for Ferrybridge in West Yorkshire.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : A public inquiry would be held following the publication of draft orders. The timing of an inquiry depends upon the weight and nature of objections to the orders, but typically would be in two to three years from now.
Road Haulage
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to seek to amend the Transport Act 1968 to allow licensing authorities to accept a wide range of representations on behalf of a community's residents regarding any plans by road hauliers for new or expanded operations within that community.
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Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : County and district councils, which are locally elected representative bodies, have a statutory right of objection to a licensing authority in respect of applications for, or major variations to, goods vehicle operator licences. In addition, owners or occupiers of property in the vicinity of an operating centre involved in such an application have a right of representation to the licensing authority on the grounds of adverse environmental effect on their property.
Reviews of the goods vehicle operator licensing provisions in 1986 and 1989 concluded that, in addition, parish/community councils should have a right of representation, on general environmental grounds, but that the provisions otherwise strike a fair balance between the interests of people affected by operating centres and those of the road haulage industry. I am satisfied that this remains the case.
Royal Family
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what, for the latest available year, was the cost to his Department of expenditure in support of the royal family in respect of (a) official travel by train including maintenance of the royal train and (b) the royal train renewal programme.
Mr. Freeman : In 1991-92 expenditure on (a) was £2.440 million and on (b) £0.126 million.
NATIONAL FINANCE
Alcohol Imports
Mr. Nigel Evans : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what is his latest estimate of the levels of receipts from duty on beer lost to the Exchequer arising from duty-paid imports of beer from elsewhere in the single market ;
(2) what is his latest estimate of the level of duty-paid imports of beer from elsewhere in the EC as a percentage of the take-home beer market.
Sir John Cope : The revenue loss arising from personal importations of duty-paid beer is difficult to estimate as it depends upon the quantity of beer that would otherwise have been purchased in the United Kingdom. The Brewers Society's latest statistics suggest that since 1 January 1993 personal imports of duty-paid beer account for 9.4 per cent. of the take- home trade compared with 8.4 per cent. a year ago. Take home sales represent one fifth of the United Kingdom beer market. Customs are studying the figures in consultation with the Brewers Society.
Value Added Tax
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what rate of VAT is levied on (a) newspapers, (b) paid-for magazines, (c) free magazines and (d) books in each EC member state.
Sir John Cope : The information available for each EC member state for VAT levied on the sales of newspapers, paid-for magazines and books is set out in the tables. I am not aware of any circumstances under which VAT is levied on free magazines in these countries, but sale of advertising space would normally be taxable.
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VAT rates on magazines, newspapers and books in EC member states Percentages Country |Magazines |Newspapers|Books ----------------------------------------------------------- Belgium |6 |6 |6 Denmark |0 |0 |25 France |2.1 |2.1 |5.5 Germany |7 |7 |7 Greece |4 |4 |4 Ireland |10 |10 |0 Italy |<1>4 |4 |4 Luxembourg |12 |12 |12 Netherlands |6 |6 |6 Portugal |5 |5 |<2>5, 30 Spain |3 |3 |3 United Kingdom |0 |0 |0 <1> A rate of 12 per cent. has been introduced in Italy. We do not currently have any information about its coverage, and so the rate shown is that applied before its introduction. <2> Portugal applies a higher rate of books of an obscene or pornographic nature. Source: VAT in Europe (International Bureau of Fiscal Documentation) according to information available as at 1 January 1993.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the VAT collected on advertisements in (a) newspapers, (b) paid-for magazines and (c) free magazines.
Sir John Cope : Detail about the receipts from VAT on specific items of expenditure is not collected on VAT returns. An estimate of the total revenue yield from advertisements in newspapers, journals and periodicals was made in 1985 when the zero-rating was withdrawn. The equivalent figure now is about £100 million.
Mrs. Helen Jackson : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of imposing VAT on bus fares.
Sir John Cope : Table D1 of the statistical supplement to the 1992 autumn statement shows the estimated cost of zero-rating domestic passenger transport in 1992-93 is £1,100 million. This estimate makes no allowance for the behavioural response to applying the standard rate of VAT to this category, so the actual yield would probably be less. Bus fares account for around 44 per cent. of the total.
Civil Servants
Mr. Viggers : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many central London-based administrative civil servants of assistant principal rank and above have been made redundant, or warned of redundancy, in the past 18 months.
Mr. Portillo : During the period 1 April 1991 to 1 October 1992, 62 central London-based administrative civil servants of administration trainee (AT) grade and above were made redundant. The AT grade is equivalent to assistant principal which ceased to exist in 1971. These figures relate to the home civil service and are the latest available. Figures covering the period 1 July 1992 to 1 October 1992 are provisional.
Central London has been defined as covering the inner London weighting area, that is, within a five-mile radius of Charing Cross. No records are available of numbers warned for redundancy.
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Firearms
Mr. James Hill : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many anti-smuggling checks have been made to prevent firearms and other weapons from being illegally imported from EC member states through British ports and airports since 1 January.
Sir John Cope : Customs perform a range of checks at United Kingdom ports and airports to enforce all prohibitions and restrictions. Customs records to not provide a separate account of the number of checks specifically targeted on firearms and other weapons.
Manufacturing Output
Ms. Harman : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has about the level of (a) industrial production and (b) manufacturing output in (i) October, (ii) November and (iii) December 1992 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Nelson : Indices of industrial production and manufacturing output may be found on the CSO databank which can be accessed by the House of Commons Library. Information is currently available for months up to December 1992.
Intrastat Classification
Mr. Nigel Jones : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the practice of Customs and Excise governing the distribution of the Intrastat classification nomenclature ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir John Cope : A free copy of the Intrastat classification nomenclature has been distributed to traders whose trade during 1991-92 exceeded the Intrastat threshold and who are therefore required to submit monthly supplementary statistical declarations. It assists them in identifying the codes required to complete the statistical declarations accurately.
Additional copies may be obtained at a charge of £7 each, inclusive of delivery.
To date, approximately 33,000 free copies have been issued, and orders received for a further 3,700. The Customs and Excise single market liaison officers also answer classification queries.
Mr. Nigel Jones : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the cost of distributing the Intrastat classification nomenclature for the latest year for which figures are available ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir John Cope : This is the first year of distribution of the Intrastat classification nomenclature and the total printing and distribution cost so far is approximately £225,000.
Mr. Nigel Jones : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to send only the relevant parts of the Intrastat classification nomenclature to appropriate firms ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir John Cope : No. In order to supply only the relevant parts of the Intrastat classification nomenclature it would have been necessary to ascertain, for each of the 33,000 traders involved, which parts of it would cover their trading activities. This could have been achieved only by
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asking traders to supply the necessary information. This would have created an unnecessary burden on traders. This course was therefore rejected.Central Statistical Office
Mr. Burns : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the arrangements for the release of statistics by the Central Statistical Office.
Mr. Lamont : When the Central Statistical Office (CSO) was launched as an agency a little over a year ago I made clear the Government's commitment to the arrangements adopted to ensure the integrity and validity of United Kingdom official statistics and to sustain public confidence in them. I have now agreed some improved practices for the release of CSO statistics which demonstrates that commitment. The improved practices, and their effect, are as follows : (i) all statistics will be published as early as possible, with many being released much more quickly than currently--improving decision-making and enhancing openness ;
(ii) data will be available to all users at the same time, but Ministers, and where appropriate the Governor of the Bank of England, and some officials (on a strict need-to-know basis) will receive copies of key statistical releases 1 days in advance--promoting transparency ; and
(iii) the CSO will be entirely responsible for the contents of its press releases, subject to advance consultation with me on changes in format-- demonstrating the integrity of the statistics.
The CSO is publishing today a document setting out its release practices in detail, and copies have been placed in the Library of the House.
These changes emphasise my determination to promote openness and transparency in the Government's economic decision making, enhance the reputation of Government statistics, and promote public confidence in their integrity.
HEALTH
Elderly People (Home Care)
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will establish provisions for home help care for discharged elderly patients that include continuing daily visits to people known to be at risk, irrespective of charging policies ;
(2) if she will establish a review and evaluation policy for home help organisers or care managers responsible for those elderly discharged from hospital who have had their home help discontinued or severely reduced ;
(3) if she will lay down guidelines for assessment, when an eldery person is to be discharged into the care of another elderly person, of the health and social care needs of the household, couple or group, in addition to that of the patient ;
(4) if she will lay down guidelines on basic minimal standards of service for elderly patients discharged into community care. (5) if she will conduct regular review assessments to evaluate the effectiveness of the services being received by elderly patients who have been discharged into community care.
Mr. Yeo : Provision of home care services to elderly people discharged from hospital is the responsibility of local authorities. They are best placed to determine
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individual needs and how they can best be met. Detailed guidance has been issued to authorities about the assessment process, including the need for periodic reviews of needs. The way in which local authorities carry out their responsibilities is monitored by the social services inspectorate, which also advises authorities on good practice. Examples of relevant good practice material include :
Publication |HMSO number
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Care Management and
Assessment:
Managers' Guide |HMSO ISBN 0-11 321 464 2
Practitioners' Guide |HMSO ISBN 0-11 321 463 4
Inspecting Home Care Services, A |HMSO ISBN 0-11 321 325 5
Guide to the SSI method
Copies are available in the Library.
NHS Staff
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 17 December, Official Report, columns 421-22, regarding NHS staff if she will provide comparable figures for 30 September 1992.
Mr. Sackville : The information requested is currently being processed, and will be available later this year.
Drug Prescribing
Sir Dudley Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultations she had with the Royal College of General Practitioners prior to her announcement of the extension of the limited list to further therapeutic categories.
Dr. Mawhinney : No such consultations took place as the changes do not affect the basic structure of the selected list scheme which has been in operation since 1985.
Mr. Murphy : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she intends to publish her proposals regarding the limited cost of drugs to be used in the NHS.
Dr. Mawhinney : The timing of the publication of proposals for removing particular drugs in the new categories from national health service prescription will depend on when we receive advice from the advisory committee on NHS drugs.
Sir Dudley Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what savings to the NHS medicines bill were achieved in each of the therapeutic categories covered by the limited list of 1985 (a) in the first year and (b) in each year since 1985 ;
(2) what savings in the NHS medicines bill she expects to achieve by the extension of the limited list to further therapeutic categories in the years 1993-94 and 1994-95.
Dr. Mawhinney : It is estimated that the selected list scheme saved £75 million on the drugs bill in 1985-86. The estimated savings in each of the seven therapeutic groups were :
|£ million
----------------------------------------------------------------
Coughs and cold remedies |22
Analgesics for mild to moderate pain |19
Indigestion remedies |8
Vitamins |7.5
Laxatives |2
Tonics |1
Benzodiazepine sedatives and tranquillisers |15.5
It is not possible to make meaningful estimates for subsequent years, but we have every reason to believe that the scheme has resulted in continuing downward pressure on the drugs bill. We cannot predict what savings will be made as a result of the recently announced extension to the scheme. This will depend on the recommendations of the independent advisory committee on national health service drugs.
Cancer
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to publish updated cancer incidence statistics ; what assessment she has made of the causes of delays in publication ; and what proposals she has to improve the speed of publication.
Mr. Sackville : The national cancer registration scheme was reviewed recently by a working group of the registrar general's medical advisory committee. The 17 recommendations in its report covered funding, improvements to notification, managerial control, access, confidentiality, and training. All the recommendations have been acted upon. The Department has established a steering committee, chaired by the deputy chief medical officer, to oversee the system. The Office of Population, Censuses and Surveys (OPCS) is currently redeveloping its computer system, as are several of the regional cancer registries, with the aim of improving the timeliness--without sacrificing the high ascertainment and quality--of the information. Following wide consultation, a minimum data set for cancer registration should be introduced by 1 July 1993 at the latest ; the supply of the information to the regional cancer registries and onwards to OPCS will be mandatory. The annual reference volume for 1987, which will be published in mid-March, will contain a revised and expanded commentary on the results ; it will also include estimates of cancer registrations for 1988 to 1991 inclusive. Review of the national cancer registration system. OPCS Series MB1 No. 17. HMSO, 1990. A copy is available in the Library.
Day In--day Out"
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration her Department has given to the recommendations on respite care of the Royal College of Nursing and the Spastics Society in the report entitled "Day In--Day Out", a copy of which has been sent to her ; what action she will be taking in response to the recommendations ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Yeo : Improved respite care services and support for carers are key objectives of our community care reforms. The reforms will give authorities increased incentives to provide respite care, particularly as the residential allowance will be payable to people in respite as well as long-term care. Our preparations have stressed improved health and social services collaboration which lie at the heart of many of the recommendations in the report.
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Secure Accommodation
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what representations she has received about a proposal to establish a secure unit at Lynfield Mount hospital in Bradford ; in what circumstances she would be asked to decide whether the unit be established ; and if she will make a statement ;
(2) what information has been received from Bradford community health trust about a proposal to establish a secure unit at Lynfield Mount hospital in Bradford ; who would fund such a unit ; and what is the estimated cost ; and what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the consultative document issued by the trust and Bradford health authority concerning this unit with respect to enabling the public to form a judgment.
Mr. Yeo : My Department has provisionally approved a proposal submitted by the Yorkshire regional health authority to establish a 22- place secure ward at Lynfield Mount hospital. The estimated capital cost of £329,000 has been made available to the trust as part of its external finance limit. Any new building will require planning permission from the local authority and the application would be available for public scrutiny under the planning procedures. The hon. Member may wish to raise any questions about the consultative document in the first instance with Bradford health authority.
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what powers are available to refer persons suffering from mental illness to secure accommodation ; and how far these powers vary according to whether the person is (a) a voluntary patient and (b) a sectioned patient ;
(2) if she will list the secure units located in Yorkshire to which people suffering from mental illness are referred ; who has powers to refer persons to such units ; which such persons or bodies have the power to refer in cases where the medical management of a secure unit may believe such referral is medically inappropriate ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Yeo : Yorkshire regional health authority has available within its boundary 44 medium secure places at Newton Lodge, Wakefield ; 28 interim medium secure places at De La Pole hospital, Hull ; 16 interim medium secure places at High Royds hospital, Ilkley, and 14 places in a locked facility at Storthes Hall, Huddersfield. Patients may be referred to such units from a variety of sources. Patients in medium secure units will usually be detained under the Mental Health Act 1983, although it is possible for a unit to accept a patient who is not detained.
Section 2 of the Mental Health Act 1983 allows a person to be detained for up to 28 days for assessment. Section 3 of the Act provides for detention for treatment for a mental disorder. The application for admission for assessment or treatment under these sections must be made either by an approved social worker or the nearest relative and supported by the written recommendation of two registered medical practitioners.
A court may make a hospital order under section 37 of the Act and may impose restrictions on discharge under section 41. Courts may also remand a suspected offender to hospital for assessment (section 35) or medical treatment (section 36), or make an interim hospital order (section 38) so that a person's response to treatment can be assessed before the court makes a final decision. In all
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these cases, the court's decision would be based on the recommendation of two medical practitioners, one of whom must be approved by the Secretary of State under section 12 of the Act. If a person is serving a sentence of imprisonment and is considered to need treatment in hospital, the Home Secretary may, on the recommendation of two medical practitioners, direct transfer to hospital under section 47 of the Act. Section 48 provides similarly for the transfer of remand and certain other prisoners. The Home Secretary may also, if he thinks fit, direct that a transferred prisoner be subject to restrictions on discharge under section 49 of the Act."Sectioned" is a colloquial term for patients who are compulsorily admitted to hospital under the Act. Voluntary patients, unlike those who are detained, are free to leave hospital as they choose.
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for health how much Bradford health authority has spent in each of the past five years, to date, in referring patients to secure units (a) within Yorkshire and (b) in other places ; and what difficulty the authority has experienced in finding suitable places.
Mr. Yeo : This information is not held centrally.
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals have been received from Bradford health authority for the establishment of a secure unit at Westwood hospital in Bradford.
Mr. Yeo : I am aware of proposals to close Westwood hospital and transfer the majority of its residents to places in the community. I understand that the proposals include the provision of a newly converted building on the hospital site for the few remaining residents. I am not aware of any proposals to establish a secure unit on the site.
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions have been held with Yorkshire regional health authority about the number of secure unit places for those suffering from mental illness in Yorkshire.
Mr. Yeo : The Department has held periodic discussions with Yorkshire regional health authority on its future plans for psychiatric provision in the region and related issues. In addition, all regions were required last year to produce an assessment of need for secure services for their populations. A further assessment of needs is being conducted this year.
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Adoption
Mr. Booth : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what powers she has to prevent a British child from being taken out of the United Kingdom by a local authority social services department for adoption by a family in Canada.
Mr. Yeo : Depending on the circumstances, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has power to issue directions under section 7A of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970 in respect of local authority adoption functions. This power would be used only exceptionally and not normally in respect of an individual case. It is not our function to review local authority practice in relation to individual cases nor to act as an appellate body. However, if my hon. Friend has concerns about a particular case he may wish to contact me directly with the details.
Community Care
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance she has issued regarding assessments for community care needs being undertaken by social workers employed by voluntary organisations (a) where the organisation concerned is a direct provider of care and (b) where the organisation concerned is not a direct provider of care ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Yeo : The guidance we have issued has made clear that voluntary organisations, whether direct care providers or not, may have a role in providing expert advice in assessments. It may also be appropriate in some cases for social services authorities to make arrangements with such organisations to carry out assessments of people with specialist needs on their behalf. In all cases overall responsibility for decisions about service provision remains with the social services authority.
In-patient Admissions
Ms. Lynne : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total number of in-patient admissions to hospitals in each of the Thames region health authorities in each of the last 10 years.
Mr. Sackville : The available information is given in the table.
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Total number of ordinary admissions and day cases to hospitals in the Thames regional health authorities-1982 to 1991-92
|North West Thames|North East Thames|South East Thames|South West Thames
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ordinary admissions
Discharges and deaths
1982 |394,415 |512,655 |461,394 |315,210
1983 |408,474 |526,398 |477,283 |329,334
1984 |415,559 |534,760 |487,772 |338,587
1985 |418,753 |541,080 |501,557 |344,430
1986 |419,008 |530,372 |495,246 |347,089
1987-88 |421,582 |527,585 |504,666 |351,932
1988-89 |416,153 |521,291 |487,815 |344,259
Finished consultant episodes<1>
1988-89 |462,539 |588,983 |546,047 |394,860
1989-90 |473,930 |606,278 |541,962 |387,551
1990-91 |451,470 |601,136 |542,829 |384,618
1991-92 |463,146 |622,399 |562,614 |411,081
Day case admissions
Discharges and deaths
1982 |43,330 |48,744 |49,717 |32,836
1983 |49,494 |51,725 |59,983 |33,676
1984 |58,558 |57,850 |72,702 |39,613
1985 |63,170 |67,472 |66,323 |45,395
1986 |67,766 |70,304 |71,323 |56,449
1987-88 |50,091 |51,924 |48,855 |53,391
1988-89 |69,414 |60,489 |70,906 |48,677
Finished consultant episodes<1>
1989-90 |77,887 |82,543 |84,113 |66,736
1990-91 |84,733 |94,143 |86,421 |72,982
1991-92 |113,568 |124,234 |110,454 |89,497
<1> Including well babies.
SCOTLAND
Ambulance Service
Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what changes there have been to plans by the Scottish ambulance service to expand and develop the Haddington ambulance station ; and how the numbers of vehicles and staff deployed at Haddington have changed.
Mr. Stewart : The service provided from the Haddington station was expanded over the last two years to take account of the change at Roodlands hospital and there are no plans to further develop this station. The number of staff was increased from 22 to 44, but two have since been transferred to Musselburgh which also provides cover to East Lothian.
Until January 1993, there were five accident and emergency vehicles available for use at Haddington during weekday day shifts, but as demand did not require five crewed vehicles there are now four vehicles.
It should be noted that the numbers of vehicles used can vary at the time of day according to demand and that there has been a significant improvement in response times to emergency calls with the introduction of the techniques of deploying vehicles to key points adjacent to population centres where demand is known to be high instead of requiring all vehicles to return to station.
Women's Aid
Mr. Chisholm : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what his Department's contribution to Scottish women's aid was in each of the last three years ; and what it will be in 1993-94.
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