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Babies (Identification)
Mr. James Hill : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will consider a system of fingerprinting or footprinting new born babies to prevent wrong identification of infants.
Mr. Sackville : Advice from the maternity services advisory committee to the national health service is that parents should be able to see the correct details written on their baby's identity bracelets and to confirm that these bracelets are put on their baby. It is essential that all maternity units have in place procedures that ensure that these requirements are met and that bracelets are securely attached to babies in their care. Fingerprinting and footprinting are possible alternatives or additional methods but, before introducing such arrangements, they would need to be thoroughly assessed.
Free Prescriptions
Sir John Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people during the year 1991-92 (a) qualified for free prescriptions on the grounds of
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prescribed illnesses or conditions and (b) are estimated to have failed to take up an exemption certificate on this ground during this period.Dr. Mawhinney : The information is not available in the form requested. Prescription charge exemption certificates for people with a specified medical condition are valid for a period of five years. In the six months from January to June 1992, the latest period for which figures are held centrally, family health services authorities issued over 40,000 such certificates. The average number issued in each of the three years from 1989 to 1991 was about 75,000. In 1991-92 community pharmacists and appliance contractors dispensed some 24.7 million prescribed items free of charge to people holding these certificates and to expectant or nursing mothers. It is not possible to estimate the number who have failed to take up an exemption certificate.
Medicines Committees
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to change the rules covering information disclosure by members of (a) the Committee on the Safety of Medicines and (b) the Committee on the Review of Medicines respectively.
Dr. Mawhinney : I have no plans, at present, to change the rules covering information disclosure by members of the Committee on the Safety of Medicines. The Committee on the Review of Medicines was disestablished on 1 April 1992.
Prescription Charges
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will list the numbers of disability working allowance claimants to date who are also in receipt of exemption from prescription charges, by reason of (a) low income and (b) prescribed illness or condition ;
(2) what is her estimate of numbers and types of persons who fail to claim exemption from prescription charges.
Dr. Mawhinney : The information requested is not available ; nor is it possible to make such an estimate. About 80 per cent. of all prescribed items dispensed by community pharmacists and appliance contractors are free of charge ; a further 5 per cent. go to holders of prescription prepayment certificates.
Pharmacists
Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will issue a report on the provisions made by her Department to recompense pharmacists for purchasing and maintaining adequate stocks of expensive medicines when on-cost is abolished in April.
Dr. Mawhinney : Discussions are taking place with the pharmaceutical services negotiating committee about this issue.
Prescription Forms
Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether her Department has carried out a detailed costing for the introduction of a triple prescription form of the kind proposed by the pharmaceutical services negotiating committee.
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Dr. Mawhinney : No detailed costing has been carried out as yet, but the issue of triple prescription forms is still under consideration.
Drugs Selected List
Mr. George : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the input, by experts and groups relating to the study of dermatology, in the advisory committee on NHS drugs on the proposed changes and addition of new categories to the NHS selected list.
Dr. Mawhinney : A consultant dermatologist, Dr. Grattan, has been appointed to the advisory committee on national health service drugs. It is open to the committee to seek any further expert advice it considers necessary for its work.
Trainee Nurses
Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the health service careers department last advertised for trainee nurses in Birmingham ; and how many of the last intake to qualify have obtained jobs within the NHS.
Mr. Sackville : There is no health service careers department. The last advertising campaign run by the Department of Health was in 1991-92. Details of local recruitment campaigns and jobs for qualifiers are not held centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact Sir Donald Wilson, chairman of West Midlands regional health authority for details.
Benzodiazepine
Ms. Lynne : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions were issued for each benzodiazepine by community pharmacists in (a) England and Wales, (b) Scotland and (c) Northern Ireland in 1991.
Dr. Mawhinney : The Department holds figures only for England. The information is in the table :
|Number
---------------------------------
Temazepam |6,039
Diazepam |3,063
Nitrazepam |3,000
Lorazepam |1,080
Triazolam |1,076
Chlordiazepoxide |504
Oxazepam |360
Loprazolam |180
Lormetazepam |171
Clonazepam |128
Clobazam |61
|-------
Total |15,662
Note:The data for 1991 are not
directly comparable to those for
earlier years because of a
change in the way in which these
data are collected. From January
1991, the data are based on
items. Previously they were
based on prescription fees and
some items may attract more than
one fee.
Information relating to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
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Pregnancy Terminations
Ms. Lynne : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance is given to health authorities and trusts about the level of appropriate post natal follow-up, following termination of pregnancy for foetal abnormality.
Mr. Sackville : In April 1991 the Department issued copies of the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society's "Guidelines for Professionals" to relevant points in the national health service. These guidelines are as relevant to the loss of a baby resulting from termination in pregnancy for foetal abnormality as they are for miscarriage and stillbirth.
Vitamin K
Ms. Lynne : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what developments are taking place leading to the licensing of oral vitamin K.
Mr. Sackville : Discussions have been held between the Medicines Control Agency and representatives of the pharmaceutical industry with regard to appropriate data requirements of safety, efficacy and quality for the granting of a product licence for an oral preparation of vitamin K.
Stepping Hill Psychiatric Units
Ms. Coffey : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to ensure that the comments of the Mental Health Commissioner relating to staffing in psychiatric units at Stepping Hill contained in its letter dated 9 September 1992 are being acted upon.
Mr. Yeo : An internal review panel was set up by Stockport health authority to look into aspects of psychiatric services, including staffing, at Stepping Hill hospital. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. Peter Milnes, chief executive of Stockport health authority, for further information.
Respiratory Disease
Mr. Geoffrey Robinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will fund research into the effects of sulphur dioxide and related pollutants on lung function in asthmatics and others with respiratory disease and the effects of such pollutants on the incidence of respiratory disease and asthma attacks ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Sackville : The advisory group of medical aspects of air pollution episodes set up in 1990 by the Government's chief medical officer has prepared two reports on air pollutants. That on ozone was published in 1991 and that on sulphur dioxide in 1992. Copies are in the Library.
The main agency through which the Government support biomedical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council--MRC--which receives its grant in aid from the Office of Science and Technology. The MRC is currently sponsoring some research into factors contributing to the rise of asthma cases and has set up a working party to examine the aetiology of asthma under the chairmanship of Professor A. J. Norman Taylor. This working party is currently considering a range of possible contributory factors to current levels of asthma including air pollution.
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Health Authorities, Yorkshire
Mr. Gunnell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is the total FHSA budget for each such authority in the Yorkshire region for 1992-93 ;
(2) what is the total purchasing budget for each health authority in the Yorkshire region for 1992-93.
Mr. Sackville : The information held centrally is for regional health authorities only. The hon. Member may wish to contact Sir Bryan Askew, chairman of Yorkshire regional health authority, for this information.
GP Fund Holders
Mr. Gunnell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total budget for fund-holding practices for each health authority area in the Yorkshire region for 1992-93.
Dr. Mawhinney : The Yorkshire regional health authority is responsible for the management of the general practitioner fundholding scheme in these areas. The hon. Member may wish to contact Sir Bryan Askew, the regional health authority chairman, for details.
Mr. Gunnell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were registered at (a) fund-holding and (b) non-fund-holding practices for each health authority area in the Yorkshire region as at 31 December 1992.
Dr. Mawhinney : This information is not held centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact Sir Bryan Askew, chairman of the Yorkshire regional health authority, for details.
Hospital Beds
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish a table showing for (a) each regional health authority and (b) England as a whole the number of hospital beds by specialty, on the basis of average daily available beds, for each year from 1979-80 to 1991-92 ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Sackville : The available information has been published and copies of the national and regional summaries placed in the Library. The data for 1979 to 1986 are contained in the publication "Hospital Statistics --Form SH3", which records bed availability at individual specialty level. The data for 1987-88 to 1990-91 are contained in the "Summary of Bed Availability--Form KHO3", which implemented the recommendations of the Korner review of health service information. These data are classified by broad ward category, recognising the more flexible use of bed facilities. The summaries for 1991-92 are to be published shortly and copies will be placed in the Library.
Pamphlets
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pamphlets the national health service management executive published from January 1990 to January 1991 and from January 1991 to January 1992 ; if she will list the title, the recipients and the cost ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Sackville : During the period April 1990 to December 1991, the national health service management executive issued 78 pamphlets, leaflets and brochures. The tables give the description, cost and recipient.
Column 669
Information for the period January to March 1990 is not available.
April 1990 to March 1991
Title |Recipient |Cost £
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Resource |NHS Managers |2,135.00
Management Update
Resource |NHS Managers |2,209.07
Management Update
-Sepember Issue
Projects Management |NHS Managers |7,460.00
Reports
Financial |NHS Managers |3,940.00
Management Update
-Issues June and December
Value For Money |NHS Managers |6,208.00
Update Newsletter
Issues No. 1 and No. 2
Partners in |NHS Managers |774.00
Primary Care: An
Executive Summary
Value For Money |NHS Managers |5,859.25
Leaflets (6)-
Hospital and Care Premises
Exhibition
Day Surgery- |NHS Managers |264.50
Making It Happen
Report
Income Gereration |NHS Managers |47,346.00
Pathology and
Customer Services
Guides and Workbooks
Guide To Insurable |NHS Managers |3,639.75
Risk Management
Purchasing For Patients |NHS Managers |2,817.00
Newsletters-Issues
No, 3, No. 4, No. 5
Outpatients Demonstration |NHS Managers |37,269.95
Projects Brochure
Consultion and Involving |NHS Managers |3,595.00
The Consumer Booklet
Changes to Health |NHS Managers |1,905.00
Authorities Boundaries
Publication
Professional Advice For |NHS Managers |2,068.00
Purchasers
NHS Trusts |NHS Managers |25,923.81
Compendium Of Guidance
Working For Patients |NHS Managers |244.00
Update-October Issue
NHS Reforms Update |NHS Managers |472.00
-November (90) and
February (91)
NHS Management |NHS Managers, Press,|39,349.31
Bulletins: April, May, June, |Interested NHS Staff
July, August, September |on Request and
Issues |DH/NHSME
|Managers
NHS Management |NHS Managers, Press,|3,764.17
Bulletin Special |Interested NHS Staff
Royal Assent Issue |on Request and
|DH/NHSME
|Managers
NHSME News Issues: |NHS Managers, Press,|30,732.71
October, November, |Interested NHS Staff
December, January, |on Request and
February, March |DH/NHSME
|Managers
Nursing Perspective Leaflet |Senior Nurse |530.00
|Managers
April 1991 to December 1991
Title |Recipient |Cost £
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Resource |NHS Managers |290.00
Management Leaflet
-July 1991
Casemix Procurement Pack |NHS Managers |18,193.71
Clinical Coding Toolbox |NHS Managers |26,253.50
Guide to Insurable |NHS Managers |3,114.81
Risk Management
Booklet On Income |NHS Managers |3,736.50
Generation From Financial
Investment Services
Value For Money |NHS Managers |7,345.00
Update-Issues
No. 3, No. 4, and No. 5
Value For Money |NHS Managers |3,014.90
Literature-June
Value For Money |NHS Managers |862.00
Update Reprint of
June Issue
Value For Money: |NHS Managers |721.09
Ward Materials
Management
Guidance on Membership |NHS Managers |3,133.98
of NHS Authorities
Sharing Developments |NHS Managers |4,791.46
Newsletter No. 2
Health Service Indicators |NHS Managers |7,555.00
IMG Newsletters - |NHS Managers |5,757.09
Issues No. 4, No. 5
and No. 6
Care Needs |NHS Managers |2,458.00
Financial Management |NHS Managers |851.52
Programme
Teachers In The NHS |NHS Managers |1,200.00
Information Pack
NHS Trusts |NHS Managers |1,672.03
Financial Management
Women In The NHS |Women and NHS |10,192.54
Handbook Managers
Patient's Charter |Nurses and NHS Managers|30,992.00
Named Nurse Leaflet
Patient's Charter |All NHS Staff |2,695.00
News-Issues No. 1
and No. 2
NHSME News- |NHS Managers, Press, |84,924.04
Issues: March, April, May, |Interested NHS Staff
June, July, August, |on request and
September, October, |DH/NHSME
November and |Managers
December 1991
NHSME News Special |NHS Managers, Press, |3,919.10
Health Strategy |Interested NHS Staff
Issue-June 1991 |on request and
|DH/NHSME
|Managers
Hospitals
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance she has given the Alexandra hospital in Redditch concerning its bid for trust status ; what guidance she has given North Worcestershire health authority concerning the planned closure of the Highfield hospital in Droitwich ; and if she will make a statement.
Blood Tests
Mr. Dicks : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will introduce compulsory blood tests on a regular basis for all national health service employees ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Sackville : I have no current plans to introduce regular compulsory blood tests for all national health service staff.
Disciplinary Appeals
Mr. Boyce : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she takes to ensure that she is in possession of all relevant information when hearing an appeal by a doctor against a penalty imposed by a tribunal hearing a disciplinary action.
Dr. Mawhinney : The procedures for dealing with appeals against family health services authority decisions on complaints against general practitioners are set out in the National Health Service (Service Committee and Tribunal) Regulations. Copies of the regulations are available in the Library.
In determining an appeal, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will inquire into the whole of the complaint, and take into account any evidence that was available to the committee which heard the complaint and of any further information, if any, that has been presented on appeal. Where appropriate, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State may appoint persons to hold an oral hearing of the appeal and to report their findings, and may also seek advice from the Medical Advisory Committee as to whether a penalty should be imposed.
Column 672
Lung Cancer
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her estimate of the number of people who have died in sed.each of the last three years from lung cancer as a result of handling asbestos ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. McLoughlin : I have been asked to reply.
Since April 1985, lung cancer has been a prescribed disease under the industrial injuries scheme provided the sufferer has had occupational exposure to asbestos and has some other clinical sign of asbestos-related disease. The numbers of cases diagnosed under this scheme in the last three years for which figures are available are :
Asbestos-related Lung Cancer Year |Number --------------------- 1989 |54 1990 |58 1991 |55
These figures were published in the Employment Gazette occasional supplement No. 3, September 1992.
However, the lung cancer deaths attributable to asbestos are known to be considerably understated, mainly because many cases may not be recognised as asbestos-related by the sufferers or their doctors.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Leader Programme
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the schemes now approved under the Leader programme ; and what is the estimated funding in each scheme.
Mr. Hanley : Schemes now approved under the EC Leader programme in Northern Ireland are as follows :
Mid Ulster Enterprises (Creggan) Ltd., Omagh, Co. Tyrone £388,320 ;
The Seeconnell Initiative, Castlewellan, Co. Down £508,200 ; South West Fermanagh Development Organisation Ltd. £52,000.
Terrorism
Mr. Trimble : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list all the terrorist incidents in 1992 in which shots were fired over the international frontier, bombs or command wires crossed the frontier, the terrorists came over or escaped over the frontier or that otherwise had a cross-frontier element.
Mr. Mates [holding answer 12 February 1993] : It would not be appropriate to disclose detailed information held by the Royal Ulster Constabulary about incidents in which charges may be brought.
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Family Courts (Creches)
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make it his policy for family courts to provide creche facilities.
Mr. John M. Taylor : All family court care centres have a separate child witness waiting room and, in addition, as
Column 673
a result of local initiatives, family rooms where children can wait have been created at a number of other courts. At the magistrates courts, creche facilities may be provided on a local basis if it is considered desirable by the relevant magistrates courts committee. This is the most practical policy in the circumstances.SOCIAL SECURITY
Asbestos-related Diseases
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many personnel who served with the Royal Navy during the second world war are in receipt of pensions awarded further to submitting claims for asbestos-related diseases.
Mr. Scott : The information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Resettlement Agency
Mr. Stephen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the Resettlement Agency's plan to dispose of its resettlement units to voluntary organisations or local authorities.
Miss Widdecombe : The Resettlement Agency is, today, beginning a tender exercise to dispose of its resettlement units at West End house, Spur house and Pound lodge each of which is in London, and also its resettlement units at Leicester and at Lye in the west midlands. The exercise to dispose of these five units will be completed by the end of March 1994.
National Insurance
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people who pay national insurance contributions are not liable to income tax.
Column 674
Miss Widdecombe : Based on information from the annual new earnings survey and estimates of the number of employees in employment, it is estimated that there are currently some 0.5 million contributors whose earnings fall below the PAYE threshold for the payment of income tax.
Marginal Tax Rates
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people faced marginal tax rates (a) including and (b) excluding social security of over (i) 40 per cent., (ii) 50 per cent., (iii) 60 per cent., (iv) 70 per cent., (v) 80 per cent., (vi) 90 per cent. and (vii) 100 per cent. in each year since 1978-79.
Mr. Burt : Such information as is available is in the tables.
Number of people with marginal deduction rates including social security (thousands) Per cent. |1985-86 |1988-89 |1989-90 |1990-91 |1991-92 |1992-93 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 100+ |70 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 90+ |130 |45 |45 |45 |55 |75 80+ |290 |345 |210 |235 |205 |250 70+ |290 |515 |415 |395 |400 |500 60+ |450 |515 |420 |395 |405 |510 50+ |680 |515 |420 |395 |405 |510 40+ |n.a. |n.a. |455 |665 |435 |520 Notes: 1. Figures for 1985-86 to 1991-92 are for benefit units where at least one partner works 24 hours or more. 2. Figures for 1992-93 are based on benefit units where at least one partner works 16 hours or more. These people would have experienced 100 per cent. deduction rate whilst on Income Support so their circumstances as a result of the change to Family Credit, will have improved. 3. Information for the years 1978-79, 1984-85, 1986-87 and 1987-88 is not available. 4. Figures based on Family Expenditure Survey data.
Column 673
Estimated number of taxpayers liable to income tax above basic rates
Taxpayers<1> liable at higher rate (thousands)
Tax rate<2>
|40 |45 |50 |55 |60 |65 |70 |75 |80 |Total
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1978-79 |235 |158 |86 |84 |54 |45 |32 |36 |33 |763
1979-80 |302 |168 |108 |43 |53 |- |- |- |- |674
1980-81 |334 |216 |129 |52 |65 |- |- |- |- |796
1981-82 |445 |305 |170 |75 |95 |- |- |- |- |1,090
1982-83 |435 |245 |155 |65 |83 |- |- |- |- |983
1983-84 |355 |245 |140 |55 |65 |- |- |- |- |860
1984-85 |380 |255 |145 |65 |85 |- |- |- |- |930
1985-86 |380 |250 |150 |70 |100 |- |- |- |- |950
1986-87 |400 |300 |210 |90 |120 |- |- |- |- |1,120
1987-88 |360 |320 |240 |110 |160 |- |- |- |- |1,190
1988-89 |1,350|- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |1,350
1989-90 |1,500|- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |1,500
1990-91 |1,800|- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |1,800
<3>1991-92 |1,700|- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |1,700
<3>1992-93 |1,700|- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |1,700
<1> Single people and married couples for years up to and including 1989-90,
individuals from 1990-91.
<2> Tax rate applicable to earned income. This excludes any liability to the
investment income surcharge for years up to 1983-84.
<3> Provisional estimates projected from the 1990-91 Survey of Personal
Income.
Benefits
Mr. Betts : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list, for each change in the minimum lending rate since April 1992, the interest earned on £5,000
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invested at minimum lending rates and the income assumed to be received by a benefit claimant with £5,000 capital for both housing benefit and poll tax benefit calculations.Mr. Burt : The information requested is in the table. This reflects changes in the base rate rather than the
Column 675
minimum lending rate--the two are often used as broad synonyms but the latter has only been used intermittently since 1981. The formula for calculating benefit deductions is not intended to represent any rate of return that could be obtained from investing capital.Column 675
Base rate Amount of interest Benefit deduction Tapered amount
earned on capital for £5,000 capital set against benefit
of in
|£5,000 invested at |both housing benefit|Housing benefit (65 |Community charge
|base rate |and community |per cent. taper) |benefit (15 per
|charge benefit |cent. taper)
Date |Per cent. |Per week |Per week |Per week |Per week
|£ |£ |£ |£
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 May 1992 |10.00 |9.615 |8.00 |5.20 |1.20
16 September 1992 |12.00 |11.538 |8.00 |5.20 |1.20
17 September 1992 |10.00 |9.615 |8.00 |5.20 |1.20
22 September 1992 |9.00 |8.653 |8.00 |5.20 |1.20
16 October 1992 |8.00 |7.692 |8.00 |5.20 |1.20
13 November 1992 |7.00 |6.730 |8.00 |5.20 |1.20
26 January 1993 |6.00 |5.769 |8.00 |5.20 |1.20
NATIONAL FINANCE
Typing Pool Services
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans have been proposed regarding tendering of typing pool services in VAT and Inland Revenue offices in England and Wales ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir John Cope : Customs and Excise have included typing pool services in VAT as part of the programme of market testing activities in their regional executive units in England and Wales.
The Inland Revenue proposes to market test typing services within the boundaries of its south-west regional executive office.
Consultants
Ms Mowlam : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the contracts awarded by his Department to (a) Coopers and Lybrand management consultants, (b) Touche Ross management consultants, (c) Price Waterhouse management consultants, (d) Ernst and Young management consultants, (e) Chrichton Roberts Ltd., (f) KPMG management consultants and (g) Leopold Joseph management consultants, with the total cost of the contracts with each contractor, for (i) the past 12 months and (ii) 1991- 92.
Mr. Nelson : The record of contracts awarded by the Treasury to the companies mentioned in the question is as follows :
Company
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coopers Lybrand
1991-92 |1 Management Consultancy
1992-93 |1 Audit Consultancy
| Total Value £153,000
Touche Ross
1991-92 |1 Market Testing Consultancy
1992-93 |1 Management Consultancy
| Total Value £87,000
Price Waterhouse
1991-92 |3 Management Consultancies
1992-93 |1 Management Consultancy
| Total Value £108,000
Ernst and Young
1991-92 |1 Management Consultancy
1992-93 |3 Audit Consultancies
|3 Management Consultancies
| Total Value £219,000
KPMG
1991-92 |1 Management Consultancy
1992-93 |1 Management Consultancy
|1 Training Consultancy
| Total Value £88,000
Chrichton Roberts Ltd and Leopald Joseph management consultants have not been awarded any contracts during the 1991-92 or 1992-93 financial years.
Because of the need to maintain commercially sensitive information, we have only shown the combined total value of contracts for each company for the two years in question.
Departmental Costs
Mr. Gordon Prentice : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the instances, by Government Department, when the National Audit Office, in reports published since November 1990, has identified cost overruns resulting from departmental inefficiencies.
Mr. Dorrell : Since November 1990, seven NAO reports on Government Departments have identified cost overruns. These reports are listed in the table, along with the reasons for the overruns.
Column 675
Cost overruns identified in NAO reports since November 1990
Department |NAO Report |Publication Date |HC Ref |Reason for Cost
|Overrun
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ministry of |MAFF: Management of Works Services |17 February 1993 |HC 470 |Estimating procedures
Agriculture
Customs and |Accommodation for HM Customs and |10 December 1990 |HC 101 |Cost of operational works
Excise |Excise London Investigation Division Staff
FCO |Report on Appropriation Account Class II |31 January 1991 |163.II |Extra cost of consultants fees on IT projects
|Votes 1-4
MOD |MOD: Collaborative Projects |26 February 1991 |HC 247 |Overruns in some collaborative projects
MOD |MOD: Support Information Technology |25 July 1991 |HC 644 |Project cost overruns
MOD |The 1991 Statement on Major Defence |17 July 1992 |HC 121 |Excess costs due to developmental difficulties
|Projects
Department |Contracting for Roads | 4 November 1992 |HC 226 |Overruns caused by price increases, un-
of Transport |foreseen ground conditions and changes in
|departmental requirements
Family Incomes
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, East (Mr. Brown) of 11 January, Official Report, column 546, if he will give similar information for an increase in the reduced rate band of income tax.
Mr. Dorrell : At 1993-94 levels of income and assuming indexation of allowances and thresholds, the full year cost of a 1p cut in the basic rate of tax is about £1.5 billion. This is equivalent to the cost of increasing the lower rate band width to £3,700. Under such a regime, a married man paying tax at least at the basic rate would be £1.54 per week better off when compared with indexation.
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families with children are estimated to have taxable income below the income tax threshold ; and what proportion this represents of all families with children.
Mr. Dorrell : In 1992-93 it is estimated that 1.6 million single parents and married couples with children have no income tax liability. These represent just over a fifth of all families with children.
Mortgage Tax Relief
Mr. Hendry : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the saving if mortgage interest tax relief was limited to 25 per cent. of base rates.
Mr. Dorrell : The revenue yield from calculating mortgage interest relief in terms of 25 per cent. of interest charged at base rates rather than actual mortgage interest rates would be about £700 million at 1992-93 levels.
Mr. Hendry : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the increase in cost to the Treasury, in terms of mortgage interest tax relief, of each percentage increase in interest rates.
Mr. Dorrell : About £500 million at 1992-93 levels.
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