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Column 426
Clyde ValleyCentrally administered benefits
Family Credit
Disability Working Allowance
Attendance Allowance
War Pensions
Invalid Care Allowance
Disability Living Allowance
(Residual) Mobility Allowance
Disability Living Allowance
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when his Department received an appeal against a refusal of disability living allowance in respect of Mr. D. W. J. Partridge of 167 Sycamore court, Bargoed ; and when he expects to adjudicate that appeal.
Mr. Scott : The administration of disability living allowance is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write shortly to the hon. Member and a copy will be placed in the Library.
Letter from M. Bichard to Mr. Ron Davies, dated 18 March 1993 : As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency, it is my responsibility to answer questions raised about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security asking when the department received an appeal against a refusal of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) in respect of Mr. D. W. J. Partridge of 167 Sycamore court, Bargoed ; and when he expects to adjudicate that appeal.
Communications with Mr. Partridge have revealed that he wrote to the Disability Living Allowance Unit (DLAU) requesting an appeal on or about 29 July 1992. Unfortunately, there is no trace of an appeal letter having been received.
On 12 August Mr. Partridge completed a DLA claim pack which was received at Cardiff Disability Benefits Centre on 17 August and in the DLAU on 26 August. On behalf of the Secretary of State, the date of receipt of the DLA claim pack has been accepted as the date of appeal.
Urgent action is now being taken to prepare the appeal submission and to forward the case to the Independent Tribunal Service (ITS) so that the appeal can be heard. We will request an urgent listing but as the ITS is entirely independent the timing of the hearing will ultimately rest with them.
I am sorry that there has been so little action following Mr. Partridge's appeal. You will be aware from my letter of 19 October 1992 to all MPs of the problems the Benefits Agency has faced since the launch of DLA and the positive steps being taken to improve the situation. Since then, further steps have been taken to ensure that appeals are promptly actioned including recruiting additional staff to prepare appeal submissions.
I am sorry that Mr. Partridge did not receive the standard of service to which every customer is entitled. Such matters are not taken lightly and every effort is being made to improve the quality of service to all our customers. I have written to you separately and in greater detail about this matter.
I hope that you find this reply helpful. A copy will appear in the Official Report and a copy will also be placed in the Library.
NATIONAL HERITAGE
Hotel Classification
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if the English tourist board will extend its system of classification for British hotels so as to indicate which serve plated food in their dining rooms.
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Mr. Key : The English tourist board has no plans to extend the scope of its accommodation classification and grading schemes at the moment. Whether or not it does so in the future will depend on its assessment of whether such extension is necessary to meet the needs of both the industry and its customers.
Radio Licences
Mrs. Anne Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many local radio licences it is estimated will be issued by the Radio Authority by 2000.
Mr. Brooke : The number of local radio licences to be issued is a matter for the Radio Authority to decide, taking account of its responsibilities under the Broadcasting Act 1990.
Red Hot Television
Mr. Gale : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what steps he plans to take in connection with the television service Red Hot Television formerly known as Red Hot Dutch.
Mr. Brooke : The Government have today notified the broadcaster of the television service "Red Hot Television" and the European Commission that they propose to take action against this service under article 2.2 of the EC Broadcasting Directive (89/552/EEC). Article 2.2 provides for a member state to take action against a service coming from another member state where that service manifestly, seriously and gravely infringes article 2.2 of the Broadcasting Directive, which deals with the protection of minors, because of the content of its programme material.
Article 2.2 lays down a 15-day period for consultations with the transmitting state and the Commission. If it is not possible to reach an amicable settlement during this period, the Government will take steps to restrict re-transmission of the service within the United Kingdom. To this end, I propose to make an order under section 177 of the Broadcasting Act 1990 proscribing "Red Hot Television". The Independent Television Commission notified me on 15 October 1992 and 1 February 1993 that it considers this service to be an unacceptable foreign satellite service within the meaning of section 177 of the Broadcasting Act 1990. Subject to the outcome of the consultations required by the directive, I am satisfied that the making of such an order would be in the public interest and compatible with the international obligations of the United Kingdom. The making of an order under section 177 would have the effect of activating, once the order was in force, the criminal offences of supporting a proscribed foreign satellite service specified in section 178 of the Broadcasting Act 1990.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Iraq (Sanctions)
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the companies and individuals currently being investigated by his Department in connection with breaches of sanctions against Iraq.
Mr. Heseltine : It is not the Government's practice to discuss any investigations, on-going or otherwise, in which DTI is involved.
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Oil Exploration
Mr. Wigley : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make it his policy to hold a public inquiry into any proposals from oil exploration companies for development and exploitation of oil resources under the sea in Caernarfon Bay or Cardigan Bay.
Mr. Eggar : Any company seeking to develop offshore reserves must apply to my Department for development consent under the Petroleum and Submarine Pipe-lines Act 1975, and obtain other approvals and clearances as necessary from the relevant authorities, e.g. planning approval for onshore terminals. It would not be appropriate for me to pre-judge the application of these procedures. Obviously I am well seized of the environmental sensitivities surrounding these areas and in any licence award I will be imposing strict conditions on the licensees. Any development plan for such areas must also be accompanied by a satisfactory environmental impact assessment.
Crescent International Petroleum
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations his Department has received concerning the role of Crescent International Petroleum in trading with Iraq.
Mr. Heseltine : I am aware of allegations that have been made against Crescent International Petroleum concerning trading with Iraq. If any evidence is found to substantiate allegations that the company has acted unlawfully the proper course of action would be to pass it on to the appropriate authorities. The issues raised fall within the remit of Lord Justice Scott's inquiry and he is free to consider them if he thinks it appropriate to do so.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Iran
Mrs. Bridget Prentice : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the threat to regional stability posed by the current economic situation in Iran.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We keep all developments which could affect regional stability under close review, including Iran's economic difficulties.
Mrs. Bridget Prentice : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement regarding the current state of diplomatic and economic relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United Kingdom.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We recognise Iran's regional importance and seek to develop our bilateral relationship with Iran. But as was made clear at the European Council at Edinburgh in December last year, the extent to which closer relations with and confidence in Iran can be developed will be determined by improvements in Iran's behaviour in a number of areas, in particular : the fatwa against Salman Rushdie ; terrorism ; and human rights.
We welcome the recent increase in trade between Britain and Iran. British exports to Iran in 1992 were £568.1 million : Iran's exports to Britain were £164.5 million.
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Prisoners (France)
Mr. Gerrard : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens have been transferred to British prisons from French prisons under the convention for the transfer of sentenced persons ; and what representations he has received about problems with the scheme as it affects British citizens in France.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Since 1985, one prisoner has been transferred to a British prison from France.
I have received no such representations.
Rhinoceroses
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what diplomatic representations he has made to Taiwan, South Korea and Yemen regarding the importation of rhinoceros horn.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : In the last few months, the United Kingdom has strongly urged, and encouraged others to urge, the Taiwan, South Korean and Yemeni authorities to end the illegal rhino horn trade in their countries.
East Timor
Mrs. Bridget Prentice : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his most recent assessment of the human rights situation in East Timor.
Mr. Goodlad : Our concerns about human rights in East Timor, including the disparity in sentencing of the military and civilians involved in the Dilli incident in November 1991 and the need for continuing International Committee of the Red Cross access to prisoners, were reflected in the Resolution on this issue, co-sponsored by the Community, which was adopted at the UN Commission on Human
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Rights in Geneva last week. We monitor the situation closely and maintain regular and useful dialogue with the Indonesians on human rights issues. We believe this is the best way of securing improvements.Moscow Airport
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many complaints involving the ill-treatment of British citizens as transit passengers at Moscow airport he has received ; what representations he has made to the Russian authorities on such complaints ; and what information as to the availability of consular assistance is made to transit passengers.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : One such complaint has been received. The British embassy in Moscow has drawn the attention of the Russian authorities to the complaint by formal note. There is an information desk in the transit area at Moscow airport for the benefit of passengers. It is staffed by at least one English speaker at all times who can give the British embassy telephone number on request.
Members of the European Parliament
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish a table showing the number of members of the European Parliament elected currently, an as proposed, by each member state together with the respective member to electorate ratios, the number of constituencies and the methods of election in each current or future election proposed or decided.
Mr. Goodlad : The following table sets out the information. The numbers of seats and proportion of population per MEP following the 1994 election are given in brackets :
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Country |Seats |Total population |Population per MEP |Constituencies/voting
|(million) |system
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Belgium |24 (25) |10.0 |416,667 (400,000) |Proportional representation in 2 regional constituencies
| (regional lists)
Denmark |16 (16) |5.1 |318,750 (318,750) |Proportional representation in single constituency
| (national list)
Germany |81 (99) |79.4 |980,247 (802,020) |Proportional representation in 10 Lander constituencies
| (regional and national lists). Nomination by House of
| Representatives for Berlin constituency
Ireland |15 (15) |3.6 |240,000 (240,000) |Proportional representation in 4 multi-member constituencies.
| Single transferable vote
Greece |24 (25) |10.0 |416,667 (400,000) |Proportional representation in single constituency
| (national list)
Spain |60 (64) |38.8 |646,667 (606,250) |Proportional representation in single constituency
| (national list)
France |81 (87) |56.8 |701,235 (652,874) |Proportional representation in single constituency
| (national list)
Italy |81 (87) |57.4 |708,642 (659,770) |Proportional representation in 5 regional constituencies
| (regional lists)
Luxembourg |6 (6) |0.4 |66,667 (66,667) |Proportional representation in single constituency
| (national list)
Netherlands |25 (31) |14.7 |588,000 (474,194) |Proportional representation in single constituency
| (national list)
Portugal |24 (25) |10.2 |425,000 (408,000)
| (national list)
United Kingdom |81 (87) |56.9 |702,469 (654,023) |Simple majority in 78 constituencies in England, Wales and
| Scotland. Proportional representation (STV) in single
| constituency in Northern Ireland
We are discussing the allocation of the United Kingdom's six extra seats and will take discussions soon. So far as we are aware, other member states have not announced how they intend to allocate their additional seats.
Prisoners (France)
Mr. Gerrard : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance is given by his Department to British citizens in obtaining evidence to prove their insolvency for purposes of release from contrainte par corps under the French penal code.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : If requested by a prisoner, British consular officers in France will make inquiries with the French customs authorities about fines and can forward documents to the authorities. They cannot intervene to seek reductions in fines properly imposed by French courts.
Polly Peck
Mr. Rogers : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements were made by his Department's agencies acting on its behalf with the Turkish Government and for Polly Peck plc in relation to shipping movements in the eastern Mediterranean in each year from 1981 to 1990.
Grenada
Mr. Pickthall : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has made to the Government of Grenada in relation to the convictions of the former members of the People's Revolutionary Government of Grenada who were sentenced to death ; and what information he has about the conditions under which Phyllis Coard is kept.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : None. The death sentences on those convicted of the murder of Maurice Bishop were commuted to life imprisonment on 14 August 1991.
At present Mrs. Coard shares accommodation with one other female prisoner. She is allowed visitors, has access to medical and recreational facilities, and is employed in the prison tailor's workshop.
Nuclear Non-proliferation
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards member states of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty evoking their right under article X(i) of the treaty to withdraw from membership.
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Mr. Douglas Hogg : The United Kingdom is determined to maintain and strengthen the non-proliferation treaty. We are therefore treating North Korea's announcement of its intention to withdraw from the treaty under article X(i) as a matter of great concern. We urge North Korea to reconsider its position.
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what meetings or communications he has had with his counterparts in (a) the United States of America and (b) Russia, in regard to the recent announcement by North Korea that it intends to withdraw from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Representatives of the Governments of the United Kingdom, the Russian Federation and the United States of America met on 17 March in Vienna to discuss their concern about the consequences of the announcement of the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to withdraw from the non-proliferation treaty. The subject was also discussed at a special session of the International Atomic Energy Authority Board of Governors on 18 March.
Ozone-Depleting Substances
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what is the quantity of ozone-depleting substances recycled within his Department and returned to the manufacturer ;
(2) what proportion of his Department's consumption of ozone-depleting substances become controlled waste in terms of section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 ;
(3) what action has been taken to ensure that ozone-destroying substances consumed by his Department are identified as controlled wastes when they are no longer in use ;
(4) what quantity of HCFC 22 is purchases by the Department per annum ;
(5) what the latest available figures are for his Department's total purchase of CFCs and HCFCs ;
(6) if he will provide details from the maintenance and servicing record of the quantity and type of ozone-destroying chemicals used annually in his Department's refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment for servicing and in leakages ; and what proportion is removed for recycling.
Mr. Goodlad : The information is being compiled and I will write to the hon. Gentleman shortly.
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HEALTH
Complaints Procedure
Mr. David Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to extend the Hospital Complaints Procedure Act 1988 to the private sector ; and if she will make a statement.
The patients charter established the right of patients to have any complaint about national health service services--whoever provides them-- investigated and to receive a full and prompt written reply from the chief executive or general manager.
Leprosy Patients (Thalidomide)
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what guidelines have been produced by her Department for leprologists concerning advising patients about the neuropathic side-effects of thalidomide ;
(2) how many leprosy patients in the United Kingdom treated with thalidomide have complained of symptoms described by Fullerton and O'Sullivan in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 1968 ; 31 ; 543, table 1 in each of the last three years.
Mr. Sackville : I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave the then hon. Member for Stoke on Trent, South (Mr. Ashley) on 3 March 1992 at column 157. A Department of Health memorandum on leprosy recommends that a member of the panel of leprosy opinion is invited to see and discuss the management of all new cases of leprosy. It is the doctors' responsibility to discuss the benefits and possible adverse reactions of any treatment with their patients.
No leprosy patient treated with thalidomide in the last three years is known to have complained of the symptoms described.
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been undertaken by her Department in the use of
electrophysiological tests in leprosy patients to exclude the use of thalidomide neuropathy as part of the treatment.
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 under the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. This is an independent body deciding what research to support on its own expert judgment. The council is always willing to consider for support soundly based new scientifc proposals in competition with other applications.
Pertussis Vaccine
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in connection with the clinical trials of the acellular pertussis vaccine which commenced in October 1987.
Mr. Sackville : Phase II (immunogenicity and reactogenicity) studies have been undertaken using acellular
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pertussis vaccine, administered according to the previous (prior to May 1990) immunisation schedule. These results were published in the Lancet in January 1991. Studies are presently being undertaken to compare the vaccine with conventional whole cell vaccine given in a two, three and four-month schedule as used in the United Kingdom. Additional studies are also being carried out to investigate the duration of antibodies following acellular pertussis vaccine. Phase III (vacine efficacy) studies are being undertaken in Sweden ; results will not be available until 1995-96.Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many reported reactions under the yellow card scheme have been received in which the pertussis vaccine was the vaccine alleged to be responsible for the reaction, in 1991 and 1992.
Mr. Sackville : Pertussis vaccine may be given as a single vaccine but is more usually given as a combined diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP) vaccine. The number of reports for each type of vaccine is as follows :
Vaccine |1991 |1992 ---------------------------------- Pertussis |8 |8 DTP |184 |206
A report of a suspected adverse reaction does not necessarily mean that the reaction was caused by the vaccine.
Non-smokers
Mrs. Wise : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what studies she has commissioned into the levels and sources of carbon monoxide in the blood of non-smokers, including pregnant women.
Mr. Sackville : None. The main agency through which the Government support biomedical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council which receives its grant-in-aid from the Office of Science and Technology under the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. The Medical Research Council is an independent body deciding what research to support on its own expert judgment.
Studies have shown that in indoor air the major sources of carbon monoxide (CO) contamination are cooking and unflued heating. The main contribution of CO in outdoor air pollution is provided by motor vehicle emissions.
Complementary Therapists
Mr. Faulds : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will provide figures as to the number of complementary therapists employed as ancilliary staff in general practitioner practices.
Dr. Mawhinney : A total of 169 whole-time equivalent complementary therapists were employed in general practices in England in 1992.
Cot Deaths
Mr. James Hill : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the recorded numbers of cot deaths in the United Kingdom for each year since 1990.
Mr. Sackville : The information for England and Wales is shown in the table. Information relating to Scotland and
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Northern Ireland are matters for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Cot Deaths (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and,
Sudden Infant Deaths) registered in England and
Wales, 1990-91
Sudden infanSudden infant
death Syndrodeaths<2>
|1990 |1991 |1990 |1991
--------------------------------------------------
Under 1 year of age |1,123|935 |1,202|1,008
1 year and over<3> |32 |39 |44 |43
<1> Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS, ICD 9th
revision 798.0) refers to cases where the death
certificate identified it as either being (i) a
main foetal mention (deaths under 28 days of age)
or (ii) the underlying cause of death (28 days
and over).
<2> Sudden infant deaths refer to all the cases
where cot death', sudden infant death syndrome',
or some similar term has been given on the death
certificate even when other, perhaps more precise,
conditions were also given.
<3> Only rarely is sudden infant death given as a
cause of death in children aged over one year;
this happened for seven sudden infant deaths in
1990 and for four in 1991.
Note: Provisional information for 1992 will be
available shortly.
M25 Pollution
Mrs. Wise : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what studies she has made of the effects of air pollution in the area of the M25 corridor on the respiratory health of children in the area, and the incidence of asthma.
Mr. Sackville : None. 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 under the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. The MRC is an independent body deciding what research to support on its own expert judgment.
The concentrations of pollutants in the United Kingdom associated with traffic sources are in most circumstances below those assessed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to have significant effects on health. The Department was represented at an air pollution workshop held by Surrey county council in July 1992 following concern expressed about pollution generated by the M25. The county council has since been in contact with the Department about the design of a study to investigate the possible effects of air pollutants.
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