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Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 15 April 1993
HEALTH
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what research is currently funded by her Department into myalgic encephalomyelitis ; and what research has been completed by her Department into myalgic encephalomyelitis since 1979 ;
(2) what attempts she has made to ensure that all GPs are aware of the research and diagnostic criteria developed to ensure the proper health care for sufferers of myalgic encephalomyelitis ;
(3) what representations she has received from the Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Association in regard to counselling and support offered by the national health service to myalgic encephalomyelitis sufferers ;
(4) what information she has on the occurrence of myalgic encephalomyelitis in teenagers.
Mr. Sackville : Information on the occurrence of myalgic encephalomyelitis in teenagers is not available centrally. The Department has received correspondence on various aspects of ME from the Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Association, its members and supporters. Ministers and officials have had meetings with representatives of the association and other ME voluntary bodies. The main agency through which the Government support biomedical and clinical research in the United Kingdom is the Medical Research Council, which receives its grant-in-aid from the office of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. The MRC is currently funding a study at the Institute of Psychiatry. The MRC is always willing to receive and consider soundly based research proposals in competition with other applications. The Department also keeps in touch with research being funded by bodies such as the Linbury Trust.
Medical practitioners keep in touch with developments in diagnosis, health care and treatment through professional journals, post graduate education, attending scientific seminars and the activities and publications of the medical royal colleges. The Department is supporting a task force, including representatives from the ME voluntary bodies, the Royal College of General Practitioners and experts involved in research and patient management. The task force will be considering matters such as the publication of guidance on ME which will be of help to medical practitioners.
General Practitioner Fund Holders
Mr. Hunter : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the oral statement by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Bolton, West (Mr. Sackville), on 24 March, Official Report,
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column 1208, if she will indicate the evidence underlying the statement that in April 1991 the baseline cost of general practitioner fund holders' prescribing of medicines was 10 per cent. less than that of non-fund holders' prescribing.Dr. Mawhinney : The Prescription Pricing Authority data show that in April 1991 the cost of non-fund holders' prescribing was £3.88 per person and that of fund holders was £3.49 per person.
Schizophrenia
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what international co-operative projects exist in the field of schizophrenia research ;
(2) what research is being undertaken by or being financed by her Department into the causes of and possible cures for schizophrenia ; what projects exist for rehabilitation and training of people suffering from schizophrenia ; what crisis centres with 24-hour support her Department finances ; what planned allowances of beds in hospitals is made for those with recurring mental illness ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Yeo : The Department is not involved in international projects or financing research. 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 my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
Health authorities, working with local authorities and the independent sector, should provide a comprehensive range of local services for mentally ill people, including in-patient beds and crisis intervention accommodation. The provision of rehabilitation and training for the long- term mentally ill is also part of the comprehensive district service. The level of provision is a matter for local management to determine, taking into account local priorities and available resources.
Telecommunications Equipment
Mr. Purchase : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what studies the National Radiological Protection Board is undertaking of the effects of telecommunications equipment.
Mr. Sackville : The National Radiological Protection Board advises Government on risks to human health from non-ionising electromagnetic radiation, including emissions from telecommunications equipment. The board's advice is that the radio frequency energy emitted by telecommunications equipment does not constitute a cancer hazard on the basis of available research evidence. The research work of the NRPB's non- ionising department encompasses biological research, programmes of physical measurements and theoretical dosimetry and health hazard assessment. The Department of Trade and Industry, together with the Science and Engineering Research Council and a number of industrial participants, are funding a research study of the physical interaction of electromagnetic fields and the human head. The results from this and other studies will enable a better assessment of the extent to which emissions comply with recommended restrictions on human exposures.
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Doctors' Hours
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors by hospital district health authority and region were working more than an average of 83 hours per week at 1 April.
Dr. Mawhinney : We expect to receive reports from regional task forces shortly showing the number of junior hospital doctors and dentists in England who were contracted for more than a maximum average of 83 hours per week at 1 April.
Cot Deaths
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the latest annual number of recorded cot deaths ; what the figure was in 1988 ; and what further research is planned into cot deaths.
Mr. Sackville [holding answer 2 April 1993] : The latest annual numbers of recorded cot deaths for 1988 and for 1991 are shown in the table.
Research into cot deaths is commissioned through the national health service research and development programme. The Department, together with the Anne Diamond Cot Death Appeal, is currently funding research into cot deaths in Avon. Funding for another proposal is under consideration. Work in this area commissioned by the Department of Health complements research by other agencies, including the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths and the Medical Research Council, which receives its grant-in-aid from the office of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Since 1979 the MRC has spent just over £4.2 million on research into sudden infant death, respiratory distress syndrome and related projects. The confidential inquiry into stillbirths and deaths in infancy, which is a long-term strategic initiative, also includes in-depth inquiries into cot death, in selected regions, in its current programme.
Cot deaths<1> in England and Wales,
1988 and 1991
|1988 |1991
----------------------------------------
Under one year of age |1,467|935
One year and over |32 |39
<1> In this table cot deaths refer to
sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS, ICD
9th revision 798.0) where the death
certificate identified SIDS as either
being (i) a main cause of death (deaths
under 28 days of age) or (ii) the
underlying cause of death (28 days and
over).
NORTHERN IRELAND
Religious Affiliations
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the annual cost of monitoring the religious affiliation of the employees of the General Consumer Council for Northern Ireland.
Mr. Atkins : The annual cost is negligible.
Social Fund
Rev. Martin Smyth : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the Northern Ireland social fund discretionary budget will be for 1993-94.
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Mr. Hanley : I am glad to be able to announce that the social fund discretionary budget for 1993-94 will be £28.5 million. This is an increase of £3.5 million over the original amount allocated to districts for 1992-93. Details of the allocations are being placed in the Library of both Houses together with a note explaining their basis.
Child Support Agency
Rev. Martin Smyth : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in establishing the child support agency for Northern Ireland.
Mr. Hanley : I am pleased to announce that the Child Support Agency for Northern Ireland was established as an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Services on 5 April 1993. The Child Support (NI) Order 1991 gives effect in Northern Ireland to a new system for the provision of child support. Under this system, the agency will have responsibility for the assessment, collection and enforcement of child support maintenance payment in Northern Ireland.
I am certain that the new arrangements will be a significant improvement on the present system, which is fragmented, discretionary and, consequently, inconsistent in setting levels of maintenance. The agency has a crucial part to play in the efficient implementation and effective functioning of these new arrangements. I have delegated full managerial authority for the agency's day-to-day operations to its chief executive. The policy and resources framework of the agency is set out in the framework document, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House.
In addition, I have set challenging targets for the agency in its first year of operation. These are to achieve the following : 60 per cent. of people with the care of children making eligible applications to the CSA to have maintenance arranged ;
annual benefit savings of £12.8 million ;
to manage the agency's resources so as to deliver its business plan within a total budget of £5.1 million ;
65 per cent. of clients to regard the service as satisfactory ; to meet a set of milestone targets set by the Minister, which relate to major initiatives.
ENVIRONMENT
Broadmoor Hospital (Noise and Nuisance)
Mr. McCartney : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what legislative protection there is for residents of Broadmoor hospital who are disturbed by intrusive noise and nuisance ; and what plans he has to enforce the protection contained in section 68 of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 in respect of Broadmoor hospital.
Mr. Maclean : Local authorities may take action requiring the abatement of noise emitted from premises, including land, under part III of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Any complaints about noise at Broadmoor hospital should therefore be addressed to the local authority in the first instance. Section 68 of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 enables my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment to make regulations to control noise from plant or
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machinery. My right hon. and learned Friend has not made any regulations under the provisions of section 68 of the Control of Pollution Act.Reservoirs (Grazing)
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is taking to ensure that water companies follow the recommendations of his Department's letter of advice dated 5 October 1990, concerning action to be taken to prevent the grazing of grass-covered surface reservoirs by livestock.
Mr. Maclean : The drinking water inspectorate has made detailed checks on the progress that water companies have made in preventing livestock from grazing on grass-covered service reservoirs. Most service reservoirs with previously unrestricted access to livestock have now been fenced. A few companies have encountered difficulties in obtaining permission to fence reservoirs located in national parks and other areas where restrictions apply. In these cases the inspectorate is encouraging companies to investigate less obtrusive fencing and other means that might be acceptable to the relevant authorities.
Housing Investment Programme
Mr. Dowd : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much housing investment programme grant each London borough applied for ; and how much they were awarded for the financial year 1993-94 and for each year since 1980-81.
Mr. Baldry : Information on housing investment programme bids, HIP allocations and housing capital expenditure since 1980-81 for each of the London borough councils and the City of London has been prepared and the tables deposited in the House of Commons Library.
Urban Air Quality
Mr. Dowd : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to reduce the level of pollutants in London's air listed in his Department's report "Urban Air Quality in the United Kingdom."
Mr. Maclean : The Government have taken action to reduce urban air pollution on a number of fronts. The implementation of European Community directives on vehicle emissions will substantially reduce the level of pollution from road transport. The national plan for implementation of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe protocol on volatile organic compounds is designed to ensure that the levels of pollution from solvents in paints, ink and glues and from evaporation of liquid fuels will fall. Other measures which will act to reduce urban air pollution include the implementation of European legislation on emissions from large boilers and on fuel composition.
Road Building
Mr. Dowd : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects his Department to publish research it has undertaken on the effect of road building on the inner-city economy.
Mr. Redwood : My Department commissioned a literature review on the impact of transport investment
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upon the inner city from Dr. Margaret Grieco of the transport studies unit, Oxford university. The review offered mixed views on the effects of roadbuilding in inner cities. The contractor has been invited to publish the work under licence from HMSO.First-time House Buyers
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the number of first-time buyers who have entered the housing market as a result of the measures announced in the autumn statement.
Sir George Young : The housing market package, announced in the autumn statement, included £50 million for additional grants under the cash incentive scheme and tenants incentive scheme. These have enabled 3,300 tenants of local authorities and housing associations to buy homes of their own on the private market, freeing their previous homes for families in housing need.
Toxic Waste
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the incinerators of which he is aware in Germany that are suitable to dispose of the toxic waste which he has requested his German counterpart not to allow to be exported to the United Kingdom for incineration by ReChem.
Mr. Maclean : This information is not available. I am aware that Germany does have high temperature incinerators which are capable of disposing of this toxic waste.
Housing Associations
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many homes have been provided each year under the housing associations managing agents scheme ; and how much central Government grant has been involved.
Sir George Young : The housing associations as managing agents scheme was set up to encourage private owners to rent out their property. HAMA has been running with five pilot housing associations operating in Oxford and the south-east since 1992.
During the first year of the scheme, up to 31 March 1993, 308 homes were brought into management. An additional 515 homes have been provided by one of the pilot housing associations which found leasing arrangements, as opposed to management agreements, more attractive to private landlords operating in their area. During 1992-93 a total of £300,000 was made available to run the HAMA pilot scheme. On 6 January, I was pleased to announce that HAMA will be extended to provide national coverage with another 22 housing associations managing schemes. These housing associations will be working with 140 local authorities throughout England. A further £1.25 million has been allocated to these associations which will allow for two staff plus running costs during 1993-94.
I now hope to see 5,000 private sector homes brought into management and used to house families in need within the next year or so ; this will take us a long way towards the target of 10,000 homes under HAMA by 1996.
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There are housing associations not in receipt of grant aid under HAMA which have set up their own projects based on the principles of HAMA. We do not, however, hold information on these projects.Mr. Fraser : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will issue guidance clarifying the extent to which housing associations assisted with public funds apply the provisions of the public procurement directive.
Mr. Baldry : The relevant provisions apply to contracting authorities carrying out civil engineering works or building works for hospitals, facilities intended for sports, recreation and ledisure, school and university buildings or buildings for administrative purposes. I would therefore not expect housing activities which housing associations carry out with public subsidy to be affected.
Empty Properties
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many times the task force on Government Departments' empty houses has met ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir George Young : The task force on Government Departments' empty houses has met twice since it was established on 8 December 1992. It has made good progress on the work necessary to deliver its remit of helping to bring empty Government residential properties back into housing use. The third meeting of the task force is due to take place on 28 April.
Charity Homes (Tax Exemption)
Mr. Burden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the impact of ending the local tax exemption of residential homes run by charities.
Mr. Redwood : I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Local Government and Inner Cities to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe (Mr. Morris) on 31 March, Official Report, columns 290-91.
Housing Co-operatives
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many consents have been given to housing authorities under section 27 of the Housing Act 1985.
Sir George Young : Since the provisions of section 27 of the Housing Act 1985, as amended by section 10 of the Housing and Planning Act 1986, came into force, the Secretary of State has given 116 consents to management agreements entered into under these powers.
Water Meters
Mrs. Helen Jackson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information is held by OFWAT as to the percentage of domestic houses that have a water meter installed, region by region, at the most recent date for which information is available and the same date 12 months perviously.
Mr. Maclean : The information is not available by region. Information for each water company for 1991-92 is
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shown in the table. For similar information for 1992-93, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Northfield (Mr. Burden) on 2 April, Official Report, column 521.
Water Company |Metered Supply |Proportion
|Households (000s)|Percentage
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anglian Water Services Ltd |30 |2.1
Bournemouth and West
Hampshire Water Company |4 |2.5
Bristol Water plc |10 |2.5
Cambridge Water Company |3 |3.0
Chester Waterworks Company |1 |2.3
Cholderton and District Water
Company Ltd |<1 |1.5
Dwr Cymru Cyfyngedig |29 |2.8
East Surrey Water plc |2 |1.6
East Worcester Water plc<1> |13 |14.7
Essex Water plc |6 |1.1
Folkestone and Dover Water
Services Ltd |1 |1.6
Hartlepools Water Company |<1 |0.1
Mid Kent Water plc |3 |1.5
Mid Southern Water plc |8 |3.2
North East Water plc |3 |0.6
North Surrey Water Ltd |7 |4.0
North West Water Ltd |29 |1.1
Northumbrian Water Ltd |1 |0.2
Portsmouth Water plc |<1 |0.1
Severn Trent Water Ltd |94 |3.6
South East Water Ltd |7 |3.0
South Staffordshire Water plc |9 |1.9
South West Water Services Ltd |19 |3.4
Southern Water Services Ltd |84 |9.9
Suffolk Water plc |3 |3.1
Sutton District Water plc |<1 |0.3
Tendring Hundred Water Services
Ltd |2 |3.5
Thames Water Utilities Ltd |72 |2.5
Three Valleys Water Services plc |16 |1.8
Wessex Water Services Ltd |16 |3.9
Wrexham and East Denbighshire
Water Company |2 |3.6
York Waterworks plc |<1 |0.1
Yorkshire Water Services Ltd |29 |1.7
|---- |----
England and Wales |503 |2.6
<1> For 1992-93, figures for East Worcester Water plc have been included with those
for Severn Trent Water Ltd.
Note: Proportions may not tally exactly due to rounding.
Advisory Council for Business and the Environment
Mr. Robathan : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has for the future of the Advisory Council for Business and the Environment.
Mr. Maclean : The Advisory Committee on Business and the Environment was established in May 1991 for a two-year term. The Government are currently considering the future of the committee.
Water Supply
Mrs. Helen Jackson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to require water companies to make open to the public any investigative report of a major fault in the water supply which has put water supplies to the public at risk.
Mr. Maclean : The Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 1989 require water undertakers to notify the
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relevant local authority and district health authority of any event which by reason of its effect or likely effect on the water supplied by it gives rise to, or is likely to give rise to, a significant risk to health, and to supply such information relating to the event and its consequences as the authorities may reasonably require. Directions given under section 202 of the Water Industry Act 1991 require water undertakers to report such events to the Secretary of State. The conclusions of consequent investigations by the drinking water inspectorate are made available to the relevant local authorities and district health, and to any other concerned parties who have expressed an interest.I have no plans for further legislation.
Homelessness
Mr. Dowd : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is the current number of homeless families in each London borough ; and what is the current number of homeless people in bed and breakfast accommodation in each London borough ;
(2) what is the current total number of homeless people in London ; and if he will list the figures by borough.
Mr. Baldry : Information on the number of households for which local authorities in England accept responsibility to secure permanent accommodation under the homelessness provisions of the Housing Act 1985 is reported in part E of the quarterly P1 return. Details of the numbers of homeless households are published quarterly in a DOE Information Bulletin-- "Households found accommodation under the homelessness provisions of the 1985 Housing Act 1985 : England". Tables 1(a) and 4(a) of the latest bulletin, which gives statistics for the fourth quarter 1992, contain figures on total homeless households and households temporarily accommodated in bed-and-breakfast hotels in London. Details of figures reported by individual local authorities in London can be found in the suplementary table to the bulletin. Copies of both are in the Library.
Mr. Dowd : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his Department's current estimate of the number of people sleeping rough within the Greater London area.
Mr. Baldry : My Department does not make estimates of the numbers of persons sleeping rough. The 1991 census recorded the numbers of persons found sleeping rough at pre-identified sites in Greater London on census night, 21-22 April 1991 ; the total number recorded was 1,197.
A count conducted in November 1992 by voluntary organisations that work with homeless people found 419 homeless people sleeping rough in central London ; this compares with a figure of over 1,000 prior to the introduction of the Department's rough sleepers initiative in 1990.
Housing Starts
Mr. Dowd : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the number of new local authority and housing association housing starts for the last three years for which figures are available ; and what is his Department's estimate of the number of new housing starts for each of the next 10 years in each London borough.
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Mr. Baldry : Estimates are shown in the table for the total number of housing association and local authority housebuilding starts in England during the last three years. Housing associations are now the main providers of additional social sector housing.
Number of
dwellings
Year |Housing associations|Local authorities
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1990 |14,400 |6,500
1991 |15,700 |3,000
1992 |27,400 |1,400
Estimates of housebuilding starts for each London borough are published in "Local Housing Statistics". Issue No. 103 contains annual figures up to 1991 ; issue No. 104 contains estimates for the first nine months of 1992. Copies of these publications are in the Library.
The Department does not prepare forecasts of housebuilding activity.
Environmental Protection
Mr. Dowd : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice and guidelines on environmental protection, land and wildlife conservation his Department has given to London-wide bodies ; and how often he updates the advice.
Mr. Baldry : Advice and guidance is issued, and revised as required, nationally and sent to London-wide bodies where appropriate to their statutory functions.
Forestry
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to reply to the first report of Session 1992-93 from the House of Commons Environment Committee on forestry and the environment.
Mr. Maclean [holding answer 2 April 1993] : The Government expect to respond within two months.
Council Tax
Mr. Channon : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those local authorities which are assuming less than a 98 per cent. success rate in levying council tax for the year 1993-94.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 14 April 1993] : There are 228 authorities which have assumed a collection rate of less than 98 per cent. I have arranged for the available information to be placed in the Library of the House.
Private Rented Homes
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average weekly rent for rented accommodation in London, the south- east, the midlands and the private sector which has been let in the last 12 months.
Mr. Baldry [holding answer 14 April 1993] : On the basis of data from the 1991 family expenditure survey it is estimated that the average weekly rent in 1991 for all households in rented accommodation that they had moved into in the previous 12 months was £47. The average for
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those households renting in the private sector, excluding housing association properties, was £65. The sample on which these figures are based is relatively small and the estimates are, therefore, subject to quite large sampling error. The sample size of the FES is too small to provide satisfactory estimates for individual regions.Construction Industry (Merseyside)
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures he has to improve the unemployment situation in the construction industry on Merseyside ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry [holding answer 14 April 1993] : My Department has a substantial programme of capital spending on Merseyside which will create new opportunities for employment in the construction sector. In housing almost £100 million will be provided in 1993-94 through the estate action and housing investment programmes, while the Housing Corporation will support about £95 million of housing association expenditure. The Liverpool housing action trust will be spending over £100 million over the next seven to 10 years on improvements to tower blocks. The three Merseyside city challenges currently anticipate the creation of over 200,000 person weeks of construction employment, and further opportunities will be created by the ongoing programme of Merseyside development corporation. In addition, the Liverpool city action team is working with a wide range of agencies and organisations to improve access to construction employment opportunities for local residents.
Archaeologists
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list by local authority the number of archaeologists currently in post ; and what the corresponding figure was 10 years ago.
Mr. Brooke : I have been asked to reply.
This information is not held centrally. However, English Heritage estimates that approximately 300 archaeologists are employed by county councils and about 30 by district councils. It is estimated that in 1980 approximately 50 archaeologists were employed by local authorities.
Global Technology Conference
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the benefits to British business of the global technology partnership conference in Birmingham, 23 to 25 March.
Mr. Eggar : I have been asked to reply.
The United Kingdom's global technology partnership conference aimed to encourage greater technology co-operation between businesses in the United Kingdom and those in the more industrialised developing countries. Representatives of British business had the opportunity to establish contact with key business men and women from over 40 different developing countries, to learn of their local needs and difficulties and to offer solutions. The conference also discussed sources of help and funding available to United Kingdom and developing country businesses to assist technology co-operation. It generated
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