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Mr. Forth : Information on pupils and pupil : teacher ratios in maintained schools in Staffordshire local education authority in 1979 and 1992 is shown in the table.
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2
Pupils and pupil:teacher ratios in maintained
primary and secondary
schools in Staffordshire LEA: 1979 and 1992
Position as at January each year
Total pupils Pupil:Teacher
ratio
|1979 |1992 |1979 |1992
--------------------------------------------------
Primary |105,978|91,015 |23.19 |23.45
Secondary |86,670 |68,192 |16.72 |16.00
Mr. Knox : To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much was spent by Staffordshire county council on education in the most recent year for which figures are available ; and what the comparable figure was in 1978-79, at constant prices.
Mr. Forth : In 1990-91, the latest year for which figures on actual spending are available, spending on education in Staffordshire was £387.382 million, and estimated for 1991-92, £411.589 million at 1992-93 prices. In 1978-79, Staffordshire spent, at 1992-93 prices, £371.209 million on a comparable basis. This figure excludes expenditure on what is now Staffordshire university.
Secondary Pupils
Mr. Knox : To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much was spent per secondary school pupil in England in the most recent year for which figures were available ; and what the comparable figure was in 1978- 79, at constant prices.
Mr. Forth : In 1990-91, the latest year for which figures on actual spending are available, spending per pupil in secondary schools in England was £2,170 in 1992-93 prices. This compares to £1,742 for 1978- 79, in 1992-93 prices. For 1991-92, it is estimated to rise to £2,273, also in 1992-93 prices. This figure includes estimates of expenditure for six LEAs and is subject to final checking by the Department of the Environment and the Department for Education.
Spending
Mr. Knox : To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much was spent per (a) primary and (b) secondary school pupil in each of the local education authorities in England and in the most recent year for which figures are available ; and what the comparable figures were in 1978-79, at constant prices.
Mr. Forth : Figures for expenditure on nursery and primary pupils are not collected separately. Spending per pupil for each English local education authority in nursery and primary schools combined and in secondary schools in 1978-79 and 1991-92 at 1992-93 prices is as shown in the table. The figures for 1991-92 are subject to final checking by the Department of the Environment and the Department of Education.
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Spending per pupil
1992-93 prices
|Nursery and primary|1978-79 Secondary |Nursery and primary|1991-92 Secondary
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ILEA |1,678 |2,280 |- |-
City |- |- |2,686 |0
Camden |- |- |2,011 |2,517
Greenwich |- |- |1,894 |2,376
Hackney |- |- |n/a |n/a
Hammersmith |- |- |2,119 |2,835
Islington |- |- |n/a |n/a
Kensington |- |- |2,367 |3,312
Lambeth |- |- |2,156 |3,082
Lewisham |- |- |1,777 |2,459
Southwark |- |- |1,892 |2,546
Tower Hamlets |- |- |2,332 |3,049
Wandsworth |- |- |2,250 |3,328
Westminster |- |- |3,668 |2,669
Barking |1,175 |1,754 |1,582 |2,326
Barnet |1,180 |1,748 |1,712 |2,375
Bexley |1,018 |1,552 |1,420 |2,171
Brent |1,424 |1,919 |1,628 |2,563
Bromley |1,085 |1,659 |1,448 |2,522
Croydon |1,122 |1,639 |1,608 |2,438
Ealing |1,371 |1,818 |1,816 |2,713
Enfield |985 |1,385 |1,664 |2,367
Haringey |1,390 |1,793 |n/a |n/a
Harrow |1,387 |1,863 |1,704 |2,459
Havering |1,116 |1,636 |1,423 |2,312
Hillingdon |1,127 |1,692 |1,653 |2,720
Hounslow |1,166 |1,653 |1,635 |2,243
Kingston-upon Thames |1,136 |1,575 |1,547 |2,535
Merton |1,239 |1,564 |1,617 |2,770
Newham |1,393 |1,759 |1,659 |2,518
Redbridge |1,049 |1,656 |1,500 |2,321
Richmond-upon Thames |1,169 |1,591 |1,713 |2,185
Sutton |1,040 |1,510 |1,498 |2,299
Waltham Forest |1,192 |1,894 |1,659 |2,700
Birmingham |1,007 |1,524 |1,418 |2,227
Coventry |1,068 |1,496 |1,428 |2,269
Dudley |881 |1,351 |1,466 |2,212
Sandwell |1,024 |1,533 |1,540 |2,364
Solihull |957 |1,435 |1,393 |2,183
Walsall |1,021 |1,485 |n/a |n/a
Woverhampton |1,099 |1,564 |1,569 |2,423
Knowsley |1,018 |1,600 |1,485 |2,350
Liverpool |1,164 |1,673 |1,459 |2,470
St. Helens |934 |1,499 |1,348 |2,145
Sefton |965 |1,421 |1,331 |2,092
Wirral |951 |1,440 |1,357 |2,215
Bolton |929 |1,415 |1,406 |2,193
Bury |973 |1,396 |1,313 |1,933
Manchester |1,250 |1,846 |1,448 |2,374
Oldham |948 |1,393 |1,588 |2,270
Rochdale |1,057 |1,591 |1,346 |2,212
Salford |982 |1,505 |1,339 |2,259
Stockport |926 |1,398 |1,380 |2,196
Tameside |1,001 |1,466 |1,459 |2,194
Trafford |1,038 |1,396 |1,316 |2,187
Wigan |954 |1,485 |1,285 |2,350
Barnsley |1,082 |1,519 |1,397 |2,119
Doncaster |1,275 |1,382 |1,331 |2,031
Rotherham |1,001 |1,468 |1,525 |2,236
Sheffield |1,136 |1,589 |1,536 |2,306
Bradford |1,175 |1,387 |1,685 |1,868
Calderdale |1,043 |1,502 |1,605 |2,072
Kirklees |965 |1,343 |1,433 |2,108
Leeds |1,166 |1,225 |1,688 |2,048
Wakefield |1,052 |1,371 |1,508 |2,149
Gateshead |1,102 |1,496 |1,628 |2,215
Newcastle upon Tyne |1,326 |1,762 |1,672 |2,099
North Tyneside |1,130 |1,519 |n/a |n/a
South Tyneside |1,253 |1,569 |1,438 |2,161
Sunderland |1,063 |1,522 |1,461 |2,137
Isles of Scilly |1,499 |3,133 |n/a |n/a
Avon |1,068 |1,513 |1,460 |2,135
Bedfordshire |1,217 |1,541 |1,527 |2,090
Berkshire |1,021 |1,488 |1,532 |2,241
Buckinghamshire |1,018 |1,608 |1,448 |2,236
Cambridgeshire |1,001 |1,508 |1,450 |2,078
Cheshire |1,013 |1,527 |1,376 |2,167
Cleveland |1,060 |1,471 |1,401 |2,299
Cornwall |940 |1,496 |1,428 |2,012
Cumbria |1,049 |1,547 |1,494 |2,249
Derbyshire |976 |1,457 |1,460 |2,241
Devon |951 |1,452 |1,424 |2,069
Dorset |1,035 |1,471 |1,419 |2,013
Durham |1,113 |1,485 |1,432 |2,123
East Sussex |1,010 |1,550 |1,436 |2,139
Essex |948 |1,485 |1,371 |2,185
Gloucestershire |990 |1,449 |1,427 |1,874
Hampshire |943 |1,494 |1,444 |2,182
Hereford and Worcester |962 |1,421 |1,497 |2,024
Hertfordshire |1,105 |1,670 |1,523 |2,251
Humberside |1,057 |1,457 |1,467 |2,155
Isle of Wight |1,043 |1,393 |1,498 |1,993
Kent |957 |1,491 |n/a |n/a
Lancashire |923 |1,452 |1,529 |2,244
Leicestershire |979 |1,496 |1,495 |2,288
Lincolnshire |979 |1,550 |1,376 |2,169
Norfolk |1,032 |1,513 |1,477 |2,178
North Yorkshire |1,063 |1,508 |1,430 |2,229
Northamptonshire |934 |1,432 |1,379 |2,033
Northumberland |1,088 |1,494 |1,505 |2,010
Nottinghamshire |985 |1,480 |1,646 |2,569
Oxfordshire |1,060 |1,485 |1,629 |2,165
Shropshire |934 |1,505 |1,521 |2,413
Somerset |926 |1,387 |1,368 |1,995
Staffordshire |1,068 |1,544 |1,433 |2,114
Suffolk |1,054 |1,373 |1,615 |2,087
Surrey |1,029 |1,659 |1,538 |2,333
Warwickshire |948 |1,466 |1,322 |2,185
West Sussex |934 |1,435 |1,337 |2,231
Wiltshire |965 |1,463 |1,451 |2,088
Notes:
1. n/a indicate that the details of expenditure are not available.
2. Spending on nursery and primary pupils is not collected separately.
Fitzherbert School, Brighton
Mr. Byers : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the cost to date of providing security at the former Fitzherbert school, Brighton ; and which security firm has been awarded the contract.
Mr. Forth : The cost to date of security at the former Fitzherbert school, Brighton has been some £199,000. Security is provided by Group 4 Total Security Limited.
Law Society Finals Course
Mr. Byers : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will extend the mandatory grant regulations so as to cover the Law Society finals course ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Boswell : No. The Government have no present plans to change the scope of the Education Act 1962. That Act requires local education authorities to make mandatory awards only in respect of attendance on designated full-time courses up to first degree level and on designated initial teacher training courses. It also permits authorities to make discretionary awards for other courses, subject to certain exclusions. Where postgraduate law courses are eligible for discretionary awards, the decision whether to make such an award is a matter for the authority.
National Exclusions Reporting System
Mrs. Angela Knight : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will give details of the final analysis of the information obtained over the two years of the national exclusions reporting system.
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Mr. Forth : Analysis of the returns made to the Department under NERS over the two-year period 1990-92 shows that a total of 6,743 permanent exclusions were reported ; there was an increase from 2,910 in year one to 3,833 in year two ; exclusions in the primary phase accounted for 13 per cent. of the total in year one and 14 per cent. in year two ; pupils with statements of special educational needs accounted for 12.5 per cent. of the total in year one and 15 per cent. in year two ; many more boys than girls were excluded--a ratio of 4 : 1 in year one and 5 : 1 in year two ; 15 was the peak age for exclusions for both boys and girls ; Afro-Caribbean pupils appeared to be disproportionately represented within the excluded pupil population--8.1 per cent. of the overall total in year one and 8.5 per cent. in year two ; aggression against other pupils and disobedience in various forms were the main reasons for pupils being excluded ; decisions taken to exclude a pupil were not often over-turned. Over the two years, 170 decisions taken by heads to exclude pupil permanently were reversed by local education authorities and 160 by governors and 213 parental appeals were lodged, of which 37 were successful ; information about the alternative educational provision made for excluded pupils was not always included in the returns. Such information as was made available shows that 45 per cent. of those permanently excluded were said to be receiving home tuition, 30 per cent. had secured a place in another mainstream school, 19 per cent. were in units, and 6 per cent. had gone to a special school or changed special school : there were often lengthy delays in completing exclusion procedures and in securing alternative educational provision for permanently excluded pupils, either by admission to another school or otherwise.
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PRIME MINISTER
Taxation
Mr. Rogers : To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 18 March, Official Report, column 325, why no information on the potential effects of a change of the law on taxing United Kingdom assets of overseas owners is available.
The Prime Minister : It is not practicable for the Inland Revenue to maintain information on all the very wide range of changes which could, in theory, be made to the tax system.
Nuclear Materials
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Prime Minister if he will set out responsibilities of each Government Department regarding the import and export of (a) plutonium and (b) other nuclear materials, to and from the United Kingdom.
The Prime Minister : The Department of Trade and Industry is responsible for the issuing of import and export licences for controlled plutonium and other specified nuclear materials. The controls are implemented under the Import, Export and Customs Powers (Defence) Act 1939 as amended by the Import and Export Act 1990. The
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current controls are contained in the Import of Goods (Control) Order 1954 and the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1992. HM Customs and Excise are responsible for taking action as necessary under the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 to enforce these controls.NATIONAL HERITAGE
Items in Lieu of Tax
Mr. Faulds : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the objects and property accepted in satisfaction of inheritance tax during the financial year ended 31 March ; and if, in listing these, he will specify (a) the amount of tax satisfied in each case, (b) whether any offers of objects carried conditions as to destination, (c) the dates in each case of the recommendations received by him from the Museums and Galleries Commission for the acceptance of objects, (d) the total for the financial year of the tax thus satisfied and (e) how much of this total was covered in the public accounts by means of resort to the reserve in accordance with Government policy as announced on 26 July 1985, Official Report, column 779.
Mr. Brooke : The information the hon. Member requests is as follows :
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Item |Tax satisfied (£) |Conditions or wishes |Date of MGC
|recommendation
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two busts by Rysbrack |418,920 |Conditional |24 February 1987
|14 August 1987
Land at Nolands Farm |57,600 |Unconditional |Not applicable
Portrait by Greenham |8,500 |Conditional |11 February 1992
Portrait by Van Dyck |404,544 |Conditional |25 September 1991
Portrait by Reynolds
Rembrandt etching and |139,923 |Conditional |3 May 1990
31 illuminated manuscripts
Sculpture by Henry Moore |87,500 |Conditional |11 February 1992
Painting by Beccafumi with chalk study |119,000 |Wish Beccafumi works to |26 May 1992
and two Michaelangelo diagrams | Fitzwilliam and diagrams
| to the British Museum
Sheringham Hall chattels |119,119 |Conditional |13 July 1989
Charles I silver gilt standing cup and |206,015 |Unconditional |27 April 1992
cover
Painting by Reni |2,492,875 |Conditional |21 June 1991
Corbridge Lanx silver dish |1,832,000 |Conditional |No formal
|recommendation
Chattels at Nostell Priory |30,820 |Conditional |21 June 1991
Barrington Archive and |147,000 |Unconditional |29 January 1993
a model gun ship |Unconditional |8 September 1992
Two Hepworth-Nicholson sculptures |156,750 |Conditional |5 February 1993
Collection of glass |99,975 |Conditional |8 September 1992
The total expenditure for the 1992-93 financial year was £6,324, 875.13. This includes a further payment for the Statham porcelain collection which was accepted in 1991-92. Of this £4,324,875 was met by access to the reserve.
Mr. Faulds : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage whether he will specify the amounts of inheritance tax satisfied in connection with the acceptance of objects and property, which have been covered in the public accounts by means of resort to the reserve in respect
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of each of the three financial years 1990- 91, 1991-92 and 1992-93 ; and whether, taking account of the answer of 30 April 1990, Official Report, columns 439-40, he will indicate the average annual figure of such resort to the reserve which would arise from a breakdown of the total amount of tax satisfied which was thus covered during the eight financial years ensuing since the answer on 26 July 1985 on behalf of the then Minister for the Arts, Official Report, column 779 .Mr. Brooke : The amount of tax satisfied by means of resort to the Reserve in the last three financial years is as
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follows. Due to underspends in each financial year on the annual provision of £2 million for the acceptance in lieu of objects and property, the amount actually spent from the reserve was less than the original call. The actual spend from the reserve for 1992-93 was lower as it was partly offset from savings elsewhere in the Department-- Official Report, 4 February 1993, columns 250 -51 I list the actual money spent from the reserve for the hon. Member's information.
Year |Amount of tax |Amount actually
|Satisfied/Call on|spent from the
|the Reserve |Reserve
|£ |£
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1990-91 |Nil |Nil
1991-92 |2,144,172 |1,430,445
1992-93 |4,324,875 |3,281,875
|------- |-------
Total |6,469,047 |4,712,320
The annual average figure of such resort to the reserve which would
arise from the total amount of tax satisfied thus covered during the
last eight financial years is £3,881,885.24-tax satisfied-and £3,360,
989.74-actually spent.
Sir John Wheeler : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what offers in lieu of tax have been accepted or allocated since his last announcement of 31 March, Official Report, column 235.
Mr. Brooke : Since my last announcement on 31 March, I am pleased to inform the House of the acceptance of three offers in lieu of taxation. The offers consist of a collection of glass which will satisfy £99,974 tax, two sculptures entitled "Parent" and "Young Girl" by Dame Barbara Hepworth-Nicholson which will satisfy £156,750 tax and a portrait of Lady Rouse Boughton by George Romney which will satisfy £105,000 tax. The collection of glass will be allocated to the Victoria and Albert museum and the sculptures will be allocated to Wakefield district council. Those allocations are in accordance with conditions on which these offers were made. No decision has yet been made on the allocation of the portrait by Romney.
Music Libraries
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what discussions he has held with Westminster city council on the maintenance of support for the central music library and the music library service both in Westminster and nationally.
Mr. Key : The central music library service is a matter for Westminster city council. The Government believe that library authorities themselves are best placed to decide on the detail of their service provision, and my statutory responsibility to ensure that library authorities meet their duty to provide comprehensive and efficient library service does not give me the right to intervene in the day-to-day management of services.
Although Westminster city council plans to reduce the opening hours of the central music library and make commensurate staff savings, its service will remain exceptional even when the reductions have been implemented.
There are particular problems in relation to the provision of music scores and information in libraries,
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which it is unreasonable to expect any single local authority to solve. For this reason, we are investigating alternative possibilities.My Department is already jointly funding a study for a library and information plan for music. This study is investigating the provision of music scores and music information across the country, and is expected to be completed this June. It will produce an action plan for improvements in service.
One of the current applications for funding from the Department's public library development incentive scheme is for the establishment of a national music lending service, based on the present collections of the Yorkshire and Humberside joint library service and the British Library. A final decision on the application will be taken in September.
National Lottery
Mr. Riddick : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards allowing the sale of national lottery tickets in pubs and other licensed premises ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key : At Second Reading and in Committee we indicated that we were minded not to allow the sale of national lottery tickets in pubs. This was primarily to protect the image of the National lottery, and to avoid confusion with other forms of soft gambling which might take place in pubs. I have since received a number of representations on this matter, and I met the Brewers' Society on 23 March.
Engagements
Mr. Harvey : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what public costs were incurred in his attendance at a meeting at the Redcliffe hotel, Paignton on 16 April.
Mr. Brooke : None, other than the cost of security precautions which are required for all my engagements.
Mr. Harvey : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list his official engagements for 16 April.
Mr. Brooke : My official engagements for 16 April comprised visits to Sheepstor church ; Buckland abbey ; Westcountry Television studio, in order to open it ; BBC Radio Devon studios ; the Dartington Hall estate ; the Plains conservation area, Totnes ; and Follaton house for a meeting with South Hams district council.
English Heritage
Sir John Wheeler : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is his response to English Heritage's recent proposals for the transfer of certain conservation responsibilities in London to the boroughs ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Brooke : I gave my full support to the broad objectives of English Heritage's forward strategy at the time of its publication in October last year. The recent consultation exercise has, I believe, achieved a better general understanding of English Heritage's objectives for London, and a useful refinement of the proposed means of moving forward.
In the light of that, I am happy for English Heritage to proceed to the next stage, of direct negotiations with
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individual boroughs, with a view to defining the scope for flexible authorisation of certain categories of grade II casework from 1994-95. In this initial period, any transfer of responsibiities must be by agreement with the individual boroughs concerned. Similarly, any question of assistance to the boroughs to strengthen their conservation expertise must be a matter for bilateral agreement with English Heritage, which has made clear its willingness to provide support for the boroughs concerned during this stage, for instance through help with training, through funding of conservation posts, and through joint grant schemes and jointly funded conservation studies.English Heritage has stated its intention to review progress in four years' time. Clearly agreements with individual boroughs which by that time are working satisfactorily will continue. The financial impact will vary from borough to borough. Only at the end of the four-year period will it be possible to quantify the long-term costs, as well as the benefits and savings, both to the individual boroughs and to English Heritage.
If at that stage English Heritage satisfies my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment and myself that we should take the further step of a general and permanent transfer of responsibilities, we shall need to consider, in consultation with the boroughs and their associations, the case for an appropriate transfer of resources to reflect the additional responsibilities which the boroughs would be asked to undertake.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
BCCI
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Attorney-General what has been the cost of the Serious Fraud Office inquiry into BCCI to date.
The Attorney-General : The cost of the Serious Fraud Office inquiry into BCCI to date has been £6,203,000
SCOTLAND
Mental Handicap Hospitals
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what is the average total cost per patient per week of providing in-patient care to residents of long-stay mental handicap hospitals in Scotland ;
(2) what is the average total cost per patient per week of providing in- patient care to residents of Gogarburn hospital and St. Joseph's hospital in Lothian.
Mr. Stewart : The average cost at 31 March 1992 per patient per week of providing in-patient care to residents of NHS long-stay mental handicap hospitals in Scotland was £527. The corresponding figure for Gogarburn hospital was £448. The cost to Lothian health board per patient per week at St. Joseph's hospital was £286.
Local Government Reform
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what further work he is carrying out after taking into account responses made to the consultation document on local government reform.
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Mr. Stewart : We are studying carefully the 3,300 responses received. Thereafter we shall come to a decision about the best shape for the single-tier system in Scotland and will announce our conclusions in a White Paper before the summer recess.
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he is taking to refine the Touche Ross figures in local government reform costs.
Mr. Stewart : The provisional estimates made by Touche Ross of the financial implications of restructuring are, in a number of specific areas, being examined in the light of the comments received as part of our recent consultation exercise. When we announce our proposed new structure we will set our forecast of the likely cost implications, in the light of this further work.
Health Board Employees (Transfer)
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 14 April Official Report, column 590-91, what information he has on the wage rates offered to new employees of companies which also employ staff transferred from employment with health boards.
Mr. Stewart : This information is not held centrally. Wage rates are a matter between the individual employees and the companies concerned.
HEALTH
Doctors (Retirement)
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provision has been made for a central fund to pay for early retirement of doctors following implementation of proposals in "Making London Better".
Dr. Mawhinney : There is no specific central fund for meeting the costs of early retirement of doctors in London. Where early retirements occur as part of the implementation of "Making London Better," providers may be able to claim against the overall resources allocated for implementing the proposals.
GP Fund Holders
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her estimate of the percentage of general practitioner fund holders underspend in 1991-92 resulting from hospitals not operating in the last four months of the financial year.
Community Health Councils
Ms Jowell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will increase the funds available to community health councils.
Mr. Sackville : Regional health authorities are responsible for ensuring that community health councils are properly resourced.
Brook Advisory Centres
Mrs. Ann Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what public funding is made available to the Brook advisory centres ; for what purpose those funds are made available ; and if she will make a statement ;
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(2) what has been the net change in percentage terms in the real level of the funding made available by her Department to the Brook advisory centres in each year since such funding commenced ; if she will indicate the net percentage change in the number of conceptions to girls under the age of sixteen which occurred in each of those years ; and if she will make a statement on the effectiveness in terms of impact on teenage pregnancy rates of Government funding for the Brook advisory centres ;(3) what restrictions are placed on the extent to which the grant to the Brook advisory centres may be used for costs of legal actions.
Mr. Sackville : The information available is given in the tables. The core grant funding that the Department gives to Brook is a contribution towards the organisation's headquarters administrative costs. It may not be used for any other purpose. All 10 Brook branches receive income from local health authorities on whose behalf they provide clinic and counselling services to young people. Only 5 per cent. of Brook's clients are under 16. They have a key role to play in providing the responsible information and advice that young people need in relation to their sexual health generally, and in helping to achieve the "Health of the Nation" target of reducing the rate of conceptions amongst the under 16s by at least 50 per cent. by the year 2000.
Funding by the Department of Health to Brook Advisory Centres
under Section 64 of the Health Service and Public Health Act 1968
Financial year |Department of Health|At 1992-93 prices |Percentage change (+
|funding<1> |or -) compared to
|previous year
|£ |£
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1977-78 |5,250 |16,249 |-
1978-79 |15,750 |43,963 |+170.6
1979-80 |21,000 |50,236 |+14.3
1980-81 |21,000 |42,456 |-15.5
1981-82 |30,000 |55,308 |+30.3
1982-83 |22,500 |38,722 |-30.0
1983-84 |34,500 |56,749 |+46.5
1984-85 |35,000 |54,792 |-3.4
1985-86 |35,000 |51,954 |-5.2
1986-87 |35,000 |50,333 |-3.1
1987-88 |45,000 |61,344 |+21.9
1988-89 |45,000 |57,177 |-6.8
1989-90 |45,000 |53,653 |-6.2
1990-91 |65,000 |71,753 |+33.7
1991-92 |65,000 |67,275 |-6.2
1992-93 |68,500 |68,500 |+1.8
<1>Since 1987 the Department has also given a total of £105,050 to Brook for specific projects, for
example on AIDS, and in connection with "Health of the Nation".
Information about conception rates is available only on a calendar year and England and Wales basis and is therefore not directly comparable with the above table.
Conception rates for England and Wales
Per 1,000 women aged 13 to 15
Calendar year |Percentage change in
|conception rate
|compared to
|previous year
---------------------------------------------------------------
1977 |-3.8
1978 |-1.3
1979 |0.0
1980 |-5.3
1981 |1.4
1982 |8.3
1983 |6.4
1984 |3.6
1985 |0.0
1986 |1.2
1987 |5.7
1988 |2.2
1989 |0.0
1990 |6.4
Source:Birth statistics-OPCS.
Series FM1 Conceptions 1993.
Community Care
Ms Lynne : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will ask the NHS advisory board to review its 1986 report "Bridges Over Troubled Waters" and to update its recommendations to take account of the changes in the funding and management of care in the community.
Mr. Yeo : The national health service health advisory service is conducting a thematic review of child and adolescent mental health services. This takes into account the changes in funding and management arrangements flowing from both the NHS and community care reforms as well as other relevant developments, such as the "Health of the Nation" intiative.
Mental Illness Survey
Ms Lynne : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will ask the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys to pay special attention in its survey of mental illnes them.
Mr. Sackville : The Office of Population Censuses and Surveys will record the age of respondents making it possible to analyse separately the results for people aged 16 to 25.
Hospital Episode System
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to publish data from the hospital episode system.
Dr. Mawhinney : A publication containing hospital episode system figures for 1989-90 is in preparation, and is expected to be published in a few weeks. Further publications are planned to follow later this year.
Research
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answers of 2 December 1992, to the hon. Member for Waveney (Mr. Porter), Official Report, column 230 and of 3 December 1992, Official Report, column 321, what progress her Department is making in its review of the research units it funds ; and when it expects to announce details of its plans for setting up a larger research centre as a pilot project.
Dr. Mawhinney : A programme of peer review including site visits has now been arranged for all 13 units and should be completed by early 1994. I expect to announce details for setting up a pilot research centre shortly.
Column 231
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total cost of the research projects her Department has commissioned for each of the past five years ; and what was the total cost of projects undertaken by staff employed by (a) universities and polytechnics, (b) independent research institutes, (c) health authorities, (d) management consultants and (e) other organisations in each of those years.
Dr. Mawhinney : The total cost of the research projects commissioned under the Department's centrally commissioned programme for health and personal social services research, for each of the last five years is shown in the table :
Year |Total cost of
|research
|£ million
------------------------------------------
1988-89 |12.9
1989-90 |15.4
1990-91 |18.3
1991-92 |22.3
1992-93 |23.4
The majority of research projects commissioned in this way is undertaken by staff employed by universities. Of this, about 10 per cent. is carried out under the auspices of the Medical Research Council. About 3 per cent. of the research is carried out by independent research institutes, health authorities or management consultants : details of this research are not readily available in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether research projects commissioned by her Department from management consultants are subject to peer review in the same way as those commissioned from universities and research institutes.
Dr. Mawhinney : Most projects commissioned in the centrally commissioned research programme undergo scientific/peer review, irrespective of whether the research is being carried out by management consultants, universities or research institutes. Management consultants are used in many capacities by the Department. When not engaged for research purposes, they are selected by commercial competitive tendering rather than subject to peer review.
Disturbed Adolescents
Ms Lynne : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information disturbed adolescents, who have had their liberty restricted, receive on their rights to judicial review.
Mr. Yeo : The form in which such information is made available is a matter for individual local authorities. A local authority wishing to keep a child in secure accommodation beyond 72 hours must seek the authority of the court. A child is entitled to be legally represented when such applications are considered and has a right to apply for legal aid for such purposes. The Department's guide for children and young people "The Children Act and the Courts" explains the arrangements for placing children in secure accommodation and their right to legal representation.
Column 232
NHS Review
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answers of 11 November 1992, Official Report, column 850, 23 November 1992, Official Report, column 503 and 27 November 1992, Official Report, column 875, when she will publish the report of the review of centrally collected NHS statistics which she has commissioned from Touche Ross management consultants ; what consultations she has had about its conclusions ; which data series it has been decided to discontinue ; and if she will place a copy of the report in the Library.
Mr. Sackville : As I stated in my reply on 11 November the study by Touche Ross management consultants was only one component in the current review of the Department's requirements for information from the national health service. For the conclusions of the review, I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr. Duncan) on 21 April at col. 126.
Hospital Admissions
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will update her answer of 22 October 1992, Official Report, columns 369-70, on patients waiting for admission in each six months period since that ended March 1988 to include the figure for the six months period ended September 1992.
Mr. Sackville : Information on the number of patients waiting for admission at 30 September 1992 is given in table 1 of the Department of Health's "Statistical Bulletin" (ISBN 1 85839 083 4) a copy of which is available in the Library.
Comfrey
Mr. Simpson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what consideration was given by the committee on the toxicity of chemicals in food in preparing its recent report on comfrey to studies which have demonstrated a regression of tumours in rodents fed upon comfrey or comfrey extracts ; and if she will make a statement ;
(2) what consideration was given by the committee on the toxicity of chemicals in food in preparing its recent report on comfrey to studies which have demonstrated either no adverse effects or a thriving effect upon the health of populations of rodents fed upon comfrey ; and if she will make a statement ;
(3) what consideration was given by the committee on the toxicity of chemicals in food in preparing its recent report on comfrey to the review of the literature in this area undertaken by the British Medical Journal in 1978 ; and if she will make a statement.
Sir David Mitchell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research findings he has on the relative toxicity of comfrey tablets and capsules to that of saccharine tablets.
Mr. Sackvile [holding answer 21 April 1993] : The Committee on the Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment reviewed the available research data on the toxicity of saccharin in 1990 and recommended an acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 0-5
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