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Surgery Deaths
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish statistics of surgery death rates in hospitals in Wales in the latest available year ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : Health authorities and general practitioner fund holders contract with provider units for health services to meet the health needs of their resident populations and patients.
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In deciding their choice of provider units, health authorities and general practitioner fund holders will consider the quality of services provided, their cost and their volume.Commissioners will consider a range of quality indicators, including outcome measures where they are available. Crude death rates by hospital are extremely misleading when taken in isolation. Even when the rates are standardised by age, sex and case mix, there may be other factors which make direct comparison inappropriate. Information on death rates by social condition is not generally available and standardisation by age alone would lead to misleading comparisons.
However, there are a number of activities taking place which critically examine death rates following surgery within a hospital, including the procedures for post-mortems, medical audit and the national confidential inquiry into perioperative deaths.
No specific guidance to health authorities and national health service trusts has been issued, or is proposed, on variations in death rates. I have not held discussions with health authorities and national health service trusts on the matter.
Health authorities and national health service trusts are encouraged to develop and make the maximum use of quality indicators and other information available.
League tables on hospital performance, based around patients charter standards, will be published in 1994. I have not received any representations on the inclusion of death rates in hospital league tables.
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SCOTLAND
Non-emergency Hospital Treatment
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he has taken to ensure that, for non-emergency hospital treatments, patients of general practitioner fund holders and non-fund holders will have equally speedy access.
Mr. Stewart : The Government's framework for the GP fund holding scheme seeks to maintain a proper balance between providing GP fund holders with an appropriate degree of flexibility in the use of their fund to provide benefits for their patients, and preserving the principle of equality of access to health care for all NHS patients. GP fund holders, in providing care themselves or in setting contracts with other providers, will be able to develop improved stndards in the quality of care for their patients provided as a consequence they do not directly disadvantage NHS patients from other practices.
Water Privatisation
Mr. Graham : To ask the Secretry of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the technical feasibility study of the privatisation of water and sewage services in Scotland.
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 26 April 1993] : A study of possible new structures for the water and sewerage services was commissioned from Quayle Munro Ltd. last summer. The study informed the consultation paper "Investing For Our Future", which made it clear that in the light of the advice available to them the Government were satisfied that privatisation and the other options outlined could be successfully achieved.
DEFENCE
European Fighter Aircraft
Mr. Clapham : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on developments in the EFA programme.
Mr. Aitken : Technical development of Eurofighter 2000 is proceeding and the first flight is expected this year. Reorientation of the project, in line with the agreement reached in Brussels on 10 December last year by my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Defence and his German, Italian and Spanish counterparts, is also well advanced.
Equipment Exhibition
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who will be opening the Royal Navy and British Army equipment exhibition in September.
Mr. Aitken : My right hon. and learned Friend hopes to open the exhibition himself.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what categories of guests will be invited to the Royal Navy and British Government officials and industrialists, and members of the United Kingdom national and technical press.
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Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the estimated cost of the Royal Navy and British Army equipment exhibition at Aldershot from 5 to 10 September.
Mr. Aitken : The cost of the exhibition will not be known until the list of participants has been finalised. All direct costs will, however, be recovered from participating companies.
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many visitors are expected at the Royal Navy and British Army equipment exhibition in Aldershot between 5 and 10 September.
Mr. Aitken : Based on previous years' attendance at the separate Royal Navy and British Army equipment exhibitions, 20,000 visitors are expected to attend between 5 and 10 September.
Yugoslavia
Mr. Elletson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reports he has received from the Cheshire Regiment detailing Croatian Army attacks on Muslim civilians in Vitez, Jadlenica and surrounding villages ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Information reported by United Nations protection force troops is passed through the United Nations chain of command, ultimately to the Security Council. As a member of the Security Council the United Kingdom receives information reported by all contributors to UNPROFOR, not only the United Kingdom battalion group.
Washington Visit
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what matters he discussed with the United States Administration, and what decisions were made, during his recent visit to Washington.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : During his recent visit to the United States, my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Defence discussed a wide range of issues including the crisis in the former Yugoslavia.
Devonport Dockyard
Mr. Streeter : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what advice was given to his Department by Coopers and Lybrand concerning the future of Devonport dockyard should it fail to win the refitting work for the Trident submarines.
Mr. Aitken : Advice provided to my Department by Coopers and Lybrand on future warship refitting arrangements is commercially confidential.
Mr. Streeter : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of Devonport Management Ltd.'s business plan as either a nuclear or non-nuclear dockyard which was submitted to his Department on 9 March.
Mr. Aitken : Both dockyard contractors have, at my Department's request, submitted outline business plans against the possibility that the dockyard each manages was
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to be the designated nuclear dockyard or a non-nuclear dockyard. These plans have been discussed at clarification meetings with the respective contractors, and are being taken into account in my Department's consideration of future warship refitting arrangements. The plans are commercially confidential, but, as I told the hon. Member for Dunfermline, East (Mr. Brown) on 2 April ( Official Report, column 507 ), we will release as much information as possible, subject to the constraints of commercial confidentiality and security once we have announced our proposals to the House.Vessels (Running Costs)
Mr. Trotter : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the annual running costs to the Royal Navy of (a) an Invincible class carrier, (b) a type 42 destroyer, (c) a type 21 frigate, (d) a type 22 frigate (batch 1), (e) a type 22 frigate (batch 2 and batch 3), (f) a type 23 frigate, (g) an S Clan submarine, (h) a T Class submarine, (i) an Upholder class submarine, (j) a Hunt class MCMV and (k) a Sandown class MCMV.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The annual running costs for individual vessels within a class will vary according to the vessel's operating and maintenance programme. Average annual running costs however, for each of the classes of ship listed for 1991-92, the latest year for which information is available, based on ships' activities over the past six years, are as follows :
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Vessel |<1>£ million -------------------------------------------------------------------- (a) Invincible class carrier |26.0 (b) Type 42 destroyer |16.5 (c) Type 21 frigate |10.0 (d) Type 22 frigate (batch 1) |12.5 (e) Type 22 frigate (batch 2 and batch 3) |17.0 (f) Type 23 frigate |<2>- (g) S' Class submarine |19.5 (h) T' Class submarine |10.5 (i) Upholder class submarine |2.0 (j) Hunt class MCMV |2.5 (k) Sandown class MCMV |<2>- <1>Figures rounded to the nearest half million. <2>Not available.
Royal Logistics Corps
Mr. Trotter : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many men and women were transferred to the new Royal Logistics Corps on its formation from each of the other corps involved in the amalgamation.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : With the formation of the Royal Logistics Corps on 5 April 1993, a total of 20,642 military personnel were transferred to the new corps from the corps involved in the amalgamation. The total figure can be broken down as follows :
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Officers Other ranks
|Men |Women |Men |Women
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Royal Corps of Transport |880 |42 |7,362 |661
Royal Army Ordnance Corps |935 |39 |4,204 |360
Royal Pioneer Corps |100 |(nil) |1,151 |(nil)
Army Catering Corps |151 |11 |3,577 |458
Postal and Courier Service of the Corps
of Royal Engineers |56 |2 |469 |184
|--- |--- |--- |---
Sub-total |2,122 |94 |16,763|1,663
Long-term Costings
Dr. Reid : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has approved his Department's long-term costings for the financial year 1993- 94.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : My Department's spending plans for the financial year 1993-94 were published in the class I supply estimates (HC495-I), presented to Parliament on 9 March 1993. Further details will be contained in the 1993 "Statement on the Defence Estimates".
Telecommunications Aerials
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what applications he has received from private telecommunications companies to erect aerials on Templeton airfield, Pembrokeshire ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Aitken : There have been no applications from private telecommunications companies to erect aerials on Templeton airfield.
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many telecommunications aerials have been erected on MOD property by private telecommunications companies primarily for their own use.
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Mr. Aitken : The information is not held centrally and cannot be obtained without disproportionate cost.
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what planning procedures are required of private telecommunications companies wishing to erect aerials on MOD property.
Mr. Aitken : A planning application should proceed in accordance with the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.
Defence Operational Analysis Centre
Mr. Hague : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key targets have been set for the chief executive of the Defence Operational Analysis Centre in 1993-94.
Mr. Aitken : The chief executive of the Defence Operational Analysis Centre at West Byfleet is responsible for providing the Ministry of Defence with advice on formulation of defence policy, military operational capability and future equipment requirements, this advice being derived from operational analysis studies and field trials. He has been set the following challenging key performance targets for 1993-94 :
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Service to Customers(a) To complete 85 per cent. of the planned studies for customers within agreed timescales, and to seek progressive improvements in future years.
(b) To complete 80 per cent. of the planned studies for customers within planned cost, and to seek progressive improvements in future years.
(c) To complete 75 per cent. of studies within agreed time and cost.
(d) To subject 100 per cent. of new major studies to a formal quality process, which will require peer review and measures of customer satisfaction, and to evalute a "total quality target" for studies for implementation in future years.
(e) To respond to 85 per cent. of request from customers for unplanned urgent advice within timescales negotiated at the outset, and to seek progressive improvements in future years.
Managment Systems
(f) To implement a full cost accounting system and publish auditable accruals based accounts.
Efficiency
(g) In 1993-94 and 1994-95, to increase overall efficiency by 2 per cent. and 3 per cent. respectively. A programme of market testing declared in the 1993-94 business plan is included.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the number of brains of calves aged under six months which are entering the food chain ; and what steps are taken to ensure that these animals have not been fed contaminated offal.
Mr. Soames : The feeding of ruminant derived protein to all cattle and other ruminants has been banned since July 1988.
There is no scientific justification for banning the use of brains from calves under six months of age because of BSE ; this judgment has been supported by the spongiform encephalopathy advisory committee and by international bodies such as the European Commission and the Office International Dee Epizooties. Nevertheless, under the meat products and spreadable fish products regulations 1984, brain may not be used in uncooked meat products nor may it be counted as meat in cooked products. Its use in practice, therefore, is thought to be minimal.
ADAS
Mr. Marland : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what performance targets he has set for the ADAS in 1993-94 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I have decided that the financial and efficiency targets for ADAS for 1993-94 will be :
Recovery of its full economic costs, through charges to its customers, including the Departments (MAFF and the Welsh Office). In the case of certain charged advisory services, ADAS will recover 52 per cent. of its costs from charges to the ultimate beneficiaries and the remainder will be met by the Departments. In other cases ADAS will recover the full costs from the customer ;
An overall efficiency improvement of at least 2 per cent. measured by the average cost in real terms per direct hour charged to contracts ;
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A reduction of at least 3 per cent. in the average time taken to collect debts due to ADAS from non-Departmental customers ; The targets for the delivery and quality of service by ADAS will be :90 per cent. of research and development project milestones to be met ;
Achieving improvements in customer satisfaction, as evidenced in ADAS surveys.
Wool Guarantee
Mr. Clifton-Brown : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has for the operation of the wool guarantee in the 1993 clip year ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : Clause 48 of the Agriculture Bill will terminate the wool guarantee--by removing "wool" from the schedule to the Agriculture Act 1957 which lists those products which qualify for a guarantee--with effect from enactment of that Bill. The Government have, however, consistently made clear their intention that the guarantee should end on 30 April 1993-- the last day of the 1992 wool clip year. To ensure that this timetable is met, Agriculture Ministers have today laid an affirmative resolution order in both Houses of Parliament to revoke the British Wool (Guaranteed Prices) Order 1955, SI 1955/487 as amended by SI 1976/602. This order has been the subject of consultation with producers' representatives. The order removes the requirement on Ministers annually to fix a guaranteed price for wool. By avoiding the substantial disruption which could have occurred had Ministers been required to fix a guarantee for the interim period between 1 May and subsequent enactment of the Bill, this action will ensure greater order and certainty both for producers and the industry. Retention of the guarantee for merely part of a clip year would not have been consistent with the objective of the mechanism, which was to stabilise the return from wool over time rather than to provide short-term producer support.
The order does not override the need for primary legislation to amend the Agriculture Act 1957 to terminate the operation of the guarantee definitively. This remains the function of clause 48 of the Agriculture Bill.
The Government's commitment to sheep producers and the wool industry remains firm. I am convinced that, having achieved financial responsibility for its own affairs, the industry will respond positively to this new situation and will take advantage of the opportunities which it will provide.
Grants and Subsidies
Mr. Martlew : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what sums were paid out by each of his divisional offices for each (a) agricultural subsidy scheme and (b) grant scheme available to farmers in 1992 ; how many agreements were entered into for each grant scheme ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Curry [pursuant to his reply 8 March 1993, columns 466-67] : The available information requested is set out in the table, based on the new structure of regional service centres which came into effect on 1 April 1992. The further information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost :
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Agricultural schemes expenditure by regional service centre in 1992 £ thousands Scheme |Bristol |Cambridge |Carlisle |Crewe |Exeter |Northallerton|Nottingham |Reading |Worcester ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Environmentally sensitive areas |1,186 |3,522 |- |640 |305 |1,937 |719 |1,147 |- 5 year set-aside |2,263 |5,448 |424 |781 |1,030 |1,381 |2,286 |6,825 |2,520 1 year set-aside |211 |276 |33 |19 |55 |197 |95 |396 |114 Pilot beef and sheep extensification |- |- |44 |38 |- |214 |13 |- |25 Farm woodland 1 |129 |265 |48 |48 |73 |143 |188 |258 |216 Farm conservation grant (plan) |38 |240 |735 |242 |565 |235 |285 |251 |115 Farm conservation grant (non-plan) |3,195 |1,071 |4,171 |3,783 |4,163 |2,998 |2,304 |2,278 |1,601 Agricultural improvement (plan) |42 |20 |933 |219 |322 |387 |161 |22 |93 Agricultural improvement (non-plan) |- |- |42 |- |25 |34 |11 |1 |1 Oilseed advance payments |2,990 |17,326 |2,966 |1,999 |454 |11,505 |16,078 |13,018 |5,134 Hill livestock compensatory allowance<1> |292 |- |2,573 |811 |1,233 |2,434 |255 |- |291 Suckler cow premium<1> |1,545 |38 |135 |133 |3,454 |93 |5,176 |1,191 |143 <1>1 April to 31 December 1992.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
China
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 26 April, Official Report, column 289-90, on Lord Howe's visit to China, whether he met representatives of (a) the Chinese Family Planning Association and (b) the Chinese State Family Planning Commission ; what questions were raised ; and what response was received.
Mr. Goodlad : A wide range of issues including questions related to reducing China's population growth were raised with various organisations during Lord Howe's visit. In the time available it was not practicable to call on the specific bodies to which the hon. Gentleman refers.
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the latest situation concerning human rights in Tibet ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Goodlad : We are aware through our contacts with Amnesty International and other non-governmental organisations, of reports of human rights abuses in Tibet and elsewhere in China. We deplore such abuses and have made our concerns clear to the Chinese authorities on a number of recent occasions. EC ambassadors in Peking are considering a visit to Tibet in May, in the course of which they can be expected to raise a number of issues of concern.
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government raised the issue of Chinese coercive population control at the UN Commission on Human Rights earlier this year ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Goodlad : Although we did not raise this specific issue at the recent session of the UN Commission of Human Rights in Geneva, we and our EC partners did introduce a resolution calling on the Chinese authorities to guarantee full respect for human rights throughout China in keeping with their international obligations under the UN charter. Unfortunately, this was defeated by a narrow majority by a procedural "no-action" motion.
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Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps were taken to raise the issue of Chinese coercive population control at the meeting with Chinese embassy officials in London on 4 March ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Goodlad : A number of issues of concern, including that of forced abortion, were raised by officials with a member of the Chinese embassy on 4 March. We shall continue to raise such issues with the Chinese authorities at every appropriate opportunity.
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 26 April, Official Report, column 289-90 on Lord Howe's visit to China, when questions relating to reducing China's population growth were raised with the Chinese authorities during the visit ; what response was received ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Goodlad : This issue was raised by my right hon. noble and learned Friend Lord Howe's delegation with Fu Hao of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on 4 December. An explanation of China's family planning policies was given by the Chinese side. When the report of the visit is completed, copies will be laid in the Library of the House.
Angola
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the United Kingdom is taking to influence South African policy with regard to her nationals funding and fighting with UNITA in Angola.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We were actively involved in the preparation of UN Security Council Resolution 804 of 29 January 1993 which inter alia urges all member states to take all necessary steps to stop any direct or indirent military or para-military interference from their territories in Angola. There are no restrictions in international law on the supply of finance to UNITA. We have seen no evidence of such funding from South Africa.
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken by the British ambassador to the United Nations to ensure that the United Nations mandate in Angola is successfully completed.
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Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The mandate of the United Nations Angola verification mission (UNAVEM) was to monitor the pre-election ceasefire in Angola and verify the conduct of the country's first ever democratic elections in September 1992. Since UNITA's rejection of the results of the elections and the subsequent return to civil war in Angola, UNAVEM has, with the support of the Security Council, found itself in the role of mediator between the two sides. Talks between them under United Nations auspices are currently taking place in Abidjan.
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking to encourage recognition of the Government of Angola (a) by the United States of America and (b) by other Governments.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Recognition of the Government of Angola is a matter for independent decision by sovereign states, including the United States of America. The question has been discussed during routine bilateral exchanges between the United Kingdom and the United States.
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking to ensure that the ban on supplying arms to Angola is being observed, with particular reference to the supply of South African arms to UNITA.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Under the Bicesse peace accords of May 1991 the United States and former Soviet Union undertook to end supplies of lethal material to any Angolan party and to encourage other countries to do likewise.
We fully support United Nations Security Council resolution 804 of 29 January 1993 which calls on member states to respect this article of the accords. We accept South African Government assurances that it is not supplying UNITA and will seek to prevent any illegal arms supplies to Angola.
South Africa
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 27 April, for how long the senior police officer is likely to be in South Africa to assist with the investigation into the assassination of Chris Hani; what is the rank of the officer in question ; and if he will also be reporting to the United Kingdom authorities on his investigations.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Commander George Churchill-Coleman is expected to be in South African for approximately six weeks, but the ultimate duration of his stay will depend on how long the investigation into the murder of Chris Hani lasts. He will report directly to the Attorney-General of the Transvaal.
Turkey
Mr. Jon Owen Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the British Government have made concerning human rights violations against Kurdish people in Turkey.
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