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Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from the British Medical Association and the British Association of Social Workers about the reorganisation of the water and sewerage services in Scotland ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 29 April 1993] : The British Medical Association responded to the consultation paper "Investing For Our Future" and its response is on open file in St. Andrew's house library in Edinburgh. A copy can be obtained through the Library of the House. No representations have been received from the British Association of Social Workers.
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the current time scale for the reorganisation of the water and sewerage service in Scotland.
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 29 April 1993] : The intention is that the reorganisation of water and sewerage services will proceed in parallel with the reform of local government.
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what amounts are included in the 1993-94 estimates, and the estimated expenditure for 1994-95 and 1995-96, for the reorganisation of the water and sewerage services in Scotland.
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 29 April 1993] : Provision of £400,000 has been made in the current year to meet the costs of any further consultancy work which may be commissioned in connection with water and sewerage restructuring.
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the consultants commissioned to carry out work on the options for the future of the water and sewerage service in Scotland.
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Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 29 April 1993] : Quayle Munro Ltd.
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the White Paper on the future of the water and sewerage services in Scotland will be published ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 29 April 1993] : I will announce my decision on the future of water and sewerage services in Scotland in due course.
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what level of cost-benefit analysis, efficiency audits and quality standards assessments have taken place in relation to the proposed reorganisation of the water and sewerage services in Scotland.
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 29 April 1993] : Reform of local government will require reorganisation of the water and sewerage services. The consultation paper "Investing For Our Future" set out eight options. These are being examined in the light of responses to the consultation paper. The objective is to put in place a structure which is capable of providing services of the highest quality, at lowest reasonable cost to the consumer and which can maintain and improve safeguards for the environment.
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from the CBI about the reorganisation of water and sewerage services in Scotland ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 29 April 1993] : The CBI responded to the consultation paper "Investing For Our Future", and its response is on open file in St. Andrew's house library in Edinburgh. A copy can be obtained through the Library of the House.
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the full cost of the work done in the options for the future of the water and sewerage service in Scotland ; and what were the costs of (a) the Quayle Munro consultancy, (b) the preparation, printing and publication of the consultative document, (c) other consultancy costs, (d) legal advice on the feasibility of the options being considered and (e) in-house costs.
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 29 April 1993] : The costs incurred on work on the options for the future structure of water and sewerage services in Scotland are as follows :
(a) The total cost of consultancy work undertaken by Quayle Munro Ltd. is £101,602. The original contract price was £50,000 as announced in my reply given to the hon. Member on 26 October 1992, Official Report, columns 530-31. Since the report was submitted and used in the preparation of the consultation paper "Investing for our Future", further follow-up work has been commissioned and undertaken. The cost of this work was £51,602. These figures exclude value added tax.
(b) Printing and publication of the consultation paper "Investing for our Future" cost £11,838, including value added tax.
(c) No other consultancy costs have been incurred.
(d) No external legal advice has been obtained.
(e) The running costs of the division in the Scottish Office which deals with water and sewerage restructuring were £133,020 in 1992-93. Provision of £387,480 has been made to meet the costs of staff
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working full time on this policy during 1993- 94. Other staff work on this from time to time ; it is not possible to provide an accurate figure at this time of the costs associated with their work.Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all the privatised water companies which have expressed an interest to his office on the issue of the future of Scotland's water and sewerage service.
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 29 April 1993] : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Angus, East (Mr. Welsh) on 18 March 1993 at column 390.
ENVIRONMENT
Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to take account of the wider economic and social case when he considers the report by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution on the public consultation process on the thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield.
Mr. Maclean : All relevant considerations will be taken into account.
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the external legal opinion obtained by his Department on the HMIP public consultation process on Sellafield's radioactive discharges and the THORP project.
Mr. Maclean : In line with the Government's usual practice, I do not intend to publish the legal opinion referred to.
Housing Corporation
Mr. Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has to ensure that the Housing Corporation purchases land at a price fixed by valuation ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry : The Housing Corporation has the power, under section 88 of the Housing Associations Act 1985, to purchase land for certain purposes. However, it is its current policy, and has been for some time, not to do so. My Department has no proposals to encourage the corporation to do so.
Correspondence
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the hon. Member for Walsall, North will receive a reply to his letter of 25 March concerning a constituent.
Mr. Baldry : I replied to the hon. Member's letter on Thursday 29 April.
Community Charge
Mr. Tipping : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much community charge was outstanding to local authorities on 31 March ; and if he will give details of the amount outstanding to each local authority.
Mr. Robin Squire [holding answer 29 April 1993] : I will make an estimate of the level of community charge arrears
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for all local authorities at 31 March 1993 once collection figures for the fourth quarter of 1992-93 are available. There is insufficient information available centrally to make a reliable estimate for each local authority. However, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy regularly publishes estimates for individual authorities : figures for 31 March 1991 and 31 March 1992 are available in the Library of the House.HEALTH
Personal Social Services
12. Ms Eagle : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on implementation of the reductions in central Government personal social services expenditure in 1993-94.
Mr. Yeo : Central Government support for local authority personal social services is not being reduced in 1993-94. Overall standard spending this year, including the special transitional grant for community care, is £5,585 million, an increase of 15 per cent. on 1992-93.
26. Mr. Jim Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she last met representatives of the Association of Directors of Social Services to discuss the provision of personal social services during the current financial year.
Mr. Yeo : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I met representatives of the Association of Directors of Social Services on 26 April.
Consultancies
13. Mr. Burden : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent by regional health authorities on consultancies in the year 1992- 93.
Mr. Sackville : We do not collect information specifically on the cost of consultancies. However, expenditure on "contract staffing and consultancy services" by the 14 regional health authorities was some £27 million in 1991-92. This does not include expenditure at district level.
NHS Trusts
14. Ms Quin : To ask the Secretary of State for health what changes she is planning to the consultation precedure leading to the establishment of NHS trusts.
Mr. Boyce : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action she is taking to improve the public accountability of NHS trusts ; and if she will make a statement.
Dr. Mawhinney : Every year each national health service trust issues a summary business plan and annual report, makes its accounts publicly available and holds a public meeting. In addition, the trusts issue a strategic plan every three years. This is a minimum requirement which many trusts exceed. It represents a high level of public accountability which requires no improvement.
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Feathers Project
15. Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how projects to help mental health patients and other invalids, such as the Feathers project, are funded by her Department ; and what plans she has to increase the number of such projects.
Mr. Yeo : There are various schemes of grant support, including the mental illness specific grant, available for such projects. The level of funding under these schemes is reviewed annually.
Waiting Lists
16. Mr. Lewis : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the current position on hospital waiting lists.
Mr. Sackville : I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend gave the hon. Member for Bridgend (Mr. Griffiths) earlier today.
21. Mr. Hawksley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the average time which patients had to wait for treatment (a) in March 1988 and (b) in March 1992.
Mr. Sackville : The latest data on patients admitted for treatment show 50 per cent. were admitted immediately and of those who were admitted from waiting lists half had waited less than five weeks. The average waiting time of patients on waiting lists has fallen from nine months in March 1988 to five months in March 1992.
22. Mr. Luff : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients are waiting more than two years for surgery in the Worcester district health authority.
Mr. Sackville : None. Provisional figures show that there were no patients waiting more than a year in the Worcester district health authority as at 31 March 1993.
Mr. Elletson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS patients had waited for treatment for over a year in the North Western region (a) in March 1991 and (b) in the latest month for which figures are available ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Sackville : Latest provisional figures for 31December 1992 show that since March 1991 the number of patients waiting for more than a year in North Western region has fallen by 48 per cent. from 14,078 to 7,332. In England over the same period the number waiting over a year fell by 52 per cent. to 80,585--the lowest figure ever recorded.
Mr. Deva : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS patients had waited for treatment for over a year in the South West Thames region (a) in March 1991 and (b) in the latest month for which figures are available ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Sackville : Latest provisional figures for 31December 1992 show that since March 1991 the number of patients waiting for more than a year in the South West Thames region has fallen by 62 per cent. from 8,969 to 3,383.
Mr. Spring : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made towards the patients charter
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guarantee that from 31 March no one should wait more than 18 months for a hip or knee joint replacement or a cataract operation.Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The guarantee has been successfully introduced. Reports from regions indicate that at 31 March 1993 there were no patients waiting more than 18 months for a hip replacement or a cataract operation and only eight patients waiting more than 18months for a knee replacement. We are pressing the regions involved to ensure that these patients are treated immediately.
Private Investment
17. Mr. Chisholm : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the Government's policy on private investment in the health service.
Mr. Sackville : The national health service is encouraged to use private finance where it gives the best value for money, so that public funds go further in buying services for NHS patients. Business cases for schemes above £10 million need central approval and those between £1 million and £10 million need regional approval, with sampling at national level.
Community Care
18. Mr. Olner : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to assess the ability of local authority social services departments to meet their statutory functions under the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990.
Mr. Yeo : Implementation of the community care reforms will be thoroughly monitored and evaluated. Regional health authorities and the social services inspectorate will monitor the progress made by authorities in a series of sample studies and a comprehensive round of monitoring in the autumn. A national users and carers group will also help to give users and carers perspective on the progress made. A research programme will evaluate the effect of the reforms. We will continue to receive detailed statistical and financial information. The Audit Commission is also undertaking its own monitoring.
28. Mr. Robathan : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of progress of the community care reforms in Leicestershire ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Yeo : Our new community care arrangements came into operation in all parts of the country on 1 April. It is now for local health and social services authorities to make use of the opportunities they present. Our monitoring showed Leicestershire to be well prepared to take on its new opportunities to give users and carers a better service.
Junior Doctors
19. Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to bring forward the date for achieving the target of an average of 72 hours per week for junior doctors.
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Mayday Hospital, Croydon
20. Mr. Wicks : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the level of income for the Mayday health care trust hospital, Croydon, in 1992-93 ; and what is the projected level of income for 1993-94.
Dr. Mawhinney : The total income for the Mayday health care national health service trust in 1992-93 is forecast as £63,382,000. The trust is projecting a total income of £62,262,000 for 1993-94.
Adoption
23. Mr. Jonathan Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received in respect of the review of adoption law.
Mr. Yeo : The review received a general welcome. A total of 170 organisations and 179 individuals responded to the public consultation. All comments received have been given careful consideration in drawing up proposals for future legislation.
GP Fund Holders
24. Ms Coffey : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the cost-effectiveness of general practitioner fund holding.
Dr. Mawhinney : General practitioner fund holding represents excellent value for money, with improvements to patient care being delivered innovatively and efficiently.
25. Mrs. Lait : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioner fund-holding practices are in operation in the South East Thames region ; and if she will make a statement.
Prescription Charges
27. Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations her Department has received regarding the payment for prescription charges by youth training scheme trainees.
Dr. Mawhinney : In the last 12 months we have received nine letters from hon. Members and one letter from a member of the public.
General Practitioners (London)
29. Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners there are in Greater London.
Dr. Mawhinney : At 1 October 1992--the latest date for which figures are available--there were 3,810 general medical practitioners in Greater London. This figure is still provisional.
Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital
Mr. Jim Cunningham : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of Coventry district health authority's latest proposals for Coventry and Warwickshire hospital ; and what estimate has been made of the reduction in staff involved in the proposals.
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Dr. Mawhinney : These are matters for Coventry district health authority and Walsgrave hospitals national health service trust. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr.A. R. Guy, the chairman of Coventry district health authority, for details.
Mr. Jim Cunningham : To ask the Secretary of State for Health to what consultation process the proposals of Coventry district health authority for Coventry and Warwickshire hospital are required to be subject ; and if she will make a statement.
Dr. Mawhinney : The Community Health Council Regulations 1985 (SI No. 304) require a district health authority to consult the community health council over any proposals it has for substantial variations to services. Coventry district health authority is about to begin such an exercise in respect of Coventry and Warwickshire hospital.
Krypton Gas
Ms Jowell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will place in the Library copies of the results of research commissioned since 1978 by her Department on the possible health effects of the discharge of krypton gas into the environment.
Mr. Sackville : The National Radiological Protection Board has issued a number of publications which contain estimates of the collective exposures arising from routine discharges of radionuclides from United Kingdom sites : krypton 85 is among the radionuclides considered. The most recent of these is "NRPB-R231, Radiological impact of routine discharges from UK civil nuclear sites" published in 1990, a copy of which is in the Library.
Drug Prescribing
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the cost of the Pact system of monitoring prescribing in general practice in each of the last 10years.
Dr. Mawhinney : Prescription analysis and cost (Pact) is an operational system of the Prescription Pricing Authority which was introduced in August 1988. The cost of operating the Pact system cannot be identified separately.
Abortions
Mrs. Ann Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total number of abortions which have now been performed under the provisions of the Abortion Acts ; and how many and what percentage of those abortions were performed in emergency to save the life of the mother.
Mr. Sackville : A total of 3,591,618 legal abortions have been notified to the chief medical officers of England and Wales under the provisions of the Abortion Act 1967--this covers the period from the time when the Act came into force on 27 April 1968 until 31 March 1992, the latest date for which figures, provisional, are available. Of these, 136-- 0.004 per cent.--were performed in emergency "to save the life of the pregnant woman".
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NHS Supplies Authorities
Mr. Willetts : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many national health service trusts use, partly or entirely, suppliers other than the National Health Service Supplies Authority ; and what is the difference in their costs from those which would be incurred if they used the authority for all supplies.
Dr. Mawhinney : This information is not available centrally.
High Security Care
Mr. Denham : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to review the future of Rampton and Broadmoor hospitals.
Mr. Yeo : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside (Mr. Blunkett) on 25 March at column 695 .
Social Services, Greenwich
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her estimate of the change in standard spending assessment for social services in Greenwich if the 1991 census information were used for 1993-94.
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