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|Number |Whole time
|equivalent
--------------------------------------------
1980 |846 |323.5
1985 |841 |351.3
1992 |913 |426.8
Dental Services
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish for each family health service authority area in Wales the number of general dental practitioners that are available on call for carrying out emergency treatment outside normal surgery hours.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : This information is not available centrally. General dental practitioners are obliged by their terms and conditions of service to provide emergency cover for their registered patients. It is for family health services authorities to satisfy themselves as to the adequacy of local arrangements for providing emergency dental treatment outside normal surgery hours.
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what study his Department has made of the adequacy of the community dental services in meeting the needs of all children who have difficulty in accessing general dental services ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : It is a matter for local health authorities to determine the appropriate level of community dental service provision within their areas. Returns submitted by family health services authorities in Wales indicate that a significant majority of general dental practitioners in Wales continue to provide national health service treatment for children.
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he is taking to encourage adults in west Glamorgan who remain unregistered for regular dental care to use the community dental service.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : Local management responsibility for general dental service in west Glamorgan rests with the family health services authority. Returns submitted by that authority to the Welsh Office indicate that all patients who seek general dental services treatment in west Glamorgan are able to obtain it.
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many salaried dentists are employed by each family health services authority in Wales.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : Approval has been given for Dyfed and Gwynedd family health services authorities to employ
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a total of six whole-time equivalent salaried dentists. Both authorities are in the process of identifying suitable applicants and premises to accommodate them.Hepatitis B
Mr. Richards : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures are being taken in Wales to ensure all health staff are immunised against hepatitis B ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : Hepatitis B immunisation is recommended for a number of at-risk groups including all health care workers involved in invasive procedures. This policy is kept under review, with expert advice from the Advisory Group on Hepatitis and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. The health service has been asked to prepare immunisation programmes for staff exposed to occupational risk.
Road Safety
Mr. Richards : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures are being taken to improve road safety in Clwyd ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The Department and the local authorities are continually seeking ways to improve the safety of road users throughout Wales. Clwyd county council has produced a road safety plan for the county. On 8 June we commissioned the consultant, Oscar Faber TPA, to advise on a road safety strategy for Wales, including a road safety plan for trunk roads.
Hepatitis and Dysentary
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many cases of (a) viral hepatitis and (b) dysentery have been reported in each district health authority in each of the last five years.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The number of cases of (a) viral hepatitis and (b) dysentery notified in each health authority in Wales in each of the last five years are shown in the table :
Health authority |1988 |1989 |1990 |1991 |<1>1992
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(a) Viral Hepatitis
Clwyd |10 |18 |18 |42 |21
East Dyfed |12 |6 |5 |7 |6
Pembrokeshire |4 |5 |5 |3 |7
Gwent |37 |17 |33 |77 |212
Gwynedd |3 |5 |3 |4 |4
Mid Glamorgan |9 |12 |45 |134 |95
Powys |1 |4 |9 |3 |2
South Glamorgan |94 |55 |103 |48 |20
West Glamorgan |24 |7 |36 |42 |114
(b) Dysentery
Clwyd |10 |27 |10 |72 |180
East Dyfed |6 |6 |3 |11 |14
Pembrokeshire |4 |0 |2 |305 |17
Gwent |31 |5 |0 |78 |96
Gwynedd |3 |4 |2 |5 |16
Mid Glamorgan |3 |4 |39 |23 |110
Powys |1 |0 |0 |4 |6
South Glamorgan |25 |52 |166 |472 |228
West Glamorgan |8 |17 |13 |2 |9
<1> 1992 data are provisional.
Source: Office of Population Censuses and Surveys Communicable Disease.
Statistics-Series MB2.
Registrar General's Weekly Return-Series WR.
Environmental Policy
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his Department's policy on the purchase and use of (a) recycled paper, (b) low-energy light bulbs, (c) tropical hardwoods, (d) peat and (e) cars with catalytic converters.
Mr. Redwood : My Department's strategy for green housekeeping includes specific commitments to extend the use of recycled paper in the Welsh Office and to reduce energy consumption by various means including the procurement and use of low-energy light sources where appropriate.
Our general purchasing policy also gives full weight to environmental considerations in the procurement of all goods including tropical hardwoods and we seek to use environmentally acceptable alternatives to peat and peat -based products wherever possible. We are considering a policy of operating vehicles fitted with catalytic converters.
Telephone Helplines
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will take steps to encourage all family health services authorities in Wales to introduce a dedicated telephone helpline for the community along the lines of that established in West Glamorgan.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : As part of the patients charter family health services authorities are required to be accessible to those who need their advice. All authorities have published details of a telephone number and an officer who will deal with questions and give advice about family health services. The telephone number need not be a dedicated line but there are officers ready and available to answer inquiries.
AIDS
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people in Wales have died of AIDS ; and if he will disaggregate the figures by health authority area.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : To 31 March 1993, 78 of the AIDS cases reported by health authorities are known to have died. Of these, 34 were reported in South Glamorgan health authority and 15 in West Glamorgan health authority. The remaining 29 AIDS cases also known to have died were reported in Clwyd, East Dyfed, Pembrokeshire, Gwent, Gwynedd and Mid Glamorgan health authorities. The numbers of AIDS deaths in each of these health authorities does not exceed 10 and for reasons of confidentiality and in line with the AIDS (Control) Act 1987 are reported as "less than 10" for each health authority.
In addition, to 31 March 1993, 24 AIDS cases reported from outside Wales died while last known to be living in Welsh health authority areas.
Public Transport
Mr. Richards : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures are being taken to support and promote public transport in Wales ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The Government's policies of deregulation and privatisation will help to promote
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increased choice and increased competition for the provision of public transport services in Wales. Unhypothecated revenue support grant is made available to local authorities towards the costs of services including support for local public transport. In addition local authorities have received increased resources for bus priority schemes and for supporting new rail passenger services, notably in the areas of the Cardiff valleys, Maesteg and West Glamorgan.Wind Farms
Mr. Richards : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many wind farms are now in operation in Wales ; how many are planned for completion in the next two years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood : There are three wind farms currently operating in Wales at Mynydd Cemaes, Llandinam and Rhyd-y-Groes. A further six projects are expected to be completed within the next two years.
Prince Philip Hospital, Llanelli
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish the number of (a) days and (b) nights that the Prince Philip hospital, Llanelli was closed for the admission of accident and emergency patients in (i) 1992 and (ii) the first five months of 1993.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The Prince Philip hospital was closed for accident and emergency admissions for a total of seven days and nights in 1992 and for the same period of time in the first five months of 1993 due to increased demand for admissions combined with short-term staffing problems. The hospital is taking steps to overcome these difficulties, including measures to increase bed use efficiency.
Radiographers
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what review he i-1t HIV
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many patients have been confirmed as carrying the HIV virus in each health authority area in Wales, for each month since January 1990.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : Between 1 January 1990 and 31 March 1993, 164 new HIV positive individuals were reported from Wales. A monthly breakdown of the number of new HIV positives reported by each health authority would give individual figures of less than 10. For reasons of confidentiality and in line with the AIDS (Control) Act 1987, numbers between one and nine inclusive are given as "less than 10" by each health authority.
Teenage Vandalism
Mr. Richards : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what new measures are being taken in Wales to tackle vandalism by teenagers ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Gwilym Jones : There is substantial activity across Wales which helps to reduce vandalism and the opportunities for vandalism by teenagers. Some measures, such as neighbourhood watch schemes will have a very local impact. Others, for example, Wrexham Anti Vandalism Year, cover a large area. The scheme was launched in January 1993 by Wrexham Maelor borough council with the help of local businesses, voluntary organisations and the North Wales police and involves the whole community to counter vandalism with an information campaign, education and practical events, including a schools competition. In addition there are schemes which encourage young people towards positive activity, for example, motor projects, crime awareness projects. Others seek to develop facilities and activities for young people. Initiatives such as "Secured by Design" and programmes to improve street lighting have their effect in reducing the opportunities for vandalism and other forms of anti-social behaviour. Comprehensive records of all the measures currently being taken in Wales to tackle vandalism are not available.
The police, the probation service, local authorities, voluntary organisations, employers, teachers, parents and many individuals are all playing a part in the extensive measures that are being taken to help reduce vandalism and other crime in Wales. Wherever possible the Welsh Office supports local communities in their efforts to improve neighbourhoods and to reduce vandalism and other crime.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Mr. Richards : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures are being taken in Clwyd further to reduce hospital waiting lists ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : Clwyd health authority and family health services authority plan to reduce waiting times further in the current financial year while continuing to meet patients charter guarantees. Under the waiting times initiative, Clwyd health authority has been provisionally allocated £233,400 and Clwyd family health services authority £160,850 for GP fund holders in the county to help them achieve this objective.
Clwyd health authority has also been allocated £70,045 under the 1993- 94 treatment centre initiative for hip and knee replacements, cataracts, hernias and varicose veins.
Children (Injuries)
Mr. Richards : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures are being taken in Wales to help reduce the number of injuries to young children ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : All health commissioning authorities in Wales are developing local strategies for health. In doing so they are taking into account the advice and targets included in the "Protocol for Investment in Health Gain : Injuries", published by the Welsh Health Planning Forum in June 1992. This offers guidance on how the national health service can reduce injuries to children, as measured by numbers attending accident and emergency departments, by 25 per cent. by the year 2002.
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NHS Trusts
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which class and vote covers the payment of salaries of national health service trust chief executives in Wales.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The salaries of chief executive officers of national health service trusts in Wales are paid from the income which trusts generate from their contracts to provide health services with health authorities, GP fund holders and the private sector. The provision which health authorities and GP fund holders in Wales receive to obtain services from health service providers is contained within class XV Wales, vote 8 of the 1993-94 supply estimates.
Column 480
Assisted Areas
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much regional selective assistance was given, and how many jobs were created or safeguarded as a result, for each travel-to-work area in Wales subject to assisted area status in the latest year for which figures are available.
Mr. Redwood : It is not possible to provide information on jobs associated with individual payments of regional selective assistance. Information on RSA offers accepted in 1991-92 together with forecasts of job creation and safeguarding is as follows :
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Regional Selective Assistance: Offers accepted 1991-92
Forecast jobs
Travel to work area |Offer Value (£000) |New |Safeguarded
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aberdare |25 |3 |0
Bangor and Caernarfon |311 |34 |193
Blaenau Gwent Abergavenny |2,568 |325 |97
Bridgend |15,633 |2,505 |772
Cardiff |3,810 |493 |531
Cardigan |35 |9 |0
Haverfordwest |83 |30 |0
Holyhead |3,500 |221 |25
Llanelli |1,042 |297 |102
Merthyr and Rhymney |7,055 |596 |712
Neath and Port Talbot |9,410 |316 |671
Newport |5,107 |268 |622
Pontypool and Cwmbran |1,365 |438 |0
Pontypridd and Rhondda |5,785 |603 |177
Porthmadog and Ffestiniog |1,005 |159 |26
Shotton, Flint and Rhyl |8,953 |698 |308
South Pembrokeshire |500 |93 |0
Swansea |2,397 |635 |171
Wrexham |8,271 |593 |524
|------- |------- |-------
Total |76,855 |8,316 |4,931
Market Testing
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department spent on legal advice regarding the implications of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 for the market- testing programme.
Mr. Redwood : Expenditure amounting to £5,697.71 has been identified. The latter sum includes counsel's fees and charges from the Treasury Solicitor's Department.
Ancient Monuments Board for Wales
Mr. Richards : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he intends to publish the 38th annual report of the Ancient Monuments Board for Wales.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The 38th annual report of the Ancient Monuments Board for Wales has been published today. The report covers the financial year 1991-92 and copies have been placed in the Library of the House.
Council Tax
Mr. Richards : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what arrangements have been made for dealing with proposals to alter council tax valuation lists.
Mr. Redwood : The Valuation Office agency (VOA) had received some 33,500 proposals to alter valuation lists in
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Wales by 24 June, the great majority in the first month of the initial appeal period. The rate at which new proposals have been received, however, has subsequently fallen significantly. We expect the agency and valuation tribunals to have settled some 38,000 council tax banding appeals in Wales by 31 December 1994, just 13 months after the initial appeal period ends on 30 November 1993. Any remaining appeals will be decided as rapidly as possible in 1995.In keeping with citizens charter principles, the agency has set standards of service for handling appeals. On receipt of a proposal the Valuation Office Agency's objective will be :
To acknowledge receipt of proposals within 14 days (against a statutory deadline of 28 days) ;
To make the taxpayer an offer, within 60 days, to reband the property if the initial banding is clearly wrong ;
To let taxpayers know within 90 days if the agency believes the original banding is correct and that they intend to defend that decision ; and
In any other case, to make contact with taxpayers within 120 days and give them a named contact within the VOA for further discussion. Council tax payers should have their appeals settled as quickly and efficiently as possible, giving appropriate priority to identified cases of hardship. We shall monitor progress to ensure that this is so and keep our plans under review in light of developments.
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School Meals
Mr. Wicks : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the average price of a school meal in (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools in cash and real terms in each year since 1979.
Sir Wyn Roberts [holding answer 16 June 1993] : The average costs of set price school meals in maintained primary and secondary schools are shown in the table.
Cash prices Constant prices
(pence) (pence)
|Primary |Secondary|Primary |Secondary
------------------------------------------------------------
1979-80 |30 |30 |69 |69
1980-81 |42 |45 |83 |88
1981-82 |42 |50 |75 |89
1982-83 |947 |55 |78 |91
1983-84 |52 |57 |83 |90
1984-85 |<1>58 |<1>59 |<1>88 |<1>89
1985-86 |58 |62 |83 |89
1986-87 |63 |68 |87 |94
1987-88 |65 |<1>70 |85 |<1>92
1988-89 |66 |<1>72 |81 |<1>89
1989-90 |89-90 |<1>66 |<1>70 |<1>76
1990-91 |<1>67 |<1>75 |<1>72 |<1>80
1991-92 |73 |<1>83 |73 |<1>83
<1> Based on an incomplete response from all local
education authorities.
Source: Chartered Institute of Public Finance and
Accountancy.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Income Support
Mrs. Anne Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of people in the United Kingdom over the age of 65 years are in receipt of income support.
Mr. Burt : It is estimated that 16.6 per cent. of people aged 65 or over in Great Britain are in receipt of income support. Information relating to Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Sources :
1. Income Support Statistics Annual Enquiry May 1992.
2. Office of Population Censuses and Surveys.
Child Benefit
Mr. Nicholas Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list those countries in the European Community which do not have a universal form of child benefit/family allowance.
Mr. Burt : All EC countries except Italy, Spain and France have a universal child benefit/family allowance scheme. The French scheme, although universal in application, pays nothing for the first child, thus effectively excluding a significant proportion of families. There are numerous differences in coverage between countries, often varying according to the ages and number of children.
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European Year of the Elderly
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the actions taken by his Department in support of this year's European Year of the Elderly within the United Kingdom.
Mr. Hague : We have worked closely with Department of Health which has overall co-ordinating responsibility for the year. Together we have provided funding to support the year and official representation on both the EC and United Kingdom advisory committees which oversee the varied programme of events. As part of its customer care provisions for older people, the Benefits Agency will shortly be launching a major new publication informing older pensioners and their carers of their benefit rights.
Pensioners (State Benefits)
Mr. Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of pensioner units receive income from state benefits to the value of (a) 100 per cent. of income, (b) 75 per cent. of income or more and (c) 50 per cent. of income or more.
Mr. Hague : The estimates are in the table.
The proportion of pensioner units whose gross income comes mostly from state benefits (Per cent.) Proportion of gross |Proportion of income that comes |pensioner units from state benefits -------------------------------------------------------------- 100 per cent. |14 75 per cent. or more |53 50 per cent. or more |72 Notes: 1. Pensioner units are defined as single pensioners over state pension age or pensioner couples in which the husband is over state pension age. 2. Estimates are based on data from the 1989 Family Expenditure Survey. 3. Estimates are cumulative e.g. the figure for 75 per cent. or more includes those units with no income other than that from state benefits.
Benefits
Sir Rhodes Boyson : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish the total amount of expenditure on provision within the responsibility of his Department in (a) England, (b) Greater London and (c) the south-east, excluding Greater London, for each year from 1982-83 to 1992-93, estimated, distinguishing between current and capital expenditure, though excluding local authority credit approvals/capital allocations.
Mr. Burt : The Department's total administrative expenditure for the latest available years is in the table.
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|1982-83|1983-84|1984-85|1985-86|1986-87|1987-88|1988-89|1989-90|1990-91|1991-92
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Running costs |- |- |- |- |1,751 |1,628 |1,718 |1,713 |1,960 |2,156
Capital |- |- |- |- |89 |99 |158 |301 |294 |333
Other |- |- |- |- |1 |315 |345 |384 |426 |526
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------
Total |1,068 |1,234 |1,402 |1,412 |1,841 |2,042 |2,221 |2,398 |2,680 |3,015
Notes:
Up to and including 1988-89 the figures included administrative costs for the Department of Health
when the Department was the Department of Health and Social Security.
A regional breakdown could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Prior to 1986-87 no breakdown
was kept between current and capital expenditure.
Dr. Goodson-Wickes : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what consultations he has had to correlate the payment of unemployment payments with other benefits.
Mr. Burt : Regular discussions take place between this department and the Department of Employment on the administration of benefits for unemployment, with a view to improving the service provided to unemployed people.
Income Support
Mrs. Anne Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of people in the United Kingdom over the age of 65 years have income support which is less than £400 per annum above the level of eligibility for income support.
Mr. Hague : The information requested is not available.
Resettlement Agency
Mr. Milligan : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, if he has conducted the three-year review of the Resettlement Agency ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hague : The Department recently completed a full evaluation of the Resettlement Agency, which has been in existence since 1989, in accordance with the Government's commitment to evaluate "Next Steps" agencies. This evaluation concluded that the agency successfully met its objectives in its first three years of operation and should continue for a further three years at which time another evaluation will take place. I have today placed in the Library copies of the agency's evaluation and framework documents.
Market Testing
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much his Department spent on legal advice regarding the implications of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 for the market-testing programme.
Mr. Burt : No external costs have been incurred. It is not possible to identify separately the cost of work done by the Department's own lawyers.
Social Fund
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will make it his policy to ensure that, if a social fund officer requires a condemnation report when considering a social fund application for a fuel appliance, the Benefits Agency should meet the cost of a provisional report ;
(2) if he will amend social fund guidelines to ensure that the Benefits Agency should bear the cost of a condemnation report for a social fund application for a fuel appliance if one is required by the agency.
Mr. Scott : Guidance currently requires social fund officers to decide each application on its merits and I have
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no plans to change this. Where a condemnation--or provisional--report is produced the social fund officer will usually include its cost in any award made.Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he intends to respond to the recommendations made by the Social Security Advisory Committee on its report entitled "The Social Fund : A New Structure".
Mr. Scott : I refer the hon. Member to the reply to the hon. Member for Caernarfon (Mr. Wigley) on 22 June 1993 at column 165 .
Invalidity Benefit
Mr. Richards : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many prosecutions in Wales have been brought against people for fraudulently claiming invalidity benefit in each year since 1979.
Mr. Scott : The administration of benefit fraud is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to my hon. Friend and a copy will be placed in the Library. Letter from Michael Bichard to Mr. Rod Richards, dated 28 June 1993 :
As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency, it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Wales asking, how many prosecutions in Wales have been brought against people for fraudulently claiming invalidity benefit in each year since 1979.
I regret that I am unable to provide all the information you requested.
The Sector Fraud Organisation has only been in existence since January 1991 and the information you asked for has only been collated in the format requested from 1 April 1992. The first full year for which figures are available is, therefore, the year ended 31 March 1993.
In that period there were twenty-one prosecutions in Wales for offences involving Invalidity Benefit. In all twenty-one cases guilty verdicts were returned.
I hope you will find this reply helpful. A copy will appear in the Official Report and a copy will also be placed in the Library.
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