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Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received about objective 4 of the European social fund ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 5 July 1993] : The Department has consulted those organisations involved in the management of projects supported by the European social fund--ESF--in the United Kingdom about the reform of the European structural funds, including the proposed new objective 4. Most respondents shared the Government's view that the European social fund should continue to be concentrated on assisting the unemployed, particularly the long-term unemployed and young people. The reform of the European structural funds was discussed at the Foreign Affairs Council on 2 July where, subject to an Irish reservation on the overall package, it was agreed that training for the unemployed should remain the priority for expenditure under the ESF.
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Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any proposals to secure the future funding of voluntary organisations following the proposed reduction in the European social fund ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 5 July 1993] ; Across the European Community resources allocated to the European structural funds, including the European social fund--ESF--are set to increase by 40 per cent. over the period 1993-99. Training and employment measures supported by the ESF are selected on an open and competitive basis to ensure value for money.
Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the absolute number and percentage of the labour force unemployed for (a) under three months, (b) over three months, (c) over six months, (d) over 12 months, (e) over two years, (f) over three years and (g) over four years in each OECD and European Community country since 1979.
Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 5 July 1993] : The available information can be provided only at disproportionate cost. Unemployment data, on the International Labour Organisation basis, for particular durations are published by the statistical office of the European Communities--EUROSTAT--in its annual "Labour Force Survey Results" copies of which are available in the Library.
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Mr. Clifton-Brown : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what powers her officials have, and are contemplating, to enter farmland without prior notification.
Mr. Jack : As far as the integrated administration and control system is concerned, the Control System Regulations 1993--SI 1993/1317-- provide authorised persons with powers of entry at all reasonable hours for the purpose of carrying out control measures required to meet EC obligations. In using these powers, we shall have regard to the requirements of the EC regulation, which are designed to combat fraud, but will try to minimise unnecessary inconvenience to farmers.
Mr. Grocott : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will list the former Members of this House who have been appointed since 1988 by her Department to quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations ; and if she will list, in each case, the title of the post, the salary, the duration of the appointment, and the party which each represented as an hon. Member.
Mr. Jack : Of the new appointments made by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food since 1988 and listed in "Public Bodies 1992", our records show that four are former members of the House of Commons. The details requested by the hon. Member are as follows :
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Name |Title of post |Salary |Duration |Party ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lord Mackay of Ardbreknish |Chairman<1>, |£28,780 p.a. |3 years from |Conservative (John Jackson Mackay) |Sea Fish Industry Authority |1 October 1990 |(Argyle and Bute, 1983-87) Sir Peter Mills |Chairman, |None |3 years from |Conservative | South West Regional Panel |1 August 1988 |(Torrington, 1964-74, | (following reorganisation in|3 years from |Devon, West, 1974-83, | 1992 became Chairman of |1 August 1991 |Torridge and West Devon, | new South West Panel) |(resigned June 1993) |1983-87) Andrew Stewart |Chairman<2>, |£15,600 p.a. |3 years from |Conservative | Agricultural Training Board |1 October 1992 |(Sherwood, 1983-92) David Myles, CBE |Member<2>, |-<3> |3 years from |Conservative | Potato Marketing Board |1 January 1988 |(Banff, 1979-83) |3 years from |1 January 1991 <1>Appointed jointly with Secretaries of State for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. <2>Appointed jointly with Secretaries of State for Scotland and Wales. <3>As set by Potato Marketing Board.
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many farmers have a dispute or contested claim for set-aside for the most recently available period.
Mr. Jack : A total of 28 claims under the five and one year set- aside schemes for the 1991-92 period are currently subject to dispute. Claims for land set-aside under the new arable area payments scheme are still being processed.
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Dr. Strang : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action her Department is taking to ensure that the Czech and Polish authorities meet the costs before 1 August of the owners and farmers who have suffered as a consequence of the import of animals testing sero- positive to equine viral arteritis and foot and mouth disease.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : My officials have met representatives of the Czech and Polish veterinary authorities on a number of occasions and there have also been exchanges of correspondence between them in respect
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of the importation of foot and mouth disease --FMD--seropositive animals from the Czech republic and from Poland.The Czech authorities accept that the animals concerned must have been vaccinated against FMD and have agreed to accept the return of any of the affected animals. My officials have made clear to the Czech authorities on a number of occasions our view that they should ensure a fair and satisfactory outcome to the problem.
With the help of the Polish authorities, my officials are continuing to investigate how cattle vaccinated against FMD came to be exported from Poland with certification claiming that the animals had never been vaccinated.
It cannot be concluded from the evidence available so far that the stallion imported last September from Poland is necessarily the primary source of the current outbreak of equine viral arteritis. Nevertheless, my officials have now written to the Polish veterinary authorities informing them of the possible link with the imported stallion and seeking information about the disease status of the stud of origin in Poland at the time the stallion was imported.
Dr. Strang : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the same veterinary certification procedures have been applicable to farmed livestock originating from Poland as for horses.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The certification procedures are basically the same, with official certification being required for horses and farmed livestock imported from third countries. However, the detailed animal health conditions applicable to such imports are different.
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to whom each of the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by her Department is responsible ; whether the public bodies or their members in each case are subject to (a) surcharge, (b) investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner, (c) scrutiny by the Audit Commission or National Audit Office, (d) the statutory provisions for open government which apply to local authorities, (e) performance indicators and (f) provisions under the citizens charters ; and whether the chairpersons and members of the boards of each of these bodies are required to declare an interest.
Mr. Jack : Of the executive NDPBs listed in "Public Bodies" 1992 as coming under the aegis of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the regional flood defence committees now report to the National Rivers Authority and have not, therefore, been covered in this reply. Of the remainder, all are responsible to my right hon. Friend the Minister with the exception of the Agricultural Wages Board--AWB--and agricultural wages committees--AWC--which were set up to be statutorily independent. The AWB reports its proceedings each year to the Minister for inclusion in her annual report to Parliament on agricultural wages : the AWCs function in accordance with the rules of procedure set out in statutory regulations. None of the bodies or their members is subject to surcharge and only the agricultural wages committees and the Agricultural Training Board can be investigated by the Parliamentary Commissioner. There is no relationship between the NDPBs and the Audit Commission. All the bodies save the AWB and AWCs are
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subject to scrutiny either statutorily or by agreement by NAO. NDPBs are not subject to statutory provisions for open government which apply to local authorities. All the bodies, with the exception of the AWB and AWCs, produce performance indicators. All public servants are subject to the citizens charter and NDPBs are being encouraged to adopt charter principles. Appointments of chairpersons and members of boards are made in accordance with the NDPB guide for departments Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the statistical information on the inspection of food premises for 1992 as required by the EC Commission under directive 89/397 is available.Mr. Soames : The United Kingdom figures for inspection of food premises during 1992 have been forwarded to the EC Commission as required by directive 89/397. They are based on returns received from local authorities. A copy of these statistics has been placed in the Library of the House together with extracts covering England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, respectively. Returns from individual authorities are available for inspection at my Department ; copies can be provided for a small charge to cover expenses.
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to her answer of 15 June, Official Report, column 482, what steps she is taking to stop the spread of equine viral arteritis by casual contact including aerial transmission ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Soames [pursuant to the reply, 25 June 1993,c. 327-28] : I am pleased to announce that the outstanding quality points identified by the Veterinary Products Committee at its meeting on 24 June in respect of an application for an inactivated equine viral arteritis vaccine, have since been resolved and an animal test certificate now granted. The first batch of the product is currently undergoing final testing before clearance for use.
The animal test trial design is based on the current geographical spread of the disease and the known epidemiology of the infection. The vaccine will therefore be made available through veterinary surgeons on application to the certificate holder, for use in stallions in England, and in mares in those counties of England where there is a recognised risk of infection. Premises where vaccine is to be used will be notified to the licensing authority.
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contribution was received in the latest available year from the Governments of the Channel islands, the Isle of Man and Bermuda to the cost of defence.
Mr. Hanley : No contributions to the cost of defence have been received from the Government of Bermuda in
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recent years. As to the contributions made by the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Home Office on 2 July, Official Report, column 635.Ms Mowlam : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the market-testing programme has cost his Department since November 1992.
Mr. Aitken : The market-testing programme is largely the responsibility of the management areas concerned : some staff are dedicated to market testing but most carry out this function as part of their normal duties. The information requested could not, therefore, be identified in each area without incurring disproportionate cost. However, the cost of the central market testing service, which offers advice and assistance to managers, is about £475,000.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the annual cost to his Department for policing the interior of Menwith Hill station.
Mr. Hanley : I will write to the hon. Member.
Mr. Salmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the names and dates of commissioning of those warships for which the refit contract is to be allocated to Rosyth dockyard in the years up until 2005 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Aitken : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Dunfermline, East (Mr. Brown) on 29 June, Official Report, column 492.
Mr. Salmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he proposes to introduce primary legislation for full privatisation of Rosyth and Devonport dockyards ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Aitken : No decisions have been taken on arrangements to succeed the present term contracts for the operation of the royal dockyards.
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to whom each of the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department is responsible : whether the public bodies or their members in each case are subject to (a) surcharge, (b) investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner, (c) scrutiny by the Audit Commission or National Audit Office, (d) the statutory provisions for open government which apply to local authorities, (e) performance indicators and (f) provisions under the citizens charters ; and whether the chairpersons and members of the boards of each of these bodies are required to declare an interest.
Mr. Hanley : The information requested about the executive non- departmental bodies sponsored by my Department is as follows :
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(a) None is subject to surcharge ;(b) None is within the jurisdiction of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration ;
(c) Except for the Services Sound and Vision
Corporation--SSVC--accounts for all bodies are subject to audit by the National Audit Office. An external auditor does however audit the accounts of the SSVC and the Comptroller and Auditor General has access to the SSVC's books and records ;
(d) None is subject to the statutory provisions for open government applicable to local authorities ;
(e) Performance indicators have not been adopted within the service museums, but they are being addressed and it is intended to introduce indicators in the near future. Both the SSVC and the Oil and Pipeline Agency have performance indicators ;
(f) The principles of ensuring an accountable, responsive and quality service to the public, directly or indirectly, apply to all publicly funded organisations.
Appointees, except for those as trustees of the service museums are required to declare any personal interest.
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will publish the report by Sir Michael Davies into complaints relating to University college, Swansea.
Mr. Newton : Sir Michael Davies's report to the visitor of the university of Wales on matters relating to the University college of Swansea has been forwarded formally to the college. Copies have also been made available to those who made submissions to his inquiry either as individuals or as representatives. I do not proposes to arrange for the report actually to be published.
Mr. George Howarth : To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will list the names, occupations and current employers of those who currently hold positions in each public body to which he makes appointments ; if he will make a statement on the considerations taken into account when making such appointments ; and if he will list details of the posts and salaries or allowances payable which have changed since the publication of "Public Bodies 1992".
Mr. Newton [holding answer 25 June 1993] : As Lord President, I am responsible for the appointment of the panel of experts from which members are drawn to sit on registered homes tribunals. The information requested in respect of the 51 members is not held centrally and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost. Panel members are selected primarily on the basis of their experience in social work, medicine or nursing. Since the publication of "Public Bodies 1992", the daily allowance payable to a member sitting on a tribunal has been increased from £138 to £141.
10. Mr. Canavan : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions she or her representatives have had regarding reumuneration of national health service employees.
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Dr. Mawhinney : Settlements have recently been reached for pay increases for some 90 per cent. of the national health service work force.
11. Mr. Alan Howarth : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many trained social workers are currently employed by local authority social services departments.
Mr. Bowis : From the latest information available--"Local Authority Social Services Statistics : Staff of Local Authority Social Services Departments 30 September 1991 : England"--there are some 25,500 whole-time equivalent field social work posts in local authorities--an increase of 36 per cent. over the 10 years to 1991--with about 90 per cent. professionally qualified.
13. Mr. Skinner : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the latest figures for national health service waiting lists.
Dr. Mawhinney : Provisional figures for the quarter ending 31 March are available in the Library. These show that the patients charter guarantee is being met and there are no patients waiting longer than two years for treatment in any region. In addition, no patient has to wait longer than 18 months for hip, knee or cataract surgery.
18. Mr. Knapman : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in reducing waiting times for patients in the South Western region.
Dr. Mawhinney : Provisional figures for March 1993 show that, over the last two years, South Western regional health authority has reduced the number of patients waiting over a year from 14,500 to only 295.
14. Dr. Spink : To ask the Secretary of State for Health is she will make a statement on the publication of comparative performance indicators in the national health service.
Dr. Mawhinney : I attach considerable importance to developing the use of comparative performance indicators in the national health service. They are a valuable tool in enabling standards in all areas to rise to the levels of the best. A considerable amount of comparative performance information is already available and the task now is to ensure that it is spread and used more widely to inform choices about health care. To that end, I am pleased to say that the first hospital league tables will be published in June 1994.
15. Mr. Tipping : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on her current plans for the future of free dental treatment for pregnant women and nursing mothers.
16. Mr. Hall : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the future of free dental treatment for pregnant women and nursing mothers.
Dr. Mawhinney : Sir Kenneth Bloomfield's review of the remuneration of general dental practitioners suggested
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that pregnant and nursing women should no longer be automatically exempt from dental charges. We have consulted widely on his report and shall announce our proposals in due course.17. Mr. Jacques Arnold : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the average number of patients on each family doctor's list (a) in 1979 and (b) in the latest year for which figures are available.
Dr. Mawhinney : At 1 October 1979, the average number of patients on family doctors' lists in England was 2,286 ; the figure for 1 October 1992 is 1,922.
19. Mr. Brazier : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has for the further development of the general practitioner fund- holding initiative.
Dr. Mawhinney : Fund holding is an acknowledged success and clearly delivers benefits to patients. We want to see these benefits extended as far as possible. Almost 3,000 general practitioners joined the scheme this year, taking the total to over 6,000. Around 3,000 more are preparing to join next year. We are also looking at ways to encourage more smaller inner -city and rural practices to join the scheme.
25. Mr. Hunter : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration she is giving to extending fund holding to smaller general practices.
Dr. Mawhinney : We have always encouraged small practices to group together to join the scheme. Seventy such groups have already done so and around 150 more are preparing to join from April 1994.
20. Mrs. Anne Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she has carried out an investment appraisal into the funds donated by her Department to the Terrence Higgins Trust.
Mr. Sackville : The Department of Health carried out a full financial appraisal of the Terrence Higgins Trust in 1988. The trust's financial position continues to be carefully monitored each year in connection with its section 64 grant award.
21. Mr. Bates : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on progress towards placing a paramedic on each front -line ambulance.
Mr. Sackville : In December last year, I announced that the paramedic target was to be brought forward by one year to the end of 1995. I am pleased to say that ambulance services and health authorities have responded positively and they are well on the way to achieving the required target.
22. Mrs. Mahon : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to introduce charges for post-operative care in the national health service.
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Mr. Sackville : There are no such plans.
23. Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the specialist medical training review contained in the Calman committee report.
Mr. Sackville : The working group chaired by the Chief Medical Officer was established last year at my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's request to consider specialist medical training in the light of the EC medical directives. The group has produced a report containing comprehensive recommendations with the twin aims of meeting the requirements of European Community law while ensuring that standards of specialist training are maintained and, indeed, improved. The period of consultation on the report concluded last week and comments from an extensive range of interested parties will be considered before a decision on implementation is reached.
24. Mr. Bayley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made to improve the health and social functioning of mentally ill people in the past 12 months.
Mr. Bowis : In line with the three strategies set out in "The Health of the Nation", we have taken a number of steps towards improving information and understanding ; developing comprehensive local services ; and continuing the development of good practice. This includes funding the first national survey of psychiatric illness ; issuing the "Mental Illness Key Area Handbook" ; distributing good practice guidance on the care programme approach and establishing a mental health task force.
We will be producing a report on activity in the mental illness key area of "The Health of the Nation" in the autumn. A copy will be placed in the Library.
Lady Olga Maitland : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will consider the need for further measures to deal with mental illness within the community care programme with particular reference to schizophrenia.
Mr. Bowis : We introduced the care programme approach in April 1991 to provide better co-ordinated care in the community for people with a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia. The inclusion of mental illness as one of the five key areas in the Government's strategy for health. "The Health of the Nation" has given impetus to the work being done by health and local authorities to improve community mental health services. "The Health of the Nation" sets a broad and demanding target of improving the health and social welfare of people with serious mental illness such as schizophrenia and builds on the care programme approach.
A departmental review team has been at work since January examining current provisions in the Mental Health Act 1983 for the care in the community of people with serious mental illness. It is considering the need for the introduction of a new power and whether changes in the law are necessary. The review team will report its findings to the Secretary of State in the summer.
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26. Rev. Martin Smyth : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a further statement on the limited list proposals.
Dr. Mawhinney : We expect the Advisory Committee on National Health Service Drugs to complete its review of drugs in the categories of the extended selected list scheme by the end of the year, and for regulations to bring these changes into effect to be laid before Parliament.
27. Miss Lestor : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with the George House Trust in Manchester regarding the spread of HIV in the north-west ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Sackville : The George House Trust has corresponded with the Department of Health about section 64 grant aid and the use and allocation of earmarked AIDS moneys made available by health and local authorities. The Department's view is that local organisations such as the George House Trust should negotiate funding agreements with health and local authorities.
29. Sir Fergus Montgomery : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the latest information about the rates of infant and perinatal mortality in the north-western region.
Mr. Sackville : For the north-western region, the 1992 infant mortality rate was 7.7 per 1,000 live births and the perinatal mortality rate was 8.5 per 1,000 total births. These are the latest figures in what represents a continuing downward trend.
It should be noted that on 1 October 1992 the legal definition of a stillbirth was altered from a baby born dead after 28 completed weeks' gestation or more to one born dead after 24 completed weeks' gestation or more.
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