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Mr. Denham : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total estimated budget of the information management group of the national health service management executive for the financial year 1993-94.
Mr. Sackville : The total budget for the information management group for 1993-94 is £51,408,132.
NHS Administrative Registers
Mr. Denham : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will make it her policy that no other Government Department or body will have access to information stored on national health service administrative registers ;
(2) what action the Government will take to ensure that information stored on national health service administrative registers will be used only for the purposes for which it is intended.
Mr. Sackville : Administrative registers are being developed in the national health service to enhance the care of patients and improve the management efficiency of the service. Any access to and use of information on the registers by other bodies will be strictly controlled for those purposes in accordance with agreements reached with the Data Protection Registrar.
Mr. Denham : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total estimated cost of establishing the national health service administrative registers.
Mr. Sackville : There are five pilot projects in England to trial the establishment of local national health service
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administrative registers. These sites are due to complete their work in late 1994 and the lessons learnt, including information on costs, will be the basis for decisions on national implementation.Drugs Expenditure
Mr. Nigel Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of national health service spending in each year since 1979 has been spent on drugs.
Dr. Mawhinney : The information is shown in the table.
Year |Total NHS drugs bill
|as a percentage of
|total NHS
|expenditure
|Per cent.
---------------------------------------------------------------
1979-80 |10.2
1980-81 |9.4
1981-82 |9.6
1982-83 |10.2
1983-84 |10.7
1984-85 |10.4
1985-86 |10.5
1986-87 |10.6
1987-88 |10.7
1988-89 |10.8
1989-90 |11.2
1990-91 |10.7
1991-92 |10.9
Note: 1992-93 expenditure figures are not yet available.
Healthy Eating
Mr. Nigel Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures are being taken to promote healthier eating habits in the United Kingdom ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Sackville : The nutrition task force, set up under the "Health of the Nation" White Paper, has this week issued, for public consultation, its outline programme for co-ordinated action to address the dietary targets in the strategy. The programme covers the areas of education and information ; catering ; the food chain ; and, the role of the national health service and health professionals. Copies of the programme will be placed in the Library.
Information relating to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales and Scotland and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Slimming Illnesses
Mr. Nigel Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were admitted to hospitals in England and Wales suffering from the acute effects of anorexia and other slimming illnesses in the latest available year.
Mr. Bowis : The latest available figures for England--1989-90--show that there were 1,420 recorded finished consultant episodes with diagnoses of anorexia nervosa and a further 180 finished consultant episodes with the diagnosis of bulimia. Episodes involving the acute effects of these diseases are not separately identifiable. Information relating to Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
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Mr. Nigel Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures are being introduced to help people suffering from anorexia and other slimming-related illnesses ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Bowis : Health Authorities are responsible for meeting the needs of people with eating disorders but the Department has advised on and drawn attention to the importance of such disorders in the "Mental Illness Key Area Handbook", a copy of which is available in the Library.
Hospital Services, Liverpool
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to discuss the future of hospital services in Liverpool with the relevant community health councils ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Sackville : Liverpool Central and Southern community health council and Liverpool Eastern CHC have both responded to the consultation exercise carried out by Liverpool district health authority on proposals for the future development of health services in Liverpool.
The responses have been referred to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State who will consider them carefully in deciding on Liverpool DHA's proposals.
Paediatric Services
Mrs. Jane Kennedy : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were treated by paediatric services, in each year since 1988 in the north western and Mersey regions, broken down by hospital.
Mr. Sackville : This information is not available centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact Sir Bruce Martin, chairman of North Western regional health authority and Sir Donald Wilson, chairman of Mersey health authority, for details.
Merseyside Hospitals
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will visit the Broadgreen, Alder Hey and Royal Liverpool University hospitals in the near future to discuss with the staff of those hospitals possible developments in the services they provide ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Sackville : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will be meeting all the trust chairmen, in Mersey region, at Alder Hey hospital, as well as meeting district health authority and family health services authority chairmen.
Provision of services at these hospitals are a matter for the trusts concerned together with their purchasing health authorities.
Broadgreen Hospital, Liverpool
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations she has received about the future financing of Broadgreen hospital, Liverpool ; and if she will carry out a review of the present arrangements.
Mr. Sackville : We have received a number of letters from the general public about the future of Broadgreen hospital over the past few months, but none specifically about future financing. I shall be meeting with local Members of Parliament to discuss the future of Broadgreen next week.
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My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will shortly be considering the proposals of Liverpool health authority for the future development of health services in Liverpool, which affect Broadgreen, and which have been referred to her for a decision.Dysentery
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of dysentery were reported in Nottingham during the last 12 months and in each of the previous five years.
Mr. Sackville : The information is shown in the table.
Reported cases of dysentery in Nottingham 1987-1991 Year |Number --------------------- 1987 |8 1988 |5 1989 |148 1990 |23 1991 |38 Note: The total number of reported cases in Nottingham for the last 12 months is 110<1>. <1>Week ending 19 June 1992 to week ending 18 June 1993.
There was a national increase in notifications of dysentry in 1991 and early 1992 with a subsequent fall in notifications in the second half of 1992. In addition to its usual role of surveillance and giving advice on the control of outbreaks of the disease, the Public Health Laboratory Service has established a working group of people with expertise in this area to determine whether any additional steps should be taken.
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority
Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she has approved the Human Fertilisation and Embryology authority's revised code of practice.
Mr. Sackville : The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority's revised code of practice was approved and laid before the Houses of Parliament today. Copies of the code of practice have been placed in the Vote Office.
Nurses and Midwives
Mr. Sims : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish details of the numbers of NHS and midwifery staff by pay grades withn the groups of senior nursing and midwifery staff, educational staff, clinical nursing and midwifery staff, learners and other staff ; if she will list the number of Project 2000 nursing students, in (a) 1989, (b) 1990, (c) 1991 and (d) 1992 ; and if she will give the percentage change between each year.
Mr. Sackville [holding answer 23 June 1993] : The information for 1992 is not currently available. The information for 1989-91 will be placed in the Library.
The fall in nurse numbers is a result of the continuing transfer of senior nursing staff to the managerial grades and the growing numbers of Project 2000 trainees who are not counted in the manpower figures.
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SCOTLAND
Kirkcudbright (Food Warnings)
Mr. Salmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list details of all incidents where the local population at Kirkcudbright have been advised not to drink water or eat shellfish, the time scale involved in each case and the reason given for the advice in each case, for the last five years.
Sir Hector Monro : Since 1988, Dumfries and Galloway regional council has not issued any advice to Kirkcudbright consumers not to drink water from the public supply. There are a number of private water supplies in the area ; Stewartry district council monitor these routinely and from time to time have advised individual owners of poor quality private supplies to boil the water before drinking it pending improvements. Records of these cases are not held centrally. Advising the general public not to eat shellfish is a matter for the appropriate district council's environmental health department. Stewartry district council has done this once--June 1993, Dhoon bay--following notification to the council by the Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department that paralytic shellfish poison toxin levels were above the agreed safety limit. The Department does not have records of similar advice being given for any other reasons.
Waiting List Initiative
Mrs. Fyfeh year since 1990.
Mr. Stewart : The information is as follows :
J £000 Health board |1990-91 |1991-92 |1992-93 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Argyll and Clyde |406 |54 |136 Ayrshire and Arran |376 |26 |- Dumfries and Galloway |- |19 |22 Forth Valley |50 |37 |33 Grampian |47 |- |- Greater Glasgow |1,742 |165 |- Lothian |206 |- |154
Scottish Tourist Board
Mr. Robert Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many full and part-time civil servants are employed in his Department on monitoring the activities of the Scottish tourist board ; and what will be the cost of their salaries in the current financial year.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Four full-time staff and one with part -time tourism responsibilities. Total salary costs are £107,660.
Voluntary Organisations (Funding)
Mr. Watson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total funding to voluntary organisations in Scotland (a) through local authorities and (b) through the Scottish Office direct in the last full year for which figures are available.
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Mr. Stewart : The figures for grants paid to voluntary organisations in Scotland by local authorities are not available centrally. Direct grants paid to voluntary organisations by the Scottish Office in 1992-93 totalled £25.7 million.
Sites of Special Scientific Interest
Mr. Graham : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many designated sites of special scientific interest are in (a) Inverclyde district and (b) Renfrew district ; and if he will list them.
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 7 July 1993] ; The information is set out in the table. Some of these sites also lie within other districts as indicated.
Sites of Special Scientific Interest
Site |Other districts
|containing part of
|site
-------------------------------------------------------------------
(a) Inverclyde District
Dargavel Burn |Refrew
Dunrod Hill
Erskine Langbank |Renfrew
Glen Moss |Renfrew
Shielhill Glen
Knocknairs Hill
(b) Renfrew District
Barmufflock Dam
Boylestone Quarry
Castle Semple and Barr Lochs
Clochodrick Stone
Dargavel Burn |Inverclyde
Erskine Langbank |Inverclyde
Formakin
Glen Moss |Inverclyde
Lock Libo
Shovelboard
Walkmill Glasgow and Eastwood
Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many of the functions of the Scottish tourist board are to be relocated from Edinburgh to Inverness by 1 April 1995 ; and if he will list them ;
(2) what assessment he has carried out of the costs of relocating Scottish tourist board staff and functions to Inverness by 1 April 1995 ; how many staff will be involved ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 7 July 1993] : I expect the Scottish tourist board to establish a substantial office presence in Inverness, representative of the range of its functions. The numbers of staff involved and precise costs can be determined only once the STB has identified which jobs are to be transferred ; I expect, however, overall expenditure to be kept within existing resources.
Tourism
Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to announce the reduction in the number of area tourist boards envisaged as part of the tourism support arrangements announced on 29 June ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 7 July 1993] : I am asking the Scottish tourist board to consult local interests and to make recommendations. I anticipate that this will take a
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period of some months. Thereafter, I shall consider its proposals carefully and make an announcement as soon as I can.Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he intends to take to strengthen the composition of the Scottish tourism co -ordinating committee ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 7 July 1993] : I am consulting members of the group and shall make an announcement as soon as I can. My aim is to ensure that the group represents the interests of the tourist industry in all its facets.
Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how the board level appointments envisaged as part of the tourism support arrangements announced on 29 June will be made to represent geographic spread within Scotland ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 7 July 1993] : I intend to make cross-board appointments to the boards of the Scottish tourist board, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The purpose of these appointments is to ensure collaboration between the bodies rather than to represent geographic spread of membership.
Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration he has given to the implications of local government reorganisation for the role of local authorities in tourism support arrangements following his review of Scottish tourism ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 7 July 1993] : The arrangements which I have announced will ensure that local authorities remain, both before and after local government reorganisation, major players in the development of Scotland's tourist industry.
Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the organisations and individuals who responded to the Scottish Office tourism review indicating which of them expressed a view on (a) the relocation of staff and functions from Edinburgh to Inverness and (b) the requirement for an annual strategic plan for Scottish tourism ; what plans he has to publish a summary of the responses ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 7 July 1993] : Responses were received from :
|Number
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Statutory agencies |8
Tourist industry representative organisations |25
Tourism businesses |195
Area Tourist Boards and representative organisations |34
Local authorities (plus COSLA) |54
Local Enterprise Companies |17
Other organisations and individuals |88
The need for a national strategy which set out clear objectives and operational arrangements for the industry was a theme which ran through many of the responses, although differing opinions were expressed as to how this might be achieved. The decision to relocate Scottish tourist board staff to Inverness was taken because the Government concluded that it was in the interests of tourism businesses in the highlands and islands that the Scottish tourist board should have representation there.
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In accordance with normal practice, all responses to the review have been made available to the public. I have no plans to publish a summary.EMPLOYMENT
Employment Rehabilitation Centre, Preston
Mrs. Wise : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the future of the residential employment rehabilitation centre in Ingol, Preston.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service Agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from M. E. G. Fogden to Mrs. Audrey Wise, dated 8 July 1993 :
As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to write to you direct to respond to your Parliamentary Question to him about the future of the residential employment rehabilitation centre in Ingol, Preston. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
As you will know from previous correspondence, the decision to close the Employment Rehabilitation Centre at Ingol resulted from our plans to improve the quality and accessibility of employment assessment and rehabilitation for people with disabilities. The decision was taken only after we were satisfied that a network of agents was in place which could provide at least as good a service as that offered by Ingol.
The centre was closed on 31 December 1992. Tenders were invited and the site has now been sold subject to contract. Until the sale is concluded, you will appreciate that it would not be right for me to comment on possible future uses.
As decided by the Administration Committee of the House of Commons, Chief Executive replies to written Parliamentary Questions will now be published in the Official Report. I will also place a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.
Youth Training
Mr. Leighton : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many early leavers on youth training in each of the last five years in the London East area had completed (a) 10, (b) 20, (c) 30, (d) 40, (e) 50, (f) 60, (g) 70, (h) 80, (i) 90 and (j) 104 weeks of their course.
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Miss Widdecombe : Information is not available in the exact form requested. The following table gives a breakdown of early leavers by length of stay in weeks for the London East area for the last five years.
Youth training-duration on scheme of early leavers<1> East London training and enterprise council area April 1988 to March 1993 Percentage Weeks |1988-89 |1989-90 |1990-91 |1991-92 |<2>1992-93 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0-4 |14 |14 |17 |18 |16 5-8 |12 |15 |11 |11 |14 9-13 |11 |12 |10 |11 |11 14-26 |19 |21 |19 |22 |18 27-39 |13 |11 |14 |11 |12 40-47 |7 |6 |6 |5 |7 48-52 |4 |3 |3 |3 |3 53-65 |8 |8 |7 |7 |6 66-78 |5 |4 |4 |4 |5 79-91 |4 |3 |5 |4 |4 92-99 |3 |2 |3 |2 |3 100-104 |<4> |0 |<4> |<4> |<4> 105+ |<4> |<4> |1 |2 |2 DK/NA<3> 0 0 <4> <4> 0 Source: YT Leavers Database. Notes: <1> Early leavers are those whose actual completion date was earlier than anticipated at the time they started training. This group will include those starting employment and those who subsequently take up another youth training course or a full-time course elsewhere. <2> 1992-93 figures are provisional. <3> DK/NA stands for not known or not answered. A very small proportion of returned leavers certificates are not fully completed. In this case a very few certificates did not have sufficient information to work out the length of stay in training. <4> Less than 0.5 per cent.
Labour Statistics
Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give for the last three years (a) the number of people in full-time employment, (b) the number of people in part-time employment, (c) the number of self-employed and (d) the number of people simultaneously employed and self-employed.
Miss Widdecombe : The available information from the labour force survey is given in the table.
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Persons employed full/part-time and self-employed
Great Britain(thousands)
Employment status in |Spring 1990 |Spring 1991 |Spring 1992 |Winter 1992/93
main job
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Employees
Full-time<1> |17,199 |16,758 |16,234 |15,983
Part-time<1> |5,055 |5,117 |5,159 |5,145
Self-employed |3,472 |3,318 |3,131 |3,046
People with two jobs: one as self-
employed and one as employee<2> |308 |309 |281 |272
<1> The definition of full and part-time is based on respondents own assessment.
<2> Self-employed job may be either main or second job.
Source: Labour Force Survey (not seasonally adjusted).
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Age Discrimination
Mr. Robert Ainsworth : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what progress has been made by his advisory group for older workers on the issue of employment discrimination ; and if he will make a statement.
Miss Widdecombe : My advisory group is studying good practice with a view to issuing guidance to employers ; I have issued a challenge to employers who discriminate on grounds of age to justify their policies ; the group is seeking ways of raising public consciousness on this issue ; the group has met twice and agreed a programme of work. It is actively advising me on the best ways to disseminate the message that age discrimination is harmful to the individual, to business and to the economy.
Quangos
Mr. Grocott : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the names of individuals who (a) are spouses of hon. Members (b) are members of the House of Lords, (c) are spouses of members of the House of Lords and (d) have been party candidates for Parliament, indicating for which party, who have been appointed by his Department since 1988 to quasi- autonomous non-governmental organisations giving, in each case, the title of the post, any salary payable, and the duration of the appointment.
Miss Widdecombe : The information is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Disallowed Unemployment Benefit
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will list by month for the last 12 months and by employment region in England the number of people disallowed unemployment benefit ; (2) if he will list by month for the last 12 months and by employment region in Scotland the number of people disallowed unemployment benefit ;
(3) if he will list by month for the last 12 months and by employment region in Wales the number of people disallowed unemployment benefit.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service Agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from M. E. G. Fogden to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 8 July 1993 :
As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to write to you direct to respond to your Parliamentary Questions about the number of people disallowed unemployment benefit in each of the past 12 months in the employment regions in England, Scotland and Wales. This is something which falls within the responsibilities he has delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
Unfortunately, the information you asked for is not available in the format you have requested. The statistics relating to adjudication officers decisions are not collated on a monthly basis but are compiled quarterly. This information, which includes an analysis of the grounds for disallowance, is published in a document, the "Analysis of Adjudication Officers' Decisions". Copies of this document are held in the
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Library. The latest available information is for the quarter ending 31 December 1992. The report for the quarter and year ending 31 March 1993 will be published by the end of July.As decided by the Administration Committee of the House of Commons, Chief Executive replies to written Parliamentary Questions will not be published in the Official Report. I will also place a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.
Health and Safety Executive
Ms Quin : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many complaints he has received about telephone access to advice from the Health and Safety Executive using the single public inquiry point in Sheffield or via the HSE free leaflet line.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : In the six-month period from 1 January 1993 a total of 18 written complaints have been received. During this time, 55,338 telephone inquiries from members of the public were dealt with by the enquiry point. Most inquiries are addressed to the Health and Safety Executive area offices.
Part-time Workers
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the proportion of female part-time workers on adult rates in Great Britain in April 1992, whose hourly earnings, exclusive of overtime, fell below (a) £3.95, (b) £5.26 and (c) £5.52 ; and what is the nearest equivalent information held in respect of part-time male workers.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The information requested can be found in the table :
Part-time employees on adult
rates-pay unaffected by
absence
Proportion with hourly
earnings excluding overtime
below the
following amounts:
April 1992 (Per
cent.)
|£3.95|£5.26|£5.52
------------------------------
Women |49.40|75.90|78.90
Men |49.20|70.60|72.60
Source: New Earnings Survey.
Youth Cohort Study
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the percentage of the first sweep of each cohort of the youth cohort study who were in (i) full-time education, (ii) a full-time job, (iii) on youth training or other scheme, (iv) unemployed or (v) other.
Miss Widdecombe : The information requested is given in the table :
Youth cohort study, sweep 1, cohort 1 to cohort 6
Activities of 16 and 17 year-olds, England and Wales
(Per cent.)
Proportion of cohort |Cohort
in
|1 |2 |3 |4 |5 |6
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Full-time education |37 |39 |42 |50 |58 |66
Full-time job |29 |22 |23 |24 |18 |13
Youth training scheme |17 |28 |26 |22 |14 |11
Unemployed |15 |10 |8 |3 |7 |7
Other |2 |1 |1 |2 |2 |2
Notes:
1. Cohorts 1 and 2 covered pupils in state schools only;
independent schools were included from cohort 3 onwards.
2. Definition of unemployment does not follow ILO definitions as used in the Labour Force Survey. The unemployed exclude young people in full-time education.
Source: Youth Cohort Study.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the percentage of those who hold (i) GCSE/GCE O-level A-C, (ii) other GCSE/GCE and (iii) no qualifications in each sweep of each cohort of the youth cohort study who were in (a) full-time education, (b) a full-time job, (c) on youth training or other scheme, (d) unemployed or (e) other.
Miss Widdecombe : As the information is contained in a considerable number of tables, I will write to the hon. Member.
Youth Training
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the number of (a) 18-year-olds, (b) 17-year-olds and (c) 16-year-olds in January (i) 1991, (ii) 1992 and (iii) 1993 who were on youth training schemes.
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