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Column 532

been notified in each of the past five years ; on average how long it takes to fill such posts ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Ancram : The information is as follows, at September in each year :


Vacant posts                                                            

                  |Consultant       |Senior registrars                  

                  |paediatricians                                       

------------------------------------------------------------------------

1988              |3                |1                                  

1989              |3                |1                                  

1990              |3                |0                                  

1991              |0                |0                                  

1992              |1                |2                                  

On average, from notification of vacancies, it takes three months to advertise and select successful candidates.

Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many consultant paediatricians and senior registrars are currently in post.

Mr. Ancram : There are currently 26 consultant paediatricians and 11 senior registrars employed in the health and personal social services in Northern Ireland.

Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) consultant paediatricians and (b) senior registrars currently employed were trained in (i) Northern Ireland, (ii) elsewhere in the United Kingdom, (iii) other European Community countries and (iv) countries outwith the EC.

Mr. Ancram : The information sought is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Concessionary Travel

Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information he has concerning the denial of concessionary travel privileges and related concessions to those persons aged 60 years or more who are in receipt of invalidity benefit ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Ancram : The concessionary fare scheme, which is administered by the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland, is not linked to the receipt of invalidity benefit.

Inward Investment

Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many recorded visits were made by industrialists in connection with potential inward investment to each district council area in Northern Ireland from 1 April 1992 to 31 March 1993 ; and of these how many were repeat visits.

Mr. Atkins : Details of recorded first and repeat visits by industrialists to each district council area in Northern Ireland are set out in the table.


1992-93 Visits by District Council Area                             

District Council |First visits    |Repeat visits                    

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Antrim           |17              |21                               

Ards             |2               |3                                

Armagh           |2               |1                                

Ballymena        |1               |2                                

Ballymoney       |3               |1                                

Banbridge        |-               |-                                

Belfast          |55              |86                               

Carrickfergus    |4               |3                                

Castlereagh      |6               |2                                

Coleraine        |1               |3                                

Cookstown        |1               |-                                

Craigavon        |7               |8                                

Derry            |7               |16                               

Down             |5               |1                                

Dungannon        |1               |2                                

Fermanagh        |2               |2                                

Larne            |2               |3                                

Limavady         |-               |2                                

Lisburn          |5               |6                                

Magherafelt      |1               |-                                

Moyle            |1               |-                                

Newry and Mourne |4               |6                                

Newtownabbey     |18              |12                               

North Down       |6               |1                                

Omagh            |-               |1                                

Strabane         |-               |-                                

                 |--              |--                               

Total            |151             |182                              

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Asil Nadir

Mr. Mates : To ask the Attorney-General, (1) pursuant to his oral statement of 30 June, Official Report, column 967, when he concluded that there was no credible evidence implicating the judge in the case of Regina v. Nadir and Turner in a conspiracy ; (2) when he expects the police investigation under the direction of the Director of Public Prosecutions into the alleged conspiracy to bribe Mr. Justice Tucker to be completed ; and if he will make a statement ;

(3) when he first learned of the allegation that the judge in the case of Regina v. Nadir and Turner was involved in a conspiracy to pervert the course of justice ;

(4) when he reviewed the evidence relating to allegations of involvement by the judges in the case of Regina v. Nadir and Turner in a conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

The Attorney-General : The director of the Seriousvestigation continues and its management is an operational matter for the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis. I cannot say when it will be completed.

The evidence gathered during the investigation will be submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service at its conclusion. The information that no credible evidence had been revealed implicating the judge was confirmed in response to a specific inquiry initiated by me to the Director of Public Prosecutions in the light of speculation and concern caused by the statement made by the hon. Member himself on 29 June.


Column 534

Jason Georgiou

Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Attorney-General if he will list the previous convictions of Paul Smith, a prosecution witness in the case of Jason Georgiou ; and in how many other cases he has been a prosecution witness.

The Attorney-General : No. Background information of this nature relating to prosecution witnesses is provided to the Crown Prosecution Service solely for use in the course of criminal proceedings.

Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Attorney-General if he will outline the evidence which led the Crown Prosecution Service to charge Jason Georgiou with conspiracy to murder ; and why the case was dropped.

The Attorney-General : No. It is my practice not to give detailed reasons in relation to decisions to prosecute. The Crown Prosecution Service was satisfied that the evidence available at the outset of proceedings was sufficient to provide a realistic prospect of conviction.

The case against Jason Georgiou and three of his co-defendants was dropped because the principal prosecution witness proved unwilling to give evidence at the trial.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION

World Bank

Mr. Bayley : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of the British contribution to the World Bank group is used (a) for projects that directly benefit the poorest people in developing countries and (b) to help to meet the goals established at the world summit for children.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd : United Kingdom contributions are used to support the overall operations of the World bank. The proportion which can be attributed to projects of this kind cannot readily be estimated. World bank lending for human resources development has increased almost fivefold since the early 1980s to 14 per cent. of total lending in fiscal years 1990-92, and in particular is focusing on basic social services, including primary health care and education. In fiscal year 1992, the bank estimates that 14 per cent. of new lending was for projects targeted at the poor. A second, equally important, component of the bank's poverty reduction strategy is the promotion of broadly-based economic growth which generates income- earning opportunities for the poor.

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what opinions have been expressed by the Government to senior officials of the European bank for reconstruction and development on the bank's financial problems.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd : In discussion with the EBRD senior officials and fellow members, we have consistently emphasised that the bank--like any other public sector organisation--has a duty to use the tax payer's resources as cost effectively as possible. We have welcomed the findings of the recently published report of the bank's


Column 535

audit committee, which makes a number of proposals to strengthen financial procedures and controls. The bank's financial position remains strong--it made a small operating profit in 1992.

Structural Adjustment Programmes

Mr. Denham : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 1 March, Official Report, column 23, what is the proportion of total United Kingdom aid which goes to each of the countries which are currently implementing a World bank or International Monetary Fund structural adjustment programme.

Mr. Lennox Boyd : The information requested for the countries listed in my earlier answer is contained in the table.


United Kingdom bilateral aid in 1991-92 to countries implementing                       

IMF/World Bank-supported adustment programmes.                                          

Country                     |Aid in £'000       |Percentage of total                    

                                                |gross bilateral aid                    

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Algeria                     |336                |0.03                                   

Bangladesh                  |57,731             |5.35                                   

Bolivia                     |3,951              |0.37                                   

Brazil                      |2,710              |0.25                                   

Colombia                    |3,789              |0.35                                   

Cote d' Ivoire              |5,358              |0.50                                   

Egypt                       |13,406             |1.24                                   

Ethiopia                    |19,099             |1.77                                   

Gambia, The                 |5,812              |0.54                                   

Ghana                       |44,716             |4.14                                   

Guyana                      |5,811              |0.54                                   

Honduras                    |1,468              |0.14                                   

India                       |136,386            |12.63                                  

Jamaica                     |7,511              |0.70                                   

Jordan                      |3,122              |0.29                                   

Kenya                       |37,987             |3.52                                   

Lesotho                     |6,453              |0.60                                   

Malawi                      |23,153             |2.14                                   

Morocco                     |2,029              |0.19                                   

Mozambique                  |18,087             |1.68                                   

Nepal                       |16,664             |1.54                                   

Nicaragua                   |206                |0.02                                   

Pakistan                    |37,239             |3.45                                   

Philippines                 |7,357              |0.68                                   

Senegal                     |1,560              |0.14                                   

Sierra Leone                |2,275              |0.21                                   

Sri Lanka                   |11,249             |1.04                                   

Tanzania                    |32,454             |3.01                                   

Uganda                      |26,960             |2.50                                   

Zambia                      |34,425             |3.19                                   

Zimbabwe                    |47,671             |4.42                                   

                            |-------            |-------                                

Total: Developing countries |616,975            |57.14                                  


Country                       |Aid in £'000       |Percentage of                          

                                                  |bilateral                              

                                                  |assistance to                          

                                                  |central and eastern                    

                                                  |Europe                                 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bulgaria                      |1,149              |2.15                                   

Czech and Slovak Federal Rep. |7,013              |13.14                                  

Hungary                       |6,315              |11.83                                  

Poland                        |10,734             |20.11                                  

                              |-------            |-------                                

Total: Central and Eastern Europe  25,211          47.23                                  

Source: British Aid Statistics 1987-88 to 1991-92.                                        

Russia

Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of aid to Russia goes in the form of British manufactured goods and how much in direct cash payments ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We make no direct cash payments to Russia under the British bilateral aid programme ; nor do we deliver aid in the form of British manufactured goods. The know-how fund transfers key British skills through technical co-operation projects.

Development Institutions

Mr. Denham : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will provide a table setting out, for each year since 1982, the total contribution made by Her Majesty's Government to each of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Development Association, the International Finance Corporation, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, the International Monetary Fund, the Inter-American Development bank, the African Development bank and the Asian Development bank ; and, in each case, what Her Majesty's Government's contribution represents as a percentage of the annual income and expenditure of each institution.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The table sets out United Kingdom contributions to each of the institutions. United Kingdom shareholdings in most of the institutions are determined at the time of periodic capital increases or of replenishments of concessional funds. In the case of the International Monetary Fund, the United Kingdom's stakeholding is determined by its quota, which is effectively a loan remunerated at a market-related interest rate. Multilateral development bank operations are funded mainly by borrowings on the international capital markets. Expressing contributions as a percentage of annual income and expenditure is of marginal utility, therefore, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.


Column 535


United Kingdom contributions to multilateral institutions 1982-1991                              

(£'000)                                                                                          

         |1982   |1983   |1984   |1985   |1986   |1987   |1988   |1989   |1990   |1991           

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IBRD     |-      |1,600  |28,146 |3,764  |26,888 |20,168 |6,561  |12,646 |10,255 |11,782         

IDA      |153,481|203,860|169,218|124,438|118,557|133,000|207,000|169,500|173,000|188,866        

IFC      |-      |-      |-      |-      |8,177  |4,129  |3,558  |3,728  |250    |430            

MIGA     |-      |-      |-      |-      |-      |-      |3,098  |-      |-      |-              

IMF      |230    |-      |10     |-      |59     |22     |8,626  |17,060 |46     |3,189          

AfDB     |-      |2,204  |2,204  |2,204  |2,313  |2,310  |329    |1,706  |1,839  |1,936          

AfDF     |3,750  |2,452  |8,442  |2,955  |8,096  |7,217  |6,374  |5,341  |11,232 |10,265         

AsDB     |-      |1,394  |1,424  |1,334  |1,524  |775    |1,172  |703    |703    |706            

AsDF     |4,399  |4,321  |7,882  |14,190 |12,384 |10,729 |13,045 |19,775 |16,504 |19,054         

IADB     |679    |667    |1,195  |1,585  |1,793  |1,869  |1,491  |1,281  |774    |503            

IADB:FSO |4,585  |4,110  |7,316  |11,666 |9,689  |5,346  |3,001  |1,020  |1,401  |-              

Notes:                                                                                           

1. The IMF figures shown are for United Kingdom contributions to various facilities, including,  

from 1988 on, the enhanced structural adjustment facility (ESAF) interest subsidy account.       

In common with other members, the United Kingdom's principal contribution to the IMF is in the   

form of a loan, the "quota", on which is paid a market-related rate of interest. As part of the  

1983 general quota increase, the United Kingdom increased its loan by SDR 1,806.5 million. As    

part of the 1992 general quota increase, the United Kingdom increased its loan by a further SDR  

1,220.6 million. At the current rate of exchange between the £ and SDR, these amounts are        

equivalent to approximately £1.7 billion and £1.1 billion respectively.                          

2. Acronyms                                                                                      

IBRD: International Bank for Reconstruction and Development ("World Bank"); IDA: International   

Development Association; IFC: International Finance Corporation; MIGA: Multilateral Investment   

Guarantee Agency; IMF: International Monetary Fund; AfDB: African Development Bank; AfDF:        

African Development Fund; AsDB: Asian Development Bank; AsDF: Asian Development Fund; IADB:      

Inter-American Development Bank; IADB FSO: IADB Fund for Special Operations.                     

HEALTH

NHS Trusts

Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the names and occupations of the chairs and non-executive directors of each national health service trust in each regional health authority other than the Wessex and Northern regions.

Mr. Sackville : I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Knowsley, North (Mr. Howarth) on 20 July at column 121.

Generic Drugs

Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will estimate the savings obtainable if all drugs were prescribed generically.


Column 538

Mr. Sackville : An estimate, based on prescribing statistics for 1992 in England, suggests that savings of up to £80 million could have been achieved if all drugs which could have been dispensed in the generic form had been prescribed generically.

Psychiatric Care

Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) woman, (b) men and (c) people from an ethnic minority were sectioned by section, under the mental Health Acts ; and how many admissions there have been in each of the last five years.

Mr. Bowis : This information is not available centrally. Information on the number of admissions by gender and sections of the 1983 Mental Health Acts and other Acts is shown in the table.


Column 537


Formal admissions to NHS facilities, Private Nursing Homes (authorised to detain patients under the Registered Homes  

Act 1984) and                                                                                                         

Special Hospitals of patients detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 and other legislation, by legal status        

England 1985-1989-90                                                                                                  

England  Numbers                                                                                                      

Legal status                   Numbers (a)                                                                            

                               1985            1986            1987-88         1988-89         1989-90                

                              |Males  |Females|Males  |Females|Males  |Females|Males  |Females|Males  |Females        

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Total formal admissions                                                                                               

  (d)                         |8,153  |9,134  |7,904  |8,792  |8,004  |8,773  |8,247  |8,993  |8,614  |8,698          

Under Mental Health                                                                                                   

  Act 1983:                                                                                                           

Non-offenders                                                                                                         

2 (assessment, with or                                                                                                

  without treatment)          |3,121  |4,780  |3,416  |4,971  |3,716  |5,151  |4,047  |5,468  |4,301  |5,233          

3 (to hospital for                                                                                                    

  treatment)                  |943    |1,161  |902    |1,075  |1,193  |1,349  |1,322  |1,535  |1,437  |1,580          

4 (for assessment in                                                                                                  

  emergency)                  |1,525  |1,939  |1,205  |1,581  |945    |1,251  |885    |1,145  |826    |1,042          

5(2) (power to hold                                                                                                   

  informal patient                                                                                                    

  already in hospital)        |130    |137    |129    |148                                                            

Mentally disordered offenders                                                                                         

35 (remanded to                                                                                                       

  hospital for report)        |114    |32     |158    |43     |188    |46     |240    |59     |230    |54             

36 (remanded to                                                                                                       

  hospital for                                                                                                        

  treatment)                  |28     |5      |26     |7      |31     |7      |28     |1      |33     |5              

37(4)(convicted person                                                                                                

  detained in a place                                                                                                 

  of safety pending                                                                                                   

  admission to                                                                                                        

  hospital)                                                   |62     |18     |59     |25     |68     |18             

37 (convicted person                                                                                                  

  sent to hospital for                                                                                                

  treatment with S.41                                                                                                 

  restrictions) (b)           |157    |22     |150    |20     |230    |45     |175    |41     |194    |41             

37 (convicted person                                                                                                  

  sent to hospital for                                                                                                

  treatment without S.41                                                                                              

  restrictions)               |646    |127    |640    |131    |403    |106    |404    |72     |516    |101            

38 (interim hospital                                                                                                  

  order)                      |33     |12     |34     |6      |43     |11     |55     |8      |59     |12             

44 (patient committed                                                                                                 

  to hospital pending                                                                                                 

  Crown Court                                                                                                         

  hearing for                                                                                                         

  restriction order)                                          |1      |1      |2      |-      |-      |-              

46 (detained during Her                                                                                               

  Majesty's pleasure)         |2      |-      |1      |-      |1      |-      |-      |-      |3      |-              

47 and 48 (prisoner                                                                                                   

  transferred to                                                                                                      

  hospital with S.49                                                                                                  

  restrictions)               |20     |5      |27     |4      |47     |11     |76     |8      |99     |6              

47 and 48 (prisoner                                                                                                   

  transferred to                                                                                                      

  hospital without S.49                                                                                               

  restrictions)               |46     |13     |71     |11     |44     |8      |56     |10     |41     |7              

Place of safety orders                                                                                                

135 (warrant to remove                                                                                                

  to a place of safety)       |80     |56     |58     |57     |22     |36     |33     |50     |35     |47             

136 (removal by police                                                                                                

  from a public place                                                                                                 

  to a place of safety)       |1,070  |763    |867    |656    |742    |533    |670    |492    |562    |473            

Previous legislation                                                                                                  

  (Fifth Schedule)            |34     |19     |30     |22     |5      |3      |-      |1      |1      |-              

Other Acts (c)                |23     |11     |10     |6      |148    |160    |30     |39     |48     |47             

Notes:                                                                                                                

(a) Figures for 1985-86 were collected by the mental health inquiry from all mental illness. mental handicap          

hospitals and units and were based on calendar years. Figures from 1987-88 refer to the financial year and were       

collected on form KH15 from NHS facilities. Data for special hospitals are also on a calendar year basis for 1985-89. 

(b) These figures for 1985-1986 include section 37(4)                                                                 

(c) "Other Acts" includes Criminal Procedure (Insanity) Act 1964, section 47 of the National Assistance Act 1948,     

sections 1, 2 or 12 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1969 and section 3 of the Powers of Criminal Courts Act     

1973.                                                                                                                 

(d) Data for special hospitals by sex are only included in the total number of formal admissions.                     

-nil or negligible.                                                                                                   

not collected.                                                                                                        

. not available.                                                                                                      

Mr. Denham : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she now expects to publish the Reed committee report on high security psychiatric care.

Mr. Bowis : Later in the year.

Mrs. Gillan : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to complete the review of funding for those people needing psychiatric care ; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Bowis : Conclusions following our review of legal powers on the care of mentally ill people in the community will be announced shortly.

Wandsworth (Operations)

Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the number of operating theatre sessions held and cancelled in the Wandsworth health authority in each of the last three years.

Mr. Sackville : The information is shown in the table.


Scheduled sessions-all  

specialties             

Year      |Number       

------------------------

Held                    

1990      |7,842        

1991      |7,057        

1992      |7,776        

                        

Cancelled               

1990      |492          

1991      |545          

1992      |733          

Novel Surgical Procedures

Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what account will be taken in the budget of the NHS central research and development committee standing group on health technology of its new function in reviewing and regulating novel surgical procedures.

Mr. Sackville : Following the Advisory Council on Science and Technology report on medical research and health, the central research and development committee standing group on health technology has been asked to advise on a strategy to achieve appropriate control and monitoring of new surgical procedures, taking account of the roles and responsibilities of health professionals, their professional bodies, and local and central management in the reformed national health service. Until a mechanism is identified and agreed, it is not possible to estimate the


Column 541

resources that may be required to support the work of the steering group and its advisory panels or to fund the research it recommends.

Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what powers the NHS central research and development committee standing group on health technology will have to control the introduction and dissemination of novel surgical procedures.

Mr. Sackville : The standing group on health technology will advise on new technologies where, because of their potential risk, cost, ethical implications or other relevant factors, there is a particular need to control diffusion until more information is available. The management executive of the national health service is currently considering how diffusion of such technologies can best be controlled. Following the Advisory Council on Science and Technology report on medical research and health, the central research and development committee standing group on health technology has been asked to advise on a strategy to achieve appropriate control and monitoring of new surgical procedures, taking account of the roles and responsibilities of health professionals, their professional bodies, and local and central management in the reformed NHS.

Midwives

Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give the number of midwifery staff whole-time equivalents in each of the last five years.

Mr. Sackville : The information is shown in the table.


Year            |Midwifery staff                

------------------------------------------------

1987            |23,300                         

1988            |23,310                         

1989            |22,940                         

1990            |23,770                         

1991            |23,040                         

Notes:                                          

Figures for England, as of 30 September and are 

quoted in whole-time equivalents.               

Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.          

Figures include hospital and community midwives,

 senior nurses/midwives and directors of        

nursing services working within midwifery, and  

student midwives.                               

London Family Health Service Authorities

Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the allocations for staff premises and computing for each family health services authority in the area covered by the London implementation group for 1992-93 and 1993-94.

Mr. Sackville : The information is not available centrally. Allocations for staff, premises and computing for individual family health services authorities within the London initiative zone are determined by the relevant regional health authority in accordance with its assessment of local needs and priorities.

Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the total development moneys allocated for 1992 and 1993-94 to each FHSA covered by the London implementation group and provided for in "Making London Better".


Column 542

Mr. Sackville : Allocations of development monies to family health services authorities are determined by the regional health authorities in accordance with their assessment of priorities for the improvement of primary health care services.

Qa Business Services

Mr. Burden : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if her Department was consulted by West Midlands regional health authority in 1989 on (a) the content of the Wraith and Casey market research report into the potential west midlands customer base for Qa Business Services and (b) the West Midlands regional health authority's own estimates of potential redundancies in the management services division consequent upon its privatisation.

Mr. Sackville : We are not aware that any such consultation took place.

Mr. Burden : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what further consideration her Department will give to making available financial assistance to the ex-employees of Qa Business Services on the lines of those given to civil servants transferred to TICC Ltd. on the privatisation of the Skills Training Agency ;

(2) what representations her Department has received regarding the announcement by West Midlands regional health authority on 15 July that it had no legal or moral responsibility to provide financial compensation to the ex-employees of Qa Business Services ; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Sackville : We regret that individuals have experienced financial loss following the collapse of Qa Business Services Ltd. in 1991. West Midlands regional health authority has examined the issue carefully ; they have met with a group of former Qa employees on several occasions and invited them to submit any information they held which could substantiate a claim for compensation. After a full and exhaustive review of this evidence, West Midlands regional health authority concluded on the 15 July 1993 that, on present evidence, there was insufficient grounds for the regional health authority to accept responsibility for making compensatory payments. We have been kept fully informed on this issue and on the basis of the evidence available to us at this time we have accepted the region's conclusion. We have recieved no representations on this issue since 15 July.

Mr. Burden : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information her Department held on the future commercial viability of Qa Business Services when it announced that Qa Business Services had been given the waiting list initiative contract on 27 February 1991.

Mr. Sackville : This contract was awarded to Qa Business Services on the basis of its previous work for the Department on the management of waiting lists.

West Midlands RHA

Mr. Burden : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations her Department received from the legal department of West Midlands regional health authority in November 1991 concerning the sale of the regional health authority's management services division.

Mr. Sackville : We are not aware that the Department received any such representations in November 1991.


Column 543

Mr. Burden : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information her Department has on whether the actions and decisions taken by West Midlands regional health authority officers in pursuit of the privatisation of the regional health authority's management services division were fully documented ; and whether proper reporting procedures were fully adhered to.

Mr. Sackville : Information of this nature is provided through the statutory audit process. The management buy-out of the region's management information services division was covered in the district auditor's report of 15 April 1993. A copy of this report was sent to the Department.

Diabetic Eye Disease

Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy that all diabetics are screened annually for diabetic eye disease.

Mr. Sackville : Since 1 July this year general practitioners will receive separate fixed payments for organising a programme of chronic disease management either for diabetes or asthma. Practices choosing to participate are required to ensure that on initial diagnosis and at least annually a full review of the patient's health is carried out including checks for potential complications. A joint Department of Health/British Diabetic Association task force on diabetes has been established to consider all aspects of the St. Vincent recommendations and will be considering what, if any, further advice should be offered on screening for diabetic retinopathy.

Staff Pensions

Mr. Burden : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what specific guidance her Department issues to regional and district health authorities on the protection of pension rights of staff transferred to employment in the private sector ; and whether such guidance includes reference to the consideration of the consequences upon newly founded company pension schemes of the early collapse of companies.

Mr. Sackville : Advice has been issued to all national health service employers about overall terms and conditions of employment, including pensions, when an undertaking is transferred. NHS employers are also asked to issue to all staff leaving the NHS pension scheme, a leaflet which explains the pensions options open to them. This leaflet advises staff to think carefully before making any decision affecting their pension rights and, if unsure, to seek independent financial advice. A copy of "NHS Pension Scheme--Leaving the Scheme" will be placed in the Library.

Children's Homes

Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to publish new guidelines concerning the management of difficult children in residential care homes.

Mr. Bowis : On 28 April 1993 the Department published guidance on permissible forms of control in children's residential care, which is available in the Library. In addition, we have commissioned the Open university to produce a catalogue of training material for staff who have to deal with difficult adolescents.


Column 544

Hearing Aids

Mr. Bayley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hearing aids were supplied (a) by the NHS and (b) privately in each year for the past 10 years (i) in total and (ii) to people aged over 64 years.

Mr. Bowis : The number of hearing aids issued to national health service hearing aid centres since 1984 is shown in the table. No data are available prior to 1984 or on private provision.


Number of hearing aids  

issued to NHS hearing   

aid centres 1984-93     

        |Number         

------------------------

1984-85 |601,203        

1985-86 |595,676        

1986-87 |640,949        

1987-88 |694,731        

1988-89 |628,470        

1989-90 |626,065        

1990-91 |591,468        

1991-92 |591,049        

1992-93 |591,228        

Counterfeit Medicines

Mr. Burden : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information her Department has concerning (a) the current state of progress of the proposed EC directive on the distance selling of medicines and (b) the extent of the trade in the United Kingdom and the EC in counterfeit and reimported medicines.

Mr. Sackville : A European Commission proposal for a directive on distance selling is under discussion in Brussels. A first reading of the Commission's proposal has been completed. The European Parliament has recently submitted its opinion on the proposal. The Commission is now revising the text of the proposal to take account of that opinion and of the views of member states. It is expected the discussions of the revised text will begin in Brussels in September.

There has been one instance of a fake medicinal product in the last 12 months in the United Kingdom which was intercepted before it reached the public. Records are not maintained of medicinal products legitimately reimported.

Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health where the counterfeit medicines discovered in the United Kingdom during the last three years were produced.

Mr. Sackville : Three instances of fake medicines have been discovered in the last three years. Production sources were never proven but investigators believed that the products came from a variety of sources.

Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures her Department is taking to ensure that counterfeit and copycat versions of British medicines illicitly produced in Northern Cyprus are not reaching the NHS market.

Mr. Sackville : Any report of alleged counterfeit or copycat version of British medicines illicitly produced in northern Cyprus reaching the national health service market would be immediately investigated by the Medicines Control Agency. In addition, the agency bution and independently samples a range of products available to the public. Both inspection and sampling procedures include mechanisms to identify possible suspect products.

Mr. Dalyell : The ask the Secretary of State for Health what support the United Kingdom Government have given to the World Health Organisation campaign against counterfeit medicines.

Mr. Sackville : The United Kingdom Government are in regular contact with World Health Organisation (WHO) and actively support its campaign against counterfeit medicines. The United Kingdom has been at the forefront in assisting WHO with the development of a unified scheme for the certification of medicinal products which are traded internationally. The Medicines Control Agency shares with WHO its own experiences and strategies gained from investigations into counterfeit medicines.

Data Processing

Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the numbers of staff by grade that are employed in her Department and agencies in the automatic data processing functional specialism.

Mr. Sackville : The information at 24 May is as follows :


                                    |Number         

----------------------------------------------------

Administrative Assistants           |6              

Administrative Officers             |17             

Executive Officers                  |81             

Higher Executive Officers           |58             

Senior Executive Officers           |30             

Senior Principal Technical Officers |2              

Unified Grade 7s                    |29             

                                    |-------        

Total                               |223            

Contracting Out

Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list all those services or functions contracted out in her Department and agencies, since November 1991, in which the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 were not applied.

Mr. Sackville : Whether or not the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE) applies in any particular case will depend on the specification for the work to be carried out and the contractor's own proposals for meeting the specification. Since November 1991, the following services and functions have been contracted out as a result of market testing, and have not been affected by TUPE :

Department of Health

Office and building services, Quarry house

Catering and building services, Skipton house

The health survey for England

National Health Service Estates Agency

Clerical and secretarial support services


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