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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
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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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