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Footwear
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines she has on healthy footwear in adults and children.
Anti-smoking Patches
Mr. Burden : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her policy regarding the availability of anti-smoking patches on the national health service ; and if she will make a statement.
Dr. Mawhinney : We have decided that nicotine patches should not be available on national health service prescription. We do not consider their supply to be a priority for the use of the limited resources available to the national health service. Statutory Instrument 2421--the National Health Service (General Medical Services) Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 1993-- which was laid before the House on 11 October, adds a number of nicotine patch products to the list of items which cannot be prescribed by general practitioners.
Community Care
Mr. Betts : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give greater account in the system for allocating community care resources for 1994-95 to the assessed needs of people in different areas, relative to the amount of historical provision in the independent sector.
Mr. Bowis : Decisions about the distribution of the community care special transitional grant in 1994-95 will be announced in due course. The movement of this year's grant into personal social services standard spending assessments in 1994-95 will, in itself, mean that an increased proportion of the new resources for community care will be distributed according to SSAs.
Mr. Betts : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to co-ordinate the review of the system of allocation of resources for community care for 1994-95 with the review of local authority standard spending assessments.
Mr. Bowis : The standard spending assessment review will be among the factors taken into account when decisions are made about the distribution of the community care special transitional grant in 1994-95.
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Sight Tests
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many national health service sight tests paid for by family health service authorities took place in 1992-93 in each regional health authority.
Dr. Mawhinney : The number of national health service sight tests paid for by family health service authorities in 1992-93 is shown in the table.
RHA |1992-93
--------------------------------------
Northern |345,890
Yorkshire |408,800
Trent |528,080
East Anglia |222,090
North West Thames |397,350
North East Thames |494,040
South East Thames |406,730
South West Thames |295,330
Wessex |348,770
Oxford |276,510
South Western |435,370
West Midlands |640,530
Mersey |271,730
North Western |456,360
|-----
England<1> |5,527,590
<1>The total may not equal the sum of
the components due to rounding.
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 14 July, Official Report, columns 532-34, if she can now give the final figures for 1992-93 for sight tests.
Dr. Mawhinney : The figures have been validated, and remain unchanged from those provided in my reply to the hon. Member on 14 July at columns 532-34.
Personal Social Services
Mr. Henderson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what was the regional total of capital allocations for personal social services to the local authorities in England for (a) 1979-80, (b) 1982-83, (c) 1985- 86 and (d) each year since 1988-89 for each standard English region ;
(2) what was the capital expenditure on personal social services by each local authority in England for (a) 1979-80, (b) 1982-83, (c) 1985-86 and (d) each year since 1988-89 ;
(3) what was the national total of capital allocations for personal social services to local authorities in England for (a) 1979-80, (b) 1982-83, (c) 1985-86 and (d) each year since 1988-89 ; and if he will give the breakdown of the total between (i)
non-metropolitan district councils, (ii) county councils, (iii) metropolitan district councils, (iv) London boroughs and (v) the City of London ;
(4) what was the capital allocation for personal social services for each local authority in England for (a) 1979-80, (b) 1982-83, (c) 1985-86 and (d) each year since 1988-89 ;
(5) what was the regional total of capital expenditure on personal social services by the local authorities in England for (a) 1979-80, (b) 1982-83, (c) 1985-86 and (d) each year since 1988-89 for each standard English region ;
(6) what was the national total of capital expenditure on personal social services by local authorities in England for (a) 1979-80, (b) 1982-83, (c) 1985-86 and (d) each year since 1988-89 ; and if he will give the breakdown of the
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total between (i) non-metropolitan district councils, (ii) county councils, (iii) metropolitan district councils, (iv) London boroughs and (v) the City of London.Mr. Sackville : This information is collected centrally by the Department of the Environment. I refer the hon. Member to the reply given today by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment, my hon. Friend the Member for Banbury (Mr. Baldry).
GPs (Misconduct)
Mr. Austin-Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what circumstances under which a general practitioner found guilty of serious professional misconduct by the General Medical Council can be allowed to continue to practise ; and what assessment she has made of whether patients are sufficiently protected.
Dr. Mawhinney : It is a matter for the professional conduct committee of the General Medical Council to decide whether a doctor is fit to continue practising after he has been found guilty of serious professional misconduct. Where a finding of serious professional misconduct is made by the professional conduct committee, it may order that the name of the practitioner concerned is erased from the register ; that his registration be suspended, or that his continuing registration be dependent upon his compliance with such conditions of practice as the committee may think fit. The professional conduct committee would need to consider each case on its merits having regard to its primary concerns to protect the public and uphold the reputation of the profession.
The Government's aim is to ensure that proper controls exist to protect patients against the risk of deficient conduct and professional regulatory bodies like the GMC have an important role to play in safeguarding standards of medical care. Under the terms of the Medical Act 1983, the disciplinary remit of the GMC covers only those offences amounting to serious professional misconduct. A family health service authority has a duty to remove from its medical list the name of any general practitioner whose name has been erased from the medical register, or whose registration has been suspended, following disciplinary proceedings by the GMC. The GMC is proposing to introduce performance procedures which would apply where a doctor's pattern of professional performance was seriously deficient but did not amount to serious professional misconduct. We support the GMC in its aims and will continue to contribute to the discussions about the detail of the proposals.
Mr. Austin-Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what circumstances it is possible for a general practitioner to continue to provide NHS services after a direction has been made by the General Medical Council that his or her name be erased from the register ; and if she will make a statement.
Dr. Mawhinney : A doctor who is the subject of a decision by the General Medical Council's professional conduct committee to erase his or her name from the register has 28 days in which to appeal against the direction to the judicial committee of the Privy Council. During that period and if there is an appeal, until the appeal is withdrawn or disposed of, the doctor's registration is not affected and he or she is able to continue practising. The professional conduct committee may direct that a doctor's
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registration should be immediately suspended where it is satisfied that such action is necessary for the protection of members of the public or would be in the best interests of the doctor.A family health services authority has a duty to remove from its medical list the name of any general practitioner whose name has been erased from the medical register, or whose registration has been suspended, following disciplinary proceedings by the GMC.
Mr. Austin-Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the speed in dealing with cases of charges of serious professional misconduct at the NHS tribunal and on appeal ; and if she will make a statement in relation to a recent case raised with her by the hon. Member for Woolwich.
Dr. Mawhinney : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State looks to the chairman of the National Health Service Tribunal to deal with references made to the tribunal as speedily as possible within the regulations governing its procedure. The outcome of a hearing of the NHS Tribunal may be that a practitioner is no longer included in a family health service authority list or all such lists. That is a serious matter and the parties must have reasonable time to prepare themselves for the hearing. The tribunal chairman is responsible for ensuring that the proceedings of the tribunal are conducted fairly. The case drawn to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's attention by the hon. Member was originally scheduled for hearing in September. Unfortunately the hearing was delayed because of the resignation of the previous tribunal chairman. The case has been relisted for 15 November when it will be heard by the tribunal under its new chairman, Mr. Adrian Whitfield QC.
Regional Administration Costs
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 14 April, Official Report, column 616, if she will now make available the final regional administrative costs for 1992-93.
Mr. Sackville : The final regional administrative costs for 1991-92 are unchanged from those given in my reply to the hon. Member on 14 April at column 616.
Information for 1992-93 is contained in the annual accounts for health authorities. We are assembling and summarising these accounts in accordance with statutory deadlines. Comprehensive information will be available at the end of November.
General Practioners (Suspensions)
Mr. Austin-Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration she has given to the need for legislation to provide for the suspension of general practitioners from the provision of NHS services.
Dr. Mawhinney : The Department is currently considering whether there is a need for legislation to provide for the suspension of general medical practioners, in extreme cases, from the provision of national health service services, and the ways in which suspension would be effected.
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Sellafield
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the committed effective dose to children in the terrestrial critical group will be for each year of discharge if the proposed liquid and gaseous radioactive discharges from BNFL's Sellafield installation are granted ; and whether any children within that critical group will be exposed to doses exceeding the latest National Radiological Protection board's dose constraints of 0.3 mSv.
Mr. Jack : I have been asked to reply.
The estimated committed effective dose to children in the terrestrial critical group from liquid and gaseous radioactive discharges from Sellafield at the proposed authorised discharge limits is 239 Sv-- microsievert--per year. This dose, calculated on the basis of pessimistic assumptions, is below the National Radiological Protection Board's recommended annual dose constraint of 300 Sv in respect of discharges from new plant.
PRIME MINISTER
THORP
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Prime Minister whether he will place the thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield on the agenda of the European Council special summit in Brussels on 29 October.
Engagements
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 28 October.
The Prime Minister : This morning, I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today.
Official Histories
Mr. Gale : To ask the Prime Minister which further official histories of peacetime events have been commissioned.
The Prime Minister : I have appointed Professor Alan Milward, professor of economic history at the university of London, London School of Economics, as an official historian with effect from October 1993 to write the official history of the United Kingdom's accession to the European Community.
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Disabled Access
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee what plans he has to improve access to the House Chamber and Committee rooms for wheelchair bound civil servants.
Mr. Ray Powell : The general question of access to the House for the disabled is to be considered in the near future by my Committee. I anticipate that the specific issue of access to the Chamber and Committee rooms will be included in our deliberations.
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EMPLOYMENT
Youth, Birmingham
Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people aged 16 to 17 years in Birmingham are not in employment, not on a youth training scheme and not in full-time education ; and what proportion of that age group this represents.
Miss Widdecombe : In July 1993, there were 428 unemployed claimants aged 16 to 17 years in the Birmingham travel-to-work area. Information on claimant unemployment by age expressed as a percentage of the workforce in a particular age band, is not available below national level.
All 16 and 17-year-olds are covered by the Government's guarantee of an offer of a youth training place, if they are willing to accept YT as a route into employment.
Ethnic Minorities
Ms Jowell : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment why reference to ethnic minorities has been omitted from the draft plan for European social fund objective 3 1994-99 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : It has always been our intention that ethnic minorities should continue to be amongthe beneficiaries of the European social fund--ESF--supported programmes in the next programming period 1994- 99. The draft plan outlines a number of ways in which ethnic minorities may receive help from the ESF.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Sheep Quota
12. Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations she has received on the regulations dealing with sheep quota.
Mr. Jack : I have received a number of representations about the arrangements for sheep quotas, principally from farmers and landowners.
Minke Whales
13. Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations she has made to the Government of Norway about the killing of minke whales in the north Atlantic.
l whaling.
Dairy Sector
14. Sir David Knox : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when she will next meet the president of the National Farmers Union to discuss the dairy sector.
Mr. Jack : A copy of our consultation document on the England and Wales Milk Marketing Board's reorganisation scheme was sent to the NFU last week. My right hon. Friends look forward to receiving the NFU's views in due course.
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Veterinary Products
15. Ms Lynne : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans she has for the reform of veterinary products licensing.
Mr. Soames : I am adapting the licensing system to take account of Community law requirements, including the future systems package, and the deregulation initiative. The core scientific requirements of safety, quality and efficacy will be retained.
Nitrates
16. Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to what extent her Department has taken sufficient steps to lessen the amount of nitrates in watercourses and the water table.
Mr. Jack : The Department is playing its full part through the promotion of its nitrate-sensitive area policy in keeping the level of nitrate in water at acceptable levels.
Animal Welfare
17. Mr. Barnes : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations she has received concerning EC legislation to protect the welfare of live farm animals during transport.
Mr. Soames : During the consultation on proposed new Community rules, many representations have been received pressing the Government to seek high standards to protect animals in transport. This is our intention.
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations she has made to the European Council of Ministers concerning the implementation of EC directive 91/628 on the protection of animals during transport.
Mr. Soames : The European Commission has issued proposals for additional rules to protect animals in transport. We are pressing for strong welfare safeguards, based on the high standards which apply in this country.
Tenancy Laws
18. Mr. Lidington : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps she intends to take concerning reform of the agricultural tenancy laws ; and if she will make a statement.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : I have made it clear that we intend to proceed with reform, to the benefit of both landlords and tennants.
Food Processing
19. Mr. Shersby : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what support her Department is giving to food processing companies.
Mr. Jack : We give help in a number of ways, notably export refunds on manufactured foods, marketing and processing grants, funding of export promotion through Food from Britain, and support to R and D on food processing technology under the Link arrangements.
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Farm and Conservation Grant
20. Sir Anthony Grant : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations she has received concerning the farm and conservation grant scheme ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Jack : We regularly receive representations about the farm and conservation grant scheme, usually in relation to individual grant cases. Each representation is carefully considered and, where it is both possible and desirable to do so, taken into account when framing adjustments to the conditions of the scheme.
Days-at-sea Regulations
21. Mr. Ian Bruce : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will make a statement on the progress of talks over the implementation of days-at-sea regulations.
Mr. Jack : I have visited a dozen ports in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and met local fishermen and representatives from around 80 organisations associated with fishing. We are now considering the results of these consultations and the results of parallel discussions in Scotland, together with the formal responses we have received from the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations and from the Scottish Fishermen's Federation, and we shall be announcing our plans soon.
Cattle
22. Mr. Roger Evans : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures are being taken to monitor the causes of infection of cattle by tuberculosis ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Soames : A thorough investigation is carried out following every cattle herd breakdown to attempt to identify the source of the infection and any cattle moved on or off the premises are traced and tested if appropriate.
Wildlife carcases submitted by the public of a range of animals such as deer and badgers are examined for tuberculosis if local staff or the State Veterinary Service believe useful information may be provided.
Badger removal operations are undertaken only where badgers are believed to be involved in the spread of infection to cattle ; all badgers killed in these removal operations are examined for tuberculosis.
In support of the bovine tuberculosis programme, the Department is funding a field research programme to provide information on the mode of transmission of bovine tuberculosis from badgers to cattle.
Marketing
23. Mrs. Browning : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps are being taken to improve the marketing of British horticultural products.
Mr. Jack : In addition to the promotional activities in which I and my colleagues are pleased to assist, my right hon. Friend has asked me to undertake a specific and intensive survey of horticultural marketing.
We are also consulting the industry on our proposals for a new marketing development scheme, and our "continental challenge" initiative with European retailers should open the door to better export performance.
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Agricultural Training Board
24. Mr. Olner : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations she has received concerning the future of the agricultural training board.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my predecessor on 1 April 1993 at column 329 to my hon. Friend the Member for Romsey and Waterside (Mr. Colvin) following the consultation exercise on the future status and operation of the agricultural training board.
Nearly 700 responses were received to the consultation document published on 25 September 1992 from a variety of interested organisations and individuals.
No subsequent representations have been made to this Department on this issue.
Weeds Act 1959
26. Mr. Brandreth : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations she has received regarding the future of the Weeds Act 1959 ; and if she will make a statement.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : In response to our consultation on the future of the Weeds Act 1959, some 1,000 representations were received from individuals and bodies, the majority of which were against repeal of the Act.
After careful consideration of these responses by Agricultural Ministers, my noble Friend the Earl Howe announced on 11 October that the Act would be retained. I am pleased that it is perceived as serving a useful purpose.
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Potatoes
25. Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what alternative proposals she has received to the Potato Marketing Board's plan for the future of potato marketing in the United Kingdom.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : I have received alternative proposals for modification of the potato marketing scheme from the National Farmers Union.
I have also received proposals for the abolition of the scheme from the Potato Processors Association.
27. Mr. Ainger : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total expenditure (a) in 1992 and (b) to date in 1993 paid to producers by the potato marketing scheme ; and what proportion of that was funded by the levy on producers.
Mr. Jack : For the 1992 crop year--1 July 1992 to 30 June 1993--the total cost of the Potato Marketing Board's--PMB--buying programmes amounted to £20,796,439 of which 92.66 per cent was funded by the levy on producers. For the 1993 crop year commencing on 1 July 1993, the PMB has spent £158,716 to date, all of which has been funded by the levy on producers.
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