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Mr. Sackville : The role of eggs in human salmonellosis was considered in depth by the advisory committee on the microbiological safety of food, whose report "Salmonella in Eggs" was published on 9 February 1993, and included recommendations about the storage and handling of eggs. Copies of the report and the Government's response which endorsed these recommendations are available in the Library.
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Mr. Welsh : To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what specific evidence the Chief Medical Officer bases the health warnings given on eggs ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Sackville : The then Chief Medical Officer issued advice, 88/285, to the public on the safe handling of eggs on 26 August 1988.
This advice was endorsed by the Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food in their report "Salmonella in Eggs", published on 9 February 1993.
Copies of the advice and report will be placed in the Library.
Intensive Care, Manchester
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Health in how many recent cases in Greater Manchester people with life-threatening conditions and in need of intensive care have been referred to hospitals outside the conurbation ; to which hospitals they were referred ; what assessment she has made as to the adequacy of intensive care provision in the conurbation for the coming winter months ; what actions she will be taking ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Sackville : We are aware of four such cases. Three were referred to Blackpool Victoria hospital, the other to Burnley general hospital.
Purchasers of health care are responsible for ensuring the availability of a comprehensive range of services, within available resources. It is for them to decide, in discussion with providers, how best to meet the need for intensive care facilities.
The Government are currently funding a study by the Royal College of Anaesthetists, in consultation with the Intensive Care Society and other royal colleges, into access to intensive care.
Intensive Care (Children)
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to publish the Government's survey on children's intensive care, drawn up by the British Paediatric Association.
Mr. Bowis : Publication of the report is a matter for the British Paediatric Association, which carried out the survey.
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Health in how many cases infants in need of intensive care have been referred to intensive care units for adults ; what steps she is taking to ensure more availability of paediatric intensive care facilities ; and if she will make a statement.
Dr. Mawhinney : I will write to the hon. Member.
Staff
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the number of (a) administrative and clerical staff, (b) managerial staff and (c) nursing and midwifery staff employed in each region in 1992.
Dr. Mawhinney : The information requested is shown in the table.
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Nurses and midwives (excluding agency), general/senior managers and administrative and clerical
staff by region in England at 30 September 1992 in whole time equivalents
Region |Nurses and midwives|General/senior |Admin and clerical
|managers
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern |25,120 |710 |7,590
Yorkshire |27,560 |1,350 |9,020
Trent |35,790 |1,040 |10,900
East Anglian |15,390 |650 |4,290
North West Thames |24,770 |940 |9,500
North East Thames |31,250 |1,560 |10,370
South East Thames |28,570 |1,090 |9,880
South West Thames |22,380 |520 |7,470
Wessex |22,170 |970 |6,540
Oxford |16,370 |760 |5,910
South Western |26,160 |840 |8,360
West Midlands |41,320 |1,730 |13,010
Mersey |19,390 |860 |6,240
North Western |35,290 |1,250 |11,200
SHAs |7,210 |460 |2,600
Others |50 |1,940 |12,120
England |378,790 |16,690 |134,990
Source: Department of Health form KM49.
Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census.
Notes:
1. The figures for all regions include those in National Health Service trusts.
2. "Others" include the London Ambulance Service, family health service authorities and other
statutory authorities.
3. All figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
4. The number of administrative staff and clerical staff has increased over the past few
years-reflecting both the strengthening of administrative functions such as information technology
and personnel together with increased support to clinical services.
5. General and senior managers numbers have grown over the past few years-reflecting the planned
introduction of management posts in a series of phased implementations since 1986.
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) managers and (b) clerical and administrative staff have been employed by each regional health authority in each year since 1989.
Dr. Mawhinney : I will write to the hon. Member.
Water Fluoridation
Mr. Beith : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the estimated capital cost of £1,300,000 for the fluoridation of water referred to in the press release issued by the Northern regional health authority on 26 October will be centrally funded ; and what proportion will come from funds already committed to the regional health authority.
Dr. Mawhinney : It is not possible to say at this stage what part, if any, of the estimated costs will be met by the Department.
Suicide
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many suicides were reported of patients receiving (a) in-patient and (b) out- patient psychiatric care in each of the last five years for which figures are available, in each region.
Mr. Bowis : This information is not available centrally.
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Patients Charter
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospitals have (a) succeeded and (b) failed to meet each of the targets in the patients charter in each region in each quarter since they were introduced.
Dr. Mawhinney : Data on performance by individual hospitals against patients charter rights and standards is not available centrally, although a package of key data is collected about the performance of district health authorities. Information about the performance of individual hospitals in this area during 1992-93 has recently been published by district health authorities in the form of patients charter annual reports. Copies of reports can be obtained from the district health authority concerned.
Sessional Fees (Benefits)
Mrs. Ray Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give details of the scheme agreed with the British Medical Association for the payment of sessional fees to medical practitioners for providing information relating to benefits which require medical assessment, including details of the fee agreed and those participating ; and if she will make a statement.
Dr. Mawhinney : Hospital consultants may charge a fee for examinations and reports for third parties which do not form part of their normal contractual national health service duties relating to the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of illness. The determination of that fee is a matter for the practitioner and the third party concerned. Fees for any such examinations or reports provided to the Benefits Agency are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security.
Influenza Vaccine
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made as to the adequacy of stocks of influenza vaccine for the coming winter months ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Sackville : The Government are making every effort to ensure the adequacy of stocks of influenza vaccine for the forthcoming winter, and is being assisted in this by the vaccine manufacturers. Supplies already issued this year are close to the level reached for the entire programme last year and further supplies are likely to be available shortly. However, it is essential that the vaccines that are used routinely have been licensed by the Medicines Control Agency and have met recognised standards for potency and purity.
Patient Complaints
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many formal complaints were made by patients in each region in each year since 1987 ; and what were the major categories of complaints received ;
(2) how many patient complaints were (a) received and (b) investigated by her Department from each of the health regions in each of the last five years ; and what were the major categories of complaints.
Dr. Mawhinney [holding answer 28 October 1993] : The Department of Health does not deal with complaints
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directly from patients. The table sets out the number of formal complaints made in the hospital and community health services by patients for each of the national health service regions. Information about the number of formal complaints made to family health services authorities is not available centrally. National figures of the number of formal investigations concluded by FHSAs are in the publication "Health and Social Services Statistics", copies of which are available in the Library.
Number of written complaints, 1987-88 to 1991-92, for each regional health authority and England
1987-88 1988-89 1989-90 1990-91 1991-92
Region |Hospital |Community|Hospital |Community|Hospital |Community|Hospital |Community|Hospital |Community
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
England |29,956 |5,030 |28,935 |4,338 |31,470 |4,700 |32,996 |4,307 |44,680 |6,399
Northern |1,346 |387 |1,226 |320 |1,460 |290 |1,892 |149 |2,236 |369
Yorkshire |2,068 |247 |1,805 |210 |2,040 |193 |2,169 |215 |2,466 |313
Trent |2,191 |454 |2,109 |289 |2,729 |241 |2,395 |377 |3,328 |444
East Anglian |885 |80 |1,019 |85 |1,002 |205 |1,345 |159 |1,718 |159
North West Thames |2,565 |371 |2,382 |242 |2,965 |383 |3,154 |379 |4,038 |467
North East Thames |3,739 |545 |3,763 |354 |3,858 |492 |3,766 |441 |5,553 |479
South East Thames |2,997 |301 |2,753 |323 |2,047 |209 |2,247 |268 |4,878 |594
South West Thames |2,115 |891 |2,124 |819 |2,464 |746 |2,552 |297 |3,172 |893
Wessex |1,497 |448 |1,632 |210 |1,735 |374 |1,687 |375 |2,649 |377
Oxford |991 |72 |1,301 |70 |1,379 |92 |1,502 |320 |1,489 |239
South Western |1,592 |218 |1,335 |282 |1,689 |375 |1,971 |277 |2,321 |210
West Midlands |3,375 |476 |2,708 |533 |3,378 |516 |3,246 |612 |4,054 |1,046
Mersey |1,333 |176 |1,566 |237 |1,423 |231 |1,281 |224 |2,216 |91
North Western |2,718 |364 |2,667 |364 |2,703 |351 |3,020 |214 |3,763 |712
SHAs |544 |0 |545 |0 |598 |2 |769 |0 |799 |6
NATIONAL FINANCE
Value Added Tax
11. Mrs. Helen Jackson : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact that widening VAT would have on the spending power of those whose earnings are below the basic rate income tax threshold.
Sir John Cope : The impact would depend on the precise categories of goods to which VAT was extended and the rate of tax chosen.
13. Mr. Barnes : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received in the last month concerning value added tax ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir John Cope : A number of representations have been received about value added tax. It would not be appropriate to make a statement before 30 November.
18. Ms Coffey : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the increase to the average family's tax bill that will occur following the VAT changeage household's existing fuel bill would cost about £2.30 per week.
21. Mr. Austin-Walker : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received regarding the possible imposition of VAT on books, newspapers and other publications.
Sir John Cope : Ministers have received a number of representations from all sectors of the publishing industry
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and from various educational establishments about VAT and reading matter. These will be carefully considered in the run -up to the budget.23. Mr. McAllion : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the items currently zero rated for VAT.
Sir John Cope : Not before 30 November.
Mr. Wiliam O'Brien : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what have been the changes in the rates of VAT since the beginning of 1979 ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir John Cope : At the beginning of 1979 there were two positive rates of VAT, 8 and 12.5 per cent. On 18 June 1979 these were replaced by a single rate of 15 per cent. which was increased to 17.5 per cent. on 1 April 1991.
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer from how many businesses Customs and Excise has withdrawn use of the VAT cash accounting scheme in each of the last five years for which statistics are available ; how many businesses entering the scheme in each year have withdrawn from it at the order of Customs and Excise ; how many businesses in total were taken on to the scheme in each of the last five years, including new registrations and re-registration ; and against how many times in each of the last five years Customs and Excise has been party to bankruptcy proceedings on account of poor VAT payments.
Sir John Cope [holding answer 1 November 1993] : Figures are not available for the number of businesses from whom Customs and Excise has withdrawn use of the VAT cash accounting scheme or how many businesses entering the scheme in each year have withdrawn from it at the order of Customs and Excise. Formal approval for entry to
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the scheme is no longer required. The number of businesses approved to start using cash accounting in each of the last five years was :Year to 31 March |Take-up --------------------------------------------------- 1989 |21,674 1990 |26,097 1991 |33,778 1992 |23,782 <1>1993 |19,485 <1> Figures from February onwards are not available.
Figures on bankruptcies are available for the last three financial years only :
Year to 31 March |Number of bankruptcy|Number of bankruptcy
|petitions presented |orders made
|by Customs and
|Excise
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1991 |4,674 |1,394
1992 |5,601 |3,025
1993 |9,245 |4,006
Housing
12. Mr. Lewis : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what fiscal measures he proposes to stimulate the housing market.
Mr. Nelson : My right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer will set out our fiscal plans in the Budget statement on 30 November.
Business Taxation
14. Mrs. Angela Knight : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what evidence he has on the effects of the business taxation regime on inward investment into the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : In 1992 the United Kingdom was the largest recipient of foreign direct investment of all the Organisation for Economic Co- operation and Development countries.
Life Assurance
16. Mr. John Greenway : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the need for reform of the taxation of life assurance.
Mr. Dorrell : The Government are evaluating the changes to life assurance taxation introduced in 1989. Interested bodies have been invited to contribute.
Public Spending
17. Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to control public spending.
Mr. Portillo : I refer the hon. Gentleman to my earlier reply to the hon. Member for Colne Valley (Mr. Riddick).
Taxation
19. Mr. Flynn : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on tax levels.
Mr. Dorrell : General government tax and royalty receipts are expected to be £166.5 billion in 1993-94.
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24. Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much money is expected to be raised from (a) income tax, (b) corporation tax and (c) VAT in the current year.
Mr. Dorrell : The forecast yields from these taxes in 1993-94, set out in table 1.2 of the 1993-94 "Financial Statement and Budget Report", are as follows :
(a) £57.5 billion
(b) £14.6 billion
(c) £39.9 billion
Updated estimates will be presented in the Budget on 30 November.
Consumer Expenditure
20. Mr. Hain : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the percentage change since 1979 of (a) consumer expenditure and (b) gross domestic product.
Mr. Nelson : Between 1979 and 1992 real consumer expenditure rose by 370 per cent. and real GDP, at factor cost, rose by 24 per cent.
Manufacturing Industry
22. Mr. Hutton : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to take fiscal measures to improve the competitiveness and capacity of Britain's manufacturing industries.
Mr. Nelson : The Government's fiscal plans will be set out in the Budget statement on 30 November.
Small Firms
25. Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement of the effect of recent fiscal and interest rate measures on the profitability of small firms.
Mr. Nelson : My right hon. Friend the former Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a number of measures in his March Budget of particular assistance to small firms and we now have the lowest interest rates for over 15 years. Small firms are therefore well placed to show renewed growth and to take advantage of sustained economic recovery, based on low inflation, sound public finances and improved competitiveness.
Inflation
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current annual rate of inflation ; what was the rate in (a) 1988, (b) 1976 and (c) 1975 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Nelson : The table gives the information based on the changes in the retail prices index :
|Percentage change
|over 12 months
--------------------------------------------------------
September 1993<1> |1.8
1988 annual average |4.9
1976 annual average |16.6
1975 annual average |24.2
<1> The latest month for which data are available.
Beer
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the present rates of duty on beer in each of the EC member states ; and what monitoring is
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carried out by the European Commission of the effect of disparities in duty on the cross-border or cross-channel trade in beer for personal consumption.Sir John Cope : The present comparative rates of excise duty on beer in each of the EC member states are as follows :
United Kingdom pence per
pint at 5 per cent. alcohol
by volume
|Pence
-----------------------------
Belgium |7.7
Denmark |20.0
Germany |3.8
Greece |<1>2.3
Spain |3.4
France |4.2
Ireland |46.4
Italy |7.9
Luxembourg |<1>2.6
Netherlands |8.7
Portugal |5.9
United Kingdom |29.7
Before implementation of Council directive 92/84/EEC. No monitoring is currently being carried out by the European Commission of the effect of disparities in duty on the cross-border or cross-channel trade in beer for personal consumption. However, the Commission is obliged every two years to review the rates of duty in force in member states and report to the Council taking into account the proper functioning of the internal market, competition between the different categories of alcoholic drinks, the real value of the rates of duty and the wider objectives of the treaty. The first such review is due not later than 31 December 1994.
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have been prosecuted in each standard region of the United Kingdom for illegally reselling beer imported for domestic consumption since 1 January.
Sir John Cope [holding answer 3 November 1993] : Customs and Excise has prosecuted four individuals for illegally reselling beer which has not borne United Kingdom duty and VAT. The areas of the country concerned are Hampshire, Kent and Yorkshire. There are 108 other cases involving excise goods generally--alcoholic liquors and tobacco products-- for which prosecution proceedings have been instituted but not yet brought to a conclusion.
VAT (Domestic Fuel)
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of imposing VAT on domestic fuel for overall Government expenditure.
Mr. Portillo : The public expenditure cost of extending VAT to domestic fuel will depend on the measures we take to help those on low incomes. Measures will be announced in the Budget.
Businesses, Lewisham
Ms Ruddock : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many new businesses have registered for VAT in the London borough of Lewisham since 1992.
Sir John Cope : Separate figures are not held for VAT registrations in individual London boroughs. Lewisham,
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with several other boroughs, was until early 1993 in the catchment area of Kennington local VAT office (LVO). In early 1993 with three other LVOs it formed the South Bank LVO. The number of new VAT registrations for the two offices since 1992 is as follows : January 1992--December 1992 Kennington LVO 2,205January 1993--September 1993 South Bank LVO 8,629
House Prices/Earnings Ratio
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 23 April, Official Report , column 249 , if he will publish figures for the average house price to earnings ratio for each region for each available quarter of 1993.
Mr. Nelson : Estimates for the first and second quarters of 1993 are given in the table. For the reason explained in the answer given on 27 January 1993, Official Report , column 746 , figures for Northern Ireland are available in the second quarter of each year only.
Average house price to earnings ratio:
Region |Q1 1993|Q2 1993
-------------------------------------------------
United Kingdom |- |3.67
Great Britain |3.70 |3.69
North |3.04 |3.29
Yorkshire and Humberside |3.80 |3.41
East Midlands |3.45 |3.53
East Anglia |3.69 |3.87
South East
Greater London |3.78 |3.72
Rest of South-east |4.31 |4.30
South-west |3.79 |3.81
West Midlands |3.95 |3.64
North-west |3.56 |3.41
England |3.78 |3.73
Wales |3.58 |3.61
Scotland |2.79 |3.40
Northern Ireland |- |2.54
Offshore Banking Centres
Mr. Mandelson : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total value of United Kingdom Government debt now held in offshore banking centres.
Mr. Dorrell : The information is not available.
Mr. Mandelson : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the annual sum in interest paid by his Department to holders of United Kingdom Government debt in offshore banking centres ; and if he will list the payments paid to each offshore centre for each year from 1989 to 1992.
Mr. Dorrell : The information is not available.
London and Bishopsgate International Investment Management plc
Mr. Don Foster : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what information was sought by his Department from Companies house on the controlling interests of London and Bishopsgate International Management plc when the company applied for a principal's licence under the provisions of the Prevention of Fraud (Investments) Act 1958 ;
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(2) what review he has made of the extent to which his Department undertook all the necessary checks to assure itself that the controlling interests and directors of London and Bishopsgate International Management plc were fit and proper persons in order to be granted a principal's licence.Mr. Nelson : The usual checks carried out under the Prevention of Fraud (Investments) Act 1958 were made before a licence was issued.
Mr. Don Foster : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what information London and Bishopsgate International Investment Management plc provided to his Department in respect of its application for a principal's licence on (a) the names and addresses of all past and present shareholders who had held at any time individually more than 25 per cent. of the capital of the company, (b) the names of the beneficial owners of shares held by nominees and (c) where these names were corporations, the controlling interests in those corporations ;
(2) what information London and Bishopsgate International Investment Management plc provided in its application for a principal's licence on any person not disclosed elsewhere in the application who had, or intended to have, any measure of control over the company's business ;
(3) what reference was made to Mr. Robert Maxwell in London and Bishopsgate International Investment Management plc's application for a principal's licence.
Mr. Nelson : Under the Prevention of Fraud (Investments) Act 1958 a company applying for a principal's licence to carry on the business of dealing in securities was obliged to inform the Department of the names of all directors, controllers and managers of the company. The directors, controllers and managers of London and Bishopsgate International Management plc were notified as Andrew Smith, Kevin Maxwell and Larry Trachtenberg.
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