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Political Adviser
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what date, on what terms and at what cost to public funds his political adviser Hywell Williams will commence employment ; if he will place a copy of his terms of reference in the Library ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to the hon. Gentleman for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) on 4 November 1993, c. 334.
Trawsfynydd Nuclear Power Station
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what action he is taking to create jobs for the former workers of the Trawsfynydd nuclear power station ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood : I have announced a range of measures, attracting Welsh Office support of over £700,000, to assist with economic development in the wake of the closure of Trawsfynydd nuclear power station. These include the funding of the project manager for the South Gwynedd Partnership ; improvements to Blaenau Ffestiniog community centre ; the development of land at Llanystumdwy ; and land acquisition at Penamser business park at Porthmadog. I am also considering the scope to accelerate some of the more important schemes in my forward roads programme and the South Gwynedd Partnership is preparing a case for an enterprise zone in the area.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1991
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to announce the appointment of a new reviewer of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1991.
Sir Patrick Mayhew : I am pleased to announce that Mr. John J. Rowe QC has accepted my invitation to succeed Viscount Colville of Culross QC in carrying out the annual review of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1991. Mr. Rowe is a highly respected and senior Queen's counsel who will bring considerable experience to the post.
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Departmental Files
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many files marked "Not for National Audit Office eyes" are held by the Department ; and how many are marked "Not for Public Accounts Committee eyes."
Mr. Byers : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many files marked "Not for National Audit Office eyes" are held by his Department.
Sir John Wheeler [holding answer 3-6 December 1993] : The responsibility of the National Audit Office does not extend to the six Northern Ireland Departments which have their own similarly appointed body- -the Northern Ireland Audit office. There are eight files marked "Not for Northern Ireland Audit Office eyes". The marking "Not for NIAO eyes" is used in accordance with an agreement between the Department of Finance and Personnel and the Northern Ireland Audit Office under which documents relating to the handling of relations between Departments and the NIAO and PAC are not automatically available to the NIAO while they are current. There is no marking, "Not for PAC eyes".
Government Car Service
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the annual cost to the Department of the car service for Ministers ; and how many vehicles are involved.
Sir John Wheeler : The cost of providing cars for Ministers during the 1992-93 financial year was just over £856,000. Ministers do not all have exclusive use of a car ; these costs therefore include private hire cars and supplement the four cars provided by the Government car service. They also include the cost of cars provided by the Royal Ulster Constabulary for Ministers when they are in Northern Ireland.
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Electricity and Gas
Mr. Madden : To ask the Chairmanimposition of VAT on fuel at (a) eight per cent. and (b) 17.5 per cent.
Mr. Paul Channon : Until 1 April 1992, the cost of electricity and gas supplied to the Palace of Westminster was met by the Department of the Environment. In 1992-93, the first year that fuel and utilities were met by
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the votes of the Houses of Parliament, gas and electricity accounted for some £740,000, of which the House of Commons paid 60 per cent. So far in the current financial year £365,000 has been spent.No extra costs arise from the imposition of VAT on fuel as the tax is already applied in respect of commercial use.
Christmas Tree
Mr. Madden : To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee what was the total cost of purchasing and decorating the Christmas tree located in New Palace Yard together with the total cost of installing the tree, including the cost of crane hire ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Ray Powell : The Christmas tree in New Palace Yard has been presented to the House by the Forestry Commission. The cost of its installation and decoration, including labour and crane hire, was £800.
Refreshment Department
Mr. Madden : To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will make arrangements for any food not required each day by the Refreshment Department to be passed to suitable charities for distribution, including to the homeless.
Mr. Colin Shepherd : I have been asked to reply.
This is a matter for the Director of Catering Services.
EMPLOYMENT
Access to Work Scheme
Mr. Robert Ainsworth : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he will announce the upper limits on (a) help to a disabled person and (b) the contribution expected from the employer in a five-year period under his proposed access to work scheme.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will make an announcement as soon as possible about details of the access to work scheme, including the upper limits on (a) help to a disabled person and (b) the contribution expected from the employer in a five-year period.
Civil Servants
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list for each civil service grade in his Department (a) the total number of people employed, (b) the total number of black people and (c) the total number of Asians.
Miss Widdecombe : The figures are given in the following table :
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Staff in post in ED Group as at 1 October 1993
Ethnic group
Grade level |Black respondents|Asian respondents|Other ethnic |Total staff
|minority
|respondents
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AA level |243 |186 |18 |4,375
AO level |1,157 |1,362 |159 |32,362
EO level |233 |355 |65 |17,073
HEO level |30 |41 |24 |4,770
SEO level |7 |18 |3 |1,975
Grade 7 level |2 |11 |3 |1,257
Grade 6 level |1 |4 |1 |270
Grade 5 level |0 |0 |0 |160
Grade 4 level |0 |0 |1 |59
Grade 3 level |0 |0 |0 |66
Grade 2 level |0 |0 |0 |12
Grade 1 level |0 |0 |0 |2
Industrials |1 |0 |0 |50
|--- |--- |-- |---
Total |1,674 |1,977 |274 |62,431
Part-time staff have been counted as whole units.
Only permanent staff have been included. Casuals and period appointees have been excluded.
Grade levels include equivalent grades.
Figures quoted include Employment Service agency staff.
The total staff figures include non-respondents to the Ethnic Origin Survey, from which the other figures
have been compiled.
Asbestos
Mr. Nicholas Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement summarising the provisions of those regulations which seek to control the use of asbestos in roofing and other building materials ; and if he will indicate the means through which those regulations should be enforced.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 6 December 1993] : The Asbestos (Prohibitions) Regulations 1992 which came into force on 1 January 1993 impose major restrictions on the use of asbestos, including its use for some building materials. They prohibit the import, supply and use of all types of amphibole asbestos, including corcidolite--blue asbestos--and amosite--brown asbestos--the two forms most commonly associated with asbestos-related disease. The regulations also prohibit asbestos spraying and the installation of asbestos insulation and a range of building products containing chrysotile--white asbestos--including low-density insulating and sound-proofing materials and roofing felt.
The Control of Asbestos at Work (Amendment) Regulations 1992 which came into force on 1 January 1993 include a requirement for the substitution of products containing asbestos when practicable and provided the alternative creates a lesser risk.
The regulations are enforced by Health and Safety Executive inspectors, and local authority inspectors who have powers under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
Mr. Nicholas Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many cases have been identified by the appropriate enforcement authorities in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available, of the use of asbestos materials in building and roofing work contrary to the relevant regulations.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 6 December 1993] : The information requested is not available. However, the figures in the following tables show the numbers of informations laid and the number of convictions secured in the construction industry, under the Asbestos Regulations 1969 and the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987, as amended, which replaced them. The Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations cover
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all work with asbestos. There were no informations laid during the period under the Asbestos (Prohibitions) Regulations 1985 or the Asbestos (Prohibitions) Regulations 1992.
Year |Informations laid|Conviction
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Asbestos Regulations 1969
1983 |26 |25
1984 |41 |32
1985 |23 |18
1986-87 |11 |7
1987-88 |8 |8
1988-89 |4 |3
The Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987
1988-89 |13 |13
1989-90 |33 |32
1990-91 |50 |41
1991-92 |32 |25
1992-93<1> |24 |23
<1> Provisional.
Notes:
1. The figures above include informations laid and convictions for those in the construction industry
involved in asbestos stripping.
2. The Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987 came into force on 1 March 1988.
Mr. Nicholas Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to ensure compliance with regulation 8(1A) of the Control of Asbestos at Work (Amendment) Regulations 1992 and with its associated approved code of practice ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 6 December 1993] : Regulation 8(1A) of the Control of Asbestos (Amendment) Regulations 1992 has been in force since 1 January 1993. Health and Safety Executive inspectors and local authority inspectors enforce these provisions. At their visits to workplaces, inspectors give high priority to encouraging the use of asbestos substitutes as the principal means of preventing any exposure to asbestos whenever this is appropriate.
Mr. Nicholas Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if the Health and Safety Commission will review the effectiveness of the regulations governing the use of asbestos products in roofing and other building work ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 6 December 1993] : Current regulations governing the use of asbestos products in roofing and other building work are considered to be effective with regard to the protection of the health of workers and the public. There are no plans at present to extend them, but, in common with other health and safety legislation, there is an ongoing process of monitoring and review by the Health and Safety Commission.
Mr. Nicholas Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what recent representations he has received concerning the effectiveness of the regulations governing the use of asbestos products in roofing and other building work ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 6 December 1993] : The letter from my hon. Friend, dated 24 November 1993, addressed to me is the only representation received on this matter.
North Norfolk Action
Sir Ralph Howell : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer of 29 November, Official Report, columns 355-56, if he will estimate the savings on benefits incurred due to persons leaving the unemployment register after interviews and to persons obtaining employment after participating in the North Norfolk Action scheme, stating the number in each case and the percentage this represents in each case to the number engaged on the scheme ; what was the overall expenditure on North Norfolk Action up to 31 October ; how much expenditure has been incurred on (a ) provider fees, (b) extra allowances, (c) fares to work, (d) publicity, (e) evaluation and (f) Employment Service running costs, showing overall figures and how the provider fees and extra allowances were arrived at ; and what is the net saving to the public funds which has resulted from the first six months of North Norfolk Action.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 6 December 1993] : Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service Agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from M. E. G. Fogden to Sir Ralph Howell, dated 8 December 1993 :
As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to write to you direct to respond to your Parliamentary Question about the savings on benefits incurred due to persons leaving the unemployment register after interviews and to persons obtaining employment after participating in the North Norfolk Action Scheme, stating the number in each case and the percentage this represents in each case to the number engaged on the scheme ; what was the overall expenditure on North Norfolk Action up to 31 October ; how much expenditure has been incurred on (a) provider fees, (b) extra allowances, (c) fares to work, (d) publicity, (e) evaluation and (f) employment service running costs showing overall figures and how the provider fees and extra allowances were arrived at ; and what is the net saving to the public funds which has resulted from the first six months of North Norfolk Action. Up to 31 October 16 people had found work following participation on the North Norfolk Action programme which represents 13.3 per cent. of all participants. The number leaving the register to go into work following Supportive Caseload interviews was 120 representing 35 per cent. of all those given such interviews.
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Overall expenditure on North Norfolk Action which had been brought to account by 31 October was £205,182. This was made up as follows : (a) Provider fees--£87,349.1,770 trainee weeks at £49.34 (average cost) per week.
(b) Allowances--£85,178.
741 payments (made fortnightly) £114.94 (average fortnightly payment : represents £47.47 plus £10 per week).
This does not include other payments such as Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit etc., which are not paid by the Employment Service.
(c) Fares to work--£2,455.
(d) Publicity--£1,500.
(e) Evaluation--Work to start in 1994.
(f) Running costs--£28,700.
It is not yet possible to estimate what, if any, benefit savings have resulted from North Norfolk Action. This is because such savings would be achieved only if people leave unemployment quicker than they would have otherwise have done, but without displacing others, and remain out of unemployment for longer. These effects can be estimated only when we have the full results of our planned evaluation. An evaluation exercise of supportive caseload is being conducted by my Research and Evaluation Branch and external contractors will shortly be appointed to assess the effects of participation in North Norfolk Action. Results should be available during 1994.
Nor is it possible to make an estimate of the net effect of North Norfolk Action on the exchequer. For example this would require information about how expenditure on North Norfolk Action might have affected unemployment if it had been used in other ways.
I hope this is helpful.
As decided by the Administration Committee of the House of Commons, Chief Executive replies to written Parliamentary Questions will now be published in the Official Report. I will also place a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.
Trawsfynydd Power Station
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when the defuelling process will be completed at the Trawsfynydd nuclear power station ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : I have been asked to reply.
This is a matter for Nuclear Electric plc subject to the Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorates's requirements as to safety.
HEALTH
Concorde (Staff Flights)
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the use of Concorde flights by health staff.
Mr. Sackville : Information about the use of Concorde by NHS staff is not collected centrally. We expect health staff to make proper and economic use of public funds when travelling at public expense.
NHS Senior Managers
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will order the chairmen of all health authorities to initiate action to recover all irregular severance payments to NHS senior managers ; (2) when she expects to be able to present to Parliament a report on investigations into irregular payments to and by NHS senior managers.
Dr. Mawhinney : Health authorities are required to make payments in accordance with their statutory powers.
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If any payments are found to be irregular we would expect health authorities to consider, in the light of legal advice, to what extent they are recoverable. We supply to the Public Accounts Committee such information as they require following reports from the Comptroller and Auditor General giving cause to do so.Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will request the Audit Commission to make a special audit report on the regularity of severance payments to senior managers.
GP Fundholders
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners expressed an interest in fundholding and received the start-up management and then did not proceed to become a fundholder in 1990 -91, 1991-92 and 1992-93.
Dr. Mawhinney : Information for 1990-91 is not available. A total of 310 practices expressed an interest in becoming fundholders in 1991-92 with 253 joining the scheme the following April. Six hundred and sixty-eight practices expressed an interest in 1992-93 with 580 joining the following April. Practices are reimbursed for the additional expenditure involved in preparing to manage a fund.
Government Car Service
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the annual cost to the Department of the car service for Ministers ; and how many vehicles are involved.
Mr. Sackville : There are five cars and the basic projected annual cost for the current financial year is £253,626.
Respite Care
Mr. Jon Owen Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many families with children with disabilities have received respite care in each year since 1990 ; and what are the proposed figures for 1993.
Mr. Bowis : Information about the number of children receiving respite care was first collected centrally, following the implementation of the Children Act 1989, for the period 14 October 1991 to 31 March 1992. No information is collected centrally on the number of families. It is estimated that the number of children with disabilities looked after in England who received respite care during this period, specifically because their parents need relief from problems of stress of caring for them was 2,500.
The decision to offer respite care is a matter for local authorities. Information for the year ending 31 March 1993 is not yet available centrally.
Mr. Jon Owen Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to increase the number of respite carers for families of children with disabilities.
Mr. Bowis : Plans for respite services are a matter for local authority social services departments, according to local need, resources and priorities.
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Guy's and Lewisham NHS Trust
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was paid to Peter Griffiths, former chief executive of the Guy's and Lewisham NHS trust, upon his departure from that post.
Dr. Mawhinney : Mr. Griffiths is still employed by the Lewisham National Health Service Trust, which is the successor authority to the Guy's and Lewisham NHS Trust.
NHS Trusts (Salaries)
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance she has issued, or is planning to issue, to NHS trusts, regarding pay norms for 1994-95.
Dr. Mawhinney : There is no pay norm in 1994-95.
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance has been issued to trust boards, regarding the need to observe a limit on pay rises for trust employees for the current year.
Dr. Mawhinney : On 12 November 1992, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State wrote to the chairmen of all health service employing bodies setting out arrangements for restraining public sector pay in the coming year. On 20 January 1993, the chief executive of the National Health Service Management Executive also wrote to general managers and chief executives giving guidance on the application of this policy.
Copies of both letters are available in the Library.
Press and Publicity Officers
Mr. Grocott : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many press and publicity officers are currently employed in her Department ; and how many were employed in (a) 1985 and (b) 1979.
Mr. Sackville : The number of press and publicity officers currently employed is as follows :
Press --13 full time
Publicity--20 full time and 1 part time
Publicity officers are responsible for devising, developing, managing and monitoring a wide range of paid publicity campaigns to further the health promotion and other aims of the Department and the national health service. They are professional buyers of all forms of publicity, for example, advertising, videos, publications and research using around 300 different suppliers.
Information for the years 1979 and 1985 is not available in the form requested.
Human Corpses
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her Department's policy towards the use by hospitals or medical research institutes of human corpses for scientific research into road accidents.
Mr. Sackville : Bodies may be donated to licensed medical schools, either in accordance with donors' wishes or when the family has agreed, under the terms of the Anatomy Act 1984. This Act makes provision for the use of such bodies for the purposes of anatomical examination, which is defined in the Act as examination by dissection
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for the purposes of teaching or studying or researching into morphology, that is, the study of the form--anatomy--of the body. This precludes the use of such bodies for scientific research into road accidents.The Human Tissue Act 1961, which in specified circumstances and subject to the consent of the donor permits the use of bodies or parts of bodies for therapeutic purposes or for the purposes of medical education or research, does not preclude the use of bodies for medical research into road accidents.
However, many people will regard the placing of bodies in cars which are then crashed, which is reported to have happened in other countries, as unacceptable as part of medical research. Local research ethics committees, which would have to consider any proposed medical research into road accidents, would be expected to take this viewpoint into account.
Myodil
Mrs. Mahon : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action she is taking to help those suffering from arachnoiditis following treatment by Myodil used in spinal investigations to claim compensation from Glaxo ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Sackville : The Medicines Control Agency complied with a High Court order for discovery of documents relating to Myodil in 1991, but has had no further involvement. Myodil has not been marketed since 1987 when it was withdrawn by its manufacturer.
Broadmoor
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received relating to the extent of racism at Broadmoor ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Bowis : We have received no specific representations about racism at Broadmoor hospital, but we recognise, as does the Special Hospitals Service Authority, the importance of ensuring that the needs of black and other ethnic minority patients both there and in the other special hospitals receive proper attention. The recent report of the inquiry into the death of Mr. Orville Blackwood while a patient at Broadmoor made a number of recommendations directed to this. The report was welcomed by the SHSA, which will be reporting to me under the accountability review procedure on progress in implementing the recommendations. Broadmoor hospital has already introduced a strategy for improving services for black and other ethnic minority patients and has appointed a consultant to help establish closer links with relevant community and support organisations. Copies of the report are available in the Library.
Waltham Forest District Health Authority
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals she has received relating to Waltham Forest from (a) the London initiative zone and (b) the London implementation group ; and what is the estimated cost of each.
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