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Health and Safety
Mr. Barron : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when the Health and Safety Executive will amend its publication "Safety Representatives and Safety
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Committees" (ISBN 0118839594) to include references to the new regulation 4A(1), which was enacted by regulation 17 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations on 31 December 1992.Mr. Michael Forsyth : The Health and Safety Executive proposes to take forward work on this publication in 1994-95 following publication of an open learning package for safety representatives and taking account of recent research.
Mr. Barron : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has for altering charges to industry for the services provided by the Health and Safety Executive.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The Health and Safety Commission has under review the scope for introducing new charges for the performance by the Health and Safety Executive of statutory functions and the provision of facilities and services. Existing charges are reviewed annually.
Mr. Barron : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if the Health and Safety Commission will publish the findings of its review of regulations prior to publishing proposals for the reform of the regulatory system for health and safety at work based upon the review.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The Health and Safety Commission will be submitting to Ministers the findings of its review of regulation in April 1994. If the Government decide, in the light of these findings, to put forward proposals for changes in health and safety legislation, these will of course be subject to consultation.
Mr. Barron : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what action the Health and Safety Executive has taken in response to the view recently expressed in paragraph 46 of the efficiency scrutiny report commissioned by the President of the Board of Trade "Review of the Implementation and Enforcement of EC law in the UK : Health and Safety" on guidance for all sizes of business on what is required to undertake risk assessment ; and what
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action has been taken to comply with the recommendation that the HSE considers issuing a basic pro forma which businesses could use or adapt.Mr. Forsyth : The Health and Safety Executive is to publish, next month, a leaflet which will meet the efficiency scrutiny recommendations. The leaflet will provide guidance on how to assess risks in the workplace and what should be recorded. It will incorporate a pro forma with blank spaces, which employers can use to record their assessments.
Mr. Barron : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many letters complaining about the burden of health and safety legislation he received in the 12 months prior to requesting the Health and Safety Commission to commence its review of health and safety regulations.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : In the 12 months preceding my request to the Health and Safety Commission to undertake a review of existing regulation, the Department received over 750 letters about health and safety.
Many of these raised issue about the interpretation, contents enforcement of health and safety regulations, and identified what the writer considered a burden on his or her business. However, it is not possible without disproportionate cost to separately identify the letters which raised these issues specifically.
Mr. Barron : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans the Health and Safety Executive has to publish a second edition of its publication "100 Practical Applications of Noise Reduction Methods".
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The Health and Safety Executive is currently preparing a new edition of this publication which it hopes to publish in the summer of 1994.
Mr. Barron : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many Health and Safety Executive staff-years have been expended on the review of regulations ; and what has been the effect of the other activities of the HSE of servicing the review.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : It is estimated that 3.5 staff years will be expended by the Health and Safety Executive's review team on the review of regulation. Additional resources for the review were built into the Health and Safety Commission's plan of work for 1993-94 and beyond as part of its medium term aim to propose reform of existing legislation under the 1974 Act.
Mr. Barron : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what activities currently carried out by the Health and Safety Commission and Executive will be curtailed as a result of the reduction in its grant-in- aid provision in 1995-96 and 1996-97.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Information about financial provision for the Health and Safety Executive will be published in the departmental report. The Health and Safety Commission's planned future activities will be set out in its plan of work for 1994-95 and beyond which is scheduled for publication in June.
Mr. Barron : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when the Health and Safety Executive guidance on the electricity at work regulations for hotels will be published.
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Mr. Michael Forsyth : At the end of January 1994.
Mr. Barron : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if the members of the sector task groups appointed by the Health and Safety Commission to assist in its review of regulations will be fully consulted over the contents of the commission's final report prior to it being submitted to the Secretary of State.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : This is a matter for the Health and Safety Commission. It appointed the task group members to assist it under section 13 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. I am informed that the groups are making an invaluable contribution to the Commission's review and I would expect that to be reflected in both the preparation and content of the Commission's final report.
Mr. Barron : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what response he has made to the view expressed by the Health and Safety Executive director-general in the foreword to the HSE annual report that Government policy has created imperatives, like the review of regulations, which have impinged upon the Health and Safety Executive.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Reform of health and safety law has been central to the achievement of a better health and safety system since the passing of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 some 20 years ago. The Health and Safety Commission's review of regulation has given fresh impetus to this work, but is fully consistent with the roles and duties of the Health and Safety Commission and Executive already laid down in the 1974 Act.
Health and Safety Commission (Chairman)
Mr. Barron : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment which of the duties or activities carried out by his full-time predecessor the part- time chairman of the Health and Safety Commission will not fulfil.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : It is for the Health and Safety Commission chairman to decide how best to carry out his functions and duties within the time available.
The decision to make the chairman's appointment part-time reflected the loading of the post in current circumstances, including the appointment last year of a second full-time deputy director general of the Health and Safety Executive. This additional post will strengthen the senior management support available to the chairman, allowing the full responsibilities of leading the Commission to be managed without a full- time commitment.
Deregulation (Briefings)
Mr. Barron : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment who was responsible for briefing all seven of the Health and Safety Commission's sector task groups on the findings of the Department of Trade and Industry deregulation task forces, as referred to in paragraph 5 of the interim report of the HSC review of regulations sent to the Minister on 22 November 1993 ; and on what dates these briefings were carried out.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : I am informed that Department of Trade and Industry officials, appointed to support the Government's deregulation sector task forces, were
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responsible for briefing the Health and SafetyCommission's--HSC--sector task groups on their emerging findings, and that this was done through a series of meetings with HSC task group chairmen in August and September and in subsequent correspondence.
Works Councils
Mr. Cash : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his policy on works councils in British companies in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The Government wholeheartedly supports voluntary employee involvement. If a company in the United Kingdom wishes to introduce a works council or any other form of employee involvement, it is free to do so in whatever way best suits its circumstances. The Government are resolutely opposed to any measure which would force United Kingdom companies to adopt prescribed structures or forms of employee involvement.
HEALTH
GPs
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence she has on the relative level of income and expense reimbursement of general practitioners for areas of low mortality and morbidity and inner city areas.
Dr. Mawhinney : Information placed in the Library shows, by family health services authority the gross payments in 1992-93 to general medical practitioners for provision of general medical services and the standardised mortality ratios for the local authority areas which most closely match each FHSA. Information on morbidity by inner city areas is not available.
There are many factors affecting the level of payments to general medical practitioners, such as list size and cost of premises, which make it difficult to draw conclusions about levels of payments in relation to mortality data.
Mr. Luff : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the progress of general practitioner fundholding in the Worcester area.
Dr. Mawhinney : Regional health authorities are responsible for managing the general practitioner fundholding scheme in their areas. Nationally 25 per cent. of the population is covered by fundholding, in the West Midlands region the figure is just over 26 per cent. From April about a third of the population will be covered.
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer on 13 December, Official Report, column 470, if she will break down the amounts retained by general practitioner fundholders by region.
Dr. Mawhinney : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 17 December 1993 at col 1010.
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give figures for the management consultants' fees for assessing applications by general practitioners for fund-holder status by (a) wave and (b) region.
Dr. Mawhinney : This information is not available centrally. Regional health authorities are responsible for assessing applications to join the fund-holding scheme.
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Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many fund- holding general practitioners are now in place.
Dr. Mawhinney : There are now over 6,000 general practitioner fundholders in over 1,200 practices.
Occupational Health Services
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance is given by her Department to employing bodies within the national health service to establish an occupational health service.
Dr. Mawhinney : Current guidance on establishing occupational health services in the national health service is contained in HN(82)33, copies of which are in the Library.
Extra-contractual Referrals
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will estimate the number of extra-contractual referrals agreed by region in the last year.
Mr. Sackville : The information on which to base an estimate is not available centrally.
University College London Hospitals
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much transitional funding is being made available to University College London hospitals ; and what is the source of this funding.
Dr. Mawhinney : In 1993-94 to date, £8.247 million transitional funding support has been agreed in respect of University College London hospitals. Transitional funding for London in 1993-94 is being sourced from central top-sliced funds from within the overall national health service allocation.
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the agreed programme for consolidating the University College London hospitals into fewer buildings ; and if this includes the construction of new buildings.
Dr. Mawhinney : The University College London hospitals--UCLH--have already made progress on consolidating services on the Middlesex site as part of their programme of rationalisation. We await further detailed proposals from UCLH.
St. Bartholomew's Hospital
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what contributions have been agreed by the private sector to the development of a new facility at St. Bartholomew's for minor injuries ; and if she will make a statement.
Dr. Mawhinney : There has been no agreement about what, if any, contribution the private sector might make, to the new minor injuries facility at St. Bartholomew's.
We welcome the interest the City has shown in this proposal and we will be exploring what positive and practical contribution it can make to its development.
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 15 December, Official Report, col. 722-23, concerning changes in certain hospital
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provision in London, if she will list the number of accident and emergency cases dealt with by that department of St. Bartholomew's hospital in the first six months of 1993, indicating the numbers within any convenient category of treatment or severity ; and how many within each such category she would expect to be dealt with in each adjacent and named accident and emergency unit which she plans to retain.Dr. Mawhinney : This information is not available centrally for the first six months of 1993. However, there
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were 31,278 new attendances at the St. Bartholomew's hospital accident and emergency departments in the 12 months from 1 April 1992 to 31 March 1993.A sample of these attenders showed that 12 per cent. were suitable for general practitioner care ; 36.5 per cent. for care in a minor injuries unit, and 51.5 per cent. for care in a hospital accident and emergency department.
The expected patient flows to other hospitals have been modelled, assuming the alternative facilities announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health on 15 December 1993 are in place. This analysis shows the expected attendances :
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Hospital |GP care |MIU care |Accident and|Total
|Emergency
|care
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Royal London |300 |650 |4,850 |5,800
Homerton |250 |450 |2,100 |2,800
Whittington |100 |100 |800 |1,000
UCH |450 |950 |5,700 |7,100
Guy's and St. Thomas' |50 |200 |2,300 |2,550
Smithfield Minor Injuries Unit |- |9,450 |- |9,450
|------- |------- |------- |-------
Totals |1,150 |11,800 |15,750 |28,700
Note: 2,450 cases are estimated to go to alternative primary care centres. In addition, a small
number of cases are "lost", when an A and E department closes. In this case, an estimate of 375
"lost" cases has been made.
Drug Prescribing
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representatives she has received on piggyback licensing on the back of generic drugs ; what is her charging policy in such instances ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Sackville : Applications made under article 4.8.a.i, of directive 65/65/EEC--sometimes known as piggyback applications--are permitted for generic drugs. The application fee, payable on receipt of the application, is presently £2,090. We are not aware of any recent representations about these applications.
Queen Mary's Hospital, Roehampton
Mr. Mellor : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she has considered Wandsworth borough council's report on the findings of the South West London hospitals review group and the specialty review team's report on plastic and burns as they affect Queen Mary's university hospital, Roehampton ; and if she will make copies available in the Library.
Dr. Mawhinney : South West Thames regional health authority considered the views of Wandsworth borough council, the specialty review report on plastics and burns, and the views of other bodies who responded to the South West London hospitals review, before submitting its recommendations to the Department. The report of the South West London hospitals review and the region's recommendations on it are currently being considered by the London implementation group. A copy of Wandsworth borough council's report will be placed in the Library.
Mr. Mellor : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many letters she has received opposing the findings of (a) the specialty review team's report on plastics and burns and (b) the South West London hospitals review group as they affect Queen Mary's university hospital,
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Roehampton ; and if she will give due consideration to the views of local people when considering the future of the vital services the hospital provides.Dr. Mawhinney : Ministers received 401 letters concerning Queen Mary's university hospital, Roehampton between 1 August 1993 and 31 December 1993. No decisions will be taken on the future pattern of services at Queen Mary's without careful consideration of all the arguments and proposals put forward. Any proposals to materially change the pattern of services would of course be subject to public consultation.
Homerton Hospital
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the cost of redevelopment of Homerton hospital ; and from what sources it will be met.
Dr. Mawhinney : The estimated capital cost of further redevelopment at Homerton hospital is £25 million. This is a preliminary figure subject to formal appraisal and business case approval. Funding for the development will be made available from the national health service capital programme.
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what planned improvements in local primary care facilities will relieve pressure on local accident and emergency services at Homerton hospital.
Dr. Mawhinney : Improvements to primary care services around the Homerton hospital are being made as part of the investment programme within the London initiative zone. Specific projects include the development of facilities at Barton house, John Scott and Sorsby road health centres ; these schemes will improve primary care services to the residents of north Hackney, who look to Homerton hospital for accident and emergency treatment and, in some cases, for primary care services as well.
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London Ambulance Service
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will tabulate for the months of July to November the response performance by percentage of emergency call of the London ambulance service for each month under the headings (a) activation time, (b) response time within eight minutes, (c) response time within 14 minutes and
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(d) response time within 26 minutes ; and what was the average number of calls per day in each month where the response time exceeded 26 minutes, together with an indication under each heading of the ORCON and patients charter standard.Mr. Sackville : The available information is shown in the table. Data for November are not yet available.
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|Activation time: |Response time: |Response time: |Average daily |Average daily
|Within 3 minutes |Within 8 minutes |Within 14 minutes |number of "999" |number of calls
|calls |where
|received |response 26 minutes
|or over
Month |Per cent. |Per cent. |Per cent. |Number |Number
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
July |38 |13 |62 |1,083 |76
August |40 |14 |65 |1,034 |67
September |38 |13 |64 |1,051 |63
October |31 |10 |58 |1,115 |91
Performance benchmarks:
95 per cent. of calls activated within three minutes.
50 per cent. of calls responded to within eight minutes.
95 per cent. of calls responded to within 14 minutes.
Patient's Charter Standard:
95 per cent. of calls responded to within 14 minutes.
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer on 15 December, Official Report, col. 721, concerning an increase of £14 million for the London ambulance service in the financial year 1994-95, what portion of this sum is likely to be used in defraying and deficit in the year 1993-94 ; what net increase in the number of emergency ambulances and qualified ambulance personnel she expects to be in service by December 1994 or any later month ; and what percentage increase this represents over those currently available in each case.
Mr. Sackville : The reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to my hon. Friend the Member for Surbiton (Mr. Tracy) on 15 December at col. 721 stated that, the London ambulance service--LAS-- will receive an extra £14.8 million in 1994-95 over its baseline budget for 1993-94. None of this is expected to be used to cover any deficit in the 1993-94 financial year. £4 million is capital money to assist the LAS in the purchase of 120 new accident and emergency vehicles. The balance is revenue moneys, of which £3.5 million is to fund on- going developments already started by the LAS including : extra telephonists in central ambulance control, improved fleet maintenance, motorcycle and rapid response units and paramedic training. The remaining £7.3 million is to fund an increase in accident and emergency staffing, additional paramedic training and to strengthen management skills, especially in information technology. The LAS will now be able to renew over a third of its accident and emergency fleet and, by December 1994, to increase the number of qualified ambulance persons by 240--16 per cent.--sufficient to staff an additional 20 ambulances--15 per cent.-- around the clock every day.
Public Bodies
Mr. Straw : To ask the Secretary of State for Health in respect of how many boards, authorities, committees, and other public bodies she is responsible, in whole or in part, for appointments ; what is the total number of such
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appointments ; and what is the total public spending by such boards, authorities, committees and other public bodies.Mr. Sackville : The boards, authorities, committees and other public bodies for which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is responsible are listed in the publication "Public Bodies", copies of which are available in the Library. Government spending on the national health service is forecast to be £29,215 million in 1993-94 and planned to rise to £30,669 million in 1994-95. Government spending on Department of Health non-departmental public bodies outside the NHS is shown in "Public Bodies".
Prescriptions (Selected List)
Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will list the new selected items that have been made available to the NHS ;
(2) if she will list the new chemical entity products made available to the national health service since February 1993 that would have been covered by the selected list scheme.
Dr. Mawhinney : This information is not available centrally.
Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the representations she has received from (a) the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, (b) those who prescribed drugs and (c) others to extend the number of drugs on the current selected list.
Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Health which drugs have been deleted from the current selected list giving their manufacturers, since February 1993 ; and which company manufactured each.
Dr. Mawhinney : The generic drug Ammonia and Ipecacuanha Mixture BP has been deleted from the selected list since February 1993.
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Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what drugs have been included on the selected list since February 1993 ; and who were their manufacturers.
Dr. Mawhinney : The information is shown in the table.
Drug |Manufacturer ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Algipan |Wyeth Laboratories Anadin Extra Soluble Tablets |Whitehall Laboratories Arnica Lotion |Weleda UK Asilone Liquid |Crookes Healthcare Ayrtons Analgesic Balm |Ayrton Saunders Beecham Analgesic Cream |SmithKline Beecham Boots Menthol and Wintergreen |Boots Pharmaceuticals Embrocation Bronalin Decongestant |Seton Healthcare Calpol Infant Suspension |The Wellcome Foundation Camphor Spirit |J. M. Loveridge Cremalgin Balm |Rhone Poulenc Rorer Cuprofen Soluble Tablets |Seton Healthcare Culpepper Healing Ointment |Culpepper Culpepper Rheumatic Cream |Culpepper Cupanol Under Six Suspension |Seton Healthcare DHL Rheumatic Massage Cream |DHL Products Diazepam oral solution 5mg/5ml |Generic; various manufacturers Diazepam oral suspension 5mg/5ml |Generic; various manufacturers Disprin Direct Tablets |Reckitt & Colman Dragon Balm |Gerrard House Dubam Cream |Norman Chemicals Dubam Spray Relief |Norman Chemicals Elliman Universal Embrocation |SmithKline Beecham Fibrosine Analgesic Balm |International Chemicals Fiery Jack Cream |J. Pickles & Sons Fiery Jack Ointment |J. Pickles & Sons Fluimucil Granules |Zambon (UK) Gaviscon 250 Tablets |Reckitt & Colman Germolene Ointment |SmithKline Beecham Goodards White Oils Embrocation |LRC Products Isoaminile Linctus |Fisons Pharmaceuticals Lemsip Flu Strength |Reckitt & Colman Lloyds Cream (Odour Free) |Seton Healthcare Lloyds Heat Spray |Haventrail Mentholatum Deep Heat Massage |Mentholatum Company Liniment Mentholatum Deep Heat Maximum |Mentholatum Company Strength Rub Mentholatum Deep Heat Rub |Mentholatum Company Nella Red Oil |Nella Pharmaceuticals Paldesic Elixir |RP Drugs Panadol Body and Infant |Sanofi Winthrop Suspension Panadol Extra Soluble Tablets |Sanofi Winthrop Phor Pain |Goldshield Pharmaceuticals Phor Pain Double Strength |Goldshield Pharmaceuticals Potters Household Liniment |Potters Herbal Supplies Potters Nine Rubbing Oils |Potters Herbal Supplies PR Heat Spray |Crookes Healthcare Radian-B Liniment |Fisons Consumer Health Radian-B Rub |Fisons Consumer Health Ralgex Cream |SmithKline Beecham Ralgex Stick |SmithKline Beecham RRC1 Cream |Radiol Chemicals Salonair |Salonpas (UK) Sanatogen Children's Vitamins |Fisons Consumer Health Plus Minerals Solpadeine Tablets |Sterling Health Sudafed Nasal Spray |The Wellcome Foundation Superdrug Heat Spray |Mentholatum Company Thermogene Medicated Rub |SmithKline Beecham Tiger Balm Liquid |LRC Products Tiger Balm Red |LRC Products Tiger Balm White |LRC Products Unicap M Tablets |Upjohn Unicap T Tablets |Upjohn Vadarex Wintergreen Heat Rub |Cupal Products Vicks Vaposyrup Childrens Dry |Procter & Gamble Cough Zam Buk Ointment |Fisons Consumer Health
Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the procedure for (a) pharmaceutical companies and (b) prescribers to (i) ask for a particular drug to be included in the selected list and (ii) overturn a decision to remove a drug from the selected list.
Dr. Mawhinney : Prescribers or manufacturers can at any time ask the committee to review any product which is on the list of non-prescribable drugs, or to ask for one to be added to it.
Mrs. Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with (a) representatives of the pharmaceutical industry and (b) the advisory committee on NHS drugs about research and development into new products and medicines that may be affected by the selected list.
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