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Nuts
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she has about the number of people suffering from an allergy to nuts and the number of deaths that have resulted in recent years.
Mr. Sackville : This information is not available centrally.
Flu Vaccine
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement about the distribution of flu vaccine for 1993-94 ; and what relative priorities have been given to asthmatics, children, adults and the retired.
Mr. Sackville : For commercial reasons, a fifth of the expected supply of flu vaccine did not become available until 22 December 1993. Helpfully, however, additional production by licensed suppliers resulted in over 5 million
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doses being made available to the national health service prior to this date compared with 4.7 million in 1992-93. Supplies of influenza vaccine are still available.As in previous years, the chief medical officer wrote to all general practitioners in 1993-94 giving advice about available vaccines and about people most at risk for whom immunisation is recommended, including asthmatics. Routine immunisation of children and fit and healthy older people is not recommended unless there are particular risk factors. The final decision in individual cases rests with the GP.
Private Health Care
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she has about the number of people using private health care (a) by region and (b) by district health authority.
Mr. Sackville : This information is not held centrally.
Patient Complaints
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to publish a regional breakdown of written patient complaints for 1992-93.
Dr. Mawhinney : This information should be available by the end of March 1994.
NHS Estates
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will set out the terms of reference for the review of the role and functions of the NHS estates ; and when she expects the review to be completed.
Mr. Sackville : The terms of reference, including the time scale, for the review of the national health service estates agency are as follows.
Review of the NHS Estates Agency--
Terms of Reference
I. To carry out a review of the NHS Estates Agency by the end of June 1994, by
1. evaluating the following :
(a) the appropriateness of the aims and objectives of the agency (
(b) the agency's performance in meeting its targets
(c) the appropriateness of the delegations available to the agency (
(d) the efficiency and economy of the agency's internal operations, including its personnel, management and financial systems (
(e) the impact of agency status on the agency's activities in relation to the Department of Health and its Ministers
(f) the impact of agency status on the agency's and Department's relationship with Parliament and the public ;
2. reconsidering the prior options for the status of the agency ; 3. depending on the outcome of 1 and 2 above, revising the agency's framework document as appropriate.
II. to report to Ministers according to the agreed timetable, consulting the Office of Public Services and Science and the Treasury as necessary.
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Runaway Children
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will direct area child protection committees to undertake monitoring of the scale of the problem of young runaways in each area and ensure that proper inter-agency arrangements are in place to respond effectively.
Mr. Bowis : Government guidance on the role and functions of area child protection committees--ACPCs--is given in "Working Together under the Children Act 1989" and we have no plans to issue specific guidance to ACPCs on young runaways. Copies of the guidance are available in the Library.
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what response she has made to the report of the Children's Society on young runaways, a copy of which has been sent to her.
Mr. Bowis : The Department has just received a copy of the report of the Children's Society on young runaways and will study it with interest.
Statutory Sick Pay
Mr. Ingram : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the impact of the changes to statutory sick pay provision upon her departmental budget for the financial year 1994-95.
Mr. Sackville : The abolition of the 80 per cent. statutory sick pay reimbursement rate will be offset, at least in part, by a reduction in employer's national insurance contributions. Any additional costs will be absorbed within the Department's running costs baseline.
Oldchurch Hospital, Romford
Sir Michael Neubert : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the number and nature of representations she has received relating to Oldchurch hospital, Romford.
Dr. Mawhinney : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has received a petition of some 46,000 signatures and some 17,000 pre-printed letters and postcards from members of the public, as well as a number of letters from individuals and hon. Members.
In-vitro Fertilisation
Mrs. Ann Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement indicating her policy on the use of ova from aborted babies to enable babies to be conceived through in vitro fertilisation ; and if she will identify precisely those sections of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 which would effectively prevent the adoption of such techniques.
Mr. Sackville : The Government welcome the consultation document on the use of ovarian tissue, including fetal ovarian tissue, in the treatment of infertility issued on 7 January by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. This wide-ranging consultation will give the public and professional interests time to consider all aspects of this complex and sensitive area. We look forward to receiving advice from the authority in due course, when we can consider what action, if any, is required.
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Under Section 3 of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, it is an offence to create, keep or use an embryo without a licence. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority stated that no licence would be granted where the in vitro fertilisation involved fetal eggs.Redundancy Payments
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list for each year since 1990 the expenditure on gross redundancy payments for (a) regions, (b) districts and (c) trusts.
Dr. Mawhinney [holding answer 14 December 1993] : The information is shown in the table.
Revenue expenditure on gross redundancy payments in England
|1990-91 |1991-92 |1992-93
|£ |£ |£
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Regional Health
Authorities |948,202 |2,720,438 |3,236,599
District Health
Authorities |10,789,525 |25,875,532 |34,805,785
NHS Trusts |Not applicable|3,674,860 |14,467,515
|------- |------- |-------
Totals |11,737,727 |32,270,650 |52,509,899
Notes:
Number of trusts as at: 1 April 1991- 57
Number of trusts as at: 1 April 1992-156
Number of trusts as at: 1 April 1993-292
The closure of psychiatric hospitals in connection with "Care in the Community" and management restructuring throughout the national health service are the main reasons for the increase in redundancy compensation payments. Section 45 of the General Whitley Council handbook establishes the redundancy compensation arrangements for NHS staff. Redundancy compensation takes the form of a lump sum dependent on the age and reckonable service of the employee at the date he or she ceases to be employed.
Benefits
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total annual amount of money paid to claimants by way of health benefits ; and how much was paid in each area of entitlement.
Dr. Mawhinney [holding answer 14 January 1994] : Holders of low income scheme charge remission certificates are entitled to receive national health services free or at a reduced cost as and when these are needed during the currency of a certificate ; they do not receive a specified financial award. Certificate holders may also be entitled to refunds of travelling expenses incurred when attending hospital for national health service treatment and, within strict time limits, to refunds of charges paid before they claimed help from the low income scheme. Information about expenditure on these refunds is not collected centrally.
WALES
Inward Investment
14. Mr. Ian Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the Welsh share of inward investment to the United Kingdom and the European Community.
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Mr. Gwilym Jones : In 1992-93, Wales had a 20 per cent. share of United Kingdom foreign investment projects. The comparable European figure is not available.
Cardiff Wales Airport (Road Links)
15. Mr. Sweeney : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to secure the provision of an improved road link between Culverhouse cross and Cardiff Wales airport.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The responsibility for securing the good communications which are important to the continued success of Cardiff Wales airport rests with South Glamorgan county council. The Department would be prepared to consider a well substantiated case for transport grant support for major improvement to road links to the airport if the county council considered it of sufficient priority.
Hospital Waiting Lists
16. Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the latest information he has concerning the length of hospital waiting lists at (a) six months, (b) one year and (c) over one year.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The most recent detailed information on the length of hospital waiting lists in Wales and the increasing numbers of patients being treated is that shown in the Welsh "Hospital Waiting List Bulletin 1993", No. 2, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.
Economy
17. Mr. Alan W. Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement outlining the prospects for the Welsh economy during 1994.
Mr. Redwood : Welsh industry has extremely high productivity. We have seen a long-term trend of falling unemployment with a further fall of 1,800 in Wales last month ; low inflation ; low interest rates ; and competitive exchange rates. All of these factors have given Welsh companies a competitive edge which they are using to the full. Welsh industry is in a strong position to take advantage of improving trading conditions both at home and overseas, which will be improved even further with the accord reached in the Uruguay round.
Labour Statistics
18. Mr. Simon Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the level of unemployment in Wales.
Mr. Redwood : The seasonally adjusted number of claimant unemployed in Wales was 126,000 in December 1993. The number has fallen by 7,900 since January 1993.
22. Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the level of male and female unemployment in Wales at the latest available date.
Mr. Redwood : Seasonally adjusted, there were 99,600 males and 26, 500 females who were claimant unemployed in Wales in December 1993.
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Hill Sheep Farmers
19. Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will arrange to meet leaders of farmers' unions in Wales to discuss the acute problems facing hill sheep farmers.
Mr. Redwood : I meet the farming unions several times each year.
NHS Staff
20. Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many managerial, nursing and midwife posts there were in the NHS, including trusts, in Wales in each year from 1988 to date.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The information given as follows relates to staff numbers and not posts.
Managerial sNursing and
midwifery staff
|Other |Learners<2>|Total
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1988 |<3>- |24,583 |3,336 |27,920
1989 |187 |24,919 |3,118 |28,037
1990 |416 |25,018 |3,075 |28,093
1991 |683 |25,028 |2,934 |27,962
1992 |848 |25,451 |1,970 |27,421
1993 |1,028 |25,206 |1,033 |26,239
Notes:
Figures given are the whole-time equivalent number of staff employed
as at 30 September each year.
Includes staff employed by the Welsh Health Common Services
Authority and those Family Health Services Authorities using District
Health Authority payroll systems.
The use of locally devised payscales from 1991 onwards may affect the
comparability of figures as these staff cannot be allocated centrally
to a
specific staff group and are not, therefore, included above.
<1> General and senior managers. The growth in the number of these
staff
arises partly from the extension in 1989 of senior manager terms and
conditions of service to second and third level managers including
some senior nurses and other professional staff.
<2> Since the autumn of 1991 student nurses have been classified as
students and are no longer included in the NHS staff figures. Staff
included here are students finishing courses begun before this date.
There were some 1,800 Project 2000 student nurses at September
1993.
<3> Comparable figures for years before 1989 are not available.
North Wales Main Railway Line
23. Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last met the chairman of British Rail to discuss improvements to the north Wales main railway line.
Sir Wyn Roberts : My right hon. Friend last met Sir Bob Reid on 12 October 1992. They discussed a number of issues including the north Wales main line.
Roads
26. Mr. Richards : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has for further road building in Wales ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Wyn Roberts : On 14 December, my right hon. Friend announced that in 1993-94 work will start on the A465 Aberdulais-Glynneath improvement, the A4042 Llantarnam bypass, and the A40 Llandeilo northern bypass. Work has since started on the first two of these
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schemes and tenders for the third are being assessed. In 1994-95 starts are planned for the A470 Pentrebach-Cefn Coed improvement, the A5 Glyn Bends improvement and the A40 Whitland bypass.My right hon. Friend is reviewing the strategic roads needs of Wales with the aim of accelerating the start of the more important schemes in the forward programme. He plans to make an announcement shortly.
Youth Service
27. Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the impact of his local government settlement on the level of youth service provision in Wales.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The provisional local government revenue settlement for 1994-95 provides for local government spending of £2, 704.8 million, an increase of 4.2 per cent. over 1993-94. The settlement is realistic in the present economic climate.
Local authorities are responsible for determining their priorities for expenditure in the light of available resources and local needs, including the youth service.
Health Authorities (Administration Costs)
28. Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much the administration of the Clwyd health authority and other authorities in Wales cost in the last year and in 1978 adjusted to 1992 prices.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The information is as follows. The table gives the cost of administration for health authorities in Wales for 1992-93--the last year for which data are available--and for 1978-79 adjusted to 1992-93 prices.
£ thousands Health authority |1992-93 |1978-79 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Clwyd |3,615 |4,198 East Dyfed/Pembrokeshire |2,804 |4,687 Gwent |3,729 |6,312 Gwynedd |2,080 |3,337 Mid Glamorgan |2,372 |7,321 Powys |2,248 |1,870 South Glamorgan |7,101 |6,923 West Glamorgan |2,605 |4,584 Source: Summarised Accounts of Health Authorities in Wales. Note: The figure for the cost of administration is taken to be that covering authority administration and purchasing expenses. This represents the total revenue expenditure on the pay and accommodation costs of staff of all disciplines and their support staff employed at headquarters levels together with the costs of the purchaser function. They exclude administrative support in hospital departments and at other local levels which is regarded as operational expenditure.
Council Spending
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what were the actual council revenue spending for 1993-94, net of community care, and the planned council revenue spending for 1993-94 and 1994-95, net of community care, for each district and county of Wales and for Wales as a whole.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : Local authority budgeted expenditure, including community care, for the current financial year is published on page 43 of "Welsh Local Government Financial Statistics No. 17 1993", copies of which are in
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the Library of the House. Information on community care budgets is not available separately. Actual figures for 1993 -94 and budgeted expenditure for 1994-95 are not yet available.Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what amount of reserves was spent by every county and district council in Wales during the last financial year ; and if he will give the totals for all counties and all districts, and the combined total for Wales.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The use of reserves by local authorities during the last financial year is shown in the table.
Appropriations from/to financial
reserves, 1992-93 revised
estimates<1>
|£'000
------------------------------------
Alyn and Deeside |1,133
Colwyn |193
Delyn |1,216
Glyndwr |378
Rhuddlan |327
Wrexham Maelor |-283
Carmarthen |-50
Ceredigion |892
Dinefwr |-91
Llanelli |415
Preseli Pembrokeshire |-685
South Pembrokeshire |222
Blaenau Gwent |1,672
Islwyn |725
Monmouth |193
Newport |-1,568
Torfaen |-314
Aberconwy |909
Arfon |58
Dwyfor |241
Meirionnydd |990
Ynys Mon |198
Cynon Valley |568
Merthyr Tydfil |224
Ogwr |-3
Rhondda |-1,104
Rhymney Valley |389
Taff Ely |789
Brecknock |-107
Montgomeryshire |1,134
Radnorshire |-176
Cardiff |-1,529
Vale of Glamorgan |477
Port Talbot |143
Lliw Valley |-9
Neath |3,464
Swansea |4,659
Clwyd |-22
Dyfed |1,030
Gwent |819
Gwynedd |1,002
Mid Glamorgan |-5,496
Powys |2,121
South Glamorgan |898
West Glamorgan |-125
Total Districts |15,690
Total Counties |227
Total Wales |15,917
Source: General Fund Revenue
Accounts Return (RA94).
<1> Appropriations from financial
reserves are shown as positive and
appropriations to reserves are
shown as (-). Includes reserves
under Local
Management of Schools and Local
Management of Colleges.
Column 399
Public Appointments
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a list of members of all public bodies to which he made appointments.
Mr. Redwood : The latest list, showing the position as at 1 December 1993, was deposited in the Library of the House on 16 December 1993.
Youthstart
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the effect on Wales of implementing the Youthstart programme, proposed by the European Commission White Paper on growth, competition and employment.
Sir Wyn Roberts : Youthstart is a Community youth guarantee scheme which is still being considered. The Government's youth guarantee scheme already ensures that all young people under the age of 18 who are not in a job or further education are given the opportunity of a suitable place on youth training.
Welsh Language Act 1993
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make available in the Vote Office and Library Welsh language copies of the Welsh Language Act 1993.
Sir Wyn Roberts : Yes. I have today arranged for copies of the Welsh translation of the Welsh Language Act 1993 to be available in the Vote Office and the Library of the House.
NHS Managers
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the cost of general and senior managers in the NHS in each year since 1986.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The information requested is as follows :
Salary costs of
general and senior
managers
|£000
----------------------
1986-87 |1,332
1987-88 |1,600
1988-89 |1,735
1989-90 |6,521
1990-91 |9,253
1991-92 |16,897
1992-93 |20,127
Source:
Health Authorities'
Annual
Accounts/Financial
Returns
Pembrokeshire NHS
Trust Financial
Returns
Notes:
i. Figures include
expenditure by Health
Authorities, the
Welsh Health
Common Services
Authority,
Pembrokeshire NHS
Trust and the Health
Promotion Authority
for Wales but
excludes those of
Family Health
Services Authorities
whose corresponding
costs are not
identifiable on the
same basis.
ii. It should be
noted that since 1989
senior managers'
terms and
conditions of service
have been extended to
second and third
level
managers and some
senior nurses and
other professional
staff have also
transferred to the
senior management
grades.
Column 400
Biodiversity
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he received a copy of a report on biodiversity and conservation action, prepared by six environmental groups ; and what steps he has taken to evaluate the risks outlined in the report.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : I have not received a copy of the report although I understand that it broadly accords with the Government's biodiversity action plan which will be published shortly.
Tunnel Safety
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what response he has made to Friends of the Earth Cymru's inquiry in regard to the standardisation of safety regulations covering the transport of dangerous cargoes through road tunnels.
Sir Wyn Roberts : I replied to a letter from Friends of the Earth on 10 January decribing the measures we have taken to minimise the risk of vehicles carrying hazardous loads using the tunnels on the A55. A copy of my letter has been placed in the Library of the House.
Education Staff
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what arrangements he has made for the continued employment of the staff of the Welsh Education Development Committee--PDAG--the Welsh Committee of School Examinations and Assessment Council and the Curriculum Council for Wales following the transference and expansion of the functions of those bodies following the enactment of the Education Act 1993 and the Welsh Language Act 1993 ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Wyn Roberts : Decisions on the continued employment of the staff of the Curriculum Council for Wales when it is established as the new Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales/Awdurdod Cwricwlwm ac Asesu Cymru--ACAC--from 1 April will be a matter for the new Authority to consider within the approved staffing structure and resources to be made available to the authority. Discussions are taking place with the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority in respect of those staff employed on Welsh language functions whose contracts will continue after 1 April 1994. The redeployment of staff currently employed by the Welsh Language Education Development Committee--PDAG--is the responsibility of the Welsh Joint Education Committee which is their statutory employer. Staff currently engaged at PDAG will, however, be free to apply for any post advertised by ACAC, the Further Education Funding Council and the Welsh Language Board.
Radioactive Waste
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has in regard to the disposal of radioactive waste by Singleton hospital, Swansea in a local landfill site.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The disposal of radioactive waste from Singleton hospital is authorised by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution under the provisions of the
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Radioactive Substances Act 1993. The small volume of waste sent to landfill is mainly in ash form, most of it having already been incinerated, and contains very low levels of radioactivity.Grant and Subsidy Schemes
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much money has been spent in Wales on each different grant and subsidy scheme available to farmers and landowners in each year from 1990-91 to 1993-94 ; what are his forecasts for 1994-95 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood : The expenditure on agricultural grant and subsidy schemes in the years 1990-91 to 1992-93 is published in the appropriation accounts for the relevant years, copies of which are in the Library of the House. The latest forecasts for 1993-94 are set out in the supply estimates 1993-94 for vote 1 schemes and, for vote 2 schemes, in the winter supplementary estimates. My plans for spending on agricultural grants and subsidies in Wales for 1994-95 will be set out in the 1994-95 supply estimates. The Government's priorities on and aims for agricultural spending will be set out in the Welsh Office departmental report to be laid before Parliament in March.
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what progress his Department has made in reviewing the boundaries of the Pembrokeshire Coast national park following the public inquiry in 1991 ; and if he will make a statement.
Column 402
Sir Wyn Roberts : The review has raised complex legal issues which are still being considered. A response is expected to issue in the near future.
Local Planning Authorities
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish new guidelines to local planning authorities with regard to the factors which should be considered in permitting out-of-town shopping centres with a potentially detrimental effect on town centre business activity ; and if he will make a statement.
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