Previous Section Home Page

Pain Clinics

Mr. Critchley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pain clinics are at present being operated by the NHS ; and what is the average waiting time before patients are treated.

Mr. Sackville : This information is not available centrally.

Social Care

Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to encourage social care professionals to raise concerns about bad practice ; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Bowis : It is the responsibility of both employers and professionals to ensure that any evidence of bad practice or misconduct is investigated appropriately and without delay.

Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she has taken to commission work on the


Column 620

definition of national standards in social care ; who is undertaking the work ; when it will be completed ; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Bowis : We intend to issue a tender specification for a study of possible standards in the delivery of social care. We expect to do so before Easter.

Smoking

Mr. Betts : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what amount was spent by Government on discouraging smoking in each of the last five years.

Mr. Sackville : The table shows the amount spent by the Health Education Authority on discouraging smoking over the last five years on behalf of the Government.


Financial    |Amount                   Year         |spent on                              |discouraging                          |smoking                               |£                        ---------------------------------------1988-89      |1,318,000                1989-90      |4,151,000                1990-91      |3,435,000                1991-92      |4,175,000                1992-93      |5,438,000                

Overall figures for spending within central Government on discouraging smoking could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Special Hospitals

Mr. Pickthall : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she intends to allow special hospitals to apply for trust status.

Mr. Bowis : We will decide on this in the light of our conclusions on the proposals in the Reed working group report.

Mr. Pickthall : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she intends to publish the Reed report on special hospitals.

Mr. Bowis : It will be published when we have completed our consideration of its proposals on the future of high security psychiatric services.

Ashworth Hospital

Mr. Pickthall : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what instruction was given to doctors following the Swann report into over-use of drugs at Ashworth hospital and on the reduction of drug levels ; how this instruction was implemented ; and what were the results.

Mr. Bowis : This is a matter for the Special Hospitals Service Authority. The hon. Member may wish to contact the chairman of the authority, Mrs. Anne-Marie Nelson.

Public Bodies

Mr. Kilfoyle : To ask the Secretary of State for Health who are the members currently appointed to the national health service Supplies Authority.

Mr. Sackville : The chairman is Sir Robin Buchanan, and the other non-executive members are Mrs. Alison


Column 621

Cook, Mr. Eric Greenhalgh, Mr. James Hammond, Mr. Fred Hoult and Miss Catherine McLoughlin. The executive members are Mr. Terry Hunt, Mr. Evan Sutherland, Mr. Richard Chantler, Mrs. Roxanne Sutton and Mr. Chris Uden.

Mr. Kilfoyle : To ask the Secretary of State for Health who are the members currently appointed to the registered homes tribunal.

Mr. Bowis : The members currently appointed to registered homes tribunals are :

Chairmen--

Mr. P. Hughes QC

Mrs. O. B. Jones

Mrs. M. Rutherford

Mr. P. Singh

Mr. J. W. Tinnion

Expert Members--

Residential care/children's homes :

Mr. R. Bessell

Mr. D. Browne

Mr. M. Burrell

Mr. J. Churchill

Mr. K. Coleman

Mr. G. Dunn

Mr. F. Edwards

Mr. J. Fisher

Mr. B. Garner

Mrs. L. Gladwin

Dr. B. Gray

Mr. J. Hanson

Mr. R. Humphries

Mr. G. Harper

Mr. D. James

Mr. M. Jobbins

Miss M. Joynson

Miss S. Mathieson

Miss S. Poupard

Mr. J. Regan

Miss J. Reynolds

Mr. J. Stephens

Mr. G. L. Thomas

Ms J. Tunstill

Mr. P. Tyndall

Mr. D. Wakefield

Mrs. J. Waldron

Mr. F. Watts

Mr. K. White

Miss M. Woodier

Nursing homes :

Dr. A. Admani

Dr. A. Banerjee

Dr. J. Cox

Dr. G. Hall

Dr. M. Hildick-Smith

Dr. G. Jones-Davis

Dr. D. Kerr

Dr. S. Moreton

Mr. R. Marcus

Mr. B. Maurice

Dr. N. Merali

Dr. P. Tiplady

Mrs. S. Adams

Mrs. C. Alford

Mr. K. Dainty

Mrs. R. Doidge

Mrs. T. Gallety

Miss P. Jenkins

Mrs. N. Kelly

Mrs. M. McGregor

Mr. J. Sharp

Mrs. M. Wilson


Column 622

Written Questions

Mr. Brandreth : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the estimated cost of answering a written parliamentary question in her Department.

Mr. Sackville : The current average cost of providing an answer to a written parliamentary question is estimated at £97. This information was provided in the reply given by my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury to my hon. Friend the Member for Hertfordshire, West (Mr. Jones) on 30 November 1993 at column 391 .

Administrators

Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many administrators worked in the NHS and trust hospitals five years ago and the latest available year ; and if he will make a statement.

Dr. Mawhinney [holding answer 2 December 1993 : The information available is shown in the table. Many of the administrative and clerical staff directly support medical and other professional staff. The figures for managers need to be treated with caution because much of the increase arises from the reclassification of existing staff. The number of managers has been deliberately increased since the mid-1980s--not just since the reforms--because the service was previously undermanaged.


Administrative and clerical (A&C) staff and general and senior        managers (GM/SM) at 30 September each year, England (hospital and     community health services, excluding family health services           authorities                                                           and other statutory authorities): Whole-time equivalents                            |1988 total   |1992 total   |No. included                                                         |in 1992 total                                                        |in NHS Trusts              ----------------------------------------------------------------------A&C           |106,990      |122,990      |(37,760)                   GM/SM         |1,230        |14,980       |(3,820)                    Source:                                                               1988 Non-Medical Manpower Census.                                     1992 DH form KM49.                                                    Notes:                                                                1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.                             2. There were no trusts in 1988.                                      3. Figures for 1992 are the latest available.                         

WALES

Enterprise Zone

Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what progress has been made towards establishing an enteprise zone in Meirionnydd Nant Conwy ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Redwood : Local authorities in the area are preparing an outline case for an enterprise zone.

Institute of Welsh Affairs

Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will meet representatives of the Institute of Welsh Affairs to discuss their recent proposals for the future of Wales ; what new measures he is considering in the light of these proposals ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Redwood : I met representatives of the Institute of Welsh Affairs in July to hear of developments since the


Column 623

publication of its report, "Wales 2010 : Creating Our Future". My officials continue to keep in close touch with the institute on further developments.

Schools Inspection

Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total value of tenders placed in the financial year 1993-94 for the inspection of secondary schools in Wales.

Sir Wyn Roberts : The responsibility for school inspection rests with the office of Her Majesty's chief inspector of schools in Wales. I am informed that the total price of contracts let by OHMCI for the inspection of secondary schools in Wales so far this financial year is £1,510,617, including VAT.

Data Protection

Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will make arrangements for the Data Protection Registrar to inspect relevant contracts with suppliers of IT services that involve the use of personal data held by his Department in order to check whether all appropriate arrangements in relation to the Data Protection Act 1984 have been made, and whether such contracts make provisions for the registrar to make random inspections in order to check the suppliers' compliance with eighth data protection principle.

Mr. Redwood : The Data Protection Registrar has a wide range of powers to ensure that all holders of personal data on computer are registered and observe the data protection principles as required by the Act. When IT services are contracted out, the data protection principles and the registrar's powers to promote compliance with them, apply to both the owner of the personal data and the service provider. It is for the registrar to decide how he will use his powers under the Act.

Ministerial Cars

Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will quantify the cost of the factors which led to an increase in the cost of cars for Ministers in his Department since 1990-91.

Mr. Redwood : Since 1990-91 the running costs of Ministers' official cars have increased by 12 per cent. including the VAT increase in April 1991--resulting in additional costs in 1993-94 of £13,000. Further minor increases are attributable to changes in patterns of usage.

Strategic Planning Guidance

Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received regarding strategic planning guidance in Wales ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Redwood : I have received representations from various organisations about strategic planning guidance in Wales both in correspondence and at meetings.


Next Section

  Home Page