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Citizens Charter
Mr. Bayley : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer of 21 March, Official Report, columns 84-85, whether the Government will introduce a regular annual report on the performance of public services against charter promises ; and what alternative means he proposes to enable citizens to ascertain whether service standards are being improved year on year.
Mr. Waldegrave : It is essential that public services themselves report regularly and publicly on their performance against service standards so that people can see that standards are being raised. As I said in my response to the hon. Member for York on 21 March, Official Report, columns 84-85, reports on the initiative as a whole will be made to Parliament as and when appropriate.
Mr. Bayley : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer of 21 March, Official Report, columns 84-85, who will decide when it is appropriate for a report on the citizens charter to be made to Parliament ; and if he will take steps to involve citizens of the United Kingdom about the timing of such reports.
Mr. Waldegrave : After consultation with colleagues I will decide when it is appropriate for a report on the citizens charter to be made to Parliament. There are no immediate plans to involve citizens of the United Kingdom about the timing of such reports.
Public Appointments
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what percentage of public appointments made by his Department in 1993 were of (a) Asians and (b) black people ; and if he will list their names.
Mr. David Davis : I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 25 March 1994, Official Report, column 440.
Malaysian Airlines
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the dates Ministers, or officials from his Department, including his Department's agencies, have used the Malaysian airline MAS for each year since 1985, including this year to date, on official business ; and what was the cost of each flight to his Department.
Mr. David Davis : Information available shows that neither Ministers nor officials of the Cabinet Office,
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including the Office of Public Service and Science and its agencies, have used the Malaysian airline MAS. An official of the Central Office of Information used MAS on one occasion in June 1989 at a cost of £819.Civil Servants
Ms Armstrong : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list for each civil service grade in his Department the number of (a) male and (b) female, (i) full-time and (ii) part-time employees.
Mr. David Davis : In the departments and agencies for which I am responsible, and in other areas which fall to the Cabinet Office vote, the figures for non-industrial civil servants are :
Grade Band Male Female
|Full-time|Part-time|Full-time|Part-time
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grade 1 (including 1A) |3 |0 |0 |0
Grade 2 |17 |0 |2 |0
Grade 3 |21 |0 |4 |0
Grade 4 |4 |0 |0 |0
Grade 5 |53 |1 |15 |4
Grade 6 |74 |3 |17 |2
Grade 7 |277 |3 |69 |8
SEO |349 |3 |121 |12
HEO (D) and AT |14 |0 |3 |0
HEO |591 |1 |264 |37
EO |557 |2 |367 |54
AO |410 |3 |796 |139
AA |167 |5 |298 |89
|------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |2,537 |21 |1,956 |345
Figures at 23 March 1994.
Sir Peter Emery : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many civil servants were in post in each Government Department (a) in 1990 and (b) at the latest date for which figures are available ; and how many jobs, from which Ministry, have been contracted out or turned over to external agencies.
Mr. Waldegrave : Details of the number of civil servants employed by each Government Department are available in the Library of the House. The figures for 1 October 1990 were laid on 15 January 1991, Official Report, column 462, and for 1 October 1993 on 17 December 1993, Official Report, columns 972-73. Between 1 April 1992 and 31 December 1993, 12,291 civil service posts were contracted out as part of the competing for quality programme. Information about numbers of posts contracted out prior to 1 April 1992 and about contracting out which may have resulted from other initiatives is not held centrally.
Some 336,585 civil servants are currently employed in agencies created as part of the next steps initiative.
Charters
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many charters are in the course of preparation and in what areas ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. David Davis : The citizens charter second report, published on 16 March, sets out the good progress that has already been made on the citizens charter initiative, and show the plans for the future. Some 38 charters have now
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been produced. When it becomes an agency on 1 April, the Highways Agency will launch its own charter. Further and higher education charters for Northern Ireland will be published in the spring. Revised versions of the job seekers charter and the parents charter are also planned for the spring.WALES
Health Promotion Authority for Wales
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairman of the Health Promotion Authority for Wales concerning the removal of Mr. David Griffiths from the audit committee of the authority.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 25 March 1994] : None. This is a matter for the chairman and board of the Health Promotion Authority for Wales.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what consultations he has had with the chairman of the Health Promotion Authority for Wales concerning the letter he received from Mr. David Griffiths, a board member of the authority ;
(2) what representations he has received from Mr. David Griffiths, a member of the board of the Health Promotion Authority for Wales, concerning the financial management and audit procedures of the authority ;
(3) when he proposes to respond to the letter from Mr. David Griffiths, a board member of the Health Promotion Authority for Wales, in relation to the financial management and audit procedure at the Health Promotion Authority for Wales.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 25 March 1994] : Mr. Griffiths wrote to me on 29 January 1994, setting out his concerns. He wrote a further letter on 18 March asking when he would receive a reply. The Chairman of the Health Promotion Authority for Wales provided information to assist my reply. A response was sent to Mr. Griffiths on 23 March.
Local Government Reorganisation
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those representations that have been made to him favouring the inclusion of Llanelly in the proposed new unitary authority of Powys.
Mr. Redwood : Since publication of the Local Government (Wales) Bill, I have received representations about the inclusion of Llanelly in the proposed Powys unitary authority from :
Powys county council
Blaenau Gwent borough council
Llanelly community council
Roger Evans MP
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those representations that have been made to him favouring the inclusion of Pentyrch in the proposed new unitary authority of Cardiff.
Mr. Redwood : Since publication of the White Paper "Local Government in Wales : A Charter for the Future", I have received one representation from Taff Ely borough council expressing opposition to the inclusion of Pentyrch
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in the proposed Cardiff unitary authority. Cardiff city council has written to express its support for the proposals in the White Paper, as have many members of the public.Public Appointments
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what procedures his Department has to prevent the possible appointment of individuals with extreme political views to posts for which a Minister has to approve the person or shortlist for the appointment ;
(2) what information his Department holds or obtains relating to individuals who have been appointed, or may be considered for appointment, to paid or unpaid posts for which a Minister has to approve the person or shortlist for the appointment, in particular relating to active involvement in (a) extreme left-wing organisations, (b) extreme right-wing organisations and (c) involvement in any of the political parties represented in the House of Commons.
Mr. Redwood : The general procedure for the making of public appointments is contained in the Cabinet Office publication "Guide to Public Appointments Procedures" which is available in the Library of the House. Applicants to the Welsh Office register of candidates for public appointment complete a nomination form giving biographical information including a self-assessment of their background and skills. References are taken up on candidates considered for an appointment and a conflict of interest declaration is required from everyone who is offered an appointment. I take all relevant information into account in seeking to appoint the best candidate for the post.
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will list the organisations and individuals who have been asked, since June 1992, to submit names of individuals to be considered for appointments to paid and unpaid posts for which a Minister has to approve the person or shortlist for the appointment ;
(2) if he will list the organisations and individuals outside his Department who are sent information on, or consulted about, individuals who are, or may be, proposed to the Minister for appointment to posts for which a Minister has to approve the person appointed or the shortlist for the appointment.
Mr. Redwood : I consult such individuals and organisations as may be appropriate.
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list each appointment for which a Minister has to approve the appointment or shortlist for the appointment, showing for each appointment (a) which Minister exercises the responsibility, (b) the salary, if any, attached to the post, (c) the term of the appointment and (d) the person currently appointed to the post.
Mr. Redwood : The information at 1 March 1994 is shown in "Appointments by the Secretary of State for Wales" which is available in the Library of the House.
Housing
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will publish for each district council and for Wales as a whole at constant prices (a) the number of council
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houses, (b) the amount of guideline housing revenue account subsidy for 1994-95 and (c) the amount shown in (b) divided by the number of council houses ;(2) if he will publish for each district council and for Wales as a whole at constant prices (a) housing revenue account subsidy for 1993-94, (b) guideline housing revenue account subsidy for 1994-95 and (c) the percentage change of (b) compared with (a).
Mr. Gwilym Jones : Information on the number of council houses in each district and in Wales as a whole was given to the hon. Member in my reply of 9 March 1994, Official Report, columns 289-290. Information on the amount of housing revenue account subsidy claimed by each district council and for Wales as a whole in 1993-94 was given to the hon. Member in my reply on 14 February 1994, Official Report, column 634.
An overall subsidy guideline for each district council is not provided. Local authorities calculate their housing revenue account subsidy entitlement for each year in accordance with formulae within the determinations which are issued annually. Copies of the determinations for 1994-95 have been placed in the Library of the House and authorities' subsidy claims for that year have not yet been received.
Development Board for Rural Wales
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what targets he has set the Development Board for Rural Wales for the sale of its industrial estates on the open market ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood : The development board has a commercial and industrial property disposal target of 150,000 sp ft in 1993-94. This is expected to raise receipts totalling some £2.7 million.
Seismic Activity, Newtown
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will initiate an urgent study into seismic activity in the Newtown area ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood : Earthquakes in the Newtown area are adequately recorded by the British Geological Survey United Kingdom seismograph network which is operated by its global seismology research group from Edinburgh. BGS has already initiated a macroseismic survey of the recent earthquake in this area. It routinely undertakes such surveys after all significant earthquakes in the United Kingdom and did so following the nearby Bishops Castle earthquake in April 1990. A more extensive study of the mid-Wales area was undertaken in 1984, by the British earthquake research group, following the event in April of that year. More generally, a study into "Earthquake Hazard and Risk in the UK" has been commissioned by the Department of the Environment from Ove Arup and Partners and the report was published in 1993 by HMSO. A copy of the report is in the Library of the House. A conclusion of the report is that, since there is only a small possibility of an earthquake--in the United Kingdom--causing significant damage, the risk to society is sufficiently low not to cause undue concern.
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Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps have been taken to ensure the adequacy of emergency arrangements in the event of earthquakes in the Newtown area ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood : This is primarily a matter for Powys county council.
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Civil Servants
Ms Armstrong : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for each civil service grade in his Department the number of (a) male and (b) female, (i) full-time and (ii) part-time employees.
Mr. Redwood : The total number of persons employed by my Department are :
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Full-time Part-time
Grade |Male |Female|Male |Female|Total
---------------------------------------------------------------------
G1 and Equivalents |1 |- |- |- |1
G2 and Equivalents |2 |- |- |- |2
G3 and Equivalents |11 |1 |- |- |12
G4 and Equivalents |5 |2 |- |- |7
G5 and Equivalents |43 |7 |- |1 |51
G6 and Equivalents |27 |2 |- |1 |30
G7 and Equivalents |131 |36 |1 |15 |183
SEO and Equivalents |114 |23 |2 |4 |143
HEO and Equivalents |187 |86 |- |13 |286
Administration Fast Stream |11 |9 |- |1 |21
EO and Equivalents |213 |219 |- |60 |492
AO and Equivalents |164 |346 |1 |78 |589
AA and Equivalents |174 |228 |- |50 |452
Industrials |111 |14 |5 |15 |145
Tuberculosis
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information is held by his Department on the numbers of people and children infected by tuberculosis in Wales.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The number of notifications of tuberculosis in Wales by age is published annually in the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys publication "Communicable disease statistics". The latest edition includes data for 1991 and is available in the Library of the House.
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many children in Wales leave school without having been vaccinated against tuberculosis.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : Information is not available centrally in the form requested. However in the financial year 1992-93 there were 15, 878 tuberculosis vaccinations given to children aged 15 and under. This figures does not include children in this age group who were vaccinated in a previous year.
Dental Services
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many general dental practitioners there are within each family health services authority in Wales ; and how many in each area are accepting new patients who are entitled to receive free NHS dental treatment.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : This information is not available centrally in the format required. Family health services authorities have notified the Welsh Office that the position as at 24 March 1994 was as follows :
|(a) |(b)
|Number of |Number accepting
|general dental |all new
|practitioners |NHS patients
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Clwyd |106 |<1>40
Dyfed |107 |70
Gwent |154 |22
Gwynedd |65 |16
Mid Glamorgan |134 |69
Powys |42 |25
South Glamorgan |146 |35
West Glamorgan |126 |126
Notes:
1. These figures are not statistically validated.
2. Columns (a) and (b) may include dentists registered with more
than one family health services authority.
3. <1> Denotes number of practices-number of GDPs not available.
4. Column (b) indicates number of dentists accepting all new
patients. It does not include those dentists accepting only
children and/or adults exempt from NHS charges.
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many salaried dentists are employed by each family health services authority in Wales.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : There are two salaried dentists employed by Gwynedd family health services authority and one by Dyfed family health services authority. A further salaried dentist will be employed by Powys family health services authority from 19 April 1994.
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many community dentists are employed by each health authority and each hospital trust in Wales.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : Provisional information, relating to staff in post in the community dental service, is given in the table.
|Staff in post as at
|30 September 1993<1>
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Health Authorities
Gwynedd |8.3
Mid Glamorgan |14.3
Powys |1.0
South Glamorgan |15.5
West Glamorgan |11.8
NHS Trusts
Carmarthen and District |1.5
Ceredigion and Mid Wales |3.7
Clwydian Community Care |10.4
Gwent Community |14.1
Llanelli Dinefwr |1.8
Pembrokeshire |5.6
Powys Health Care |4.0
<1> Whole-time equivalents. Excluding locum staff.
South Glamorgan Health Authority
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the transfer of funding from South Glamorgan health authority to other Welsh health authorities ; what consultations he has had in relation to the basis of the formula for allocating the capitation funding ; what consultations he has had with the chairman of South Glamorgan health authority concerning the abatement of purchasing power ; and if he will list the numbers of patients, specialties, operations and treatments affected by the alteration in the formula.
Mr. Redwood : Health authorities were consulted in January 1991 on options for a weighted capitation formula to be used to determine each authority's share of available revenue resources. After considering the responses from
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authorities, my predecessor informed the House on 21 March 1991, Official Report, columns 178-80, of his decision as to the most appropriate basis for this formula.South Glamorgan HA's present share of revenue resources exceeds its formula share. It is intended that all authorities will attain their formula shares by 1998-99, with the shares of presently underfunded authorities increasing and those of overfunded authorities, including South Glamorgan, decreasing.
Although South Glamorgan HA's percentage share will decline, its cash allocation will be dependent upon the growth resources available and on inflation. The 10-year resource assumptions provided to health authorities for planning purposes show how their formula shares and cash allocations would move on the basis of annual real terms growth of 0.5 per cent.
This growth assumption was exceeded in the cash allocations for health authorities for 1994-95, which I announced on 16 March 1994, Official Report, column 698, South Glamorgan's allocation provides a cash increase of 2.05 per cent., over its allocation for 1993-94. Provided that the authority secures the minimum efficiency savings specified for all health authorities for 1994-95 and uses these savings to fund the cost of pay awards in 1994-95, there should be no abatement of its purchasing power. It will, in fact, have received a real terms cash growth of over 1 per cent. For these reasons, I have no plans to meet the chairman of the health authority.
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