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Lone parent with one child aged three
(a) on income support £ per week
|£
---------------------------------------------
Income support |60.15
Welfare foods |2.76
Child benefit |16.35
Rent |30.24
Rent rebate |30.24
Council tax |6.85
Council tax benefit |6.85
Net income |116.35
Net income after housing costs |79.26
(b) On income support with part time earnings £ per
week
|£ |£ |£
--------------------------------------------------------
Part-time earnings |60.00 |60.00 |60.00
Tax |0.00 |0.00 |0.00
National insurance |1.44 |1.44 |1.44
Take home pay |58.56 |58.56 |58.56
Income support |16.59 |16.59 |16.59
Welfare foods |2.76 |2.76 |2.76
Child benefit |16.35 |16.35 |16.35
Rent |30.24 |30.24 |30.24
Rent rebate |30.24 |30.24 |30.24
Council tax |6.85 |6.85 |6.85
Council tax benefit |6.85 |6.85 |6.85
Net income |131.35|131.35|131.35
Childcare costs |25.00 |40.00 |60.00
Travel costs |10.00 |10.00 |10.00
Net income after housing,
childcare and travel costs |59.26 |44.26 |24.26
Column 1025
(c) Working over 16 hours per week with childcare costs of £25 per week
£ per week
Gross earnings
|£40.00 |£50.00 |£60.00 |£70.00 |£80.00 |£90.00 |£100.00|£110.00|£120.00
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tax |0.00 |0.00 |0.00 |0.00 |0.00 |0.00 |0.13 |2.13 |4.13
National insurance contributions |0.00 |0.00 |1.44 |2.44 |3.44 |4.44 |5.44 |6.44 |7.44
Take home pay |40.00 |50.00 |58.56 |67.56 |76.56 |85.56 |94.43 |101.43 |108.43
Family Credit |55.50 |55.50 |55.50 |55.50 |55.50 |55.50 |55.50 |52.19 |47.29
Child Benefit |16.35 |16.35 |16.35 |16.35 |16.35 |16.35 |16.35 |16.35 |16.35
Rent |30.24 |30.24 |30.24 |30.24 |30.24 |30.24 |30.24 |30.24 |30.24
Rent rebate |30.24 |30.24 |30.24 |25.85 |20.00 |14.15 |8.38 |5.98 |4.62
Council Tax |6.85 |6.85 |6.85 |6.85 |6.85 |6.85 |6.85 |6.85 |6.85
Council Tax benefit |6.85 |6.85 |6.85 |5.50 |3.70 |1.90 |0.12 |0.00 |0.00
Net income |148.94 |158.94 |167.50 |170.76 |172.11 |173.46 |174.78 |175.95 |176.69
Child care costs |25.00 |25.00 |25.00 |25.00 |25.00 |25.00 |25.00 |25.00 |25.00
Travel to Work costs |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00
Net income after Rent, Council Tax,
Child care and Travel to Work costs |76.85 |88.85 |95.41 |98.67 |100.02 |101.37 |102.69 |103.86 |104.60
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(c) Working over 16 hours per week with childcare costs of £40 per week
Gross earnings
|£40.00 |£50.00 |£60.00 |£70.00 |£80.00 |£90.00 |£100.00|£110.00|£120.00
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tax |0.00 |0.00 |0.00 |0.00 |0.00 |0.00 |0.13 |2.13 |4.13
National insurance contributions |0.00 |0.00 |1.44 |2.44 |3.44 |4.44 |5.44 |6.44 |7.44
Take home pay |40.00 |50.00 |58.56 |67.56 |76.56 |85.56 |94.43 |101.43 |108.43
Family Credit |55.50 |55.50 |55.50 |55.50 |55.50 |55.50 |55.50 |55.50 |55.50
Child Benefit |16.35 |16.35 |16.35 |16.35 |16.35 |16.35 |16.35 |16.35 |16.35
Rent |30.24 |30.24 |30.24 |30.24 |30.24 |30.24 |30.24 |30.24 |30.24
Rent rebate |30.24 |30.24 |30.24 |30.34 |29.75 |23.90 |18.13 |13.58 |9.03
Council Tax |6.85 |6.85 |6.85 |6.85 |6.85 |6.85 |6.85 |6.85 |6.85
Council Tax benefit |6.85 |6.85 |6.85 |6.85 |6.70 |4.90 |3.12 |1.72 |0.32
Total net income |148.94 |158.94 |167.50 |00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00
Childcare costs |40.00 |40.00 |40.00 |40.00 |40.00 |40.00 |40.00 |40.00 |40.00
Travel costs |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00
Income net of housing, childcare and
travel costs |61.85 |71.85 |80.41 |89.41 |97.77 |99.12 |100.44 |101.49 |102.54
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(c) Working over 16 hours per week with child care costs of £60 per week
Gross earnings
|£40.00 |£50.00 |£60.00 |£70.00 |£80.00 |£90.00 |£100.00|£110.00|£120.00
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tax |0.00 |0.00 |0.00 |0.00 |0.00 |0.00 |0.13 |2.13 |4.13
National insurance contributions |0.00 |0.00 |1.44 |2.44 |3.44 |4.44 |5.44 |6.44 |7.44
Take home pay |40.00 |50.00 |58.56 |67.56 |76.56 |85.56 |94.43 |101.43 |108.43
Family Credit |55.50 |55.50 |55.50 |55.50 |55.50 |55.50 |55.50 |55.50 |55.50
Child Benefit |16.35 |16.35 |16.35 |16.35 |16.35 |16.35 |15.35 |16.35 |16.35
Rent |30.24 |30.24 |30.24 |30.24 |30.24 |30.24 |30.24 |30.24 |30.24
Rent rebate |30.24 |30.24 |30.24 |30.24 |29.75 |23.90 |18.13 |13.58 |9.03
Council Tax |6.85 |6.85 |6.85 |6.85 |6.85 |6.85 |6.85 |6.85 |6.85
Council Tax benefit |6.85 |6.85 |6.85 |6.85 |6.70 |4.90 |3.12 |1.72 |0.32
Total net income |148.94 |158.94 |167.50 |176.50 |184.86 |186.21 |187.53 |188.58 |189.63
Child care costs |60.00 |60.00 |60.00 |60.00 |60.00 |60.00 |60.00 |60.00 |60.00
Travel costs |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00
Income net of housing, child care and
travel costs |41.85 |51.85 |60.41 |69.41 |77.77 |79.12 |80.44 |81.49 |82.54
Column 1027
Lone parent with two children aged 1 and 3
Earnings and benefit as at October 1994
(i) Working over 16 hours per week with child care costs of £25 per week
£ per week
Gross earnings
|£40.00 |£50.00 |£60.00 |£70.00 |£80.00 |£90.00 |£100.00|£110.00|£120.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tax |0.00 |0.00 |0.00 |0.00 |0.00 |0.00 |0.13 |2.13 |4.13
National insurance contributions |0.00 |0.00 |1.44 |2.44 |3.44 |4.44 |5.44 |6.44 |7.44
Take home pay |40.00 |50.00 |58.56 |67.56 |76.56 |85.56 |94.43 |101.43 |108.43
Family Credit |66.70 |66.70 |66.70 |66.70 |66.70 |66.70 |66.70 |63.39 |58.49
Child Benefit |24.60 |24.60 |24.60 |24.60 |24.60 |24.60 |24.60 |24.60 |24.60
Rent |32.54 |32.54 |32.54 |32.54 |32.54 |32.54 |32.54 |32.54 |32.54
Rent rebate |32.54 |32.54 |31.53 |25.68 |19.83 |13.98 |8.21 |5.81 |4.45
Council Tax |7.65 |7.65 |7.65 |7.65 |7.65 |7.65 |7.65 |7.65 |7.65
Council Tax benefit |7.65 |7.65 |7.34 |5.54 |3.74 |1.94 |0.16 |0.00 |0.00
Total net income |171.49 |181.49 |188.73 |190.08 |191.43 |192.78 |194.10 |195.23 |195.97
Child care costs |25.00 |25.00 |25.00 |25.00 |25.00 |25.00 |25.00 |25.00 |25.00
Travel costs |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00
Income net of housing, child care
and travel costs |96.30 |106.30 |113.54 |114.89 |116.24 |117.59 |118.91 |120.04 |120.78
Column 1027
(ii) Working over 16 hours per week with child care costs of £40 per week
Gross earnings
|£40.00 |£50.00 |£60.00 |£70.00 |£80.00 |£90.00 |£100.00|£110.00|£120.00
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tax |0.00 |0.00 |0.00 |0.00 |0.00 |0.00 |0.13 |2.13 |4.13
National insurance contributions |0.00 |0.00 |1.44 |2.44 |3.44 |4.44 |5.44 |6.44 |7.44
Take home pay |40.00 |50.00 |58.56 |67.56 |76.56 |85.56 |94.43 |101.43 |108.43
Family Credit |66.70 |66.70 |66.70 |66.70 |66.70 |66.70 |66.70 |66.70 |66.70
Child Benefit |24.60 |24.60 |24.60 |24.60 |24.60 |24.60 |24.60 |24.60 |24.60
Rent |32.54 |32.54 |32.54 |32.54 |32.54 |32.54 |32.54 |32.54 |32.54
Rent rebate |32.54 |32.54 |32.54 |32.54 |29.58 |23.73 |17.96 |13.41 |8.86
Council Tax |7.65 |7.65 |7.65 |7.65 |7.65 |7.65 |7.65 |7.65 |7.65
Council Tax benefit |7.65 |7.65 |7.65 |7.65 |6.74 |4.94 |3.16 |1.76 |0.36
Total net income |171.49 |181.49 |190.05 |199.05 |204.18 |205.53 |206.85 |207.90 |208.95
Child care costs |40.00 |40.00 |40.00 |40.00 |40.00 |40.00 |40.00 |40.00 |40.00
Travel costs |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00
Income net of housing, child care and
travel costs |81.30 |91.30 |99.86 |108.86 |113.99 |115.34 |116.66 |117.71 |118.76
Column 1027
(iii) Working over 16 hours per week with childcare costs of £60 per week
£ per week
Gross earnings
|£40.00 |£50.00 |£60.00 |£70.00 |£80.00 |£90.00 |£100.00|£110.00|£120.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tax |0.00 |0.00 |0.00 |0.00 |0.00 |0.00 |0.13 |2.13 |4.13
National insurance contributions |0.00 |0.00 |1.44 |2.44 |3.44 |4.44 |5.44 |6.44 |7.44
Take home pay |40.00 |50.00 |58.56 |67.56 |76.56 |85.56 |94.43 |101.43 |108.43
Family Credit |66.70 |66.70 |66.70 |66.70 |66.70 |66.70 |66.70 |66.70 |66.70
Child Benefit |24.60 |24.60 |24.60 |24.60 |24.60 |24.60 |24.60 |24.60 |24.60
Rent |32.54 |32.54 |32.54 |32.54 |32.54 |32.54 |32.54 |32.54 |32.54
Rent rebate |32.54 |32.54 |32.54 |32.54 |29.58 |23.73 |17.96 |13.41 |8.86
Council Tax |7.65 |7.65 |7.65 |7.65 |7.65 |7.65 |7.65 |7.65 |7.65
Council Tax benefit |7.65 |7.65 |7.65 |7.65 |6.74 |4.94 |3.16 |1.76 |0.36
Total net income |171.49 |181.49 |190.05 |199.05 |204.18 |205.53 |206.85 |207.90 |208.95
Childcare costs |60.00 |60.00 |60.00 |60.00 |60.00 |60.00 |60.00 |60.00 |60.00
Travel costs |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00 |10.00
Income net of housing, childcare
and travel costs |61.30 |71.30 |79.86 |88.86 |93.99 |95.34 |96.66 |97.71 |98.76
TRANSPORT
Roads, South Yorkshire
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list for the latest date for which figures are available, the number of vehicles in each different category counted by his Department using the A638 between Bawtry and Doncaster, South Yorkshire, at maximum, minimum and average flows ; what was the average speed of vehicles on that road ; and what were the comparable figures for (i) five years and (ii) 10 years ago ;
(2) if he will list for the latest date for which figures are available, the number of vehicles in each different category counted by his Department using the B6422 between its junction with the A638 and South Elmsall at maximum, minimum and average flows ; what was the average speed of vehicles on that road ; and what were the comparable figures for (i) five and (ii) 10 years ago ;
(3) if he will list for the latest date for which figures are available the number of vehicles in each different category counted by his Department using the A635 between Marr and Hickleton in South Yorkshire at maximum, minimum and average flows ; what was the average speed of vehicles on that road ; and what were the comparable figures for (i) five and (ii) 10 years ago.
Mr. Key : The information requested is available only from the local authorities concerned.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what major building projects valued at over £1 million are being or have been wholly or partly financed in (a) Doncaster, (b) Barnsley, (c) Rotherham and (d) Wakefield by his Department ; and what was the cost of each project to his Department ;
(2) if he will list for the latest date for which figures are available, the number of vehicles in each different category counted by his Department using the A1(M) motorway in South Yorkshire at maximum, minimum and average flows ; what was the average speed of vehicles on that road ; and what were the comparable figures for (i) five and (ii) 10 years ago ;
(3) what was the total expenditure in (a) construction, (b) maintenance and (c) improvements in South Yorkshire in each year for the last 10 years, at both current and constant 1992-93 prices ; and what is the planned expenditure in the years up to and including 1996-97 ;
(4) if he will list each scheme in South Yorkshire in his Department's current roads and motorways programme with the total cost in each year since construction commenced up to estimated completion, at both current and constant 1992-93 prices, for (a) junction improvements, (b) other improvements, (c) maintenance and (d) new construction.
Mr. Key : I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library.
Column 1030
British Transport Police
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he received from the British Transport Police Federation, prior to, or during, the progress of the Railways Act 1993 through Parliament relating to the effect of the Act on its powers of pursuit or arrest.
Mr. Freeman : I have met representatives from the British Transport Police Federation on several occasions. The federation also responded to the Department's consultation document "The Future Status of British Transport Police". During the passage of the Bill I received representations from the federation for British Transport police constables to have jurisdiction anywhere, including for matters unconnected with railway services, and anywhere in matters relating to new operators.
British Rail (Redundancies)
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff have left British Rail since January 1993 under redundancy or early retirement arrangements ; and what has been the total cost of payments made to staff leaving the industry.
Mr. Freeman : Since January 1993, and up to 26 March 1994, 13,114 staff have either left, or are expected to leave British Rail at a cost of approximately £174 million in 1993 and £129 million in 1994. Over the same periods British Rail recruited 7,423 new staff.
Channel Tunel Rail Link
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Member for Blackpool, South (Mr. Hawkins) of 21 March, Official Report, column 2, what is the fastest practical time taken by freight wagons currently crossing the channel by train ferry, inclusive of marshalling at Dover and Calais and the total time now taken by such freight from Manchester or Liverpool to Marseille ; and what percentage of that time is likely to be saved, inclusive of marshalling at Frethun and Dollands Moor, by use of the channel tunnel.
Mr. Freeman : The information requested is as follows :
Fastest possible time: Manchester to Avignon
|Present ferry|Via the
|services |channel
|tunnel
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Conventional freight wagons |36 hours |32 hours
Intermodal wagons |4 to 5 days |32 hours
The Dover to Dunkerque trainferry is suitable only for conventional freight. Intermodal freight, which is expected to make up the majority of channel tunnel freight services, currently uses the Harwich to Zeebrugge lo -lo ferry.
Column 1031
The nearest rail terminal to Marseille scheduled to handle channel tunnel freight is Avignon.Fatal Road Accidents
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many fatal accidents occurred during (a) 1991-92 and (b) 1992-93 involving drivers under 20 years of age ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key : There were 637 fatal accidents in 1991 involving drivers under 20 years of age, and 519 in 1992. Information for 1993 is not available yet.
Freight Traffic
Mr. Quentin Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of freight traffic was carried by road transport and what proportion by rail transport, over
Column 1032
the latest year for which figures are available ; what were the proportions 10, 20 and 30 years ago ; and what are the proportions in (a) the United States of America, (b) Germany, (c) France and (d) Japan.Mr. Freeman : In 1992, the most recent year for which statistics are available for Great Britain, the percentage of road and rail freight carried by road was 89 per cent. For other countries, the most recent data available are shown in the following table which also gives the figures for the earlier years requested. Reliable comparisons are not available for years prior to 1970. Freight transport by inland waterway, coastal shipping and pipeline will affect the proportions carried by road and rail--these figures are published in "Transport Statistics Great Britain 1993", tables 8.5 and 9.3, a copy of which is in the Library.
Column 1031
Proportion of freight traffic
Country 1991 1982 1972
|Road|Rail|Road|Rail|Road|Rail
------------------------------------------------------------
Great Britain<1> |89 |11 |86 |14 |81 |19
United States of America |44 |56 |34 |66 |37 |63
Germany<2> |57 |43 |51 |49 |48 |52
France |68 |32 |61 |39 |51 |49
Japan |91 |9 |86 |14 |72 |28
<1>All goods vehicles, including those up to 3.5 tonnes
gross vehicle weight.
<2>Former Federal Republic of Germany and German Democratic
Republic with estimates as necessary.
Source: "Transport Statistics Great Britain" and
"International Comparisons of Transport Statistics Part 1:
Intermodal".
M62 Relief Road
Mr. Sumberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many representations he has received opposing his proposals for the M62 relief road (a) from residents of Bury, South and (b) from residents living outside Bury, South ;
(2) how many representations he has received supporting his proposals for the M62 relief road (a) from residents of Bury, South and (b) from residents living outside Bury, South.
Mr. Key : Over 18,000 representations about the proposals have been received. It will be some while yet before we have recorded and analysed all of them. I shall write to my hon. Friend when this work is complete.
Catalytic Converters
Mr. Peter Shore : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department is undertaking into how the effectiveness of catalytic converters can be improved to deal with the problem of cold-start emissions ; and what plans he has to encourage the retrofitting of catalytic converters on cars.
Mr. Key : A new EC directive adopted on 25 March 1994--number yet to be advised--is the latest in a series amending directive 70/220/EEC on vehicle emissions, and sets more stringent emission standards for all new cars from 1 January 1997. The Department is already in discussions with the EU on even lower standards for 2000, which will be complemented by an additional low temperature emission test. The engineering solutions necessary to meet these standards are a matter for the vehicle manufacturers. On the encouragement of retrofitting catalysts, I refer the hon. Member to the answer
Column 1032
I gave to the hon. Member for North Devon (Mr. Harvey), Official Report , column 144 . Further measures requiring substantial engineering effort to develop costly retrofit packages for declining numbers of suitable vehicles would not be cost-effective.British Rail (Pensions)
Mr. Waterson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what arrangements he is making for the transfer of pension rights both to and within the proposed new joint industry scheme on the privatisation of British Rail.
Mr. Freeman : In order to facilitate efficient and effective pension arrangements, it is proposed that when BR staff first leave the BR pension scheme or the BR section of the new joint industry scheme, their accrued past service pension rights should be transferred to their new employer's "no less favourable section" of that scheme which will be, in all material respects, identical to the BR section.
In response to concerns that the new pension arrangements will be less secure for staff moving around the railway industry in the future, the Government have agreed that the rules of the new scheme will provide that pensionable service will be treated as continuous even on voluntary transfers between the "no less favourable" sections of participating employers, subject however to certain Inland Revenue restrictions which we cannot override, and to there being no extraordinary circumstances. We have also now agreed that the "indefeasible right" for protected persons--those in service on 5 November 1993--to remain in "no less favourable" sections of the joint industry scheme for so long as their employer remains a part of the railway industry will not be lost where they change jobs voluntarily within the industry. This will provide valuable security for staff moving voluntarily around the industry in the future.
Column 1033
Railtrack
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will make a statement on the letter written by Mrs. Sheena Stark, principal solicitor (Scotland) to Railtrack, dated 4 March, on the subject of Mr. Peter Rayner ; and if he will make a statement ; (2) if he will make a statement on the future position of Mrs. Sheena Stark within Railtrack ;
(3) what guidance he has given to Railtrack on dealing with public criticism.
Mr. Freeman : These are matters for the British Railways Board and Railtrack.
East Coast Main Line
Mr. Bayley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) when he proposes to announce the additional track charges to the east coast shadow franchise for running diesel-hauled trains north of Edinburgh and between the east coast main line and Hull and Harrogate ;
(2) what amount within the track charge to the east coast shadow franchise announced by Railtrack on 15 February is attributable to the cost of running diesel-hauled trains north of Edinburgh and between the east coast main line and Hull and Harrogate.
Mr. Freeman : These are matters for Railtrack.
HEALTH
London Ambulance Service
Mrs. Bridget Prentice : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were employed by the ambulance service to work in stations in (a) London, (b) south-east London and (c) Lewisham in (i) 1985, (ii) 1990, (iii) 1992 and (iv) 1993-94.
Mr. Sackville : The deployment of staff to individual stations is an operational matter for the London ambulance service. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. Martin Gorham, chief executive of the LAS, for details.
Immunology
Sir John Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to ensure that doctors, and GPs in particular, are made aware of the importance of diagnosing antibody disorders from the earliest opportunity and making appropriate referrals to clinical immunologists.
Mr. Sackville : Postgraduate and continuing medical education for both hospital doctors and general practitioners is managed at regional level. Detailed information is therefore not available centrally on the precise educational measures in place to cover early diagnosis of antibodies disorders. However, throughout a doctor's training and education the importance of accurate diagnosis is stressed.
Hospitals
Mr. Gordon Prentice : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many redundant NHS hospitals in England have been disposed of in the last 12 months without the benefit of planning permission.
Column 1034
Mr. Sackville : This information is not available centrally. Some £1 billion has been realised from disposals over the last 10 years, which has been reinvested in modern health care provision.
Hartley Hospital, Colne
Mr. Gordon Prentice : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the response of the NHS management executive to the concerns expressed by Pendle borough council about the maintenance and security of the Hartley hospital in Colne.
Mr. Sackville : The national health service management executive has not received a letter from the borough of Pendle about the security and maintenance of the Hartley hospital.
The borough of Pendle has confirmed that it wrote directly to the North Western regional health authority director of estates on 15 December 1993, and his reponse of 6 January gave information on the extent of security and maintenance provided at Hartley hospital.
Prefessions Supplementaryto Medicine (Amendment) Bill
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department has made of the Professions Supplementary to Medicine (Amendment) Bill ; and what is her policy on protecting the title podiatrist.
Mr. Sackville : In considering any alteration of the present position it would be essential to have consensus about the need for change.
Cornwall Healthcare Trust
Mr. Spellar : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 16 March, Official Report, column 723, what response has been given by the National Health Service Management Executive to the request for funds for legal action by the Cornwall Heathcare trust.
Dr. Mawhinney : No response has been given yet.
Specialists
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to implement her chief medical officer's report on the number of specialists.
Dr. Mawhinney : In December 1993, I announced the Government's acceptance of the recommendations in the report of the working group on specialist medical training "Hospital Doctors : Training for the Future", copies of which are available in the Library. The work needed to ensure effective implementation of the report's recommendations is under way.
Mental Health Budget
Miss Lestor : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the mental health budget for the current financial year ; and what percentage of that budget is specifically allocated to dealing with children with mental health problems.
Mr. Bowis : Information is not available in the form requested. Expenditure on hospital and community units
Column 1035
on mentally ill people in England in 1991- 92, the latest year for which information is available, was £2,085 million. In the same year expenditure on local authority social services for mentally ill people was £179.7 million.Expenditure on mentally ill children is not available centrally.
NHS Budget
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total national health service budget of each region and each health authority in London in each year since 1991-92.
Mr. Sackville : The information will be placed in the Library.
Nurse Training (Ethnic Minority Applicants)
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what statistics she has on the number of ethnic minority applicants applying for basic nurse training and the numbers accepted for that training plus the total number of applicants and the total number accepted.
Mr. Sackville : The Department does not hold this type of data centrally. This information may be available from the English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting.
Sterilisation
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many vasectomies were performed in each of the last five years ; (2) how many female sterilisation procedures were carried out in each of the last five years ;
(3) if female sterilisation and vasectomy procedures are available in all areas in the country.
Mr. Sackville : Information on the number of national health service procedures performed is shown in the table :
Year |Vasectomies |Female
|sterilisation
|procedures
--------------------------------------------------------
1988-89 |25,856 |27,384
1989-90 |38,507 |42,023
1990-91 |37,221 |40,210
1991-92 |35,968 |42,596
There is some doubt as to the quality of the data for the year 1988-89 due to this being the first year of operation of the health episode statistics computer system. No figures are available prior to 1988-89. Figures for years 1990-91 and 1991-92--the most recent year for which figures are available--are provisional.
Circulars EL(91)63 and HSG(92)6 reminded the NHS of the need to provide a comprehensive family planning service, including male and female sterilisation.
Copies of the guidance will be placed in the Library.
Charging for Services
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the guidance and advice issued by her Department to local authorities on charging for services ; in each case, what advice is given on taking attendance
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allowance or the care component of the disability living allowance into account when assessing a person's ability to pay ; and if she will make a statement.Mr. Bowis : Guidance on charging for residential accommodation in England is contained in local authority circular--LAC(92)19, as amended by LACs(93)14, (94)1, and (94)15.
An advice note on discretionary charges for non-residential adult social services was sent to English local authorities in January 1994.
Copies of the guidance and advice note are available in the Library.
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what analysis her Department has made of the administrative and operating cost for local authorities collecting charges for service provision.
Mr. Bowis : None. It depends on the efficiency of the local authority concerned.
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what statutory provision is made for individuals to appeal against a local authority decision to charge for services ; what provision is made for local authorities to publicise the right to an appeal ; what consultation local authorities have to carry out before introducing charges ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Bowis : Charging arrangements for local authority residential care in England are prescribed in regulations. People who are dissatisfied with the way their charge has been assessed may use the complaints procedure local authorities are required to set up under section 50 of the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990. Community care policy guidance issued in 1990 informs local authorities that they are required to publicise their complaints procedures, in accordance with section 7B(4) of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970 and advises them how this might be done. Section 17 of the Health and Social Services and Social Security Adjudications Act 1983 gives local authorities a discretionary power to charge adult recipients of non-residential services. If individual service users consider that they cannot afford to pay the charge that has been set, section 17(3) gives them the right to ask the authority for a review of that charge. It is also open to users of non-residential services to use the complaints procedure referred to above.
Local authorities have been advised that when any change to the charging system for non-residential services is under consideration, it is good practice for existing users to be consulted.
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice is given to social service departments about charging for services that were provided by the health service free of charge prior to the implementation of the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 but are now provided by local authority departments.
Mr. Bowis : The National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 did not transfer responsibility for any services from the national health service to local authorities.
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Breast Cancer
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what preliminary reports she has received in respect of the areas of research into breast cancer being conducted by the United Kingdom Co-ordinating Committee on Cancer Research ; and when she expects the final results.
Mr. Sackville : The United Kingdom Health Departments, along with the Medical Research Council, which receives it grant in aid from the office of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and the two major cancer research charities--Imperial Cancer Research Fund and Cancer Research Campaign--are currently funding four studies into breast cancer screening costing some £5 million over five years. These are examining :
The effects of screening women annually from the age of 40 ; The effects of screening more frequently than every three years in women aged 50 and over ;
The effect of taking two, X-ray views of each breast of women screened instead of one view ; and
Alternative methods of treating some of the very small cancers detected on screening.
The trials are being co-ordinated by the United Kingdom Co-ordinating Committee on Cancer Research. The UKCCCR does not produce preliminary reports on the trials.
Each of the studies will reach completion at different times, and it is expected that full results will be made available by the UKCCCR.
Each study has been recruiting patients for some time and we expect results from at least two of the studies within the next two years. Departmental support, estimated to be some £400,000 in 1994-95, is currently planned until August 1998.
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she has taken to ensure good uptake of breast screening invitations among ethnic minority groups.
Mr. Sackville : It is for health authorities to monitor uptake of breast cancer screening among specific groups, and to take action to improve uptake where it is shown to be needed.
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether women who are concerned about breast cancer may self-refer to specialised units ; and what research her Department has undertaken into the possible benefits of self-referral.
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