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Consultant Merit Awards
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what way she is planning to change the consultant merit award system.
Dr. Mawhinney : We are considering the report of the working party on the review of the consultants' distinction awards scheme.
Junior Doctors
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish information from the latest regional task force returns on the number of junior doctors working more than 83 hours per week by region.
Dr. Mawhinney : Task force returns for 30 September 1993, the latest date for which information is available, do not contain detailed data on hours of work which are monitored locally.
Smear Tests
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many laboratories report a smear test as cytology negative when no endocervical cells have been seen on the slide ;
(2) what guidance has been issued on action to be taken when a cervical smear test is found to have no endocervical cells.
Mr. Sackville : The absence of columnar glandular endocervical cells does not in itself constitute an indication for a repeat smear if the smear is assessed in the laboratory as satisfactory according to recommended criteria. Where a patient's smear is shown by the laboratory to be unsatisfactory, she is invited to have a smear as soon as possible.
Financial Consultants
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give the name of companies and organisations used as financial consultants in 1992-93 to her Department, the national health service management executive and any centrally run patient care services, not including trusts and health authority direct spending ; and which financial consultants had a contract of more than £500,000.
Mr. Sackville : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave her on 21 March, Official Report, column 72. It is not possible to identify separately expenditure on management and financial consultancy.
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Whipps Cross Hospital
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions the Minister for Health had about accident and emergency services during his visit to Whipps Cross hospital on 21 April ; and if he will make a statement.
Dr. Mawhinney : I saw work under way on the £750,000 upgrading of the accident and emergency department. I learnt of plans to appoint three additional consultants and to make a number of service improvements. I am delighted that 98 per cent. of people attending the department are assessed by a nurse within four minutes of arrival.
Ophthalmology Services, Leeds
Mr. Gunnell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many Leeds healthcare patients receiving ophthalmology treatment at the united Leeds teaching hospitals during 1993-94 ; and how many of those were treated in February and March.
Mr. Sackville : This is a matter for the district health authority, Leeds healthcare. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mrs. Pam Smith, chairman of the authority, for details.
Ambulance Services, Humberside
Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Humberside ambulance trust will next hold a public meeting ; and on what date was its last public meeting.
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Mr. Sackville : The National Health Service Trusts (Public Meetings) Regulations 1991 state that all national health service trusts are required to hold a public meeting on or before 30 September in every year, other than that which includes the first operational date of the trust. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mrs. Margaret Cracknell, the chairman of Humberside ambulance service national health service trust, for details of the 1994 public meeting.
Clinical Grading Appeals
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list, by region of origin, the number of outstanding clinical grading appeals at (a) district, (b) regional and (c) national level ; and if she will estimate the cost to date.
Mr. Sackville : The number of appeals outstanding has dropped from just over 20,000 at 31 May 1993 to below 4,800 at 1 April 1994. We welcome this reduction. The Nursing and Midwifery Staffs Negotiating Council has agreed a new appeals mechanism for clearing all outstanding appeals by the end of 1995. All appeals outstanding at regional and national level will be heard by a new central adjudication panel. Information on the number of appeals outstanding is shown in the table. No estimate of the cost has been made.
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Outstanding clinical grading appeals:
Situation as at 1 April 1994
-----------------------------------------------
North West |189 |815 |1,004
North Thames |55 |687 |742
Trent |0 |734 |734
Northern and Yorkshire |31 |674 |705
West Midlands |134 |425 |559
South Thames |0 |484 |484
South West |0 |351 |351
Anglia and Oxford |0 |204 |204
|---- |---- |----
Total |409 |4,374|4,783
Ambulance Services
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentages of ambulances in each service in England responded within (a) eight minutes and (b) 14 to 20 minutes to emergency calls in 1993-94.
Mr. Sackville : The information requested is not yet available.
Departmental Advice
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what advice her Department or the national health service management executive has provided to chairmen and chief executives of NHS trust hospitals on conducting health promotion campaigns and large-scale mail drops during the period of the local government and European elections ; and if she will place that advice in the Library ; (2) what advice her Department or the national health service management executive has provided to chairmen
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and chief executives of NHS trust hospitals on whether to launch high-profile publicity campaigns during the period leading up to the local government and European Parliament elections ;(3) what advice her Department or the national health service management executive has provided to chairmen and chief executives of NHS trust hospitals on whether controversial proposals should be included on agendas of health authority meetings during the local government and European elections ;
(4) what advice her Department or the national health service management executive has provided to chairmen and chief executives of NHS trust hospitals on the circulation of information and answers to questions during the period of the local government elections and European elections ; and if she will place that advice in the Library ;
(5) what advice her Department or the national health service management executive has provided to chairmen and chief executives of NHS trust hospitals on how to deal
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with media inquiries during the period of local government elections and European elections ; and if she will place that advice in the Library ;(6) if her Department or the national health service management executive will advise chairmen and chief executives of NHS trust hospitals that any lectures taking place in the period leading up to the local government and European elections should be confined to published facts and avoid speculation on future health policy ; (7) when her Department or the national health service management executive provided advice to chairmen and chief executives of NHS trust hospitals that, if they are uncertain about how to respond to requests from candidates, the media, or opposition spokespersons during the local government and European elections they should consult the NHS executive corporate affairs intelligence unit, head of news at the Department of Health or chief regional press officer ;
(8) what advice her Department or the national health service management executive has provided to chairmen and chief executives of NHS trust hospitals on campaigning and canvassing on health authority property during the period of the local government elections and European elections ; and if she will place that advice in the Library.
Dr. Mawhinney : The national health service executive issued EL(94)36, to remind NHS chief executives and general managers of the well- established principle that NHS staff should not be asked to engage in activities which could give rise to the criticism that people paid from public funds are being used for party political purposes and to give guidance on some specific issues. Similar guidance was issued before the last general election, in March 1992. Copies of EL(94)36 are available in the Library.
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether it is her intention to require private companies operating contracts from NHS bodies to have established procedures covering freedom of speech ;
(2) whether the guidance for staff on relations with the public and media is applicable to staff of private contractors operating under contracts with the NHS ;
(3) whether the guidance for staff on relations with the public and media is applicable to staff employed under joint arrangements between health service bodies and local authorities or voluntary organisations.
Dr. Mawhinney : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave her on 25 February, Official Report, column 525.
Health Service Staff
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health which division within the NHS executive is responsible for monitoring the proportions of men and women in each grade in the NHS for compliance with the aims of Opportunity 2000.
Mr. Sackville : The national health service women's unit is responsible for monitoring performance on Opportunity 2000.
Public Bodies
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list all chairs and members of all health authorities, including family health service authorities, giving details of occupation and gender.
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Dr. Mawhinney : The appointment of non-executive members to district health authorities and family health services authorities is a matter for the regional health authority. Information on chairmen and non-executive members of regional health authorities, and chairmen of DHAs and FHSAs and their occupations will be placed in the Library.
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list by name and position those chairs, members and non-executive directors of district health authorities, family health services authorities, NHS trusts, shadow NHS trusts and other NHS authorities who have dual appointments as chairs, members or non-executive directors of other district health authorities, FHSAs, NHS trusts, shadow NHS trusts and other NHS authorities.
Dr. Mawhinney : A list of those holding dual appointments is shown. This does not include information concerning non-executive members of district health authorities or family health services authorities, whose members are appointed by regional health authorities. Dr. Christopher Robinson : Chairman of Northumberland FHSA, and non-executive member of Northern and Yorkshire RHA
Mrs. Rosemary Hawley : Chairman of Liverpool FHSA, and non-executive member of North West RHA
Mr. Manfred Dessau : Chairman of Nottinghamshire FHSA, and non-executive member of Trent RHA
Mrs. Elspeth Metcalfe : Chairman of Hereford and Worcester FHSA, and non- executive member of West Midlands RHA
Mr. Peter Gell : Chairman of Buckinghamshire FHSA, and non-executive member of Anglia and Oxford RHA
Mrs. Jill Stern : Chairman of Ealing Hammersmith and Hounslow FHSA, and non -executive member of North Thames RHA
Mrs. Anne Swain : Chairman of West Sussex FHSA, and non-executive member of South Thames RHA
Dr. Dale Ferguson-Hudson : Chairman of Isle of Wight FHSA, and non- executive member of South and West RHA
Mrs. Alison Cook : Chairman of Barnsley DHA, and non-executive member of the NHS Supplies Authority
Miss Catherine McLoughlin : Chairman of Bromley DHA and non-executive member of the NHS Supplies Authority
Mr. Frederick Hoult : Chairman of the Freeman Group of Hospitals NHS Trust, and non-executive member of the NHS Supplies Authority Mrs. Phyllida Entwistle : Chairman of the Furness Hospitals NHS Trust, and member of the Mental Health Act Commission
Miss Georgina Linton : non-executive director of Guy's and Lewisham Mental Health NHS Trust, and member of the Mental Health Act Commission
Mrs. Lotte Mason : non-executive director of Ravensbourne Priority Health NHS Trust, and member of the Mental Health Act Commission Professor Elaine Murphy : non-executive director of North West London Mental Health NHS Trust, and member of the Mental Health Act Commission
Each regional health authority is required to include among its non- executive members the chairman of a family health services authority. Appointees to other NHS bodies are permitted to be appointed as members of the NHS Supplies Authority and the Mental Health Act Commission.
Hospital Staff (Terms and Conditions of Service)
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations her Department has had regarding paragraph 330 of the terms and conditions of service for hospital medical and dental staff.
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Dr. Mawhinney : This provision has been the subject of discussions with the medical profession. There is no intention to amend this provision for those medical staff who remain on national terms and conditions of service.
Bridget O'Connell
Dr. Michael Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures are being taken to resolve the dispute between North East Thames regional health authority and paediatrician Bridget O'Connell ; what has been (a) the cost and (b) the duration of the dispute to date ; who is being held responsible for the cost ; and what disciplinary measures are proposed.
Dr. Mawhinney : This is a matter for North Thames regional health authority. My hon. Friend may wish to contact Sir William Staveley, the chairman, for details.
Child Psychotherapists
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many child psychotherapists were working in the NHS in each region for the latest available year.
Dr. Mawhinney [holding answer 23 March 1994] : The latest figures available are shown in the table.
Child Psychotherapists employed in the
National Health Service in
England at 30 September 1992
England |Whole term
|equivalent
----------------------------------------
Northern |15
Yorkshire |15
Trent |5
East Anglian |*
North West Thames |50
North East Thames |65
South East Thames |25
South West Thames |25
Wessex |5
Oxford |5
South Western |10
West Midlands |5
Mersey |5
North Western |10
SHAs |10
|--
Total |255
Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest
five.
2. *indicates greater than zero but
less than 2.5.
3. The overall total does not equal the
sum of components due to rounding.
4. Source: National Health Service
Non-Medical Workforce Census.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Child Support Agency
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many parents with care were taken off income support following the award of maintenance payments by the Child Support Agency at the latest date for which figures are available ; and what percentage that was of all the parents with care in receipt of income support in whose care an assessment has been finalised.
Mr. Burt : The information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the annual report of the Child Support Agency for 1993-94 will be published.
Mr. Burt : The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for Ros Hepplewhite, the chief executive. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Ros Hepplewhite to Mr. Donald Dewar, dated 22 April 1994 :
I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the publication of the Child Support Agency's annual report.
The Agency aims to publish an annual report by the late summer of 1994. Copies will be placed in the Library of the House, and will also be available from the Agency's headquarters.
I hope that this reply is helpful.
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the arrears of maintenance currently outstanding on Child Support Agency assessments ; and what percentage this is of the total that should have been paid at the latest date for which figures are available.
Mr. Burt : The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for Ros Hepplewhite, the chief executive. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Ros Hepplewhite to Mr. Donald Dewar, dated 22 April 1994 :
I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the arrears of maintenance currently outstanding on Child Support Agency assessments.
The Child Support Computer System is being upgraded to provide the information requested, but validated data is not currently available.
I am sorry not to be more helpful.
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in how many cases an arrestment of wages has been carried out by the Child Support Agency at the latest date for which figures are available.
Mr. Burt : The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for Ros Hepplewhite, the chief executive. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Ros Hepplewhite to Mr. Donald Dewar, 22 April 1994 : I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the number of cases in whch the Child Support Agency carried out an arrestment of wages. To the end of March 1994, deductions from earnings orders had been carried out in an estimated 2,600 cases.
I hope that this reply is helpful.
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average weekly sum set by the Child Support Agency as a maintenance payment at the latest date for which figures are available (a) including and (b) excluding cases where the absent parent is on benefit and contributing only £2.20 per week.
Mr. Burt : The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for Ros Hepplewhite, the chief executive. She will write to the hon. Member.
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Letter from Ros Hepplewhite to Mr. Donald Dewar, dated 22 April 1994 :I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the average weekly sum of child maintenance.
I am afraid that information is not available in the form requested. Overall, however, we estimate that average weekly maintenance assessments by the Agency are approximately £45-£50 a week.
I hope that this reply is helpful.
Mr. Byers : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people who have reached agreements for payments with the Child Support Agency are (a) registered unemployed and (b) in employment.
Mr. Burt : The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for Ros Hepplewhite, the chief executive. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Ros Hepplewhite to Mr. Stephen Byers, dated 22 April 1994 :
I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the number of clients of the Child Support Agency who are unemployed or in work.
I am afraid that information is not available in the form that you have requested. However, information is available on the number of maintenance assessments completed where the absent parent was in receipt of income support. At 28 February 1994, there had been 36,000 such assessments.
I hope this reply is helpful.
Mr. Ashby : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what money has been received as a result of the activities of the Child Support Agency.
Mr. Scott [pursuant to the reply, 25 March 1994, column 452] : Ros Hepplewhite, the chief executive of the Child Support Agency, has informed me that the figure of £181 million is incorrect and should read £169 million.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many parliamentary questions to his Department have not been answered because of disproportionate costs or because the information requested was not held centrally over the last five years ; how many could be answered now due to computerisation and/or more effective operational systems ; and if he will list each such question along with the name and constituency of the hon. Member who tabled it.
Mr. Hague : The POLIS database has been able to identify 352 questions which were not answered on the grounds of disproportionate cost or because the information was not held centrally in the five calendar years 1989-93. Details of each of those questions can be obtained from the POLIS database in the Library. Information on how many of these could now be answered is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Animal Welfare
Mr. Lewis : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures she proposes to prevent the ill-treatment of sheep imported from Spain.
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