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Insurance Firms
Mr. Peter Atkinson : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many complaints his Department received concerning the conduct of lawyers acting on behalf of insurance firms in the settlement of claims for each year since 1990.
Mr. John M. Taylor : Solicitors are members of an independent and self-regulating profession, and the Lord Chancellor is not responsible for their professional conduct. The Law Society has responsibility to ensure that solicitors observe proper standards, and in 1986 established the Solicitors Complaints Bureau to handle complaints against its members. My Department has no record of such complaints.
HEALTH
Out-patient Waiting Times
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were seen as out-patients in 1991-92 and what was the average time between referral and being seen.
Mr. Sackville : The total number of all out-patient attendances in 1991-92 was 36.9 million. Of these 8,035,959 in 1991-92 were for a first appointment. No information is available centrally on time between referral and appointment.
Substance Abuse (Children)
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the number of deaths of children in each year since 1979 from substance abuse and from use of controlled drugs, by drug.
Mr. Bowis : Information on the number of deaths associated with the abuse of volatile substances and the number of deaths from the use of controlled drugs is shown in the tables. Data for the latter are not readily available for years prior to 1989.
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Number of Deaths of
Children (aged under
20) associated with
the
Abuse of Volatile
Substances-Great
Britain<1>
|Number
---------------------
1980 |24
1981 |33
1982 |39
1983 |58
1984 |64
1985 |88
1986 |71
1987 |79
1988 |96
1989 |71
1990 |116
1991 |77
<1> These figures
were supplied by St.
George's Hospital
Medical School.
Number of deaths (whether an accident, suicide or
undetermined) of
Children (aged under 20) associated with controlled
drugs, by drug-
Great Britain<2>
|1989|1990|1991|1992
----------------------------------------------------
Amphetamine |0 |0 |0 |1
Barbiturates |1 |0 |1 |0
Benzodiazepines |7 |2 |3 |10
Buprenorphine |0 |0 |0 |0
Cannabis |1 |0 |1 |0
Cocaine |0 |0 |1 |0
Codeine |1 |1 |2 |0
Dextromoramide |0 |1 |0 |0
Dextroproxyphene |30 |13 |28 |19
Diethylproprion |- |- |0 |0
Dihydrocodeine |2 |2 |3 |2
Dipipanone |0 |0 |0 |0
Heroin |3 |1 |2 |2
LSD |- |- |1 |2
MDMA |1 |- |4 |0
Meprobromate |0 |0 |0 |0
Methadone |4 |6 |8 |20
Methaqualone |0 |0 |0 |0
Morphine |0 |4 |1 |5
Opiates |1 |1 |1 |1
Pentazocine |0 |1 |0 |0
Pethidine |0 |1 |0 |0
Phentermine |- |0 |0 |0
|--- |--- |--- |---
All deaths associated with
controlled drugs |47 |30 |54 |51
<2> This table shows the number of deaths where a
controlled drug (listed under the Misuse of Drugs
Act 1971) was mentioned in the records of deaths
assigned to accidental and other poisoning by solid
or liquid substances. Where two or more drugs are
mentioned together the death is recorded against
each drug but only once in the total.
- Indicates not published.
We are spending £5 million a year on campaigns to raise awareness of the dangers of drug and solvent misuse. This includes a £2.6 million national television and press campaign which ran from January to March 1994 to encourage and help parents to talk to their children about drugs and solvents. We have produced information leaflets to help parents with this, as well as leaflets with factual information for young people.
Vehicle Emissions
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of deaths per year in England and Wales which are causally linked with emissions from diesel-powered road vehicles.
Mr. Sackville : This information is not available centrally.
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Rough Sleepers and Beggars
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what instructions are given to security staff in her departmental offices in London for dealing with (a) those sleeping rough in departmental doorways and (b) beggars in the vicinity ; and how many problems have been experienced with each category in the last three months.
Mr. Sackville : The Department has not issued formal instructions to security staff in London for dealing with those sleeping rough in the doorways or begging in the vicinity of departmental offices. These incidents are dealt with on an individual basis depending on the circumstances and with consideration for the situation of the person involved. No incidents of this nature have been reported by security staff in the last three months.
Obstetric Cholestasis
Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what epidemiological studies funded by her Department have been undertaken into obstetric cholestasis.
Private Patients
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what value has been attributed by her Department to income from private patients in the years 1993-94, 1994-95 and 1996-97.
Mr. Sackville : Private patient activity is determined locally. No estimate of private patient income has been made centrally.
Child Minders
Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answers of 25 March, Official Report , column 683 and 25 April, Official Report , column 59 , what conclusions she has reached on whether further clarification of her Department's guidance on behaviour and sanctions by child minders if minded children misbehave is required ; and if she will make a statement on the role of physical punishment in the child care environment.
Mr. Bowis : We are currently consulting interested parties on this issue.
Mentally Ill People
Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects the report on homicides prepared by the confidential inquiry into homicides and suicides by mentally ill people to be completed ; and when it will be published.
Mr. Bowis : The first report has been now completed but it has not yet been received by Ministers.
Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether the remit of the inquiry into homicides by mentally ill people could be extended so as to include those who have been in active psychiatric care within the previous five years instead of within the previous year only ;
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(2) whether the present remit of the inquiry into homicides by mentally ill people includes those who should have received psychiatric care during the previous year but who discharged themselves from hospital or failed to keep out-patient appointments.Mr. Bowis : The remit of the confidential inquiry is sufficiently wide to cover patients under the care of specialist psychiatric services who discharged themselves from hospital or failed to keep out-patient appointments within the year prior to their involvement in a homicide. As the inquiry relies on information received from clinical staff responsible for the care of the psychiatric patient prior to the homicide, it would be impracticable to extend its remit to cover a five-year period.
Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement about the compatibility of the imposition of charges for attendance at local authority day centres by mentally ill people and the care programme approach.
Mr. Bowis : The introduction of the care programme approach from April 1991 did not affect the discretionary powers of local authorities to make reasonable charges for day centre attendance by mentally ill people. It is for individual local authorities to decide whether and to what extent to make such charges and to ensure that their
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arrangements for making charges are fully compatible with the principles of the care programme approach, including the requirement for the care plan to be agreed with the mentally ill person. Any charges must take into account the person's ability to pay and are subject to an appeals procedure.Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the members of the inquiry into the murder of an occupational therapist at the Edith Morgan unit, Torbay, by a patient in that unit in 1993.
Mr. Bowis : The members of the inquiry team are : Sir Louis Blom- Cooper QC, chairman of the Mental Health Act Commission, Miss Helen Hally, director of nursing practice at Riverside mental health national health service trust, and Professor Elaine Murphy, professor of old age psychiatry at the United medical and dental school at Guy's and St. Thomas's hospitals.
Departmental Running Costs
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will itemise the other expenditure in her Department's running costs shown in page 25 of table 12 in the departmental report 1994-95.
Mr. Sackville : The information is shown in the table :
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£ million
|1988-89 |1989-90 |1990-91 |1991-92 |1992-93 |1993-94
|outturn |outturn |outturn |outturn |outturn |estimated
|outturn
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Departmental administration
Non-staffing costs |77 |79 |100 |112 |133 |122
VAT refunds on contracted-out services |0 |-2 |-1 |-2 |-1 |-1
NHS Estates Agency
Non-staffing costs |0 |0 |0 |4 |3 |5
NHS Pensions Agency
Non-staffing costs |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |12
Youth Treatment Service
Non-staffing costs |1 |1 |2 |2 |1 |2
Medicines Control Agency
Non-staffing costs |3 |2 |3 |3 |3 |0
Total |81 |80 |105 |118 |140 |139
Notes:
1. Figures may not add exactly due to rounding effects.
2. The 1993-94 figures given are the estimates which were current at the time the Departmental Report was
published.
Infertility
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of district health authorities have a comprehensive contract for infertility services.
Mr. Sackville : The national health service executive does not collect information on contracts agreed between district health authorities and hospitals for individual treatments or services.
Mr. Tipping : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what provision is made for (a) infertility treatment and (b) infertility investigation in the North Nottinghamshire and Nottinghamshire health authorities ;
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(2) what advice the Nottinghamshire and Nottingham health authorities have sought from her Department as to the most cost-effective and cost-efficient means of providing for infertility investigation and treatment.Mr. Sackville : For the information requested about infertility investigation and treatment in North Nottinghamshire and Nottinghamshire the hon. Member may wish to contact Sir David White, chairman of Nottinghamshire health authority, and Mr. A. Tolhurst, chairman of North Nottinghamshire health authority. I am not aware of requests for advice on this matter from either of the health authorities.
The national health service provides a wide range of treatments for subfertility and I refer the hon. Member to
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the reply, that I gave the hon. Member for Birmingham, Northfield (Mr. Burden) on 18 May, Official Report, column 520.Rural Community Hospitals
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the names and locations of rural community hospitals in England.
Mr. Sackville : Central returns of hospital activity data do not contain the classification "rural community hospital".
Accident and Emergency Services, Barking and Havering
Mr. Gapes : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the names of those who responded to consultation on proposals by Barking and Havering health authority for changes to accident and emergency services.
Mr. Sackville : This is a matter for Barking and Havering health authority. The hon. Member may wish to contact the chairman, Mr. Bryan Littlewood, for details.
Infant Mortality
Dr. Wright : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the figures for infant mortality by district health authority for each of the last two years for which statistics are available.
Mr. Sackville : The information can be found in table 1 of the DH3 Monitors 93/1 and 92/1 for the last two years for which statistics are available, published by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, copies of which are available in the Library.
NHS Trusts (Capital Investment)
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list, by trust, the amount of capital investment planned for 1994-95, and the amount of capital investment, by trust, for 1993-94.
Mr. Sackville : Information for 1993-94 will be available later in the year when the accounts of trusts are audited. Trusts develop plans for capital expenditure in the current and future years within the overall constraints of their external financing limit and any necessary approval from the national health service executive for major capital schemes. Disclosure of planned capital expenditure may in some circumstances be commercially sensitive and it is therefore for individual trusts to determine the extent to which plans are disclosed.
Wythenshawe Hospital Development Scheme
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 19 April, Official Report, columns 474-75, what progress has been made on the revision of the Wythenshawe hospital development scheme.
Mr. Sackville : The South Manchester University national health service trust is continuing to develop proposals for the redevelopment of Wythenshawe hospital. This will have to await the outcome of a clinical review of
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hospital services in south Manchester. This is being conducted by Professor Sir Herbert Duthie, provost of Cardiff medical school, who will report back to the North West regional health authority as soon as possible.TRANSPORT
Road Construction
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures his Department or agencies take when placing contracts or inviting bids for the construction of roads, in order to ensure value for money and competition.
Mr. Key : Since 1 April, responsibility for managing, maintaining and improving the national road network in England now lies with the Highways Agency. As the information requested by the hon. Member relates to the agency which is responsible, I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Chris Smith, dated 21 June 1994.
You put down a Parliamentary Question for answer by the Secretary of State concerning the measures taken to ensure value for money and competition when inviting bids or placing contracts for road construction work.
As your Question deals with operational matters for which the Highways Agency is now responsible, as promised by the Minister, Robert Key, I am replying.
To ensure value for money, the Highways Agency relies principally on inviting competitive bids for work to be carried out in accordance with a detailed design and specification.
We are required by EC Directives (now enacted in domestic legislation) to advertise all public works contracts with an estimated value in excess of ECU 5 million (currently about £3.7 million). The Agency goes further by voluntarily advertising all contracts with an estimated value in excess of £1 million. This is in order to seek out the widest possible market competition and to maximise competitive opportunities for the industry.
Contracts are awarded either on the basis of the lowest price, or the most economically advantageous bid after taking into account other factors such as the time taken to complete the work, or the likely future maintenance costs of the form of construction chosen by individual bidders.
The Agency is continually looking at ways of improving value for money and increasing numbers of contracts, mainly for new roads, are being invited on a "design and build" basis. This encourages contractors to draw on their particular skills and experience in putting forward innovative construction proposals which offer greater "buildability" and better value for money for the taxpayer. The Department of Transport is also exploring more radical ways of achieving better value for money for the taxpayer and has recently invited expressions of interest to design, build, finance and operate new roads.
Road Construction Companies
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the largest 10 contracts he or agencies of his Department have placed with contractors for the construction of roads, in each year from 1991-92, together with the value of those contracts in cash terms.
Mr. Key : Since 1 April, responsibility for managing maintaining and improving the national road network in England now lies with the Highways Agency. As the information requested by the hon. Member relates to operational matters of the Highways Agency, I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.
Column 121
Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Chris Smith, dated 21 June 1994 :Column 122
You put down a Parliamentary Question for answer by the Secretary of State for Transport asking him to list the 10 largest contracts by value for the construction of roads awarded in each year from 1991-92.As the information you asked for concerns operational matters for which the Highways Agency is now responsible, as promised by the Minister, Robert Key, I am replying to your Questions.
The information requested is set out in the attached tables.
Column 121
Highest 10 contracts awarded in 1991-92
Scheme |Winning |Award |Date of
|tender |price |award
|£
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
M20 Junctions 5-8 improvement |Balfour Beatty Ltd. |68,804,939 |4 July 1991
M5 Widening Junctions 6-8 |John Laing |59,368,900 |6 June 1991
|Construction Ltd.
M1-A1 Link, Contracts 2 and 3 East of Naseby |Tarmac Construction |35,617,820 |19 November 1991
|Ltd.
A30 Okehampton-Launceston |Tarmac Construction |26,809,215 |29 August 1991
| Ltd.
A20 Courtwood-Dover, Contract 3 |Norwest Holst |21,684,567 |14 May 1991
| Construction Ltd.
A41 Kings Langley Bypass, Contract 3 |AF Budge |19,967,881 |19 June 1991
| (Contractors) Ltd.
A41 Berkhamsted Bypass, Contract 4B |Amey Construction |18,139,479 |11 December 1991
|Ltd.
M1-A1 Link, Thrapston-Brampton, Contract 9 |Tarmac Construction |16,364,732 |9 October 1991
|Ltd.
A23 Warninglid Flyover to Sayers Common |Costain Civil |15,685,563 |9 October 1991
| Engineering Ltd.
A20 Folkestone-Courtwood Contract 2 (Viaduct) |Birse Construction |11,550,041 |5 December 1991
|Ltd.
Column 121
Highest 10 contracts awarded in 1993-94
Scheme |Winning |Award price |Date of
|tenderer |£ million |award
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A13 Thames Avenue-Wennington |Balfour Beatty Ltd |71,273,666 |9 February 1994
M65 Blackburn Southern Bypass, Contract 1 |Tarmac Construction Ltd |65,861,695 |4 February 1994
A1 Walshford-Dishforth, North of Wetherby |Alfred McAlpine |53,795,508 |8 April 1993
| Construction Ltd/Amec Civil
| Engineering joint venture
M25 Between Junction 7 (Merstham) and Junction 8 (Reigate) |John Laing Construction Ltd |45,979,928 |25 January 1994
A4/A46 Batheaston-Swainswick Bypass |Amey Construction Ltd |44,953,293 |11 February 1994
A249 Between Bobbing and North of Iwade, Kent |Amec Civil Engineering Ltd |35,721,035 |25 January 1994
A417 Brockworth Bypass, East of Gloucester |Wimpey Construction Ltd |35,142,010 |2 December 1993
M25 Widening Between Junctions 10 and 11 |John Mowlem Construction |35,097,353 |23 December 1993
| Ltd.
A12 Hackney Wick to Redbridge Roundabout Contract 4 |Norwest Holst Construction |31,558,185 |27 July 1993
| Ltd.
A50 Blythe Bridge-Contract 1B |Christiani/Kier joint venture|28,414,397 |21 January 1994
Rough Sleepers and Beggars
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what instructions are given to security staff in his departmental offices in London for dealing with (a) those sleeping rough in departmental doorways and (b) beggars in the vicinity ; and how many problems have been experienced with each category in the last three months.
Mr. Norris : Security staff are advised to deal with any incident in an appropriate manner and to draw attention to local welfare facilities if that may help. My Department has no record of any problems in the last three months.
Column 122
Seat Belts
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, North (Ms Walley) Official Report , 25 February, column 464 , if he has now received the report on the technical and cost implications of seat belts in minibuses and coaches ; if he will place a copy in the Library ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key : I now have the report to hand and hope to be able to make an announcement shortly. Copies of the relevant papers will then be deposited in the Library.
Column 123
Marine Safety
Ms Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has to extend port state control inspections in the light of the Donaldson report ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norris : We believe that port state control can operate effectively only if co-ordinated on a regional basis. Lord Donaldson also recognised this in recommending that we build upon the success of the Paris memorandum of understanding by adopting a system of self-targeting and enhancing the deterrent effect of port state inspections. The Secretary of State made it clear in his statement of 17 May that we would pursue Lord Donaldson's recommendations with our European partners. He raised the issue at the Transport Council on 13 June and we intend to take every opportunity to develop these proposals further in discussion with our colleagues in the Paris MOU and the EU.
Ms Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the Foreign Secretary in respect of defective Russian and Baltic ships ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norris : Department of Transport and Foreign and Commonwealth officials have worked together in responding to the problems that have arisen in respect of ships from the Russian Federation and the Baltic states. Officials from both Departments have discussed the problems with diplomatic representatives of the states concerned emphasising the need for effective action in respect of defective ships flying their flags.
Ms Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) Russian and (b) Baltic State ships the
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Marine Safety Agency has detained in British ports since 1 April on account of (i) unseaworthiness or (ii) serious defects.Mr. Norris : The number of Russian-registered and Baltic states- registered ships detained by the Marine Safety Agency as unsafe or for non- compliance with merchant shipping regulations between 1 April and 10 June 1994 is given in the table :
|Russian|Baltic
|States
--------------------------------------------------------------
Unsafe |1 |Nil
Non-compliance with merchant shipping
regulations |5 |1
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff there are in each grade at each Marine Safety Agency office ; and what is the address of each office.
Mr. Norris : Robin Bradley, the chief executive of the Marine Safety Agency will send a reply to the hon. Member.
Letter from R. M. Bradley to Mrs. Gwyneth Dunwoody, dated 17 March 1994 :
I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Transport about the number of staff there are in each grade at each marine safety agency office, and the address of each office.
Please find attached a table showing the number of staff in post for Headquarters and each marine district by grade and a list of addresses for each office.
Staff in post
Number of staff
||11at grade
Office |4 |5 |6 |7<1> |SEO |SURV |HEO |EO |AO |AA |Others<2>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Spring Place |1 |3 |9 |32 |2 |18 |20 | 21.5 |27 |8 |13
London District |- |- |1 |7 |- |10 |1 |1 |7 |1 |2
South and South West District |- |- |1 |5 |- |15 |1 |2 |5 |2 | 4.5
North East and East District |- |- |1 |9 |- | 15.5 |1 |2 |6 |- | 9.5
North West and Wales District |- |- |1 |5 |- |12 |1 |2 |7 |3 |5
West of Scotland and Northern Ireland District |- |- |1 |5 |- |15 |1 |1 |3 |3 |4
East of Scotland District |- |- |1 |6 |- |11 |1 |1 | 5.5 |2 |3
<1> Includes Principal Surveyors.
<2> Includes personal secretaries, typists, casuals, messengers.
Headquarters--
Spring Place, 105 Commercial Road, Southampton, Hants SO15 1EG Tel : 0703 329100
London District--
District Marine Office
District Chief Surveyor
Central Court, 1b Knoll Rise, Orpington,
Kent BR6 0JA
Tel : 0689 890400
District Sub-Office
59 Deneside, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk NR30 2HL
Tel : 0493 851421
South and South West District--
District Marine Office
District Chief Surveyor
Column 124
Spring Place, 105 Commercial Road, Southampton,Hants. SO15 1EG
Tel : 0703 329329
District Sub-Offices
Imperial Buildings, Bar Road, Falmouth,
Cornwall TR11 4NW
Tel : 0326 312761
Phoenix House, Notte Street, Plymouth,
Devon PL1 2HF
Tel : 0752 266211
North East and East District--
District Marine Office
District Chief Surveyor
Government Buildings, Broadway West, Gosforth,
Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE3 2JL
Tel : 091 285 7171
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