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Written Answers to Questions
Friday 1 July 1994
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Compensation Orders
Mr. Bates : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) what was the total amount and number of compensation orders made by (a) Teesside Crown court, (b) Teesside magistrates court and (c) Gainsborough magistrates court in (i) 1990, (ii) 1991, (iii) 1992 and (iv) 1993 ;
(2) what is the total number and amount of unpaid compensation orders awarded by (a) Teesside Crown court, (b) Teesside magistrates court and (c) Gainsborough magistrates court in (i) 1990, (ii) 1991, (iii) 1992 and (iv) 1993.
Mr. John M. Taylor : My Department does not hold this information. Information about the numbers of offenders ordered to pay compensation is contained in "Home Office Criminal Statistics England and Wales," copies of which are in the Library of the House.
Disputes
Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will support pilot programmes for alternative dispute resolution.
Mr. John M. Taylor : The Lord Chancellor has publicly welcomed the development of private and voluntary dispute resolution services, and their availability to parties who do not need the compulsion, certainty and finality that only the courts provide. The Lord Chancellor is currently evaluating the potential of alternative dispute resolution and the various research options which may assist him.
Small Claims Courts
Mr. John Greenway : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department whether he intends to make a provision for costs in the small claims court.
Mr. John M. Taylor : Although often referred to as a "no-costs" regime, the small claims procedure does provide for the recovery of some costs, as detailed in order 19, rule 4 of the county court rules. Under this rule, the costs stated on the summons and the costs of enforcing the award may be recovered. In addition, the court may award allowances relating to the party's and witness's expenses and to experts' fees.
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many personal injury cases were pursued through the small claims courts in each of the last three years ; and if he will place in the Library the number of cases pursued through each such court in the last three years.
Mr. John M. Taylor : The term "small claims court" refers to the arbitration procedure in the county courts.
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Until March 1994 only the total number of arbitrations heard in each county court was recorded. Statistics on arbitrations are now collected by nature of claim--for instance, personal injury--and the figures for the last nine months of 1994 will be published in "Judicial Statistics Annual Report 1994".EMPLOYMENT
Labour Statistics
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment he has made of the factors causing the rate of unemployment in Bolton to change at a different rate from the rate for the country as a whole in the past 12 months ; and if he will make a statement.
Miss Widdecombe : The Department has made no such explicit assessment. However, I believe that the Department has created the right framework for employers to create jobs and reduce unemployment in Bolton, as in the rest of the United Kingdom. Indeed, I am pleased to see that over the past 12 months unemployment in my hon. Friend's constituency has been falling faster than the national average.
ENVIRONMENT
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if it is his policy to provide financial support towards the costs that will be incurred by people from the United Kingdom invited to participate in the intergovernmental panel on climate change workshop on equity and social considerations to be held in Nairobi in July.
Mr. Atkins : My Department is providing financial support towards the costs incurred by United Kingdom experts who have been invited to act as lead or contributing authors for the IPCC's current work programme, including costs associated with attendance at relevant IPCC workshops. On that basis we are supporting the costs of attendance of one United Kingdom expert at the workshop on equity and social considerations. The Department is not, however, providing support for the attendance of other possible United Kingdom participants at IPCC workshops.
Staff Sickness (Local Authorities)
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what statistics he collects on days lost through staff sickness in local authorities.
Mr. Baldry : The information requested is not collected by this Department.
Ornithology
Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what level of funding is provided by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee to the British Trust for Ornithology ; and what this figure is as a proportion of the British Trust for Ornithology's total expenditure for each of the last four years.
Mr. Atkins : The Joint Nature Conservation Committee's contract with BTO will be worth £414,000
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this year. Figures comparing the value of the contract and the trust's expenditure over the last four financial years are as follows :
£ thousands
|1990-91|1991-92|1992-93|1993-94
------------------------------------------------------------------
BTO Expenditure |1,024 |1,660 |1,225 |N/a
Value of JNCC contract |301 |365 |399 |393
Contract as percentage of
BTO expenditure |29.4 |22.0 |32.6 |-
N/a-Not available.
Figures for 1990-91 are for BTO's contract with the former NCC.
Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the annual cost of administering the statutory bird-ringing scheme and licensing activities which are contracted out to the British Trust for Ornithology in 1993-94 and 1994-95.
Mr. Atkins : The British Trust for Ornithology operates a national bird-ringing scheme under contract from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. This scheme is not statutory. In 1993-94, funding from the JNCC amounted to approximately £112,000. In 1994-95, funding will be about £138,000. The BTO is licensed by English Nature, the Countryside Council for Wales and Scottish Natural Heritage to issue permits for ringing or marking birds or examining any ring or mark.
Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received concerning the funding of the British Trust for Ornithology.
Mr. Atkins : My Department has received three written representations about the Joint Nature Conservation Committee's contract with the British Trust for Ornithology for the provision of bird-ringing data, including one from the hon. Member.
Biodiversity
Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps are now being taken to monitor and evaluate biodiversity in the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins : The monitoring and evaluation of biodiversity in the United Kingdom are described in "Biodiversity : The UK Action Plan", Cm. 2428. A steering group, chaired by my Department, has a remit which includes reviewing and reporting on existing and future monitoring programmes. The steering group is assisted by a specialist sub-group on data, chaired by the chief officer, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, which is seeking to improve the accessibility and co-ordination of existing biological datasets and the integration of monitoring studies and programmes.
HEALTH
Health Commissions
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health commissions are in operation ; what are their functions ; what is the estimated cost of each one ; which health authorities have such commissions ; and if she will make a statement.
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Dr. Mawhinney : All district health authorities and family health services authorities are developing close links in response to Government policy on integrated working.
Disciplinary Procedures
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what documents her Department has produced in the last year ; what is the process of production in the disciplinary procedures against doctors ; and when she will publish them.
Dr. Mawhinney : Documents from the Department are issued on a wide range of issues.
We are consulting representatives of national health service management and the medical and dental professions on guidance relating to suspensions and disciplinary action involving hospital medical and dental and community medical staff. Guidance will be issued to NHS employing bodies in due course.
Pensions
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria she uses to decide whether those who have transferred from national health service to private pensions are better or worse off as a result.
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses, doctors and other national health service employees by category have transferred their pensions from national health service to private schemes in each year since 1986.
Dr. Mawhinney : The table shows the total number of national health service employees who have transferred accrued pension rights from the national health service pension scheme to private schemes in each year since August 1989. Data are not available before that date and are not held by occupational groups. The majority of these transfers relate to former members of the scheme who have left national health service employment.
|Number
----------------------
<1>1989 |2,027
1990 |6,938
1991 |7,852
1992 |8,434
<1> Figure from
August 1989.
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total amount of money given as inducement to transfer from a national health service to a private pension in each year since 1986.
Child Records
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health authorities are using patient-held child records.
Mr. Bowis : Information from the British Paediatric Association, which has produced a model personal child
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health record, shows that currently 101 health authorities or national health service trusts are contracting for copies of the record. On the basis of the information from the BPA we estimate that the proportion of children issued with personal child health records has increased by about 25 per cent. in the last year.Ethnic Minority Staff
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what specific policies or mechanisms were implemented as part of the programme of action for ethnic minority staff in the national health service launched on 10 December 1993.
Dr. Mawhinney : The programme of action is for national health service trusts and health authorities to implement locally.
Infertility Treatment
Mr. Hoyle : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is the provision for (a) infertility investigation and (b) infertility treatment in the North West regional health authority ; (2) what discussions have been held between the North West regional health authority and her Department as to the most cost-effective means of providing for infertility investigation and treatment in its area.
Mr. Sackville : For the information requested about infertility investigation and treatment in the North West region the hon. Member may wish to contact Sir Donald Wilson, chairman of the North West regional health authority.
There have been no discussions on this matter between the North West regional health authority and the Department. The national health service provides a wide range of treatments for subfertility. I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave the hon. Member for Birmingham, Northfield (Mr. Burden) on 18 May, Official Report, column 520.
Ministerial Visits
Mr. Evennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to visit Queen Mary's hospital, Sidcup and Erith and district hospital, Erith.
Mr. Sackville : Ministers have no current plans to visit Queen Mary's Sidcup Hospital national health service trust.
Press and Public Relations
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for Wentworth (Mr. Hardy) of 2 March, Official Report, column 763, how many press releases were issued by NHS trusts in each of the last three years ; and if she will list those trusts with a named press officer or contact on those releases.
Mr. Sackville : This information is not available centrally.
Psychiatric Beds
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many private psychiatric hospital beds there were for each year since 1979 ; and how many of those beds were for children.
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Mr. Bowis : The number of psychiatric beds in private hospitals, homes and clinics registered under section 23 of the Registered Homes Act 1984 is shown in the table for the years 1982 to 1992-93. On average, fewer than 100 beds per year are allocated specifically to children.
|Number
----------------------
1982 |1,994
1983 |2,394
1984 |2,176
1985 |2,340
1986 |3,165
1987-88 |4,507
1988-89 |5,864
1989-90 |7,693
1990-91 |10,722
1991-92 |12,653
1992-93 |16,946
The bulk of this
growth is to cater
for the needs of
elderly mentally ill
people.
Source: 1982-86
SBH212 returns.
1987-88 to 1992-93
KO36 return.
Information not
available prior to
1982.
Social Services
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the cost of redundancy payments for local authority social services departments, by authority, for the last financial year.
Mr. Bowis : Returns from social services departments do not separately identify such payments.
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the amount spent on consultants' fees by social services departments during the last financial year, by authority.
Mr. Bowis : Returns from social services departments do not separately identify consultants' fees.
Hospital Beds
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what annual rate of reduction in hospital beds she has assumed for the next eight years ; and what assessment she has made of the likely impact of such reductions on patient care.
Mr. Sackville : I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him and the hon. Member for Bristol, South (Ms Primarolo) on 28 June, Official Report , column 536 . We have made no such assumptions. The disposition and number of hospital beds is a matter for local determination. However, we confidently expect that future developments in medical science and technology and in clinical practice will enable an increasing number of patients to be treated as day cases or in their own homes, leading to reductions in the number of hospital beds required, continuing the trend in evidence since 1960.
Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the future of the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting.
Mr. Sackville : The council's role is determined by the Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors Acts of 1979 and
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1992. It was reconstituted on 1 April 1993 so as to be directly accountable to the professions that it represents. We have no plans at present to change these arrangements.Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what meetings and communications she has had with officials of the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting in the last three months.
Mr. Sackville : My noble Friend Baroness Cumberlege, the Under- Secretary of State for Health, met the president of the council on 19 April to discuss its proposals for post-registration education and practice, and officials maintain regular contact with the council on a range of issues.
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will indicate her responsibilities in relation to the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting.
Mr. Sackville : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is responsible for appointing one third of the council's members and for making orders relating to its constitution and statutory functions.
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to set up an inquiry into the running and function of the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting.
Mr. Sackville : None. It is for the council to determine its methods of working.
NHS Trusts
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list, for each NHS trust in the former Northern region, those chairmen and non-executive directors who live outside the boundaries of the district health authority in which that trust is situated.
Dr. Mawhinney [holding answer 28 June 1994] : Some 151 or 77 per cent. of the 197 chairmen and non-executive directors appointed to national health service trusts within the former Northern region live within the boundaries of the district health authority in which that trust is situated. The names of the appointees who live outside the relevant district health authority boundaries are :
Cheviot and Wansbeck NHS Trust
Miss C. E. Thompson
City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Trust
Mrs. R. M. Blacklock
Mrs. A. M. Mason
Mr. E. Timmins
Cleveland Ambulance NHS Trust
Mr. T. Weastell
Ms S. Bush
Community Healthcare, North Durham NHS Trust
Mr. J. B. Williams
Darlington Memorial Hospital NHS Trust
Mrs. C. E. Griffen
Durham County Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Mr. D. D'Arcy
Gateshead Healthcare NHS Trust
Mr. P. Smith
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Ms P. RemfreyMr. D. Mitford
Gateshead Hospitals NHS Trust
Mr. C. N. Morton
Mrs. N. E. Cookson
Mrs. A. S. Cooper
Mr. D. Irwin
Miss M. Davies
Hartlepool Community Care NHS Trust
Mr. T. A. Lough
Newcastle City Health NHS Trust
Lady S. Irvine
Sir B. Tomlinson
Mrs. D. M. Jenkins
North Durham Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
Mr. C. P. Douglas
Mr. D. F. Henlet
Mr. G. W. Hook
Ms A. Cottman
Northgate and Prudhoe NHS Trust
Professor J. Rear
Northumberland Mental Health NHS Trust
Mrs. J. Turner
Northumbria Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Mrs. S. E. Craig
Priority Healthcare Wearside NHS Trust
Mr. J. L. Mills
Mr. K. Parkinson
Royal Victoria Infirmary and Hexham NHS Trust
Mrs. A. G. Galbraith
Mrs. S. Wilson
Miss A. Willis
Mrs. K. Brunton
Mr. P. Stoddart
South Durham Healthcare NHS Trust
Mr. J. V. Parsons
Mr. R. J. Winter
South Tees Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
Mr. D. Collier
South Tees Community and Mental Health NHS Trust
Dr. S. Miller
Mr. J. F. Wilson
South Tyneside Healthcare NHS Trust
Mrs. F. M. Walker
Mr. M. C. Wright
South West Durham Mental Health NHS Trust
Mr. P. Briggs
Mr. D. Bright
Mr. N. T. Hart
Westmorland Hospitals NHS Trust
Mr. G. A. Turnbull
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