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Mr. Soames: The Military Survey defence agency key targets for 1994 95 are:
1. To meet 100 per cent. of operational requirements for geographic support to the required standard and on time.
2. To achieve an operational evaluation (Opeval) status of "substantially effective" and to improve the Opeval concept by developing new Opeval criteria including two operational scenarios 3. To meet the agreed production programme, to the extent to which operational requirements allow, which is quantified as: a. Originate or revise 275 maps and charts equating to 10,610 work units.
b. Produce 763 digital products equating to 2,506 work units. Note: One work unit equates to five man days of effort. 4. To achieve an efficiency target of at least 3.9 per cent. 5. To operate within 3 per cent. of the £53,708,000 budget, subject to in-year management direction.
Although these targets are similar to those set last year, the way in which production targets have been set has been refined. The move to work units as the measure of performance recognises that no two products are the same with equal effort required.
The agency performed well against last year's targets although the increase in support to operations lead to some production targets
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not being fully met. A copy of the agency's annual report will be placed in the Library of the House shortly.AWE Aldermaston
Mr. Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the oral statement of the Minister of State for Defence Procurement of 18 October, Official Report , column 240, when he expects AWE Aldermaston to obtain a safety licence.
Mr. Freeman [holding answer 1 November 1994]: Experience in the civil sector suggests that preparations for licensing, including the production of prescribed documentation for assessment by the nuclear installations inspectorate, takes some time. The picture in respect of the AWE will become clearer during the discussions with the regulatory bodies to which I referred during the defence debate on 18 October 1994, Official Report , column 240, and which are now in progress. I expect to be able to give an indication of the likely timescale before Easter next year.
HEALTH
Abortions
Ms Primarolo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if general practitioner fundholders can use their funds to purchase abortions for their patients.
Mr. Malone: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has recently announced that the fundholding scheme will be expanded from April 1996. Details are set out in an executive letter of 20 October 1994, a copy of which has been laid in the Library. In brief, there will be three new options: community fundholding, for those practices with a minimum list size of £3,000 patients; standard fundholding, an enlarged version of the current scheme, for which the list size requirement will be reduced to £5,000 patients; and total purchasing, where larger groups of practices will pilot the purchasing of all hospital and community health services. As part of this expansion, terminations of pregnancy will be included within standard fundholding from April 1996. Guidance will make it clear that, where a general practitioner has ethical objections to purchasing terminations of pregnancy, arrangements will be made for patients to have access to these services either through another GP fundholder or through services purchased by the district health authority.
Mr. Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions were linked to rubella last year and 10 years ago.
Mr. Sackville: In 1982 in England and Wales there were 226 legal abortions associated with rubella, compared with only 12 in 1992--a reduction of 95 per cent.
Mr. Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she has on the risk of developing breast cancer for women who have had abortions; and what assessment her Department has made of Canadian research on the links between abortion and breast cancer.
Mr. Sackville.: We have no information on such risks. We await the full findings of the Canadian research with interest.
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Psychiatric Beds
Ms Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the national guidance to purchasers on levels for bed occupancy for acute beds and for psychiatric beds.
Mr. Sackville: We do not issue guidance on bed occupancy levels.
Supervision Registers
Ms Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health authorities had set up supervision registers as at 1 October.
Mr. Bowis: Early reports indicate that supervision registers were in place in the large majority of health districts by 1 October. They were well on the way to being in place in most of the remainder. The national health service executive is taking action to ensure that the guidance HSG(94)5, on supervision registers is fully implemented in all health districts as soon as possible. Copies of the guidance are available in the Library.
Open House Hospice
Miss. Lestor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what grounds the funding commitment for the Open House hospice in Manchester, for people with HIV and AIDS, was reduced in October 1993 from the figure announced in March 1993; and on what grounds no money for the hospice has yet been released by the North Western region health authority.
Mr. Sackville: The initial sum was approved in principle on the assumption that a full independent assessment of the need for palliative care across the region had been carried out, and that the need for an HIV specific hospice had been established. As this was not the case, a sum of £750,000 has been allocated to North Western region to carry out a thorough assessment of palliative care for all client groups in the region and to implement the report's recommendations.
My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State will write in more detail to the hon. Member about this matter and a copy of her letter will be placed in the Library.
Day Nurseries
Mr. Robert Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress she has made in reviewing the system of regulation for day nurseries.
Mr. Bowis: The Department monitors the Children Act through the social services inspectorate. In January 1993 we issued a circular LAC(93)1 to clarify existing guidance on the registration of day care facilities, including nurseries. Copies of the circular are available in the Library.
Special Transitional Grant
Mr. Cann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans there are to reflect the special needs of elderly people in respect of community care in the next year's special transitional grant for social service authorities.
Mr. Bowis: An announcement on next year's grant will be made in due course.
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Burnley NHS Healthcare Trust
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will investigate and make public the circumstances at Burnley NHS Healthcare trust in which the chief executive and chairman each called for the other's resignation.
Mr. Sackville: I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave the hon. Member for Burnley (Mr. Pike) on 1 November. The chief executive resigned on 28 October.
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what qualities she took into account in deciding to appoint Mr. James Rawson as chairman of Burnley NHS Healthcare trust.
Mr. Sackville: Mr. Rawson was re-appointed as chairman of Burnley NHS Healthcare trust from 1 December 1993 following his performance as chairman of the trust between 1 December 1991 and 31 November 1993.
Growth Hormone
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what are the responsibilities of fundholding general practitioners for the payment of the cost of growth hormone treatment for their patients; (2) if she will make a statement on the division of
responsibilities for the prescribing of growth hormone treatment between the prescribing hospital and the patient's general practitioner.
Mr. Malone: As for all drug therapies, the responsibility for prescribing for a particular patient rests with the doctor who has clinical responsibility for that aspect of the patient's care. This applies irrespective of whether the general practitioner is fundholding or not. This is clearly set out in guidance to the NHS, EL(91)127, copies of which are available in the Library.
Hepatitis and Dysentery
Ms Gordon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the percentage change in the number of cases of (a) hepatitis and (b) dysentery since the privatisation of the water authorities.
Mr. Sackville: The data provided are for notification--England and Wales--to the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys of dysentery and hepatitis A, the form of viral hepatitis most likely to be transmitted by water, between 1988 and 1993. The data for 1993 are provisional. These notifications may be made before the diagnosis is firmly established. Notifications are therefore subject to withdrawal or amendment.
|Per cent. |Per cent.
Year |Dysentery |change |Hepatitis A|change
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1988 |3,692 |- |3,190 |-
1989 |3,278 |-11 |5,278 |+65
1990 |2,756 |-16 |7,316 |+39
1991 |9,935 |+260 |7,430 |+2
1992 |16,960 |+71 |7,856 |+6
1993 |6,837 |-60 |4,457 |-43
Dysentery and viral hepatitis both show a periodicity in their incidence with natural peaks and troughs every eight to 10 years. The most recent peaks in the annual incidence of dysentery were seen in 1984 and 1992 and the most
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recent peaks in the annual incidence of hepatitis A were seen in 1982 and 1992.Ms Gordon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what study she has commissioned regarding any correlation between the number of dysentery cases and the price of water;
(2) what study she has commissioned into any correlation between the number of hepatitis cases and the price of water.
Road Traffic Accidents
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the income received from the Road Traffic Act 1988 charges for treatment of road traffic accident victims in each region in each of the last five years for which figures have been kept.
Mr. Sackville: The information requested has been placed in the Library.
Asthma
Ms Gordon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of asthma in children under five years were recorded in each year since 1979.
Mr. Sackville: Numbers of hospital in-patient cases of children suffering from asthma are available from hospital episode statistics for the years shown in the table. Figures for earlier years are not available.
0-4 age group,
Finished consultant
episodes-England
|Number
----------------------
1988-89 |38,759
1989-90 |32,676
1990-91 |32,343
1991-92 |32,177
Source:
Hospital Episode
Statistics.
Blood Transfusion Service
Mr. Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration is being given to donor convenience and the views of doctors and hospitals in the current review of the blood transfusion service.
Mr. Sackville: Donors' interests are a key feature in the national blood authority's proposals. Under the proposals, blood collection would be readily accessible to donors. Mobile teams would go out to donors in all areas whether the centres are amalgamated or not. The national blood authority's proposals are the result of a strategic review which included the views of doctors and hospitals. The authority is consulting with hospitals locally and drawing up a detailed plan to cover all their requirements. Views have also been sought from various bodies representing the medical profession. The National Blood Authority is undertaking a national consultation on its proposals. The results will be carefully considered before decisions are made.
Mr. Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much blood is currently held at the blood transfusion centre, Liverpool; what capacity it has for the storage of blood; and what capacity for storing blood exists in the hospitals served by the centre.
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Mr. Sackville: The blood stock held at the Liverpool blood transfusion centre varies from day to day. The centre can comfortably hold between 3,500 and 4,000 units. Figures are not available centrally for blood storage capacity in the hospitals served by the centre. The proposals to reorganise the national blood service include improved blood stockholding units so that all hospitals, including those in Liverpool, have easy access to supplies.
Food Poisoning
Dr. Strang: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the latest figures available for the current year for the number of reported cases of human salmonellosis in England and Wales.
Mr. Sackville: Data on salmonella infections in humans are published in the "Communicable Disease Report", copies of which are available in the Library.
There was a decrease of 2.8 per cent. in the figures recorded for January to September 1994 compared with the same period in 1993.
Dr. Strang: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total number of food poisoning notifications to the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys for 1993 up the nearest available date to 7 October.
Mr. Sackville: Up to 7 October 1993 there were 56,428 notifications.
Figures for 1993 are provisional. These notifications may be made before the diagnosis is firmly established and are therefore subject to withdrawal or amendment.
Glaucoma
Mr. Galbraith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new patients with glaucoma were referred to out-patient departments for each year from 1985 until the latest for which current figures are available.
Mr. Sackville: This information is not collected by medical condition.
Camden and Islington Health Authority
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many fundholding general practitioner practices there are in Camden and Islington health authority area; what proportion of the lists they cover; and for what proportions of hospital admissions they are responsible.
Mr. Malone: There are two general practitioner fundholding practices in Camden and Islington serving 6 per cent. of the population. The information requested on the proportion of hospital admissions is not currently available.
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussion she has had with the Camden and Islington health authority concerning its level of financial resources in the current financial year.
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action she is proposing to take to restore non-emergency health services to the people of Islington; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Sackville: This is a matter for the Camden and Islington health authority and the hon. Member may wish to contact the chairman, Mr. Roland Everington, for details.
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Public Appointments
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the names of the members of chairs of (a) the NHS supplies authority and (b) the Bromley health authority on 1 April.
Mr. Malone [pursuant to his reply 21 April 1994,c. 668]: I regret that potentially misleading information was given in the previous reply concerning the membership of the National Health Service Supplies Authority. The reply stated that there is no statutory bar to the appointment of chairman and members of other health authorities to the NHS Supplies Authority. The reply omitted to state that the regulations governing NHS trusts do not allow individuals to be appointed to NHS trusts if they are members of the NHS Supplies Authority. One of those listed in the reply, Mr. Frederick Hoult, was chairman of the Freeman Group of Hospitals NHS trust, and has subsequently been found to have become technically disqualified from his trust appointment when he was appointed to the NHS Supplies Authority on 1 October 1991.
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, FHSA, NHS trusts, shadow NHS trusts and other NHS authorities which 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.
Mr. Malone [pursuant to his reply 25 April 1994,c. 68 69]: I regret that potentially misleading information was provided in the previous reply. The reply included a list of dual national health service appointments which included five cases which have subsequently been found to be invalid. The reply also stated that appointees to other NHS bodies are permitted to be appointed as members of the NHS Supplies Authority and the Mental Health Act Commission. This was accurate in relation to some NHS bodies but did not reflect the position for NHS trusts, whose chairmen and non-executive directors may not be appointed to special health authorities.
Corrective action has been taken and 11 individuals whose appointments were invalid now hold only valid appointments. These individuals are listed as follows. The posts in which individuals continue are marked with an asterisk:
Mr. Frederick Hoult: Chairman of the Freeman Group of Hospitals NHS Trust, and 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 (Miss Linton resumed as a non-executive director of the Trust after her term at the Mental Health Act Commission ended on 31 October 1994).
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*. (Professor Murphy will resume as
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non-executive director of the Trust after her present term at the Mental Health Act Commission ends on 30 November 1994).Ms Rosalie Szasz: Non-executive member of Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster FHSA*, and member of the Dental Vocational Training Authority.
Mr. Brian Westbury: Non-executive member of Redbridge and Waltham Forest FHSA*, and member of the Dental Vocational Training Authority.
Mr. John Mooney: Non-executive member of Bury FHSA*, and member of the Dental Vocational Training Authority.
Mr. Julian Bedford: Non-executive member of North Yorkshire FHSA*, and member of the Dental Vocational Training Authority. Mr. John Renshaw: Non- executive member of North Yorkshire DHA*, and member of the Dental Vocational Training Authority.
Professor Alasdair Geddes: Non-executive member of North Birmingham DHA, and member of the Health Education Authority*.
NHS Trusts
Mr. Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list, for each NHS trust within the North Nottinghamshire and Nottingham district health authority areas, those non-executive directors who live (a) within and (b) outside the boundaries of each district health authority.
Mr. Malone [pursuant to his reply, 25 May 1994,c. 214 15]: I regret that there were errors in the previous reply.
I have today placed in the Library a revised list of those chairmen and non -executive directors of national health service trusts who live outside the boundaries of the health authority in which their trust is situated.
Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will list, for each NHS trust within the Sheffield district health authority area, those chairmen and non-executive directors who live (a) within and (b) outside the Sheffield district health authority boundary;
(2) pursuant to her answer of 16 May, Official Report , column 324 , if she will list, for each NHS trust in the Trent region, those chairmen and non- executive directors who live outside the boundaries of the district health authority area within which that trust is situated;
(3) 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;
(4) if she will list, for each NHS trust in the former East Anglian region, those chairmen and non-executive directors who live outside the boundaries of the district health authority in which that trust is situated;
(5) if she will list, for each NHS trust in the former Mersey region, those chairmen and non-executive directors who live outside the boundaries of the district health authority in which that trust is situated;
(6) if she will list, for each NHS trust in the former Wessex region, those chairmen and non-executive directors who live outside the boundaries of the district health authority in which that trust is situated;
(7) if she will list for each NHS trust, in the former North Western region, those chairmen and non-executive directors who live outside the boundaries of the district health authority in which that trust is situated;
(8) if she will list for each NHS trust, in the former South Western region, those chairmen and non-executive
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directors who live outside the boundaries of the district health authority in which that trust is situated;(9) if she will list for each NHS trust in the West Midlands region, those chairmen and non-executive directors who live outside the boundaries of the district health authority in which that trust is situated;
(10) if she will list for each NHS trust in the former Oxford region, those chairmen and non-executive directors who live outside the boundaries of the district health authority in which that trust is situated;
(11) if she will list for each NHS trust in the former North West Thames region, those chairmen and non-executive directors who live outside the boundaries of the district health authority in which that trust is situated;
(12) if she will list for each NHS trust in the former South West Thames region, those chairmen and non-executive directors who live outside the boundaries of the district health authority in which that trust is situated;
(13) if she will list for each national health service trust in the former North East Thames region, those chairmen and non-executive directors who live outside the boundaries of the district health authority in which that trust is situated;
(14) if she will list for each national health service trust in the former Yorkshire region, those chairmen and non-executive directors who live outside the boundaries of the district health authority in which that trust is situated;
(15) if she will list, for each NHS trust in the former South East Thames region, those chairman and non-executive directors who live outside the boundaries of the district health authority in which that trust is situated.
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