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of blocks in the 16th round is that of perceived prospectivity. Applications for the 16th round are required by noon on 22 March, while nominations for the 17th round are required by 8 March 1995. Except for the west of Shetlands blocks, I expect to announce licence awards for the 16th round during the summer, and the blocks nominated under the 17th round shortly after the March deadline.I will publish tomorrow in the London Gazette and on Friday in the Edinburgh Gazette and the Belfast Gazette, a formal announcement giving the detailed financial terms for the 16th round, including the format of applications, the information required and the basis on which awards will be made. I will place in the Libraries of both Houses copies of that announcement.
HEALTH
Homicides Inquiry
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether discussions have taken place between the confidential inquiry into homicides by mentally ill people and her Department to ensure that professionals in the health and social services are better informed about the inquiry's work.
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy that her Department or the confidential inquiry into homicides by mentally ill people should summarise and publish annually the findings and recommendations of independent inquiries into homicides by people with a psychiatric illness.
Mr. Bowis: No. Decisions about the publication of the findings and recommendations of an independent inquiry into a homicide by a mentally ill person are taken by the health authority or social services authority which commissioned the inquiry. Departmental guidance in circular HSG(94)27, copies of which are available in the Library, makes it clear that an undertaking should be given at the start of the inquiry that its main findings will be made available to interested parties.
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish the questionnaire sent to consultant psychiatrists by the confidential inquiry into homicides by mentally ill people.
Mr. Bowis: I understand that the questionannaire will be included in the confidential inquiry's substantive report on homicides and suicides, to be published in 1995.
Blood Transfusion Centres
Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration she has given to (a) transportation time and motorway congestion, (b) the future for local blood transfusion centres donor registries and (c) the working relationship between blood transfusion centres and local hospitals and community groups of blood donors when restructuring the blood transfusion centres.
Mr. Sackville: Those matters are the responsibility of the National Blood Authority, which was set up to manage the blood service. I understand that all these
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issues were carefully considered by officials at the National Blood Authority in the process of drawing up their proposals.Orthodontic Treatment
Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health are the waiting times for specialist orthodontic treatment in west Oxfordshire.
Mr. Malone: Information on waiting times by specialty, district health authority and national health service trust is given in "Hospital Waiting List Statistics: England", copies of which are available in the Library.
Private Patient Facilities
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much income has been generated by NHS hospitals, private patient facilities in each of the last five years, by region.
Mr. Sackville: I refer to the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Bristol, South (Ms Primarolo) on 31 January, Official Report , columns 533 34 , for the latest available information.
NHS Travel Costs
Mr. Fatchett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total travel costs for NHS staff between Leeds and London in 1993 94.
Mr. Sackville: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Darlington (Mr Milburn) on 21 July, Official Report , column 608 .
Regional Headquarters
Mr. Fatchett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her estimate of the total employment cost of relocating regional headquarter staff to Durham.
Mr. Malone: Relocation costs, excess travel expenses and additional redundancy costs resulting from the relocation of the regional headquarters to Durham are estimated to total £694,875 over 10 years. The relocation is expected to yield an annual saving on staff business travel of approximately £90,000 per year. In addition, the running costs of accommodation will be reduced by £438,000 per year, compared with the current two sites, and the reduction in staff numbers to around 135 will save £4.7 million a year in employment costs.
Mr. Fatchett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the capital expenditure on the northern regional headquarters in Newcastle in each of the last five financial years.
Mr. Sackville: This information is not available centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. John Greetham CBE, chairman of Northern and Yorkshire regional health authority, for details.
Mr. Fatchett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was (a) the total cost of relocating staff to Quarry house, Leeds and (b) the total cost of relocation.
Mr. Sackville: The total cost of relocating national health service executive and NHS Estates staff to Leeds was £11.76 million. The total cost of relocation was £74.02 million.
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Mr. Fatchett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the estimated employment costs of reducing 200 jobs at Quarry house, Leeds.
Mr. Sackville: Costs will depend on the level of staff turnover over the next two and a half years and on the number and characteristics--age, grade, length of service--of staff who volunteer to take early retirement or early severance. They will be more than offset by the resulting savings.
Mr. Fatchett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate her Department has made of the likely costs of the new regional head office in Durham; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Malone: The precise cost of a new office in Durham for Northern and Yorkshire regional health authority is currently under negotiation. The regional health authority expects this to be more than offset by the sale of the existing headquarters building in Harrogate.
Open Government
Mr. Rooker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the charging policy of her Department and the agencies for which she is responsible in respect of inquiries under the code of practice on access to Government.
Mr. Sackville: No charge has been made so far for requests under the code of practice. Where a charge is made, this will be currently based on the formula of one hour free and £20 per hour thereafter. People will be given an estimate before work begins. They can ask for this to be reviewed. They can also complain about charges to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration. We have aimed to strike a reasonable balance between the interests of taxpayers and the interests of people seeking information under the code of practice.
The Medical Devices Agency, NHS Estates and the NHS Pensions Agency have the same policy. The Medicines Control Agency is currently considering its arrangements for charging.
Air Pollution
Mr. Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to make public the recent report by the Committee on Medical Aspects of Air Pollution Episodes; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Sackville: A report covering the work of the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants and the advisory group on the medical aspects of air pollutions episodes is to be published in December.
Salmonella
Mr. Rooker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the incidence of salmonella in each county in the latest year for which figures are available.
Mr. Sackville: Information is not available in the form requested.
For information on the number of cases of reported salmonellosis by national health service region in England and Wales for 1992 and 1993, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, Central (Mr. Cousins) on 25 April, Official Report columns, 61 64.
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In 1992 there were 31,355 cases of human salmonellosis confirmed by the Public Health Laboratory Service and in 1993, 30,653. This represents a decrease of over 2 per cent. Figures to September 1994 compared to the same period in 1993 show a further decrease of nearly 3 per cent. Figures for 1993 and 1994 are provisional.Deaths
Mr. Rooker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what figures she has on the numbers of deaths from suicide and undetermined injury in each county among (a) men and (b) women in each of the past 10 years.
Mr. Bowis: This information will be placed in the Library.
Tranquillisers
Mr. Rooker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what figures are available on the incidence of tranquilliser prescribing among (a) men, and (b) women in each county in each of the past 10 years.
Mr. Malone: This information is not available centrally.
Herbal Remedies
Mr. Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health upon what basis she established her policy that herbal remedies are manufactured other than by an industrial process; upon what legal arguments she reached the conclusion that such a policy would protect the continued availability of herbal remedies; what assessment she has made of legal protection which would prevent future court decisions, both domestic and European, or future European directives from establishing a definition for the term industrial process which threatened the continued availability of such products; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Sackville: European Community legislation requires herbal medicines to be licensed if they are industrially produced. Certain herbal medicines, which are currently exempt from product licensing requirements under section 12 of the Medicines Act 1968, are produced by a number of traditional processes. While courts of law are independent bodies, whose decisions cannot be fully predicted, we have concluded that the traditional processes in question fall outside the meaning of "industrially produced". The position of herbal medicines in the United Kingdom is therefore safeguarded under EC law.
We will continue to work with other EC member states and the European Commission to ensure that herbal medicines remain available to the many people in the Community who use them and to maintain existing public health safeguards.
Patient Lists
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish the number of patients removed from general practitioners' lists in 1992 93 and 1993 94, by family health service authority.
Mr. Malone: I refer the hon. member to the reply I gave him on 3 November, Official Report , column 1269 .
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what statistical information her Department maintains
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about the reasons for patients being removed from general practitioners' lists.Mr. Malone: We maintain statistical information under the following headings:
Patients who opt to register with another doctor
Bulk transfers on resignation or death of doctor
Patients who die or emigrate
Patients removed at request of doctor
Other causes
Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultation she has had with the World Health Organisation concerning the acceptance or rejection of the term Munchausen's syndrome by proxy to refer to induced illness, fabricated illness stories in children, non-accidental injury to children or suffocation of children by parents.
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultations she has had in relation to medical research work carried out in Cardiff and Leeds studying information provided by the British paediatric surveillance unit on the epidemiology of induced illness and fabricated illness stories of children; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Bowis: The Department is contributing to the funding of this study of incidence and outcome of Munchausen syndrome by proxy which is due for completion in September 1995.
Health Authorities (Staff)
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many managers and administrative staff were employed by each regional health authority in 1993 94.
Mr. Malone: The information is shown in the table. Figures given here for Northern, Yorkshire and South Western regional health authorities differ from those given in the Official Report, 24 October, column 452. A processing error, now corrected, affected the earlier figures.
Administrative and clerical staff and general and senior managers
within regional health authority headquarters or headquarters
units-30 September 1993
Whole-time |Administrative and|General and Senior
equivalents |Clerical |Managers
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern |210 |60
Yorkshire |380 |190
Trent |300 |90
East Anglian |480 |70
North West Thames |380 |<1>-
North East Thames |320 |170
South East Thames |310 |110
South West Thames |410 |110
Wessex |260 |120
Oxford |500 |150
South Western |490 |70
West Midlands |340 |70
Mersey |300 |60
North Western |650 |130
Total |5,330 |1,400
<1> An estimated 90 managers in North West Thames RHA HQ are employed on
administrative and clerical terms and conditions, and are therefore
classified as administrative and clerical staff.
Note:
<1> Figures are rounded to the nearest ten.
Teaching and Research
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will announce the outcome of her Department's analysis of hospital costs associated with teaching and research; and how she intends to bring about the separation of the research element of service increment for teaching and research recommended in the Culyer report.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley: A statistical analysis of hospital costs found that national health service spending in association with teaching and research is higher than the service increment for teaching and research. The excess costs which SIFTR does not cover are in general indirectly funded through contracts for health care. To address this, in 1995 96, as an interim measure, the SIFTR allocation will be increased by £40 million in 1995 96 by transferring funds from the purchasers of hospitals receiving SIFTR. I have also said that I will look sympathetically at ring-fencing more money in subsequent financial years to help build up the new funding system for research.
For 1995 96, the whole SIFTR amount will be allocated on the same principles as in 1994 95. The increased allocation will enable hospitals receiving SIFTR to reduce their contract prices for health care, while overall levels of activity remain the same. That will help put teaching and research hospitals on a level playing field with other hospitals and help purchasers make sound decisions about the use of their funds.
The analysis of hospitals costs did not find a convincing basis for separating the NHS costs associated with teaching and research by statistical methods. Previous studies have suggested the research element is about 25 per cent. From 1995 96, the NHS costs associated with teaching and research in England will nationally be attributed 75 per cent. to teaching and 25 per cent. to research.
The separation of the research element of SIFTR helps prepare the way for an improved system for supporting research in the NHS. When the Culyer report was published in September, I welcomed the proposal for a single funding stream for research--one of Culyer's key recommendations. This means that it would be possible to target more precisely the money available for research to support high-quality projects.
We are working in partnership with the universities, the research councils, charities and other organisations which support research in the NHS to take this forward. Work is in hand on the future arrangements for allocating funds and contracting for NHS support and facilities for undergraduate teaching.
Family Health Services Appeals Unit
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has for the family health services appeals unit.
Mr. Malone: Arrangements are to be made for a special health authority to be created to undertake the functions of the family health services appeals unit. Further details of the unit's location and new members will be announced in due course.
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PRIME MINISTER
Christmas Expenditure
Mr. Bayley: To ask the Prime Minister how much public money will be spent on entertaining, Christmas decorations and other festive activities this Christmas season by his Office and Government agencies answerable to his Office; and of this sum how much will be spent in his private office and official residences including No.10 Downing street and Chequers.
The Prime Minister: Disaggregated information of this nature is not available. However, entertainment figures for my office are included in the running costs figures which appear in the Government's Expenditure Plans 1994 95 to 1996 97 for the Cabinet Office (Cmd. 2518), a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
Mr. Bayley: To ask the Prime Minister how many official Christmas cards he intends to send in 1994; how much these cards will cost (a) to buy, (b) to post and (c) in staff time to sign, address and place in envelopes; and if he will place in the Library a sample copy of the official Christmas card he intends to send this year.
The Prime Minister: The information as requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost. It is not my intention to place a sample Christmas card in the Library.
Al-Yamamah Military Sales Agreement
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister if he will examine the allegations made in a document, a copy of which has been sent to him, on the use to which commissions paid in respect to the Al-Yamamah military sales agreement with Saudi Arabia were put.
The Prime Minister: I have nothing further to add to the letter I sent to the hon. Member on 15 November, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.
Lockerbie
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Prime Minister what recent evidence he has received on Libya's responsibility for the Lockerbie crime; and if he will now seek to remove United Nations sanctions against Libya.
The Prime Minister: We have received no recent evidence on Libya's involvement in the Lockerbie bombing. My right hon. and learned Friend, the Lord Advocate, continues to believe that the evidence supports the charges against the two accused, who are Libyan nationals. In order for sanctions against Libya to be lifted, the Libyan Government must first comply in full with the United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Engagements
Sir Peter Tapsell: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 22 November.
Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 22 November.
The Prime Minister: This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House, I shall be having further meetings later today.
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Cabinet Committees
Sir Norman Fowler: To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish an updated list of the ministerial Committees of the Cabinet.
The Prime Minister: An updated list of the ministerial committees of the cabinet, giving their composition and terms of reference, is given below. Copies of this list are available in the Library of the House.
Ministerial Committee on Economic and Domestic Policy (EDP) Composition
Prime Minister (chairman)
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Secretary of State for the Home Department
President of the Board of Trade
Lord President of the Council
Secretary of State for the Environment
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Secretary of State for Scotland
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Secretary of State for Employment
Secretary of State for Wales
Chief Secretary, Treasury
Minister without Portfolio
Other Ministers are invited to attend for items in which they have a departmental interest.
Terms of reference
"To consider strategic issues relating to the Government's economic and domestic policies"
Ministerial Committee on Science and Technology (EDS)
Composition
Prime Minister (chairman)
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs President of the Board of Trade
Secretary of State for Defence
Secretary of State for the Environment
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Secretary of State for Scotland
Secretary of State for Health
Secretary of State for Education
Secretary of State for Transport
Chief Secretary, Treasury
The Chief Scientific Adviser is in attendance. The Minister without Portfolio also receives papers.
Terms of reference
"To review science and technology policy".
Ministerial Committee on Defence and Overseas Policy (OPD) Composition
Prime Minister (chairman)
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Chancellor of the Exchequer
President of the Board of Trade
Secretary of State for Defence
Attorney General
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and the Lord Privy Seal also receive papers and may be invited to attend as necessary. The Chief of Defence Staff will attend as required, as will the Chiefs of Staff when necessary.
Terms of reference
"To keep under review the Government's Defence and Overseas policy."
Ministerial Committee on Hong Kong and Other Dependent Territories (OPDK)
Composition
Prime Minister (chairman)
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Chancellor of the Exchequer
Secretary of State for the Home Department
President of the Board of Trade
Secretary of State for Defence
Lord President of the Council
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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