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European Union
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many times he has been to European Union meetings to discuss matters appertaining to Wales in (a) 1993 and (b) 1994; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood: I attend European Union meetings when it is appropriate and in the interests of Wales that I should do so. In the past month, for example, I have addressed the board of directors of the European investment bank during their recent very successful visit to Wales. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, North (Mr. Jones) has also met Mr. Jacques Blanc, the President of the EC Committee of the Regions. I also expect to meet a number of the incoming Commissioners as soon as this can be arranged.
Acquired Rights Directive
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales following his letter dated 29 June to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy, (Mr. Llwyd), what further action he now proposes to amend section 44 of the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 following further consideration of European Court of Justice verdicts in relation to the acquired rights directive.
Mr. Redwood: The Government are considering what changes may be necessary to legislation on redundancy as a result of the European Court of Justice's rulings. It will not be necessary to amend section 44 of the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 if changes are made only to the legislation mentioned in subsection (1).
Training and Enterprise Councils
Mr. Ron Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to publish a league table of TEC performances in Wales, in the form of the Department of Employment's initiative in England.
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Mr. Redwood: The 1993 94 performance of the 82 TECs in England and Wales was published on 25 August 1994 in the form of inter-TEC comparisons, a copy of which was placed in the Library of the House.
Health (Administration Costs)
Mr. Ron Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the total spent by the family health services authorities on administration and the number of whole-time equivalents employed by the authorities in administration in the current financial year.
Mr. Redwood: The amounts that family health services authorities in Wales have been authorised to spend in 1994 95 and the average number of staff employed in 1993 94 are as follows:
4 FHSA |£000's |Staff (WTE) ---------------------------------------------------- Clwyd |1,386 |65 Dyfed |1,306 |58 Gwent |1,494 |87 Gwynedd |982 |51 Mid Glamorgan |1,917 |81 Powys |697 |30 South Glamorgan |1,629 |72 West Glamorgan |1,246 |56
Mr. Ron Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the total spent by the district health authorities on administration and the number of whole-time equivalents employed by the authorities in administration in the current financial year.
Mr. Redwood: The total spent by Welsh district health authorities on administration in the 1992 93 financial year--the latest year for which data is available--was £26.554 million.
As at 30 September 1994--the latest date for which data are available--a total of 3,014 WTE were employed by the authorities in administration. This does not include administration in hospitals or in other local centres.
Source:
Summarised accounts of health authorities in Wales.
NHS payroll system and associated information systems.
Mr. Ron Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give (a) the total spent by the NHS trusts on administration and (b) the total number employed in administration and management, in the current financial year.
Mr. Redwood: The information requested is as follows:
(a) the total spent by Pembrokshire NHS trust on administration in the 1992 93 financial year--the latest year for which data are available--was £1.785 million.
(b) as at 30 September 1994--the latest date for which data is available--a total of 5,341 whole-time equivalent staff were employed in administration and management in the 24 operational NHS trusts in Wales.
Source:
Pembrokeshire NHS trust annual accounts.
NHS payroll system and associated information systems.
Badgers
Mr. Roy Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many licences have been granted by his Department for interference with badger setts following the Badgers Act 1991 and the Protection of Badgers Act
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1992; and for which purpose listed in section 10 of the 1992 Act such licences were issued.Mr. Gwilym Jones: Fifty-eight such licenses have been issued: 12 for the prevention of serious damage, 39 in connection with agricultural or forestry operations, six for work associated with watercourses or drainage, and one for fox control purposes.
Environmentally Sensitive Areas
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many farmers in Ynys Mo n have (a) expressed an interest in the environmentally sensitive area scheme since it was launched (b) signed agreements under the scheme and (c) have already received payments under the scheme.
Mr. Gwilym Jones: The information is as follows:
(a) 344
(b) 81
(c) 18
Redberth-Sagerton Bypass
Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the cost of survey work for the proposed Redberth-Sagerton bypass in each year since 1972; and what is his best estimate of the cost in this and subsequent years.
Mr. Gwilym Jones: Expenditure on topographical and geotechnical work for the proposed A477 Sageston-Redbeth bypass was incurred as follows:
Year |£
---------------------------------
1971-72 |3,400
1972-73 |3,169
1988-89 |2,000
1989-90 |26,834
1990-91 |8,881
1991-92 |81,042
1992-93 |23,545
1993-94 |25,055
Total |<1>173,926
<1> Includes £58,369 for
contractors' work.
Estimated expenditure still to be incurred on such survey work is as follows:
Year |£
---------------------------------
1994-95 |120,000
1995-96 |8,000
Total |<1>128,000
<1> Includes estimate of £83,000
for contractors' work.
Departmental Staff
Mr. Ron Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the responsibilities that his Department has lost since (a) 1975 and (b) 1979; and if he will estimate the numbers of staff or part-time equivalent who used to undertake these responsibilities.
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Mr. Redwood [holding answer 22 November 1994]: The functions transferred from my Department since 1975 and the estimated numbers of associated staff are:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Derelict Land (1975) to the Welsh |Not available
development Agency
(2) Small Firms Service (1986) (to the WDA) |7
(3) Artificial Limb and Appliance Centre (1988) |52.5
(to WHCSA)
(4) Office of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector |74
(1992) (new Government Department
(5) Orbital Prosthetist Service (1993) (to ) |2
WHCSA
(6) Dental Services (1993) (to the Dental |8.5
Practice Board)
(7) Divisional Medical Office (1993) (to the |41.5
Benefits Agency)
Numbers 1 to 5 were transferred to other Welsh organisations. Numbers 6 to
7 were transferred to joint England and Wales bodies.
Mr. Ron Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the responsibilities that his Department has gained since (a) 1975 and (b) 1979; and if he will estimate the numbers of staff or part time equivalent used to administer these responsibilities.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 22 November 1994]: The functions that my Department has gained since 1975 and the estimated numbers of associated staff at the time are:
|Number of staff
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Industry-1975 |82
Ancient monuments-1978 |221
Further education policy, excluding
universities-1978 |24
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food-1978 |536
Regional development grant-1984 |78
Training, enterprise and education-1992 |67
The Secretary of State assumed responsibility for the Further and Higher Education Funding Councils in 1993; no additional staff are employed in the Welsh Office on these functions. Reform of the European Union's common agricultural policy has since 1992 generated substantial additional work for, and brought certain new responsibilities to, the Welsh Office's Agriculture Department. An estimated 90 staff are engaged on this work.
HEALTH
Herbal Medicines
Sir David Knox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she has concerning the extent to which herbal medicines are banned in each of the other member countries of the European community; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Sackville: Like the United Kingdom, other European Community member states restrict or ban the use of certain herbal ingredients which present potential safety concerns. We keep in close contact with other
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countries over safety issues and take action where necessary to protect public health.Sir David Knox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what form, when, through what procedures, and subject to what consent by the House she proposes to bring forward the proposed Medicines for Human Use (Marketing Authorisations, Pharmacovigilance and Related Matters) Regulations.
Mr. Sackville: We intend to lay the proposed regulations before the House shortly subject to resolving outstanding issues. The regulations will be subject to the negative resolution procedure.
Asthma
Ms Gordon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the number of asthma cases indicated in the 1991 92 national survey of morbidity in general practice for those aged (a) up to four years, (b) five to 14 years and (c) 15 to 24 years; and what were the 1981 82 figures.
Mr. Sackville: The 1991 92 data are not yet available.
1981-82: Patients consulting-rates per 1,000 persons at risk All ages |0-4 |5-14 |15-24 --------------------------------------------- 17.8 |26.0 |29.3 |16.6 Rates are based on the number of patients who consulted at least once during the year for asthma.
Mental Health Units
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the urgent review of the therapeutic suitability of mental health units within district general hospitals recommended by the mental health nursing review team is now under way.
Mr. Bowis: Copies of the report of the mental health nursing review team have been sent to all provider units. It is for them to ensure that the layout and working practices of their mental health units reflect the needs of patients. Copies of the report are available in the Library.
Child Abuse
Mr. Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if her Department will publish a code of practice or protocol covering the use of covert surveillance techniques in identifying the possible abuse of children.
Mr. Bowis: The Department has no proposals to do so. The Department has, however, commended to the chairmen of all area child protection committees the high level of inter-agency collaboration demonstrated by Staffordshire Child Protection Committee in the production of a joint working protocol on covert video surveillance in hospital. Copies of this will be placed in the Library.
NHS Trusts
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the turnover of each national health service trust in each year since its inception.
Mr. Sackville: I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 18 May at column 517 . The figures for 1992 93 have now been finalised. We expect information for 1993 94 to become available in December.
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Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will provide details of the surpluses or deficits recorded by each individual national health service trust in each year since inception.
Mr. Sackville: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 26 May at column 295 . The figures for 1992 93 have now been finalised.
Quangos
Mr. Sykes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which quangos her Department has abolished since 1979.
Mr. Sackville: A list of non-departmental public bodies abolished by the Department of Health and Social Security from 1980 1988, and by the Department of Health from 1989 1993 will be placed in the Library.
Mr. Sykes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many quangos her Department was responsible for
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(a) in 1979 and (b) in the latest year for which a number is available.Mr. Sackville: In 1979 the Department of Health and Social Security was responsible for 97 non-departmental public bodies. At 1 April 1993, the latest year for which data are available, the Department of Health was responsible for 50 non-departmental public bodies.
Emergency Hospital Admissions
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many emergency hospital admissions were made by region for each of the last five years.
Mr. Sackville: The table shows the number of non-elective admissions in the general and acute sector for each regional health authority in England, in total and as a percentage of all admissions for the last three years, from information collected by the National Health Service Executive. It is estimated that over 80 per cent. of non-elective admissions are emergencies.
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Non-elective admissions (general and acute) by region 1991-92 to 1993-94: England '000 finished consultant episodes
1991-92 1992-93 1993-94
Regional health |Per cent. |Per cent. |Per cent.
authority
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern |256 |47 |268 |47 |280 |48
Yorkshire |292 |48 |304 |48 |322 |49
Trent |333 |49 |348 |49 |368 |48
East Anglian |148 |49 |159 |49 |166 |48
North west Thames |212 |45 |234 |47 |236 |47
North east Thames |290 |49 |298 |49 |311 |50
South east Thames |253 |48 |262 |47 |275 |48
South west Thames |190 |46 |202 |48 |202 |49
Wessex |199 |45 |214 |46 |232 |46
Oxford |156 |48 |158 |46 |171 |46
South western |239 |47 |241 |45 |261 |46
West Midlands |382 |48 |394 |48 |414 |48
Mersey |210 |49 |218 |49 |242 |51
North western |337 |46 |344 |45 |360 |45
Special HAs |24 |22 |24 |21 |25 |21
England |3,521 |47 |3,668 |47 |3,865 |47
Acute Nursing Care
Mr. Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people over 60 years were recorded in the United Kingdom for each of the last 10 years as receiving acute nursing care in an NHS bed.
Mr. Bowis: This information is not available centrally.
Diethylstilboestrol
Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her policy on the establishing of a national register of women who have been exposed to diethylstilboestrol between 1945 and 1975.
Mr. Sackville: The Department has no plans to establish a national register.
Homicides Inquiry
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for health what steps she is taking to ensure that inquiries into homicides by mentally ill people, independent of the providers involved, are being set up in every such case as required by circular HSG (94) 27.
Mr. Bowis: The requirement to hold independent inquiries into homicides involving mentally ill people was re-emphasised in the draft guide to arrangements for
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inter-agency working for the care and protection of severely mentally ill people which was issued to the national health service and local authorities for consultation on 10 October. Copies will be placed in the Library. When information about a homicide involving a mentally ill person becomes known to the Department, the NHS Executive or social services inspectorate seeks confirmation from the relevant authorities that action will be taken in line with the requirements of circular HSG(94)27, copies of which are available in the Library.Mentally Ill Patients
Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the timetable for publication of the report by the social services inspectorate on the inspection of local authorities' arrangements to support mentally ill patients discharged from hospital.
Mr. Bowis: It is anticipated that the report will be published toward the end of the financial year.
Munchausen's Disease
Mr. Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of Munchausen's disease by proxy have been reported in the last year.
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Mr. Bowis: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Bristol, East (Ms Corston) on 24 February at column 353.
Hair Dyes
Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she has concerning the health risks associated with the use of hair dyes; and what advice is given by her Department.
Mr. Sackville: Materials which are not permitted in hair dyes are given in the Cosmetic Products (Safety) Regulations 1989 which give effect to the Cosmetics Directive 76/768/EC. The European Commission is advised on health risks associated with chemicals in hair dyes and other cosmetics by the cosmetics working party and the Scientific Committee on Cosmetology. The Department is represented on the former and other United Kingdom experts are members of the latter. The Department is not aware of any information to indicate that chemicals in hair dyes pose any significant risk to health. Materials used in hair dyes are currently under review with the intention of producing a positive list for inclusion in the directive.
Food Handlers
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how she intends to enforce the directive that requires all food handlers to be supervised and trained in food hygiene matters commensurate with their work activity; and what financial support is being provided to help industry meet any added costs of the proposals.
Mr. Sackville: Regulations to be laid in early 1995 will make clear that local authority food enforcement officers will enforce these and other food hygiene requirements. The Department has consulted on draft regulations, a draft revision to Food Safety Act Code of Practice No. 9 on food hygiene inspections, and a draft compliance cost assessment. The latter estimates costs arising from the requirement for food hygiene training, taking account of the fact that most food businesses already meet the requirement.
Anti-epileptic Drugs
Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment her Department has carried out of research carried out in (a) the United States of America and (b) countries of the European Union into possible side-effects in switching between branded and generic anti- epileptic drugs;
(2) what research her Department has commissioned into the side-effects of switching between branded and generic anti-epileptic drugs.
Mr. Sackville: Evidence relating to the bioequivalence of generic and brand named anti-epileptic products is assessed at the time of licensing. Before a generic product may be licensed in the Untied Kingdom the company wishing to market the product must provide evidence to the licensing authority to show that the product is bioequivalent to the corresponding brand leader. As some anti-epileptic drugs have a narrow therapeutic margin, particular attention is paid to the issue of equivalence with these drugs during the licensing process.
The Department has not commissioned any research into this issue. As with all medicines, the safety of
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anti-epileptic drugs on the market is monitored by the Medicines Control Agency. Relevant research concerning generic inequivalence is assessed as part of this process. Appropriate action would be taken if evidence came to light of clinically important side effects occurring on switching between branded and generic anti- epileptic drugs.Secure Accommodation
Mrs. Golding: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many young people in secure accommodation have been the subject of violence at the hands of other inmates in each year from 1989 to 1993.
Mr. Bowis: This information is not available centrally.
Psychotherapy Services
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects the current Departmental review of strategic policy on psychotherapy services to be completed; and if it will be published.
Mr. Bowis: The review is expected to be completed by April 1995 and a decision on publication will be made at that time.
Complementary Medicine
Mr. Jon Owen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the efficacy of self regulation of alternative and complementary healers; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Sackville: None. Professional self regulation, through either statutory or voluntary arrangements, is widely accepted as the basis for effective regulation of professions in the health care field.
Mr. Jon Owen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she has considered implementing a national register of therapists offering alternative healing and medicines.
Mr. Sackville: No. We encourage those groups of complementary medicine practitioners not covered by statutory registration arrangements, to develop voluntary registration systems based on agreed standards of education, training and codes of practice.
Mr. Jon Owen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what checks her Department makes upon the activities of alternative or complementary healing;
(2) what measures her Department has taken to monitor activities of alternative therapists and healers who are not governed by voluntary regulation schemes;
(3) what measures her Department has taken to ensure that any member of the public who has been mistreated by an alternative or complementary therapist has recourse to disciplinary proceedings against that practitioner;
(4) what measures are available to the public to ensure that a complementary therapist can be barred from practising if such action is necessary for the public good.
Mr. Sackville: This Department does not monitor the activities of complementary therapists. Whether on a voluntary register or not, they are at liberty to offer their services to the general public, subject only to those provisions of statute and common law which apply. For
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example, there are restrictions on purporting to treat cancer and venereal disease and upon attendance at childbirth; and they are subject to relevant provisions of the Medicines Act.The Department recognises that membership of a reputable and well regulated profession--whether regulation is by statutory or voluntary schemes--is beneficial in the maintenance of codes of ethical practice and disciplinary processes. Members of the public are advised to check that a practitioner is a current member of a reputable organisation and carries proper indemnity insurance before accepting treatment. We also advise that they seek the advice of their general practitioner before proceeding.
Where complementary therapy treatment has been provided in the national health service, dissatisfied patients may seek redress through the NHS complaints procedures. Where treatment has been obtained in the private sector, patients may pursue complaints through the disciplinary procedures- -where these exist--of the professional group to which the practitioner belongs. They may also seek redress through the courts.
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