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Mr. Sackville: In arranging for the transportation of bodies and pathological specimens between facilities, health service personnel need to be conscious of the sensitivities involved. They will also need to take account of the nature and degree of any infection risk, and the requirements which will consequently apply.
In 1991 the Health and Safety Executive's health services advisory committee issued updated guidance, commended to the health service by the national health service executive, on
"Safe Working and the Prevention of Infection in Clinical Laboratories"
and
"Safe Working and the Prevention of Infection in the Mortuary and Post Mortem Room".
The guidance includes references to the transportation of specimens, including large specimens such as limbs. I have no plans to further strengthen the guidelines at present. Copies of the guidance are available in the Library.
Further national and international guidelines relate to the transport of goods which are classified as dangerous, including pathology specimens which may pose a risk of infection.
Private Beds
Mr. Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what amount of income the national health service received from private pay beds for each financial year since 1979 and for the latest year for which information is available; and how much each national health service trust has received since its establishment by way of income from private pay beds.
Mr. Sackville: Information on overall private patient income for the national health service in England is given in the table. I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Bristol, South (Ms Primarolo) on7 February at column 43 for information on privatepatient income for individual NHS trusts. The figures for1992 93 are confirmed.
NHS (England) private patient income Year |£000 ------------------------ 1978-79 |30,830 1979-80 |36,127 1980-81 |46,642 1981-82 |54,404 1982-83 |51,850 1983-84 |55,844 1984-85 |55,953 1985-86 |61,325 1986-87 |59,437 1987-88 |67,514 1988-89 |77,659 1989-90 |92,590 1990-91 |108,732 1991-92 |140,834 1992-93 |157,314 Source: NHS Summarised Accounts of Health Authorities and NHS Trusts ( England). Note: The figures in the table include money received from NHS patients for accommodation in single rooms and small wards ( section 63 NHS Act 1977), private in-patients (Section 65) and private out-patients (section 66). Information for 1993-94 will not be available until December 1994.
Septrin
Mr. Hutton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate she has made about the possible side effects attributable to the use of septrin;
(2) what plans she has to prohibit the use of septrin.
Mr. Sackville: Septrin--co-trimoxazole--is an effective medicine for the treatment of severe bacterial infections. Since its introduction, the side-effects associated with its use have been closely monitored by the Committee on Safety of Medicines and the Medicines Control Agency. The side effects are well documented and are included in the product data sheet which is produced by the manufacturer and authorised by the licensing authority, and the "British National Formulary", which the Department of Health sends free of charge to doctors, copies of which are available in the Library.
The Department has no plans to prohibit the use of septrin. It is our view that this drug has a place in medical practice when prescribed with appropriate care, and it is for doctors to use their training, knowledge and experience to weigh carefully the likely benefits of a drug against the anticipated risks. As for all medicines, its safety will be kept under review.
Nurses' Pay
Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much is earned by (a) staff nurses and (b) ward sisters (i) exclusive of and (ii) inclusive of allowances; and if she will provide a breakdown by nursing grade.
Mr. Malone: The information is shown in the table.
Pay of nursing staff in the pay scale grades D to G at the
maximum of the scale as of 1 April 1994
|Estimated
|average
|Basic |earnings
Grade |£ |£
--------------------------------------------------------------
Clinical grade D (basic staff
nurse) |12,950 |15,240
Clinical grade E (staff nurse
advanced skills) |15,000 |17,700
Clinical grade F (basic ward
sister) |17,600 |20,230
Clinical grade G (sister with
continuing responsibility for
a ward) |19,600 |21,380
(1) The estimated average earnings takes account of all
allowances, including additional payments for unsocial hours
and overtime. London payments are not included.
(2) Nursing staff working in inner London earn up to an
additional £2,605 per year.
Disability Payments
Mr. Alan Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she has further considered the possibility of local authorities being permitted to make direct payments to disabled people in lieu of care services; and if she will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley: I intend to take, in conjunction with my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales, a new power to enable social services authorities and social work departments to make direct cash payments to disabled people in lieu of community care services. Direct payments are a logical extension of the citizen's charter. They will give disabled
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people greater independence and choice and involve them and their carers more fully in their own care.This development will give disabled people greater independence and control over their lives. It fully complements the other important measures which my hon. Friend the Minister for Social Security and Disabled People is announcing. But, as a new departure, direct payments carry some risks. So in the short term we intend to limit those able to receive such payments to a relatively small number group, probably those disabled people who are able and willing to manage their care. The intended power will also be permissive - authorities themselves will need to decide whether to take advantage of it, based on their judgment of whether it will help them make better use of their resources. Direct payments will be an alternative to community care services, where authorities assess a need for them. There will be no overlap with social security benefits.
There are many complex issues to be resolved. We will be working with the key interests to make sure that the details are right. It would be unwise to introduce legislation before we are satisfied that we have done so. We hope to move to a Bill as soon as practicable.
SCOTLAND
Beef Exports
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list, by region, the revenue generated by on-the-bone beef exports.
Mr. Hector Monro: This information is not held centrally.
Scottish Enterprise
Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much money Scottish Enterprise spent on replacing its computer and related equipment this year; how much money was raised by the disposal of the previous equipment; when it was purchased; and what it cost.
Mr. Stewart: The acquisition and disposal of computer and related equipment by Scottish Enterprise is an operational matter for that body. I have asked the chairman of Scottish Enterprise to write to the hon. Member.
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Diet
Sir Nicholas Fairbairn: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the estimated cost of the proposed conference at Kirkliston on the Scottish diet.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: This conference, at Ingliston on 7 November, was organised by the Rowett Research Institute and the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland. I understand that the net cost was some £19,300.
NHS Private Patient Facilities
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many patients have been treated in NHS hospitals' private facilities in each of the last five years, by region.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The information requested is shown in the table.
Health Board of
treatment |1989 |1990 |1991 |1992 |1993
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Argyll and Clyde |104 |99 |128 |87 |86
Ayrshire and Arran |253 |336 |440 |187 |74
Borders |31 |28 |28 |49 |32
Dumfries and Galloway |1 |- |- |1 |-
Fife |1 |6 |7 |3 |5
Forth Valley |142 |82 |34 |36 |37
Grampian |261 |462 |485 |421 |362
Greater Glasgow |39 |28 |12 |43 |22
Highland |88 |83 |105 |120 |91
Lanarkshire |- |7 |- |1 |1
Lothian |115 |148 |172 |141 |145
Orkney |- |- |- |- |-
Shetland |- |- |- |- |-
Tayside |150 |172 |155 |199 |128
Western Isles |- |- |- |- |-
Scotland |1,185 |1,451 |1,566 |1,288 |983
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much income has been generated by NHS hospitals' private patient facilities in each of the last five years, by region.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The information by health board area is set out in the table. The figures have been taken from health board annual accounts and, from 1992 93, a combination of health board and NHS trust annual accounts. The figures for 1993 94 are provisional. The figure for Greater Glasgow in that year includes overseas patients, and can therefore not be compared directly with those for earlier years.
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Health board |1989-90 |1990-91 |1991-92 |1992-93 |1993-94
|£000s |£000s |£000s |£000s |£000s
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Argyll and Clyde |69 |57 |49 |43 |36
Ayr and Arran |144 |174 |234 |142 |115
Borders |22 |32 |42 |52 |32
Dumfries and Galloway |3 |5 |6 |6 |8
Fife |1 |1 |4 |- |1
Forth Valley |82 |22 |37 |33 |55
Grampian |304 |328 |473 |563 |567
Greater Glasgow |34 |43 |12 |19 |485
Highland |28 |37 |54 |60 |117
Lanarkshire |- |- |- |- |1
Lothian |212 |255 |548 |608 |802
Orkney |- |- |- |- |-
Shetland |- |- |- |- |-
Tayside |130 |162 |184 |193 |244
Western Isles |- |- |- |- |-
Total |1,029 |1,116 |1,643 |1,719 |2,463
NHS Trusts
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the surcharges or deficits recorded by each individual NHS trust in each year since their inception.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: None.
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the turnover of each NHS trust in each year since its inception.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The information requested is provided in the table.
|Turnover |Turnover
Wave & NHS trust |1992-93 |1993-94
|£000 |£000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First
Aberdeen Royal Hospitals |113,056 |114,811
South Ayrshire Hospitals |43,958 |45,309
Second
Ayrshire and Arran Community Healthcare |55,158
Caithness and Sutherland |14,072
Dundee Teaching Hospitals |108,288
Grampian Healthcare |131,912
Monklands and Bellshill Hospitals |50,408
Moray Health Services |22,720
North Ayrshire and Arran |69,719
Raigmore Hospital |46,756
Royal Alexandra Hospital |44,363
Royal Scottish National Hospital and Community |20,352
Southern General Hospital |78,335
Stirling Royal Infirmary |38,646
Victoria Infirmary |55,620
West Lothian |63,419
Yorkhill |52,725
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which NHS trusts failed to (a) break even, (b) keep within the external financing limit and (c) record a 6 per cent. return on capital; and by what percentage and sum in each year since their inception.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The information is as follows: (a) None
(b) Victoria Infirmary NHS trust overran the external financing limit by 1.4 per cent.--£21,000--in 1993 94.
(c) As detailed in table.
|1993-94 |1993-94
NHS trust |Percentage |Sum
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Aberdeen Royal Hospitals |0.4 per cent.
| below |-£483,000
Victoria Infirmary |0.1 per cent.
| below
Yorkhill |0.3 per cent.
| below |-£123,000
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many representations he has received from farmers who have bought holdings unaware that the previous holding owner's herd was considered BSE-infected.
Sir Hector Monro: One farmer has made representations to my Department about the BSE status of a holding which he had purchased.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people have contacted the BSE hotline since it began.
Sir Hector Monro: During the period between 1 August and 12 November this year, 16,769 requests for information have been dealt with by the national BSE hotline.
In dealing with the inquiries, 276,342 herd numbers have been checked.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many representations he has received regarding decision 94/474.
Sir Hector Monro: Forty-seven representations have been received by my Department regarding EC decision 94/474 concerning protection measures relating to BSE.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total number of marts operating in Scotland and the number of marts that provide systems whereby information on whether an animal comes from a BSE infected holding is available.
Sir Hector Monro: There are currently 33 auction markets in Scotland. The Department has no information about which of these markets provide information to purchases about the health status of an animal's farm of origin.
Emergency Hospital Admissions
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the number of emergency hospital admissions by region for each of the last five years.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The information requested is shown in the table.
Health
Board of
treatment |1989 |1990 |1991 |1992 |1993
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Argyll and
Clyde |28,987 |29,572 |30,899 |32,122 |33,560
Ayrshire and
Arran |21,708 |22,211 |23,825 |25,908 |28,529
Borders |7,024 |7,532 |7,763 |8,121 |8,570
Dumfries and
Galloway |9,289 |10,187 |10,762 |10,722 |11,386
Fife |17,782 |18,011 |18,887 |19,454 |19,666
Forth Valley |15,675 |17,714 |18,016 |18,917 |20,039
Grampian |35,439 |38,252 |39,072 |39,005 |40,109
Greater
Glasgow |74,045 |77,510 |78,659 |82,473 |95,254
Highland |14,734 |14,705 |15,676 |16,826 |17,178
Lanarkshire |35,763 |36,547 |38,270 |39,001 |40,924
Lothian |56,781 |57,966 |59,868 |62,262 |63,637
Orkney |976 |1,088 |1,151 |1,144 |1,208
Shetland |1,290 |1,333 |1,216 |1,230 |1,377
Tayside |33,587 |34,339 |35,061 |35,146 |36,896
Western Isles |1,956 |1,923 |2,038 |2,124 |2,407
Scotland |355,036 |368,890 |381,163 |394,455 |420,740
Forestry
Mrs. Bridget Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how the Forestry Commission identifies the exact boundaries of the tracts of land it disposes of each year.
Sir Hector Monro: When the Forestry Commission sells an area of land it checks the boundaries on the ground against the original title deed map and a master map of its land holdings. The exact boundaries of the land are then plotted on the current Ordnance Survey map which becomes the title deed map for the sale.
Mallaig Harbour
Sir Russell Johnston: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to make an announcement about the Mallaig harbour development.
Sir Hector Monro: I hope to be in a position to make an announcement within the next few weeks on Mallaig harbour authority's application for grant assistance under the Fisheries Act 1955 towards the cost of the proposed development at the harbour.
Dental Services
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how he monitors whether dentists providing NHS services are progressively moving into private practice; and what evidence he has on this matter.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: General dental practitioners are independent contractors who are free to decide whether to offer NHS treatment to each individual patient. No information is available on dentists' private practices. The Government monitor information provided regularly by all health boards on the availability of NHS dental services. No health board has reported that it has been unable to arrange access to NHS dental services for people who wish to use them in its area.
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what effect he expects sessional pay to have on dental waiting lists.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: Sessional remuneration for general dental practitioners was one of the options for change outlined in the Government's consultation paper "Improving NHS Dentistry". Ministers are now considering all the responses received before
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deciding the way forward. No decisions have have yet been taken.Quangos
Mr. Sykes: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which quangos his Department has abolished since 1979.
Mr. Lang: A list of bodies which have been abolished since 1979 is not held centrally by my Department and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, there is a list of bodies which, between 1 April 1985 and 1 April 1993, have been abolished, amalgamated with other bodies, are no longer sponsored by my Department or have ceased to be non- departmental public bodies for other reasons--for example, cessation of Government funding. This is as follows:
Advisory Committee on Statistical Information
Appeal Panel for Entry to Pharmaceutical Lists in Scotland Colleges of Education--Governing bodies (5)
Committee of Investigation for Scotland
Consultative Committee on the Curriculum
Countryside Commission for Scotland
Dumping at Sea Representation Panel
Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art--Board of Governors Dundee Institute of Technology--Board of Governors
East of Scotland College of Agriculture--Board of Governors Edinburgh College of Art--Board of Governors
Electricity Consultative Councils (2)
Fire Service Examinations Board (Scotland)
Glasgow College of Technology--Board of Governors
Glasgow School of Art--Board of Governors
Highlands and Islands Development Board
Highlands and Islands Development Consultative Council
Hill Farming Research Organisation
Lay Observer for Scotland
Leith Nautical College
Napier Polytechnic of Edinburgh--Board of Governors
National Committee for the In-Service Training of Teachers National Health Service Tribunal for Scotland
National Panel of Specialists
Nature Conservancy Council for Scotland
Newbattle Abbey College--Board of Governors
North of Scotland College of Agriculture--Board of Governors Orkney Islands Shipping Company Ltd
Paisley College of Technology--Board of Governors
Queen's College--Board of Governors
Queen Margaret College--Board of Governors
Robert Gordon's Institute of Technology--Board of Governors Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama-- Board of Governors Scottish Advisory Committee on Top Grade Scientific Posts Scottish Agricultural Development Panel
Scottish Agricultural Statistics Consultative Committee Scottish Agricultural Research and Development Advisory Council Scottish College of Textiles--Board of Governors
Scottish Committee for Staff Development in Education
Scottish Council for Post Graduate Medical Education
Scottish Council for Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education Scottish Council for Research in Education
Scottish Development Agency
Scottish Health Eduction Co-ordinating Committee
Scottish Institute of Agricultural Engineering
Scottish Legal Services Ombudsman
Scottish National Camps Association Ltd--Council of Management Scottish National War Memorial--Board of Trustees
Scottish Special Housing Association--Council of Management
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