House of Commons Hansard Debates for 6 Dec 1994

Community Care

Ms Corston: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the different policies adopted by local authority social services departments when levying charges for non-residential community care services.

Mr. Bowis: Local authorities are not required to inform the Department of their charging policies for non-residential social services. In January 1994, an advice note was sent to all directors of social services about the factors that need to be considered when authorities devise their charging policies, including ensuring that charges are reasonable for the generality of users and that the financial circumstances of individual users are recognised. Copies of the advice note are available in the Library.

Reciprocal Health Arrangements

Mr. Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list those countries with which the United Kingdom has reciprocal health arrangements; and what plans she has to review the arrangements.

Mr. Malone: The United Kingdom has reciprocal health care arrangements with Anguilla, Australia, Austria, Barbados, Belgium, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Channel Islands, Czech Republic, Denmark, Falkland Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Isle of Man, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Montserrat, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the Russian Federation, Slovak Republic, Spain, St Helena, Sweden, Turks and Caicos Islands, the republics of the former USSR, excluding Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and Yugoslavia and all its successor states.

We have no current plans to extend the list to other countries or territories.

Burnley Health Care NHS Trust

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what payment in lieu of notice or remuneration likely from potential employment was offset against the payment made to the former chief executive of Burnley Health Care NHS trust;

(2) what assessment she has made of compliance with her Department's guidance and codes of practice in the events surrounding the resignation of the chief executive of Burnley Health Care NHS trust;

(3) if details of the calculation made on the termination of the contract of the former chief executive of Burnley Health Care NHS trust followed the guidance set out in NHS circular Tel (94)3.

Mr. Malone: National health service trusts have full power under the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 to make payments in connection with the termination of employment of their staff. The severance payment to the former chief executive of Burnley Health Care NHS trust was made in accordance with the terms of her contract, which predated Tel (94)2, the Department's

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guidance on such payments, copies of which are available in the Library.

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what reasons the former chief executive of Burnley Health Care NHS trust gave for her resignation;

(2) which members of the board of Burnley Health Care NHS trust were consulted by the former chairman on the settlement agreed with the former chief executive on her resignation;

(3) what consideration was given by Burnley NHS Health Care trust to the renewal of the three-year rolling employment contract of the former chief executive Mrs. Maggie Aikman.

Mr. Malone: These are matters for Burnley Health Care national health service trust.

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assurances the NHS Executive has received from the former chairman of Burnley Health Care NHS trust that the payment of termination of the contract of the former chief executive was made with regard to probity and value for money, applying the guidance and principles of public accountability; and what response has been given;

(2) what letters she wrote to the former chairman of Burnley Health Care NHS trust prior to his resignation on his position as chairman; and if she will deposit such letters in the Library.

Mr. Malone: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State wrote privately to the then chairman of Burnley Health Care national health service trust on 15 and 23 November 1994 asking him to account for his actions. The chairman did not give a substantive reply and resigned.

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the policy of the Burnley Health Care national health service trust on termination settlements.

Mr. Malone: This is a matter for the trust, which has full power under the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 to make payments in connection with the termination of employment of its staff.

Mr. Galbraith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the regulations concerning advertisements in the European Journal when the NHS puts contracts for operations out to tender; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Sackville: The regulations concerning advertisements in the European Journal are the Public Services Contracts Regulations 1993, SI No. 3228.

Building Refurbishment

Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will itemise the refurbishment works undertaken on buildings housing departmental staff in the last three years, indicating the costs involved and the nature of the refurbishment.

Mr. Sackville: Capital expenditure on accommodation excluding furniture by the Department of Health over the last three years totalled £4.4 million in 1991 92, £16.6 million in 1992 93 and £3.7 million in 1993 94. Nearly all this expenditure related to the London accommodation

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strategy, by which the Department was able to reduce its accommodation in London from 22 buildings to five. Rationalisation of the London estate has made a major contribution to the annual saving of £13 million in the running costs of the Department's offices.

Milk Tokens

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received about policy changes by large food chains in connection with the conditions they require in accepting milk tokens; what investigations she has made of this matter; what has been the Government's response; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Sackville: We are not aware of any such policy changes.

General Practitioners, London

Ms Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners are practising in the London implementation zone area at the present time; and how many there were in October 1990.

Mr. Malone: The London initiative zone was created in April 1993 and information for October 1990 is therefore not available. The latest available information on the number of general practitioners in LIZ, relating to October 1993, is as shown.


                                    |Number       

--------------------------------------------------

Brent and Harrow                    |148          

Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow    |372          

Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster |188          

Barking and Havering                |74           

Camden and Islington                |219          

City and East London                |362          

Enfield and Haringey                |137          

Redbridge and Waltham Forest        |103          

Greenwich and Bexley                |121          

Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham     |426          

Croydon                             |106          

Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth       |136          

                                                  

Total in London Initiative Zone     |2,392

Cancer

Mr. Hume: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people contract cancer each year in the United Kingdom; and what is the projection for 2015.

Mr. Sackville: I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond) on 30 November, Official Report, column 791.

Mr. Hume: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will issue guidance to NHS trusts covering minimum standards in providing cancer and palliative care.

Mr. Sackville: A number of current initiatives are resulting in the production of guidelines aimed at improving standards and quality of care across the whole range of health care, including cancer and palliative care.

Job Losses (Quarry House)

Mr. Fatchett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will set out the numbers, by grade, of the job losses announced on 3 November for Quarry house, Leeds.

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Mr. Sackville: The national health service executive will shed 200 posts, not all of which are in Quarry house, in the period up to 31 March 1997. It is likely that there will be reductions in all grades; detailed work has now begun to identify how reductions can be achieved.

NHS Research and Development

Mrs. Roe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the consultative process will begin relating to the proposed programme of research into the health of elderly people which was identified by the NHS central research and development committee as a priority for research under the NHS research and development strategy.

Mr. Malone: The central research and development committee advised in April 1993 that a review should be conducted into the needs for research into the health of elderly people. It was stated in "Research for Health" in June 1993, copies of which are available in the Library, that such a review would be deferred pending the Medical Research Council's review into the health of the United Kingdom's elderly people. The report of the Medical Research Council's review will be considered by the central research and development committee in due course.

Taste and Smell (Loss)

Mr. Barnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will arrange for research to be undertaken into the circumstances leading to people developing a permanent loss of taste or smell, and the treatment and care they subsequently receive; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Bowis: Commissioning of research of this kind is a matter primarily for the Medical Research Council, which receives its grant-in-aid from the office of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

Toxic Materials

Ms Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what information and guidance has been given to local medical authorities in areas where sites are currently being used for experimental work on the use of toxic materials including chloro-cresol as fuels; (2) what information and guidance the Government have issued to local medical authorities on the effect on human health of the release of dioxins caused by the burning of toxic materials.

Mr. Sackville: Controls are in place to ensure that substances discharged into the atmosphere are at levels that have been demonstrated to have no appreciable health effects. Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution is responsible for controlling the emission of pollutants from major industrial sources.

Detailed guidance to health authorities and trusts has been issued by the Department in four circulars, HRG(93)18, HRG(93)24, HRG(93)38 and HRG(93)56, the latter of which was issued jointly by the Department of the Environment. These advise on roles and responsibilities within the national health service, and on sources of advice for health care staff in the event of a chemical incident causing the release of toxic substances. Copies of the circulars will be placed in the Library.

The national poisons information service is available to provide information to doctors, and, on request, clinical advice, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

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DEFENCE

Nuclear Weapons

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current yearly cost of maintaining the United Kingdom's nuclear capability.

Mr. Soames: The estimated running cost of the three Polaris boats remaining in the Deterrent patrol cycle for 1993 94 was £110,000,000. The average annual operating cost of Trident over its life is expected to be about £200,000,000 at 1993 94 prices.

RAF Elvington

Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he plans to publish a consultation document in respect of the future of RAF Elvington; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Soames: There would be no requirement to issue a consultation document to the trade unions in respect of RAF Elvington, as the station is not manned.

Hercules Fleet

Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department will formally respond to the British Aerospace proposal to maintain the present Hercules fleet at a lower cost than at present.

Mr. Freeman: The British Aerospace proposal has been given careful consideration and is being taken into account in our appraisal of the way forward for the Hercules rolling replacement programme.

Air Cadets

Mr. Bill Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to require ministerial approval for any further reductions in excess of the 23 per cent. agreed under "Front Line First" to the air cadet air experience flights budget.

Mr. Soames: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 22 November 1994, Official Report, column 135 .

Nagorno-Karabakh

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's policy towards the participation of United Kingdom forces as part of the deployment of a peacekeeping mission to Nagorno-Karabakh; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Soames: The possibility of establishing a multinational Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe peacekeeping mission is being discussed at the CSCE summit in Budapest. Any United Kingdom contribution would be judged against a range of factors including whether a political settlement had been reached and whether a clear mandate existed for the mission. It would also need to be considered in the light of our other military commitments.

Peacekeeping Operations

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's policy towards the allocation

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of a specific amount of money from the defence budget specifically for peacekeeping operations.

Mr. Soames: The funding of peacekeeping operations is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

Royal Marines School of Music

Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 25 November, Official Report, column 452, what is his estimate of additional manpower savings over and above those currently planned that could be made at Portsmouth if the Royal Marines school of music was located elsewhere in respect of (a) general administration, (b) supplies, (c) property management and maintenance, (d) catering and accommodation and (e) other manpower in each year from 1995 96 to 1999 2000; and what percentage of total costs at Portsmouth these represent.

Mr. Soames: None. There are no plans to employ extra staff in the large Portsmouth naval concentration as a result of the addition of the small musical training facility proposed at HMS Nelson. Nor would it be possible to make staff savings at Portsmouth if the Royal Marines school of music were not to relocate there, since tasks relating to the musical training facility would form only a small percentage of overall duties.

Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence below what monetary thresholds the costs associated with the option appraisal for the Royal Marines school of music are considered to be negligible and have therefore been excluded from the financial appraisals attached to his consultative document entitled "Future Location of Royal Marines Musical Training".

Mr. Soames: The appraisal aims to include all costs significant enough to affect evaluation or decisions. Generally, we follow the materiality concept defined in the publication "Official Terminology of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants".

Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 25 November, Official Report columns 450 51, what are his wastage assumptions by month and by grade at those units to which military personnel would be reassigned if the Royal Marines school of music were to be relocated to Portsmouth in each year from 1996 97 to 1999 2000.

Mr. Soames: The numbers of personnel who would be affected by our proposal are small in comparison with the overall size of the Royal Marines. Such a change would be subsumed within the overall manpower planning process, and wastage assumptions in the level of detail requested would not therefore be necessary.

Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 25 November, Official Report , column 451, what is his estimate of the additional savings in property management costs, both capital and non-capital, that could be made at Portsmouth if the Royal Marines school of music was relocated elsewhere in respect of (a) refurbishment to office accommodation, (b) decorating and refurbishing married quarters or (c) decorating and refurbishing other housing owned by his Department or mess accommodation made available to service personnel in each year from 1995 96 to 1999 2000.

Mr. Soames: An estimated £47,000 per annum would be saved at Portsmouth by a decision not to relocate there.

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No other savings under the headings indicated would be available specifically by virtue of a decision not to relocate. As shown in the investment appraisal, this compares with an estimated cost of approximately £500,000 per annum were the Royal Marines school of music to remain at Deal.

Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the costed plans for the refurbishment of the detention quarters at Portsmouth.

Mr. Soames: A detailed statement of requirement for the facilities proposed for a Royal Marines school of music at HMS Nelson in Portsmouth is being prepared, and will in due course be placed in the Library of the House. Beyond the broad order financial figures already indicated, the precise cost of the relevant alterations and refurbishment will of course ultimately be determined by competitive tenders to undertake the work; these figures would be commercial in confidence.

Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 29 November, Official Report, column 622 , if he will make a statement on the steps he has taken to confirm (a) the availability of suitably qualified music professors in the Portsmouth area, (b) that the remuneration package assumed will be sufficient to recruit, retain and motivate music professors and (c) that the costs of recruitment of music professors and other staff will be negligible.

Mr. Soames: Preliminary investigations by the Royal Marines band service show that the recruitment of professors of music under the proposed terms and conditions for a school relocated to Portsmouth would present no difficulties. Portsmouth's relative proximity to London and other fairly large concentrations does not disadvantage it by comparison with Deal. It is confirmed that costs of recruitment are expected to be negligible.

Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date or dates military personnel would be reassigned to other units if the Royal marines school of music were to be relocated to Portsmouth.

Mr. Soames: Detailed planning for the reassignment of personnel will not take place until a decision on the future location of the Royal Marines school of music has been taken. Posting orders would probably be issued some four to six months before the relocation, but dates of specific postings would be decided taking account of a number of factors on which it is not possible to generalise. The overall aim will naturally be to achieve maximum cost-effectiveness in the use of manpower.

Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his estimate of the number of full-time equivalent personnel at Portsmouth who would provide the range of services currently provided by the three mobile non-industrials, 10 non-mobile non-industrials and 54 industrials employed at Deal if the Royal Marines school of music were relocated to Portsmouth.

Mr. Soames: Apart from the music professors and up to 12 other posts to be created at Portsmouth within the RMSM, all tasks presently performed by other staff at Deal as a stand-alone establishment, will be undertaken without increase to the members of staff already needed to support the Royal Navy in the Portsmouth area.

Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 25 November, Official Report, column 452, what is his estimate of the additional

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savings in running costs that could be made at Portsmouth if the Royal Marines school of music was located or relocated elsewhere in respect of (a) heating, (b) lighting and (c) telecommunications in each year from 1995 96 to 1999 2000; and what percentage of total costs at Portsmouth these represent.

Mr. Soames: Should the Royal Marines school of music not relocate to Portsmouth and the royal naval detention quarters henceforth remain unoccupied as a result, an annual estimated total of £64, 000-- covering heating, lighting and telecommunications--would be saved. This is less, however, than the comparable expenditure currently incurred at Deal.

Royal Naval Detention Quarters

Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 25 November, Official Report, column 451, if he will list for all ongoing and planned refurbishments and new build accommodation projects occurring within a 25 mile radius of the Royal Naval detention quarters in Portsmouth (a) the size of the accommodation to be provided in square metres, (b) the number of people to be located in the accommodation, (c) the estimated costs of the project and (d) the estimated start date of the project.

Mr. Soames: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Financial Contributions

Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is Britain's annual financial contribution to (a) NATO (b) the Western European Union.

Mr. Soames: For financial year 1993 94, the United Kingdom's financial contributions to the NATO military and infrastructure budgets were £69,129,000 and £82,495,000 respectively. The United Kingdom's contributions to the NATO civil budget and the Western European Union's budget are the responsibility of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Military Training

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the countries that United Kingdom military personnel have visited or will visit to train military students during 1994.

Mr. Soames [holding answer 1 December 1994]: According to available records, United Kingdom military personnel have visited or will visit the following countries during 1994 to train military students:

Antigua

Bahrain

Barbados

Belize

Bermuda

Brunei

British Virgin Islands

Columbia

Dominica

Egypt

Ghana

Grenada

Jordan

Kenya

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Kuwait

Lesotho

Malawi

Malaysia

Mexico

Mozambique

Namibia

Oman

Poland

Saudia Arabia

South Africa

Singapore

St. Kitts-Nevis

St. Lucia

St. Vincent

Swaziland

Trinidad and Tobago

United Arab Emirates

Zimbabwe

Note:

Trained by a team based in Barbados.

In addition, a Royal Marines team has deployed to Latvia in preparation for training the joint Baltic peacekeeping battalion in the new year.

This list covers those countries to which short-term training teams have been, or will be sent in 1994, as well as those countries in which we have resident loan service personnel or longer term British military advisory and training teams. A short-term training team also deployed to Puerto Rico to assist US forces in training the combined Caribbean Community and Common Market contingent--comprising detachments from Jamaica, Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago--and also contingents from Bangladesh and Guatemala to prepare them for operations with the multinational force in Haiti. In addition, forces on exercise overseas often provide limited training to, or train alongside, the armed forces of the host nation. A central record of such training is not, however, maintained.

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