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Prior Options Review Group
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer of 2 December, Official Report , column 931 , if he will indicate the results of the Ernst and Young examination commissioned by the prior options review group; and when it will be published.
Miss Widdecombe: The work carried out by Ernst and Young was commissioned to inform the work of the prior options review. There are no plans to publish the results of the consultants' work independently of the results of the review. The results of the prior options review will be announced in due course.
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Training and Education Expenditure
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Rother Valley (Mr. Barron) of 2 December, Official Report , column 931 , if he will provide estimates of expenditure or planned expenditure by the Department of Employment on training in each year from 1994 95 to 1997 98.
Mr. Paice [holding answer 8 December 1994]: The table shows planned expenditure on the Department's training and education programmes:
Planned Expenditure (£ million) Year |Cash |1994-95 prices ------------------------------------------------------------ 1994-95 |<1>2,042 |2,042 1995-96 |1,870 |1,809 1996-97 |1,941 |1,831 1997-98 |1,949 |1,797 <1> Forecast.
HEALTH
Radical Vulvectomy Procedures
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many radical vulvectomy procedures were carried out by the NHS in each of the last four years in each NHS region and in the United Kingdom as a whole.
Mr. Sackville: This information is not available centrally.
Death Statistics
Mr. Wicks: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths occurred in (a) October to March and (b) April to September in each year since 1980 for (i) all ages, (ii) those aged 65 years and over, (iii) those aged 75 years and over and (iv) those aged 85 years and over.
Mr. Sackville: The information for England and Wales will be placed in the Library.
Research
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Mr. Waterson), 22 November, Official Report columns 88 89, from what budget head the £40 million for new research will be drawn.
Mr. Malone: The £40 million increase to the service increment for teaching and research will be drawn from general allocations made to health authorities out of hospital and community health services, vote 1.
NHS Trusts
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what sample of termination payments made to national health service trust chief executives and general and senior managers have been monitored by the national health service executive.
Mr. Malone: A sample of 18 termination payments made to trust chief executives, general and senior
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managers has been monitored by the National Health Service Executive this financial year.Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many termination payments have been made by national health service trusts to chief executives and general and senior managers; and what is the total amount for each trust to date.
Mr. Malone: Up to the quarter ending 30 September, 48 termination payments to national health service chief executives, general and senior managers have been notified to the NHS Executive this financial year. The total amount for each trust is as follows:
|£
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Broadgreen Hospital NHS Trust |81,838
Burton Hospitals NHS Trust |42,888
Cheviot and Wansbeck NHS Trust |16,415
Chorely and South Ribble NHS Trust |28,749
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Learning Disabilities NHS Trust |11,000
Dudley Priority Health NHS Trust |37,222
East Surrey Learning Disability and Mental Health Services NHS Trust |36,677
Epsom Healthcare NHS Trust |15,000
Fosse Health NHS Trust |19,500
Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust |122,689
Herefordshire Community Health NHS Trust |28,416
Healthlands Mental Health NHS Trust |25,008
Hertfordshire Health Agency |9,000
Kings Healthcare NHS Trust |56,578
The Medway NHS Trust |39,295
Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust |31,549
North East Essex Mental Health Services |26,188
North Hampshire Hospitals NHS Trust |30,000
North Mersey Community NHS Trust |11,300
North Tees Health NHS Trust |27,764
Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust |25,000
Northampton Community Healthcare NHS Trust |39,798
Pilgrim Health NHS Trust |7,864
Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust |7,865
Queens Medical Centre Nottingham University NHS Trust |77,715
Royal Liverpool University Hospital |47,355
Royal Liverpool Children's NHS Trust |18,466
Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust |19,343
South Bedfordshire Community Healthcare Trust |17,771
South Kent Hospitals NHS Trust |8,626
South Warwickshire General Hospitals NHS Trust |34,829
Southend Healthcare NHS Trust |80,840
Teddington Memorial Hospital NHS Trust |18,750
United Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust |30,000
Walsall Community NHS Trust |35,000
Walsall Hospital NHS Trust |6,926
West Herts Community Health NHS Trust |4,909
Wiltshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust |27,314
Worcester Royal Infirmary NHS Trust |22,167
Worthing and Southlands Hospitals NHS Trust |52,747
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the proposals of Heatherwood and Wrexham Park trust to introduce a midwife-led maternity service and a nurse-practitioner led accident and emergency service.
Mr. Sackville: Berkshire health authority is currently undertaking a public consultation exercise on the
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proposed changes. This is due to be completed by the end of January 1995.Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 23 November, Official Report, column 216, (1) when 1993 94 data on trust surpluses and deficits will be available; (2) if she will now publish a list of which 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 1993 94;
(3) if she will now publish a list of trust turnover for 1993 94.
Mr. Sackville: The information requested will be available shortly and will be placed in the Library.
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 24 November, Official Report, columns 318 9, on NHS managers if she will now provide figures for 1991 and 1992 on the 1993 recalculated basis.
Mr. Malone: Overall figures on the numbers of national health service managers in 1991 and 1992 were presented on the 1993 recalculated basis in the "NHS Statistical Bulletin" published in October 1994, copies of which are available in the Library. It is not possible to provide more detailed figures identifying the number of managers in trusts alone on the recalculated basis.
Internet
Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement about the plans of her Department to make information available on the Internet and the documents which she intends to be made available on the Internet over the next year which will be accessible via the world wide web server "open.gov.uk." or any specific departmental server.
Mr. Sackville: Use of the Internet as an additional method of disseminating information to the public via the world wide web server "open.gov.uk." is under active consideration by this Department in line with the Government's commitment to make more information available to the public and to make innovative use of
telecommunications. Discussions are at an early stage and it is too soon to specify what documents will be made available. Officials from the Department of Health and Office of Population Censuses and Surveys are also working with the Central Statistical Office and other Government Departments to see what use can be made of the Internet to disseminate Government statistics.
Fraud
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to combat fraud in the national health service.
Mr. Sackville: A recent Audit Commission publication, "Ensuring Probity in the NHS", stated that the level of proven fraud and corruption in the national health service was very low and the vast majority of people working in the NHS are honest and diligent. The Department has taken a number of initiatives including strengthening internal audit, the creation of audit committees in NHS bodies and a major review of the systems for collecting NHS charges and the scope of fraud by contractors is under way.
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Prescription Costs
Mr. Cann : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of prescription drugs costs less than £5.
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of prescriptions cost less than £5; what is the (a) average and (b) median cost of a prescription item; how many prescriptions were issued by doctors in the last year; how many prescription items were dispensed by pharmacists last year, in total, and by the family health service authority area; and what has been the total revenue generated by charging for prescriptions in each of the last 15 years.
Mr. Malone: The available information has been placed in the Library. Figures for the number of prescriptions issued by doctors are not available centrally. The extensive arrangements for charge exemption and for remission of charges under the national health service low-income scheme, coupled with the prescription prepayment certificate scheme, ensure that no-one need be deterred from obtaining any necessary prescribed medication for financial reasons.
Patient Complaints
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patient complaints were received per 1,000 patients treated in each year since 1989-90 by region.
Mr. Malone: Information on the number of written complaints relating to hospital services per 1,000 in-patient and day cases in each year from 1989-90 to 1992-93, by region, are included in the publication entitled "Written complaints by or on behalf of patients--England--financial year 1992-93", copies of which are available in the Library.
Equivalent information about the number of complaints against family practitioners is not available centrally.
Tinnitus
Mr. Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much is being spent on specific tinnitus research; and what plans she has to increase the sums.
Mr. Sackville: The main agency through which the Government support biomedical and clinical research is 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. The Medical Research Council is an independent body deciding what research to support on its own expert judgment.
In 1991-2 the Medical Research Council spent £129,000 on research directly related to tinnitus and in 1992-93, the last year for which figures are available, it spent £131,000.
National Capitation Scheme
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when she expects to publish the formula for the proposed national capitation scheme;
(2) what factors are being considered for the formula of the proposed national capitation scheme.
Mr. Sackville: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my hon. Friend the Minister for Health, Official Report, 21 October at column 573 . The results of the review of weighted capitation are included in the guidance
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referred to in the statement. Copies of the guidance, FDL(94)68, are available in the Library.The result of the review of weighted capitation is a modified formula which takes account of new information and better statistical techniques. The three basic elements of the formula, ie age, need and cost, remain the same but each element has been updated and refined. Further details of the modified formula have been published in the form of a booklet entitled "Hospital and Community Health Services. Revenue Resource Allocation: Weighted Capitation Formula", and copies of this are also available in the Library.
Life Expectancy
Mrs. Mahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total population of Great Britain aged 75 years and over; and how many of these are women.
Mr. Sackville: The latest available population estimates relate to mid-1993. It is estimated that there were 3.92 million residents in Great Britain aged 75 and over at that date. This figure comprises 2.59 million women and 1.33 million men.
Mr. Colvin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the average life expectancy for (a) males and (b) females in (i) 1978 79 and (ii) the latest year for which figures are available.
Mr. Sackville: Life expectancy at birth in England and Wales for males and females for the years 1978, 1979 and 1992, the last available year, are shown in the table:
Year |Males |Females -------------------------------- 1978 |70.1 |76.3 1979 |70.3 |76.4 1992 |73.8 |79.2
Junior Doctors' Hours
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new consultants have been employed by the NHS as a result of the new deal reduction in junior doctors's hours.
Mr. Malone: Our task forces report that, in England, at 30 September 1994, 533 new consultants were employed in centrally funded posts to reduce junior doctors' hours. In addition, 72 posts had been advertised and were awaiting appointments' committees. Many of these were already in operation through the temporary appointment of locum consultants. A further 81 posts had been funded and were at the planning stage, these will be filled as soon as possible. Information on consultant posts set up specifically to reduce hours by individual trusts and authorities, and funded directly by them, is not available centrally.
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department has made of the increased workload resulting from the reduction in junior doctors' hours.
Mr. Malone: It was recognised when the new deal on junior doctors was introduced that reductions in junior doctors' hours unsupported by other action could lead to an increase in the intensity at which they work.
That is why a range of measures was put in place, focusing resources effectively so as to ensure that
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reductions in hours were real and sustainable. These include the controlled growth of the medical work force, more effective working patterns, improved team-working, greater use of cross-cover between appropriate specialities, better skill mix--including more nurses and support workers--and site and service rationalisation.Paediatrics
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many paediatric consultants there were in each of the last five years.
Mr. Malone: The information is shown in the table.
Paediatric consultants-England
at 30 September each year
whole-time equivalent
Year |Whole-time
|equivalent
---------------------------------
1989 |690
1990 |710
1991 |740
1992 |780
1993 |860
Note:
Figures are rounded to the
nearest 10.
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many unfilled vacancies exist for paediatric posts; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Malone: The information is shown in the table.
Vacant paediatric posts by grade-England at 30
September 1993
Grade |Number of vacant
|posts
-------------------------------------------------------
Consultant |42
Staff grade |12
Senior registrar |16
Registrar |15
Senior house officer |7
Total |92
Note:
This indicates the number of vacant paediatric posts
notified to the Department as at 30 September 1993. As
a snapshot of vacancies on a single date they may not
fairly reflect the trend for the number of vacancies
over the year as a whole.
Consultants
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many consultants there are per head of population in each EC country.
Mr. Malone: This information is not available centrally.
Accident and Injury Departments
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the location of all nurse-practitioner led accident or minor injury departments in England, and of all proposed such departments.
Mr. Sackville: The information requested is not available centrally.
Maternity Units
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the location of all existing and proposed midwife-led maternity units.
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Mr. Sackville: This information is not available centrally.
Midwife and Nurse Practitioner Units
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been conducted into the efficacy, mortality rates, cost-efficiency, patient satisfaction and public perception of midwife and nurse practitioner units in England.
Mr. Sackville: A number of research studies, some funded by the Department of Health, address different issues concerning efficiency, cost- effectiveness, patient satisfaction and public perception in relation to nurse development units and nurse practitioners and the nurse practitioner scheme in England. The question of mortality rates is not generally applicable to nurse practitioners but will be covered in a study of NDUs.
In August 1993, following an evaluative study funded by the Department of Health, the King's fund centre published "A Way to Develop Nurses and Nursing", a report on the four pilot NDUs funded by the King's fund. A further study is being carried out of the 30 Department of health-funded NDUs.
Earlier this month Touche Ross issued a report, "Evaluation of the Nurse Practitioners"; this was initiated and funded by the former South East Thames regional health authority with a contribution for evaluation purposes from the Department of Health. The Department is also evaluating 10 nurse practitioner schemes set up in 1994 and has commissioned a literature review of role expansion with particular reference to nurse practitioners.
Work is being done to evaluate midwifery group practices in three locations. The main areas of work include basic audit of midwifery care, economic evaluation, assessment of staffing issues, women's experiences of care and the use of local maternity information systems.
Correspondence Costs
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the cost of sending individual letters to blood donors about a proposed change to the blood transfusion centre; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Sackville: The National Blood Authority estimates that the total cost of the consultation letter to the two million blood donors about the reorganisation proposals was £400,000.
GP Lists
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 22 November, Official Report , column 86 , when she will publish data for 1993 94 on patients removed from general practitioners' lists.
Mr. Malone: I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 28 November at column 537 .
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 22 November 1994 Official Report, column 86 , if she will now itemise the number of patients removed from general practitioner lists because of (a) registration with another doctor, (b) death or resignation of the doctor, (c) death or emigration of the patient, (d) removal at the doctor's request or (e) other
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causes for 1992 93 and 1993 94 by family health service authority.Mr. Malone: The available information will be placed in the Library.
GP Fundholders
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 24 November, Official Report , column 322 , when data for 1993 94 on general practitioner fundholders' end-of-year retentions will be available.
Mr. Malone: Information about fundholder efficiency savings for 1993 94 will not be available until final audits are completed in the new year.
Disabled People (Cash Payments)
Mr. Alfred Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 30 November, Official Report , column 794 , what assessment she has made of the compliance by Gloucestershire county council in the current year with its statutory duties to disabled people under section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970; what recent contact her Department has had with the county council on this matter; if she has received legal advice on the effect of section 2; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Bowis: We are aware that leave has been granted for a judicial review hearing involving Gloucestershire county council. This is a matter for the courts. Local authorities' duties under section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 remain unchanged, and they were reminded of their legal obligations in December 1992. The social services inspectorate is in regular contact with all local authorities.
Health Care Purchases
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent by (a) district health authorities, (b) family health service authorities, (c) regional health authorities, (d) trusts and (e) general practitioner fundholders on health care purchases from non-NHS providers in each of the last three years.
Mr. Sackville: The total expenditure in the last three years of district health authorities, regional health authorities, national health service trusts and general practitioner fundholders on the purchase of health care from non-NHS providers is shown in the table. Family health services authorities do not purchase health care services.
|1991-92|1992-93|1993-94
|£000 |£000 |£000
------------------------------------------------------------
District health authorities |159,818|187,335|250,484
Regional health authorities |32,746 |21,421 |25,649
NHS trusts |12,204 |45,436 |51,322
GP fundholders |3,698 |13,127 |29,899
Notes:
The figures for 1993-94 are provisional: the summarised
accounts for 1993-94 are subject to audit by the National
Audit Office.
Source:
Annual accounts of FHSAs; regional and district health
authorities.
Financial returns of NHS Trusts.
NHS Private Treatment
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 24 November 1994, Official Report, column 320, if she will update the tables on the number of patients treated privately in the NHS.
Mr. Sackville: Updated information on outpatient attendances is available in "1993 94 Outpatients and Ward Attenders England", copies of which have been placed in the Library and updated information on finished consultant episodes will shortly be placed there.
Capital Projects
Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the capital projects in the NHS with a works cost of over (a) £1 million, (b) £5 million and (c) £10 million that were completed in each of the financial years 1990 91, 1991 92, 1992 93 and 1993 94, giving the total costs and a brief description of each project.
Mr. Sackville [holding answer 30 November 1994]: Information which records national health service capital building works projects with a works cost over £1 million will be placed in the Library. The works cost is a sum for the construction of buildings which excludes fees for professional services, equipment, value added tax and land purchase.
TREASURY
Child Benefit
Mr. Wicks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the administrative cost of introducing a system of taxing child benefit at the higher rate assuming that it is taxed as part of the woman's income if she is a higher rate payer and, if she is not, that child benefit is taxed at the higher rate as part of her husband's or partner's income.
Sir George Young: The cost of administration would depend on the form of the legislation and how it was administered.
VAT (Fuel)
Mr. Horam: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost to the Exchequer of zero rating standard charges in domestic fuel bills assuming value added tax at 17.5 per cent.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 6 December 1994]: Zero rating of any item is not permissable under the sixth VAT directive once it has been given up.
Manufacturing Trade
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of the increase in the nominal and real exchange rate against the deutschmark and the ecu since February 1993 on the balance of trade in manufactures; and what contribution that has made to the economic growth.
Mr. Nelson [holding answer 8 December 1994]: The Government's most recent assessment of trade performance is published in chapter 3 of the "Financial Statement and Budget Report", in which it is explained that the United Kingdom's cost competitiveness has
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largely been maintained as a result of British industry's success in controlling costs. Net trade accounts for about half the growth of gross domestic product in 1994 so far.Christmas Cards
Mr. Bayley: To ask the Attorney-General how many official Christmas cards he and other Ministers in his Department intend to send in 1994; how much those 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 Attorney-General: The Law Officers intend to send approximately 150 cards this year at a cost of (a) £123 and (b) an estimated £18 to post. Cards for recipients within the United Kingdom will be sent either second class post or included in normal departmental deliveries. Information on the cost of staff time is not available but would be minimal. A sample of the card has been placed in the Library.
NATIONAL HERITAGE
Ministerial Visits
Mr. Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage whether he will list (a) the arts organisations, companies and projects, (b) the public libraries and (c) the galleries and museums he has visited since becoming Secretary of State.
Mr. Dorrell: The visits I have made to the relevant bodies since I became Secretary of State are listed in the table.
In addition, I have had the opportunity to talk to many representatives of arts organisations at receptions I have hosted for the business sponsorship incentive scheme.
Secretary of State's visits (Arts, Libraries, Galleries and Museums)
1994
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A |29 July |Attended Stately Homes Music Festival
|-English Chamber Orchestra, Blenheim Palace.
A |28 September |Opened 20th Century British Arts Fair,
|Royal College of Art.
A |Attended Prudential Corporation Visual
|Arts Award, Serpentine Gallery.
M | 3 October |Opened exhibition to celebrate centenary
|of the Survey of London, Museum of London.
A | 7 October |Nottingham Regional Conference
|-visit to Nottingham Playhouse
|-Royal Philharmonic Orchestra,
| Royal Concert Hall
|-BSIS Reception, Nottingham Castle
A |12 October |BSIS Reception, Lancaster House
A |13 October |Visited Russell Coles Art Gallery,
|Bournemouth.
A |15 October |Swan Theatre.
M |22 October |Visit to Leicester Museum and Art
|Gallery.
A |24 October |Attended Live Music Now Concert,
|Lancaster. House.
M | 1 November |Visit to Duxford Air Museum.
A | 8 November |Opened Paolozzi Donation Box, Royal
|Academy.
A |15 November |Addressed launch of Festival of Arts
|and Culture and London Arts
|Scene, Savoy Hotel.
M |17 November |The Wallace Collection.
A |21 November |Visit to Huddersfield
|-the Literature Centre (the Byram
| Arcade)
|-Lawrence Batley Theatre
|-Contemporary Music Festival
|concert, St Paul's Hall
M | 1 December |Tate Gallery.
M | 6 December |Museum of Science and Industry,
|Manchester.
M | 7 December |National Gallery.
A |10-12 December |Birmingham Royal Ballet.
Note:
A=Arts, L=Libraries, M=Museums, G=Galleries.
TRANSPORT
Channel Tunnel Rail Link
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the surveyed values, book values and location of the properties and houses purchased by British Rail along the lines of putative, but now rejected, channel tunnel rail links, together with the total price at which they were transferred to Railtrack.
Mr. Watts: Information about properties purchased for previous rail link proposals should be sought from the British Rail Property Board whose responsibility they are. No such properties have been transferred to Railtrack.
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