Previous Section | Home Page |
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he 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 refurbishments.
Mr. Redwood: Refurbishment works undertaken and funded by the Department in its office buildings were as follows:
Column 417
|Building |Works |Cost ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1991-92 |Cathays Park, Cardiff |Partitioning for offices |3,000 |Conversion of storeroom for fitness centre |5,000 |Gelliwasted Road, Pontypridd |Ingoing works at new medical examination centre |110,000 |Golate House, St. Mary Street, Cardiff |Structural alterations internally |18,000 |Barn Street, Haverfordwest |Alterations to rationalise accommodation |18,000 |Picton Terrace, Carmarthen |Upgrade toilet and washroom facilities |19,000 |Trawsgoed, Aberystwyth |Conversion of laboratories to offices |25,000 |Various |Energy efficiency improvements |11,000 1992-93 |Cathays Park, Cardiff |Computer suite |20,000 |Toilets for disabled |8,000 |Library alterations |4,000 |Energy efficiency improvements |30,000 |Gwydyr House, London |Energy efficiency improvements |8,000 |Anti-shatter film to windows |8,000 |Emergency lighting |6,000 |Ventilation fans |3,000 |Companies House, Cardiff |Partitioning for offices |6,000 |John Williams Building, Cardiff |New ceiling |5,000 |Picton Terrace, Carmarthen |Energy efficiency improvements |17,000 |Jobswell Lane, Johnstown, Carmarthen |Energy efficiency improvements |4,000 |Government Buildings, Llandrindod Wells |Energy efficiency improvements |3,000 |Trawsgoed, Aberystwyth |Energy efficiency improvements |52,000 |Penrallt, Caernarfon |Energy efficiency improvements |3,000 |Upgrade toilet and washroom facilities |40,000 1993-94 |Cathays Park, Cardiff |Conversion of basement rooms for office use |32,000 |Upgrade fire doors |32,000 |Conversion for former recreation area for office use|54,000 |Toilet for disabled |32,000 |Partitioning for offices |7,000 |Energy efficiency improvements |81,000 |Picton Terrace, Carmarthen |Partitioning for canteen |5,000 |Government Building, Llandrindod Wells |Structural alterations internally |5,000 |Southgate House, Cardiff |Ingoing works at new offices |16,000 |Government Buildings, Llanishen, Cardiff |Computer storage room |2,000 |Government Buildings, Llanishen, Cardiff |Improvements to air conditioning |6,000 |Partitioning for offices |8,000 |Trawsgoed, Aberystwyth |Fire detection system |11,000 |Upgrade canteen facilities |19,000
Long-stay Patients
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give figures for the numbers of NHS-funded long-stay patients being cared for in private nursing homes in Wales at the last convenient date.
Mr. Redwood: On 31 March 1993, the latest date for which information is available, there were 22 permanent residents in private nursing homes who were known to be funded by the NHS.
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what have been the costs of redundancy payments to staff in each of the last five years.
Mr. Redwood: The cost of redundancy payments committed in each of the last five years was:
|£ ----------------------------------------------- 1990-91 |143,781 1991-92 |Nil 1992-93 |61,388 1993-94 |157,618 1994-95 (to end November 1994) |37,906
Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement about the plans of his Department to make information available on the Internet and the documents which he 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. Redwood: I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Cambridge (Mrs. Campbell) on 5 December 1994, Official Report, column 68.
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will itemise the number of patients who have been
Column 420
removed from general practitioner lists because of (a) registration with another doctor, (b) the death or resignation of the doctor, (c) the death or emigration of the patient, (d) removal at the doctor's request and (e) other causes in each of the last five years.Mr. Richards: The information is not held centrally.
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 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. Richards: The information requested is as follows:
|1991-92|1992-93|1993-94 |£000 |£000 |£000 ------------------------------------------------------------------- District health authorities |4,384 |8,078 |11,261 Family health services authorities |11 |113 |657 NHS trusts |n/a |0 |2,688 Source: Health authorities and GP fundholding accounts NHS trust financial returns. Notes: (i) 1993-94 figures are provisional. (ii) There are no health authorities in Wales. (iii) Pembrokeshire NHS Trust was established on 1 April 1992. In 1993-94 a further 13 NHS trusts became operational in Wales. (iv) The figures given in respect of family health services authorities represent GP fundholders purchase of hospital services made via the family health services authorities.
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many patients complaints were received per 1,000 patients treated in each year since 1989 90 by region.
Mr. Richards: The available information, relating to hospital services, is given for Wales and each district health authority area in the following table. Information
Column 421
on complaints per patient concerning community health services and FHSA services is not available centrally.Written complaints per 1,000 patients treated in hospitals<1> |1989-90|1990-91|1991-92|1992-93 -------------------------------------------------------- Clwyd |3.6 |3.6 |3.9 |4.9 East Dyfed |3.0 |3.4 |3.5 |4.0 Gwent |1.6 |1.1 |2.9 |3.5 Gwynedd |4.4 |3.0 |5.6 |4.6 Mid Glamorgan |3.2 |3.9 |5.0 |5.2 Pembrokeshire |4.1 |3.1 |3.3 |5.3 Powys |2.0 |2.3 |1.3 |3.6 South Glamorgan |3.3 |3.9 |4.1 |5.2 West Glamorgan |2.4 |2.5 |2.0 |3.0 Wales |3.0 |3.1 |3.8 |4.4 <1> The number of written complaints to the health authorities/NHS trusts concerning the hospital service per 1,000 in-patients and day cases treated. Figures for NHS trusts have been allocated to the health authority area in which they are situated.
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what is the estimated date for commencement of construction of the South East Wales Ambulance trust's new headquarters;
(2) what consideration he has given to the proposed new ambulance headquarters and allied communications infrastructure for South East Wales Ambulance trust.
Mr. Redwood: The South East Wales Ambulance trust submitted a business case for the leasing of an existing building and purchase of new communications equipment, supported by the South Glamorgan, Gwent and Powys health authorities. This has been approved and a start is due to be made shortly.
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what guidelines he has issued to the Countryside Council for Wales with respect to making grants to voluntary bodies; and if he will list those voluntary organisations which have received grants under such guidelines.
Mr. Redwood: The guidelines on grants issued to the Countryside Council for Wales are contained in the management statement and the financial memorandum. Lists of recipients of grants from the CCW are included in its annual report for 1993 94, which is in the Library of the House.
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the Countryside Council for Wales and other conservation bodies in Wales with respect to the purchase of land for the purpose of the maintenance of bio-diversity; what provision he has agreed with the council and the other bodies regarding the role of voluntary bodies in the field of conservation in the (a) purchase and (b) management of such land; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood: The Countryside Council for Wales is guided in its role regarding the purchase of land by the management statement, which states that the council should not add significantly to its estate. Within the limits of available resources, the CCW may, however, grant aid others in the purchase of land where the council's objectives are met.
Column 422
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 24 November, Official Report , column 365 , when data for 1993 94 on private patient income will be available.
Mr. Richards: The amount of income generated by private patient facilities in national health service hospitals in Wales in 1993 94 was £2.910 million.
Source: Health Authorities' and NHS Trusts Annual Accounts. Notes:
i. 1993 94 figures are provisional;
ii. consists of money received from NHS patients paying for accommodation in single rooms or small wards (Section 63 NHS Act), private-in-patients (Section 65), private non-resident patients (Section 66) and accommodation and services provided under Section 58 of the NHS Act 1977.
iii. Overseas visitors (Section 121 (not eligible for free treatment have been excluded as they are charged NHS patients).
Mr. Sweeney: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how he intends to achieve his aim of generating £1 billion of private sector investment in the south Wales valleys.
Mr. Redwood: I have met the local authorities covering the Valleys area together with the Welsh Development Agency, the Land Authority for Wales and the training and enterprise councils. I have discussed in detail the land availability, communication needs and development plans of each local authority area.
On 13 December, at a lunch in the QEII centre with representatives of the business community, I will be issuing a brochure containing a selection of the development sites identified at the meetings that present excellent opportunities for attracting private sector investment.
Copies, will be sent to Members whose constituencies fall within the Valleys' area and will also be placed in the Library of the House. From 13 December copies of the brochure will be available from the urban affairs division of the Welsh Office.
The document will be incorporated in a new Government private finance initiative prospectus that I intend publishing shortly. In the new year I will be conducting a series of meetings with local authorities outside the Valleys to discuss their development plans and identify sites with good potential for attracting private sector investment elsewhere in Wales.
Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to make use of his Department's empty residential property.
Mr. Redwood: I have asked that all the Department's empty residential properties should be brought back into use as quickly as possible--either by re-letting where there is a justified need, or by disposal.
Column 423
Mr. Mathew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the total expenditure on energy for offices and buildings by (a) his Department and (b) his agencies in each of the last three years for which figures are available.
Mr. Goodlad: The figures are as follows:
|1991-92 |1992-93 |1993-94 £ |£ |£ -------------------------------------------------- (a) |2,396,415|1,912,241|1,726,606 (b) |439,282 |472,000 |458,000
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the total expenditure on energy for each property owned or leased by his Department for the use of Ministers in each of the last three years for which figures are available.
Mr. Goodlad: The figures for the only property concerned are:
|1991-92|1992-93|1993-94 -------------------------------------------------- 1 Carlton Gardens |16,077 |15,191 |13,091
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made by Rwanda by UNAMIR in establishing a radio station that will broadcast reliable information to the refugee camps for Rwandan refugees in Zaire and Tanzania.
Mr. Douglas Hogg: The radio transmitting equipment donated by Her Majesty's Government to the Government of Rwanda has arrived in Kigali and is being commissioned by a British radio engineer with the assistance of UNAMIR forces.
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action is being planned by the permanent members of the UN Security Council to provide the necessary logistical support that would back up the Secretary-General's urgent request for a security force in the refugee camps of Rawandans in Zaire.
Mr. Douglas Hogg: The UN Secretary General's report contained several options for action in the refugee camps. The Security Council has asked him to investigate the practicalities of the proposals and to seek the views of potential troop contributor nations, emphasising the urgent need for progress towards national reconciliation. We await his response.
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to contribute to the retention of a small military
Column 424
logistics unit of about 150 personnel in Rwanda as requested by the UN Secretary-General.Mr. Douglas Hogg: I have received no such request.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the ability of non- Croat speakers to participate in elections in Croatia.
Mr. Douglas Hogg: Under article 45 of the constitution of the Republic of Croatia, all Croatian citizens who have reached the age of 18 enjoy the right to participate in elections. This right was confirmed in the electoral law promulgated on 15 April 1992.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what concessions were made to Spain in negotiations regarding Norwegian accession to the European Union.
Mr. Baldry: No concessions were made to Spain with respect to Norwegian accession to the European Union. Under the earlier agreement on the European Economic Area, Norway agreed to make additional quantities of cod available to the "cohesion" countries--for this purpose, Spain, Portugal and Ireland.
As part of the EFTA accession negotiations it was decided that the terms for Iberian integration into the common fisheries policy would be agreed by 1 January 1995. This brought forward by 12 months the original agreement to this effect, reached at the time of Spanish and Portuguese accession to the Community.
Sir Thomas Arnold: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will describe the relationship between the dependant territories in the Caribbean and the regional secretariat in Barbados, and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry: The secretariat is responsible for co-ordinating and managing those aspects of our policy towards the Caribbean dependent territories which are best dealt with in the region. The secretariat liaises with and supports governors and chief Ministers on matters relating to the promotion of economic development and good government and manages FCO and ODA financial resources available to the territories.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration was given by the United Nations to declaring a safe area in north-west Bosnia to protect the dissident Bosnian Muslim population from attack by Bosnian Muslim troops supporting the Muslim Government in Sarajevo.
Mr. Douglas Hogg: The United Nations has no plans to create any additional safe areas.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken by the United Nations to disarm the Bosnian Muslims troops in the Gorazde exclusion zone.
Mr. Douglas Hogg: United Nations troops were deployed to Gorazde in April 1994 under Security
Column 425
Council Resolution No. 836, to deter attacks against the safe areas, to monitor the ceasefire, and to promote the withdrawal of military units other than those of the Government of the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina.In the absence of any agreement between the parties to move towards demilitarisation of Gorazde, UNPROFOR is not mandated to disarm troops of either party.
Mr. Llywd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received during the past two years on the subject of assistance, military or otherwise to the regime in Colombia; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry: We have received frequent representations. Our assistance has focused on the following priority areas which have been agreed with the Government of Colombia: renewable resources management, good government and help to counter the illicit production and trafficking of drugs.
Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that border controls on Gibraltar's Spanish frontier comply with European Community legislation.
Mr. Baldry: Gibraltar's position outside the Community's common customs territory allows Spain to maintain normal customs checks at the frontier. We view the current level of controls as
disproportionate. We have protested strongly, and are considering next steps.
Mr. Colvin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he is making to Spain about passport and customs delays on its frontier with Gibraltar; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry: On 1 December, my hon. Friend the Minister of State summoned the Spanish ambassador to express our strong concern at these intrusive and disruptive checks, and made it clear that they should cease. Similar representations have been made on several other occasions and we shall continue to keep the position under close review.
Mr. Jim Lester: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has agreed for the BBC World Service in the present funding triennium, 1994 95 to 1996 97.
Mr. Baldry: As stated in the recent White Paper, "The Future of the BBC" Cmnd 2621 of July 1994, the World Service will in future operate to targets and performance indicators agreed with the FCO. These will replace the detailed prescription of languages and hours of broadcasts. For the current triennium, 1994 to 1997, the following targets have been agreed for increasing overall World Service audiences and listenership among the better educated:
Column 426
Audience Size<1> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Global |130 |134 |140 Regional Asia-Pacific |7.5 |8 |9 South Asia |52 |53 |54 Africa |31.5 |32 |33.5 Middle East and North Africa |11 |11 |11.5 FSU and South-west Asia |7.5 |8 |9 Eastern and Central Europe |5 |5.5 |5.5 Western Europe |7.5 |7.5 |7.5 Americas |8 |9 |10
Audience among the |1994-95 |1995-96 |1996-97 better educated<2> |Percentage |Percentage |Percentage --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Global |18 |19 |21 Regional Asia-Pacific |5 |7 |10 South Asia |30 |35 |37 Africa |68 |68 |69 Middle East and North Africa |40 |42 |44 FSU and South-west Asia |5 |7 |10 Eastern and Central Europe |5 |7 |9 Western Europe |12 |13 |14 Americas |1 |2 |3 <1> Number of adults listening at least once per week, excluding areas where measurement is not possible, e.g. China. <2> Percentage of adults surveyed who have some tertiary education and who listen to the BBC at least once per week.
Other key targets are to increase output in programme minutes per £1,000 spent from 33 in 1994 95 to 40 in 1996 97, and to increase the hours of output per member of staff from 31 in 1994 95 to 46 in 1996 97.
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many operating theatre sessions have been cancelled in each region in each of the last five years.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: Information on cancellations of operating theatre sessions is not centrally available. The number of admissions which were cancelled by hospitals for the year ending 31 March 1994, the first year for which accurate information is centrally available, is shown in the table.
NHSiS - cancellations of admission<1> by health board area of treatment: year ending 31 March 1994 |Total cancellations Scotland |6,170 Argyll and Clyde |274 Ayrshire and Arran |435 Borders |80 Dumfries and Galloway |65 Fife |418 Forth Valley |19 Grampian |964 Greater Glasgow |1,429 Highland |403 Lanarkshire |188 Lothian |1,247 Orkney |4 Shetland |38 Tayside |605 Western Isles |1 <1> Cancellations by hospital of admission for inpatient or day case treatment in the following surgical specialties: general surgery, orthopaedic surgery, ENT surgery, ophthalmology, urology, neurosurgery, cardiothoracic surgery, plastic surgery, orthodontics and paediatric dentistry, oral surgery and oral medicine, restorative dentistry, paediatric surgery and gynaecology.
Mr. Kynoch: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of changes in the student support and tuition fee arrangements for Scottish domiciled students in session 1995 96.
Lord James Douglas Hamilton: I am publishing today the main rates of maintenance allowances payable under the students' allowances scheme and the postgraduate students' allowances scheme, including rates for those courses which do not attract student loans, together with the rates of various supplementary allowances payable to both undergraduate and vocational postgraduate award holders.
The support available to undergraduate students in 1995 96 through the main rates of maintenance grant and loan, taken together, will be 2 per cent. higher than in 1994 95, thus maintaining its value in real terms. Postgraduate maintenance grants and supplementary allowances will be increased by a similar amount.
Tuition fees will continue to be reimbursed to institutions through the student support system on behalf of eligible students. The rates will be the same as in 1994 95.
These changes are consistent with those for England and Wales announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education. Details have been placed in the Library.
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list by wave the start-up costs for each NHS trust hospital, by region.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The information requested is set out in the table.
|Start-up grant Health board |Trust |£ thousand ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ First wave Ayrshire and Arran |South Ayrshire Hospitals |270 Grampian |Aberdeen Royal Hospitals |310 Second wave Argyll and Clyde |Royal Alexandra Hospital |175 Ayrshire and Arran |Ayrshire and Arran Community Healthcare |175 |North Ayrshire and Arran |175 Forth Valley |Royal Scottish National Hospital |175 |Stirling Royal Infirmary |175 Grampian |Grampian Healthcare |175 |Moray Health Services |175 Greater Glasgow |Southern General |175 |Victoria Infirmary |175 |Yorkhill |175 Highland |Caithness and Sutherland |175 |Raigmore |175 Lanarkshire |Monkslands and Bellshill |175 Lothian |West Lothian |175 Tayside |Dundee Teaching Hospitals |175 Third wave Argyll and Clyde |Inverclyde Royal |175 |Renfrewshire Healthcare |175 Dumfries and Galloway |Dumfries and Galloway Acute and Maternity Hospitals |175 Fife |Fife Healthcare |175 |Kirkcaldy Acute Hospitals |175 |Queen Margaret Hospital |175 |Forth Valley Central Scotland Healthcare (Merger) |175 |Falkirk and District Royal Infirmary |175 Greater Glasgow |Glasgow Royal Infirmary University |175 |Greater Glasgow Community and Mental Health Services Stobhill |175 |West Glasgow Hospitals University |175 Highland |Highland Communities |175 Lanarkshire |Hairmyres and Stonehouse |175 |Law Hospital |175 Lothian |East and Midlothian |175 |Edinburgh Healthcare |175 |Edinburgh Sick Children's |175 |Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh |175 |Western General Hospital |175 Tayside |Angus |175 |Dundee Healthcare |175 |Perth and Kinross Healthcare |175 Fourth wave Argyll and Clyde |Argyll and Bute |175 |Lomond Healthcare |175 Borders |Borders General hospital |175 |Borders Communities Health Services |175 Dumfries and Galloway |Dumfries and Galloway Community Health |175 Greater Glasgow |Glasgow Dental Hospital and School |175 Lanarkshire |Lanarkshire Healthcare |175 Common Services Agency |Scottish Ambulance Service |175
Mr. Kynoch: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the report by the Government Actuary on his valuation of the national health service superannuation scheme in Scotland.
Mr. Lang: I have today placed copies of the report in the Library.
The report concludes that the rate of contribution required from employers to meet the scheme's future liabilities, after taking account of employees contributions, should be set at 4 per cent. of pensionable pay, a reduction of 1 per cent. on the existing rate of 5
Column 430
per cent. The scheme's liabilities do not include the cost of pensions increase. Most of the costs of inflation proofing pensions are borne directly by the Exchequer and are not reflected in the above contribution rates.I have decided to accept the actuary's recommendation and to reduce the employers contribution rate with effect from 1 April 1995. The rates of contribution paid by members of the scheme are not affected by this.
The reduction in employers' contributions will release an additional sum of some £22 million towards the funding of the NHS in Scotland.
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the number of redundancies among national health service staff (a) by grade and (b) by reason for each of the last five years.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: Statistics on redundancies in the NHS in Scotland are not collected centrally other than in respect of staff who are both over 50 years of age and have at least five years' reckonable service for superannuation purposes where a benefit is immediately payable under the NHS (Compensation for Premature Retirement) (Scotland) Regulations 1981. The total number of such premature retirement awards for the last five years is as follows:
Column 429
|1989-90|1990-91|1991-92|1992-93|1993-94 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Number of cases |1,040 |480 |625 |759 |849
A breakdown by grade and by reason of redundancy is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
| Home Page |