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Official Secrets Acts
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which staff working in the Department of Health, national health service executive, regional health authorities, district health authorities, family health services authorities, trusts and general practitioner fundholder practices are covered by the conditions of the Official Secrets Acts.
Mr. Sackville: The Official Secrets Act 1989 applies, inter alia, to Crown servants. All Department of Health employees are therefore subject to the Act. Staff in other organisations listed will be subject to the Act if they have, or have had, official information, as defined in the Act, in their possession.
National Health Service Executive
Mrs. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans exist for the proposed regional offices of the NHSE to hold meetings in public or provide information to the public.
Mr. Malone: Regional offices of the national health service executive will not generally hold public meetings but will provide information to the public in accordance with the code of practice on access to Government information.
Food Allergies
Mr. Chisholm: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many physicians in English national health service hospitals are specialists in the treatment of food allergies.
Mr. Malone: Information in this form is not available centrally, as a number of clinical specialties treat food allergies.
Night Calls
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will abandon her proposals in respect of payment for night calls by general practitioners; and if she will make a statement; (2) if she will make it her policy to remunerate general practitioners for night calls on an hourly paid basis; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Malone: We are continuing to discuss general practitioners' out of hours remuneration with representatives of the medical profession.
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her estimate of the time taken by the average general practitioner on the average night call from receipt of call to return to home or surgery; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Malone: This information is not available.
Patient Complaints
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 24 November, Official Report , columns 323-24 on patient complaints, when she will publish data for 1993 94.
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Mr. Malone: Information on patient complaints for 1993 94 is expected to be available early next year.
Intensive Care Beds
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will obtain a report as to the reasons why on the evening of 6 December there were no intensive care beds with neurosurgical capacity available within west Yorkshire; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Sackville: This is a matter for the Northern and Yorkshire regional health authority. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. John Greetham, chairman of the authority, for details.
Blood
Mr. Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what blood or blood products produced in the United Kingdom have been sold internationally; in what amounts; and to which countries.
Mr. Sackville: Blood collected by the national blood service is for the needs of the national health service not for sale or export. The amount of blood collected is determined by the needs of NHS hospitals for blood. Blood products are produced from components of donated blood by the bio products laboratory, which is a part of the National Blood Authority. Surpluses of products, that is after NHS demand has been satisfied, may be exported rather than destroyed. The only blood product where present availability significantly exceeds NHS demand is albumin and this is exported worldwide. This avoids waste of valuable resource and supplements NHS income available for patients.
Mr. Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what funds were made available during 1993 and 1994 to date to encourage an increase in the amount of blood donated; during which periods; and to what amounts;
(2) what sum was made available to each blood transfusion service for advertising purposes during the Christmas and new year period of 1994 95.
Mr. Sackville: National publicity to retain existing donors and recruit new donors for the national blood service is funded and organised centrally by the Department of Health. In 1993 94, £1.6 million was spent on national publicity. The budget for 1994 95 is £1.2 million. The proportions devoted to advertising at times of potential seasonal shortage and emergencies are 57 and 50 per cent. respectively. Local publicity is generally funded and organised by the National Blood Authority.
Mr. Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many operations were cancelled owing to a shortage of blood in 1993 and 1994 to date;
(2) what considerations led to the decision of the National Blood Authority to increase its stock levels of donated blood for the end of 1994 and the beginning of 1995.
(3) if she will make a statement on the expected supply of donated blood during the period of reorganisation of the National Blood Authority;
(4) what was the stock levels of blood held nationally for each month of 1993 and 1994 to date;
(5) during what periods during 1993 and 1994 to date there was a shortfall in the supply of blood;
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(6) what criteria are used to decide the levels of donated blood kept by the National Blood Authority.Mr. Sackville: The National Blood Authority is responsible for managing and monitoring the blood supply. A difficult balance has to be struck by the authority between unpredictable demand from the national health service and uncertain supply from the planned collection programme. This balance is subject to considerable seasonal and other fluctuations. From figures available centrally, over the last 12 months average blood stocks have ranged from 15,505 units in July 1994, to 27,142 units in February 1994. Blood stock figures for previous years are not available centrally. Although on occasions, including several days in September 1994, stocks fell below what the NBA regard as a safe limit emergency demands for blood have always been met. Figures are not available centrally on whether operations are cancelled.
Mr. Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals are in place regarding the transfer of jobs resulting from the proposed merger of blood transfusion centres.
Mr. Sackville: The National Blood Authority will produce final proposals after the consideration and evaluation of the comments received during the recent consultation exercise has been completed.
Mr. Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list (a) the performance indicator of each of the United Kingdom's blood transfusion centres, (b) the criteria by which any proposed merger will be judged and (c) the percentage number of contracted donors who actually donate at each transfusion centre.
Mr. Sackville: The details of the system are a matter for the National Blood Authority. Approximately 5 per cent. of all blood donations take place at transfusion centres.
Trust Property
Mr. Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will describe and give the value of the property referred to in the Aintree Hospital National Health Service Trust (Transfer of Trust Property) (No. 2) Order 1994--S.I., 1994, No. 2988;
(2) if she will describe and give the value of the property referred to in the Hartlepool Community Care National Health Service Trust (Transfer of Trust Property) Order 1994--SI., 1994, No. 2989; (3) if she will describe and give the value of the property referred to in the South Lincolnshire Community and Mental Health Services National Health Service (Transfer of Trust Property) Order 1994--S.I., 1994, No. 2991;
(4) if she will describe and give the value of the property referred to in the Hartlepool and Peterlee Hospitals National Health Service Trust (Transfer of Trust Property) Order 1994--S.I., 1994, No. 2990.
Mr. Sackville: The information will be placed in the Library.
Market Testing
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list those services that have been market-tested by her Department and won by the private sector,
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indicating the organisation that won the tender and its value.Mr. Sackville: Since the beginning of the Department's market- testing programme, the following contracts have been awarded to the private sector:
Contracts --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NHS Estates Agency Clerical Support |Manpower National Diet and Nutrition Survey of Elderly People |Social and Community Planning and University College London, and Dunn Nutrition Unit Health Survey for England |Social and Community Planning Research and University College London Office and Building Services in Quarry House |Facilities Management-TFM Granada Word Processing and office support-Manpower Security-Centuryan Office and Building Services-London |Security-Reliance Catering-Compass Facilities Management-Procord and FBA Operation and Redevelopment of the Hospital Episodes Statistics System |Data Sciences Welfare Foods Scheme |NCH Promotional Services Reprographic Services |Libra Business Services Group Storage of Printed Publications |Her Majesty's Stationary Office Internal Audit |Price Waterhouse Editing and Typesetting in the Medical Devices Agency |Multiplex NHS Pensions Agency IT services |Capita managed services Catering |Gardner Merchant Aggregate information on tender values for the Department's 1992-93 programme has already been published in the "Citizens Charter Second Report", available in the Library. Aggregate figures for the 1993-94 programme will be published shortly. Information about individual tender values is considered by the Department as commercially confidential, and cannot therefore be disclosed.
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Mr. Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received regarding the risk to humans from BSE following the publication of "Precautions for Work in Human and Animal Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies".
Mr. Sackville: We have received one letter regarding the risk to human health from bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
Mr. Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action she plans following the publication document produced by the Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens entitled "Precautions for Work in the Human and Animal Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies".
Mr. Sackville: The publication of this guidance has been brought to the attention of those with an interest in the national health service including district and regional directors of public health and consultants in communicable disease control, and also to relevant professional bodies. The Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens will be keeping the guidance under review.
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Working for Patients
Mr. Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the document "Working for Patients".
Mr. Malone: "Working for Patients", which was published in 1989, set out the Government's plans for reform of the national health service. The implementation of these plans has led to major improvements in health services.
Leeds Health Authority
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking following the further report issued on 8 December by the health service ombudsman in respect of complaints against Leeds health authority; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Malone: Leeds health authority has already taken action to address the issues raised by the commissioner.
Cot Deaths
Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations she has received about child mattresses and cot deaths; and what is her Department's policy on the matter.
Mr. Sackville: More than 300 written representations on child mattresses and cot deaths have been received in the Department. In addition many people have telephoned.
Dr. Kenneth Calman, the Chief Medical Officer, has set up an expert group to steer further work by the Department of Health on cot deaths. The group will be chaired by Lady Limerick.
The terms of reference for the group are:
To review the findings of the report on "Sudden Infant Death Syndrome"--the "Turner report", 1991--and any subsequent data on hypotheses linking antimony with unexplained deaths in infants; and to advise the CMO on what further studies should be undertaken to investigate postulated causal relationships between chemicals and cot deaths.
The group has been asked to review the available material and to provide the Department with advice as quickly as possible.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Hill Farmers
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to encourage hill farmers under 40 years old to remain on the land.
Mr. Ancram: The Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland operates a range of measures which either directly benefit or are available to hill farmers. None of these measures is specific to any particular age group.
In addition to the normal range of common agricultural policy support schemes farmers in the less-favoured areas are eligible for hill livestock compensatory allowances and an LFA supplement under the sheep annual premium scheme.
As part of its recently announced rural development programme the Department of Agriculture will be giving priority to proposals coming forward from the most deprived rural areas of Northern Ireland which would
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include much of the land owned and worked by hill farmers. The programme will build on the concept of involving local communities in the development of plans for their areas. It may provide assistance for a range of beneficiaries--collectives, co-operatives and rural community organisations--with the aim of strengthening the rural economy and maintaining viable rural communities. There is considerable scope for farmers and their families to become involved in the programme. The EC Leader II rural development initiative will also target partnerships and may assist with such activities as on-farm and off-farm diversification and small rural enterprises.Column 478
Insolvencies
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the cost to the Exchequer, broken down by category, of the process of insolvencies in each of the past seven years; and what has been the number of cases in each category for the same period.
Mr. Ancram: The available information is set out in the table. A breakdown by category of the costs of processing insolvencies could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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|Bankruptcies |Companies wound up|Total |<1>Costs
|£000
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1987-88 |169 |52 |221 |449
1988-89 |176 |62 |238 |518
1989-90 |243 |66 |309 |542
1990-91 |318 |82 |400 |745
1991-92 |293 |101 |394 |803
1992-92 |495 |90 |585 |978
1993-94 |487 |86 |573 |1,090
<1> The costs column represents salaries and wages and general administration expenses.
Water Metering
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland further to his statement of 1 December, Official Report, column 1324, what plans he has to introduce water metering in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Moss: Meters are currently installed for water supplies to commercial, public, industrial and agricultural premises in Northern Ireland. Water supplies used solely for domestic purposes are not metered and there are no plans to introduce routine metering of purely domestic supplies.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many parliamentary questions tabled in the last Session of Parliament were not answered on the ground that the information sought was not held centrally by the Department.
Sir John Wheeler: In 13 out of a total of 1,469 questions answered, no information could be provided because of the disproportionate cost involved. In a further 10 questions only partial information could be provided.
Market Testing
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list those services that have been market-tested by his Department and won by the private sector, indicating the organisation that won the tender and its value.
Sir John Wheeler: The information provided relates to the period April 1992 to September 1994. In each of those cases listed an in-house bid was submitted for evaluation
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against tenders from alternative providers and subsequently won by the private sector:Sludge Disposal--three tests
Road Reinstatement
Catering in Staff Restaurants--10 tests
IT Mainframe Operation
Sewer Maintenance--two tests
Building Maintenance
Castlenavan Quarry
In the unique circumstances of Northern Ireland, I would not wish to disclose the names of the successful contractors. We also consider that the disclosure of the tender prices could prejudice fair competition between contractors.
Patients' Complaints
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 25 November, Official Report , columns 405-6 , how many hospital patient complaints there were in the four years prior to 1993 94.
Mr. Moss: Information relating to hospital patient complaints was not collected centrally prior to the year 1993 94.
EMPLOYMENT
Energy Expenditure
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment 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.
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Miss Widdecombe: The total expenditure on energy for offices for the financial year 1991 92, 1992 93 and 1993 94 is shown in the table:
V
|1991-92 |1992-93 |1993-94
|£ |£ |£
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Employment Department |1,545,105|1,524,680|1,457,767
Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service |54,598 |64,685 |86,062
Health and Safety Executive |1,205,929|1,219,112|1,307,787
Employment Service |8,773,640|9,005,469|9,088,497
Labour Statistics
Ms Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what was the number of adult (a) male and (b) female part-time workers in Great Britain in April 1993 and the proportion of those workers whose earnings, excluding overtime, fell below (a) £5.88 per hour, (b) £5.53 per hour, (c) £4.15 per hour, (d) £4.00 per hour, (e) £3.50 per hour, (f) £3.00 per hour and (g) £2.50 per hour; (2) If he will list the proportions of (a) full-time employees earning less per week than (1) £221.50, (2) £208.53, (3) £156.40, (4) £150.80, (5) £131.95, (6) £113.10 and (7) £94.25, excluding overtime payments and (b) part-time employees earning less per hour than (1) £5.88, (2) £5.53, (3) £4.15, (4) £4.00, (5) £3.50, (6) £3.00 and (7) 2.50, excluding overtime payments giving (a) and (b) in relation to (A) Great Britain as a whole, (B) each county in England, (C) each county in Wales, (D) each London borough and Greater London as a whole and (E) each regional authority and borough in Scotland.
Mr. Oppenheim: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Rotherham (Mr. MacShane) on 29 November 1994, Official Report , column 635 .
Ms Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the proportion of manual, non-manual and all full-time employees earning less per week than (a) £221.50 (b) £208.53, (c) £156.40, (d) £150.80, (e) £131.95, (f) £113.10 and (g) £94.25, excluding overtime payments, giving each of the above in respect of (i) men, (ii) women and (iii) both sexes by standard economic region, for Great Britain as a whole, and for Northern Ireland.
Mr. Oppenheim: As the information is contained in a number of tables, I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy in the Library.
Jobseeker's Allowance
Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment he has made of the effects of the jobseeker's allowance and the test for availability for work on those with a disability; and if he will make a statement.
Miss Widdecombe: In our proposals for the introduction of the jobseeker's allowance we recognise, as now, that some people with disabilities may have difficulties in making themselves available for the full range of employment opportunities. They will, therefore, be able to restrict their availability to the type or hours or
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work they are able to undertake within the limits of their physical or mental condition. In addition, many people with disabilities will continue to receive incapacity benefit or income support without having to be available for work. However, where people in these groups wish to claim jobseeker's allowance we propose that they should be able to do so, provided they are able to work and meet the other conditions for its receipt.Work Start Schemes, South-west London
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of work start schemes now in place in south-west London; and if he will list them.
Miss Widdecombe: Work-start has been piloted in four areas: Devon and Cornwall; Kent; Tyneside; and south and south-west London. So far 138 people in south-west London have benefited from this scheme. Eighty-five are still participating and 108 employers have been involved.
Market Testing
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list those services that have been market-tested by his Department and won by the private sector, indicating the organisation that won the tender and its value.
Miss Widdecombe: The information requested is given in the following table, in line with the code of practice on access to Government information under the citizen's charter initiative. Information on individual tender values is commercially sensitive and cannot be provided, but aggregated total values for the different parts of the Employment Department group are included.
1992-93 Programme
Activity |Winning organisation |Value
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Employment Department
Van services |Inter Departmental Despatch Services
|Parcel Force
Travel services |Wagon Lits Travel
Estates services |Serco Hadens Facilities Management
Security-Runcorn |Pegasus Security Group
Security-London |Pegasus Security Group
Reprographics |HMSO
Payroll Services |Chessington Computer Centre
|--------
Employment Department Total |£6,748,212
Employment Service
Travel services |Wagon Lits Travel
Forms supply management/distribution |Meads of Nottingham Lynx
Employment Rehabilitation courses |400 organisations at regional
|and local level. Records not
|held centrally.
Jobclubs |JHP Training
|Midas
|Y Training
Financial management training |Unicorn
|--------
Employment Service Total |£11,553,327
Health and Safety Executive
Publications distribution |Procog Ltd. Dillons Bookshops
Graphics |Snapz Presentations
Print unit |22 external printers invited to bid for
|work on a job-by-job basis
Security |Sigma Security
|Neptune Security
Estates Management |Henry Boot Turpy Management
|McBain Cooper Thorburn Calhoun Serco Services
|--------
Health and Safety Executive Total |£3,493,632
|--------
Total 1992-93 Programme |£21,795,171
1993-94 Programme
Activity |Winning Organisation |Value
|£
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Employment Department
Office Services: Records Management |Rockall Data Services
|--------
Employment Department Total |926,277
Employment Service
Field Staff Training: First Aid |Red Cross
Field Staff Training: |Manchester College of
Management and |Art and Technology
People Development
Buildings maintenance and new works |Simons Facilities Management
|plc Graham and Sibbald Peter,
|Fall Cowie Associates HSB Partners
|Drivers, Jonas WS Atkins Procord Ltd.
|Watts and Partners
|--------
Employment Service Total |3,640,733
|--------
Total 1993-94 Programme |4,567,010
Note:
The values given in the tables are derived from the successful bid prices on an annual basis.
Young People
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will provide estimates of the number of 16 and 17-year-olds not currently in full-time education, work or training.
Mr. Paice: In October 1994, on the unadjusted basis there were 15, 849 unemployed claimants aged under 18. All 16 and 17-year-olds who are not in education or a job are covered by the Government's guarantee of an offer of a youth training place.
Employment Policy
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are his policies towards maximising the number of local employees in total employment.
Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 7 December 1994]: The route to more jobs and fewer people out of work is clear: sound economic policies based on low inflation; a deregulated, flexible labour market; and help for those who need it most, especially the long-term unemployed. We will continue to pursue these policies, which have already led to a fall of over 450,000 in unemployment since the recovery in the labour market began. There is in place a very wide range of help to get unemployed people back into work, and my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor's Budget statement announced the extension of a number of programmes, including workwise, 1-2-1, community action, jobfinder's grant and work trials which will be available in Southwark and Bermondsey.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Prevention of Terrorism Acts (Review)
Sir Ivan Lawrence: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements he has made for the annual review of the Prevention of Terrorism Acts to be carried out; and how interested persons and organisations may submit their views for consideration.
Mr. Howard: Mr. J.J. Rowe QC will shortly begin to review the operation of the PTA in 1994. Written observations should be submitted to him c/o Room 647, Home Office, Queen Anne's gate, London SW1H 9AT by 13 January 1995.
Football Matches (Ticket Touting)
Mr. Pendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of arrests, cautions and convictions arising from the measures to curb ticket touting at football matches, contained in the Criminal Justice Act 1994; and if he will include details of those arrests, cautions and convictions, including the dates, games and grounds at which they took place.
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