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Burnley Health Care NHS Trust
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 6 December, Official Report, columns 133 34, what considerations she took into account when deciding to correspond privately with the former chairman of Burnley Health Care NHS Trust.
Mr. Malone: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State took all relevant factors into account, in particular her duties in respect of the National Health Service Trusts (Membership and Procedure) Regulations 1990 and reports of recent events at Burnley Health Care NHS Trust, in deciding to write privately to the former chairman.
NHS Patient Statistics
Ms Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were treated by the national health service on an (a) out-patient and (b) in-patient basis in 1979, 1986, 1990 and 1993.
Mr. Sackville: The information is shown in the table:
General and acute specialties
Thousands
|Ordinary admissions
|and
|Out-patients first |day cases finishes
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979 |6,771 |<1>5,099
1986 |7,835 |<1>6,446
1990-91 |7,593 |6,936
1993-94 |8,832 |8,205
Notes:
<1> Figures have been adjusted to take account of the change from discharges
and deaths to finished consultant episodes.
Sources:
1979 and 1986, SH3 returns; 1990-91 and 1993-94, KH09 and KP70 returns.
Life Expectancy
Ms Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was life expectancy for men and women at one year, in 1979, 1986, 1990 and 1993.
Mr. Sackville: Data on life expectancy at birth in England and Wales for men and women in 1993 are not available. Life expectancy data for the years 1979, 1986, 1990 and 1992, the last available year, are shown in the table:
Year |Males |Females -------------------------------- 1979 |70.3 |76.4 1986 |72.1 |77.9 1990 |73.1 |78.8 1992 |73.8 |79.2
The Health of the Nation"
Ms Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on which dates the Cabinet Committee on "The Health of the Nation" met between October 1992 and October 1994;
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and on which dates its sub-committees met during the same period.Mr. Sackville: Details of the timing of meetings of ministerial committees are not given.
Non-executive Directors
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list (a) the vocational and (b) party political background of the non- executive directors of (i) Brighton Healthcare NHS Trust, (ii) South Downs Healthcare NHS Trust, (iii) the Brighton family health services authority and (iv) East Sussex district health authority; and which of them live in the area covered by the body concerned.
Mr. Malone: The names and occupations of non-executive directors of Brighton Healthcare NHS Trust and the South Downs Healthcare NHS Trust are as shown.
Brighton Healthcare NHS Trust
Mr. J. Whicker: Retired bank director
Mr. R. Stiles: Chartered surveyor
Ms S. Innes: Consultant, The Open College
Professor C. Carnall: Director of Graduate Studies
Vacancy
South Downs Health NHS Trust
Mr. Q. Barry: Solicitor
Mrs. J. Langston: Youth worker
Lady H. Trafford: Company director
Mr. R. Brett: Bank area director
Mr. R. Davenport: Information systems manager
NHS trusts do not have a defined catchment area in which directors could be deemed to live.
The appointment of non-executive members of district health authorities and family health services authorities is a matter for regional health authorities which have details of vocational background and addresses of appointees.
Information on the political affiliation of appointees is not collected.
Long-term Care
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what savings have been made since April 1993 for the national health service by the transfer of funding of continuing care of elderly people to local authorities;
(2) what consideration she has given to using the savings from the transfer of funding of continuing care to local authorities to be available for the use of councils in providing this service.
Mr. Bowis: As a pre-condition of the community care special transitional grant, local authorities have been required to reach agreements with health authorities on their respective
responsibilities for long-term care. When reaching these agreements we have made it clear that any changes to long-term care responsibilities should be agreed between the two agencies, including, if appropriate any transfer of resources under section 28A of the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1977.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy to ensure that people with acute health needs in continuing care are cared for in hospital and not in a domestic setting.
Mr. Bowis: On 12 August we issued, for consultation, draft guidance on national health service responsibilities
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for meeting long-term health care needs. The guidance reminded health authorities that they have a responsibility for securing care for people with continuing health care needs. Such care can be provided in a variety of settings, including hospitals or appropriate facilities in the independent sector.Orthopaedic Posts
Mr. Maclennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the number of vacant consultant orthopaedic posts; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Malone: There were 31 vacant consultant posts in trauma and orthopaedics in England at 30 September 1993. As a snapshot of vacancies on a single date, they may not fairly reflect the average number of vacancies over the year as a whole.
Multiple Births
Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many sets of (a) twins, (b) triplets, (c) quadruplets, (d) quintuplets and (e) sextuplets were born in England in 1993; what was the total number of maternities in England and Wales; and how many multiple births of each type were conceived as a result of (i) in-vitro fertilisation, (ii) gamete intra -fallopian transfer and (iii) other forms of assisted conception.
Mr. Sackville: There were 668,511 maternities in England and Wales in 1993, of which 8,302 resulted in twins, 234 in triplets, 12 in quadruplets and one in sextuplets.
Information on multiple births in 1992 following assisted conception--the latest year for which figures are available--is contained in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority's annual report. Copies of this report are available in the Library.
NHS Staff Salary Costs
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 3 November, Official Report , column 1267 , if she will now update the information on NHS staff salary costs to include figures for 1993 94 and a recalculation of figures for previous years on the new 1993 94 basis.
Mr. Malone: Information on 1993 94 national health service staff salary costs will be placed in the Library. Information on previous year figures at 1993 94 prices was included in the reply I gave the hon. Member on 3 November at column 1267 .
Research
Mr. Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what sum was spent by her Department on research in each of the last 10 years; what percentage this was of the total annual budget; what is the budget for the forthcoming year; what percentage this is of her total budget; and what additional new research is to be undertaken.
Mr. Malone: The sums spent on research and development by the Department of Health over the last 10 years were reported in the statistical supplement to the "Forward Look of Government-Funded Science, Engineering and Technology 1994", and earlier editions of the "Annual Review of Government Funded Research
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and Development". These figures are set out in the table, together with the percentage of the total Department's spending represented by the research.---------------------------------- 1985-86 |20.1|5.56 1986-87 |28.8|7.40 1987-88 |28.4|6.88 1988-89 |33.7|8.04 1989-90 |38.7|5.65 1990-91 |47.0|6.83 1991-92 |56.2|7.90 1992-93 |53.0|6.86 1993-94 (estimate) |54.1|3.88 1994-95 (estimate) |50.1|3.14
These figures exclude spending on the national health service and on NHS research and development. The constituent parts of total departmental spending have changed over the last 10 years, making comparison difficult across different years.
Department of Health expenditure on research and development in the coming year has still to be determined, and will be reported in the statistical supplement to the 1995 forward look.
New and future Departmental strategic research initiatives within the Department's centrally commissioned programme include studies in primary care, mental health services, community health services, personal social services, public and environmental health, information technology, skill mix, effectiveness of purchasing models and prescribing.
Special Advisers
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which of the special advisers serving in her Department during the last five years were subject to positive security vetting.
Mr. Sackville: All special advisers are currently required to have positive vetting.
Patients' Complaints
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 24 November, Official Report, columns 323 24, when she will publish data for 1993 94 on patient complaints.
Mr. Malone: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 12 December, Official Report, column 472 .
EMPLOYMENT
Career Development Loans
Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many inquiries about career development loans were received (a) during the 1993 94 financial year and (b) in response to his Department's advertising campaign.
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Mr. Paice: During the 1993 94 financial year 90,275 career development loan inquiries were received, of which 36,390 were in direct response to the CDL advertising campaign.
Labour Statistics
Sir Andrew Bowden: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of (a) men and (b) women are economically active at age 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65 years and over.
Mr. Oppenheim: The available information from the labour force survey is given in the following table:
Economic activity rates by age-spring 1994 (not seasonally adjusted) Great Britain Per cent. Age (years) |Males |Females ------------------------------------------------ 55 |82 |64 56 |79 |59 57 |74 |57 58 |75 |51 59 |70 |45 60 |66 |34 61 |57 |30 62 |50 |25 63 |46 |21 64 |39 |18 65 and over |7 | 3 Source: Labour force survey.
Sir Andrew Bowden: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his current estimate of the number of people who leave the work force each year; and if he will differentiate between those who leave due to retirement, ill-health, unemployment and other reasons.
Mr. Oppenheim: Of those people classified as economically inactive-- that is, not employed or ILO unemployed--in the spring 1994 labour force survey for Great Britain, 1,020,000 people said that they had been in employment a year earlier. Reasons given for leaving their last job were: retirement, 22 per cent.; ill-health, 16 per cent.; redundancy, dismissal or a temporary job ending, 15 per cent.; other reasons, 47 per cent.
Further, of those people classified as ILO unemployed in spring 1994, 760,000 people said they had been in employment a year earlier. The reasons given for leaving employment were: redundancy or dismissal, 32 per cent.; temporary job ending, 18 per cent.; other reasons, 50 per cent.
Health and Safety Executive
Mr. Robert Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total number of staff employed by the Health and Safety Executive in each of the last five years.
Mr. Oppenheim: The total number of staff employed by the Health and Safety Executive in each of the last five years is shown in the table:
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|Number of staff
Year (1 April) |employed by HSE
------------------------------------------------
1990 |3,698.0
1991 |3,877.0
1992 |4,321.0
1993 |4,537.5
1994 |4,544.5
Note:
Figures show full-time equivalent staff.
Part-time staff counted as 0.5.
Apprenticeships
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what consideration he has given to the German model of a firm employment status for apprentices and industry-agreed allowances for trainees; and what plans he has to recommend it in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Paice: It is up to employers offering apprenticeship training to decide on employed status and wage levels. Under modern apprenticeships the aim is to offer apprentices employed status as soon as possible and to ensure that realistic wages or allowances are set which reflect the cost of training to the employer and the expectation on behalf of the trainee of higher wages when qualified.
Pay Differentials
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what study he has made of the effect of reduced pay differentials in Germany.
Mr. Oppenheim: The Department has made no such study.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to encourage employers to lower pay differentials.
Mr. Oppenheim: None. Pay is a matter to be determined by the employers and employees concerned. Employers are best able to judge what pay is needed to recruit, retain and motivate their employees at all levels.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment he has made of the role of pay differentials in the development of trust between workers and management.
Mr. Oppenheim: None. Pay is a matter for the employers and employees concerned.
Managerial Pay Awards
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what discussions he has had with the Prime Minister about managerial pay awards; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Oppenheim: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State periodically discusses pay at all levels and its implications for the economy and jobs with my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and colleagues. As the Government have made clear on a number of occasions, the remuneration of directors is a matter for companies and their shareholders, within the framework of company law.
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Management and Work Force Co-operation
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to encourage co-operation between management and work force in United Kingdom industry; and if he will review his policy.
Mr. Oppenheim: The Government believe that co-operation between management and workers is best promoted on a voluntary basis. Only in this way can companies develop flexible arrangements which suit the needs of their business and their employees. Legislation, such as the European works councils directive, is too rigid and not the way to encourage good practice. Compulsion would restrict flexibility, add to costs and stifle innovation.
The Government continue to encourage voluntary employee involvement practices. Our joint campaign with the Confederation of British Industry, "Managing for Success", offers guidelines on involving employees in aspects of business performance.
The Government published a booklet, "The Competitive Edge", describing good practice and successful examples of employee involvement, in May this year. A copy is available in the Library.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Cuba
Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the USA Government to seek the normalisation of relationships with Cuba; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg: We believe that United States-Cuba relations are primarily a matter for the two Governments concerned, not third parties.
United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organisation
Mr. Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his preferred number of members of UNESCO's board.
Mr. Douglas Hogg: We are of the opinion that international bodies operate more efficiently and cost effectively with small governing bodies. We were therefore not happy with the decision taken at the recent 145th session of the executive board to recommend an increase in the size of the board from 51 to 58. We would have preferred the executive board to recommend a decrease in its size. Failing that, we would have liked to see the status quo maintained.
Mr. Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what he estimates would be the cost of renewing the United Kingdom's membership of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.
Mr. Douglas Hogg: We estimate that the cost of renewing the United Kingdom's membership of UNESCO would be £11 million per annum.
Mr. Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his preferred level of
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subsistence payments to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation based members.Mr. Douglas Hogg: We believe that subsistence rates for the UNESCO executive board meetings should be paid only to members from least developed countries and the level reduced to bring it in line with the arrangements in the other UN specialised agencies. At present, all UNESCO executive board members receive a daily subsistence rate based on 140 per cent. of the UN rate plus $5 for the duration of the twice-yearly executive board sessions.
Rwanda and Zaire
Miss Lestor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements have been made to protect humanitarian aid workers operating in the refugee camps in Rwanda and Zaire.
Mr. Douglas Hogg: The non-governmental organisations working in the Rwandan refugee camps have, with the advice and assistance of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, made their own security and contingency arrangements. We maintain regular contact with British NGOs and UN agencies over the security in the camps and are continually monitoring the situation.
The UN Secretary-General recently outlined several options for international action to address the security situation in the camps. The Security Council has asked him to investigate the practicalities of the proposals and we await his further response.
East Timor
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he received a letter and petition about East Timor from the justice and peace group of St. Charles' church, Gosforth; and when he proposes to reply to it.
Mr. Douglas Hogg: We have been unable to trace any letter from the justice and peace group of St. Charles' church. A petition with a large number of signatories from the Gosforth area was received in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 20 May 1994. No reply was sent because in the absence of any covering letter it was unclear to whom it should be addressed. If the hon. Member would like to forward a copy of the justice and peace group's letter, I would be happy to reply.
Nuclear Weapons
Mr. Robin Cook: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been Her Majesty's Government's response to the proposal of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany for the establishment of an international nuclear weapons register; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hurd: We and other NATO allies have explained our reservations about this proposal to the German Government.
Mr. Robin Cook: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the establishment of an international nuclear weapons register;
(2) what discussions he has had with his NATO counterparts on the proposal of the Federal Republic of
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Germany to establish an international nuclear weapons register; and if he will make a statement on their progress.Mr. Hurd: We have discussed the German proposal with NATO allies. We have concluded that the proposal would not make the positive and practical contribution to nuclear arms control which the German Government hoped.
Mr. Robin Cook: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been Her Majesty's Government's response to President Yeltsin's invitation to all five nuclear weapons states to enter strategic nuclear arms control talks.
Mr. Hurd: We took careful note of all President Yeltsin's references to nuclear arms control in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly. We have not received any detailed representations from the Russians.
Disarmament Conference
Mr. Robin Cook: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recommendations his Department is making regarding the current review of the agenda of the conference on disarmament; and if he will make a statement.
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