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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 18 January 1995
HEALTH
Cheviot and Wansbeck Hospital
Mr. Ronnie Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many jobs have been lost in the last two years in the Cheviot and Wansbeck hospital and trusts; and what were the financial savings; (2) how many litigation cases Cheviot and Wansbeck trust has been involved in over the last two years;
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(3) how many staff of each grade of nurse and health care assistant work in the maternity unit at the Cheviot and Wansbeck hospital; (4) how many complaints were made by general practitioners about sub-standard care and inappropriately early discharges from the Cheviot and Wansbeck hospital.Mr. Sackville: These are matters for Cheviot and Wansbeck national health service trust, which was set up on 1 April 1994. The hon. Member may wish to contact its chairman, Mr. Roger Baker, for details.
Forensic Psychiatry Patients
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many forensic psychiatry patients have been treated in each regional health authority in each year since 1988.
Mr. Bowis: The tables show the number of admissions and number of out-patients for the forensic psychiatry specialty by regional health authority for the period 1988 89 to 1993 94.
Number of ordinary admissions and outpatient attendances, forensic psychiatry specialty, England and Regional Health
Authority areas,
1988-89 to 1993-94
|1988-89 |1989-90 |1990-91 |1991-92 |1992-93 |1993-94
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ordinary admissions (finished consultant episodes)
Northern |88 |75 |25 |128 |151 |72
Yorkshire |135 |148 |161 |234 |144 |108
Trent |72 |82 |124 |100 |106 |138
East Anglian |35 |64 |109 |93 |79 |75
North West Thames |108 |154 |70 |71 |136 |314
North East Thames |31 |40 |14 |98 |112 |81
South East Thames |74 |112 |90 |76 |68 |42
South West Thames |27 |1 |7 |8 |22 |26
Wessex |16 |48 |46 |42 |41 |15
Oxford |0 |18 |28 |52 |36 |27
South Western |26 |53 |105 |140 |176 |156
West Midlands |62 |62 |95 |98 |98 |98
Mersey |50 |28 |68 |79 |91 |91
North Western |107 |104 |136 |161 |210 |224
Special Health Authorities |102 |31 |28 |78 |64 |70
England |933 |1,020 |1,106 |1,458 |1,534 |1,537
Total outpatient attendances
Northern |459 |505 |<1>410 |485 |531 |530
Yorkshire |2,894 |2,067 |2,037 |2,299 |3,094 |3,174
Trent |1,533 |819 |724 |537 |389 |385
East Anglian |190 |285 |472 |557 |400 |394
North West Thames |0 |0 |0 |166 |188 |<2>2,289
North East Thames |2,788 |2,617 |2,082 |801 |338 |329
South East Thames |412 |926 |1,547 |813 |725 |1,204
South West Thames |109 |83 |122 |95 |67 |61
Wessex |0 |195 |355 |90 |329 |60
Oxford |5 |58 |106 |291 |415 |542
South Western |452 |297 |231 |567 |632 |273
West Midlands |996 |1,475 |1,317 |1,415 |1,127 |1,058
Mersey |874 |918 |930 |970 |1,223 |987
North Western |48 |913 |1,096 |1,015 |1,658 |3,621
Special Health Authorities |0 |0 |1,246 |1,617 |1,253 |1,424
England |10,760 |11,158 |<1>12,675|11,718 |12,369 |16,331
Source:
DH Forms KP70 and KH09.
<1> Revised.
<2> In previous years forensic psychiatry data were included in the mental illness specialty and cannot be separately
identified.
Small Pharmacies
Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many representations she has received during the past three months concerning the need to maintain the professional allowance for small pharmacies dispensing between 1,000 and 1,500 prescriptions per month; and if she proposes to modify her intended policy in the light of such representations.
Mr. Malone: I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 19 December 1994, Official Report , column 983 , since when there have been a further seven representations about the graduated transitional payment. We expect to discuss the matter with pharmacists' representatives in the forthcoming pay round.
Midwives
Mr. Ronnie Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the ratio of patients to midwives in (a) the Northumberland health authority and (b) the Wansbeck and Cheviot maternity unit.
Mr. Sackville: This information is not available centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact the vice chairman of Northumberland health authority, Mr. David Wright, and the chairman of the Cheviot and Wansbeck national health service trust, Mr. Roger Baker, for details.
Community Care
Mr. Thurnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action her Department is taking to monitor local authority spending in the independent sector in their provision of community care services.
Mr. Bowis: Local authorities are required to spend 85 per cent. of the Department of Social Security transfer element of their special transitional grant in the independent sector. Annual returns of this expenditure have to be agreed by the district auditor before being submitted to the Department of Health.
Health Education Authority
Mr. Kevin Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 10 January 1995, Official Report, column 126 27, what plans she has to put out to tender in the private sector the work now being carried out by the Health Education Authority.
Mr. Malone: I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 10 January, Official Report, column 126 27.
Secure Accommodation
Mr. Ronnie Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many places in secure accommodation are currently available for persons aged under 16 years in Northumberland; at what location; and what were the figures for the previous five years for which figures are available.
Mr. Bowis: There are five places in secure accommodation approved for use by young people in Northumberland, located at Netherton Park children's home, Morpeth. This figure has not changed in the period requested, but there are plans to provide an additional seven places by mid -1996. The places are not restricted to those aged under 16.
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Cot Mattresses
Mr. Alan W. Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence she has in respect of the effect of biodegradation of compounds of antimony used in flameproofing cot mattresses; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Sackville: The hypothesis that toxic gases are released from the biodegradation of the flameproofing compounds in cot mattresses and covers was thoroughly investigated in 1990 by an expert working group chaired by Professor Paul Turner. The group found no evidence that there was a link between sudden infant death syndrome incidence, the presence of antimony and associated low levels of arsenic impurity, or phosphorus additives in cot mattresses and their covers, microbial contamination of those mattresses and covers and the generation of toxic volatile gases.
Dr. Kenneth Calman, the chief medical officer, has recently set up an expert group to steer further work by the Department of Health on cot deaths. This group is chaired by Lady Limerick.
The group's terms of reference are:
To review the findings of the report on "Sudden Infant Death Syndromes (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.
Guillain Barre Syndrome
Mr. Alfred Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in how many cases known to her Department children vaccinated against measles and rubella in the last five years have developed symptoms of Guillain Barre syndrome; what research has been done by her Department or elsewhere into the causes of the syndrome; what action she will be taking or is considering; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Sackville: Guillain Barre syndrome is a rare neurological condition that usually presents as acute flaccid paralysis. The condition is thought to have a post-infectious aetiology. In its detailed review of adverse effects of vaccines, the United States Institute of Medicine could find no evidence to support or reject a causal association between Guillain Barre syndrome and measles or rubella immunisation.
Three cases of Guillain Barre syndrome after measles, mumps and rubella vaccine have been reported to the committee on the safety of medicines since 1988. The reporting of a temporal association with immunisation does not necessarily imply causality. One case of Guillain Barre syndrome has been reported in association with the measles and rubella immunisation campaign. Further investigations are being undertaken into this case.
At the instigation of the Department of Health, the communicable disease surveillance centre of the public health laboratory service set up nationwide surveillance of acute flaccid paralysis--for which Guillain Barre syndrome is the commonest cause--between July 1991 and June 1994. The study is being analysed, but preliminary evaluation suggests that the number of cases reported in association with the measles and rubella
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campaign are similar to those that could be expected in the absence of the campaign.Civil Servants
Mr. Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff in her Department have reported an offer of employment from an outside employer since February 1993 as required under the civil service management code; and how many of these reports were followed by an application to join the company concerned.
Mr. Sackville: Information about more junior staff is not held centrally. Since February 1993, there have been two reports of job offers from staff in grade 3 and above. So far, one of these has been followed by an application under the business appointments procedure.
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Ambulance Service
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times an ambulance has not arrived within the national charter standard time by ambulance service in each year since April 1991.
Mr. Sackville [holding answer 13 January 1995]: The national patients charter standard provides that ambulances responding to an emergency call should arrive at the scene of an incident in 95 per cent. of cases, within 14 minutes for urban services and within 19 minutes for rural services.
Information was not collected in sufficient detail in 1991 92 to provide the figures requested. Figures for 1992 93 and 1993 94 are shown in the table.
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|1992-93 |1993-94
|1992-93 |percentage of |1993-94 |Percentage of
Ambulance Service |Number |all responses |Number |all responses
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rural Ambulance Services
Cumbria |1,341 |8.8 |1,277 |8.0
Durham |876 |2.9 |1,392 |4.5
Northumbria |782 |1.0 |880 |1.1
Humberside |342 |0.8 |708 |1.6
North Yorkshire |1,053 |4.6 |1,206 |5.6
Derbyshire |1,500 |4.3 |1,646 |4.2
Leicestershire |975 |3.0 |1,082 |3.0
Lincolnshire |844 |4.7 |893 |4.5
Nottinghamshire |1,248 |2.3 |1,450 |2.4
Cambridgeshire |1,105 |5.8 |886 |4.3
Norfolk |901 |3.3 |1,108 |3.6
Suffolk |939 |7.9 |652 |4.7
Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire |1,829 |3.1 |2,001 |3.2
Essex |896 |1.4 |1,711 |2.4
East Sussex |835 |2.3 |993 |2.4
Kent |2,093 |3.6 |2,755 |4.6
West Sussex |716 |2.7 |703 |2.2
Dorset |1,096 |3.9 |1,670 |5.3
Hampshire |1,229 |2.6 |1,205 |2.4
Wiltshire |618 |4.1 |800 |4.9
Isle of Wight |88 |2.1 |77 |1.5
Berkshire |284 |1.0 |736 |2.4
Two Shires<1> |989 |2.5 |1,116 |2.9
Oxfordshire |936 |5.8 |1,320 |7.5
West Country<2> |2,868 |4.3 |4,323 |5.9
Gloucestershire |433 |3.2 |581 |3.8
Hereford and Worcestershire |608 |2.9 |672 |2.9
Shropshire |508 |4.0 |452 |3.2
Staffordshire |1,862 |4.7 |1,845 |3.8
Warwickshire |683 |4.7 |640 |4.0
Lancashire |934 |1.3 |1,091 |1.4
Urban Ambulance Service
Cleveland |725 |3.0 |967 |4.0
West Yorkshire |6,494 |6.0 |5,295 |4.4
South Yorkshire |5,678 |10.1 |6,526 |11.0
Surrey |2,272 |5.2 |3,089 |6.3
London |196,921 |41.5 |186,973 |37.8
Avon |3,691 |10.0 |5,085 |12.8
West Midlands |12,526 |8.9 |10,189 |6.7
Mersey |6,815 |4.6 |5,511 |3.4
Manchester |4,333 |2.6 |4,073 |2.3
<1> Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire Ambulance Services combined to form Two Shires Ambulance NHS Trust on 1 April
1993. Figures for 1992-3 have been combined for ease of comparison.
<2> Cornwall, Devon and Somerset Ambulance Services combined to form West Country Ambulance Service NHS Trust on 1 April
1993. Figures for 1992-93 have been combined for ease of comparison.
Budgets
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total budget of (a) fundholders and (b) district health authorities in 1991 92, 1992 93, 1993 94 and 1994 95.
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Mr. Malone [holding answer 13 January 1995]: Details of budgets allocated to general practitioner fundholders and district health authorities are shown in the table. General practitioner fundholder data include allocations for drugs and staff in addition to the hospital and community health services that they can purchase.
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|1991-92 |1992-93 |1993-94 |1994-95
|£ million|£ million|£ million|£ million
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
General Practitioner Fundholders |400 |800 |1,800 |2,800
District Health Authorities |17,300 |18,200 |17,900 |18,200
Notes:
1. Allocations to district health authorities and general practitioner fundholders
are made by regional health authorities who have provided the information in the
table.
2. Final district health authority cash limits for the years 1991-92, 1992-93, and
1993-94 include initial cash limits and adjustments in-year, and exclude general
practitioner fundholder allocations. For 1994-95 the figures recorded are initial
cash limits and exclude in-year adjustments. Some regions have included general
practitioner fundholder budgets in these initial cash limits.
Cot Deaths
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the budget for health promotional activities on cot death in each of the last five years; and what is the projected budget for the next two years.
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Mr. Sackville [holding answer 13 January 1995]: The table shows the amounts that the Department has spent on publicity aimed specifically at reducing the risk of cot death since the introduction of the "Back to Sleep" campaign in December 1991 and Health Education Authority initiatives aimed at reducing smoking prevalence in district groups.
|1991-92|1992-93|1993-94|1994-95|1995-96|1996-97
|£000s |£000s |£000s |£000s |£000s |£000s
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DH Expenditure
Cot Death |1,611 |- |21 |30 |- |-
HEA Expenditure
Teenage Smoking Campaign |2,101 |2,650 |2,650 |1,362 |- |-
Smoking in Pregnancy |500 |500 |500 |446 |- |-
Adult Smoking |- |5,438 |8,256 |8,052 |4,000 |4,000
Birth to Five |253 |21 |77 |<1>107 |- |-
Pregnancy Book |326 |328 |151 |<1>196 |- |-
Total |4,791 |9,147 |11,655 |10,193 |4,000 |4,000
<1> Provisional figures for the year to date. Further expenditure is planned to
the end of the current financial year.
The Department of Health budgets for 1995-96 and 1996-97 and most of those for the HEA have yet to be agreed.
Departmental expenditure in 1991 went towards a press and television cot death campaign, as well as the production and distribution of a departmental leaflet, "Reducing the Risk of Cot Death", which has since been reprinted and almost 5 million copies distributed so far.
The recently announced national anti-smoking campaign managed by the HEA over the next three financial years will be primarily aimed at adults, and especially parents of young children. This is particularly relevant to cot death because smoking is a major risk factor associated with it. The HEA's two major publications in this field, the "Pregnancy Book", given free to first-time mothers and "Birth to Five", given free to first-time parents, both contain advice on reducing the risk of cot death.
Much health promotion work of this type is carried out by local health care units and health authorities. It is not possible to quantify this either in terms of time or cost. Health promotion activity aimed at pregnant women and new mothers is carried out in face-to-face contacts by individual midwives, health visitors, general practitioners, obstetricians and paediatricians during the course of routine care.
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With the efforts of all those health professionals and the success of those initiatives, there has been a remarkable reduction in the number of cot deaths. In England and Wales over the period 1988 1993, we are pleased to say that the numbers have fallen by more than 70 per cent.TRANSPORT
Passenger Timetable
Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received regarding inaccuracies in the Great Britain passenger timetable; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Watts: We have received a small number of representations about inaccuracies in the Great Britain passenger timetable. The timetable is published by BR, which is responsible for its accuracy.
Civil Servants
Mr. Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff in his Department have reported an offer of employment from an outside employer since February
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1993 as required under the civil service management code; and how many of these reports were followed by an application to join the company concerned.Mr. Norris: The rules on outside appointments do not require Departments to maintain records of job offers to their staff.
Roads Expenditure
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his estimate of United Kingdom roads expenditure, broken down to show the split between central and local government, for each of the following time periods expressed in 1993 prices (a) 1969 to 1974, (b) 1974 to 1979, (c) 1979 to 1984, (d) 1984 to 1989, (e) 1989 to 1994 and (f) 1994 to 1999 planned; and if he will provide the equivalent figures showing central and local government expenditures on the United Kingdom rail system.
Dr. Mawhinney: Comparable figures for the split between national and local roads expenditure relate to England only and are not available before 1989. Figures for each of the years 1989 90 to 1993 94 and estimated outturns for 1994 95 are given in 1993 94 prices. Central Government rail figures represent the external finance limit for BR-Railtrack; local government rail figures represent support for services in the metropolitan areas.
£ million
Roads Rail
|Central |Local
|National |Local |Government|Government
------------------------------------------------------------------
1989-90 |1,655 |623 |877 |125
1990-91 |2,042 |724 |1,249 |128
1991-92 |1,983 |838 |1,584 |139
1992-93 |2,022 |923 |2,137 |144
1993-94 |2,040 |1,039 |1,461 |143
1994-95 |1,945 |851 |1,496 |359
Forward plans for 1995 96 to 1997 98 will be published in the transport report 1995.
Vehicle Checks
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list vehicle spot checks planned and carried out in each of the last 12 months, stating in each case how many vehicles were tested, how many failed to meet roadworthiness standards, and how many planned checks were cancelled due to lack of police resources.
Mr. Norris: This is an operational matter for the Vehicle Inspectorate agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Ron Oliver to Ms Joan Walley, dated18 January 1995: The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning vehicle spot checks planned and carried out in each of the last 12 months, stating in each case how many vehicles were tested, how many failed to meet roadworthiness standards, and how many planned checks were cancelled due to lack of police resources. The attached table shows the number of vehicle spot checks planned and carried out in each of the last 12 months, and the number failing to meet roadworthiness standards, to the extent that prohibition action was necessary.
The number of planned checks cancelled due to lack of police support is not available. The information we do have is set out below and covers the period from 1 April 1994 to the end of September 1994. It shows the number of unproductive hours (attendance hours) resulting from the withdrawal of police support from organised checks in progress.
|Attendance |Attendance
Month |Hours Lost |Month |Hours Lost
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
April 1994 |310 |July 1994 |344
May 1994 |316 |August 1994 |338
June 1994 |310 |September 1994|327
Table 1
Heavy Goods Public Service Other Vehicle
Vehicles Vehicles Types
|Failed |Failed |Failed
Month |Planned |Inspected |(Prohibitions)|Planned |Inspected |(Prohibitions)|Planned |Inspected |(Prohibitions)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
December 1993 |10,247 |8,130 |996 |2,266 |2,568 |183 |4,662 |4,246 |261
January 1994 |" |6,560 |933 |" |1,601 |119 |" |2,099 |112
February 1994 |" |10,956 |1,458 |" |2,672 |205 |" |3,740 |213
March 1994 |" |18,297 |2,720 |" |5,577 |494 |" |6,985 |398
April 1994 |11,076 |11,505 |2,017 |2,443 |1,467 |171 |4,506 |2,490 |252
May 1994 |" |12,834 |2,132 |" |2,140 |219 |" |3,328 |291
June 1994 |" |10,578 |1,644 |" |2,435 |295 |" |3,362 |232
July 1994 |" |14,183 |2,483 |" |3,701 |429 |" |4,405 |269
August 1994 |" |10,982 |1,724 |" |2,619 |250 |" |4,143 |237
September 1994 |" |12,081 |2,024 |" |2,651 |344 |" |7,867 |308
October 1994 |" |11,986 |1,979 |" |2,602 |285 |" |4,893 |373
November 1994 |" |10,448 |1,566 |" |2,752 |235 |" |6,465 |588
Notes:
1. The number of planned inspections has been calculated from using the planned inspections for the year.
2. In relation to roadworthiness enforcement inspections "failed" has been interpreted as being the number of occasions when it was found necessary to issue a
roadworthiness prohibition notice.
3. The inspections include all roadworthiness enforcement spot checks and exclude any conducted in connection with:
a) accident or mechanical defect investigations and
b) roadworthiness inspections done for operator licensing purposes.
Public Transport
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to redirect reductions in the roads budget into expenditure on public transport.
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Dr. Mawhinney: The broad apportionment of my Department's budget was announced on 29 November. Details will be published in due course in the transport report 1995.
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Mr. R. Howard
Mr. Rowe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to reply formally to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration's draft report on the care of Mr. R. Howard of Bexley.
Mr. Watts: The Department of Transport made its detailed response to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration last November, since when there has been further correspondence on factual and textual matters.
Highway Code
Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimates his Department have made of the percentage of total motorists owning a current copy of the highway code.
Mr. Norris: On the basis of sales figures provided by HMSO, about 20 per cent. of motorists, some 6.8 million, have bought a copy of the current edition of the highway code.
Motorists (Training)
Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when his Department will announce plans for a scheme to offer further training for motorists who have already passed their test.
Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his Department's response to the proposal advanced by the Automobile Association for a graduated points threshold for new drivers.
Mr. Norris: We have considered carefully a number of proposals for improving the safety of new drivers, including those put forward by the Automobile Association. I am pleased to say that my hon. Friend the Member for Rochford (Dr. Clark) has introduced the Road Traffic (New Drivers) Bill, which provides for the retesting of newly qualified drivers who commit certain traffic offences.
Rolling Stock (Safety)
Mr. Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what response British Rail made to recommendation 55 of the Hidden report on the Clapham junction railway accident in respect of mark 1 rolling stock including class 411, 413, 415 and 416 vehicles in use on Network South East's south-eastern division routes in Kent.
Mr. Watts: British Rail carried out its stated programme of research into the structural integrity of its rolling stock, which included an assessment of the structural changes necessary to strengthen mark 1 vehicles with an expected life span of eight years or more. BR completed the programme by April 1991 and then discussed the results with the Health and Safety Executive's railway inspectorate. BR concluded that very few of the mark 1 vehicles in classes 411, 413, 415 and 416 were projected to remain in service for eight years or more, and that it would not be reasonably practicable to carry out structural changes to these vehicles or to the remainder of mark 1 vehicles. I understand that Her Majesty's railway inspectorate agreed with BR's conclusions.
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Motorists (Sight)
Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimates his Department have made of the percentage of total motorists with inadequate eyesight due to (a) an absence of glasses or contact lenses and (b) inappropriate glasses or contact lenses.
Safety Schemes, Derbyshire
Mr. McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the allocations that have been made to Derbyshire county council under supplementary credit approval for local safety schemes over the last six years.
Mr. Norris: The allocations are:
Year |£ ------------------------ 1991-92 |300,000 1992-93 |250,000 1993-94 |330,000 1994-95 |602,000 1995-96 |642,000
Supplementary credit approvals were allocated for 1994 95 and 1995 96. Before then, support was given as transport supplementary grant, 50 per cent., and annual capital guideline, 50 per cent. Specific allocations for local safety schemes were not given before 1991 92.
Train Drivers' Radio Phones
Mr. Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what estimate he has made of the cost of ensuring that drivers' radio phones are effective at all points on the rail network through the installation of extra line side transmitter relay facilities; (2) what agreement he has reached with British Rail and its subsidiary companies to ensure that drivers' radio phones can be used effectively on all parts of the rail network;
(3) what estimate he has made of the proportion of the rail network on which drivers' radio phones are ineffective because of reception blackspots;
(4) if he will publish a map indicating those sections of the rail network on which drivers' radio phones are ineffective because of reception blackspots.
Mr. Watts: These are operational matters for British Rail and Railtrack. I understand that British Rail has fitted the major part of the network with a system known as the national radio network. The target coverage for the NRN is 98 per cent. The remaining 2 per cent. of the network consists of problem spots, mainly in cuttings or tunnels, where complete coverage is not reasonably practicable unless the cab secure radio system for communicating with train drivers is provided. There is no map of these problem spots. The Health and Safety Executive's railway inspectorate continues to monitor implementation of the cab radio programme by British Rail and Railtrack.
Cost Benefit Analyses
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria he uses to assess whether value for money is obtained from his Department's road programme.
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Mr. Watts: The Department employs cost-benefit analyses to appraise new road schemes at different stages of their preparation to ensure that they will provide value for money. The benefits measure is accident reductions and time and vehicle operating costs savings to road users. The analysis is complemented by wide-ranging appraisals of environmental impacts.
When schemes are completed, the accuracy of the predicted traffic flows-- the key input for both the cost-benefit analyses and the environmental appraisal--is monitored. In response to a recommendation of the Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment, research is being undertaken to enhance and extend "before and after" scheme monitoring.
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what adjustments he intends to propose in respect of the fixed trip matrix assumption in COBA.
Mr.Watts: In response to the recent report of the Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment, the Department has issued guidance on the use of currently available techniques for variable trip matrix appraisal. These appraisals will be undertaken for all national road schemes in preparation, except where prior assessment shows that the trip matrix will not vary significantly as a result of the scheme.
The Department has commissioned consultants to develop improved techniques for undertaking variable matrix economic appraisal, to complement the fixed matrix COBA program.
Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee
Mr. Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has received the eighth annual report of the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee.
Mr Norris: The report has been received by my right hon. Friend and copies have today been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Jury Service (Blind People)
Ms Lynne: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many blind people were turned down for jury service in the last year for which figures are available and in each of the previous four years.
Mr. John M. Taylor: My Department does not collect data about the number of blind people who were either discharged or excused from jury service. Such information for the last five years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost and its accuracy could not be guaranteed.
Civil Servants
Mr. Byers: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many staff in his Department have reported an offer of employment from an outside employer since February 1993 as required
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under the civil service management code; and how many of these reports were followed by an application to join the company concerned.Mr. John M. Taylor: Since February 1993, one offer of employment has been reported and was followed by an application to join the company.
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Civil Servants
Mr. Byers: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many staff in his Department have reported an offer of employment from an outside employer since February 1993 as required under the civil service management code; and how many of these reports were followed by an application to join the company concerned.
Mr. Robert G. Hughes: Information about offers of employment from outside companies is not held centrally. Since February 1993, four applications to join an outside employer have been received.
Internet
Mr. Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans he has to introduce measures to combat the spread of pornography on computer via the Internet; and if he will make a statement.
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