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Disabled People (Access to Health Centres)
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who is responsible for ensuring that health centres are adequately accessible to disabled people.
Mr. Sackville: Under part M of the Building Regulations 1991, local authority building control officers are responsible for ensuring that health centres and other public buildings are adequately accessible to disabled people.
Executive Search Agencies
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines are operated by her Department as regards the use of executive search agencies to fill vacancies within her Department and her Department's executive agencies; and in what circumstances her Department employs executive search agencies instead of relying fully on departmental resources to fill vacant posts.
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Mr. Sackville: There are no central guidelines on the use of executive search agencies in the Department of Health. The Department and its agencies use such agencies only when internal advertising and inter departmental advertising are unlikely to produce the right number or type of candidates.
Mentally Ill People (Registers)
Mrs. Currie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which health authorities have not yet established registers of mentally ill people in the community and how many names have now been entered on those registers which have been published.
Mr. Bowis: The latest reports indicate that all districts have established supervision registers. The National Health Service Executive is taking action to ensure that reviews of all patients are completed so that registers are fully implemented as soon as possible. Information on the numbers of mentally ill people placed on supervision registers is not yet available centrally.
Continuing and Respite Care
Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will place copies of responses to her consultation on the draft guidance concerning NHS continuing and respite care in the Library; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Bowis: Copies of the replies which were sent in response to our invitation for comments on "NHS responsibilities for meeting long term health care needs" will be placed in the Library.
NHS Charges
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the estimated total value of charges levied on NHS patients for (a) dental treatment, (b) ophthalmic treatment, (c) hospital treatment, (d) hospital facilities, including television and telephone, (e) car parking at hospitals and (f) other items.
Mr. Malone [holding answer 13 January 1995]: The general dental services charge income, net of refunds, in 1993 94 was £367 million. People who are entitled to a national health service sight test do not pay anything towards its cost. People not entitled to an NHS sight test pay for a private test, and all purchases of optical appliances are private transactions.
For information on private patient income for hospital treatment I refer the right hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State gave her on 13 January at columns 267 68 and on 20 January at column 766 . Information on NHS `charged' patients--that is, overseas visitors not exempt from charges for NHS hospital treatment--are given in tables 1 and 2. Figures for NHS trusts are not centrally available.
The income generated by amenity beds in each year from 1979 to 1993 94 is given in table 3. Figures for NHS trusts are omitted since these cannot be separately identified. Information on the net income for patient television hire and other non-medical services is not available centrally.
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The information requested on car parking charges is not collected centrally.There are no figures available centrally for any other items.
Table 1: NHS charged income (overseas visitors) regional health
authorities
|1993-94
|1991-92 |1992-93 |£000s
Region |£000s |£000s |(provisional)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern |168 |100 |75
Yorkshire |106 |67 |28
Trent |143 |45 |7
East Anglian |130 |180 |26
North west Thames |722 |963 |645
North east Thames |178 |141 |200
South east Thames |312 |416 |115
South west Thames |180 |248 |79
Wessex |113 |145 |145
Oxford |319 |334 |455
South western |148 |42 |16
West Midlands |189 |153 |89
Mersey |74 |8 |0
North western |74 |121 |171
Source:
Receipts and payments returns of health authorities (England).
Table 2: NHS charged income (overseas visitors) London
postgraduate teaching hospitals
|1993-94
Special health |1991-92 |1992-93 |£000
authority |£000s |£000s |(provisional)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hospital for Sick Children |0 |0 |0
National Hospital for
Neurology and
Neurosurgery |0 |0 |0
Moorfields Eye Hospital |0 |0 |0
The Bethlem Royal and
Maudsley Hospital |0 |24 |56
The Royal Brompton
National Heart and Lung
Hospital |0 |0 |0
The Royal Marsden
Hospital |1 |0.7 |92
Hammersmith and Queen
Charlotte's Hospitals |25 |26 |15
The Eastman Dental
Hospital |0 |0 |0
Source:
Receipts and payments returns of health authorities (England).
Table 3: Income generated from amenity beds
Year |Amenity bed income
|£000
---------------------------------------------------------
1979-80 |224
1980-81 |239
1981-82 |241
1982-83 |369
1983-84 |389
1984-85 |345
1985-86 |409
1986-87 |454
1987-88 |621
1988-89 |764
1989-90 |1,013
1990-91 |1,260
1991-92 |2,022
1992-93 |1,776
1993-94<1> |1,227
Source:
Annual accounts and receipts and payments returns for
regional health authorities, district health authorities
and London postgraduate special health authorities.
Notes:
The 1991-92, 1992-93 and 1993-94 figures are taken from
the receipts and payments returns and are not therefore
comparable with those of earlier years.
<1> 1993-94 figures are provisional
Specialty Statistics
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give for each financial year since 1989 90 the numbers of (a) hospital spells and (b) finished consultant episodes in NHS hospitals in England recorded in the hospital episode system for (i) acute specialties, (ii) geriatrics, (iii) mental illness, (iv) mental handicap, (v) maternity, (vi) well babies and (vii) all specialties.
Mr. Sackville [holding answer 16 January 1995]: The number of finished consultant episodes in Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) for each financial year 1988 89 to 1992 93 is given in the annual publication "Hospital Episode Statistics, England", copies of which are available in the Library.
Previously quoted estimates of hospital spells have now been superseded by emerging new information and revised figures will be available in due course.
NHS Expenditure
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 9 December 1994, Official Report, column 401, on NHS expenditure on health care for non-NHS providers, if she will provide comparable information on a regional basis.
Mr. Sackville [holding answer 19 January 1995]: The total expenditure, by region, in the last three years by district health authorities, regional health authorities, national health service trusts and general practitioner fundholders on the purchase of healthcare from non -NHS providers will be placed in the Library.
SCOTLAND
Arts Education
Mrs. Fyfe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what initiatives he has undertaken in arts education in areas of priority treatment.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The Scottish Office provides financial assistance to 22 urban programme projects, the broad aims of which include developing interest in the arts and culture. The estimated cost in the current financial year is £1.65 million. The projects cover eligible areas throughout Scotland.
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Mrs. Fyfe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many full- time equivalent arts teachers there are in secondary schools; and how many there were in 1985.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: There were 1,368 FTE art teachers in education authority secondary schools in September 1992, the latest year available. Information is not available for 1985; the estimated FTE figure for 1984 is 1,660.
Dairy Farmers
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the approximate average net profit for dairy farmers in each year since 1985.
Sir Hector Monro: Information on incomes of full-time dairy farms and other farm types is collected in the Scottish farm accounts scheme and published each year in "Farm Incomes in Scotland" and "Farm Incomes in the United Kingdom". The latest editions of these publications show incomes for 1991 92 and 1992 93. Incomes for 1993 94 will be published in "Farm Incomes in Scotland" in February. Longer-term trends in income are given in both publications by means of an index series back to 1986 87, the earliest year for which data are available on a consistent basis.
Both publications are available in the House of Commons Library.
Heart Transplants
Mr. Galbraith: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 18 January, Official Report , column 573 , when he expects to be able to provide the information for the number of heart transplants in November and December 1994.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: Two heart transplants were carried out in November and three in December 1994.
Dental Services
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received since October 1990 from Scottish health boards in relation to the pay structure for dentists and the de- registration of patients.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: No specific representations on these points have been received from health boards. However, all health boards submitted views on the Government's proposals for changes to dentists' remuneration and the provision of NHS general dental services, which were published in the recent consultation document "Improving NHS Dentistry". Ministers are now considering the way forward in the light of all views received.
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much money has been spent in each of the last five years on the provision of dental services in each health board area in Scotland.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The information requested is shown in the table.
Scotland: expenditure on general dental services by health board
Health board |<1>1989-90 |1990-91 |1991-92 |1992-93 |1993-94
|£ |£ |£ |£ |£
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Argyll and Clyde |6,290,569 |10,802,044 |12,890,396 |12,411,748 |11,917,843
Ayrshire and Arran |5,310,984 |9,713,742 |11,055,246 |10,258,789 |9,932,647
Borders |1,130,419 |2,140,213 |2,558,491 |2,685,779 |2,688,599
Dumfries and Galloway |1,675,012 |3,096,774 |3,676,321 |3,403,027 |3,083,698
Fife |3,995,958 |7,163,997 |9,427,329 |8,527,073 |8,778,454
Forth Valley |3,405,517 |6,146,760 |7,434,756 |7,600,139 |7,350,682
Grampian |5,667,864 |9,787,472 |11,880,510 |12,737,186 |12,379,006
Greater Glasgow |14,820,897 |24,687,323 |29,297,575 |30,173,664 |28,749,945
Highland |2,447,005 |4,437,021 |6,148,825 |5,425,063 |5,071,681
Lanarkshire |7,063,075 |11,973,160 |14,023,907 |13,287,843 |12,892,180
Lothian |10,149,229 |17,772,247 |21,779,982 |22,413,356 |22,107,244
Orkney |107,078 |167,944 |215,526 |272,306 |268,380
Shetland |151,191 |266,018 |303,321 |340,094 |422,639
Tayside |5,414,768 |9,949,846 |11,651,600 |11,698,422 |11,754,764
Western Isles |242,736 |365,206 |483,725 |509,997 |512,629
Total |<1>67,872,302|118,469,767 |142,827,510 |141,744,486 |137,910,391
Note:
Information taken from the annual accounts of the 15 Scottish health boards.
<1>Owing to accounting changes in 1990-91, the 1989-90 figures show net expenditure, i.e., total
expenditure less patient charges collected by dentists. From 1990-91 figures show gross expenditure,
without deducting patient charges.
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many dental patients within Scotland received private medical treatment in each of the last five years.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: No information is available on private treatment.
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many dentists were on each health board's dental list; and how many dentists joined each health board's dental lists and how many dentists withdrew from each health board's dental list in each of the last five financial years.
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Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: Table 1 shows the number of individual principal dentists on health board lists for each of the last five financial years. Table 2 shows the number of new list numbers allocated and list numbers cancelled for the most recent two years. It is not possible to identify from these figures the number of individual dentists joining and withdrawing from lists as dentists already on a list may acquire additional list numbers, and dentists who surrender one number may hold other numbers.
Table 1: Dentists on health board dental list in Scotland
Health board |<1>March 1990|<1>March 1991|<2>1991-92 |<2>1992-93 |<2>1993-94
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Argyll and Clyde |134 |142 |190 |211 |205
Ayrshire and Arran |111 |120 |139 |134 |139
Borders |33 |31 |38 |38 |45
Dumfries and Galloway |39 |39 |44 |45 |47
Fife |101 |103 |128 |129 |141
Forth Valley |76 |82 |90 |94 |102
Grampian |134 |138 |148 |161 |178
Greater Glasgow |327 |338 |391 |417 |428
Highland |64 |67 |71 |77 |78
Lanarkshire |138 |144 |182 |189 |193
Lothian |281 |271 |298 |312 |333
Orkney |3 |3 |5 |4 |4
Shetland |7 |7 |5 |6 |7
Tayside |141 |144 |164 |166 |169
Western Isles |13 |12 |10 |13 |16
Scotland |1,602 |1,641 |1,733 |1,745 |1,792
<1>For the 1990 and 1991 data the figures show the number of dentists on health board list at 31 March.
Dentists contracted to more than one health board are counted only in one health board.
<2>For 1991-92, 1992-93 and 1993-94 the figures show the total number of dentists that practised during
the financial year in each of the health boards. The data counts some dentists more than once, and so the
total number of dentists shown in Scotland for these three years is less than the sum for the health
boards.
Table 2: Number of dental list number<3> commencements and withdrawals per health board in
Scotland
Financial year
Health board 1992-93<4> 1993-94
|Commencements|Withdrawals |Commencements|Withdrawals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Argyll and Clyde |41 |16 |28 |30
Ayrshire and Arran |13 |4 |21 |17
Borders |0 |0 |12 |1
Dumfries and Galloway |11 |4 |9 |4
Fife |14 |2 |33 |19
Forth Valley |12 |6 |22 |15
Grampian |43 |16 |48 |42
Greater Glasgow |63 |19 |79 |70
Highland |15 |5 |16 |12
Lanarkshire |18 |14 |22 |16
Lothian |50 |29 |63 |44
Orkney |0 |0 |1 |0
Shetland |2 |0 |1 |0
Tayside |25 |14 |40 |33
Western Isles |3 |3 |4 |3
Scotland |310 |132 |339 |306
<3>A dentist may hold one or more list numbers. The table shows a count of the list numbers
that commenced in the given period, not dentists.
<4>Information on a comparable basis cannot be provided for previous years.
Residential and Nursing Homes
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many (a) residential and (b) nursing homes were operating for (i) each health board and (ii) each regional council area in Scotland in the latest year for which figures are available;
(2) how many (a) residential homes have been closed down in each regional council area and (b) nursing homes have been closed down within each health board area because of the enforcement of the current regulations on the operation of these facilities in each of the last five financial years.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The information on the number of residential care homes as at 31 March 1994, is as follows:
|Local |Private and
|authority |voluntary
Region |homes |Homes<1> |Total
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Borders |11 |40 |51
Central |17 |29 |46
Dumfries and Galloway |13 |31 |44
Fife |44 |35 |79
Grampian |47 |76 |123
Highland |21 |68 |89
Lothian |40 |265 |305
Strathclyde |124 |324 |448
Tayside |44 |107 |151
Orkney |3 |3 |6
Shetland |4 |6 |10
Western Isles |17 |4 |21
Scotland |385 |988 |1,373
<1>Only includes private and voluntary homes registered with the
local authority.
With regard to nursing homes, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 27 October 1994, Official Report, columns 729 30. Information on the number of residential care homes closed is only available for the last three years. The table below shows the total number of closures. Information on the reasons for these closures is not collected centrally.
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Number of closures of registered private and voluntary residential
care homes
|1 April 1991 to|1 April 1992 to|1 April 1993 to
Region |31 March 1992 |31 March 1993 |31 March 1994
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Borders |- |4 |-
Central |- |- |-
Dumfries and Galloway |- |- |1
Fife |1 |- |1
Grampian |1 |- |1
Highland |4 |- |-
Lothian |9 |- |1
Strathclyde |6 |8 |4
Tayside |6 |3 |3
Orkney |- |- |-
Shetland |- |- |-
West Isles |- |- |-
Scotland |27 |15 |11
With regard to nursing homes, this information is not held centrally. This is a matter for individual health boards as registering authorities who have the power under section 2 of the Nursing Homes Registration (Scotland) Act 1938, as amended, to cancel registration at any time if they consider that standards are not being maintained.
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the guidelines which currently exist for the operation of nursing and residential homes; and what representations he has received from regional councils and health boards seeking changes to the current regulations.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: With regard to nursing homes, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 27 October 1994, Official Report, columns 728-79.
The Scottish Office guidance on the registration and inspection of residential care establishments has been included in circulars issued to local authorities following the implementation of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968, the Registered Establishments (Scotland) Act 1987 and the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990. Those matters have been discussed at meetings with representatives of regional councils and are among the issues presently being considered by officials.
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Fishing Industry
Mr. William Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many persons are currently employed in the sea fishing industry; what were the numbers in (a) 1970, (b) 1980 and (c) 1990; and how many of the jobs are (i) on fishing vessels and (ii) ashore.
Sir Hector Monro: The latest available information is published in table 2.6 of "UK Sea Fisheries Statistics 1993", a copy of which is available in the Library. Figures for Scotland for 1993 reflect changes to the collection of information on vessels and fishermen following the requirement to license vessels of less than 10 m in length. Information on the level of employment ashore is not available.
Incomes
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the average national household income in 1993 94 and 1994 95 for (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland.
Mr. Stewart: Information derived from the family expenditure survey, covering a sample of households, shows that average gross weekly household income in 1993 in Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland was, respectively, £334, £359, £306, and £326. Data for 1993 are the latest available.
Assisted Places Scheme
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list for the financial year 1994 95 for each independent sector school in Scotland in descending order the proportions of their school rolls covered by the assisted places scheme.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: Statistical information on the assisted places scheme is collected in respect of each school session and not by reference to financial years. The information provided is in respect of the autumn term of school session 1994 95:
Number of assisted place pupils as a percentage of the total school roll (at autumn term 1994-95) School |Per cent. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Kilquhanity House School, Castle Douglas |48 Keil School, Dumbarton |31 Morrison's Academy, Crieff |24 The Park School, Glasgow |24 Rudolf Steiner School, Edinburgh |22 Kilgraston School, Bridge of Earn |20 St. Denis and Cranley School, Edinburgh |18 Laurel Bank School, Glasgow |18 High School of Dundee |17 Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh |17 George Heriots School, Edinburgh |17 Glenalmond College, Perth |17 Kelvinside Academy, Glasgow |15 Rannoch School, Perthshire |15 St. Aloysius College, Glasgow |15 Wellington School, Ayr |14 Crawfordton House School, Thornhill, Dumfries |13 George Watson's College, Edinburgh |12 St. Leonard's School, St. Andrews |11 St. Margaret's School, Edinburgh |11 Daniel Stewart's and Melville College and the Mary Erskine School, Edinburgh |11 Lomond School, Helensburgh |11 Fernhill School, Glasgow |9 Craigholme School, Glasgow |9 Loretto School, Musselburgh, Midlothian |9 Glasgow Academy |9 Butterstone School, Perthshire |9 Aberlour House School, Banffshire |8 Hutcheson's Grammer School, Glasgow |8 Fettes College, Edinburgh |8 Gordonstoun School, Morayshire |7 Belmont House School, Glasgow |6 Dollar Academy |6 Edinburgh Academy |6 St. Columba's School, Kilmacolm |6 Clifton Hall School, Midlothian |5 Lathallan School, Montrose |5 Croftinloan Preparatory School, Pitlochry |5 St. Margaret's School, Aberdeen |5 High School of Glasgow |5 Albyn School, Aberdeen |5 Craigclowan Preparatory School, Perth |4 St. Mary's School, Melrose |4 Beaconhurst School, Bridge of Allan |4 Ardvreck School, Crieff |3 St. George's School, Edinburgh |3 New Park School, St. Andrews |3 Belhaven Hill School, Dunbar |3 Cargilfield School, Edinburgh |2 Drumley House School, Ayr |2 Hamilton College |2 Park Lodge School, Helensburgh |<1>- Strathallan School, Perth |<2>- Robert Gordon's College, Aberdeen |<2>- No assisted pupils on 1994-95. <2>Autumn term claim not yet submitted by the school.
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many pupils were covered by the assisted places scheme; how many independent schools were covered by the scheme; and how many schools were participating in the scheme in each financial year since the introduction of the scheme.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: Statistical information on the assisted places scheme is collected in respect of each school session and not by reference to financial years.
The table provides the information requested for each school session since 1981 82 when the scheme commenced:
|Number of |Number of
|independent |independent
|schools |schools
|Number of |covered by the |participating in
School session |assisted pupils |scheme |the scheme
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1981-82 |790 |39 |39
1982-83 |1,450 |41 |41
1983-84 |1,900 |42 |42
1984-85 |2,265 |42 |42
1985-86 |2,620 |42 |42
1986-87 |2,626 |41 |41
1987-88 |2,680 |41 |41
1988-89 |2,695 |41 |41
1989-90 |2,841 |59 |59
1990-91 |2,861 |<1>58 |59
1991-92 |2,911 |58 |58
1992-93 |<3>3,032 |58 |58
1993-94 |<3>3,058 |<1>54 |55
1994-95 |2,854 |<1>54 |55
<1>One participating school had no assisted pupils in these sessions.
<2>Two schools yet to submit first term claims/statistics.
<3>Provisional figures.
Rural Policy
Mr. Kynoch: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on rural policy in Scotland.
Mr. Lang: It is now almost three years since the publication of the Scottish Office rural framework, which outlined a new approach to the development of rural policy in Scotland. It emphasised our commitment to ensuring that the needs of our rural communities are met in a way which fully reflects their distinctive and diverse character. Co ordination of action by Government Departments, agencies, the private and voluntary sectors and local authorities has been achieved through the mechanism of the rural focus group. It is now an appropriate moment to review our rural policies and the machinery we have in place for delivering them and I intend to report the outcome of that review in a White Paper on rural Scotland, to be published in the autumn.
Progress in Partnership"
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his proposals for urban regeneration policy in Scotland following consideration of the response to the consultation paper "Progress in Partnership."
Mr. Lang: I am pleased to announce today the outcome of the review of urban regeneration policy in Scotland. The consultation paper attracted a good response and I am grateful to the many organisations and individuals which offered their views. We have studied the responses carefully and they have been influential in shaping our proposals. I have placed in the Library of the House a copy of the paper. "Programme for Partnership", which is being published today by the Scottish Office and which sets out our key proposals. I shall also send individual copies to all hon. Members representing Scottish constituencies.
Regeneration has to be comprehensive, tackling the economic, physical and social problems of disadvantaged urban areas. Each area needs a co ordinated strategy and a partnership of public and private sectors and local communities.
We plan to encourage the formation of city/district wide partnerships in areas with significant concentrations of deprivation. They will involve, as key partners, the local authorities, Scottish Homes and the local enterprise companies as well as other public sector agencies and representatives of the private and voluntary sectors. These partnerships will be invited both to produce regeneration strategies at city/district level and to develop more localised proposals for priority areas.
About two thirds of urban programme resources will, in future, be allocated to "Priority Partnership Areas" designed by the Scottish Office following discussions with city/district partnerships. The remainder of urban programme resources will be available to support regeneration activity in other eligible disadvantaged areas. In both cases, allocations will take account of need and the quality of proposals submitted. The Scottish Office will no longer be involved in assessing and approving individual urban programme project applications. These decisions will be made locally.
Column 354
We plan shortly to consult those bodies chiefly involved in implementation on a range of matters, including the timetable for introducing the new arrangements and a number of detailed issues concerning the operation of the urban programme, and will be circulating a consultation document to them.The Government are firmly committed to promoting greater private sector involvement in urban regeneration. We therefore propose to establish a working group to examine current private sector involvement in regeneration, identify any factors constraining this involvement and report back with recommendations. The membership of this group, which will draw in leading representatives of key private sector interests and their counterparts from relevant public authorities and agencies, will be announced shortly.
Publications
Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total cost of his Department's publications on health matters in the financial year 1993 94.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 10 January 1995]: The total cost to the Scottish Home and Health Department for publications on health matters in the financial year 1993 94 was £317,500.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Crop Development
15. Mr. Amess: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how he is encouraging the development of viable crops for industry and energy.
Mr. Jack: We have set up an alternative crops unit within the Ministry, and sharply increased research and development funding in this area. We have also been consulting widely on how to help develop these new markets.
Farm Council
16. Mr. John Greenway: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had with the EU Farm Council about the need to reform the common agricultural policy regimes for wine, olive oil, fruit and vegetables.
Mr. Waldegrave: We have led the campaign for reform, not only in these sectors, but more widely. I have set up a policy group to look into the CAP which is meeting this afternoon.
Organic Food
17. Dr. Wright: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on support for organic food production.
Mr. Waldegrave: The Government are providing help to the organic sector through aid to help conversion from conventional farming; through a substantial research and development programme; and by support for the work of the independent United Kingdom register of organic food standards.
Column 355
Animal Welfare
18. Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures he proposes to minimise the trauma to animals raised for slaughter.
Mrs. Browning: There is already much legislation and guidance to protect, during rearing, transit and at the slaughterhouse, the welfare of animals raised for slaughter.
19. Lady Olga Maitland: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to improve standards in the transportation of farm animals.
Mrs. Browning: We have issued a proposal to supplement our own comprehensive domestic legislation with a code of practice, and are pressing for EU legislation which matches our own high domestic standards.
25. Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the welfare of animals in transit.
Mrs. Browning: Animals in transit have the protection of the Welfare of Animals during Transport Order 1994, which came into effect this week. This re-makes its 1992 predecessor, with the addition of tighter controls and tougher sanctions in relation to journey plans.
The order implements the provisions of Community directive 91/628, and sets down strict national standards on feeding and watering in transit, including for exported animals, as permitted by the directive pending EC agreement on these aspects.
We are continuing to press for tough and enforceable measures at Community level, and will supplement our national provisions with a code of practice, which we have circulated in draft for comment.
Spanish Fisherman
20. Mr. Sykes: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the exclusion of Spanish fishermen from the North sea, agreed in 1986, will continue unaffected following the agreement at December's Fisheries Council.
Mr. Jack: Yes. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell) on 18 January, Official Report , column 543 .
Forestry
21. Mr. McAvoy: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met members of forestry trade unions to discuss the future of the Forestry Commission in England.
Mr. Waldegrave: Representatives of the forestry trade unions regularly meet the Forestry Commission's senior staff discuss a range of issues; they have not sought a meeting with me.
Common Agricultural Policy
22. Mr. Tim Smith: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress he has made in ensuring the effective implementation of EU general agreement on tariffs and trade obligations in relation to the CAP.
Column 356
Mr. Waldegrave: The Agriculture Council from 12 to 15 December agreed changes in all the basic CAP commodity regulations needed to honour the EU's new commitments under the GATT agriculture agreement, which was ratified by the EU on 30 December. Implementation will generally begin from 1 July 1995, the start of most of the commodity marketing years. The Council's agreement means that management committees should now be able to take timely decisions on precisely how the GATT requirements are to be respected in each sector within the flexible framework laid down by the Council.
Speciality Food
23. Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made in promoting Britain's speciality food products.
Mrs. Browning: We continue to provide help for this dynamic and growing sector of the food industry through Food From Britain which actively supports over 20 county or regional marketing groups and administers the Government funded scheme of grants. My right hon. Friend will be seeing at first hand an excellent example of successful group activity when he opens the third show of "Taste of the West" in March.
Farm Incomes
24. Mr. Luff: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the level farm incomes in 1994.
Mr. Waldegrave: In accordance with the practice of recent years, estimates of farm incomes in 1994 will be published on 31 January.
Dairy Industry
26. Mr. Colin Shepherd: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will next meet the President of the National Farmers Union to discuss the dairy sector of the industry.
Mr. Jack: My right hon. Friend the Minister regularly meets representatives of all sides of the agriculture industry, including the President of the National Farmers Union, to discuss issues of importance to them.
Food Industry
27. Mr. Gill: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps have been taken to encourage deregulation in the food industry.
Mrs. Browning: Since we published our food law deregulation programme in September 1993 we have made important progress. Proposals to update and simplify general food hygiene rules have been drawn up as part of the implementation of the EC general food hygiene directive. We have held preliminary consultations on various food composition regulations and will be following these up shortly with firm proposals. Now that directives on food additives have been agreed in Brussels, we expect to be able to consolidate our regulations in this area. We are consulting on updated and revised food labelling regulations and we are reviewing options for the simplification and co-ordination of various vertical food hygiene directives with a view to discussing our ideas in Brussels.
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