| Previous Section | Home Page |
Mr. Nicholas Baker [holding answer 17 February 1995]: The position on both articles 100C and 7A of the EC treaty remains as set out by my right hon. and learned Friend. The draft external frontiers convention, if implemented, would provide for the mutual recognition of visas in certain circumstances but this convention has not yet been signed.
EU Frontiers
Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what representations he has received from the hon. Member for Bexhill and Battle (Mr. Wardle) in the last 15 months, over the opt-out negotiated to the Single European Act over frontiers in 1985; and if he will make a statement;
Column 22
(2) what communications he has had with the Prime Minister over the last 15 months, concerning the legality of the opt- out negotiated by Her Majesty's Government to the Single European Act in 1985 relating to internal frontiers; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Howard [holding answer 16 February 1995]: Meetings and correspondence between Ministers are confidential.
LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL
Written Questions
41. Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Lord President of the Council what plans he has to make proposals to put upper and lower limits on the number of written questions an hon. Member may ask in any single parliamentary Session; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Newton: I have no such plans.
Masons
42. Mr. Tony Banks: To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will make proposals to require hon. Members to declare if they are members of a masonic lodge.
Mr. Newton: I have no plans to do so.
Colonies
43. Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Lord President of the Council what plans he has for greater scrutiny by Parliament of the administration and governance of the colonies in respect of those responsibilities within the jurisdiction of the governor and Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Mr. Newton: I have no plans to change the existing arrangements.
Sittings of the House
44. Ms Lynne: To ask the Lord President of the Council what assessment he has made of the making of the new timetable for the sittings of the House; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Newton: On the basis of less than six week's experience of the experimental changes agreed by the House in December, my initial assessment is that they are working well.
Question Time
45. Mr. MacShane: To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will consider moving certain Question Time sessions to the morning.
Mr. Newton: I have no plans to do so.
Transferred Questions
Mr. Alton: To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will bring forward proposals for Government Departments to consult with hon. Members before transferring their oral questions to other Departments.
Mr. Newton: I have no plans to do so.
Column 23
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Child Care Facilities
38. Mr. Corbyn: To ask the right hon. Member for
Berwick-upon-Tweed, representing the House of Commons Commission, when the Commission expects child care facilities to be made available in the building.
Mr. Beith: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Derbyshire, North-East (Mr. Barnes).
Stationery
Mr. Hawkins: To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee if he will investigate the propriety of arrangements in operation for overprinting between certain printers and the suppliers of House stationery; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Micheal J. Martin: Arrangements for overprinting of House of Commons stationery provided from the Serjeant at Arms' stores is the responsibility of individual Members.
Internet
Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Chairman of the Information Committee if he will make a statement on progress towards making the Official Report available to the public via the Internet and how this could be done; and what assessment he has made of whether the current production systems for the Official Report are capable of being connected to the Internet.
Mr. Gary Waller: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 14 February 1995 at column 573 . The Information Committee has not yet considered the possibility of distributing the Official Report via the Internet.
HEALTH
Jarman Indices
Mr. Spearing: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason the Jarman indices relating to deprivation has not been updated on the basis of the 1991 census; and if she will now take steps to do so.
Mr. Malone: In its recently published report for 1995 96, the Doctors' and Dentists' Review Body recommended that future deprivation payments should be based on 1991 census data. The Government have accepted its recommendation.
Mental Illness
Mrs. Golding: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many young people under the age of 14 years have been admitted to psychiatric hospitals in each of the last 10 years.
Mr. Bowis: Information on admissions to national health service hospitals for the under 14 years age group for mental illness is given in table 5.24 of the annual
Column 24
publication "Health and Personal Social Services Statistics for England" copies of which are available in the Library.NHS Staff Cars
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy that the range of cars provided to staff of health authorities and NHS trusts shall be limited to those costing no more than those provided for Government Ministers.
Mr. Malone: Staff employed on national terms and conditions may be eligible for a lease car under the terms of section 24 of the "General Whitley Council Handbook", copies of which are available in the Library. Employees who choose to have a car which is larger or more expensive than that due to them under the terms of the agreement must pay the excess costs involved.
National health service trusts have the freedom to make their own staff transport arrangements.
Personal Assistance for The Disabled
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will bring forward proposals to assist those local authorities which are unable to provide payments schemes for the disabled; (2) what assessment she has made of the expense caused to the disabled by legal barriers in direct payments to disabled people for personal assistance; and if she will review this policy.
Mr. Bowis: There is, as yet, no such scheme. I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Stratford-on-Avon (Mr. Howarth) on 24 November 1994 at columns 332 33.
Malaria Chemoprophylaxis
Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made as to the cost-effectiveness of the charging for the provision of malaria chemoprophylaxis.
Mr. Malone: The cost of malaria prophylaxis represents a small part of the overall costs of travelling to malarious areas and some anti-malaria drugs can be bought over the counter cheaper than the cost of a national health service prescription. The Government are not changing their recommendations that all travellers to malarious areas take appropriate measures to prevent malaria but do believe that, in this case, the individual traveller should meet the cost of protecting their own health. The cost-effectiveness of permitting general practitioners to charge for prescribing anti-malarial drugs has been considered as one factor in reaching this decision.
Dental Services
Mrs. Maddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists have taken on new national health service patients in (a) Christchurch borough, (b) East Dorset district, (c) Dorset and (d) Great Britain in each year since 1979.
Column 25
Mr. Malone: The available information is shown in the table.
Number of dentists who had additions to
their register by year
|1991 |1992 |1993 |1994
-------------------------------------------
Dorset |244 |244 |242 |240
England |15,126|15,295|15,268|15,217
1. Additions to the register include
instances of patients reregistering with a
dentist after a break in attendance and
instances of reinstatement of
registrations that have been cancelled in
error.
2. Some dentists have contracts with more
than one family health services authority.
The figure for Dorset includes all
dentists in contract with Dorset FHSA
meeting the criterion. The England figure
represents the total number of dentists in
contracts in England meeting the
criterion.
Capital Projects
Mr. Devlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list all major capital projects carried out at hospitals in the northern region since 1979 with their cost at 1995 prices.
Mr. Sackville: Information will be placed in the Library which lists all major capital projects with a works cost of over £1 million.
Cochlear Implants
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health at which locations in England and Wales cochlear implant operations are carried out for adults and children.
Mr. Sackville: Cochlear implant operations are carried out at the following locations:
Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham;
The Royal Infirmary, Manchester;
North Riding Infirmary, Middlesbrough;
General Hospital and Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham; Bradford Hospitals Trust;
Royal Southants Hospital, Southampton;
Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge;
Central Sheffield University Hospitals Trust;
In London: University College and Middlesex Hospitals;
St. Mary's Hospital, Paddington;
Hospitals for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street.
The provision of this service in Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the expenditure on cochlear implant operations in England and Wales since the start of this operation; and how many operations have been carried out in each year on (a) adults and (b) children.
Column 26
Mr. Sackville: This information is not available centrally. Information for Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
Female Circumcision
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the number of cases that have involved female circumcision and have required treatment at NHS hospitals covering the Greater London area.
Mr. Sackville: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Newcastle under Lyme (Mrs. Golding) on 17 February at column 836 .
Misconduct
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to introduce fines for misconduct for all holders of public office.
Breast Cancer
Mrs. Golding: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the mortality rate from breast cancer in (a) England and (b) other OECD countries for which figures are available.
Mr. Sackville: In 1993 the provisional mortality rate for malignant neoplasm of the female breast--ICD 184--in England was 49.3 per 100,000 women.
The latest available data for other Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development countries can be found in the "United Nations Demographic Yearbook", copies of which are available in the Library.
International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision.
Medium Secure Psychiatric Units
Ms Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many mentally ill people are awaiting placement in medium secure psychiatric units, by region.
Mr. Bowis: This information is not available centrally.
Takare plc Nursing Homes
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 14 February, Official Report, column 649, on how many occasions registration requirements for a Takare establishment have been relaxed as a result of representations received from Takare plc by the chairpersons of individual health authorities responsible for such legislation under the Registered Homes Act 1984.
Mr. Bowis: None to my knowledge. The hon. Member should let me have evidence of any such allegations.
Column 25
HEALTH
Local Pay Guidance
Mr. Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance she has issued to health service units seeking trust status regarding the development of post Whitley Council arrangements for the determination to pay and conditions for employees.
Mr. Malone: In 1994, the national health service executive launched a further comprehensive programme for national health service trusts in support of the pay and personnel freedoms introduced in the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990. The programme embraces advice and guidance on the key issues involved in the development of locally determined pay and conditions.
NHS Staff
Mr. Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the implications for a health service unit's progress to trust status of plans to retain nationally negotiated agreements for the pay and conditions of its employees.
Mr. Malone: The National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 enables NHS trusts to employ staff on such terms as the trust sees fit and a health service unit's plans for pay and conditions do not have a bearing on application for trust status.
Office of Population Censuses and Surveys
Mr. Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultation the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys has had and will have with regard to the proposed 1991 area classification based on the census; and if the results of the classification will be produced at constituency level.
Mr. Sackville: The Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (OPCS) consulted census advisory groups representing Government Departments, local authorities, health authorities, the academic community and the market research industry about proposals for an area classification. A classification has now been prepared following the lines of classifications produced and published after the 1971 and 1981 censuses: details will appear in the next issue of "Population Trends", copies of which will be placed in the Library. OPCS has no plans to produce a classification of parliamentary constituencies.
Exploitation of Children
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures her Department undertakes to combat the commercial exploitation of children.
Mr. Bowis: A comprehensive framework of protection for children below minimum school-leaving age undertaking part-time work has existed for many years. Detailed controls are contained in local authority byelaws, and local authorities are responsible for enforcing these.
Allergy Services
Mr. Sutcliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many allergy physicians there are working within the Bradford health authority;
Column 28
(2) what provision there is for allergy services within the Bradford health authority.Mr. Sackville: This information is not available centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mrs. Zahida Manzoor, chairman of Bradford health authority, for details.
Mr. Sutcliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the uniformity of (a) provision and (b) availability of allergy services in the United Kingdom within the national health service.
Mr. Sackville: None. This is for providers to agree with their purchasers.
Ambulance Services
Mr. Spearing: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whom she has commissioned to conduct an independent study into priority despatch systems in ambulance services; what are the terms of reference; what are the qualifications and experience of those concerned; what is the cost; and when she expects the study to be completed.
Mr. Sackville: I have commissioned the medical care research unit at the university of Sheffield to conduct this study, whose primary focus is to assess the reliability and safety of prioritised despatch systems. The research team, headed by a professor of statistics, is well qualified and has considerable experience in this field. The cost is £60,000. I expect to receive the final report of the study by the end of 1995.
NHS Trust Chairmen and Chief Executives
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the NHS earnings of each trust (a) chairman and (b) chief executive in each year since 1991 92; and what are the expected earnings in 1994 95 and 1995 96.
Mr. Malone [holding answer 13 January 1995]: For 1991 92 to 1993 94, this information was published in the annual accounts of each trust, but for 1991 92 and 1992 93, this information was not collected centrally. For 1993 94, I refer the right hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond) on 16 February at column 808 . Forecast information for 1994 95 and 1995 96 is not available.
Health Spending
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what was (a) total NHS expenditure, (b) current expenditure on the hospital and community health services, (c) capital expenditure on the hospital and community health services, (d) expenditure on the family practitioner services, (e) expenditure on centrally funded NHS services and (f) expenditure on personal social services in England in each year since 1974 75 giving each in (i) cash terms, (ii) adjusted using the relevant pay and prices index and (iii) adjusted using the GDP deflator;
(2) if she will give for each year since 1974 75 total capital spending on hospital and community health services and spending in net terms after deducting proceeds from land and property sales (a) in cash terms, (b) adjusted using the GDP deflator and (c) adjusted using the relevant index of NHS prices.
Mr. Sackville [pursuant to his reply, 23 January 1995, column 14]: I regret that there was an error in one of the
Column 29
tables provided. A corrected version will now be placed in the Library.TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Information Society Meeting
Mr. Allen: To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what are Her Majesty's Government's key priorities for the British Government at the forthcoming G7 meeting on the information society; (2) if he will list those individuals from Her Majesty's Government who will attend the G7 information society meeting recording their post and department in each case;
(3) if he will list the ministerial representatives from G7 countries attending the meeting on the information society.
Mr. Ian Taylor: As the Minister responsible for co-ordinating policy on the information society, I shall be representing the Government at the G7 ministerial conference on the information society in Brussels on 24 to 26 February. I understand that the following Ministers from other G7 countries currently intend to participate:
Country |Post
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Canada
Mr. Manley |Minister of Industry
Mr. Dupuy |Minister of Canadian Heritage
France
Mr. Rossi |Minister of Industry, Posts,
| Telecommunications and
| External Trade
Germany
Mr. Rexrodt |Federal Economics Minister
Mr. Boetsch |Federal Minister for Posts and
| Telecommunications
Italy
Mr. Clo |Minister for Industry
Mr. Gambino |Minister for Posts and
| Telecommunications
Japan
Mr. Hashimoto |Minister for International Trade
| and Industry
Mr. Oide |Minister for Posts and
| Telecommunications
United States
Mr. Gore |Vice President
Mr. Brown |Secretary of Commerce
As indicated in my reply today to my hon. Friend the Member for Gravesham, (Mr. Arnold) the conference will provide a timely opportunity for Ministers responsible for the information society to exchange views on latest developments in the sector. I shall be emphasising that Governments must do everything possible to remove obstacles to the creation of the information society, in particular by liberalising telecommunications infrastructure to bring prices down to a level which will make the development of a wide range of innovative services commercially attractive. I shall also urge United Kingdom industry to demonstrate how its multi-media
Column 30
equipment and products can contribute to educational and community services.I shall arrange for relevant papers from the conference to be placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Jacques Arnold: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what issues will be discussed at the G7 conference on information society in Brussels to be held on 24 to 26 February; what are the United Kingdom Government's objectives in attending the conference; who will be representing the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Ian Taylor: The Naples G7 Summit in July 1994 invited the European Commission to host a G7 ministerial conference on the information society. This will take place in Brussels on 24 to 26 February, and I shall be representing the Government. The conference will begin with a round table of 45 business leaders from the G7 countries. The UK participants in the round table will be Sir Iain Vallance of BT, Peter Bonfield of ICL, Lord Blakenham of Pearson, and Bob Phillis of the BBC. Ministers will then hold discussions on three broad themes: the regulatory framework and competition policy, development of information infrastructure; and social, society and cultural aspects of the information society. I shall be a lead speaker on the first of these subjects. The conference will also launch a number of pilot projects to demonstrate the scope for international collaboration in different areas of the information society.
The conference will provide a timely opportunity for Ministers responsible for the information society to exchange views on latest developments in the sector. I shall be emphasising that Governments must do everything possible to remove obstacles to the creation of the information society, in particular by liberalising
telecommunications infrastructure to bring prices down to a level which will make the development of a wide range of innovative services commercially attractive. I shall also urge UK industry to demonstrate how its multimedia equipment and products can realistically contribute to educational and community services. I shall arrange for relevant papers from the G7 conference to be placed in the Library of the House and on the Internet.
| Next Section
| Home Page |