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Mr. Malone: No. The General Medical Services Committee issues advice in this context to all general practitioners.
Ambulance Service (Salaries)
Ms Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the annual salaries of leading ambulance paramedics in each ambulance service.
Mr. Malone: Most ambulance services are now provided by national health service trusts, which are free to employ staff on such terms and conditions as they see
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fit. Information about the salaries of ambulance staff on locally determined terms is not available centrally, but most staff are still engaged on pay and conditions of service negotiated in the ambulance Whitley council. The national salary rate for a leading ambulance man is £15,036 per year and, for extended trained staff required to use paramedical skills, further allowances of £208, £301, £509 or £707 per year may be payable according to the level of training and skill. Additionally, for staff in the London area, allowances of £188, £667 and £1,646 are payable depending on location. Since 1990, all ambulance authorities have within the national agreements had the ability to introduce further local payments to staff linked to improvements in efficiency.Electro-Convulsive Therapy
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were given electro-convulsive therapy in the national health service in each year from 1990 to 1994.
Mr. Bowis: The information requested is not held in the precise form requested, but data on finished consultant episodes where electro- convulsive therapy is given are published in "Hospital Episodes Statistics", volume 1, finished consultant episodes by diagnosis, operation and specialty England, copies of which are available in the Library.
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what guidelines or protocols are in place in the national health service to prevent the misuse of electro-convulsive therapy; (2) what guidelines or protocols are in place in respect of the use of electro-convulsive therapy for patients under 18 years of age; (3) what guidelines or protocols are in place in the national health service to govern the use of electro- convulsive therapy for patients detained under the Mental Health Act 1983.
Mr. Bowis: Specific guidance on professional practice is a matter for the appropriate professional body. The Royal College of Psychiatrists recently approved revised guidelines for psychiatrists on electro- convulsive therapy. These will be published shortly. The guidelines will include recommendations on the use of
electro-convulsive therapy in young people. For patients detained under the Mental Health Act 1983, the Act and the code of practice published in 1993 clearly state that electro-convulsive therapy may be administered only where the patient's consent or where a second opinion is given under section 58 of the 1983 Act.
Boxing
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals she has to discourage participation in boxing or other activities that create risks of deaths and injuries to their participants and subsequent cost to the NHS.
Mr. Sackville: None. Individuals should have the freedom to participate in the activities of their choice so long as they are within the law and they are fully aware of the risks involved.
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Particulates
Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been carried out by her Department into the health impacts of particulates of (a) vanadium and (b) nickel of less than 0.3 microns and between 0.31 microns and 10 microns.
Mr. Sackville: The Department has not recently funded research into these specific areas.
PRIME MINISTER
Lobby Organisations
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Prime Minister if Ministers in his Department have on any occasion in the last seven days met representatives of (a) Messrs C. S. M. Parliamentary Consultants Ltd., (b) Dewe Rogerson Ltd., (c) Decision Makers Ltd., (d) G. J. W. Government Relations Ltd., (e) G.P.C., (f) G.J.W., (g) Ian Greer Associates Ltd., (h) Market Access group, (i) Politics International, (j) Westminster Communications Group, (k) Westminster Strategy, (l) Good Relations, (m) Rowlands Sallingbury Casy, (n) Lowe Bell, (o) People Corporate and Political Relations and (p) Shandwick Consultants Ltd., and discussed issues relating to clients of these companies.
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given today by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Office of Public Service and Science.
Engagements
Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Prime Minster if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 2 March.
Sir Peter Tapsell: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 2 March.
The Prime Minister: This morning, I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House, I shall be having further meetings later today.
Northern Ireland
Mr. Barnes: To ask the Prime Minister what arrangements he has made for the framework document on Northern Ireland to be available to the public in Great Britain.
The Prime Minister: Copies are issued by first class post in response to requests to the Northern Ireland Office freephone or freepost facilities. A full summary of the document is running on the teletext system nationally and the full text of the document is on the Internet system worldwide.
Career Breaks
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Prime Minister, how many (a) men and (b) women applied for career breaks in his Department; and how many have had their employment terminated in the last five years.
The Prime Minister: For these purposes, my Department is part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today by the Parliamentary Secretary, Office of Public Service and Science.
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EDUCATION
Lobby Organisations
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if Ministers in her Department have on any occasion in the last seven days met representatives of (a) Messrs C. S. M. Parliamentary Consultants Ltd., (b) Dewe Rogerson Ltd., (c) Decision Makers Ltd., (d) G. J. W. Government Relations Ltd., (e) G.P.C., (f) G.J.W., (g) Ian Greer Associates Ltd., (h) Market Access Group, (i) Politics International, (j) Westminster Communications Group, (k) Westminster Strategy, (l) Good Relations, (m) Rowland Sallingbury Casy, (n) Lowe Bell, (o) Profile Corporate and Political Relations and (p) Shandwick Consultants Ltd. and discussed issues relating to the clients of these companies.
Mr. Boswell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Office of Public Service and Science.
Publications
Mr. Boyes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will list all White Papers, Green Papers and pamphlets issued by her Department or agencies for which it is responsible in 1994, giving in each case the total cost to the Exchequer of their production, publication and distribution; and what was the total equivalent cost in 1980.
Mr. Forth: The Department did not issue any White Papers or Green Papers in 1994. Information on pamphlets produced in 1994, and total equivalent costs in 1980, could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The Department's agencies are responsible for their own expenditure on publications. Such information is not held centrally.
Boxing
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proposals she has to discourage participation in boxing in schools and draw attention to the risks of long-term injury.
Mr. Forth: Boxing is not a part of the compulsory school curriculum and there are no plans to make it so. The revised national curriculum for physical education requires that proper regard is given to safety in all physical activity.
Bedfordshire Education Budget
Sir David Madel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what conclusions her Department has drawn from the consequences of the budget figures of Bedfordshire county council on 23 February as they affect school budgets and children's education in Bedfordshire; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Robin Squire: It is for the voters of Bedfordshire to draw conclusions from the priority given to schools in the county council budget.
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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Lobby Organisations
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Ministers in his Department have on any occasion in the last seven days met representatives of (a) Messrs C. S. M. Parliamentary Consultants Ltd., (b) Dewe Rogerson Ltd., (c) Decision Makers Ltd., (d) G. J. W. Government Relations Ltd., (e) G.P.C., (f) G.J.W., (g) Ian Greer Associates Ltd., (h) Market Access Group, (i) Politics International, (j) Westminster Communications Group, (k) Westminster Strategy, (l) Good Relations, (m) Rowland Sallingbury Casy, (n) Lowe Bell, (o) Profile Corporate and Political Relations and (p) Shandwick Consultants Ltd. and discussed issues relating to the clients of these companies.
Mr. Goodlad: I refer to the answer given today by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Office of Public Service and Science.
Publications
Mr. Boyes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list all White Papers, Green Papers and pamphlets issued by his Department or agencies for which it is responsible in 1994, giving in each case the total cost to the Exchequer of their production, publication and distribution; and what was the total equivalent cost in 1980.
Mr. Baldry: The major publications produced in 1994 by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, including the Overseas Development Administration, will be listed in the departmental report, Cm 2802, 1995, to be published on 8 March. In addition, a range of promotional booklets are published for distribution overseas.
In respect of those White Papers, Green Papers and other publications published for the FCO by HMSO, all costs--apart from pre-production costs of £13,034 for the 1994 departmental report--are borne by HMSO which aims to recover these from sales revenue. The cost of publications promoting Britain abroad and of consular material for the 1994 95 financial year is £2,240,000 compared with £2,583,500 for 1984 85, the earliest year for which figures are available.
Yugoslavia
Mr. Wareing: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what efforts are being made to extend the current four -month truce in Bosnia-Herzegovina beyond the 1 May deadline; what use of the remaining period before that date is being made in the peace process; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg: UNPROFOR is continuing its efforts to extend the implementation of the cessation of hostilities agreement. The contact group remains actively engaged in the pursuit of a political settlement.
Mr. Wareing: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what pressure he is putting on the Croatian Government to permit the presence of UN forces in Croatia beyond 31 March; what pressure is being applied by the European Union and the contact group; what has been the response; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Douglas Hogg: Along with our EU partners and other contact group members, we have made clear our deep concern over the Croatian decision not to renew UNPROFOR's mandate in Croatia, and are pressing President Tudjman to reverse this decision. To date he has declined to do this.
We remain concerned that the departure of UNPROFOR from Croatia will increase the tension in the United Nations protected areas and could lead to a renewal of the war in Croatia. We urge the Croatian Government to reconsider.
Ethiopia
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from the Oromo people in Ethiopia about their treatment by the Government of Ethiopia; and how he has responded.
Mr. Baldry: We have received representations from the Oromo Liberation Front and others about the treatment of Oromos by the transitional Government of Ethiopia. Together with our EU partners and other major aid donor countries, we have registered concerns about human rights in the Oromo and other regions.
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Ethiopia about human rights abuses by that Government; and what were the areas of concern.
Mr. Baldry: We have made a number of representations to the transitional Government, both bilaterally and with our EU partners, particularly with regard to the arrest and detention of political figures.
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action has been taken by the international community on human rights issues in Ethiopia.
Mr. Baldry: The members of the European Union and aid donors generally continue to monitor the human rights situation in Ethiopia. Concerns have been raised with the transitional Government of Ethiopia on a range of issues.
Veal Crates
Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Fisheries and Food what approaches he has made to the Government of EU member states to secure the same legislation in those states with regard to the prohibition of veal crates as is currently the case in the United Kingdom; if he has raised this matter within the Council of Ministers; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Browning: I have been asked to reply.
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has been pressing hard for the abolition of the close confinement veal crate system across the Community. He raised the issue in the Agriculture Council on 23 January and again on 20 and 21 February and, with the support of many other member states, has secured the advancement to this year of the review of the current EU rules on welfare of calves. I have undertaken a programme of visits to EU capitals to enlist support for a Community-wide ban. Reactions to my visits have been most encouraging.
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OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
Sierra Leone
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the number of refugees from Sierra leone now in Guinea; and what assistance is being given by the international community to deal with their humanitarian needs and with the causes of their flight from Sierra Leone.
Mr. Baldry: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates the total number of refugees who have fled since January 1995 at 45,000, bringing the total to 206,000 Sierra Leonean refugees in Guinea since the outbreak of the civil war in 1991. UNHCR is dispatching food, blankets, shelter materials and a water engineer to the region and a World Food Programme chartered vessel is discharging 3,000 tonnes of rice in Conakry both for Liberian and for Sierra Leonean refugees. The United Nations department of humanitarian affairs is currently preparing a regional consolidated inter-agency appeal to cover humanitarian needs.
The United Nations, the Commonwealth, the Organisation of African Unity and others are engaged in bringing about a peaceful solution to the conflict.
Ethiopia
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how well the Government of Ethiopia meet his criterion of good governance in respect of aid decisions; and what discussions he has had with the Government of Ethiopia on this matter.
Mr. Baldry: Since the transitional Government of Ethiopia came to power in 1991, progress has been made in establishing a legitimate, representative and accountable system of government. National elections are scheduled for 7 May 1995. A programme of economic reforms supported by the international financial institutions is also in place. We discuss these areas and human rights issues on a regular basis with the transitional Government.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Lobby Organisations
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Attorney-General if Ministers in his Department have on any occasion in the last seven days met representatives of (a) Messrs. C. S. M. Parliamentary Consultants Ltd., (b) Dewe Rogerson Ltd., (c) Decision Makers Ltd., (d) G. J. W. Government Relations Ltd., (e) G.P.C., (f) G.J.W., (g) Ian Greer Associates Ltd., (h) Market Access Group, (i) Politics International, (j) Westminster Communications Group, (k) Westminster Strategy, (l) Good Relations, (m) Rowland Sallingbury Casy, (n) Lowe Bell, (o) Profile Corporate and Political Relations and (p) Shandwick Consultants Ltd. and discussed issues relating to the clients of these companies.
The Attorney-General: There have been no such meetings.
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Publications
Mr. Boyes: To ask the Attorney-General if he will list all White Papers, Green Papers and pamphlets issued by his Department or agencies for which it is responsible in 1994, giving in each case the total cost to the Exchequer of their production, publication and distribution; and what was the total equivalent cost in 1980.
The Attorney-General: The Crown Prosecution Service published the following pamphlets for the benefit of the general public in 1994:
Statement of Purpose |Cost £ and Values/Datganiad ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- o Bwrpas a Gwerthoedd |2,542.92 CPS Welsh Language Policy/Polisi iaith Gymraeg |1,153.83
The Crown Prosecution Service did not issue any White or Green Papers in 1994. There is no equivalent cost for 1980 as the Service was not then in existence.
None of the legal secretariat to the Law Officers, the Treasury Solicitor's Department or the Serious Fraud Office issued White Papers, Green Papers or pamphlets in 1994 for the benefit of the general public. The Serious Fraud Office was not in existence in 1980 and information on equivalent costs in that year for the legal secretariat to the Law Officers and the Treasury Solicitor's Department is not available.
Expenditure, Wales
Mr. Ron Davies: To ask the Attorney General if he will estimate the money his Department spent in Wales with respect to ( a) the Crown Prosecution Service and (b) magistrates courts in the latest available year.
The Attorney-General: During 1993 94, the last full year of which figures are available, the Crown Prosecution Service in Wales spent a total of £14,652,000.
Expenditure on magistrates courts is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Lord Chancellor. I understand that for 1993 94, the last year for which data are available, the money spent on magistrates courts in Wales was £17.698 million. This figure includes both revenue and capital expenditure.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Lobby Organisations
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if Ministers in his Department have on any occasion in the last seven days met representatives of (a) Messers C. S. M. Parliamentary Consultants Ltd., (b) Dewe Rogerson Ltd., (c) Decision Makers Ltd., (d) G. J. W. Government Relations Ltd., (e) G.P.C., (f) G.J.W., (g) Ian Greer Associates Ltd., (h) Market Access Group, (i) Politics International, (j) Westminster Communications Group, (k) Westminster Strategy, (l) Good Relations, (m) Rowland Sallingbury Casy, (n) Lowe Bell, (o) Profile Corporate and Political Relations and (p) Shandwick Consultants Ltd. and discussed issues relating to the clients of these companies.
Mr. Howard: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him today by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary
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Secretary, Office of Public Service and Science in response to a similar question.Publications
Mr. Boyes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list all White Papers, Green Papers and pamphlets issued by his Department, or agencies for which it is responsible, in 1994 giving, in each case, the total cost to the Exchequer of their production, publication and distribution; and what was the total equivalent cost in 1980.
Mr. Howard: The information requested is as follows:
White Papers
Home Office annual report 1994: the Government's expenditure plans 1994 95 to 1996 97 for the Home Office and the Charity Commission, HMSO, 1994--Cm 2508, ISBN 0101250827. The costs to the Home Office of production and distribution were £21,917.
Green Papers
Tackling drugs together: a consultation document on a strategy for England, 1995 98, HMSO, 1994--Cm 2678, ISBN 0101267827. This Green Paper was jointly produced with other Departments which bore the publication costs.
Other Consultation papers
All except the first and last papers listed were produced and distributed in-house and their costs are not separately identifiable.
Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984: codes of practice: draft revisions for consultation. Home Office, 1994. The total costs to the Home Office of production and distribution were £2,407.
Criminal appeals and the establishment of a criminal cases review authority: a discussion paper. Home Office, 1994.
National standards for the supervision of offenders in the community: near final revised drafts. Home Office, 1994.
Proposed changes to the law on greyhound totes. Home Office, 1994.
Revised proposals for Fire Precautions (Places of Work) Regulations and associated guidance. Home Office, 1994. Distribution was contracted out at a cost of £9,500.
A selective list of other publications is given in the Home Office annual report which will be published later this month. I shall be happy to provide further information to the hon. Member if he requires more details of papers listed there.
Information on the cost of publications issued in 1980 could be assembled only at disproportionate cost.
Food Safety
Mr. Nigel Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 code of practice in respect of powers provided by the Food Safety Act 1990.
Mr. Maclean: Section 67(9) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 provides that persons other than police officers who are charged with the duty of investigating offences shall have regard to any relevant provisions of codes of practice issued under the Act. Code B, on the searching of premises and the seizure of property, sets down arrangements for obtaining search
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warrants and for conducting searches with the consent of the property owner, including a requirement to inform him of the purpose of the search and to seek his consent before the search commences. An amendment to code B has been made to provide that the code does not apply to officers exercising statutory powers of entry and inspection, such as food safety inspectors, where the powers are not dependent on there being suspicion that an offence has been committed and the person exercising the power has no such suspicion. The order implementing the revised code has been approved by both Houses of Parliament and comes into effect on 10 April 1995.Football Violence
Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will arrange for the police to seek restriction orders to be placed on any British citizen (a) arrested, (b) charged and (c) convicted of any offence before, during or after the recent England v. Ireland football match in Dublin.
Mr. Maclean: Under the terms of section 22 of the Football Spectators Act 1989, courts in England and Wales may impose restriction orders on persons convicted of a football-related offence abroad, providing that there exists a bilateral agreement with the country concerned. There is no such agreement with the Republic of Ireland.
Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 23 February, Official Report , columns 329 30 , what information has been provided as to why the second person subject to a restriction order did not comply with the restriction order on the day of the recent England v. Ireland match; and what action is being taken against the person concerned.
Mr. Maclean: The restriction orders authority is not yet in a position to confirm whether the second person subject to a restriction order breached the terms of that order. As indicated on 23 February, column 330 , where an order is breached it is an operational matter for the police, and ultimately for the courts, to take action. It is not a matter in which Ministers can intervene.
Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) pursuant to his answer of 22 February, Official Report , column 226 , what plans he has to introduce legislation or amending legislation to give powers to the police to remove a passport from a convicted troublemaker or any person the police reasonably believe to be seeking to travel overseas to engage in violence;
(2) pursuant to his answer of 22 February, Official Report , column 235 , what plans he has to introduce legislation or amend existing legislation to give powers to the police to stop convicted troublemakers from travelling outside the United Kingdom.
Mr. Maclean: I shall consider what additional measures may be needed to deal with football hooligans travelling abroad in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for National Heritage and in the light of the report of the inquiries being conducted by the English and Irish football authorities. As the hon. Member will be aware, part II of the Football Spectators Act 1989 already empowers the courts to impose restriction orders on those convicted of football-related offences to prevent them from attending key matches abroad. Those subject to restriction orders are required to
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report to a police station--of their choice- -roughly when an appropriate match is taking place. It is an offence to fail to do so.Combat 18
Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 22 February, Official Report , column 236 , when he expects the Metropolitan police to complete its investigation of the publication and distribution of written material by Combat 18.
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