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Written Answers to Questions
Friday 3 March 1995
HOME DEPARTMENT
Sita Kamara
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he took to ensure the care and welfare of Sita Kamara while she was in the custody of the immigration service; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Nicholas Baker: The immigration service monitors closely the performance and standards of service provided under contract by Group 4 Total Security Ltd for the care of detainees at Campsfield house. The steps taken to ensure Miss Kamara's well-being while at Campsfield house were fully in accordance with the requirements of the contract.
Bridgewater Four
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent consideration has been given to the case of the Bridgewater Four; and when he expects to be able to announce a decision on reference to the Court of Appeal.
Mr. Nicholas Baker: Inquiries by the Merseyside police in relation to the most recent representations about this case are nearing completion. When the police report has been received, and it has been considered along with all other relevant information and any further inquiries, my right hon. and learned Friend will make known his conclusions about the case.
Fire Service College
Mr. McAllion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the terms of reference and the timetable of the review of options for the future of the Fire Service College; if he will name the consultants carrying out the review; and if they were appointed after a tender process.
Mr. Nicholas Baker: On his appointment in May 1994, the newly appointed chief executive of the Fire Service College was asked to carry out a fundamental review of the college's corporate and business strategy which would include an examination of options for the future basis of the college's operations. There were no formal terms of reference. The chief executive will be presenting his finding to the Department shortly. In the course of the review, the chief executive has drawn on advice from the college's solicitors, Veale Wasbrough of Bristol. They were appointed in July 1994 after competitive tender. Following a competitive tender exercise run by Veale Wasbrough but overseen and approved by the college, the consultants Coopers and Lybrand were asked to provide advice on certain aspects of the review.
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Suresh Kumar
Mr. Austin-Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the initial date of arrival in the United Kingdom of Suresh Kumar, currently held in Campsfield house detention centre: and if he will make a statement on the intervening circumstances.
Mr. Nicholas Baker: It is not our normal practice to give detailed information on individual cases. I shall write to the hon. Member.
HEALTH
General Practitioners
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals she has for supporting general practitioners in their administrative commitments.
Mr. Malone: A total of £552.4 million was directly reimbursed to general practitioners in 1993 94 to assist them towards the cost of computing and staff they employ, including those who carry out administrative tasks. We are also carrying out an efficiency scrutiny of bureaucracy in general practice and a report will be delivered to the Department in April.
Statistics (Ethnic Information)
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if it is the policy of her Department to break down statistics by ethnic origin.
Mr. Sackville: Yes, where the necessary source information is available and subject to confidentiality of information about individuals.
In Vitro Fertilisation and Surrogacy
Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are currently taken by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to monitor and initiate research into (a) handicaps in babies conceived by in vitro fertilisation, (b) the number of abortions, miscarriages and stillbirths in pregnancies conceived by in vitro fertilisation, (c) the long-term psychological effects on babies conceived by in vitro fertilisation, (d) the long-term psychological effects on surrogate mothers of their surrogacy arrangements; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Sackville: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority monitors the incidence of miscarriage and stillbirth in pregnancies conceived by in vitro fertilisation, and abnormalities in babies born as a result of IVF, through its register of licensed treatments. Details are published in the authority's annual reports, copies of which are available in the Library.
Long-term research is being undertaken by Professor Susan Golombok at City university into the psycho-social development of children born as a result of assisted conception.
Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps are taken by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to ensure that mothers agreeing to participate in surrogate pregnancies are made aware of their right not to hand over the baby following its birth;
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(2) what steps are taken by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to ensure that mothers agreeing to participate in surrogate pregnancies are offered psychological counselling both during the pregnancy and on a long-term basis following the birth;(3) how many babies have so far been born to surrogate mothers; in how many of the cases the mother was actually given psychological counselling both during the pregnancy and on a long-term basis following the birth; and in how many of those cases the natural mother exercised her right not to hand over her baby after birth; (4) what steps are taken by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to ensure that babies (a) conceived by in vitro fertilisation and (b) born through surrogacy arrangements receive specialist psychological counselling throughout their childhood; and for how many and what percentage of all children in each category such counselling has been made available to date;
(5) what steps are taken by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to ensure that the siblings of (a) babies conceived by in vitro fertilisation or (b) born through surrogacy arrangements receive specialist psychological counselling throughout their childhood; and in how many and what percentage of children in each category such counselling to date has been made available.
Mr. Sackville: It is a requirement of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 that people seeking licensed treatment or consenting to the use or storage of embryos, or to the donation or storage of gametes, must be given a
"suitable opportunity to receive proper counselling about the implications of taking the proposed steps"
before they consent. Comprehensive guidance on this matter is included in the code of practice for centres issued by the authority. This includes information on the additional factors to be considered where it is the intention that the child will not be brought up by the carrying mother. These provisions apply only where the surrogacy arrangements involve a centre licensed under the 1990 Act. Information about the number of births to surrogate mothers or about counselling arrangements is not available.
Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what ways the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority is currently assisting (a) Dr. Valerie Beral or (b) other qualified individuals with research projects into the high perinatal mortality rate associated with in vitro fertilisation babies.
Mr. Sackville: The authority has received no such requests for assistance. The authority is monitoring the incidence of perinatal mortality where licensed treatment has been given.
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority
Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to discuss with the chairman of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority that authority's answerability to Parliament.
Mr. Sackville: Ministers hold regular meetings with the authority's chairman. There are no plans at this time to discuss accountability.
Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for
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Health if she will list the current members of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, with the remuneration that each receives in connection with that membership.Mr. Sackville: Members of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority are:
Ruth Deech - Chairman
Lady Diana Brittan - Deputy Chairman
Professor R.J. Berry
Professor Ian Cooke
Jane Denton
Liz Forgan
Joan Harbison
Professor Stephen Hillier
The Most Reverend Richard Holloway
Professor Martin Johnson
Richard Jones
Penelope Keith
Dr. Brian Lieberman
Dr. Caroline Lindsey
Angela Mays
Dr. Anne McLaren
Dr. Jeanette Naish
Rabbi Julia Neuberger
David Shilson
Lady Julia Tugendhat
John Williams
The chairman is paid £8,210 per year. The deputy chairman receives payment of £136 for each day of attendance and preparation in respect of the work of the authority. Other members receive £128 a day on the same basis.
Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many individuals are currently paid on either (a) a full time-time or (b) a part-time basis by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority; and if she will identify the numbers of individuals in each category who also derive income in any way from clinics licensed by that authority.
Mr. Sackville: Twenty-one of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority executive are paid full-time. One official and legal adviser are paid part-time. No person in either category derives income from clinics licensed by the authority.
Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the total running costs of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority in each of the years since it was established; and what percentage of those costs were generated by fees for licences in each of those years.
Mr. Sackville: The information is as follows:
|Income from licence
|Total gross |fees as a percentage
|of
Year |expenditure £000s |total gross
|expenditure
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1990-91 |109 |<1>(no licence fees)
1991-92 |811 |8.7
1992-93 |1,027 |66.8
1993-94 |1,146 |66.1
<1> The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority did not assume its full
responsibility until 1 August 1991.
Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what specific action she has now taken in pursuance of the oral statement of the Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Bolton, West (Mr. Sackville) of 14 February 1995, Official Report, column 910, undertaking further to examine possible conflicts of interests on the part of those remunerated by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.
Mr. Sackville: A member of the authority who is in any way directly or indirectly interested in a licence granted or proposed must declare such an interest. In such cases, the nature of the interest would be recorded by the authority and the member would be prohibited from participating in any deliberation or decision of the authority or of any licence committee with respect to the licence. In the case of their inspectors, the authority has issued guidance which clearly sets out a requirement for inspectors to inform the authority if they feel that it would be inappropriate for any reason to attend an inspection.
Pay Beds
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of NHS hospital and trust beds were operated as paybeds to the private sector in the last year for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Sackville: This information is not available. Bed numbers are considered to be an inadequate measure of private patient activity. Private patient activity is measured by information based on income from the annual accounts of national health service trusts and directly managed units.
Community Care Charter
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health from what organisations and individuals her Department sought advice when compiling the community care charter.
Mr. Bowis: The consultation document for the framework for local community care charters was sent to all local social services departments, health authorities, national health service trusts and housing authorities, as well as community health councils and a large number of voluntary organisations and provider representatives. All comments were carefully considered when the final document was drawn up.
Patients Charter
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health from what organisations and individuals her Department sought advice when compiling the patients charter.
Mr. Malone: I refer the hon. and learned Member to the reply that I gave to the right hon. Member for Derby, South (Mrs. Beckett) on 16 February 1995 at columns 814 15.
Management Courses
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total annual NHS expenditure on management courses; and if she will list the amount spent per course in the latest available year.
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Mr. Malone: This information is not available centrally.
Mental Illness
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the role of voluntary bodies in providing assistance to the mentally ill and their relationship to statutory bodies.
Mr. Bowis: Voluntary organisations make a very important contribution to the support of people with mental illness and we encourage local health and social services to work closely with them.
Mr. Alex Carlilie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her Department's estimate of the total annual financial assistance to the mentally ill by voluntary bodies in London.
Mr. Bowis: This is a matter for the large number of such organisations.
Dental Services
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of people in England and Wales who did not consult a dentist in 1994; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Malone: We have no such estimates. Information relating to Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
Patient Discharge
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with whom in a NHS hospital or trust the final decision rests concerning the discharge of a patient after surgery.
Mr. Sackville: Hospital consultants must decide when their patients are clinically fit to be discharged following surgery.
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were discharged from Guy's and St. Thomas' Trust on 23 December 1994; and what measures were taken to ensure that sufficient care was provided for them over the Christmas period.
Mr. Malone: This information is not available centrally. The hon. and learned Member may wish to contact Lord Hayhoe, the chairman of the trust, for details.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
Indonesia
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration has been given to including the aid programme to Indonesia financial support to the trade union movement; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry: Within the resources available for supporting good government in Indonesia, we have judged the highest priorities to be assistance to the Indonesia national police and support for the Indonesian Government in financial decentralisation.
Mrs Clywd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of
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8 February, Official Report, columns 289 95, if any Indonesian police officers who have received scholarship awards involving training paid for by his Department have subsequently served in East Timor.Mr. Baldry: According to the Indonesian national police, none of the police officers has subsequently served in East Timor.
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of8 February, Official Report, columns 289 95, how many Indonesian police officers have received scholarships awards in each year since 1990 involving training of less than one month, in each case specifying the recipient's rank and the cost of the scholarship.
Mr. Baldry: The information is as follows:
|Cost/Study/Tour/Year
Year |Name and Bank |£
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1990-91 |Mr. C.H.M. Waskito, Colonel |3,100
|Mr. F. Sumampow, Lt. Colonel |3,100
|Mr. H. Rasyid, Colonel |3,100
|Mr. Soebariliyono, Lt. Colonel|3,100
|Mr. Suryaningprang,
| Lt. Colonel |3,100
|Mr. Y. Y. Laoli, Lt. Colonel |3,100
|Mr. D. Rustadi, Lt. Colonel |3,100
|Mr. M. Thoyib, Captain |3,100
|Mr. N. Eko, Captain |3,100
|Mr. Lihawa,
| Bridgadier General |3,100
1991-92 |Mr. G. Sumampow, Lt. Colonel |3,000
|Mr. H. Rasyid, Colonel |3,000
|Mr. Soebarliyono, Lt. Colonel |3,000
|Mr. M. Suryaningprang,
| Lt. Colonel |3,000
|Mr. Y. Y. Laoli, Lt, Colonel |3,000
|Mr. D. Rustadi, Lt. Colonel |3,000
|Mr. M. Thoyib, Captain |3,000
|Mr. N. Eko, Captain |3,000
|Mr. Soekamid, Major |3,000
|Mr. Y Ermiady, Captain |3,000
1992-93 |Mr. C. H. M. Waskito, Colonel |2,865
|Mr. F. Sumampow, Lt Colonel |2,865
|Mr. H. Rasyid, Colonel |2,865
|Mr. Soebarliyono, Lt. Colonel |2,865
|Mr. M. Suryaningprang,
| Lt. Colonel |2,865
|Mr. Y. Y. Laoli, Lt Colonel |2,865
|Mr. D. Rustadi, Lt. Colonel |2,865
|Ms Hemawati, Major |2,865
|Ms M. Simanjuntak, Major |2,865
|Ms R.P. Gaut, Major |2,865
|Mr. M. Thoyib, Captain |2,865
|Mr. N. Eko, Captain |2,865
|Mr. M. B. Hutagalung,
| Major General |2,865
|Mr. R. Lihawa,
| Brigadier General |2,865
|Mr. Karyoso,
| Brigadier General |2,865
1993-94 |None |0
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the projected cost of consultancy visits to Indonesia by British specialists working with the Indonesian police force in 1994 95.
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Mr. Baldry: On present plans we expect to spend some £80,000 on consultancy visits in 1994 95.
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answers of8 February, Official Report, columns 289 95, what impact his Department's spending on scholarships and consultancy visits to benefit the Indonesian national police force is having in terms of reducing human rights abuses; and what his future spending plans are with regard to these programmes.
Mr. Baldry: The project aims to improve the quality of service of the Indonesia national police. It does this through the establishment of a consultancy unit within the INP's headquarters which advises senior management on strategic change and solving management and organisation problems. Improving the quality of service is an important means of encouraging correct policing procedures and the observance of human rights.
The present project is due to end in March 1996. We shall be considering over the coming months whether there is a need for further support for the INP after that date.
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of8 February, Official Report, columns 289 95, which companies were used to make the consultancy arrangements, and in each case to which British police forces consultants were connected.
Mr. Baldry: Johnston and Ladd International was used. Before his retirement, one consultant used to be at Bramshill staff college and before that, the Kent constabulary. Another served with the Surrey constabulary.
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the projected cost of scholarship awards in Britain for Indonesian police officers in 1994 95.
Mr. Baldry: On present plans we expect to spend some £37,000 on scholarship awards in 1994 95.
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of8 February, Official Report, column 293 , what were the costs in terms of administration and Crown servant time spent in supporting work with the Indonesian police force in each year since 1990, and whether these costs were included in the totals given in his answer.
Mr. Baldry: Project management costs, which were included in my answer of 8 February, Official Report , column 293 were:
|Costs
Year |£
----------------------
1990-91 |26,950
1991-92 |16,375
1992-93 |16,735
1993-94 |20,620
The Crown servant costs are not available.
Aid
Mr. Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to which projects and programmes he has allocated the funding no longer allocated to the Pergau dam in the current year.
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Mr. Baldry: In the current financial year, we are using the reallocated amounts for additional emergency aid, primarily in Bosnia, Rwanda and Chechnya; for additional contributions to multilateral organisations in the field of health and population; and for additional country programme expenditure including mine clearance in Cambodia.
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