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Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what termination payments have been made to (a) chairs and (b) non-executive directors of NHS authorities and trusts; and in what circumstances such payments are made.
Mr. Malone: No such payments have been made since the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Member for Peterborough (Dr. Mawhinney) to my hon. Friend the Member for Bristol, North-West (Mr. Stern) on 16 February 1993, column 164. Such payments may be made to the chairman of a national health service authority in exceptional circumstances by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. No such provision exists for non-executive members of authorities or for chairmen or non-executive members of NHS trusts.
Mr. Fatchett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the procedures adopted in relation to in-contract settlements for former NHS trust chief executives.
Mr. Malone: The Department has issued guidance--TEL(94)3--which sets out what is expected of national health service trusts in providing for contractual termination settlements in respect of chief executives and senior managers.
Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health(1) what different arrangements exist for the billing and funding of the outside treatment of prisoners with (a) mental illness and (b) physical illness;
(2) what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the purchaser- provider split between health authorities in respect of patients who are imprisoned; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Bowis: Responsibility for meeting the costs of treatment provided to prisoners in national health service accident and emergency units is met by the district in which the hospital is located. Otherwise responsibility for outside treatment falls to the health authority in the prisoner's usual district of residence, determined by the address at which they were resident immediately before detention. Where that cannot be determined satisfactorily, responsibility falls to the district in which the offence, or alleged offence, in respect of which the prisoner is detained was committed. There is no difference between the arrangements for funding treatment of mental and physical illness.
Purchasing authorities are required in their strategic and development plans to take account of the health care needs of all those who are normally resident in their
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district. This will include the needs of people who are in prison and who may require care and treatment in the NHS. These arrangements are subject to the normal monitoring process undertaken by the NHS Executive.Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provision the NHS provides for those prisoners suffering from mental illness too severe to be dealt with in prison but not severe enough to warrant incarceration in a Rampton-level unit.
Mr. Bowis: Prisoners who are transferred to national health service hospitals under provisions of the Mental Health Act 1983 may be admitted to general psychiatric hospitals, specialist medium-secure units, or one of the three special hospitals. My right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary will name the hospital on a transfer direction following recommendations made to him by two medical practitioners who will have assessed the prisoner and advised on the level of security required.
Sir Ivan Lawrence: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the improvements to health care provision in Burton on Trent and district since the introduction of the health reforms in 1991.
Mr. Sackville: I am aware of the excellent performance by national health service hospitals within the Burton on Trent area and I am sure that my hon. and learned Friend will wish to join me in congratulating them on their successes since the reforms were introduced in 1991. These include:
Burton Hospitals NHS Trust being awarded the charter mark in October 1994 by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister.
12 new consultants employed at Burton Hospital NHS Trust, an increase of over 25 per cent., all funded from internally generated savings.
In 1992 Premier Health NHS Trust opened a 10 place day unit for the mentally ill, the Horace Pritchard Home, in a joint project with social services.
Burton Fundholding Group set up: fourth wave consortium of 13 practices in nine funds representing 85,000 patients in the Burton area. Total budget £14.5 million.
Burton Hospitals NHS Trust continues to reduce waiting list. At the end of January 56 patients were waiting over nine months. This is expected to be nil by March.
In April Premier Health NHS Trust are expecting to open the £700, 000 Margaret Stanhope Centre on the Burton district hospital site to replace the old Harry Jones in-patient psychiatric unit and Belvedere resource centre.
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons the item concerned with fostering a climate of understanding and compassion, discouraging discrimination and safeguarding confidentiality, as set out in section D.14 of "The Health of the Nation", 1992, has been dropped from the review of "The Health of the Nation"--"One Year On", 1993; and what policy changes underlie this change.
Mr. Sackville: When the AIDS epidemic began in the United Kingdom, the Government dedicated considerable efforts to combating discrimination, not least through the general anti-discrimination legislation. The UK's record is well respected internationally on this. From the London declaration of 1988 to the Paris summit of 1994, the Government have re- emphasised their continuing commitment to discouraging discrimination on this front.
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That still underlies each element of the strategy which covers prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care, monitoring surveillance and research, and international action.Mr. Frank Cook: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evaluation she has made of the report published by the department of social policy at the university of Newcastle on "Health and Inequality: the Northern Region 1981 to 1991".
Mr. Sackville: The issues raised in the report are under consideration by the Chief Medical Officer's sub-group looking at variations in health. The group is due to report in spring 1995 on how the Department of Health and the national health service can effectively tackle ethnic, geographical, socio-economic and gender variations in health in the five "Health of the Nation" key areas. Work is progressing in line with that timetable.
Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what non- governmental agencies supporting family networks are funded by the Government; and what initiatives they are undertaking.
Mr. Bowis: The Government grant-aid the following voluntary organisations who support family networks:
Barnardos';
The Childrens Society;
Contact a Family;
Exploring Parenthood;
Family Centre Network;
Family Rights Group;
Family Support Network;
Family Services Units;
Family Welfare Association;
Gingerbread;
Grandparents Federation;
National Children's Homes Action For Children;
National Council for One Parent Families;
Parent Line;
Parent Link;
Parent Network;
Parents At Work;
Pre-school Learning Alliance
Save the Children Fund;
The National Stepfamily Association.
These organisations support self-help networks of families or parents, networks of family centres providing services to families and networks of research into family support. The Department of Health spends about £5 million annually supporting these and other family organisations which are not explicitly networks.
Mr. Janner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what support (a) she and (b) the NHS is giving to "Take our Daughters to Work" campaign on 27 April.
Mr. Sackville: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is participating in the "Take our Daughters to Work" campaign. She will be accompanied by a schoolgirl from her constituency on 27 April. As the largest employer of women in Europe, with good examples of women working successfully at all levels of the organisation, this initiative offers an opportunity positively to promote
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careers in the national health service to potential future employees and a number of NHS authorities and trust have indicated their support for the campaign.Mr. Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have died from solvent and volatile substance abuse in each year since 1985.
Mr. Bowis: The information is shown in the table:
Years |Deaths --------------------- 1985 |117 1986 |102 1987 |115 1988 |137 1989 |113 1990 |151 1991 |122 1992 |79
Mr. Keen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the categories of illnesses currently exempt from prescription costs.
Mr. Malone: People are exempt from national health service prescription charges if they hold a valid exemption certificate issued by a family health services authority on the grounds that they have one or more of the following medical conditions
Permanent fistula, including caecostomy, colostomy, laryngostomy, ileostomy or urostomy, requiring continuous surgical dressings or an appliance;
Forms of hypoadrenalism, including Addison's disease, for which specific substitution therapy is essential;
Diabetes insipidus and other forms of hypopituitarism;
Diabetes mellitus except where treatment is by diet alone; Hypoparathyroidism;
Myasthenia gravis;
Myxoedema, or other conditions where supplemental thyroid hormone is necessary;
Epilepsy requiring continuous anti-convulsive therapy;
A continuing physical disability which prevents the patient from leaving home except with the help of another person.
Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate her Department has made of the cost to her Department of the treatment of occupational asthma for each year since 1990.
Mr. Sackville: None. The Department's information does not distinguish between types of asthma.
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she received a copy of the letter from the medical director of the Basildon and Thurrock Hospital trust to all general practitioners, dated 7 February 1995, on difficulties experienced by hospitals recruiting doctors of SHO grade to staff accident and emergency departments; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Sackville: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not received a copy of such a letter.
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Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the establishment of the accident and emergency department at Basildon hospital; and which of these posts are vacant.
Mr. Sackville: This information is not available centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. Ian MacPherson, chairman of the Basildon and Thurrock General Hospitals National Health Service trust, for details.
Sir John Gorst: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what mechanism there is within her Department centrally to collate information regarding the number of hospitals and accident and emergency departments that have been closed;
(2) how many planned closures of accident and emergency units have been rejected by community health councils since 1991; and if she will list those that have subsequently not been put into effect; (3) how many hospital closures in England have taken place following objection to a proposed closure from a community health council since January 1993;
(4) what information is provided to her Department by district health authorities, trusts, regional health authorities and the national health service executive on accident and emergency department closures;
(5) how many accident and emergency departments are currently threatened with closure;
(6) if she will list the hospitals or trusts in respect of which she has been formally consulted about partial or complete closure in the last two years.
Mr. Sackville: The Department does not routinely collect information on hospital or accident and emergency department closures. Information is available centrally on proposals to close, or change the use of, health service facilities which are referred to Ministers for decision following objections from a community health council. A list of such proposed closures referred to Ministers in the period 1992 94 will be placed in the Library.
Sir John Gorst: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the capital projects in the NHS with a works cost of over £1 million that have been completed since 1992 giving a brief description of each project.
Mr. Sackville: Information will be placed in the Library recording National Health Service capital building works projects with a works cost of over £1 million which have been completed since 1992.
Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement clarifying the circumstances surrounding the resignation of Dr. McMinn from the chairmanship of Formby health authority.
Mr. Malone: The reason given to Sir Donald Wilson, chairman of North West regional health authority, by Dr. Alex McMinn for resigning as chairman of the Southport and Formby National Health Service trust was increased pressure of business commitments.
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Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 28 February, Official Report , column 497 , if either of the two letters promoting Juice Plus were sent by hon. Members; and if any of the correspondence with officials at the Medicines Control Agency came from hon. Members.
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Attorney-General if the status of a victim of crime as a Member of Parliament is treated as a public interest consideration in deciding whether to bring a prosecution against the alleged offender.
The Attorney-General: Whether the fact that a victim of crime is a Member of Parliament bears upon the public interest in prosecution of the alleged offender in any particular case will depend upon all the circumstances of that case. The Crown Prosecution Service may have in mind among other factors the matters in paragraph 6.4 of the code for Crown prosecutors--namely, whether the offence was committed against a person serving the public, or whether it was motivated by any form of discrimination against the victim's political views.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what has been the change in the real exchange rate measured in terms of relative export unit values for manufacturing against the deutschmark since the lowest day's average in February 1993; (2) in what periods since 1975 British manufactures have been less competitive on price against those of the EEC than in the second quarter of 1994.
Mr. Nelson: Sterling exchange rates against the currencies of the EU can be found in "Financial Statistics", published monthly by the Central Statistical Office. Unit value export prices of goods for these countries can be found in "International Financial Statistics", published monthly by the International Monetary Fund. Unit value export prices of manufactures for the main manufacturing countries, which excludes some of the EU, can be found in the "Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics", published monthly by the Central Statistical Office. Data on unit value export prices of manufactures for all EU countries are not readily available.
Together, these data can be used to calculate changes over time in relative export prices for goods against Germany and all other EU countries, and relative export prices for manufactures against some EU countries, including Germany.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy that the Bank of
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England will not intervene in the foreign exchanges to prevent the pound sterling from falling against the deutschmark.Mr. Nelson: The valuation of the pound is determined by transactions in the foreign exchange market. Movements in the exchange rate are considered as part of the general assessment of monetary conditions in setting monetary policy. The Government recognise the value of a stable exchange rate, but they do not set target rates. For good reasons of market management, the Government do not comment on intervention in foreign exchange markets.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the effect of the Government's exchange rate policies on the rate of unemployment since 1975.
Mr. Nelson: Levels of unemployment are influenced by a wide range of factors and it is not possible to isolate the effects of any single factor. The Government's policies are designed to promote sustained economic growth, secure jobs and rising prosperity, through structural policies to improve the long-term performance of the economy and a stable macroeconomic environment.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer why the nominal rate of exchange rose against the deutschmark between February 1993 and January 1994; what was the effect on the real exchange rate measured in terms of export unit values for manufactures; and what was the effect on the convergence criteria under Maastricht.
Mr. Nelson: The sterling-deutschmark exchange rate is determined by transactions in the foreign exchange markets. Data on the nominal exchange rate can be found in "Financial Statistics" published by the Central Statistical Office. Unit value export prices for the UK and Germany can be found in "International Financial Statistics" published monthly by the International Monetary Fund. Together, these data can be used to calculate the change in the real exchange rate with Germany between January 1993 and February 1994. It is impossible to quantify the effect on the change in the exchange rate on sterling export prices, and hence on to the real exchange rate. Movements in the sterling-deutschmark exchange rate over this period have no direct consequences for the Maastricht convergence criteria.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has for relaxing his inflation targets to allow a faster rate of growth; and what is his estimate of the growth rate for 1995 and 1996 compatible
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with an inflation target of 2.5 per cent. by the end of this Parliament.Mr. Nelson: Permanently low inflation is the best way to ensure healthy growth in the economy. The Government's inflation target is designed to achieve this, and is set out in the "Financial Statement and Budget Report 1995 96", together with forecasts for output and inflation.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, as a condition of the guarantee given to retail depositors, the Government will require the high street banks and other financial institutions to hive off their retail operators in such a way that they cannot be affected financially by liabilities incurred in other parts of the enterprise as at present constituted as a condition of the guarantee given to retail depositors.
Mr. Nelson: The Government do not give a guarantee to depositors. The statutory deposit protection scheme, which is financed by the banks themselves, is to compensate depositors in the event of their bank failing. The arrangements governing the supervision of banks are set out elsewhere in the Banking Act 1987.
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