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Mrs. Browning: There is no commercial slaughter industry for ostriches at present in Great Britain, and the breeding population is still being established. Some small numbers will have been killed on farms since 1991, but no figures are available. The welfare of ostriches is protected on the farm by the Agriculture (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1968 and regulations made under that Act, and by the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976; in transit by the Welfare of Animals during Transport Order 1994, as amended, and by standards set by the International Air Transport Association; and at slaughter by the Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) Regulations 1995 which came into operation on 1 April 1995. Guidelines on the welfare of farmed ostriches, prepared by the Farm Animal Welfare Council, were issued in February 1994. In addition, the Council of Europe is currently drawing up a recommendation on the welfare of ostriches and other ratites.
Environmentally Sensitive Areas
Mr. Welsh: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what area of England is designated as being environmentally sensitive; how much Government funding is spent annually on environmentally sensitive areas; how this formula is calculated; and if he will make a statement. [17793]
Mr. Jack [holding answer 3 April 1995]: There are 22 environmentally sensitive areas covering 1,149,217 hectares. Payments to farmers opting to join the schemes in these areas are based on calculations of estimated average income losses and additional costs resulting from compliance with the land management conditions, and may include an incentive element. In 1993 94 payments totalled £16.5 million. The financial provision rises to £43.3 million by 1996 97. A public information pack on the English environmentally sensitive areas is being sent to the hon. Member.
Animal Welfare
Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer 27 March, Official Report , column 501 , which company was responsible for transporting animals to Brightlingsea; and what plans he has to prosecute it for breaking the 15-hour rule. [18038]
Mrs. Browning: I am not, for reasons of commercial confidentiality, in a position to disclose the identity of the company concerned. Prosecution for breaking the 15-hour rule would not be sensible in this case where feeding and watering were precluded by the presence of protesters.
Sir Terence Higgins: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what powers he has to prevent vessels carrying live animals from putting to sea in bad weather. [17468]
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Mrs. Browning [holding answer 3 March 1995]: Inspectors and veterinary inspectors of the ministry have powers to prohibit the transport of animals where they consider the animals are about to be transported in a way which may cause them unnecessary suffering, or in any way which does not comply with any provision of the welfare legislation made under sections 37, 38, or 39 of the Animal Health Act 1981.
The Welfare of Animals during Transport Order 1994, made under the 1981 Act, places a duty on masters of vessels not to carry animals if, in their judgment, there are grounds for believing that, due to adverse weather conditions, the voyage will be attended by serious risk to the animals of injury, suffering or death. A number of sailings from various ports this winter were cancelled for this reason.
Sir Terence Higgins: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what inspections were carried out by officials to check that the carriage of live animals by the vessel Northern Cruiser was in conformity with all the provisions of the Welfare of Animals during Transport Order 1994; what provisions existed for isolation of ill or injured animals during the voyage and first aid treatment, schedule 3 section 18; and if he will make a statement. [17467]
Mrs. Browning [holding answer 3 March 1995]: Before the vessel was used to carry animals it was inspected by the ministry's livestock transport adviser to ensure that the facilities met the requirements of the legislation. Veterinary inspectors have also accompanied sailings with animals on board to monitor conditions during the voyage.
The Department is not of the view that point 18 of schedule 3 to the Welfare of Animals during Transport Order 1994, which implements a requirement of EC directive 91/628, applies when animals are being carried on a roll-on/roll-off ferry.
NATIONAL HERITAGE
Parliamentary Questions
Mrs. Ann Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) how many parliamentary questions to his Department in each year since 1992 93 requesting a priority written answer or answer on a named day, were answered within three days; how many received a holding reply; and how many of those which received a holding reply then received a substantive answer within a further five, 10, 15, 20 days or longer; [18482]
(2) how many parliamentary questions to his Department that were transferred for answer to the chief
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executive or other senior official of a non- departmental public body or agency for which he has responsibility received an answer which was not printed in the Official Report in each year since 1992 93 or for each year that the body or agency has been in existence; [18486.](3) how many times in each year since 1992 93 his Department has written to an hon. or right hon. Member correcting an answer to a parliamentary question; [18484]
(4) how many times in each year since 1992 93 his Department has given a reply to a parliamentary question which has resulted in the information requested being placed in the Library and not printed in the Official Report ; [18483]
(5) how many parliamentary questions to his Department were transferred for answer to the chief executive or other senior official of a non- departmental public body or agency for which he has responsibility in each year since 1992 93 or for each year that the body or agency has been in existence; [18485]
(6) how many parliamentary questions requesting an ordinary written answer were received by his Department in each year since 1992 93; and how many such questions received a substantive answer within 10, 15, 20 days or longer. [18481]
Mr. Dorrell: The information requested is a matter of public record, but it could be extracted in the form requested only at disproportionate cost.
Advertising
Mrs. Ann Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage, if he will list each non-departmental public body and agency for which he has responsibility and, for each, list separate figures for the spending by that body or agency on (a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) newspaper advertising, (d) other promotional materials and activities, (e) the totals in each year of (a) to (d) and (f) the proportion of (e) that was spent on recruitment advertising for year since 1979 80 or for each year of its existence if it has been created since then; and what are his latest estimates of (a) to (f) for the years 1994 95 and 1995 96. [17620]
Mr. Dorrell: My Department is responsible for two agencies: Historic Royal Palaces and Royal Parks. Details of their expenditure on advertising and promotional materials is given in the following chart. Figures for 1995 96 have not been finalised.
The non-departmental public bodies which are sponsored by my Department are listed in "Public Bodies 1994", a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. These operate at arm's length from my Department and the provision of information on their expenditure on advertising and promotional materials is an operational matter for them. The information could not be obtained by my Department without incurring disproportionate cost.
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|1990-91|1991-92|1992-93|1993-94|1994-95
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Historic Royal Palaces
(a), (b) and (c)<1> |228,350|183,682|205,089|678,814|502,238
(d) |70,000 |70,000 |80,000 |108,000|138,000
(e) = total (a) to (d) |298,350|253,682|285,089|786,814|640,238
(f) proportion of (e) spent on recruitment (per cent.) |4.1 |5.6 |5.8 |2.3 |3.9
The Royal Parks<2>
(a) and (b) |- |- |- |0 |0
(c) |- |- |- |240 |16,597
(d) |- |- |- |0 |0
(e) = total (a) to (d) |- |- |- |240 |16,597
(f) proportion of (e) spent of recruitment (per cent.) |- |- |- |0 |66
Notes:
<1> Costs cannot be desegregated without involving disproportionate cost.
<2> Established on 1 April 1993.
Television (Violence)
Sir John Gorst: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans he has to introduce further controls on the amount of violence broadcast on television. [18671]
Mr. Dorrell: Broadcasters in the United Kingdom are independent of Government but have clear responsibilities with regard to programme content. In May last year, my predecessor held meetings with the chairman of the BBC, the Independent Television Commission and the Broadcasting Standards Council to discuss public concern about television violence. Both the BBC and ITC undertook to monitor the amount of violence shown on television and report back. We have received interim reports from both bodies and are now awaiting the findings of joint research they have commissioned. The research will be completed later this year, and I intend to discuss its findings with the chairmen of the two bodies and consider whether any further action is called for.
Robert Burns
Mr. McMaster: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will make a statement on the plans of his Department to celebrate the life and times of Robert Burns during the next year. [18999]
Mr. Dorrell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under -Secretary of State for Scotland on 3 March 1995 at column 772 .
Local Television
Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is his policy towards encouraging the development of local television; and if he will make a statement. [18690]
Mr. Dorrell: The Broadcasting Act 1990 has increased the scope of broadcasting in the United Kingdom, including opportunities for local television services delivered by cable. For the future, the introduction of digital television services may open up further prospects.
Green Policy
Ms Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will name the green Minister for his Department and list (a) the green initiatives taken by that Minister in respect of the Department's functions, (b) the representations made by the Minister in respect of functions carried out by other departments and (c) the input made by the Minister into consultations on the Environment Bill. [18645]
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Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 5 April 1995]: The green Minister for my Department is Viscount Astor. My Department, the English Tourist Board, and the Countryside and Rural Development Commissions have commissioned consultants to produce a study on the local visitor management initiatives set up since the 1991 "Maintaining the Balance" report. This will result in the publication of a good practice guide later this year. My Department is in regular contact with other Departments on environmental issues which affect its policy interests.
HEALTH
Accident and Emergency Departments
14. Mrs. Jane Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many accidents and emergency departments have been temporarily closed in each of the last 12 months and in total. [17567]
Mr. Sackville: Information on closures of accident and emergency departments is not available centrally.
Consultants
15. Mr. O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the proportion of time spent by NHS consultant doctors on working in the private sector. [17568]
Mr. Malone: It is a statutory requirement and underpinning principle of the conduct of private practice in national health service hospitals that private work should not significantly interfere with a hospital's NHS contracts. Within this framework, consultants are free to undertake private work in addition to their NHS duties and in their own time. The combination of private practice and NHS treatment means that overall more patients are treated than if health care were available only through the NHS. There is a contractual obligation on NHS consultants to devote substantially the whole of their professional time to their NHS duties.
Cardiac Surgery, Plymouth
16. Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in the provision of a specialist cardiac surgery unit in Plymouth. [17569]
Mr. Sackville: The £4.3 million development of the new cardiac surgery unit at Derriford hospital is progressing well and is on target to be opened in 1997.
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Acute Beds
22.
Mr. Corbett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the change in the number of acute beds in (a) Birmingham and (b) the west midlands since 1979.
Mr. Sackville: The information requested is as follows:
|1979 |1993-94
--------------------------------------
Birmingham |4,391 |2,918
West Midlands |14,668 |11,305
Source:
1979, SH3 returns; 1993-94 KHO3
returns.
Over this period in the west midlands, the number of in-patient cases increased by 42 per cent. to 670,000 and day cases by 308 per cent. to 207,000.
Low Income
23. Mr. Bill Mitchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made on the effects of low income on health. [17583]
Mr. Sackville: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, East (Mr. Brown) on 23 March 1995, columns 353-54 .
Community Care
24. Mr. Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will review the criteria for the distribution and expenditure of the special transitional grant for community care; and if she will make a statement. [17584]
Mr. Bowis: The distribution of the special transitional grant for 1995 96 and the conditions attached to its payment were agreed by Parliament on 30 March. We review and consult on these matters before laying each year's special transitional grant report.
Diabetics
25. Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she has about the number and types of diabetes in the United Kingdom and the incidence of coma deaths amongst diabetics who live alone. [17585]
Mr. Sackville: In the United Kingdom, an estimated 1.2 per cent. of the population have clinically diagnosed diabetes, while the number of currently undiagnosed individuals is considered to increase this to 2 per cent. or more. No information is available centrally on the numbers of diabetics who live alone or on the incidence of coma deaths among them.
GP Fundholding
26. Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for health what research her Department has undertaken into the administrative costs of general practitioner fundholding; and if she will make a statement. [17586]
Mr. Malone: The Department keeps the management costs of general practitioner fundholding under regular review. In the first three years of the scheme, GP fundholding management costs were about 2 per cent. of budgets set. Figures are not yet available for 1994 95, but we expect them to be of the same order.
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Hospital Closures
27. Ms. Estelle Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy to collate information about hospital closures. [17587]
Mr. Sackville: We have no plans to do so.
Mortality Rates, London
29. Mr. Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether mortality rates in London have improved over the last 10 years. [17589]
Mr. Sackville: The information requested is given in the table.
|Deaths per thousand
Year |Total number of |Population (000s) |population
|deaths
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1983 |76,135 |6,764.8 |11.3
1984 |73,756 |6,772.4 |10.9
1985 |75,909 |6,790.2 |11.2
1986 |73,882 |6,803.4 |10.9
1987 |71,949 |6,800.5 |10.6
1988 |71,217 |6,770.3 |10.5
1989 |70,631 |6,798.7 |10.4
1990 |64,481 |6,852.5 |9.4
1991 |68,856 |6,889.9 |10.0
1992 |66,461 |6,904.6 |9.6
1993<1> |68,399 |6,933.0 |9.9
Notes:
<1> Provisional information.
Source:
OPCS.
NHS Trusts
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action she has taken to prevent potential conflicts of interest between those who hold senior posts in NHS trusts and also in private sector health service consultancies. [17570]
Mr. Sackville: The codes of conduct and accountability, which were issued to all national health service board members in April last year, introduced stringent measures to prevent conflicts of interest arising at board level. All NHS boards now maintain a register of members' relevant private interests and these are available for inspection by the public.
Mental Health Care
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement about the cost of the use of private beds for mental health care. [17581]
Mr. Bowis: National health service returns do not separately identify expenditure incurred specifically on the purchase of care outside the NHS.
Chorionic Villus Sampling
Mr. Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research she has commissioned into the use of chorionic villus sampling; and what evidence she has of the links between the use of villus sampling and subsequent disabilities. [17588]
Mr. Sackville: None. I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 27 March 1995, columns 420 21 .
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NHS Tenders
Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many tenders for NHS services or capital projects have been won by private sector organisations, where private sector organisations have been in competition with NHS organisations; and what percentage that represents of all tenders open to the private sector. [15771]
Mr. Sackville: The information is not available in the form requested. Of 3,927 service contracts for which information is available, 1,226 were awarded to the in-house team, and 2,701 were awarded to other contractors, including other national health service trusts or authorities. Not all of these contracts would have involved an in-house bid, and in some cases there may have been no external bidder.
Mesothelioma
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the findings of the health and safety executive/Peto report, "Continuing Increase in Mesothelioma Mortality in Britain", and its consequences for her Department's policy. [17074]
Mr. Sackville: I refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Employment gave him today. It is for the individual health authorities to ensure that the health care needs of their populations are being met, including those with Mesothelioma.
Medicines
Mr. Stott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if (a) Seatone green lipped mussel extract capsules and (b) Kwai concentrated garlic tablets have been subjected to the Medicines for Human Use (Marketing Authorisations etc) Regulations 1994. [19137]
Mr. Sackville: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Medicines Control Agency under its chief executive, Dr. Keith Jones. I have asked him to reply to the hon. Member.
Letter from K. Jones to Mr. Roger Stott, dated 18 April 1995: The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about Seatone capsules and Kwai tablets, and the Medicines for Human Use (Marketing Authorisations etc.) Regulations 1994.
The Regulations provide that from 1 January 1995, unless exempt, no medicinal product may be placed on the market in the United Kingdom without a marketing authorisation. Article 1.2 of Directive 65/66 EEC defines a medicinal product as one which is "presented for treating or preventing disease", or one which "may be administered with a view to making a medical diagnosis or to restoring, correcting or modifying physiological functions". (Most medicinal products in fact qualify on both the "presentation" and "function criteria".) In the case of the products you have asked about, the Agency has regularly monitored their status. On the basis of the information currently before it, the Agency considers they do not fall within either limb of the definition of a medicinal product. They are not, therefore, subject to the Marketing Authorisation etc. Regulations.
Foster Placement (Children) Regulations 1991
Ms Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what parliamentary proceedings will be necessary to implement proposed changes to the Foster Placement
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(Children) Regulations 1991; and if she will make a statement. [19287]Mr. Bowis: Regulations are subject to negative resolution.
Ms Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what fostering duties in the Foster Placement (Children) Regulations 1991 she proposes to allow local authorities to delegate to profit-making bodies through amendments to those regulations. [19285]
Mr. Bowis: The proposed amendments to the Foster Placement (Children) Regulations 1991 will permit social services departments to delegate fostering duties, specified by part II of the Foster Placement (Children) Regulations 1991, to private sector organisations on the same basis as to voluntary organisations.
Ms Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with whom she proposes to consult in respect of the draft amendments to the Foster Placement (Children) Regulations 1991. [19286]
Mr. Bowis: The Department of Health issued a consultation document to a wide range of interested authorities, voluntary and independent agencies.
Psychiatrists
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy to ensure that psychiatrists are members of the community teams to help mentally ill people. [19048]
Mr. Bowis: It is usual for consultant psychiatrists to be members of community mental health teams and this is a practice which we encourage.
Leeds Healthcare
Mr. Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have been placed by Leeds Healthcare with private sector health organisations during 1994 95; and at what cost. [19252]
Mr. Sackville: This is a matter for Leeds Healthcare. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mrs. Pam Smith, chairman of Leeds Healthcare, for details.
Mental Health
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when the Audit Commission's concerns about district health authorities having the resources to meet their own unique mental health needs are going to be met; [19046]
(2) how she will apportion funds for the health and social care of the mentally ill, as recommended by the Audit Commission. [19049]
Mr. Bowis: The national weighted capitation formula used to allocate hospital and community health service funds to regional health authorities has recently been revised and modified to include a separate index of factors which affect the need for psychiatric services.
The greater part of funding for personal social services is allocated to local authorities on the basis of standard spending assessments which indicate the Government's view of the need for particular services in individual local authorities, which then decide how to spend these resources in the light of their individual assessments of local needs and priorities.
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Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of steps taken in reducing the socio-economic problems for those who are mentally ill in Wales; and what plans she has to implement this policy in England. [19045]
Mr. Bowis: The policy for both England and Wales is to provide a range of care appropriate to the needs of the individual. Our guidance for England is set out in the "Mental Illness Key Area Handbook", copies of which are available in the Library.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has for those people suffering from less severe forms of mental illness receiving help in a primary care setting. [19047]
Mr. Bowis: In many cases, such illnesses can be dealt with in a primary care setting by a suitably qualified member of the team. We have initiated a programme of action to improve the understanding of mental health issues among primary care staff.
Mentally Disordered Offenders
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what decisions have been made between herself and the Home Secretary to fund the care of mentally disordered offenders. [19050]
Mr. Bowis: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department work closely together in developing services for mentally disordered offenders. Funding is determined through the annual public expenditure survey process.
Housing and Mental Illness
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the desirability of providing affordable housing for the mentally ill; and what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for the Environment on the subject. [19051]
Mr. Bowis: The provision of suitable housing plays an important role in providing care for mentally ill people. Housing for those requiring community care is the responsibility of local statutory agencies, which should work closely together to meet local needs. To help develop effective inter-agency working, the Department of Health, in partnership with the Department of the Environment, will host four regional seminars in June to consider housing for groups with special needs. The seminars will have mental illness as a linking theme. Ministers from both Departments met in December 1994 to discuss a range of housing and community care issues and will attend the seminars.
Tuberculosis
Mr. Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the world campaigns against TB and on the United Kingdom contributions. [19120]
Mr. Sackville: The Overseas Development Agency has identified the control of communicable diseases, and particularly mentioned tuberculosis, as one of its priority themes for health and population assistance. During 1994 and 1995, the United Kingdom contributed £625,000 to the World Health Organisation tuberculosis programme and almost £2,500,000 has been paid in grants for tuberculosis-related activities. This includes £175,000
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channelled through British non-governmental organisations.NHS Prescriptions
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in each of the last five years received help with NHS prescriptions under the low income scheme. [19396]
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