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Mr. Forth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Dewsbury (Mrs. Taylor) on 3 April, Official Report , column 924.
Mr. Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what has been the total cost of information products about grant-maintained status for schools produced and distributed by her Department in (a) 1994 95 and (b) 1993 94; and what is the proposed budget for 1995 96. [22337]
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Mr. Robin Squire: The total cost of publications, including videos, about grant-maintained status produced and distributed by the Department for Education was some £380,000 in 1994 95 and some £320, 000 in 1993 94. Within the Department's publicity budget for 1995 96, some £200,000 has so far been earmarked for GM products and related expenditure. Additional GM information products may be produced during the course of the financial year, resulting in additional expenditure.
Equal Opportunities
Ms Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what progress she hopes to achieve in her Department over the next three months to push forward the declaration signed in October 1994 at the Vienna conference in preparation for the fourth UN Conference on women; and if she will incorporate a section on equal opportunities in her Department's annual report. [21458]
Mr. Boswell: The Government are committed to the principles set out in the regional platform for action agreed at the preparatory conference in Vienna for the fourth UN world conference on women. We have taken these forward through a wide range of programmes and initiatives and will continue to do so. My right hon. Friend will be considering how best to report the Department's action on equal opportunities.
DEFENCE
Market Testing
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 25 April, Official Report , column 499 , what percentage by value of the total of defence support activities subject to the competing for quality process was (a) market tested and (b) won by in-house bid between (i) 1 October 1993 to 30 September 1994 and (ii) 10 October 1994 to date. [22382]
Mr. Freeman: In the period 1 October 1993 to 30 September 1994, the total value of activities exposed to competing for quality was £287 million. Of the £27 million or 9 per cent. that was market tested, £19 million, or 7 per cent., was won by the in-house bid. In the period since October 1994, the value of activities exposed to competing for quality has totalled £198 million. Of the £7 million, or 4 per cent., which has been market tested, none has been won by the in-house bid.
Base Closures
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the defence bases that have been closed and sold since 1990 together with the purchasers and the current use where known. [21229]
Mr. Soames: The information requested is as follows:
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Base |Purchaser |Proposed use at date
|of sale)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
USN Facilities, Holy Loch:
1. Commissary, Queen Street, Dunoon |Dumbarton Co-op Society Ltd. |Supermarket
2. Dolphin Hall, Queen Street, Dunoon |Argyll and Bute District Council |Offices and Library
3. Ardnadam Complex with Pier, Sandbank |Metropolis (Argyll) Ltd. |Sports/leisure complex
4. Families Service Centre |Argyll and Bute District Council |Offices
5. Medical/Dental Centre |Highlands and Islands Enterprise |Offices
6. Land at Sandbank |Highlands and Islands Enterprise |New Industrial park
7. Supply Depot and Pier |Cowal Leisure Ltd. |Marine/storage use
8. Sailing Club |Holy Loch Sailing Club |Existing use
9. Rankin Complex |Highlands and Islands Enterprise |Site redeveloped- industrial development
10. Gladswood Villa, West Street, Dunoon |H. Forbes |Residential
Inverrary Pier |I. Turner |Existing use
OFD Invergordon
1. Depot |The Bannerman Company |Transport/storage
2. Tomich Pumphouse |J. C. W. Horlick |Agricultural storage
RNSD Lathalmond
1. Storage Depot |Industrial Estates (Scotland) Ltd. |Industrial Estate
2. Disused rail sidings |J. J. Ritchie and Son |Farmland
Filton Airfield |British Aerospace |Airfield and associated uses
Primrose Camp, Rosyth, Fife |The Earl of Elgin |Not known
USN Radio Station, West Murkle, Thurso Bay |G. C. Walker |Agriculture
Radio Station, Inverkip, Strathclyde |H. M. S. Stewart |Not known
Winston Barracks, Lanark |Baxter Bryce Ltd. |Not known
Rosneath:
1. Storage Depot |D. R. M. Bruce |Industrial
2. Dark Wood a) |The Adventure Sailing Trust |Caravan base for sailing club
3. Dark Wood b) |United British Caravan Parks |Additional caravan park
4. Dark Wood c) |P. Henderson |Woodland
Former USN Communications Station, Forss (Lybster) |Fleet Transport (Aberdeen) |Possible light industrial
Met. Office Site, Shanwell, Tayport |Finlay |Agriculture
324 Engineer Park, Livingston |Fife and Kinross Investments Ltd. |Vehicle compound/storage
Former Aerial Site, Hawklaw, Fife |W. G. S. Innes-Smith |Farm
`St. Lukes', Regimental HQ and Museum |The Gordon Highlanders |Regimental museum
SEMO Gillingham, Kent |Medway (Chatham) Dock Company |Specific use not known but related to the purchaser's activities
RAF Chessington, Surrey |Consortium involving Bryant Homes and Sir Alfred McAlpine |Residential development
HMS St. Vincent (Furze House), London |Monopro Ltd. |Not known
Burniston Barracks, Scarborough |Persimmon Homes |Mixed development?
Willems Park, Aldershot |Tesco plc |Superstore/retail
Bramley, Hants |Wimpey |Residential
RNAD Milford Haven:
1. Depot |Waterfront Development, Pembroke Ltd. |Residential development
2. Land and Building |Preseli Pembroke District Council |Existing use
3. Land |Gulf Oil Refinery Ltd. |Existing use
4. Farmland |E. Harries |Farm
5. Farmland |L. Philpin |Farm
6. Houses |Various |Existing use
RAF Northcoates, Lincolnshire |Wessex and Cambrain Estates Ltd. |Business park and airfield
RAF Ely, Cambridgeshire: |
1. 7.26 acres |Department of Health (Lifespan Healthcare Trust) |NHS Hospital
2. 32 acres |Wilcon Homes |Residential development
RAF Orfordness (Site included an area owned by FCO) |National Trust |Certain areas are now open to the public
RNSM Risley, Cheshire |Redman Heenan Properties Ltd. |Not known
RAF Jurby Head, Isle of Man |Bishops Court Investments Ltd. |Finance Company HQ
RAF Bawdsey Manor |Mr. Toettcher |Language school/college
Ex RN Repair Depot, Fareham |Truryn Leisure |Residential
RN Boom Defence Depot, Swanmore, Southampton |The Hayward Partnership |Storage
Jellalabad Barracks, Taunton |New Properties Frontiers |Residential
Mount Wise West, Plymouth |Plymouth Development Corporation |Commercial use
Royal William Yard, Plymouth |Plymouth Development Corporation |Commercial use
Mountbatten, Plymouth |Plymouth Development Corporation |Commercial use
Old Infirmary, Plymouth |Plymouth Development Corporation |Not known
Connaught Barracks, Woolwich |MR Pankhania Westcome Home Improvement Ltd. |Commercial/development site
Postal and Courier Depot, Whetstone |Fairview Homes |Residential development site
HMS Mercury, Petersfield |Arundel Estates |Conversion to flats and housing applied for
Peninsula Barracks, Winchester |Arundel Estates |Residential
RM Eastney: |
1. Eastney Barracks |Truryn Leisure |Residential
2. RM Club |Trustees of RM Club |RM Club
3. Eastney Fort East |Hampshire Country Council |Museum
4. North Wing Former Officers' Mess |Hampshire County Council |Museum
It is my Department's practice not to record the use of a site once it has been sold, so the proposed use at the time of disposal is shown on the list.
NORTHERN IRELAND
European Regional Development Fund
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 14 December, Official Report , column 692 , if he will list those projects in privatised companies which have received European regional development funding since privatisation indicating (a) the level of funding and (b) the dates when it was received. [20577]
Sir John Wheeler: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 1 May by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary for Industry and Energy, Official Report, column 14.
Equal Opportunities
Ms Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress he hopes to achieve in his
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Department over the next three months to push forward the declaration signed in October 1994 at the Vienna conference in preparation for the fourth UN conference on women; and if he will agree to incorporate a section on equal opportunities in his Department's annual report. [21478]Mr. Ancram: The Government are committed to the principles set out in the regional platform for action agreed at the preparatory conference in Vienna for the fourth UN world conference on women. We have taken these forward through a wide range of programmes and initiatives and will continue to do so.
Progress on equal opportunity matters in relation to staff in the Northern Ireland civil service will continue to be reported in detail in the regular published reports produced by the service's equal opportunities unit.
Agricultural Workers
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total number of (a) farmers and (b) farm workers for each year since 1988, giving the
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figures as a percentage of the total population for Northern Ireland. [21860]Mr Ancram: The information is given in the table:
Farmers Other farm
workers
|Per cent. |Per cent.
|of total |of total
Year |Persons |population|Persons |population
------------------------------------------------------------------
1988 |37,417 |2.4 |24,638 |1.6
1989 |36,709 |2.3 |24,987 |1.6
1990 |36,302 |2.3 |24,733 |1.6
1991 |35,991 |2.2 |23,821 |1.5
1992 |36,224 |2.2 |22,905 |1.4
1993 |34,408 |2.1 |25,216 |1.5
1994 |35,377 |2.2 |24,230 |1.5
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many suicides occurred among (a) farmers, (b) farm workers and (c) the general population in each year since 1988. [21908]
Sir John Wheeler: The number of deaths registered as suicides in Northern Ireland in each year since 1988 are set out in the table. Deaths are recorded according to date of registration and not by date of occurrence.
_ Year |Farmers |Farm workers |General population ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1988 |10 |2 |153 1989 |1 |1 |116 1990 |3 |0 |158 1991 |8 |0 |129 1992 |2 |1 |107 1993 |9 |1 |129 1994<1> |5 |1 |95 <1>to 30 September 1994
Government Reform
Mr. William Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 27 March, Official Report , column 482 , on what date a copy of the proposed financial arrangements referred to was placed in the Library. [22209]
Mr. Ancram: A copy of the financial arrangements was placed in the Library on 27 March.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Equal Opportunities
Ms Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what progress has been made within his Department on equal opportunities matters. [21507]
Mr. Burt: The Department is committed to equality of opportunity for its staff. Recent examples of progress include the continued improvement in the representation of women and ethnic minorities at management grades across the Department and the increased use of flexible working patterns. For example, 15 per cent. of staff now work part-time. Other initiatives to help staff balance home and work commitments include career breaks, alternative working patterns and special leave arrangements. The Department employs over 1,500 registered disabled staff and information gathered from
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staff surveys indicates that there are as many non-registered disabled staff. Harassment counselling networks are in place across the Department and equal opportunities awareness training is widely available.A range of subsidised child care facilities are provided for staff, including 646 nursery places, 2,560 holiday playscheme places and child care referral services.
The Department was an early member of Opportunity 2000 and remains committed to the Cabinet Office programmes for action on women and race and the new programme for action on disability.
Ms Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish the gender assessment being prepared by his Department. [21508]
Mr. Burt: This Department's policy, in line with guidance issued in 1992 by the ministerial group on women's issues, is that policy proposals should ensure that unlawful or unjustifiable sex or race discrimination does not occur and that similar principles apply to other groups such as people with disabilities and older people. This scrutiny is part of a continuous and routine process, as part of policy advice to Ministers.
Ms Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security which Minister in his Department has responsibility for equal opportunities issues. [21506]
Income Support
Mr. Alan Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the annual cost of providing income support to spouses of people who are in local authority residential and nursing home care. [22282]
Mr. Roger Evans: The information is not available.
Widow's Payment
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to uprate the value of the widow's payment. [22224]
Mr. Arbuthnot: I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 10 January, Official Report, columns 56 57.
HEALTH
Health Policy
Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action is being taken by her Department to meet the target set by the World Health Organisation European region in terms of reduction of differences in health status between different groups within countries; and if she will make a statement. [21054]
Mr. Sackville: Our "The Health of the Nation" strategy brings together all Government Departments to work to improve health among all groups. Health services in each part of the country are funded according to assessed health need and the national health service reforms mean that health authorities and general practitioners are able to take action locally to address the needs in their area. I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 23 March, Official Report, column 353 54.
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Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on progress towards meeting the target set by the World Health Organisation European region in respect of reducing the differences in health status between different groups within countries. [21055]
Mr. Sackville: Our "The Health of the Nation" key targets are the primary measures against which we monitor progress on reducing avoidable illness and death, and risky behaviour affecting health, across the whole population. "The Health of the Nation" identifies different groups at particular risk and efforts are concentrated on those groups. Progress was reported in "One Year On" and there will be a further report later this year.
Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to include among the "The Health of the Nation" targets, the target set by the World Health Organisation European region in respect of reducing the differences in health status between different groups within countries. [21056]
Mr. Sackville: Meeting the targets already set in "The Health of the Nation" by focusing efforts on groups particularly at risk should help to reduce variations in health status between different groups. The new national health service enables health authorities and general practitioners to take action locally to address needs in their area and a considerable amount of work is being done to achieve improvements.
I therefore have no plans to include the World Health Organisation European region target in "The Health of the Nation" targets.
Press Offices
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the budget of the press office in (a) the Department of Health and (b) the national health service executive in each of the last five years. [21747]
Mr. Sackville: The national health service executive does not have a separate press office. The budget for the press office is not separately identifiable from the Department's information division.
Press Officers
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many press and public relations officers have been employed by (a) the Department of Health, (b) the national health service executive (c) regional health authorities (d) district health authorities and (e) trusts in each of the last five years. [21746]
Mr. Sackville: Functions which are commonly associated with press and public relations for the Department of Health are carried out by the Department's information division. The number of staff employed in each of the last five years is:
1990 91: 37
1991 92: 36
1992 93: 39
1993 94: 39
1994 95: 37
Information about the number of press and public relations officers in regional health authorities, district health authorities, family health services authorities and national health service trusts is not available centrally.
Column 242
NHS Reforms
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is her assessment of the effect of the introduction of GP fundholding on the need for administration within the NHS; [21750]
(2) what is her assessment of the effect of the introduction of the internal market on the need for administration within the NHS. [21749]
Mr. Malone: The national health service reforms have strengthened the management of the NHS and have led to a rise in activity, a fall in waiting times and a rise in consumer satisfaction.
GP Prescribing Costs
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money is to be made available to family health service authorities to enable them to make payments to general practitioners' practices which contain their prescribing costs. [21667]
Mr. Malone: We made £1.7 million available to health authorities to meet the cost of payments to non-fundholding general practitioner practices in respect of prescribing incentive schemes which operated in 1993 94. These payments, which are directly related to the reduction in prescribing expenditure achieved, are used to improve patient services.
Community Nursing
Ms Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the amount spent per head of the population on community nursing in London, Newcastle, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool in each year since 1990. [21917]
Mr. Sackville: Information is not available in the form requested.
Contracting Out
Ms Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial criteria her Department applies in the contracting out of services previously provided in-house. [21925]
Mr. Sackville: Financial criteria are applied and evaluated as an integral part of all major procurement, regardless of whether the services were previously provided in-house, in accordance with best professional purchasing practice and existing legislation. The purpose of this procedure is to minimise the risk to the Department of the financial failure of a supplier.
Nurses
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the latest figures for unemployment among nurses. [22009]
Mr. Sackville: This information is not available centrally.
Special Hospitals
Ms Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients are currently awaiting admission to and discharge from (a) Broadmoor, (b) Rampton and (c) Ashworth hospitals. [21921]
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Mr. Bowis: This information is not available centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact the chairman of the Special Hospitals Service Authority, which is responsible for the management of the special hospitals.
Accident and Emergency Departments
Ms Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many 24-hour accident and emergency departments there were in London in (a) 1980, (b) 1985, (c) 1990 and (d) 1994. [21919]
Mr. Sackville: Information on 24-hour accident and emergency services was first collected in 1987 88. Until 1991 92, data were collected at hospital level, but for subsequent years they were collected on the basis of national health service trusts and directly managed units, some of which may provide accident and emergency services on more than one site. The information available is shown in the table. Comparable information for earlier years is not available.
Trusts and Directly Managed Units with Accident and Emergency Departments London.
Trusts<1> and Directly Managed Units with Accident and Emergency Departments<2> London. Year |Number ---------------------- 1991-92 |41 1992-93 |37 1993-94 |34 <1> A trust or a directly managed unit may consist of a number of hospitals providing an A&E service on more than one site. <2> With medical staff on site and where the intention is to open 168 hours per week. Source: KH09.
Primary Care
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 23 February, Official Report , column 323 , how much of the expenditure per head of population on primary care is demand driven and how much allocated by formula; and if she will make a statement. [21927]
Mr. Sackville: Primary care consists of all four branches of the family health services--the general medical, dental and ophthalmic services and the pharmaceutical service, together with the community health services. The cost of various elements of these services is met by family health services authorities, the Dental Practice Board and health authorities. The family health services form by far the largest part, and are mostly demand-led apart from the costs associated with the direct reimbursement of certain general practitioner practice expenses and the drugs cost and practice expenses' elements of the budgets managed by GP fundholders. Expenditure on community health services is funded locally by health authorities but is not separately identifiable in data available centrally. It is not possible, therefore, to give a precise apportionment of the overall expenditure on primary care services between the demand-led and cash-limited elements, nor to calculate the proportion allocated by formula, although this would be small.
Weighted Capitations (Health Authorities)
Sir Terence Higgins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the five most underfunded health authorities in England and the extent to which they are
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currently below capitation and the corresponding data for the previous 10 years. [21807]Mr. Sackville: The weighted capitation positions for the five district health authorities furthest below target in 1993 94, 1994 95 and 1995 96 are listed. Corresponding information for previous years is not available centrally.
Weighted capitation positions for five health authorities
furthest
below target
District |£ million |Percentage
--------------------------------------------------------------
1993-94 distance from target
Worthing |14.8 |-15.7
Chichester |9.0 |-13.5
Oldham |8.9 |-9.7
Canterbury and Thanet |10.2 |-9.0
Southport |4.0 |-8.9
1994-95 distance from target
Worthing |10.1 |-10.2
Blackpool |11.4 |-8.7
Chichester |5.9 |-8.4
Wigan |8.6 |-7.7
Hereford |3.9 |-6.3
1995-96 distance from target
Worthing<1> |15.7 |-13.0
South Essex |27.1 |-9.0
Chichester<1> |6.6 |-7.9
Bedfordshire |17.9 |-7.5
East Sussex |22.1 |-6.4
<1> Figures for 1995-96 were calculated prior to the
subsequent merger of Worthing DHA and Chichester DHA with Mid
Downs DHA to form West Sussex DHA as of 1 April 1995.
Notes:
1. Data are not necessarily comparable year on year or across
boundaries within year because of differing regional policies
eg. on the integration of capital charges, levels of top
slicing and boundary changes.
2. For 1994-95 and 1995-96 the distance from targets have
been calculated on a standardised basis which assumes all
RHAs are at their capitation targets. They may therefore vary
from locally published figures.
Medium Secure Units
Ms Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were detained in medium secure units run by the NHS for each year since 1991. [21918]
Mr. Bowis: The number of places in purpose-built national health service medium secure units has increased from 597 in January 1991 to 792 in April 1995. The completion of our centrally funded building programme, to which we allocated more than £47 million between 1991 and 1995, will take this to over 1,150 places by the end of 1996. Further places are being developed by regions from the mainstream NHS capital programme.
The numbers of in-patients receiving treatment in these units, not all of whom will necessarily have been detained, were:
-
|Number
------------------------------
31 January 1991 |492
31 January 1992 |532
31 January 1993 |591
31 March 1994 |653
Source:
Department of Health annual
census of NHS medium secure
units.
In addition, a number of patients were receiving treatment in NHS interim secure units, which in many cases are of medium secure standard, and as NHS patients in private sector medium secure units.
Continuing Care Beds (London)
Ms Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many continuing care beds there were in London in (a) 1980, (b) 1985, (c) 1990 and (d) 1994. [21920]
Mr. Bowis: Information available centrally on numbers of national health service beds does not include the classification "continuing care". Information according to ward classifications has been published for the years since 1988 89 in "Bed availability for England". In earlier years, beds were classified according to consultant specialty and "SH3 National and Regional Summaries" were published. Copies of the publications are available in the Library.
Psychiatric Units (London)
Ms Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to reduce bed occupancy in psychiatric units in inner London; and if she will make a statement. [21924]
Mr. Bowis: It is for district health authorities to assess the mental health needs of their local population and to purchase services to meet those needs. In recognition of the pressures on mental health services in inner London we commissioned the mental health task force London project to work with the London health authorities, local authorities and other agencies to identify key problems and to develop action plans to address these. The mental health task force London project follow-up report, published on 19 April, copies of which are available in the Library, shows that health authorities have got off to a good start in implementing their action plans to improve London's mental health services. The regional offices of the national health service executive will continue to monitor progress closely.
Marriages
Dr. Howells: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many marriages between British citizens and non-British, non-EU citizens were reported as bogus to the Secretary of State for the Home Department by the Registrar General in each year since 1989. [21817]
Mr. Sackville: Details of the total number of marriages suspected to have been arranged for the sole purpose of evading statutory immigration controls, reported by the Registrar General to the Home Department, since 1989 are shown. Details of the reports sent involving a marriage between British citizens and non-British citizens are not kept separately and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The number of marriages reported by the Registrar General to the Home Office were
1989: Nil
1990: Nil
1991: 19
1992: 94
1993: 304
1994: 404
1995 : 90
Relates to the first quarter only.
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Hospital Development Schemes
Mr. Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital development schemes were started in (a) 1994 95, (b) 1993 94 (c) 1992 93; and how many are planned to be started in (i) 1995 96 and (ii) 1996 97. [22323]
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