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Dental Services
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the provision for transplant patients in respect of their specific dental care needs; and what are the particular treatments and financial assistance available for the dental care needs of transplant patients. [22670]
Mr. Malone: The range of treatments available to transplant patients is not different from that available to other dental patients. The general dental service, hospital dental service and community dental service are able to provide a range of treatments which deal comprehensively with any complication which may arise as a result of immunosuppression treatment in transplant patients. Transplant patients are subject to the same eligibility requirements for exemption from, or financial assistance towards, dental costs as other dental patients.
Yellow Card System
Ms Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of general practitioners are making use of yellow card systems for reporting adverse side-effects of drugs. [22926]
Mr. Sackville: The survey by the department of clinical pharmacology at the university of Newcastle upon Tyne and the Medicines Control Agency published in March 1995 found that 77 per cent. of general practitioners had reported one or more suspected adverse reactions through the yellow card scheme.
NHS Trust Meetings
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will include in the new code on openness in the NHS a requirement for NHS trusts to hold their meetings in public and for health authorities to stop the practice of routinely closing their meetings to the public for significant parts of their agendas for items which are not confidential. [22731]
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Mr. Malone: It is already a requirement that national health service trusts must hold an annual public meeting. The code of practice on openness in the NHS, published in April 1995, points to holding more public meetings as good practice, in line with the steps already being taken by an increasing number of trusts.
Health authorities must hold all their board meetings in public, though there is a provision for certain issues to be taken in a private part of the meeting. Whether and when to exclude the press and public is a matter for authorities themselves to decide.
National Vocational Qualifications
Mr. Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many, and what proportion of, vacancies advertised by her Department, and by each of her Department's agencies, in the last three years have listed the attainment of NVQs as an acceptable entry requirement; and, of those, how many have required (a) level 1 NVQs, (b) level 2 NVQs, (c) level 3 NVQs and (d) other level NVQs. [22955]
Mr. Sackville: No advertisements placed by the Department or its agencies listed the attainment of national vocational qualifications as an entry requirement.
Respite Care
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to ensure that the respite care needs of disabled people are fulfilled. [22694]
Mr. Bowis: The improvement in provision of respite care for disabled people has been a key objective of the community care reforms from the outset. Local authorities and health authorities must make provision for all local needs, including those for respite care. In the 1994 95 community care monitoring round, local authorities reported that they had been able to increase the number of respite care admissions above those made in the same period in the previous year. An extra £30 million is available this year, in the special transitional grant, for developing home and respite care.
Accounting Officers
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times in the last 10 years, and on which dates, her departmental accounting officer has issued a minute in that role; and what was the issue in each case. [22555]
Mr. Sackville: Available records show no cases in the last 10 years in which the accounting officer has requested a written instruction from a Minister because the Minister has overruled the accounting officer's advice on an issue of propriety, regularity or value for money.
Treatment Costs
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the percentage change in the average cost of treating an acute patient between 1982 83 and1992 93. [22776]
Mr. Sackville: Figures for 1992 93 are shown in the table. It is not possible to compare average costs between 1982 83 and 1992 93 because of changes in accounting practices. Since 1991 92, figures have included overheads and capital charges.
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Acute Specialties: Average Costs<1>
|In-patients
|including day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1992-93 |1,009.27 |56.37
<1> Source:
Annual financial returns of regional, district and special health authorities
for the London postgraduate teaching hospitals and national health service
trusts.
Heatherwood Hospital
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what has been the change in the provision of paediatric, maternity and accident and emergency services at Heatherwood hospital over the past year: and what change is planned in the next year; [22830] (2) if she will make a statement on the consultations on the future of Heatherwood and Wexham Park NHS trust; [22831]
(3) if she will make it her policy that existing paediatric, maternity and accident and emergency services be maintained at Heatherwood hospital before the outcome of the consultation on the future of Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals trust. [22829]
Mr. Sackville: There has been no significant change in the provision of paediatric, maternity and accident and emergency services at Heatherwood hospital over the past year. The future pattern of these services is currently the subject of public consultation and this has been extended to 6 June. There will be no change to the provision of these services prior to the outcome of the consultation exercise.
Camden and Islington Health Authority
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health from which budget the legal fees and moneys to settle the case of Dr. Chris Johnstone v. Camden and Islington health authority will come from; and to what extent her Department has underwritten the costs incurred by Camden and Islington health authority. [22901]
Mr. Malone: Any legal costs incurred by Camden and Islington health authority as a result of compensation claims made by former staff who were employed in the 10 trusts located within the boundaries of Camden and Islington before trust status was granted are paid out of a legal costs reserve created by the authority. If any claims were to exceed that reserve, the authority could seek access to the North Thames region's legal reserve.
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on Dr. Johnstone's case against Camden and Islington health authority and its settlement with particular reference to her Department's involvement; and if she will indicate how much Camden and Islington health authority has spent in the last six years in legal fees on this case. [22902]
Mr. Malone: Dr. Johnstone's legal action began in March 1989 and he withdrew his claim on 24 April 1995. In order to minimise costs, Camden and Islington health authority paid £5,600 into court with the offer to meet his
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expenses; there was no admission of liability. The decision to reach this settlement was a matter for the authority and the Department of Health was not involved.To date, the authority has spent £69,327 in legal fees.
Mental Health
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what was the percentage of patient episodes that were mental health related in the last available year; [22754]
(2) what was the total number of mental health related patients episodes in the last available year. [22753]
Mr. Bowis: The number and percentage of finished consultant episodes in England for 1993 94, the latest year for which figures are available, for the mental illness and mental handicap specialities are 292,000 and 2.9 per cent.
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total sum given to mental health related voluntary organisations in the last available year. [22756]
Mr. Bowis: Awards under the Department's section 64 general scheme of grants to voluntary organisations in the field of mental illness totalled £2.46 million in 1994 95.
Housing and Health
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the relationship between housing and health. [22758]
Mr. Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the level of NHS expenditure undertaken each year to treat ill health caused by poor housing conditions. [23186]
Mr. Sackville: Due to the complex interaction of a number of factors, it is difficult to quantify the effects of any one factor and to establish causal links between housing conditions and health. No estimates have been made of national health service expenditure on ill health related to housing conditions.
Royal Hospitals NHS Trust
Mr. Sedgemore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the cost of the inquiry set up in December 1994 by Bruce Martin QC on behalf of the Royal Hospitals NHS trust into the leaking of confidential documents relating to Sir Colin Berry; what were the conclusions of the inquiry; when the findings will be made public; who will bear the cost of the inquiry; and which individual or individuals initiated the inquiry. [22821]
Mr. Sackville: This is a matter for the Royal Hospitals NHS trust. The hon. Member may wish to contact the trust chairman, Sir Derek Boorman, for details.
Junior Doctors
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many junior doctors are currently working more than an average of 72 hours per week. [22903]
Mr. Malone: At 30 September 1994, the latest date for which firm figures are available, there were 3,870 junior doctors contracted for more than an average of 72 hours a week in hard-pressed on-call posts. There were a further
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2,196 junior doctors contracted for more than 72 hours a week in non-hard-pressed on-calls posts which are not subject to the current targets for reducing hours.Our task forces conducted a further monitoring round on 8 February this year and I expect to be able to announce the results of that exercise very shortly.
Upper Limb Disorders
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been conducted into work-related upper limb disorders and repetitive strain injury; and if she will make a statement. [22910]
Mr. Sackville: The main agency through which the Government support biomedical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council, which receives its grant in aid from the office of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. The Medical Research Council is not currently supporting any research specifically into work-related upper limb disorders or repetitive strain injury, but is willing to consider scientifically based sound proposals for research. I understand that the Health and Safety Executive, which is responsible for policy on prevention of upper limb disorders caused by work, has sponsored a number of studies with particular emphasis on finding practical means of intervention to prevent and control risks. The Health and Safety Executive is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment.
Voluntary Organisations (Funding)
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total sum given by her Department to voluntary organisations in the last available year. [22755]
Mr. Bowis: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Barking (Ms Hodge) on 5 April, Official Report , column 1212.
Death Rates
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the death rate in socio-economic group (a) 1 and (b) 5 in each year since 1979. [22757]
Mr. Sackville: The information is not available in the form requested.
Mortality of men in the longitudinal study 1976 cohort, by Registrar General's social class, for the periods 1979 81, 1982 85 and 1986 89 will be published with commentary in "Population Trends 80" in June 1995. Infant mortality by Registrar General's social class is published annually in the DH3 mortality series, copies of which are available in the Library.
Tobacco
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence she has that (a) banning tobacco advertising and (b) increasing the price of cigarettes will decrease the consumption of tobacco. [22759]
Mr. Sackville: In 1992, the Department reviewed all the available evidence on the effect of tobacco advertising on tobacco consumption. The evidence is listed in the discussion document, "Effect of Tobacco Advertising on Tobacco Consumption", copies of which are available in the Library. The Government concluded on the basis of
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the evidence reviewed that a ban on tobacco advertising in the United Kingdom would not have a major impact on reducing levels of smoking.The Department recently published its view of the effect of price on tobacco consumption in the pamphlet, "The Importance of Price in Reducing Tobacco Consumption", copies of which are available in the Library. Studies show that an increase of 10 per cent. in the price of tobacco products can be expected to lead to a drop of between 3 per cent. and 6 per cent. in tobacco consumption. The studies are cited in the pamphlet.
Registration of Doctors
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to seek amendments to the Medical Acts in relation to limited registration of doctors and the standardisation of registration. [22766]
London Ambulance Service
Mr. Spearing: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will require the London ambulance service to postpone further action for changing the distribution of staff and reorganisation of rotas, as recommended by its operational research in health report, until after the publication of the report on the London ambulance service by the Health Committee. [23102]
Mr. Sackville: This is a matter for the London ambulance service.
Unemployment (Health Costs)
Mr. Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the level of NHS expenditure undertaken each year to treat ill health caused by unemployment. [23185]
East London and City Health Authority (Land Sales)
Mr. Spearing: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who is responsible for the sale of any building and land within the area of the East London and City health authority found surplus to requirements; what public body has the duty of monitoring or auditing such sales; to what accounts and for what purposes the proceeds of any sale are devoted; and which authorities makes decisions related to the proceeds of such sales. [23612]
Mr. Sackville: Property which has not been transferred to a national health service trust is retained by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. That property will be managed by the local regional health authority, which in this instance is the North Thames regional health authority. The regional health authority will dispose of the property. The proceeds will show in its accounts, and it will decide how those proceeds will be used within its capital development programme. Those sale proceeds will be reinvested in the provision of health care.
Land and property transactions in the NHS are subject to policy, procedures and guidance issued by the NHS executive as part of Estatecode.
The accounts of health authorities and NHS trusts are subject to annual examination by auditors appointed by the Audit Commission.
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St. Bartholomew's Hospital
Mr. Spearing: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to receive the report of the body she has established to examine the report on the use of premises at St. Bartholomew's hospital not to be used by the Royal Hospital trust; and what criteria she has asked it to apply in making such recommendations other than to reduce the call on public funds. [23611]
Mr. Malone: Sir Ronald Grierson has agreed to lead a project team which is being established to advise the Royal Hospital trust on future use of the Smithfield site. Terms of reference for the project team have yet to be finalised.
Telephones
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what use her Department makes of hand-held and car-based mobile telephones; what were the costs for each financial year of these services since mobile telephones were first introduced to her Department; and how many mobile telephones are currently in use. [23436]
Mr. Sackville: Mobile telephones are issued to mainly medical, scientific, professional and managerial staff who are required to maintain contact with the Department and the national health service when travelling or while out of normal working hours. Some 500 mobile telephones were in use in 1993 94 at an annual running cost of £302, 000. For 1994 95, the corresponding figures are 477 mobile telephones at a cost of £288,000. Figures are not available prior to 1993 94.
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many mobile telephones used by her Department have been cloned during the last 12 months. [23503]
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations her Department has made to the Department of Trade and Industry concerning the need for legislation to prevent the cloning of mobile telephones. [23479]
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what costs her Department has incurred during the last 12 months as a result of cloning of mobile telephones being used by her Department, with particular reference to the making of unauthorised calls. [23495]
Mr. Sackville: None. The mobile telephone air time providers have not charged the Department for calls made by cloned telephones.
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps her Department has taken to prevent the cloning of telephones being used by her Department; and if her Department has discussed this matter with any official agencies. [23465]
Mr. Sackville: Since cloning has not been a significant problem experienced in the Department, no preventive advice has yet been issued and no discussions have taken place with any official agencies.
Thalidomide
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research her Department has (a) funded and (b) evaluated into the transmission of damage caused by Thalidomide across generations. [23512]
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Mr. Malone: The main agency through which the Government support medical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council, which receives its grant in aid from the office of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. However, the Department has set up an advisory group on research into congenital limb reduction defects and a report was published in February this year recommending that a review of relevant research be carried out. The Government have also established a sub-group of the inter-departmental group on disability to focus on the delivery of health and other services. The group's report will reflect concerns of the Thalidomide action group, the trust and the society.
A number of initiatives are being taken forward by the Government, including providing more detailed knowledge for the medical profession on the longer-term effects of disability caused by Thalidomide.
Members' Inquiries
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times in each of the last three years the NHS Executive has issued advice to chairmen and regional directors of health authorities and trusts on how to reply to the written inquiries of hon. Members. [23396]
Mr. Malone: It is a primary role of the national health service executive to give advice to the NHS and
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it has done so on numerous occasions during the past three years.Medium Secure Units
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list by regional health authority and by district health authority the current number of beds in medium secure units run by health authorities in England; what were the figures for each of the last four years; and if she will make a statement. [23506]
Mr. Bowis: The figures for regions are shown in the table. They do not include places in national health service interim secure psychiatric units--many of which are of medium secure standard--or those funded by health authorities in independent sector facilities. Information for individual districts is not available centrally. These places have been funded from the NHS central capital programme. Nearly 400 more places funded from this source are due to open by the end of next year.
Total central NHS capital investment in the medium secure programme amounts to more than £100 million--at 1993 prices--of which over £47 million was allocated between 1991 and 1995. In addition, further medium secure places are being developed by regions from mainstream NHS capital programme.
There were no purpose-built NHS medium secure places in 1979, despite the fact that the Glancy committee had recommended them in its 1974 report.
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Column 415
Medium Secure Units: Places 1991-1995 by Regional Health Authority
Regional health |Regional health |January 1991 |January 1992 |January 1993 |June 1994 |March 1995
authority 1994 |authority 1994
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
East AnglianOxford |East Anglian and Oxford |34 25 |34 25 |34 25 |89 |121
North East Thames |North Thames |14 |14 |14 |108 |108
North West Thames |46 |46 |48
South East Thames |South Thames |85 |85 |85 |90 |90
South West Thames |- |- |-
South Western |South West |60 |60 |65 |94 |108
Wessex |26 |28 |29
West Midlands |West Midlands |77 |77 |77 |77 |77
Trent |Trent |45 |48 |48 |48 |48
Yorkshire |North East and Yorkshire|44 |44 |44 |101 |101
Northern |21 |25 |27
North Western |North West |82 |82 |82 |110 |139
Mersey |36 |36 |36
Total |595 |604 |614 |717 |792
Source: DH census returns and NHS Estates surveys for the medium secure central capital programme.
ENVIRONMENT
Capital Finance Regulations
Mr. Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will amend the capital finance regulations to enable local authorities in England to fund new energy efficiency measures in local authority housing through operating leases without these counting against the authority's capital spending limits. [22267]
Mr. Robert B. Jones: The capital finance regulations do not specify the kinds of equipment which may be the
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subject of operating leases. Instead, they lay down general criteria for such leases which ensure that the risk of ownership remains with the lessor. It is for local authorities and their auditors to decide whether these criteria are met in any particular case.Local Government (Derbyshire)
Mr. McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people were employed by each local authority in Derbyshire (a) full-time and (b) part-time excluding teachers in each year since 1983. [22164]
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Mr. Robert B. Jones: The information is given in the table. The levels of employment in individual authorities are not directly comparable because of variations in, for
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example, population structure and social characteristics, the extent of the use of private firms and contractors and the level of work undertaken for other authorities and public bodies on an agency basis.Column 417
Numbers employed by Local Authorities in Derbyshire: General services (excluding teachers/lecturers and law and order) at March of each year
1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988
Authority |Full-time|Part-time|Full-time|Part-time|Full-time|Part-time|Full-time|Part-time|Full-time|Part-time|Full-time|Part-time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Derbyshire |9,232 |14,261 |9,338 |14,626 |9,525 |15,206 |9,226 |18,411 |9,470 |19,538 |9,591 |21,108
Amber Valley |558 |73 |575 |87 |561 |86 |557 |82 |554 |84 |547 |97
Bolsover |528 |68 |536 |57 |495 |82 |481 |81 |466 |90 |460 |106
Chesterfield |1,343 |157 |1,382 |160 |1,431 |75 |1,482 |183 |1,137 |159 |1,154 |189
Derby |2,405 |275 |2,386 |280 |2,333 |253 |2,294 |256 |1,939 |242 |1,974 |248
Derbyshire Dales |368 |139 |384 |145 |369 |149 |347 |150 |358 |132 |372 |137
Erewash |648 |93 |634 |96 |624 |94 |634 |98 |649 |106 |641 |106
High Peak |479 |82 |478 |96 |483 |114 |467 |125 |465 |140 |470 |135
North East Derbyshire |672 |165 |669 |158 |661 |158 |665 |153 |684 |149 |690 |141
South Derbyshire |305 |63 |310 |79 |315 |90 |320 |90 |327 |85 |321 |105
1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994<1>
Authority |Full-time|Part-time|Full-time|Part-time|Full-time|Part-time|Full-time|Part-time|Full-time|Part-time|Full-time|Part-time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Derbyshire |9,795 |22,383 |9,846 |21,824 |9,935 |21,199 |9,490 |20,498 |9,402 |20,049 |8,275 |18,364
Amber Valley |526 |70 |513 |64 |487 |55 |510 |72 |510 |94 |517 |114
Bolsover |459 |100 |455 |95 |429 |89 |419 |87 |411 |100 |395 |98
Chesterfield |1,139 |191 |1,251 |263 |1,174 |302 |1,134 |244 |1,063 |245 |1,047 |254
Derby |n/a |n/a |n/a |n/a |1,438 |174 |1,460 |242 |1,458 |240 |1,401 |245
Derbyshire Dales |371 |140 |331 |135 |349 |116 |353 |112 |351 |121 |313 |134
Erewash |613 |101 |552 |111 |543 |148 |551 |183 |573 |184 |552 |186
High Peak |447 |142 |476 |166 |488 |169 |465 |159 |472 |166 |475 |186
North East Derbyshire |718 |144 |777 |139 |759 |135 |770 |165 |769 |171 |737 |190
South Derbyshire |328 |118 |326 |115 |358 |129 |362 |153 |373 |153 |352 |161
Notes:
<1> Provisional data.
n/a: Data not available.
1. Within General Services, education, highways, fire services and social services are administered by Derbyshire County Council. The other authorities
shown are District Councils which, amongst other services, administer housing, planning and refuse collection.
2. Polytechnics and higher education institutions were transferred from the local authority sector in April 1989.
3. Further education institutions became the responsibility of the Further Education Funding Council in April 1993.
Source:
Joint Staffing Watch for England.
Avian Pest Species
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on avian pest species. [22343]
Sir Paul Beresford: I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 1 May, Official Report, column 22 .
Peregrine Falcon
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is taking to protect the peregrine falcon. [22344]
Sir Paul Beresford: All naturally occurring wild birds in the UK are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 which fulfils the UK's obligation under the EC birds directive to protect wild birds. Additionally, anyone found guilty of an offence against this species is liable to a special penalty.
Article 4.1 of the birds directive requires member states to take special conservation methods for certain vulnerable species, including the establishment of a network of special protection areas and breeding peregrine falcons are found on several classified sites.
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