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Written Answers to Questions
Monday 12 June 1995
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Staff Pension Payments
Mr. Denham: To ask the Lord President of the Council how many staff employed by right hon. and hon. Members and funded by the office cost allowance had payments made to personal pension providers in each year since 1989; what is the average length of membership of such personal pension schemes for (a) those who have now left their employment in Parliament and (b) those who are still employed in Westminster; and for how many of such members are (i) regular premium payments and (ii) single premium payments made by the House.
Mr. Newton: The number of payments made to personal pension providers on behalf of staff employed by right hon. and hon. Members who are funded from the office costs allowance for the past five financial years is as follows:
1990 91: 1,057
1991 92: 1,113
1992 93: 1,264
1993 94: 1,375
1994 95: 1,423
Records are not centrally held to enable answers to be given to the remaining specific questions asked.
HEALTH
NHS Trusts
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 23 November, Official Report , column 216 , (1) when 1993 94 data on trust surpluses and deficits will be available; (2) if she will now publish a list of which trusts failed to (a) break even, (b) keep within the external financing limit and (c) record a 6 per cent. return on capital, and by what percentage and sum in 1993 94;
(3) if she will now publish a list of trust turnover for 1993 94.
Mr. Sackville [pursuant to his reply, 9 December 1994, c. 396]: I regret that there were errors in the table provided in my previous reply.
An amended table has been placed in the Library.
Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she has in respect of employment packages offered by an NHS trust which include private medical insurance as an integral or an optional part; and if she will make a statement. [27402]
Mr. Malone: This information is not available centrally. National health service trusts have powers under the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 to employ staff on whatever terms they think fit.
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Competitive Tendering
Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 24 May, Official Report , column 594 , what information her Department holds centrally in respect of contracts for health and hospital services awarded by health authorities and NHS trusts under the competitive tendering process. [27414]
Mr. Sackville: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 6 June at column 28 for information about contracts for clinical services awarded after competitive tender by national health service trust in England. Information about the award of such contracts by district health authorities is not available centrally.
Operating Theatres
Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many dedicated private operating theatres there are in NHS hospital trusts; [27422]
(2) how many dedicated private operating theatres have opened in NHS hospital trusts in the past year. [27421]
Mr. Sackville: Records of dedicated private operating theatres in national health service hospital trusts are not available centrally. Operating theatres should be organised in relation to the needs of the whole hospital.
Clinical Negligence Scheme
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the members of the health authority in charge of the clinical negligence scheme for trusts, indicating their gender, occupation and any other NHS responsibility. [27094]
Mr. Malone: The regulations in respect of the special health authority to administer the clinical negligence scheme for trusts are being prepared and will be laid before Parliament for approval in the near future. An announcement of the membership of the proposed new health authority will be made in due course.
Capital Underspending
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 25 May, Official Report, column 776, on capital underspending, when she expects to publish the 1994 95
figures. [27906]
Mr. Sackville: Details of underspending on 1994 95 regional health authority capital cash limits are expected to be available at the end of July.
Great Yarmouth and Waveney Community Health Centre
Mr. David Porter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on her plans for the future of the Great Yarmouth and Waveney community health council. [27551]
Mr. Malone: This is a matter for the Anglia and Oxford regional health authority. It is responsible for ensuring that its local community health councils are able to reflect the views of the communities it serves. My hon. Friend may wish to contact Sir Stuart Burgess, chairman of the regional health authority, for details.
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Suspended Consultants
Ms Armstrong: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many consultants are currently suspended in the national health service by region; and for how long each consultant has been suspended. [27783]
Mr. Malone: This information is not available centrally. Decisions on employment matters, including possible suspensions, rest with the employing authority.
NHS Executive Letters
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she last updated NHS executive circular EL(93) 113. [27903]
Mr. Sackville: This executive letter is extant but will shortly be reviewed.
GP Vacancies
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 25 May, Official Report , column 776 , what information on GP vacancies her Department holds centrally. [27907]
Mr. Malone: None. Information on general practitioner vacancies is held by the medical practices committee.
Cosmetic Surgery
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what percentage of cosmetic surgery operations that are currently carried out by NHS plastic surgeons are performed to correct previous cosmetic surgery performed in the private sector; [28174]
(2) what is the annual cost to the national health service of cosmetic treatment and surgery in the last three years. [28180]
Mr. Sackville: This information is not available centrally.
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints her Department has received related to liposuction surgery in the last year. [28178]
Mrs Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to regulate private cosmetic surgery clinics. [28177]
Mr. Sackville: All private clinics where surgical procedures are carried out under anaesthesia are required to register with the local health authority under the Nursing Homes Act 1975. They have to satisfy requirements as to the facilities and the level and qualifications of staff. There are no plans further to regulate private cosmetic surgery clinics.
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate she has made of the number of people who undergo cosmetic surgery each year; and what percentage of this number takes place in the private sector. [28181]
(2)what percentage of plastic surgery performed by the NHS is for cosmetic purposes. [28175]
Mr. Sackville: Data available do not distinguish cosmetic surgery from other plastic surgery procedures.
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Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints her Department has received related to cosmetic surgery in the last two years. [28179]
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State forHealth how many representations she has receivedon the regulation of cosmetic surgery in the privatesector. [28176]
Mr. Sackville: Nine written representations in the last two years.
Planned Expenditure
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the planned real change in spending on the national health service between 1995 96 and 1996 97 expressed (a) in percentage terms and (b) as an absolute sum; and if she will make a statement. [28143]
Mr. Sackville: Government spending on the national health service is planned to be £32.9 billion in 1996 97. This is an increase of 0.5 per cent. in real terms over 1995 96 plans, equivalent to some £160 million at 1995 96 prices. Plans for 1996 97 are subject to review in the public expenditure survey.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Deaths in Custody
Mr. Chisholm: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people aged 25 years and under have died (a) in prison and (b) in police custody in Northern Ireland in (i) 1993, (ii) 1994 and (iii) so far this year. [26376]
Sir John Wheeler: No-one aged 25 or under died in prison or the young offenders centre in Northern Ireland in either 1993 or 1995. There was one death by suicide in 1994.
No person aged 25 or under died in police custody during the period specified.
Anglo-Irish Secretariat
Mr. David Trimble: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what basis the Anglo-Irish secretariat collectively gave oral and written evidence to J. J. Rowe QC for his report on the operation of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1991. [26577]
Sir Patrick Mayhew: In the preparation of his report, J. J. Rowe QC took views from the Irish side of the Anglo-Irish secretariat given on behalf of the Irish Government.
Prior Options Study
Mr. Faber: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the result of the prior options study of the estate services directorate within the health and personal social services management executive of the Department of Health and Social Services. [28540]
Mr. Moss: Following a prior options study, I have decided to begin preparations with a view to establishing the estate services directorate as a next steps agency in October 1995. The agency will be developed with a view to further private sector involvement, and to this end the
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chief executive will consider the potential for the privatisation of aspects of the agency's business, and provide me with recommendations in due course.Codes of Practice
Mr. Patrick Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he proposes to amend the police and criminal evidence codes of practice in Northern Ireland. [28541]
Sir John Wheeler: The Northern Ireland PACE codes of practice have recently undergone a thorough review. A considerable number of amendments have been proposed including a new, shorter police caution and the introduction of a new code on tape-recording of interviews to replace the guidelines presently followed by police. Revised draft codes have been prepared and I shall be issuing them for public consultation shortly.
DEFENCE
Service Accommodation
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the projected future use of the official service residence, Haymes Garth near Cheltenham. [27269]
Mr. Soames: The future of Haymes Garth is being assessed in the light of the recommendations made in Sir Peter Cazalet's review of representational entertainment in the armed forces. Subject to this work, it remains the intention that this property will be disposed of as soon as practicable, subject to the availability of suitable accommodation for the Air Officer Commander in Chief Personnel and Training Command.
Nimrod
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the original date when the Nimrod maritime aircraft were due to come out of service; and what is the current out-of-service date. [26998]
Mr. Freeman: The original out-of-service date of the Nimrod MR2 was 1995; the current planned out-of-service date is 2006.
Trident
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the in-service date of each of the Trident submarines. [26999]
Mr. Freeman: HMS Vanguard entered service in December 1994; HMS Victorious will enter service around the turn of the year; Vigilant in 1998; and Vengeance around the turn of the century.
Treaty of Rome
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the impact on Britain's defence industrial base from (a) the abolition of article 223 of the treaty of Rome and (b) the amendment of article 223 of the treaty of Rome. [27000]
Mr. Freeman: The Government's review of article 223 of the treaty of Rome, which I mentioned in my previous answer on 1 May, Official Report , column 84 , will take into account the implications of any change for the UK defence industry.
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Ballistic Missile Defence System
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultations he has had with his (a) NATO counterparts and (b) WEU counterparts concerning the creation of a ballistic missile defence system; and if he will make a statement. [26995]
Mr. Freeman: Consultations with NATO allies have covered a range of BMD issues including risk, prospective defensive architectures, the scope for collaboration and its contribution to our non-proliferation work. There has been no recent consideration of these issues within WEU, although there was some discussion in 1994 of the issues arising from the possible proliferation of ballistic missiles.
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Defence if any decision by his Department to acquire a ballistic missile defence system will be taken with full consultation with the UK's NATO and WEU allies. [26996]
Mr. Freeman: The UK continues to participate in work with our NATO allies to assess the potential threat from theatre ballistic missiles, and to assess any requirement for systems to counter it.
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's policy concerning the development of a national ballistic missile defence system; and if he will make a statement. [26997]
Mr. Freeman: We are currently assessing whether we have a national requirement for ballistic missile defence, and this task will be informed by the outcome from a contract awarded last October to a consortium led by British Aerospace to provide advice on options, capabilities, time scales, costs and technical risk.
Sonar 2054
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what technical problems have been experienced on the Sonar 2054 system for use in the Vanguard class strategic submarines ballistic nuclear; and if he will make a statement. [27558]
Mr. Freeman: The problems experienced with sonar 2054 and its associated towed array handling system relate to the inboard reeling system and operability issues. They do not affect the sonar's ability to support operational patrols. A programme of work to address these outstanding issues is in hand.
Portland Naval Base
Mr. Fatchett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress towards the sale of Portland naval base. [27822]
Mr. Soames: Portland Port Ltd. was selected to purchase the naval base on 6 April. Legal and other formalities are progressing. We expect to complete the sale when the naval base closes in March next year.
Ethnic Origins
Mr. Fatchett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the latest available figures, on the ethnic origin of those serving as officers in (a) the Army, (b) the Navy and (c) the Royal Air Force; and if he will make a statement. [27824]
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Mr. Soames: The latest available information on the ethnic origin of officers in the armed forces is contained in the tri-service personnel statistical return entitled "Ethnic Composition of the Regular Armed Forces", a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.
Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment
Mr. Fatchett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it possible for those who volunteered to participate in experiments at the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment at Porton Down to have access to their medical records; and if he will make a statement. [27825]
Mr. Soames: Service medical records are the property of the Department but, in common with civilian medical records, individual access to them by the patient concerned is allowed in accordance with the Access to Health Records Act 1990. Under the provisions of this Act, medical records are normally released to the individual concerned only if they were compiled after1 November 1991. However, for service medical records of former personnel compiled before this date, it has long been my Department's policy to release them on request to the individual's general practitioner when they are required for the management of a particular case. It has also been standard practice for many years to include with the volunteer's service medical record an enclosure indicating the results of medical examinations carried out during their attendance at Porton Down.
Scott Inquiry
Mr. Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates he or other Ministers or former Ministers in his Department received extracts for comment from Sir Richard Scott's draft report; on what date comments were submitted to Sir Richard; and what requests have been made for an extension of the period within which comments should have been made. [27557]
Mr. Freeman: The Government do not disclose details of correspondence between the inquiry and individual witnesses. In the case of draft extracts in particular, the inquiry has asked that these be treated in the strictest confidence and we intend to respect this.
Empty Service Dwellings
Mr. Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received in the past 12 months from hon. Members regarding empty dwellings owned by his Department in Weymouth. [27789]
Mr. Soames: My Department has received three representations in the past 12 months from hon. Members about empty dwellings owned by it in the Weymouth area.
Mr. Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many dwellings owned by his Department have been empty for over six months. [27793]
Mr. Soames: The information is not held centrally in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
RAF Turnhouse
Mr. Home Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of RAF Turnhouse. [27595]
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Mr. Soames: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 3 November last year to the hon. Member for Motherwell, North (Dr. Reid), Official Report , column 1238 .
Kinterbury
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what cargo was carried by the ship Kinterbury from Portsmouth to Coulport, arriving at Coulport on the morning of Wednesday 7 June. [28024]
Mr. Soames: As a matter of long-standing policy it is our practice not to comment on the details of particular operations.
Nuclear Warhead Transportation
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions nuclear warheads have been transported to Coulport by sea. [28025]
Mr. Soames: It is not our policy to provide details of the movement of nuclear weapons.
Defence Costs Study
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library a copy of the defence costs study into (a) catering and messes, (b) animals and vets, (c) travel and subsistence and (d) uniforms. [28023]
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