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Standards in Public Life
Mrs. Ann Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he expects to publish the Government's detailed response to the recommendations of the Nolan Committee on Standards in Public Life to which he referred in his oral answer of 12 June, Official Report , column 495. [29156]
Mr. David Hunt: Before the summer recess, as I told the House on 18 May, Official Report , column 493.
Investment in Science
Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what response the Government intend to make to the fourth report of the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee, "HL 36 Session 1993/4, on international investment in United Kingdom science". [29159]
Mr. David Hunt: The Government response to the House of Lords Select Committee's report is published today. Copies are available in the Libraries of both Houses. The Government are most grateful to the Committee for its thoughtful and detailed report.
HEALTH
Health Visitors
Sir Richard Body: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health visitors there were in England and Wales for each of the last three years; and what is her estimate of the number for the current year. [27331]
Mr. Sackville: The latest available information relating to England is shown in the table.
Health visitors in England
as at 30 September of each year
|Number of health
|visitors
---------------------------------------------------
1991 |10,380
1992 |10,250
1993 |10,190
Note: Figures are whole-time equivalents rounded
to the nearest ten.
Source: Non-Medical Workforce Census.
Figures do not include health visitors who work as practice nurses.
Information relating to Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
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Influenza Vaccination
Mr. Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for each family health services authority area what is the percentage of the elderly in receipt of influenza vaccination each year for the last five years. [27922]
Mr. Sackville: This information is not available centrally.
Mr. Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures she is taking to ensure that general practitioners promote the highest possible take-up of influenza vaccination by elderly patients on their lists; and what target she has set for influenza vaccination coverage for this group of patients. [27923]
Mr. Sackville: The chief medical officer will be reminding general practitioners in the next edition of "CMO's Update", which is circulated to all doctors, of the groups of patients for whom annual influenza immunisation is recommended and that now is the time to start planning, if they have not already done so. Further information will be issued in September.
Influenza immunisation is recommended for those of any age who are at especial risk by virtue of underlying disease such as chronic heart or lung disease, and for those in residential accommodation. The aim is to increase uptake year by year, but no specific target for influenza vaccine coverage has been set.
Blood Transfusion Services
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list those blood transfusion services that have undertaken studies into the option of privatisation; what has been the result of their surveys; and if she will make a statement. [28258]
Mr. Sackville: The National Blood Authority, which is responsible for our blood services, has no plans to investigate the possibility of privatising any of its centres.
NHS Authorities and Trusts
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons candidates for the post of (a) chairman, (b) non-executive director and (c) other management positions of health authorities and trusts are not obliged to disclose personal histories of (i) bankruptcy and (ii) criminal behaviour. [28255]
Mr. Malone: I refer the hon. Member to the replies that I gave him on 26 April, Official Report column 552 , and on 2 May, Official Report column 173 . Candidates for appointment to national health service authority or trust boards are under an obligation to disclose information that might affect their eligibility for appointment, including any relating to bankruptcy and/or a criminal record.
Temazepam
Mrs. Liddell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to implement the recommendations in the report of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, 1991, in respect of the control of the use of temazepam. [28282]
Column 625
Mr. Bowis: The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs made recommendations to Ministers regarding temazepam in July 1993 and I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Lord President of the Council gave my hon. Friend the Member for Ayr (Mr. Gallie) on 10 May, column 756.
Children in Care
Mr. Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children are currently in care because of the imprisonment of one or both of their parents. [28226]
Mr. Bowis: The most recent information available centrally relates to 31 March 1994, when it is estimated that 380 children were looked after by local authorities in England because one or both parents were in prison- -on remand or sentenced.
Compulsory Competitive Tendering
Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will place in the Library a list of all contracts for non-clinical services worth £100,000 or more that have been awarded by national health service trusts under the compulsory competitive tendering process. [28999]
Mr. Sackville: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Prescriptions
Mr. Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many prescriptions were issued in 1993 and 1994 for each of the top 100 items; [28908]
(2) if she will publish the list of the top 100 prescription items as sent to the Chester and Ellesmere Port community health council and the provisional 1994 data in the same form. [28909]
Mr. Malone: Information on dispensing volumes and costs for individual preparations is not made public for reasons of commercial confidentiality. Data are shared within the national health service and with clinical and scientific researchers on the understanding that they will not put information into the public domain which breaches the confidentiality guidelines in anyway.
Mr. Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the increase in the total net ingredient cost for the top 100 prescription items; and if she will make a statement. [28910]
Mr. Malone: The total net ingredient cost of the 100 prescriptions with the largest number of prescription items in 1993 was £909 million, and of the 100 preparations with the largest numbers of items in 1994, based on provisional figures, was £941 million. The preparations which comprise the top 100 vary from year to year.
Ovarian Cancer
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to set up regular screening for women at high risk of ovarian cancer. [28639]
Mr. Sackville: We have no immediate plans.A research programme at the Royal Hospitals national health service trust is currently being evaluated in a randomised trial involving 120,000 women which
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incorporates tumour markers as a primary screen followed by ultrasonography as a secondary test in women with abnormal tumour marker results. Another study is using ultrasound as a primary screening test. Any screening test must have high sensitivity and specificity and we welcome well designed trials of new and existing screening techniques which will help us decide upon appropriate national policies. When an effective test is available, we will consider the establishment of a national screening programme.Private Sector Employees
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many private sector employees have been seconded to work in (a) the NHS executive, (b) regional offices, (c) her Department and (d) elsewhere in the NHS. [28642]
Mr. Sackville: There are no private sector employees seconded to work in the national health service executive or regional offices. We do, however, have one such secondee elsewhere in the Department of Health. Statistics on private sector employees seconded to work elsewhere in the NHS are not available centrally.
Children Act 1989
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list for each year since the implementation of the Children Act 1989 the number of child abuse investigations undertaken in total and the outcomes broken down into (a) court action under provisions of the Act, (b) entries on an at risk register, (c) informal supervision and (d) no further action. [28894]
Mr. Bowis: Information collected centrally relates only to those child abuse investigations that result in an initial stage child protection conference. Figures on children placed on registers--and associated legal status including court orders for those on registers at 31 March--and on those subject to initial stage conferences which did not lead to registration are published annually in "Children and young people on child protection registers, year ending 31 March 19XX, England", copies of which are available in the Library.
Adoption
Mrs. Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of the adoptions in 1993 were adoptions by step-parents. [27845]
Mr. John M. Taylor: I have been asked to reply.
The question concerns specific operational matter in which the chief executive of the Court Service is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.
Letter from M. D. Huebner to Mrs. Helen Jackson, dated 14 June 1995:
PQ: 95/592 Step Parent Adoptions
The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, has asked me to reply to your question about the number of step-parent adoptions in 1993.
Of the 6,812 adoption orders made in 1993 in the magistrates courts, the county courts and the High Court, 3,202 (47%) were in favour of the step- parents.
Column 627
Mrs. Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many applications to adopt were made in 1993 in total; and how many of these were applications by step-parents. [27846]
Mr. John M. Taylor: I have been asked to reply.
The question concerns a specific operational matter on which the chief executive of the Court Service is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.
Letter from M. D. Huebner to Mrs. Helen Jackson, dated 14 June 1995:
PQ: 95/591 Adoption Applications--
The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, has asked me to reply to your question about the number of adoption applications made in 1993.
The total number of adoption applications in the magistrates courts, the county courts and the High Court in 1993 was 7,813.Of these, 4,095 (52%) were made by step-parents.
TREASURY
Exchange Rates
13. Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the impact of changes in the pound/ecu exchange rate on payment into (a) the EU budget and (b) the European development fund budget since 1992. [27045]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: Broadly speaking, exchange rate movements increased our payments into the Community budget in 1993 but reduced them in 1994. The effect in the present year is expected to be small.
The impact of changes in exchange rates on our payments into the European development fund depends on the timing of these payments.
Single European Currency
14. Mr. Fabricant: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions have been held about the implications of a single European currency for title in respect of foreign and gold reserves of individual EU member states; and if he will make a
statement. [27046]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: The treaty on European Union requires member states joining the monetary union to transfer part of their reserves to the European central bank, receiving in exchange an equivalent claim on the ECB. The precise arrangements for the ownership of foreign exchange reserves in stage three of economic and monetary union are among the many technical issues that will have to be decided during stage two.
Value Added Tax
15. Mr. Duncan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to simplify VAT legislation. [27047]
Mr. Heathcoat Amory: I announced earlier today that Customs and Excise has set up a special team, as part of the Government's wider deregulation drive, to review its current legislation with a view to rationalising and simplifying it over the next three years.
Column 628
Personal Taxation
16. Mr. Spring: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are his plans for reform of personal taxation. [27048]
20. Mr. Jacques Arnold: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are his plans for the reform of personal taxation. [27055]
Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are his plans for reform of personal taxation, and if he will make a statement. [27300]
Sir George Young: The Government remain committed to low rates of personal tax and will cut taxes again when economic conditions are right and public finances can afford it.
Devaluation
17. Mr. Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what percentage the pound has devalued since April 1992; and what assessment he has made of the adverse effects of the
devaluation. [27049]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: Sterling is currently 16 per cent. lower on a trade-weighted basis than it was in April 1992. Over the same period, the economy has grown by over 8 per cent. in real terms. But inflation has averaged just 3 per cent. This enviable combination of strong growth and low inflation is a result of the Government's sound monetary and prudent fiscal policies.
Investment
18. Mr. Rathbone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much investment by the machinery and equipment industries has changed within the past 12 months. [27052]
Mr. Aitken: Investment by machinery and equipment industries rose by almost 19 per cent. in real terms in the year to the first quarter of 1995.
Personal Equity Plans
Mr. Matthew Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the new regulations extending personal equity plans to corporate bonds will be introduced. [29408]
Sir George Young: The regulations extending PEPs to certain corporate bonds, preference shares and convertibles have been laid before Parliament today and will come into force on 6 July. [29408]
Share Option Schemes
19. Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the value for money provided by share option schemes for (a) the individuals, (b) the companies concerned and (c) the United Kingdom.
Sir George Young: The assessment of the value for money provided by share option schemes is best made by companies and their shareholders.
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Economic and Finance Council
21. Mr. Enright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has held in ECOFIN on European monetary union. [27056]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: EU economic and finance Ministers discussed various aspects of the technical preparatory work for stage three of economic and monetary union at their informal meeting in Versailles on 8 April. The European Commission's Green Paper on the transition to a single currency was discussed over lunch at ECOFIN on 22 May.
Government Borrowing
22. Mr. Miller: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the guidelines for Government
borrowing. [27057]
Mr. Aitken: The guidelines for Government borrowing were set out in the debt management report published by HM Treasury on 30 March 1995, which included the gilt funding remit issued to the Bank of England for 1995 96, and in the remit to the department of national savings for 1995 96, announced on 31 March 1995, Official Report at column 866 .
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the general Government borrowing requirement defined so as to exclude revenues from sales of land and buildings and privatisation receipts, as a percentage of gross domestic product for each year since 1979 until 1997 98. [28159]
Mr. Aitken: The table sets out the information requested:
General government borrowing requirement (GGBR) excluding
privatisation proceeds and net sales of land and buildings, as a
percentage of gross domestic product (GDP)
|GGBR
|GGBR |ex privatisation
Percentage |ex privatisation |proceeds and net
of GDP |GGBR |proceeds |sales of buildings<1
|2>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979-80 |5 |5 |5¬
1980-81 |5 3/4 |5 3/4 |6
1981-82 |3¬ |3¬ |4
1982-83 |3" |3" |4¬
1983-84 |3¬ |3¬ |3 3/4
1984-85 |23/4 |3" |4
1985-86 |2 |23/4 |3¬
1986-87 |1¬ |2" |3
1987-88 |-" |3/4 |1"
1988-89 |-2" |-1 |0
1989-90 |-1¬ |-" |"
1990-91 |0 |3/4 |1"
1991-92 |2" |3 3/4 |4
1992-93 |6¬ |7" |7 3/4
1993-94 |7¬ |8¬ |8"
1994-95 |5" |6" |-
1995-96 |3¬ |3" |-
1996-97 |2 |2" |-
1997-98 |1 |1¬ |-
<1> Outturn data for general government sales of land and buildings in 1994-95 is not currently
available.
<2> Forecasts for sales of land and buildings by local authorities are not available.
Housing Market
24. Sir Michael Neubert: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further fiscal or other measures he plans to introduce to stimulate the housing market. [27059]
Sir George Young: We fully recognise the importance of encouraging a stable and health housing market. The best help that any Government can give the housing market is to deliver sustainable economic growth, based on low inflation and sound public finances. The Government are doing precisely that. Furthermore, the combined effect of changes in interest rates and mortgage interest relief since October 1990 has been to make the average mortgage holder £130 a month better off.
Bank of England
25. Dr. Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his relations with the Governor of the Bank of England. [27060]
Mr. Kenneth Clarke: The Governor and I are both committed to achieving permanently low inflation.
Inflation
26. Mr. Pawsey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out his strategy for maintaining low inflation over the next three years. [27061]
Mr. Kenneth Clarke: I will continue to set interest rates in order to ensure that inflation remains permanently low.
Executive Pay
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about pay levels and share options for executives within privatised industry. [27058]
Sir George Young: Remuneration is a matter for companies and their shareholders. The Greenbury committee is reviewing best practice for companies and we will consider the need for any Government measures, if appropriate, in the light of its conclusions.
Monetary Union
Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he was previously aware of the letters circulated by the inquiry on Britain and the single currency, a copy of which has been sent to him, advising that Lord Kingsdown had been invited by him to chair the inquiry; and if he will make a statement; [28348]
(2) on what basis persons were selected by the Kingsdown committee on a single currency to give evidence; and if he was consulted by the committee on its stated desire to aim to produce a report which would have public appeal. [28349]
Mr. Kenneth Clarke [holding answer 13 June 1995]: The Action Centre for Europe's main activity is to commission and publish original papers by independent academic and other experts on key topics relating to the European Union, with a view to stimulating public discussion. ACE set up a working group on the implications of monetary union for Britain and the Kingsdown report, published on 8 June, records its findings. As a member of ACE I suggested to Lord
Column 631
Kingsdown that as a former Governor of the Bank of England he would be well placed to chair an ACE working group. I was in no way involved in the drafting of the report, which reflects solely the views of the authors.Self-employment
Mr. French: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will list the main groups of workers which, according to statute law, are treated for tax purposes as self-employed but for national insurance purposes as employed; [28333]
(2) in what circumstances a taxpayer may assume that a determination by the Inland Revenue that, according to case law, a person is self-employed may be taken as applicable to tax liability and national insurance contributions. [28341]
Sir George Young: There is no statutory definition of self- employment. Both the Inland Revenue and the Department of Social Security use criteria derived from the case law of the courts. They operate a common approach to employment status. This means that where one department has made a written decision following a full investigation of the circumstances, this will normally be accepted by the other department provided all the relevant facts have been accurately and clearly disclosed and the circumstances remain the same.
The exceptions are as follows:
(i) Section 314 Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988 deems that certain divers are treated as self employed for tax purposes. The normal case law approach applies for National Insurance.
(ii) The Social Security (Categorisation of Earners) Regulations provide that particular groups of workers should be treated as employees whilst the Inland Revenue follow the normal case law approach. In these cases it may mean that the national insurance treatment differs from the tax treatment. The following groups of workers are affected:
Office Cleaners
Ministers of Religion
Part time or visiting lecturers, teachers or instructors Persons employed by their spouse
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