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HEALTH
Census Statistics
Mr. Hawkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list, in rank order, by parliamentary constituency, the proportion of residents who are (a) in households headed by someone from the new Commonwealth or Pakistan or (b) not identified as white in the most recent census returns. [29560]
Mr. Sackville: This information will be placed in the Library.
Royal Colleges
Mr. Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what sums of money have been paid each year from 1989 to 1995 from her Department's (a) research and development budget and (b) other budgets to the (i) Royal College of Surgeons, (ii) Royal College of Physicians, (iii) Royal College of Psychiatrists, (iv) Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, (v) Royal College of Radiologists and (vi) Royal College of Anaesthetists. [29355]
Mr. Malone: The information is shown in the tables.
Royal College of Surgeons
|Research and |Medical
|development |education |Clinical audit
Year |£ |£
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1989-90 |- |192,714 |25,000
1990-91 |- |208,132 |160,000
1991-92 |- |191,125 |316,000
1992-93 |- |199,250 |378,000
1993-94 |17,271 |219,228 |436,000
1994-95 |- |257,896 |348,000
Royal College of Physicians
|Research and |Medical
|development |education |Clinical audit
Year |£ |£
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1989-90 |- |143,675 |-
1990-91 |- |155,169 |231,000
1991-92 |- |230,220 |254,432
1992-93 |16,304 |277,406 |423,706
1993-94 |- |300,150 |412,320
1994-95 |- |339,640 |186,000
Royal College of Psychiatrists
|Research and |Medical
|development |education |Clinical audit
Year |£ |£
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1989-90 |- |64,561 |-
1990-91 |- |90,726 |51,000
1991-92 |- |109,294 |108,000
1992-93 |- |117,604 |126,000
1993-94 |- |119,688 |94,574
1994-95 |- |127,489 |83,000
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
|Research and |Medical
|development |education |Clinical audit
Year |£ |£
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1989-90 |- |95,899 |-
1990-91 |- |103,579 |62,000
1991-92 |- |145,597 |66,000
1992-93 |- |151,184 |68,000
1993-94 |- |182,221 |105,907
1994-95 |- |211,936 |102,000
Royal College of Radiologists
|Research and |Medical
|development |education |Clinical audit
Year |£ |£
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1989-90 |- |19,632 |-
1990-91 |- |21,203 |70,000
1991-92 |- |33,979 |62,000
1992-93 |- |46,904 |79,000
1993-94 |- |32,546 |70,000
1994-95 |- |38,571 |75,000
Royal College of Anaesthetists
|Research and |Medical
|development |education |Clinical audit
Year |£ |£
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1989-90 |- |- |80,000
1990-91 |- |- |27,000
1991-92 |- |69,350 |80,000
1992-93 |- |64,576 |56,000
1993-94 |- |84,861 |57,000
1994-95 |- |94,161 |70,000
Notes:
1. For 1989-90 and 1990-91 advances to the anaesthetists from the medical
education budget were made as part of the grant to the Royal College of
Surgeons. The advances were not separately identified.
2. In addition to the funding shown, moneys have been provided, through
those medical royal colleges which are responsible for undertaking, or
have oversight of, specific clinical audit projects of national
significance. This information could be provided only at disproportionate
cost.
Mr. Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department has made of the impact that funding from her Department to the medical royal colleges has had on (a) improving the cost-effectiveness of medical practice, as measured by rigorous randomised controlled trials and (b) changing clinical behaviour. [29354]
Mr. Malone: The medical royal colleges have a long and respected history of promoting the highest standards of professional practice, and this role has become even more important with the increasing specialisation of medical care. Improving the clinical effectiveness of services in the NHS is a key goal for my Department. As professional associations, the colleges provide leadership and guidance to their members in this important area. My Department provides funds to support their contribution to medical training and clinical audit in the NHS, in order to help local clinicians and managers provide more effective services.
Oestrogen
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research her Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effect of oestrogen on (i) child health and (ii) adult health. [29458]
Tobacco Advertising
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action she is taking to counter advertising campaigns from the tobacco industry. [29644]
Mr. Sackville: Advertising campaigns for tobacco are governed by the voluntary agreement between the Government and the tobacco industry. The agreement includes a number of measures which restrict in particular the exposure of children and young people to tobacco advertising. The committee for monitoring agreements on tobacco advertising and sponsorship investigates any complaints alleging breaches of the agreement. If there is found to be a breach, the tobacco company concerned takes immediate remedial action.
Column 480
Residential Care
Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average fee charged per week for a resident in (a) a residential home and (b) a nursing home; and what proportion of this is for nursing care. [29712]
Mr. Bowis: The Department does not collect information on fees charged, but Laing and Buisson have estimated on the basis of their latest- -November 1994--survey of independent sector homes that the average weekly fees for elderly residents were £234 and £333 for residential care and nursing homes respectively. No information is available on the proportion of nursing home fees which relates to nursing care.
Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in (a) residential homes and (b) nursing homes have preserved rights to income support; and how many in each case are now receiving that benefit. [29713]
Mr. Roger Evans: I have been asked to reply. The information is set out in the table.
|Residential|Nursing
|care homes |homes
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated number with preserved
rights |154,000 |116,000
Number in receipt of higher income
support limits |116,200 |84,460
Source:
Income support figures-The Quarterly Statistical Enquiry (QSE)
November 1994.
Information on people not in receipt of benefit is not collected and
the numbers have been estimated from the November 1994 QSE and the
Department of Health Statistical Bulletin "Personal Social Services:
Residential Accommodation in England 1994".
Paediatric Heart Surgery
Ms Primarolo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many paediatric cardiac units perform the "switch" operation. [30030]
Mr. Sackville: This information is not available centrally.
Ms Primarolo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what factors underlay her Department's decision to set up a protocol covering future performance of all complex cardiac surgery in the United Bristol Healthcare Trust; and if she will list the other paediatric cardiac units similarly treated. [30007]
Mr. Sackville: The Department draw up no such protocol. In response to concerns expressed about the paediatric cardiac surgical service at Bristol Royal Infirmary, the United Bristol Healthcare Trust drew up a protocol on how it should manage the service pending the implementation of previously agreed changes. That protocol was then agreed with South and West regional health authority and the Department.
Ms Primarolo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many paediatric cardiac surgeons were registered in each of the last five years. [30006]
Column 481
Mr. Malone: The available information is shown in the table.
Paediatric Surgeons: whole-time equivalents
England
at 30 September each year
|1989|1990|1991|1992|1993
-----------------------------------------------
Consultant |40 |40 |50 |40 |50
Senior Registrar |20 |20 |20 |20 |20
Registrar |20 |20 |20 |30 |30
Totals |80 |80 |80 |90 |90
Notes:
1. All figures rounded to the nearest 10.
2. The figures in the table may not sum to the
total because of rounding.
Ms Primarolo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list each paediatric cardiac unit in England, indicating for each the number of beds. [30008]
Mr. Sackville: This information is not available centrally.
NHS Trusts
Mr. Spearing: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the basis of the figure given as the ordinating capital debt for each national health service trust listed in SI 1955/407; if she will list each relevant component; and what method was used to ensure a common means of assessment of each. [30032]
Mr. Sackville: The originating capital debt of a national health service trust represents the excess of the value of the assets over the sum of the liabilities transferred to it on establishment. The relevant components of the originating capital debt and the method used to ensure a common means of assessment of each are as follows:
Asset/liability |Means of valuation
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Land |District valuer
Buildings |District valuer
Assets under construction |District valuer
Equipment |Taken from asset registers
Debtors |As stated in the transferring
| authority's accounts
Creditors |As stated in the transferring
| authority's accounts
Stocks |As stated in the transferring
| authority's accounts
Cash imprests |As stated in the transferring
| authority's accounts
The Valuation Office Agency is appointed by the NHS Executive to act as an independent valuer and uses a standard method of valuation for land and building assets. The value of equipment is taken from an asset register which every health authority and NHS trust must maintain and which is subject to independent audit. The calculation of the current value of equipment in these asset registers is standardised throughout the NHS. Debtors, creditors, stocks and cash imprests are stated in accounts in accordance with generally accepted accounting practice.
Column 482
In all instances, the values transferring to the trust are agreed and certified by both the transferring authority and the trust and are subject to external audit.Food Safety
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the members of (a) the Committee on the Medical Aspects of Food Policy, (b) the Committee on Mutagenicity of Chemicals in Food and (c) the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, together with their current employers. [29995]
Mr. Sackville: This information will be placed in the Library.
Consultants
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the percentage expansion of consultant numbers required in each of the next five years to implement the Calman report. [30453]
Mr. Malone: Medical staffing policy aims to ensure an adequate supply of appropriately trained doctors in each speciality. Officials are currently taking advice from the medical profession and national health service managers, through SWAG--the specialist workforce advisory group--to ensure that there are enough doctors in training in each specialty and to assess the anticipated need for consultants as a result of the Calman changes.
GP Lists
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have been struck of general practitioners lists in each of the last five years in each region and family health service authority. [30464]
Mr. Malone: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply that I gave her on 25 January 1995, Official Report, column 254.
Health Authority Addresses
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the name and address of each family health service authority, district health authority, trust and directly managed unit. [30428]
Mr. Malone: Information on the address of each health authority and trust in England is published annually in the National Health Service Yearbook, copies of which are available in the Library.
NHS Executive (Declaration of Interests)
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements are made by the NHS Executive to register interests; and how many interests have been declared by employees of the NHS Executive and her Department. [30438]
Mr. Sackville: The Department's staff rules require that business, financial or other interests which staff or immediate members of their families hold, and which might be influenced or affected as a result of their official position, must be declared to their line manager. Records of such declarations are not available centrally.
Column 483
Drug Research
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research the Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into a comparison of the effect of Nifedipine GITS and
hydrochlorothiazide/amiloride on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular morbidity and mortality; and if she will make a statement. [30474]
Mr. Sackville: This Department has neither commissioned nor evaluated any research in this area.
NHS Trusts (Public Relations)
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the Department's policy with respect to the employment by trust hospitals of press and public relations officers; and if she will make a statement. [30785]
Mr. Malone: It is for individual national health service trusts to determine their own press and public relations needs and ensure they employ the appropriate number of staff to meet these needs.
Hyperactive Children
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her Department's assessment of (a) the relevance of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder for problems of school pupil behaviour and aggression, (b) the number and percentage of pupils affected by attention deficit disorder and (c) the likely degree to which children may inherit attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; and if she will make a statement. [28730]
Mr. Bowis: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is one of several possible causes of behavioural problems, including aggression, in school pupils. The number of pupils affected is not available centrally. Recent research suggests that severe hyperkinetic disorder, which is one form of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is found in about 1 in 200 children.
The degree to which children may inherit attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a complex issue, but it is accepted that there is some inherited component.
Mr. Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has in association with the Department of Education to promote knowledge of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, together with appropriate training, among child psychiatrists and paediatricians to contribute towards dealing with problems of classroom discipline. [28731]
Mr. Bowis: The handbook on Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, which we published jointly with the Department for Education in March, includes references to the training of professional groups involved in the treatment of young people with emotional and behavioural disorders. Copies of the handbook are available in the Library.
Royal Berkshire and Battle Hospitals Trust
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received alleging that fundholding patients are being seen ahead of non-fundholding patients with the same clinical problem at the Royal Berkshire and Battle Hospital Trust. [30298]
Column 484
Asthma
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will commission research on the relationship between the incidence of asthma and the number of undiagnosed thyroid sufferers; and if she will make a statement. [30265]
Mr. Sackville: I have no plans to commission such research at this time. However, within the Department's centrally commissioned research programme there is a range of projects under way and in planning of relevance to respiratory diseases and especially asthma, with a total estimated value of over £125,000. The Medical Research Council is also funding a large amount of work on asthma, concentrating mainly on the fundamental mechanisms underlying the disease, and some 14 projects supported by grants and work at MRC units are currently under way. In 1993 94, the latest year for which figures are available, the MRC spent £919,000 on research into asthma and a further £1,000,000 on research which may be relevant to the condition.
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many asthma sufferers are estimated to live in each London borough. [30738]
Mr. Sackville: This information is not available centrally. I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Pembroke (Mr. Ainger) on 14 March 1995, Official Report , column 553 , for the available information.
General Practitioners' Hours
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she has made any analysis of the ballot result of general practitioners on cuts in hours; and, if so, what that analysis is. [30299]
Mr. Malone: No. We shall continue our discussions with general practitioners to ensure that standards of service to patients are maintained.
Ministerial Visits
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 21 March, Official Report , column 130 , if she will list all those occasions during the current parliamentary Session when warning of visits was not given to hon. Members. [30745]
Mr. Sackville: I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 21 March 1995, Official Report , column 131 . We are aware of one such oversight.
Prescriptions
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals she has to issue guidelines to general practitioners and pharmacists concerning requests by patients for private prescription forms for items whose production and distribution costs are lower than the standard prescription charges. [30678]
Mr. Malone: Guidance to general practitioners on the issue of private prescriptions to national health service patients was issued on 4 May 1994 under FHSL (94) 26, copies of which are available in the Library. Pharmacists are already accustomed to dispensing private prescriptions, so no new guidance is necessary.
Column 485
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her current estimate of the proportion of all prescription-only items in the formulary whose production and distribution cost is lower than the current pre-item prescription charge. [30677]
Mr. Malone: The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Drug Addiction
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children under the age of 16 years are currently receiving treatment for any form of drug addiction, giving figures for each region. [30740]
Mr. Bowis: The information is not available centrally in the form requested. Information on the number of children aged under 15 presenting to some drug services for the first time, or after an absence of six months or more, by region, can be found in table 7 of the statistical bulletin, "Drug Misuse Statistics", copies of which are available in the Library.
Ministerial Guidance
Mr. Ron Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what legislative powers she has to issue guidance which is required to be taken into account by courts and tribunals for the purpose of determining legal liability where approval by Parliament is now required; and what such guidance has been issued. [30496]
Mr. Sackville: Numerous enactments--for instance, section 7A of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970 and section 17 of the National Health Service Act 1977--confer on my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State the power to give to certain public bodies, including local authorities, health authorities and NHS trusts, directions with which those bodies are obliged to comply. Unless contained in a statutory instrument, such directions are not laid before Parliament, but nevertheless have legal consequences. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State also gives guidance, falling short of directions, to certain public bodies with respect to their exercise of functions. In some cases, the power to give guidance is expressly recognised in statute--for instance, section 7 of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970 requires local authorities, when exercising their social services functions, to act under the general guidance of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. In certain other cases, guidance is given as part of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's general statutory
responsibilities; for instance, guidance is issued to health authorities under my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's general powers in section 2(b) of the National Health Service Act 1970 to do anything which is conducive or incidental to the discharge of a duty imposed by that Act.
Even guidance which is given under express statutory powers does not necessarily require the approval of Parliament. Whether the courts would take account of guidance when determining the legal liability would depend on the matters at issue and the circumstances in which the guidance was given. They would, in appropriate
Column 486
cases, be likely to have regard to guidance given in pursuance of express statutory powers to a body which is required to act under it.The statutory powers to give directions and guidance have been exercised on a large number of occasions over the years by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and her predecessors. If the hon. Member has a particular problem in mind and would care to write to me about it, I will identify such relevant directions or guidance as there may be in existence.
Charter Week
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the main events that she is proposing for Charter Week; what is the total cost to public funds; and how many (a) civil servants and (b) other public officials will be playing a part. [30687]
Mr. Malone: There are no new major events planned for Charter Week. A number of events which were already scheduled to take place outside Charter Week have been re-timed to take place during that period. These are the launch of the second set of national health service performance tables and an announcement about a consultation leaflet on the patients charter and NHS services for children and young people. There will be no additional cost or staff resources required as a result of holding these events in July. The officials concerned will be working on the events as part of their normal duties. We are not collecting centrally information about activities in the NHS.
GP Fundholding
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total of general practitioner fundholder savings in 1994 95. [30758]
Mr. Malone: This information will not be available until final audits are complete.
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give the amount of general practitioner fundholder savings spent in each year since 1991 92. [30759]
Mr. Malone: This information is not available centrally.
Information Service
Mr. Spearing: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what sums have been authorised and under which vote she has authorised them to be paid for the establishment of a pilot project known as the "Ask-a-Nurse" information service; what arrangement she has made with a named contractor for such a service; what locations are under consideration; and what consultations she has initiated with those professional and statutory bodies providing related services. [27900]
Mr. Malone [holding answer 12 June 1995]: The East London and City health authority has spent £25,000 London initiative zone grant on consulting interested parties about the feasibility of setting up a project. London initiative zone expenditure is made from vote 1. Decisions to purchase services are a matter for local health authorities.
Column 487
HOME DEPARTMENT
Reem Abdulhadi
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what charge Reem Abdulhadi is being held; and if he will make a statement. [28736]
Mr. Howard: I understand that Reem Abdulhadi was arrested on 2 June 1995 and charged with unlawfully possessing an explosive substance with intent to endanger life, contrary to section 3(1)(b) of the Explosive Substances Act 1883, and two counts of possessing a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life, contrary to section 16 of the Firearms Act 1968. Reem Abdulhadi appeared at Bow street magistrate's court on 5 June and was remanded in custody.
Police Pensions
Mr. MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans he has to alter the funding of police pensions to fully funded schemes; and if he will make a statement; [30258]
(2) what would be the transitional cost to Her Majesty's Government if they were to facilitate a change in the financing of police pensions from revenue to fully funded self-financing schemes. [30259]
Mr. Maclean: My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to alter the police pension scheme to a fully funded scheme. The current police pension scheme came into operation in 1948. It is based like many other public service pensions scheme on the "pay as you go" principle under which the funding for liabilities is provided as and when those liabilities arise. The transitional cost of creating a fund which would be capable of meeting existing police pensions liabilities, including the present value of future pension benefits accrued to date, has been estimated by the Government Actuary's Department as about £20 billion.
National Lottery
Mr. Nigel Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further representations he has received from charities concerned about a loss of income as a result of the national lottery. [28752]
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received concerning losses suffered by charities because of a decline in contributions since the introduction of the national lottery. [28763]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: We have received a number of representations from charitable organisations concerned about a possible loss of income following the introduction of the national lottery. It is too early to assess the effect of the lottery on charitable income. The Government are, however, committed to monitoring any such changes. The National Lottery Charities Board will in any case be a major source of new income for the voluntary sector.
Column 488
Fire Prevention Units
Mr. Wareing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Office how many fire prevention units of local fire authorities have been closed during the past 18 months; and if he will make a statement. [30483]
Mr. Nicholas Baker: We are unaware of any closures during this period.
Mr. Wareing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received in respect of the closure of the fire prevention unit of the Merseyside fire authority; and if he will make a statement. [30484]
Mr. Baker: We have received letters from four hon. Members about proposals by Merseyside fire and civil defence authority to reduce the level of fire prevention work.
It is entirely a matter for the authority how to deploy its resources in this area.
Police Identification
Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he has issued concerning requirements on police officers wearing riot gear to display their number; and if he will make a statement. [30548]
Mr. Maclean: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond) on 7 February 1995, Official Report , column 222.
Charter Week
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the main events he is proposing for Charter Week; what is the total costs to public funds; and how many (a civil servants and (b) other public officials will be playing a part. [30686]
Mr. Howard: The focus of the programme to mark the fourth anniversary of the citizens charter is on local events laid on by local services. No record is being kept centrally of the activities proposed. The UK Passport Agency has, however, contributed to a major article for the July edition of "Charter News" and the agency's regional managers stand ready to participate in joint events arranged through charter networks.
There will be no additional costs or staff resources as a result of these activities taking place in July. The officials concerned will be working on the events as part of their normal duties.
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