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Electronic Batons
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the country of origin and the destination of the electronic batons which were covered by trans-shipment licences issued in (a) 1992, (b) 1993 and (c) 1994. [40375]
Mr. Oppenheim [holding answer 30 October 1995]: I refer the hon. Member to the answers of my hon. Friend the Minister of Science and Technology to her on 15 June 1995, Official Report , column 603 and his letter to her of 3 August this year. No such licences were issued for these goods in 1994.
The Torture Trail"
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the cost in damages and legal fees of the Department's unsuccessful libel action brought by Martyn Gregory, in relation to his programme "The Torture Chamber". [40374]
Mr. Ian Taylor [holding answer 30 October 1995]: I assume the programme to which the hon. Member refers is "The Torture Trail". I refer her to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Don Valley on 27 October 1995, Official Report , column 826 . In addition, the Department's own costs, including calculation of value of time spent on the matter by officials, are estimated at £31,500.
Export Licences
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if the practice of successive administrations not to disclose details of export licences has precluded providing information on the country of origin and destination of goods which are the subject of trans-shipment licences on every occasion that applications for such information has been made over the last five years. [40376]
Mr. Oppenheim [holding answer 30 October 1995]: To ascertain whether the practice has precluded provision of such information over the last five years would involve
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disproportionate cost. In the event of any such requests, I would expect these details to have been refused in line with the practice of successive Administrations.Personal Travel Times
Mr. Alton: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what values for personal travelling time are given in departmental assessment methods for (a) bus passengers, (b) pedestrians, (c) motorists and (d) cyclists. [39791]
Mr. Norris: I have been asked to reply.
Departmental assessment methods use values for savings in personal travel time, rather than a value of personal travel time itself. A saving of one hour of personal travel time for bus passengers or motorists is valued at £3.15 in 1994 prices. The value used for time savings to cyclists and pedestrians is double that for users of modes.
HEALTH
GP Lists
Dr. Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the frequency of patients being removed from their doctor's list, at the decision of their doctor, over the last five years; and if he will publish this research; [37639]
(2) if he will instigate research into the removal of patients from doctor's lists and differences between regions, patient types and age groups and other relevant statistics. [37641]
Mr. Malone: Family health services authorities have delegated responsibility for the provision of general medical services in their area, including registration with and movements between general practitioners. In carrying out their responsibilities, family health services authorities themselves are best placed to recognise the need to commission research. Family health services authorities are increasingly encouraging general practitioners and patients to participate in conciliation processes which help avoid the need for removal action.
Manchester Family Health Services Authority
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what payments were made to (a) the chairman and (b) the chief executive of Manchester FHSA when they left that authority in 1992; and if he will make a statement. [38299]
Mr. Malone: No payment was made to the chairman of Manchester family health services authority upon his resignation from the authority in May 1992. The chief executive received an employment termination settlement of £58,081.
Besselarr Clinical Research Unit
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what current research the Besselarr clinical research unit based at Leeds is carrying out for his Department; and what research they have carried out during the last 12 months. [39567]
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Mr. Malone: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 30 October, Official Report , columns 35 37 .
Malaria
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the change in the incidence of cases of malaria reported in the United Kingdom during the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [39501]
Mr. Sackville: The cases reported to the malaria reference laboratory of the public health laboratory service and the London school of hygiene and tropical medicine for the United Kingdom for the period August 1994 to July 1995 are shown in the table.
|Total all malaria
------------------------------------------------------
August 1994 |228
September 1994 |222
October 1994 |171
November 1994 |176
December 1994 |132
January 1995 |124
February 1995 |92
March 1995 |98
April 1995 |85
May 1995 |173
June 1995 |259
July 1995 |218
These figures reflect the seasonal pattern in the numbers of United Kingdom citizens visiting malarious regions. The Government recommend that all travellers to malarious areas should seek advice from their doctor on measures to prevent malaria, including the use of appropriate prophylaxis.
Private Patient Income
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list, by trust in each region, details of income from private patients for 1993 94 and 1994 95 (a) as a total and (b) as a percentage of total trust income. [39955]
Mr. Sackville: Details for 1993 94 will be placed in the Library. Figures for 1994 95 are not yet available.
Westminster Hospital
Dr. Goodson-Wickes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what future plans are being considered for the former site of the Westminster hospital. [40238]
Mr. Malone: North Thames regional health authority is marketing the site. My hon. Friend may wish to approach the chairman, Sir William Staveley, for details.
Pharmaceutical Industries
Mr. Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when, and for what purpose, he, his Ministers, or his officials last met representatives of the pharmaceutical industries. [40694]
Mr. Malone: There are regular contacts, at both ministerial and official level, between this Department and a wide range of representatives of the pharmaceutical industry to discuss issues of mutual interest.
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Bankruptcy Petitions
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many petitions for bankruptcy have been began by his Department for businesses with under 500 employees in each of the last five years. [40522]
Late Payment (Small Businesses)
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how often his Department and each agency within it has failed to pay invoices due to small businesses within 30 days in each of the last five years. [40521]
Mr. Sackville: The information is not available in the form requested. The Department and its agencies regularly monitor their overall payment performance, the results of which are as follows: Since 1991 92 the Department, excluding its agencies, has carried out annual surveys to ascertain the percentage of invoices paid within the agreed credit period, or where no credit period has been set, within 30 days of the presentation of a valid invoice. The Department's payment performance, against these criteria is as follows:
1991 92: 85 per cent.
1992 93: 90 per cent.
1993 94: 87.1 per cent.
1994 95: 91.9 per cent.
Information is available for the Department's agencies only in respect of 1994 95. Details are as follows:
NHS estate management and Health Building Agency--85 per cent. of payments were made within 30 days of receipt of a valid invoice. NHS Pensions Agency --the average time taken to pay suppliers was six days from the date of receipt of an invoice.
Medical Devices Agency--all invoices are paid promptly on receipt of a valid invoice. The agency which was established in September 1994 is due to publish its payment performance in its next annual report.
Youth treatment service--the average time taken to pay suppliers was 11 days from the receipt of the invoice.
Medicines Control Agency --the average time between receipt of a valid invoice and payment was 20 days.
Drug Deaths
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were killed in each of the past 10 years as a result of the use of (a) heroin and (b) paracetamol and substances containing paracetamol among other drugs. [40668]
Mr. Bowis: Data for 1993 and 1994 are not available.
Data for previous years are published in table 10 of the publication, "Mortality statistics, injury and poisoning, England and Wales", Series DH4, copies of which are available in the Library.
Donations
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total amount of moneys donated by (a) private individuals, (b) private companies and (c) charitable or voluntary organisations to hospitals and other NHS bodies in each of the last three years. [40794]
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Mr. Sackville: This information is not available centrally.
Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the losses made by the Royal National Orthopaedic hospital from the collapse of its joint business venture in building a super-incinerator; and if he will make a statement on the impact of these losses on patient services. [40798]
Mr. Sackville: The Royal National Orthopaedic hospital national health service trust is taking action to minimise the loss arising from its failed joint venture and to prevent any similar situation arising again. The loss to date stands at £3,492,000. The NHS executive is working with the trust to ensure that the impact of the loss on patient services is minimised.
Joint Business Ventures
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the financial impact of joint business ventures on NHS trusts. [40799]
Mr. Sackville: It is a matter for individual national health service trusts whether they enter into joint business ventures. Trusts must satisfy themselves that any such venture is value for money and secures benefits for the NHS, in terms of either additional income, increased quality of service or access to private sector expertise, which would not be available to the trust operating alone.
Hospital Beds
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action his Department is taking in respect of bed losses in hospitals; and if he will make a statement. [40800]
Mr. Sackville: The number of beds needed by each individual hospital cannot be determined centrally. Decisions about bed stocks need to be made at local level, based on contracted work loads and taking account of local circumstances, such as the local rate for emergency admissions, the level of day case treatments and the availability of alternative services, such as hospital at home schemes.
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the prevalence of under-bedding in the NHS (a) by category of hospital and (b) by region. [40801]
Mr. Sackville: National health service trusts regularly review the availability of beds to ensure they are matched to demand and to secure the best use of available resources.
Salaries
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the (a) lowest and (b) highest full-time salary paid to any employee in his (i) Department, (ii) agencies and (iii) non-departmental public bodies in (1) 1994 95 and (2) 1995 96. [40867]
Mr. Sackville: It is the Government's normal policy to publish civil servants' salaries in bands. Accordingly, the lowest full-time salary fell within the band:
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1994 95:£5,000.00-£9,999.00
1995 96:
£5,000.00-£9,999.00
The highest full-time salary fell within the band:
1994 95:
£95,000.00-£99,999.00
1995 96:
£95,000.00-£99,999.00
GP Recruitment, London
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he proposes in respect of general practitioner recruitment in inner London. [40829]
Mr. Malone: We have made available £15 million this year and plan to make available £20 million next year to support a package of initiatives designed to recruit and retain high-quality general practitioners in inner London. These initiatives have been drawn up in collaboration with local family health services authorities and general practitioners.
Annual Remuneration
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many individuals in (a) his Department, (b) agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies, received annual remuneration including benefits in kind exceeding (i) £100,000, (ii) £200,000 and (iii) £300,000 in each year since 1985 86. [40866]
Mr. Sackville: Other than pension contributions, benefits in kind are not normally paid to staff in the department, agencies and non- departmental public bodies. As members of the principal civil service pensions scheme, staff received benefits in accordance with the scheme rules which had been deposited in the Library. Excluding the benefit of pension contributions, no member of staff employed directly by the organisations mentioned received annual remuneration above the sums specified in the years in question.
Accident and Emergency Departments
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the performance of hospitals in meeting the patients charter target for trolley waits. [40802]
Mr. Sackville: Since April 1995 there has been a patients charter standard that a patient admitted to hospital via an accident and emergency department can expect to be given a bed a soon as possible, and certainly within four hours. From April 1996 this standard will be improved to two hours. Information relating to performance on this standard will become available in due course.
London Initiative Zone
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the underspend on capital spending by London initiative zone in each year since 1992 (a) in total and (b) by family health services authority; and if he will make a statement. [40828]
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Mr. Malone: London initiative zone funding began in 1993 94. The information for 1993 94 and 1994 95 is shown in the table. Reasons for the underspends included: delays and setbacks in finding suitable sites and securing planning permission; and adjustments inevitably needed when managing a complex capital programme over a six-year period. Capital underspends will be carried forward as part of ring-fenced funding of the development programme. The relevant funds will be spent on LIZ capital projects. In its third year, overall management of the LIZ capital programme continues to improve, in terms of both smaller projects and larger schemes requiring input from a number of different agencies.
London Initiative Zone: Capital Expenditure: variance against
plan
|£,000 |£,000
FHSA |1993-94 |1994-95
---------------------------------------------------------------
Barking and Havering |(594) |(24)
Camden and Islington |(458) |(1,720)
City and East London |<1>741 |(1,803)
Enfield and Haringey |<1>28 |(1,236)
Redbridge and Waltham Forest |- |(689)
Brent and Harrow |(501) |(2,102)
Ealing, Hammersmith and Harrow |(1,340) |(3,876)
Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster |(460) |(1,909)
Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham |- |<1>1,362
Bexley and Greenwich |(1,192) |(370)
Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth |(1,628) |(1,261)
Croydon |(2,264)
Total FHSAs |(5,404) |(15,892)
Note:
Figures in brackets represent underspends. All underspends are
ring-fenced and carried forward in 1995-96 and future years.
Figures at <1> are overspends and affect the total underspend
for all FHSAs.
Source:
Thames RHAs.
Hospital Wards
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS hospital wards are presently closed in (a) London and (b) England. [40830]
Mr. Sackville: The information is not available centrally.
Staff Cars
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent by (a) trusts, (b) district health authorities, (c) regional health authorities and (d) in total on cars for staff within the NHS in each of the last five years. [39652]
Mr. Malone [holding answer 26 October 1995]: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply the Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, West (Mr. Sackville), gave her on 25 May, Official Report column 776 . These replies cover the total expenditure on cars for the period 1991 to 1993. The expenditure on staff cars by regional health authorities in the year 1993 94 fell by £332,881 to £5,053,065. The expenditure on staff cars by district health authorities in the year 1993 94 fell by £17,071,191. Expenditure on staff cars by national health service trusts rose from £24,010,267 to £47,219,792, with
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the growth in the number of trusts from 156 in 1992 93 to 292 in 1993 94, an increase in expenditure on cars of about 5 per cent. per trust. The total expenditure on cars for staff was £76,271,287 in 1993 94, as against £70,465,834 in 1992 93. The provision of lease cars for NHS staff working in regional and district health authorities and for those working in NHS trusts on Whitely terms and conditions are governed by section 24 of the general Whitley Council handbook. Under these arrangements, employees contribute to costs of lease cars according to the amount of private mileage included in the lease car contract. The figures do not take account of employee contributions for private use of lease cars, since this information is not held centrally. In some cases, cars are offered to trust staff as part of remuneration packages. A survey on the use of lease cars in the NHS was carried out by the general Whitely Council management side secretariat during June 1994. The replies showed 62 per cent of cars being used by nurses, midwives and doctors.EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT
Class Sizes
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the average size of classes in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in Doncaster in January; and what was the figure for the previous 12 months. [38633]
Mr. Paice: The information requested is shown in the table.
Average size of single teacher classes in maintained schools in Doncaster local education authority area Position in January each year Year |Primary |Secondary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1994 |27.5 |21.1 1995<1> |28.1 |21.4 <1>Provisional.
Research Funding
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps she is taking to ensure adequate funding for long- term research projects in United Kingdom universities. [38912]
Mr. Forth: The Higher Education Funding Council for England has allocated £636 million for support for basic research and the research infrastructure in English universities and colleges this year. It is for institutions themselves to decide how to spend their funds and what priority they attach to long-term research projects.
Barnsley-Doncaster Training and Enterprise Council
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list the employers in the Barnsley and Doncaster TEC area who have been given the investors in people award; and if she will list the employers who have currently made a commitment to meeting the standard. [39454]
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Mr. Paice: The companies in the Barnsley and Doncaster training and enterprise council area who have been recognised as investors in people are:
Bridon Ropes, JI Case, Reed Northern Newspapers, HMP Lindhome, Barnsley College, ACE Conveyor, Apollo Travel, Barnsley and Doncaster TEC, BYDA, Chamber of Commerce and Training, Doncaster Careers, G Page Holdings Look and Learn. Mercedez Benz, Rossington Comprehensive, Russell Eaton, The Hayfield School and the Weldrick Group. Companies in the Barnsley and Doncaster training and enterprise council area who have made a commitment to investors in people are: ABB Passenger Services Ltd, Addspace/Coltran, Amocura, Barnsley Benefits Agency, Barnsley Hospital, Barnsley NHS Trust, Benefits Agency Doncaster, BMBC Catering, BTCV (Charity), BTCV (Enterprise), Care Homes Thorne, Doncaster College, Dunlop Slazenger, Grampian Country Foods, Haslam Homes, Hepworth Building Products Barnsley, Hepworth Building Products Doncaster, Hepworth Refractories, Hoyland Fox, KOYO, Lyons Cakes, Midland Bank Data Centre, Moorlands Prison, MP Burke, Naylor Brothers, Pilkington, Pindar Nursing Home, PLM Redfearn, Ardsley Moat House, Benton House Nursing Home, Billington Structures, BLP Group, BMB Builders Merchants, BMBC TES, Cambertown, Cameron Motor Services, Campsmount School, Danum Hotel, Doncaster Health Authority, Dunstan Brearley Travel, DVBS, Edlington School, FM Ball, Fosters Bakery, Fox's Music, Kostal, Monkton Coke, Northern College, Perry's, Priory School, Regent Hotel, Siddall & Hilton, SPG, Spring Choice, Sue Ryder Home, Sqllow Wood Nursing Home, Syndicate Group, Taylor Bracewell, Tranmoor Primary School, Walter Frank, Willis Supermarkets, Winterbottom Wire, Regency Doors, The Dome and Yorkshire Traction.
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how much funding the Barnsley and Doncaster TEC has allocated to childminders undertaking the national vocational course in child care and education; [39478]
(2) if the Barnsley and Doncaster TEC assists childminders undertaking the national vocational qualification course in child care and education at (a) level 2 and (b) level 3. [39476]
Mr. Paice: The information requested is not available.
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when her Department last checked the credit rating of the Barnsley and Doncaster TEC; and if she will make a statement. [39542]
Mr. Paice: The Department for Education and Employment carries out an assessment of Barnsley and Doncaster training and enterprise council's financial viability on an annual basis.
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what facilities are available to (a) her Department and (b) training providers to check the changing credit rating assessments of the Barnsley and Doncaster TEC. [39510]
Mr. Paice: The Department does not undertake credit rating checks on Barnsley and Doncaster training and enterprise council. An annual assessment of financial viability is made, and the financial status of the TEC is continually monitored by qualified accountants within the Government office for Yorkshire and Humberside.
Copies of the TEC's annual accounts are placed in the Library. Copies are also lodged with Companies House and these are available to training providers. Information
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is also provided by credit rating organisations in the private sector which offer assessments of TECs as part of their normal business. It is for individual training providers to decide if they need a credit rating assessment for Barnsley and Doncaster TEC.Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the current percentage pass rate at Barnsley and Doncaster TEC of general national vocational qualification students; and how this compares with previous results. [39470]
Mr. Paice: The information requested is operational information on the Barnsley and Doncaster training and enterprise council and the question would be best addressed to the TEC to answer.
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many training weeks (a) were promised and (b) were undertaken for (i) employment training, (ii) youth training and (iii) other programmes for the Barnsley and Doncaster TEC for each year since its inception. [39464]
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