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Mr. Beith [holding answer 23 October 1995]: Services are contracted out by House Departments where this can meet the requirements of the House and provide benefits in quality, efficiency and value for money. The area where this is done on the largest scale is new works and maintenance of the parliamentary estate, where 96 per cent. of the work is contracted out by the Parliamentary Works Directorate. A team of 97 directly employed labour provides a service in dealing with emergencies, urgent minor requests and shift working to attend boilers and other plant.
If the hon. Member has any particular areas on which he would like detailed information, I would ask him to contact the Director of Works or the relevant Head of Department.
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Disabled People (Access)
Mr. Alfred Morris: To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee what access provision is being made for disabled people in the new parliamentary building; what organisations have been consulted; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Ray Powell: A ramp is provided between the pavement to the main entrance and the main courtyard level, a rise of 0.5 m. The lifts at each corner of the courtyard will reach all floors of the building. The six Members' rooms on the sixth floor are the only rooms not readily accessible to disabled persons, as they are reached from the floor below by spiral staircases. There are lavatories for the disabled on all the main floors. The new parliamentary building has been designed according to good practice and current regulations. Consultation with appropriate organisations is undertaken from time to time as necessary but has not so far taken place in connection with the new parliamentary building.
Decanting of Parliamentary Buildings
Mr. Barnes: To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee which buildings in the Palace of Westminster were decanted to be refurbished or cabled during the summer recess; if he will place the tender specifications in the Library; what delays there have been in the work contracted; what fines have been levied on the contractors; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Ray Powell: The parts of the Palace of Westminster decanted for summer recess works were the Upper Committee Corridor North in the Commons and Principal Floor West Front and the Lord Chancellor's Department in the other place. The ground floor of the Norman Shaw North building and No. 2 The Abbey Garden were also vacated. Tender specifications for specific contracts can be made available by the Director of Parliamentary Works should the hon. Member wish to consult him. All offices were available for occupation when the House returned from the recess in October. No fines have been levied on the contractors.
Travel Costs
Mr. Peter Bottomley: To ask the Lord President of the Council what would be the reduction of the annual total costs of travel by hon. Members if the travel allowance rates for staff in the Treasury were substituted for the rates that may be claimed.
Mr. Newton: This information is not available and could be produced only at a disproportionate cost.
Charity Payroll Giving
Mr. Rooker: To ask the Lord President of the Council, pursuant to his answer of 19 October, Official Report , column 303 , if he will list by party affiliation the 45 right hon. and hon. Members who are signed up to the charity payroll giving scheme operated by the Fees Office.
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Mr. Newton: The party affiliation of the 45 right hon. and hon. Members who participate in the charity payroll giving scheme operated by the Fees Office is not a matter of public record.
Statutory Instruments
Mr. Hanson: To ask the Lord President of the Council how many orders were put before Parliament in each of the years between 1979 94 during parliamentary recesses; and if he will indicate those Government Ministers responsible for those orders and the number of orders per Government Department.
Mr. Newton: The numbers of statutory instruments laid before the House of Commons in each year from 1979 to 1994, during parliamentary recesses, including Christmas, Easter, Whitsun and summer are as follows:
1979: 236
1980: 216
1981: 206
1982: 233
1983: 170
1984: 207
1985: 161
1986: 258
1987: 232
1988: 267
1989: 253
1990: 231
1991: 323
1992: 275
1993: 293
1994: 425
It would not be possible, except at disproportionate cost, to provide figures by reference to the presenting Minister or Government Department.
Mr. Hanson: To ask the Lord President of the Council how many orders were laid before Parliament during the summer adjournment; by which bodies; and on which date.
Mr. Newton: The number of statutory instruments laid before the House of Commons during the summer adjournment was 260. The Departments responsible were the Treasury (18), the Home Office (eight), the Department of Trade and Industry (13), the Department of Transport (16), the Privy Council (five), the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (18), the Department of the Environment (29), the Welsh Office (eight), the Department of Social Security (10), the Scottish Office (54), the Department of National Heritage (three), the Northern Ireland Office (nine), the Department of Education and Employment (12), the Department of Health (41) and the Lord Chancellor's Department (12). There were four Instruments from the General Synod, relating to ecclesiastical law, which were laid in the name of the Clerk of the House.
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DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Deregulation
38. Mr. Denham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on progress towards deregulation. [39725]
Mr. Freeman: Among recent initiatives, we have agreed to launch a joint initiative with the French Government to consider the reduction of regulatory burdens on small businesses.
Mr. Steen: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to the answer of 27 March, Official Report , column 410 , what progress is being made towards realising the target of repealing those regulations identified as unnecessary burdens to business; how many of these will be repealed by the end of the year; and if he will make a statement. [41574]
Mr. Freeman: Over 1,000 regulations have been targeted by Departments for repeal or amendment to remove unnecessary burdens on business and we are on target to have dealt with over half of those by the end of the year.
Dr. Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what new deregulation initiatives he is considering. [39726]
Mr. Freeman: With the help of the deregulation task force, we continue to identify changes to existing rules and requirements to reduce the burdens they impose without removing necessary protections. Particular areas the task force will be focusing on over the next few months include the labour market, planning, building regulations, financial services, the health sector and different approaches to regulation. We are also working to make enforcement provisions fairer, more transparent and more consistent, including use of the new powers in the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994. In order to ensure that new requirements are introduced only where they are really needed, Ministers have agreed to certify when regulation is brought forward that the regulation strikes an appropriate balance between cost and benefit.
Mr. Steen: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the rules and regulations he proposes to repeal or amend by means of a reference to the Deregulation Committee before the end of 1995, and if he will make a statement. [41546]
Mr. Freeman: The Cabinet Office provides the Deregulation Committee with a monthly statement showing those deregulation proposals which are the subject of consultation and an indication of those which may be brought forward as draft proposals in the following two months. Copies of the October statement have been placed in the Vote Office.
Ministerial Transport
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what has been the cost of ministerial transport in each of the past five years; what allowance
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has been paid to Ministers who use their own vehicles; and what has been the cost in each of the past five years. [40745]Mr. Freeman: The cost of ministerial transport for Ministers located in the Cabinet Office, excluding VAT, in each of the last five financial years up to 31 March 1995 is as follows:
1990 91: £82,950
1991 92: £94,916
1992 93: £102,076
1993 94: £102,596
1994 95: £132,479
No allowances were paid to Ministers for the use of their own vehicles during this period.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Farming and Forestry Industry (Accidents)
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer on 16 October, Official Report , column 178 , what action his Department is taking to reduce the number of fatal accidents in the farming and forestry industry. [38867]
Mr. Ancram: The Department of Agriculture's health and safety inspectorate will, through its on-going programme of statutory inspections and accident prevention education, continue to work towards improving health and safety awareness in the farming and forestry industry. There are also strong links developing with the Republic of Ireland on this matter to share information and experience.
Ormeau Road Arrests
Rev. Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were arrested or charged for disturbance on the lower Ormeau road over the marching season; and how many of these people are from the lower Ormeau road. [39365]
Sir John Wheeler: A total of 26 arrests were made during the "marching season" on the lower Ormeau road. Of these, 17 were from the lower Ormeau road area and nine were from elsewhere. On all cases files are with the Director of Public Prosecutions for decision.
Domestic Electricity Costs
Ms Mowlam: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many homes in Northern Ireland are heated solely by
electricity. [39637]
Mr. Ancram: Figures for the 1994 95 continuous household survey show that an estimated 9 per cent. of households in Northern Ireland are heated solely by electricity. The 1991 census recorded a total of some 530,000 households in Northern Ireland.
Ministerial Transport
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the cost of ministerial transport in each of the past five years; what allowance
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has been paid to Ministers who use their own vehicles; and what has been the cost in each of the past five years. [40747]Sir John Wheeler: Records on ministerial transport, including internal and overseas air transport, are available only for the last three financial years, April to March. These costs, which are greatly inflated by necessary security requirements, were:
1993 94: £992,663
1994 95: £1,041,077
1995 96: £365,641 (to 31 October 1995)
Ministers at the Northern Ireland Office do not use their own vehicles. Consequently, no allowances have been paid.
James Dixon Home, Belfast
Mr. Robert McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what have been the security costs incurred at the former James Dixon home in Rugby avenue, Belfast since it was vacated by the Eastern health and social services board; and what consideration is being given to making it available for (a) student accommodation and (b) single accommodation by transfer to a registered housing association or similar body. [40886]
Mr. Moss: The building has been unoccupied since June and is currently being secured 24 hours per day at a cost of £2,000 per month.
South and East Belfast Trust has been considering alternative uses for the premises. An approach has been made by the Belfast Community Housing Association and the trust, in conjunction with the Department of Health and Social Services, will be entering into discussions with the housing association in the near future to consider its proposals for the future use of this facility.
Child Support
Mr. Robert McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list those Department of Health and Social Services benefits that are not taken into account in child support assessments; if they are taxable; and if he will make a statement. [40889]
Mr. Moss: The benefits which are disregarded in the calculation of net income under the child support formula are listed in schedule 2 to the Child Support (Maintenance Assessments and Special Cases) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1992. I have arranged for a copy of the regulations to be placed in the library. The social security benefits listed in the schedule are non-taxable.
GPs' Dispensing Lists
Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what process of consultation was undergone before it was decided that patients living less than 5 km from a pharmacy would no longer be able to collect medication from a general practitioner's surgery; what considerations underlie the application of the 5 km rule to Northern Ireland and the one-mile rule in Great Britain; what effect the rule change will have on residents of Lisbane, County Down; and if he will make a statement. [41229]
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Mr. Moss: Extensive consultation and deliberation have taken place over two and a half years, involving health and social services boards, the Central Services Agency and the representative bodies of both the medical and pharmaceutical professions. Health and social services councils are now going to be consulted about the final draft of the revised guidelines. When boards come to implement the guidelines they will be approaching individual patients about their needs and circumstances, as they review their general practitioners' dispensing lists.
Regulations governing dispensing by doctors in Northern Ireland are similar to those operating in Scotland, but different to those which apply in England and Wales. The guidelines operating under the various regulations are therefore also different. The one-mile rule in England and Wales is actually contained in regulations but is not used in determining whether a patient has serious difficulty in obtaining medication from a pharmacy. Under the revised Northern Ireland guidelines it is proposed to use 5 km distance from a pharmacy as the general basic test for serious difficulty. This is considered reasonable, given that a two-mile rule has been in operation from 1957 and there have been significant improvements in transport and telecommunications since then. In addition, many pharmacies are now providing collection and delivery services, making it easier for patients to get their drugs. Boards will, however, have the flexibility to exercise judgment in relation to individual patients when reasons other than distance exist for serious difficulty. In exercising such judgment, boards will have as their paramount concern the overall needs of patients and their access to the professional services of both general medical practitioners and community pharmacists.
The effect of the changes on the residents of Lisbane, County Down, will not be known until the revised guidelines are applied by the Eastern health and social services board, in relation to individual patients on general practitioners' dispensing lists.
Waste Disposal, Newtownards
Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment his Department has made of the risks to public health arising from the unofficial dump in the disused quarry at the intersection of the Ballybarnes and Tullynagardy roads in Newtownards; and if he will make a statement about provision of official dumps in the Newtownards area. [41230]
Mr. Moss: The licensing of waste disposal facilities is a matter for the district council--in this case Ards borough council. The council has licensed the site in question at Craiganee quarry and reports that there are no matters relating to the site which constitute a public health nuisance. The council has adopted a 10-year waste disposal plan for the borough which is regularly reviewed.
Stormont Fire
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list those recommendations of the Doyle report into the Stormont fire which have already been implemented by Government Departments and those which have not. [41231]
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Mr. Moss: The Doyle report made 30 recommendations in relation to fire safety of Crown buildings in Northern Ireland. To date, some 22 of these have been put into practice by Northern Ireland Departments while the remaining eight are in the process of implementation. Those recommendations which have already been implemented are contained in the following paragraphs of the report:
Paras 1.4.1 to 1.4.3
Paras 1.4.6 to 1.4.12
Paras 1.4.15 to 1.4.16
Paras 1.4.18 to 1.4.23
Paras 1.4.25 to 1.4.28
Roads Expenditure
Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the capital expenditure on each class of road in each of the past five years in the borough of ards; when the proposed link road at Portaferry/Comber road, Newtownards was first included in the local area plan; at what stage is the design and acquisition of lands for the road; and if he will make a statement about the programme for construction of this link road. [41232]
Mr. Moss: Details of capital expenditure by roads classification are not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate costs. Overall capital expenditure covering major and minor works, traffic management and accident remedial schemes, street lighting and car park provision in the Ards borough council area was for the years in question as follows:
1990 91: £1,101,000
1991 92: £472,000
1992 93: £792,000
1993 94: £612,000
1994 95: £558,000
The Portaferry road-Comber road link, Newtownards appeared in the North Down area plan which was published in 1972. At the moment, design work is at a very preliminary stage and a final line for the road has yet to be determined. The scheme is included in the current major road works programme with a planned starting date in the 1999 2000 financial year, subject to the necessary finance being available.
Health and Social Services Trusts
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what financial reserves have been held (a) by trusts and (b) by health authorities in each region in each of the last three years. [41416]
Mr. Moss: The financial reserves held by health and social services trusts and boards are disclosed in the annual financial accounts.
The reserves held by the health and social services trusts and boards in each area are as follows:
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Table 1: Health and social services
trusts summary of reserves
£ thousands
|1993-94|1994-95
---------------------------------------
Eastern board |34,019 |31,769
Western board |n/a |n/a
Southern board |2,899 |2,254
Northern board |n/a |n/a
Table 2: Health and social services boards summary of reserves
|1992-93 |1993-94 |1994-95
|£ |£ |£
---------------------------------------------------------------
Eastern board |442,603,370|191,760,873|13,382,566
Southern board |104,032,224|79,039,728 |42,301,620
Northern board |113,255,648|159,409,479|149,872,036
Western board |133,211,810|143,012,738|143,511,842
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will itemise the financial reserves of each (a) trust and (b) health authority in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [41426]
Mr. Moss: The financial reserves held by health and social services trusts are disclosed in the annual financial accounts. The tables itemise the reserves held by trusts in each area for 1993 94 and 1994 95.
Table 1: Health and social services trusts reserves 1993-94
£ thousands
|Income and
|Revaluation|Donation |expenditure|Total
|reserve |reserve |reserve |reserves
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eastern board area
Belfast City
hospital |8,050 |321 |2,628 |10,999
Ulster North
Down and Ards |2,691 |4,111 |797 |7,599
Royal Group of
hospitals |6,708 |2,476 |1,602 |10,786
Greenpark |2,655 |830 |931 |4,416
Eastern Ambulance
service |131 |- |88 |219
Total |20,235 |7,738 |6,046 |34,019
Southern board area
Craigavon Area
hospital |2,213 |- |686 |2,899
Total |2,213 |- |686 |2,899
The comparative figures for this trust were restated in 1994-95. The figure
tabled is the restated amount.
Table 2: Health and social services trusts reserves 1994-95
£ thousands
|Income and
|Revaluation|Donation |expenditure|Total
|reserve |reserve |reserve |reserves
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eastern board area
Belfast City
hospital |5,516 |480 |1,619 |7,615
Ulster North
Down and Ards |1,937 |4,424 |(217) |6,144
Royal Group of
hospitals |4,985 |3,033 |1,958 |9,976
Greenpark |2,117 |899 |806 |3,822
Eastern Ambulance
service |119 |- |4 |123
Mater hospital |(76) |3,372 |113 |3,409
South and east
Belfast |(761) |130 |1,291 |660
North and West
Belfast |(473) |50 |169 |(254)
North Down and
Ards |(186) |- |962 |776
Down and Lisburn |(1,023) |46 |475 |(502)
Total |12,155 |12,434 |7,180 |31,769
Southern board area
Craigavon Area
hospital |1,741 |12 |495 |2,248
Newry and Mourne |(384) |62 |135 |(187)
Craigavon and
Banbridge |(237) |10 |420 |193
Total |1,120 |84 |1,050 |2,254
Only six trusts were in existence in 1993-94 and there were none before that
date. Thirteen trusts existed in 1994-95.
The reserves held by health and social services boards are disclosed in the annual financial accounts. The table itemises the reserves held by boards in each area for the last three years.
Table 3: Health and social services boards
Health and social |1992-93 |1993-94 |1994-95
services board |£ |£ |£
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eastern board
Capital Account |427,062,751 |180,092,696 |8,358,987
Donation Reserve |5,870,066 |3,982,357 |0
Balance due to/from
Department |9,670,553 |7,685,820 |5,023,579
Total |442,603,370 |191,760,873 |13,382,566
Southern board
Capital Account |102,702,412 |76,386,249 |36,975,989
Donation Reserve |145,316 |537,946 |437,960
Balance due to/
from Department |1,184,496 |2,115,533 |4,887,671
Total |104,032,224 |79,039,728 |42,301,620
Northern board
Capital Account |107,835,922 |152,836,035 |142,946,098
Donation Reserve |768,456 |379,094 |507,858
Balance due to/from
Department |4,651,270 |6,194,350 |6,418,080
Total |113,255,648 |159,409,479 |149,872,036
Western board
Capital Account |128,209,888 |135,840,456 |135,970,475
Donation Reserve |444,227 |380,785 |328,717
Balance due to/from
Department |4,557,695 |6,791,497 |7,212,650
Total |133,211,810 |143,012,738 |143,511,842
The figures for 1994-95 are provisional pending final clearance from the appointed auditor.
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