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Fish Quotas
Mr. David Porter: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what estimate he has made of fish stocks, by species, which have been discarded dead at sea because of quota restrictions for each year since the advent of the common fisheries policy; and if he will make a statement; [8363]
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- (2) what proposals he expects to put to his EU counterparts in the next three months for removing the need for fishermen to discard above quota fish at sea; and if he will make a statement. [8392]
Mr. Baldry: No such estimates exist within the Ministry but there is a clear need to reduce the number of discards. This will be one of the issues discussed by the fisheries conservation group which I am setting up, and I hope to be able to put proposals to the European Commission in April.
Fish Conservation
Mr. David Porter: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to abolish the quota system for fisheries management and replace it with technical measures to assist conservation; and if he will make a statement. [8394]
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Mr. Baldry: Quotas and technical conservation measures are both intended to protect fish stocks and to safeguard the future livelihoods of fishermen. The two approaches are complementary and I have no plans to advocate one of them to the exclusion of the other. However, I am setting up a fisheries conservation group to consider whether more can be achieved by technical conservation measures.
HEALTH
"Nursing in a Multi-ethnic NHS"
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the findings of the Policy Studies Institute report entitled, "Nursing in a Multi-ethnic NHS"; what plans he has to implement its recommendations; and if he will make a statement. [9039]
Mr. Horam: The national health service is strongly committed to equal opportunities and funds a number of innovative schemes which support the practice as well as the principle of equal opportunity.
A series of regional conferences has been organised to encourage NHS employers to share good practice and promote positive action for ethnic minority staff as a result of the findings of the Policy Studies Institute report.
The report showed that ethnic minorities are better represented within the NHS nursing and midwifery work force than in the population as a whole, but nevertheless suggested areas where improvements might be made.
Mr. McMaster:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has to ensure that carers are represented on the health boards and health councils which he is responsible for appointing; and if he will make a statement; [9360]
Mr. Malone:
People representing all sections and interests of the community are encouraged, through open advertisement, to apply for non-executive appointment to national health service trusts and health authorities and to become members of community health councils. An equal opportunities policy in the selection process is adopted for all appointments.
Ms Harman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give details of the circumstances in which Mrs. Daphne Banks was mistakenly pronounced dead on 5 January 1996. [9323]
Mr. Horam:
This is a matter for Cambridge and Huntingdon health commission. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mrs. Margaret Scott, chairman of the commission, for details.
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Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has commissioned into (a) the incidence of multiple sclerosis and (b) the incidence of clusters of multiple sclerosis, with particular reference to West Craven. [9692]
Mr. Bowis:
The Government are funding research designed to investigate the causes of multiple sclerosis and the effectiveness of new treatments. My Department has no current proposals for research in the areas suggested. However, the main agency through which the Government supports biomedical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council which receives its grant-in-aid from the office of my right hon. Friend, the President of the Board of Trade. The MRC is always willing to consider high quality research proposals.
Mr. Spearing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what studies he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the procedures for the protection of the interests of (i) the patient, (ii) the general practitioner concerned and (iii) the public in cases where a general practitioner seeks to remove a patient from their NHS list. [9838]
Mr. Malone:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Castle Point (Dr. Spink) on 18 October 1995, Official Report, column 355.
Mr. Redmond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to grant legal status to living wills; and if he will make a statement. [9197]
Mr. Bowis:
Advance statements--living wills--are already legally binding under common law, if clearly established and applicable in the circumstances.
The Law Commission, in its report on mental incapacity, made recommendations for legislation in a number of areas including advance statements. My noble Friend the Lord Chancellor announced on 16 January that there is to be a public consultation on the proposals in due course.
We remain wholly opposed to the legalisation of euthanasia.
Mr. Corbett:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to issue guidance to social services departments on child care following the House of Lords judgment in the H (minors) (child abuse threshold conditions) case. [9930]
Mr. Bowis:
The implications of the judgment are being considered, but preliminary indications are that existing guidance on good practice is not affected by the judgment.
Mr. Battle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many incidents of carbon monoxide poisoning annually resulting in deaths and injury are (a) in rented property and (b) in owner-occupied property. [9707]
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Mr. John M. Taylor:
I have been asked to reply.
Statistics are not available on the relative numbers of cases of carbon monoxide poisoning in rented property and in owner-occupier property. The risk of CO poisoning owing to faulty heating appliances is equally likely with any heating appliance which is not properly installed or maintained, and there are reported fatalities and injuries in the press of incidents in both types of accommodation.
Mr. Parry:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the recent petition presented to 10 Downing street by Liverpool dockworkers' wives. [10250]
The Prime Minister:
The abolition of the dock labour scheme has enabled United Kingdom ports to take full advantage of the commercial opportunities available to them. The Mersey Docks and Harbour Company has grasped these opportunities to make the port of Liverpool one of the most successful ports in the country. Supporting this unofficial action would serve only to threaten the growing success of the port of Liverpool.
Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had since 1 December 1995 with the United States Government about making approaches to Libya, with a view to ending the imposition of sanctions. [8169]
The Prime Minister:
None, although we remain in close contact with the United States on this issue. Libya knows what it has to do to secure the lifting of sanctions.
Mr. Robin Cook:
To ask the Prime Minister what is the total cost of salaries since 1992 paid to persons both in the Prime Ministers' Office and in the Cabinet Office employed on a part-time or full-time basis in any connection in relation to the Scott inquiry. [10219]
The Prime Minister:
There are no officials employed on Scott inquiry related matters on a full-time or part-time basis within the Prime Minister's Office. The direct salary cost of officials within the Cabinet Office wholly employed on matters relating to the Scott inquiry from December 1992 to December 1995 is approximately £486,000. Other officials within the Prime Minister's Office and the Cabinet Office are inevitably involved from time to time; their direct salary cost is unquantifiable.
Mr. Cook:
To ask the Prime Minister if he has (a) read or received and (b) authorised civil servants, Ministers or any other persons to collate or receive copies of draft sections of Sir Richard Scott's report circulated by Sir Richard Scott to Government Ministers, civil servants and other persons. [10221]
The Prime Minister:
The handling of extracts of Sir Richard Scott's draft report, subject to guidance received from the inquiry, is for those to whom they are sent. The Government do not disclose details of correspondence between the inquiry and individual witnesses.
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Mr. Cook:
To ask the Prime Minister if (a) staff employed by the Cabinet Office on a part-time or full-time basis and (b) David Gould, during his period of employment in the civil service have read, collated or received copies of draft sections of Sir Richard Scott's report circulated to Government Ministers, civil servants and other persons. [10220]
The Prime Minister:
The question of whether Cabinet Office staff should see extracts of Sir Richard Scott's draft report is at the discretion of those to whom the inquiry has sent them.
(2) what plans he has to ensure that disabled people are represented on the health boards and health councils which he is responsible for appointing; and if he will make a statement. [9362]
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