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Breast Cancer
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what research he has initiated to examine the causes of the breast cancer rates in Wales in respect of (a) East Dyfed and (b) Gwynedd. [1149]
Mr. Richards: Research has identified a number of factors which are consistently related to the development of breast cancer, and it is unlikely that breast cancer rates in Gwynedd and East Dyfed are being influenced by some new factor that has not been detected in previous studies. For this reason we do not consider that research into the incidence of breast cancer in individual regions or countries would be of benefit in terms of the treatment or prevention of this disease.
School Budgets
Mrs. Gorman: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the percentage of the potential schools budget delegated to schools through the aggregate schools budget in each local education authority for each year for which information is available. [1421]
Mr. Richards: Welsh Office circular 38/91 on local management of schools, published in July 1991, proposed that a minimum of 85 per cent. of a local education authority's potential schools budget should be delegated
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to schools and that all LEAs would be expected to comply with this requirement by 1 April 1993. The following table shows the levels of delegation since then.
| 1993-94 | 1994-95 | 1995-96 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clwyd | 86.3 | 85.0 | 85.1 |
| Dyfed | 84.5 | 85.2 | 85.0 |
| Gwent | 84.8 | 85.0 | 85.6 |
| Gwynedd | 85.6 | 87.5 | 88.0 |
| Mid Glamorgan | 86.2 | 87.4 | 87.8 |
| Powys | 92.0 | 90.0 | 89.2 |
| South Glamorgan | 87.6 | 87.1 | 87.7 |
| West Glamorgan | 88.0 | 88.2 | 89.2 |
| Wales | 86.4 | 86.6 | 87.0 |
Note: The details for 1993-94 are taken from Section 42 outturn statements provided by LEAs; the 1994-95 and 1995-96 details from Section 42 budget statements.
Health Services (Rationing)
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the health authorities in Wales which are rationing (a) ear grommets, (b) dilatation and curettage for women under 40 years, (c) varicose vein surgery, (d) screening for osteoporosis, (e) fertility treatment, (f) screening for aortic aneurysm and (g) screening for colon and rectum cancers. [1639]
Mr. Hague: None. Decisions on the appropriateness of a particular treatment are a matter for clinical judgment.
Welsh Language (Cardiff Airport)
Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will discuss with the management of Cardiff international airport measures to improve the use of the Welsh language on signs within the airport precinct; and if he will make a statement. [2052]
Mr. Hague: No. This is entirely a matter for TBI, the owner of Cardiff international airport, which I understand is in contact with the Welsh Language Board.
Welsh Islands Conference
Mr. Dafis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the conference on Welsh islands organised by the Countryside Council for Wales on 15 November. [1813]
Mr. Gwilym Jones: The two-day conference brought together for the first time nearly 100 delegates who are involved in managing Welsh islands. A note of the proceedings will be provided by the Countryside Council for Wales in due course.
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I understand that the event was considered to have been successful.
Non-NHS Providers
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will itemise how much (a) NHS trusts, (b) general practitioner fundholders, (c) regional health authorities and (d) district health authorities spent on health care from non-NHS providers in each year since 1991-92 in each region. [2414]
Mr. Richards: The information is as follows:
| 1991-92 | 1992-93 | 1993-94 | 1994-95 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NHS trusts | n/a | nil | 2,688 | 2,492 |
| GP Fundholders | 11 | 113 | 657 | 1,290 |
| District health authorities | 4,384 | 8,078 | 11,261 | 14,309 |
Notes: 1. Information is not held centrally in respect of individual GP fundholding practices but their expenditure is shown on an aggregated basis in the annual accounts of the Family Health Services Authorities which pay for healthcare purchases on their behalf. 2. There are no regional authorities in Wales. 3. The first NHS trust in Wales, Pembrokeshire NHS Trust was established on 1 April 1992. A further 13 and 10 became operational in 1993-94 and 1994-95 respectively. Source: Annual accounts of District health authorities and Family Health Services Authorities and Financial Returns from NHS trusts.
Regional Selective Assistance
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the outturn figures for regional selective assistance (a) offers and (b) payments for 1994-95; and if he will indicate how these figures related to the original budgeted plans for that year. [2110]
Mr. Hague: The information requested is available in the most recent Welsh Office departmental report, Cm 2815, and Industrial Development Act 1982 annual report, Cm 723. Copies of these publications are available in the Library of the House.
Temporary Traffic Lights
Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales where are the longest serving temporary traffic lights on the trunk roads for which he is responsible, how long they have been in use and what has been the total cost so far. [2150]
Mr. Gwilym Jones: The longest serving temporary traffic lights are located on the A494 trunk road at Drws y Nant Bala. They have been in use for 16 years. The current annual cost of retaining the lights is approximately £1,800.
North East Wales Institute of Higher Education
Dr. Marek: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to receive the accounts of the North East Wales institute; and when they will become publicly available. [2151]
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Mr. Richards: The annual audited accounts of the North East Wales institute of higher education are expected to be submitted to the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales on 31 December 1995 and will become publicly available from that date.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Debt Write-offs
Mr. Robathan: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what progress has been made on the implementation of Naples terms by the Paris Club; and if he will make a statement about how debts forgiven or abandoned are to be treated in the trading accounts of the Export Credits Guarantee Department. [3070]
Mr. Nelson: In December 1994 the Paris Club-- representing leading creditor Governments--agreed to implement write-offs of up to 67 per cent. of official bilateral debt owned by the world's poorest, most indebted countries. This agreement--known as Naples terms--represented the culmination of very substantial efforts by the UK, beginning with the Prime Minister's announcement of his Trinidad terms initiative in 1990, to reduce the debt service obligations of the world's poorest countries to manageable levels. Official creditors have been implementing Naples terms since the beginning of the year. So far 10 countries have had agreements from the Paris Club incorporating debt reduction up to 67 per cent; one of these--Uganda--has been given debt reduction in respect of all its eligible debt to official Paris Club creditors.
In order to put ECGD's trading accounts on to a more realistic footing, the amounts shown in the accounts as owing to the Consolidated Fund, in respect of account 1, will be reduced in line with the extent that debts are forgiven or abandoned; this will apply to both debt forgiveness under Paris Club arrangements, including debt forgiveness for Poland and Egypt, and debts on which recovery is to be abandoned because their further pursuit is no longer justified on grounds of value for money. This has resulted in a reduction of £1,030 million in the balance owed to the Consolidated Fund as at 31 March 1995. Further details are given in ECGD's 1994-95 annual report and trading accounts which are being published on 30 November.
Research Institutes
Mr. Robathan: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about forthcoming prior options reviews of institutes sponsored by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. [3071]
Mr. Ian Taylor: The Government announced on 29 September 1995 that all public sector research establishments would be subject to prior options reviews.
The BBSRC's arrangements for sponsoring the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Institute of Arable Crops Research, Silsoe Research Institute and the John Innes Centre will be reviewed immediately. Other research council research establishments will be reviewed in the course of 1996.
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