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Convention of Scottish Local Authorities
Mr. Norman Hogg: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met councillor Rosemary McVenna CBE JP, president of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities; and what subjects were discussed. [2545]
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 27 November 1995]: I last met Councillor Rosemary McKenna and other representatives of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on 10 November as part of the normal consultation on local government finance matters. During this meeting, a number of matters affecting local government in Scotland were discussed including the 1996-97 local government finance settlement and reorganisation finance issues.
WALES
Breast Cancer
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what action he is taking to initiate further research into the incidence of breast cancer in Wales; [1147]
(2) what action he is taking to ensure that all patients with breast cancer have equal access to high quality care. [1148]
Mr. Richards: In April, my right hon. Friend announced plans for improving cancer care services in Wales based on the report of the chief medical officers of England and Wales--"A Policy Framework for Commissioning Cancer Services".
The report recognised that it is essential for all patients with cancer, including those with breast cancer, to have access to high quality, safe and effective care.
An expert group on cancer services, chaired by Professor Ian Cameron, provost of the university of Wales college of medicine, was established earlier this year to
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assist health authorities in Wales to implement the recommendations of the chief medical officers' report. It has already started work on identifying how effective services for all cancer patients should be provided and will report in 1996.
International comparisons suggest that differences in the rates observed between countries and regions are due to a mixture of social, environmental and genetic factors. For this reason, the Department considers that basic research into how and why breast cancer develops is more likely to be of benefit in terms of treatment and prevention than an attempt to establish why exactly breast cancer rates vary from region to region.
Mrs. Clywd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish comparative statistics for Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland on the incidence and mortality rates from breast cancer. [1144]
Mr. Richards:
Information on deaths from cancer is published separately in the annual reports by the registrars general for Scotland and Northern Ireland, and by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys for England and Wales.
Information on cancer registrations for Scotland is given in "Cancer Registrations: Scotland", published by the Scottish Common Health Service Authority; for Northern Ireland in "Cancer Registration", published by the Department of Health and Social Security; in "Cancer Registrations: Wales", published by the Wales cancer registry; and in the series "Cancer Statistics: Registrations" by the OPCS.
Copies of these publications are available in the Library of the House.
Mrs. Ewing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many deaths in each of the past five years are attributable to the abuse of Temazepam in each district health authority in Wales. [1508]
Mr. Richards:
The table shows the number of deaths recorded in "The Office of Population Censuses and Surveys" due to temazepam abuse, alone or with other drugs--ICDs 1 304.1, 304.7, 304.8, 305.4, 305.9--by year of occurrence and district health authority for the latest five year period available.
| Residents of: | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clwyd | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| East Dyfed | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Pembrokeshire | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gwent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gwynedd | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mid Glamorgan | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powys | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| South Glamorgan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| West Glamorgan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total for Wales | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
(12) International Classification of Diseases, Injuries and Causes of Death (9th revision).
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Cancer Research
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what financial contribution the Government are making directly to cancer research; and how much is contributed by charities in respect of Wales. [1146]
Mr. Richards: The Government are committed to encouraging research into the causes, prevention, early detection and treatment of all cancers.
The main agency through which the Government support biomedical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council, which received Government funding from the office of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. The council spent £13.5 million directly on research into cancer in 1992-93. This figure would rise considerably if a proportion of the council's spend on basic medical research that could yield results relevant to cancer were included.
Charities, including the Imperial Cancer Research Fund and the Cancer Research Campaign, play a major role in cancer research. In 1992-93 they spent £114.8 million. Information is not held centrally on the contributions made by charities in respect of Wales.
Mrs. Anne Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what were the indicative contributions to the EU budget in respect of research and development for his Department in 1993-94. [1918]
Mr. Hague:
Table 2.1 of the "Statistical Supplement to the Forward Look of Government-funded Science, Engineering and Technology" contains indicative figures for the United Kingdom's contributions to the EC budget in respect of research and development. My Department does not have any policy responsibilities for Community research and development expenditure.
Mr. Rowlands:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the membership of the technical group advising him on the distribution of RECHAR II money in south Wales. [2116]
Mr. Gwilym Jones:
Welsh Office officials are currently consulting the industrial south Wales monitoring committee on the membership of the RECHAR II technical group.
Mr. Rowlands:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the amount available to south Wales under the RECHAR II programme; and what consultations he has held on the distribution of these funds. [2115]
Mr. Jones:
Some 20.21 mecu--£16.8 million at current exchange rates--will be available to the mining communities of south wales under the RECHAR II programme over the period 1994-97. Welsh Office officials are currently consulting the industrial south wales monitoring committee on how these moneys are to be administered.
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish for each family health service authority and for Wales as a whole (a) the number of general practitioner practices and (b) the number of
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practices known to operate an out-of-hours system similar to that operated by the association of Gwent doctors on call. [2314]
Mr. Richards:
The number of general practitioner partnerships and single-handed practitioners for each family health services authority in Wales as at 1 April 1995 was as follows:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Clwyd | 73 |
| Dyfed | 65 |
| Gwent | 91 |
| Gwynedd | 52 |
| Mid Glamorgan | 104 |
| Powys | 18 |
| South Glamorgan | 72 |
| West Glamorgan | 63 |
| Wales | 538 |
The organisation of out-of-hours services is a matter for individual FHSAs, and information is not held centrally.
Executive Agencies (Travel)
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for each of his executive agencies for the last financial year in respect of overseas travel by staff of the agency (a) the cost, (b) the countries visited and (c) the posts held by the staff involved. [2362]
Mr. Hague: For Cadw, the Welsh Historic Monuments executive agency, responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the chief executive, Mr. T. J. Cassidy. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
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