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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 6 December 1995
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Ferranti/ISC
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Attorney-General what information he has concerning the progress of inquiries, indictments and prosecutions in the United States of America in cases concerning the collapse of Ferranti/ISC. [4242]
The Solicitor-General: The Serious Fraud Office has been informed by the authorities in the USA that James Guerin was sentenced on 10 June 1992 to 15 years in prison. Since that date six other defendants have entered
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guilty pleas but have yet to be sentenced. Five of those defendants have entered co-operation agreements with the US Government in relation to a trial currently scheduled to commence in January 1996. Other defendants remain outside the jurisdiction of the US courts.
Crown Prosecution Service
Ms Janet Anderson: To ask the Attorney-General, what was the total staff establishment of the Crown Prosecution Service in England and Wales by each grade; and how many (a) in total and (b) from each grade were from an ethnic minority in (i) 1989 and (ii) 1995.[3651]
The Solicitor-General: Information of the ethnic origin of Crown Prosecution Service staff in each grade is not available for 1989. The earliest available comprehensive breakdown of staff in post by grade and ethnic origin is August 1991, following the Department's first ethnic monitoring survey of all staff. The tables therefore provide the total staff establishment and numbers of ethnic minority staff in each grades as at (i) 31 August 1991 and (ii) 30 September 1995.
| White | Ethnic minorities | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade | Total staff | Total returns | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Percentage return | ||
| Grade 1 to 6 | 254 | 213 | 209 | 98.1 | 4 | 1.9 | 83.9 | ||
| Grade 7 | 36 | 26 | 26 | 100.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 72.2 | ||
| PCP | 538 | 351 | 340 | 96.9 | 11 | 3.1 | 65.2 | ||
| SCP/SLA | 587 | 345 | 324 | 93.9 | 21 | 6.1 | 58.8 | ||
| CP | 410 | 225 | 207 | 92.0 | 18 | 8.0 | 54.9 | ||
| SEO/SIO | 116 | 90 | 90 | 100.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 77.6 | ||
| HEO/LIB | 310 | 249 | 244 | 98.0 | 5 | 2.0 | 80.3 | ||
| LTR | 116 | 34 | 30 | 88.2 | 4 | 11.8 | 29.3 | ||
| EO/SPS/TYPM/SM3 | 1,189 | 883 | 848 | 96.0 | 35 | 4.0 | 74.3 | ||
| AO/PS/SGB1 | 1,276 | 925 | 842 | 91.0 | 83 | 9.0 | 72.5 | ||
| AA/TYP/SGB2 | 814 | 577 | 525 | 91.0 | 52 | 9.0 | 70.9 | ||
| Total | 5,646 | 3,918 | 3,685 | 94.1 | 233 | 5.9 | 69.4 | ||
1. The figures for each grade includes staff on temporary promotion. 2. The figures for grade 1 to 6 were not broken down by individual grades in 1991.
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| White | Ethnic minorities | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade | Total staff | Total returns | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Percentage return | ||
| Grade 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 100.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 100.0 | ||
| Grade 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 100.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 100.0 | ||
| Grade 4 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 100.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 100.0 | ||
| Grade 5 | 42 | 41 | 40 | 97.6 | 1 | 2.4 | 97.6 | ||
| Grade 6 | 187 | 175 | 172 | 98.3 | 3 | 1.7 | 93.6 | ||
| Grade 7 | 44 | 39 | 38 | 97.4 | 1 | 2.6 | 88.6 | ||
| PCP | 545 | 459 | 445 | 96.9 | 14 | 3.1 | 84.2 | ||
| SCP/SLA | 1,255 | 1,040 | 950 | 91.3 | 90 | 8.7 | 82.9 | ||
| CP | 233 | 203 | 180 | 88.7 | 23 | 11.3 | 87.1 | ||
| SEO/SLA | 105 | 97 | 97 | 100.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 92.4 | ||
| HEO/LIB | 297 | 264 | 258 | 97.7 | 6 | 2.3 | 88.9 | ||
| LTR | 102 | 67 | 62 | 92.5 | 5 | 7.5 | 65.7 | ||
| EO/SPS/TYPM/SM3 | 1,327 | 1,207 | 1,130 | 93.6 | 77 | 6.4 | 91.0 | ||
| AO/PS/SGB1 | 1,430 | 1,260 | 1,130 | 89.7 | 130 | 10.3 | 88.1 | ||
| AO/TYP/SGB2 | 964 | 767 | 692 | 90.2 | 75 | 9.8 | 79.6 | ||
| Total | 6,550 | 5,638 | 5,213 | 92.5 | 425 | 7.5 | 86.1 | ||
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Private Finance Initiative
Mr. Betts: To ask the Attorney-General how much capital expenditure is forecast to be included in the private finance initiative for the current financial year and the next five financial years. [3838]
The Attorney-General: The Departments for which I am responsible have no capital expenditure included in the private finance initiative for the current financial year. Use of the PFI is considered for projects where appropriate. It is not possible to say how much expenditure is likely to be financed under the PFI over the next five years.
Mr. Betts: To ask the Attorney-General if he will list for each scheme so far agreed under the private finance initiative (a) capital and (b) revenue costs to public funds (i) under the PFI and (ii) estimated to have been incurred had the scheme been funded wholly within the public sector. [3805]
The Attorney-General: To date, the Law Officers' departments have not used the private finance initiative for the funding of any schemes. However, use of the PFI is being considered for future projects where appropriate.
PRIME MINISTER
Swiss Visit
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Prime Minister what was (a) the date and (b) the purpose of each visit paid by his predecessor to Switzerland between 1979 and 1990; and if he will list the engagements undertaken. [4361]
The Prime Minister: My predecessor has visited Switzerland on an official basis only once. She paid the first ever official visit to Switzerland by a British Prime Minister in office on 20-21 September 1990. The purpose of the visit was to discuss Swiss relations with the European Community, European Security Architecture and the Gulf crisis.
Scott Inquiry
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Prime Minister (1) what representations he has received from the Government of the United States concerning the Scott inquiry; [4360]
(2) what representations either written or oral he has received from the Government of Switzerland concerning the Scott inquiry; [4362]
(3) what representations he has received from the Government of Belgium, either orally or in writing, concerning the Scott inquiry. [4243]
The Prime Minister: As far as I am aware, none.
HEALTH
Influenza Vaccine
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many flu vaccinations have been given (a) so far this year and (b) in the same period last year. [3767]
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Mr. Horam: Information on the number of influenza vaccinations given at any point of time is not available. The total number of doses of influenza vaccine distributed so far this influenza season is just over 6 million. Comparable data for the previous year are not available, but 6.1 million doses were eventually distributed by the end of the 1994-95 influenza season.
Special Hospitals
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on the cost of care in medium secure units for patients discharged from special hospitals; and what are the arrangements for the financing of this continuing care; [356]
(2) how many patients from special hospitals are expected to be discharged in (a) 1995, (b) 1996 and (c) 1997; and how many of those are Birmingham residents; [3534]
(3) what impact the discharge of patients from special hospitals will have on the availability of places at Reaside medium secure unit. [3535]
Mr. Bowis: District health authorities are responsible for meeting the costs of care for special hospital patients who require continuing health care including care in conditions of medium security. The costs of such care will depend on the facilities provided and the clinical needs of the patient.
Information on the district of residence of special hospital patients and the anticipated number of discharges from the three special hospitals is not available centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact the chairman of the Special Hospitals Service Authority which is responsible for managing the special hospitals, about these matters.
The impact of special hospital discharges on medium secure units is a matter for consideration by the managers of each unit and the health authorities that purchase its services.
Ms Walley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by health authority region the number of (a) deaths from and (b) suspected cases of Creutzfeldt Jakob disease expected in each of the last five years. [3663]
Mr. Horam:
Information on the number of deaths and referrals in each regional health authority from 1 May 1990 to 30 November 1995 will be placed in the Library.
Ms Harman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has (a) commissioned (b) evaluated as to the effectiveness of alpha-interferon in the treatment of hepatitis C. [3760]
Mr. Horam:
The national health service standing group on health technology has identified the evaluation of the use of alpha-interferon in the treatment of hepatitis C as a top priority for research. The standing group's recommendations include work to assess the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of alpha-interferon in the early treatment of hepatitis C, and its use in the prevention of relapse. In addition the Medical Research Council, which
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receives its grant-in-aid from the office of my hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade, is currently considering a proposal for research on one particular aspect of the treatment of hepatitis C. My Department is also considering further research priorities relating to hepatitis C.
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