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Road Traffic Act Charges
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to review the procedure for trusts being reimbursed for the treatment of patients injured in road traffic accidents. [4343]
Mr. Horam: The level of charges is periodically reviewed.
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total amount of claims made by all NHS hospitals in real terms under section 157 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 in each of the last five years; and what estimate he has made of the relationship between the amount claimed and the amount that could be claimed if all claims were submitted by every trust. [4341]
Mr. Horam: Information on the number of claims is not available centrally. All national health service hospitals are empowered to collect charges under section 157 of the Road Traffic Act 1988.
Intensive Care Units
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the number of high dependency units and intensive care units in each NHS region in each of the last five years. [4340]
Mr. Horam: This information is not available centrally.
Colostomy Bags
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to restrict the present list of colostomy bags available on the NHS or their availability on the NHS or their availability free of charge to patients. [4347]
Mr. Malone: None. People who have a permanent fistula are exempt from prescription charges, and this includes people who use colostomy bags.
Road Traffic Accidents
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the total cost to the NHS in each of the last five years of treating patients with injuries resulting from road traffic accidents. [4342]
6 Dec 1995 : Column: 225
Mr. Horam: This information is not available.
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were treated in each of the last five years for injuries caused by road traffic accidents. [4344]
6 Dec 1995 : Column: 226
Mr. Horam: The information available centrally is shown in the table. This information covers only admissions to hospital.
| 1989-90 | 1990-91 | 1991-92 | 1992-93 | 1993-94 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary admissions | 36,214 | 34,532 | 26,229 | 30,056 | 29,783 |
| Day cases | 258 | 288 | 221 | 237 | 325 |
Source: Hospital Episode Statistics.
6 Dec 1995 : Column: 225
Ultrasound
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of hospitals do not use ultrasound scans while carrying out amniocentesis on pregnant women. [4338]
Mr. Horam: This information is not available centrally.
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the miscarriage risk of amniocentesis (a) with and (b) without ultrasound; and if he will make a statement. [4339]
Mr. Horam: The Department has not made any estimates of the miscarriage risk with or without ultrasound of amniocentesis.
This is a clinical matter and as such a matter for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. The Department of Health has asked the RCOG to consider this issue.
Health Information Services
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on the issue of HSG(92)91 to health authorities; and what information is to be collated by this guidance; [4232]
(2) what information is retained by his Department in respect of HSG(92)91; [4233]
(3) if the appropriate bodies within the national health service have supplied the information they are obliged to under HSG(92)91; and what action his Department has taken in respect of those authorities not complying with this guidance. [4234]
Mr. Horam: HSG(92)21, issued in March 1992, required regional health authorities to establish a health information service for the public in their region from 1 April 1992, accessible by an 0345 telephone line. In January 1993, these regional services became the national health information service, accessible by the public through an 0800 telephone line. All regional health authorities established a service and continue to run them as required by the guidelines.
The health information service is required to provide information about local services, patients charter standards, waiting times, common diseases and conditions, how to complain about NHS services and maintaining and improving health.
The Department holds information about the cost of and numbers of calls to the health information service.
6 Dec 1995 : Column: 226
Revised guidelines, HSG(95)44, issued on 18 September 1995, supersede HSG(92)21 and should be implemented by health authorities from April 1996.
Ms Coffey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice he has given to representatives of placing local authorities about communicating concerns about poor practice in unregistrable children's homes to area local authorities. [4283]
Mr. Bowis:
LAC(93)16, copies of which are available in the Library, advises that authorities placing children in homes in a different area must inform the geographical authority about the placement and that authority should inform themselves about the welfare of those children.
The guidance "Working Together Under the Children Act 1989" issues to local authorities advises that where abuse by a member of staff in a children's home is suspected the local social services department should be informed immediately.
Mr. Donohoe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many ministerial visits have been undertaken by each Minister in his Department between 6 July and 1 December; and how many and what percentage of these have involved the Minister travelling abroad. [4235]
| Total number of visits | Total number of visits abroad | Visits abroad as a percentage of total number of visits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secretary of State for Health | 14 | Nil | -- |
| Minister of State for Health: Mr Malone | 24 | 1 | 4.2 |
| Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State: Mr. Sackville/Mr. Horam | 27 | 1 | 3.7 |
| Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State: Mr. Bowis OBE | 32 | 1 | 3.1 |
| Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State: Baroness Cumberlege CBE | 35 | Nil | -- |
6 Dec 1995 : Column: 227
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Legal Aid
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the total amount paid in legal aid; what was the total amount of (a) individual recipients and (b) other recipients in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [4039]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: Unfortunately, in the time available, it has not proved possible to collate the required data. I shall write to the hon. and learned Member as soon as possible.
Bailiffs
Mr. Steen: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will introduce powers to prevent bailiffs from seizing assets in excess of 1000 per cent. of the original debt. [3467]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: A debtor aggrieved by irregularity in the execution of a warrant, which can include excessive seizure, has a right to sue for damages. Further regulation of bailiffs is being considered in the context of the review of the organisation and management of civil enforcement agents.
Financial Penalties (Enforcement)
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the working group on the enforcement of financial penalties was set up by his Department; what were its terms of reference; and who constitutes the membership. [3431]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: The first meeting of the working group on the enforcement of financial penalties was on 19 May 1995. Its terms of reference are urgently to identify ways of improving the enforcement of financial penalties, including fines, compensation orders and confiscation orders, so as to reduce the level of financial penalties in arrears and the level of write-offs, and in particular: to establish the true level and nature of financial penalties in arrears; to promote the identification and wider application of "good practice" in the enforcement of financial penalties, taking note as appropriate of the work of the inspectorate in this area; to recommend procedural, administrative or legislative changes which would improve the enforcement of financial penalties; and to conduct or sponsor further research, if necessary, into the enforcement of financial penalties.
The membership is as specified in the written answer of 19 July 1995, Official Report, column 1300, except for the addition since that date of a representative of the metropolitan stipendiary magistrates.
Dr. Jones:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department on how many occasions a warrant of distress under section 76 of the Magistrates' Courts Act 1980 was applied for in the case of those defendants who were jailed for fine default during 1994. [3439]
Mr. Evans:
The information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
6 Dec 1995 : Column: 228
Dr. Jones:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department on how many occasions an application was made to the High Court or county court for enforcement under section 87 of the Magistrates' Courts Act 1980, in cases of those defendants who were jailed for fine default during 1994. [3440]
Mr. Evans:
The information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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