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Sheffield Hospitals
Sir Irvine Patnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospitals have been closed or are to be closed in the Sheffield area; what sums are expected to be raised from the sales for development; how much of this will be returned to the successor hospitals; and if he will make a statement. [7594]
Mr. Horam: In the Sheffield area three hospitals have closed since 1990, including King Edward VII hospital, St. George's hospital and Fulwood hospital.
It is anticipated that, with the rationalisation programme of future health care provision, a further four hospitals may close wholly or in part; including Lodge Moor, Jessops, Middlewood and Nether Edge hospitals.
It is not possible at this time accurately to identify what sums are expected to be raised from the sales of those hospitals. However, the amount of reinvestment directed into health care services for Sheffield is expected to be substantially more than sale proceeds will realise.
Ms Harman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made by his Department on implementing the plans made as a result of the review of intensive care for children undertaken by regional health authorities to achieve a national service; and if he will make a statement. [7326]
Mr. Bowis:
Health authorities are responsible for implementing these plans through contracts with hospitals providing appropriate facilities. To assist, the Department is collaborating with 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, on research to identify the optimum size and distribution of a national network of paediatric intensive care units.
Mr. MacShane:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total number of workplace injuries, and other work-related medical complaints and deaths for each of the last 10 years. [7316]
Sir Paul Beresford:
The table shows the total number of fatal and other injuries in all industries reported to all health and safety enforcing authorities between 1986-87 and 1994-95.
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| < | Fatal | Major injuries | Over three-day injuries | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Employees | Self Employed | Members of the public | Employees | Self employed | Members of the public | Employers | Self employed |
| 1986-87 | 355 | 52 | 92 | 20,695 | 690 | 14,575 | 159,011 | 1,029 |
| 1987-88 | 361 | 84 | 113 | 20,057 | 867 | 12,880 | 159,852 | 1,159 |
| 1988-89 | (14)529 | 80 | 121 | 19,944 | 1,152 | 12,614 | 163,119 | 1,503 |
| 1989-90 | 370 | 105 | (15)206 | 20,396 | 1,310 | 11,378 | 165,244 | 1,865 |
| 1990-91 | 346 | 87 | 139 | 19,896 | 1,326 | 9,981 | 160,811 | 2,077 |
| 1991-92 | 297 | 71 | 105 | 17,597 | 1,101 | 11,009 | 152,506 | 1,832 |
| 1992-93 | 276 | 63 | 113 | 16,938 | 1,115 | 10,669 | 141,147 | 2,136 |
| 1993-94 | 245 | 51 | 107 | 16,705 | 1,274 | 11,552 | 134,928 | 2,531 |
| 1994-95(13) | 190 | 73 | 118 | 16,503 | 1,291 | 11,298 | 135,940 | 2,846 |
(13) Provisional.
(14) Data includes the 167 fatalities of the Piper Alpha disaster, 6 July 1988.
(15) Data includes the 95 fatalities to members of the public in the Hillsborough disaster, 15 April 1989.
HSE gets to know of virtually all workplace deaths. However, non-fatal injuries are subject to under reporting. HSE included a set of questions in the 1993-94 and the 1994-95 Labour Force Surveys (LFS) to establish the true levels of workplace injury. The results of the surveys show that just over 40 per cent. of non fatal injuries to employees are reported.
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Sewers (Rodent Infestation)
Mr. Spearing: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent studies have been made concerning the volume of rodent infestation of sewers and its impact on public health. [7122]
Mr. Clappison: I have been asked to reply.
No national studies have been undertaken into the level of rats in sewers. However, all sewerage undertakers have programmes to control and reduce the number of rats in their systems. The scale of the problem of rat infestation is generally considered to be static or declining in some areas.
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Citizens Charter Unit
Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what criteria are used to measure the success of the citizens charter unit. [6896]
Mr. Willetts: The key criterion is improvement in the standards and responsiveness of public services. A full account of this is set out in "The Citizen's Charter: The Facts and Figures", Cm 2970.
Mr. Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the responsibilities of the citizens charter unit. [6894]
Mr. Willetts: The unit works with the Prime Minister's advisory panel on the citizens charter and aims to improve the standard and responsiveness of public services. Its main tasks are:
- (i) promoting use of Charters.quality improvement through workshops, conferences, support to local Charter Quality Networks, Charter News;
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(ii) advising services on Charters;
(iii) running the annual Charter Mark awards scheme and associated Charter Mark nomination scheme;
(iv) monitoring and reporting progress through the Charter White Paper and other means.
Mr. Willetts: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce) on 12 December 1995, Official Report, column 634.
"Charter News"
Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what has been the cost per issue of (a) the production and (b) the distribution of "Charter News" since its inception. [6895]
Mr. Willetts: The average production cost for issues 1 to 9 of "Charter News" was £43,632.14. The average distribution cost for issues 1 to 8 was £28,823.14. The distribution cost for issue 9 is not yet available.
Private Finance Initative
Mr. Betts: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will provide a breakdown of administration costs incurred to date and forecast for the future on PFI work. [5714]
Mr. Freeman: Costs incurred by the Cabinet Office, including the Office of Public Service, HMSO and Central Office of Information directly identifiable to PFI administration are negligible. The Department is undertaking a procurement exercise for the upgrade of the Government's metropolitan telecommunications service,
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for which overall project development and procurement costs are estimated at around £250,000, and private finance options are being considered.
Local Government Enforcement Review
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what action the Government are taking in response to the local government enforcement review published last year. [7952]
Mr. Freeman: The then President of the Board of Trade and the Secretary of State for the Environment commissioned the local government enforcement review on 17 January 1994. Its remit was to look at the scope for improving co-ordination and reducing inconsistencies in the way legislation is enforced by local authorities. This follows concerns about burdens on business raised by the business deregulation task forces chaired by Lord Sainsbury.
The report of the review team was published on 30 September 1994. It identified examples of existing best practice which might be more widely adopted by local authorities, including means of making enforcement more transparent, providing guidance, and encouraging flexibility. Relevant organisations including local authorities, business and professional bodies were consulted. Some 150 replies were received and carefully considered. There was broad support for the report's recommendations.
The Government's conclusions in response to the review are as follows:
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The Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994, which received Royal Assent after the local government enforcement review was published, takes the review's recommendations further in two areas:
The Government welcome the fact that the local authority associations have responded to the review by commissioning the production of a guide to good practice in local authority enforcement, accepting many of the recommendations of the review including the setting and publishing of clear and fair enforcement policies and complaints procedure; communicating effectively with business about requirements imposed by legislation; and involving business in the enforcement process generally, in a spirit of co-operation designed to reduce the need for heavy-handed enforcement. Work on the guide is underway, and the Government look forward to final publication with great interest.
The Government agree that the review's recommendation that local authority officials be consulted at an early stage about proposed new EC laws which will have an impact on local authority enforcement. The Government accept that this should also be the practice for United Kingdom legislation-- as it frequently is. Local business partnerships, which promote a dialogue between business and enforcement officers, have an important part to play by extending this consultation process to the business community who ultimately have to fulfil the requirements of the legislation.
Section 5 of the Act enables Ministers to introduce into existing legislation requirements which the review proposed as good practice. This includes a requirement for enforcement officers to provide a written explanation of any remedial action suggested, what action is necessary and why with a chance to make representation, and to provide details of the mechanisms for appealing against the enforcement action.
Section 6 of the Act provides for the introduction of a model appeals mechanism which will be available for take-up by Departments, which should provide a quicker, simpler and less
expensive way for business to challenge decisions when other means of resolving the difference of views have been exhausted.
The review also made recommendations concerning co-ordination by different local enforcement departments of inspection visits they make on business. These were echoed by similar recommendations in the September 1995 deregulation task force report, which have been accepted by Ministers. The Cabinet Office deregulation unit will discuss with central Government Departments and with enforcers how best these recommendations might be taken forward.
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