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Community Care
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for each unitary authority area and for Wales as a whole in 1996 prices the budget for community care (a) 1995-96 and (b) 1996-97. [12430]
Mr. Gwilym Jones: The information requested is not available. Local authorities' budget returns do not distinguish estimated expenditure on care in the community from expenditure on other social services. Local authorities have not yet set their budgets for 1996-97.
Osteoporosis
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what sums were earmarked for (a) the treatment of, and (b) publicity about, osteoporosis in (i) 1994 and (ii) 1995. [12992]
Mr. Richards: (a) This information is not available centrally. The responsibility for providing services for osteoporosis is a matter for district health authorities. (b) No Welsh Office funds were earmarked for publicity about osteoporosis in 1994 or 1995.
Mr. Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his policy concerning the identification and treatment of sufferers from osteoporosis. [12994]
Mr. Richards:
The responsibility for the assessment and provision of services for sufferers of osteoporosis is a matter for district health authorities in the light of local priorities and resources.
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Mr. Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of (a) the number of sufferers from osteoporosis and (b) the number of people treated for osteoporosis in Wales in each of the last three years. [12995]
Mr. Richards:
The information requested is not available centrally.
Mr. Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what additional promotional measures he plans in connection with osteoporosis. [12991]
Mr. Richards:
The Welsh Office does not at present have any specific plans for promotional measures aimed at reducing the impact of osteoporosis.
Mr. Beggs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which local authorities in Wales provide free transport to schools and colleges for pupils beyond the compulsory school-leaving age. [12894]
Mr. Richards:
The information requested is not available centrally.
Mr. Barry Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his policy concerning safety and security and the prevention of accidents in homes for the elderly. [13183]
Mr. Richards:
The Health and Safety Executive is responsible for developing and providing guidance on health and safety standards nationally and for the enforcement of health and safety legislation in all nursing homes and in residential homes owned by local authorities. Local authority environmental health departments are responsible for enforcement in private and voluntary residential homes.
Under the Registered Homes Act 1984 local authority social services departments are responsible for the registration of residential homes and health authorities are responsible for the registration of nursing homes.
Mr. John Morris:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much money has so far been expended on the site proposed for the Baglan hospital; and which body is bearing the interest charges for costs incurred. [13733]
Mr. Richards:
West Glamorgan health authority has invested £5.1 million in the acquisition and initial preparation of land at Baglan moors. The funds were allocated as part of the authority's capital allocation and, as such, do not attract interest charges.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what considerations have led him to take the view that sheep in the area of north Wales hitherto restricted post-Chernobyl are now fit for human consumption. [13679]
Mr. Gwilym Jones:
Statutory restrictions are in place to prevent sheepmeat containing levels of radiocaesium in excess of 1,000 Becquerels per kilogram from entering the
8 Feb 1996 : Column: 339
food chain. A continuing assessment programme enables suitable areas affected by restrictions to be identified for an intensive monitoring survey to determine the level of radiocaesium activity in the sheep grazing there.
When it can be shown, following intensive monitoring at the time of year when levels of activity are expected to be at their peak, that residual radioactivity has declined to acceptable levels restrictions may be removed from that area.The latest removal of restrictions form part of the north Wales restricted area follows the successful outcome of such an assessment.
Mr. Barry Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the shortfall of junior doctors in each of the health districts in Wales. [13810]
Mr. Richards:
The Department has been discussing with NHS trusts what action can be taken to address the problems arising from a shortage of junior doctors in some specialities. Information on the extent of the shortfall in each health district in Wales can be provided by individual trusts and is not held centrally.
Mr. Miller:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list all cases where spare computer capacity has been sold to other Departments since 1987, giving the Department and value of each contract. [14074]
Mr. Hague:
There are no cases in which the Welsh Office has sold spare computer capacity to other Departments.
Mr. Morgan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 2 February, Official Report, column 980, if the sale proceeds of the existing Welsh Health Common Services Authority stores will be available for meeting (a) redundancy costs of existing authority employees in the procurement section, (b) costs of removal of the contracts division from Crickhowell house and (c) other restructuring costs. [14270]
Mr. Hague:
Proceeds from the sale of stores will be available to meet restructuring and redundancy costs associated with the market test of materials management. The location of the contracting staff is a separate matter and is for the authority to decide.
Mr. Morgan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 1 February, Official Report, column 898, if he will list the date and means by which his predecessor's decision to privatise the EstateCare group of the Welsh Health Common Services Authority was (a) first formulated and (b) communicated to (i) NHS trusts and (ii) others with an interest; and if he will make a statement. [14272]
Mr. Hague:
My Department wrote to health authorities and NHS trusts on 11 April 1994 letting them know that the privatisation of the EstateCare group was under consideration. Detailed proposals were subsequently
8 Feb 1996 : Column: 340
drawn up by the Welsh Health Common Services Authority with the involvement of health authorities and NHS trusts.
Mr. Alan W. Williams:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce into NHS hospital trusts annual information on (a) the percentage for re-admission after treatment, (b) the number of patients who get infections and (c) the number of times the hospital has been closed to emergency admission. [13230]
Mr. William O'Brien:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will review the policy of payment of NHS pensions to employees who are certified as long-term sick and unable to return to their employment with the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [13564]
Mr. Malone:
The purpose of the national health service pension scheme is to provide pension benefits to employees on retirement. I am satisfied that it should continue to be the case. Where satisfactory independent medical opinion states that he or she is permanently incapable of efficiently discharging the duties of his or her employment an employee shall be entitled to an ill health retirement pension.
Mr. Thurnham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for each English local authority the amount currently charged for inter-country adoption home studies. [13477]
Mr. Bowis:
This information is not available centrally.
Mr. Harvey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health who legally owns assets bought from fundholding savings; and if he will make a statement. [13720]
Mr. Malone:
It depends on the use to which the savings have been put. For example, if equipment was bought for use in a trust, ownership would probably be with the trust; if the savings were used for developments in the practice, ownership would probably be with the practice.
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