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School Mergers
Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many schools in England have (a) closed and (b) merged for each year since 1979, giving the totals for (i) primary, (ii) secondary and (iii) special schools. [15344]
Mr. Robin Squire [holding answer 15 February 1996]: This question could be answered in the form in which it is asked only at disproportionate cost.
In January 1979 there were 21,309 primary schools, 4,606 secondary schools and 1,489 special schools in the maintained sector. In January 1995 these figures had dropped to 18,551, 3,614 and 1,218 respectively.
Mortgages
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Eduction and Employment how many heads of household below retirement age and available for work have mortgages. [14300]
Mr. Clappison: I have been asked to reply.
The latest estimate for England is that 7,540,000 heads of household who are below retirement age, and were either in employment or seeking and available for work, have mortgages. This estimate is from the 1994-95 Survey of English Housing and is subject to sampling error.
HEALTH
Bed Closures
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds were closed in 1995 in (a) Consett, (b) Sunderland, (c) Grimsby, (d) Good Hope, (e) West Middlesex and (f) Newham general hospitals. [14652]
Mr. Horam: Details of bed closures are not held centrally. Since the beginning of this year an extra 10 beds have been opened in Consett, 26 in Sunderland, 17 in Grimsby, 24 in Good Hope, 12 in West Middlesex and 32 in Newham general hospital.
Dental Health
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the mean number of decayed, missing or filled teeth in five-year-olds in each health authority in each of the last five years; and what are the latest available figures. [14766]
Mr. Malone:
Tables setting out the mean number of decayed, missing and filled teeth of five-year-old children in each health authority in 1991-92 and 1993-94 will be placed in the Library. The 1993-94 figures are the latest available.
16 Feb 1996 : Column: 738
Mr. Redmond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what grounds his Department will pay the libel costs of the defendants in the Kirby-Harris libel case. [14661]
Mr. Malone:
The Department agreed to make an ex-gratia payment towards the legal costs of the parties on the grounds that bringing the proceedings to an end before further costs were incurred represented the best value for money. This decision was based on legal advice that very substantial costs, in excess of the costs paid, might fall to be paid by the Cornwall Healthcare NHS Trust out or resources which should be used for the health-care of the people of Cornwall.
Mr. Frank Field:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to publish the review of renal care in the United Kingdom. [15470]
Mr. Horam:
The national review of renal services, which was completed at the end of 1994, covered only England. I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Davyhulme (Mr. Churchill) on 8 February 1996, Official Report, column 348.
Sir Terence Higgins:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) to what extent each of the former district health authorities in West Sussex is currently underfunded in both cash and percentage terms in (a) the current financial year and (b) 1996-97; and what is the level of underfunding of the two most underfunded health authorities elsewhere in the United Kingdom; [15404]
Mr. Horam:
The planned 1996-97 allocations will bring all health authorities within the former South Thames regional health authority within 5 per cent. of their weighted capitation targets.
For 1996-97 there is only a single planned weighted capitation target for the new West Sussex health authority and it is under target by 4.8 per cent. or £15.8 million. In 1996-97 the two most under-target health authorities in England are South Essex at 7.7 per cent. or £22.8 million and North Essex at 6.4 per cent. or £23.0 million.
In 1995-96 Mid Downs was 5.7 per cent. or £6.1 million below target Chichester 7.9 per cent. or £6.5 million and Worthing 13.0 per cent. or £15.7 million.
Mr. Milburn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what monitoring of the ethnic origin of staff is being undertaken by national health service employers; and what reports he intends to publish based on that information; [15668]
16 Feb 1996 : Column: 739
(3) what measures are in hand to monitor the steps being taken by trusts to improve equal opportunities under the enabling agreements recently introduced in the national health service. [15666]
Mr. Malone:
I attach great importance to achieving equality of opportunity for all staff in the NHS. Information on the ethnic origin of NHS employees is collected annually and published in the Department of Health Statistical Bulletin for "NHS Hospital and Community Health Services Non-Medical Staff in England", which will be placed in the Library shortly and separately for "NHS Medical and Dental Staff", also issued annually, copies of which are available in the Library.
I have taken seriously the issues raised by the Policy Studies Institute report on "Nursing in a Multi-Ethnic NHS" and refer the hon. Member to the reply that my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State gave to the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) on 18 January 1996, Official Report, column 687.
The enabling agreements of the General Whitley Council are for management and staff to implement locally in accordance with particular local needs. I have no plans to monitor these arrangements.
However, the NHS Executive's director of human resources recently reminded NHS chief executives and general managers--in EL(96)4--of their personal responsibility for progressing equal opportunities issues.
Mr. Milburn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he intends to take following the recent industrial tribunal case McCarthy v. British Nursing Association. [15667]
Mr. Malone:
This matter does not concern a national health service employee. However, the NHS Executive is strongly committed to equal opportunities in NHS employment and will be studying the consequences for the NHS of any further legal action in this case.
Mr. Milburn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the position of asylum seekers needing advice or treatment from national health service health care staff.[15669]
Mr. Horam:
Asylum seekers can seek advice or treatment from national health service health care staff on the same basis as other individuals.
Mr. Milburn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many judicial reviews of community care policy there have been since 1 April 1993; [15475]
(3) what has been the cost of each judicial review of community care policy since 1 April 1993; [15477]
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(4) how many requests for judicial reviews of community care policies have been turned down since 1 April 1993. [15478]
Mr. Bowis:
This information is not available centrally.
Mr. Milburn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what data his Department collects about the relocation expenses paid by national health service employers. [15663]
Mr. Malone:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 8 March 1995, Official Report, column 242.
Mr. Milburn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when will he publish the Bill outlining changes to adoption law. [15670]
Mr. Bowis:
A draft of the proposed Adoption Bill will be issued shortly in the form of a consultation document.
Mr. Milburn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his Department's policy to disqualify organisations that commit acts of race discrimination from being contractors with the national health service. [15664]
Mr. Horam:
All national health service contractors are expected to comply with their statutory obligations under the Race Relations Act 1976 or any enactment relating to discrimination in employment, and to take reasonable steps to secure their observance by staff or agents employed in the performance of any NHS contract. Where a contractor is in serious or continuing breach of this requirement in a particular case, without taking remedial action, the NHS trust or authority concerned has the option of disqualification or termination, depending on the local circumstances of the case.
(2) what plans he has to implement his policy of ensuring that from 1 April 1996 all health authorities in the South Thames region will be broadly within 5 per cent. of their target share. [15402]
(2) what measures are planned to monitor the steps taken by national health service employers in respect of levels of race discrimination following the Policy Studies Institute report, "Nursing in a Multi-Racial Society", commissioned by his Department; [15665]
(2) how many judicial reviews of community care policy have been applied for since 1 April 1993; [15476]
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