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Civil Servants (Company Directors)
Mr. Byers: To ask the Prime Minister which serving civil servants in his Department are presently directors of companies; and if he will indicate for each (a) the name of the company concerned and (b) if annual remuneration was (i) £1 to £5,000, (ii) £5,000 to £10,000 and (c) above £10,000. [18146]
The Prime Minister [holding answer 1 March 1996]: For these purposes, my office forms part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 6 March, Official Report, columns 250-51.
HEALTH
Dental Services
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been deregistered from their dentist since 1992 in each family health services authority area; and if he will make a statement. [17592]
Mr. Malone: This information will be placed in the Library.
GP Fundholders
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he issues to general practitioner fundholders on the appropriate use of savings. [17936]
Mr. Malone: Guidance on the use of fundholder savings is set out in HSG(95)46, copies of which are available in the Library.
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were, in each of the last five years (a) the total losses of fundholders, (b) the total savings and (c) the total net savings. [17935]
Mr. Malone: Information about fundholder efficiency savings and budget overspends is shown in the table. Figures for 1994-95 are not yet available.
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| Efficiency savings: | Budget overspends: | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | £ million | Per cent. of budgets set | £ million | Per cent. of budgets set |
| 1991-92 | 15 | 3.7 | 2 | 0.6 |
| 1992-93 | 28 | 3.5 | 10 | 1.2 |
| 1993-94 | 64 | 3.5 | 13 | 0.7 |
Source: Regional offices.
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimates he has made in each year of the net worth of general practitioners fundholders' assets. [19499]
Mr. Malone: None. All general practitioners, whether fundholding or not, are independent contractors to the national health service. Information is not therefore available about their assets.
"Patients not Paper"
Mr. Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many, and which, health service bodies have so far identified board level members with responsibility for implementing the recommendations of "Patients not Paper"; and what progress has been reported by them. [18795]
Mr. Malone: Each family health services authority in England and Wales has appointed a board level person responsible for implementing the recommendations of "Patients not Paper". In addition, all eight regional offices have appointed a lead individual responsible for co-ordinating the implementation of "Patients not Paper" throughout their region. Good progress towards introducing the recommendations on schedule has been reported from all regions. The key date for introduction of new forms is 1 July 1996.
NHS Medical Staff
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total number of (a) full-time and (b) part-time NHS medical staff in (i) 1993, (ii) 1994 and (iii) 1995. [18803]
Mr. Malone: Information for hospital and community health services doctors is available in "Hospital Medical Staff England Tables" for 1993 and 1994, and from "Public Health Medicine and Community Health Services Medical Staff England Tables" for 1993 and 1994.
Figures for general practitioners are available in "General Medical Services Statistics for England and Wales" 1993 and 1994.
Information for 1995 is not yet available.
Copies of the publications are available in the Library.
Mr. Redmond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons salaries are not paid to chairmen of continuing health care review panels. [18821]
Mr. Bowis:
It is not normal practice to pay salaries for appointments of this kind, but chairmen are entitled to receive reasonable expenses.
7 Mar 1996 : Column: 320
Mr. Wicks:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many, and which, health authorities are intending to use the Barthel index to determine eligibility for NHS continuing in-patient care from April 1996; and what score on the index is being used as the basis for eligibility in respect of each one. [19807]
Mr. Bowis:
This information is not available centrally; health authority policies and eligibility criteria are currently in the process of being finalised for operation from 1 April.
Mr. Pearson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons his Department did not implement the recommendation contained in paragraph 42 of the Tomlinson report. [18937]
Mr. Malone:
After consultation with the profession, we introduced a package of work force flexibilities in the London initiative zone in September 1995. Together with premises' flexibilities and their general medical services cash-limited allocations, this will enable health authorities and the profession locally to work together to improve services for patients.
Mr. Battle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS hospitals in (a) West Yorkshire and (b) Leeds are paying private sector hospitals to treat NHS patients; if he will list the hospitals; and what are the costs involved. [18962]
Mr. Horam:
This information is not available centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact chairmen of NHS trusts in West Yorkshire for details.
Mr. Denham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many local authorities are applying the same capital asset rules to means testing for domiciliary care and for residential care; and if he will publish a list of those authorities. [18965]
Mr. Bowis:
This information is not available centrally.
Mr. Pike:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the number of (a) GPs and (b) GP vacancies in each health authority area in England. [19256]
Mr. Malone:
The available information will be placed in the Library. Information on general practitioner vacancies is not available centrally.
Mr. Redmond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will hold centrally information on the proportion of NHS audit activity devoted to probity audits; and if he will make a statement. [19347]
Mr. Horam:
No. The examination of probity forms one part of the work carried out by internal and external auditors, and cannot readily be quantified.
7 Mar 1996 : Column: 321
Mr. Deva:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Islington, North (Mr. Corbyn) on 13 February, Official Report, column 798, what is the current average time that patients have to wait before being seen when attending the accident and emergency department at the Whittington Hospital NHS trust. [19609]
Mr. Malone:
At present, 95 per cent. of patients are seen within five minutes for triage assessment. The average waiting time to see a doctor in January 1996 was 65 minutes. Approximately 45 per cent. of patients were seen by a doctor within 30 minutes, 58 per cent. within 60 minutes, 78 per cent. within 120 minutes and 90 per cent. within 180 minutes. Children and patients needing urgent treatment are always given priority.
Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when the Licensing Authority expects to receive further data on myocardial infarction and third generation oral contraceptives; [19189]
(3) if he will publish the odds ratios relating to myocardial infarction and third generation oral contraceptives which were made available from the World Health Organisation and Spitzer studies to the Medicines Control Agency prior to the meeting of the Committee on Safety of Medicines on 13 October 1995. [19187]
Mr. Malone:
Preliminary data on myocardial infarction from the World Health Organisation case control study were made available to the Committee on Safety on Medicines on 13 October 1995. These data remain unpublished and were provided to the Medicines Control Agency in confidence. Limited data on myocardial infarction from the general practice research database were also available to the committee. Further data from the GPRD study and the findings of the transnational study have since become available, and have been published in the medical literature. Further epidemiological data on myocardial infarction are expected, but the time frame for their availability is currently unclear.
Mr. Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial contribution the Licensing Authority made to the costs of distributing the letter dated 26 October 1995 from the Family Planning Association which contained advice on the prescribing of combined oral contraceptives. [19188]
Mr. Malone:
The Medicines Control Agency covered the costs of printing and distribution of the letter to relevant health professionals.
Mr. Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what legal proceedings have been instituted against (a) the Licensing Authority, (b) the Medicines Control Agency, (c) Medicines Control Agency staff and (d) the
7 Mar 1996 : Column: 322
Committee on Safety of Medicines in connection with the recent advice from the Committee on Safety of Medicines on third generation oral contraceptives. [19192]
Mr. Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date Ministers in his Department were informed of potential safety concerns regarding third generation oral contraceptives. [19183]
Mr. Malone:
Ministers were informed of the preliminary findings of the World Health Organisation's case control study on 14 July 1995.
Mr. Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to monitor the effects on public health of the dissemination of the advice from the Committee on Safety of Medicines relating to third generation oral contraceptives. [19185]
Mr. Malone:
Information from a variety of sources is being monitored, including data on the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases, pregnancy and abortion.
(2) whether data on myocardial infarction risk from third generation oral contraceptives were made available to members of the Committee on Safety of Medicines on 13 October 1995; and from which studies that data were derived; [19186]
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