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Ambulance Service
Mr. Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS ambulance trusts are deemed to be rural services; which of these contain significantly sized urban areas; and, in each case, what is the latest percentage of emergency calls reached within (a) eight minutes, (b) 14 minutes and (c) 19 minutes, for (i) the trust as a whole, (ii) the urban areas and (iii) the rural areas. [19564]
Mr. Horam: Information on rural services and their response times can be found in "Statistical Bulletin on Patient Transport Services in England: 1994-95," copies of which have been placed in the Library.
Information on areas and response times within ambulance services is not available centrally, but may be available from local health authorities and ambulance services.
11 Mar 1996 : Column: 486
Mr. Barron:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many vehicles were in service with each NHS ambulance trust in each of the last three years; and, of these, how many were (a) emergency vehicles and (b) vehicles for non-emergency purposes; [19560]
Mr. Horam:
This information is not available centrally.
Mr. Barron:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of criterion-based dispatch systems for the prioritisation of emergency calls. [19512]
Mr. Horam:
We are still awaiting the final report of a research study commissioned from Sheffield university.
Mr. Bayley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time for cataract surgery was at York district hospital at the latest date for which figures are available and at the same date in each of the previous five years. [19610]
Mr. Horam:
Waiting time returns are collected centrally on a specialty basis and not by individual procedure. The number waiting by time band for elective admission in ophthalmology at York Health Services National Health Service Trust, and for York district health authority prior to 1992, are contained in "Hospital Waiting List Statistics: England", copies of which are available in the Library.
Mr. Redmond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what entitlements apply in respect of free chiropody services for (a) men and (b) ladies over the age of 60 years. [19351]
Mr. Bowis:
Whatever the age and sex of the patient, national health service services, including chiropody services, are available on the basis on clinical need.
Mr. Steinberg:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what conclusions his Department has reached in respect of the studies on the health effects of opencast mining referred to in his answer of 9 May 1995, Official Report, column 419. [19447]
Mr. Horam:
We are still in discussion with researchers about a proposal for research on this subject. We hope to reach a decision shortly.
Mr. Redmond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will hold centrally records of the number of emergency patients transported more than 50 miles to receive hospital treatment and of how many subsequently died; and if he will make a statement. [19348]
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Mr. Horam:
I have no such plans. Health authorities and hospital trusts are responsible for the health-care of national health service patients in each locality. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 6 March a programme of action on emergency care services.
Mr. Redmond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what notification has been received by his Department in respect of ward closures at (a) Doncaster royal infirmary and (b) Mexborough Montagu trust. [19633]
Dr. Lynne Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information is collated centrally in relation to the extra-contractual referral of patients needing acute psychiatric hospital care; and if he will make a statement. [19823]
Mr. Bowis:
No such information is collected centrally.
Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Prime Minister's letter to the hon. Member for Linlithgow of 8 January, what consideration he is giving to the evidence gained regarding stable iodine prophylaxis in the cause of World Health Organisation and European Union work in western European nuclear matters in relation to United Kingdom health service planning for radiological emergencies involving diseases such as thyroid cancer. [17910]
Mr. Horam:
The United Kingdom Health Departments are fully aware of the evidence arising from the World Health Organisation and European Union work as was stated in the reply by the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Balton, West Blaenau Gwent (Mr Smith) on 27 November 1995 at columns 523-24. This work is being taken into account in a revision of guidance to the national health service on planning for radiological emergencies, which is currently under way.
Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is the current average waiting time for men claiming refunds as a result of the recent European Court ruling on prescription charges for men aged 60 to 65 years before (a) decisions are made about eligibility and (b) the refunds are provided; [19197]
Mr. Malone:
A total of 187,000 claim forms have been issued by the prescription claims processing unit. Once completed claim forms have been received, the average time taken to assess entitlement and issue authorisation of payment is one month.
Administrative procedures have been kept as simple as possible and we expect 90 per cent. of payments to have been authorised by the end of March.
11 Mar 1996 : Column: 488
Mr. Parry:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prosecutions have occurred for the illegal employment of children in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [19336]
Mr. Bowis:
I understand that the number of defendants prosecuted under the relevant provisions of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 and the Education Act 1944 in the last three years for which statistics are available was as shown in the table.
(2) how many vehicles and of what type are (i) owned and (ii) leased by each NHS ambulance trust; and, for each type, how many are (a) less than one year old, (b) between one and three years old, (c) between four and seven years old and (d) eight or more years old. [19511]
(2) what measures have been taken to shorten the waiting time for men claiming refunds as a result of the recent European Court ruling on prescription charges for men aged 60 to 65 years. [19198]
| Offence Description/Legislation | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Causing or allowing person under 18 to go abroad to perform for profit [Children and Young Persons Act 1933 sections 25 and 26] | 1 | -- | 2 |
| Offences against the [Education Act 1944 sections 58 to 60] including offences against byelaws as to employment of children (except offences relating to mines, factories or workshops) | -- | 2 | 8 |
| Offences in connection with employment of children and young persons [Children and Young Persons Act 1933 sections 18 to 21 (section 18 as amended by the Children Act 1972)] | 12 | 5 | 3 |
| Causing or allowing children to take part in entertainments without licence [Children and Young Persons Act 1963 section 40(1)(a)] | |||
| Total | 13 | 7 | 13 |
Source:
Home Office.
| Date of hearing(35) | Informations laid |
|---|---|
| 1992-93 | 1 |
| 1993-94 | 8 |
| 1994-95 | 2 |
Notes:
(35) Years commencing 1 April.
(36) Provisional.
Source:
Health and Safety Executive.
Mr. Parry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy on child labour. [19298]
Mr. Bowis: We have a comprehensive legal system in place to protect the health, welfare and education of children who work.
Public Consultation
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what public consultation procedure a health
11 Mar 1996 : Column: 489
authority is required to undertake before using private facilities to provide care services previously available in hospital. [19366]
Mr. Malone: Health authorities are statutorily required to consult the relevant community health council on proposals which would result in substantial changes to local services.
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he has to monitor the delivery of undertakings given by health authorities during public consultation procedures on the closure or change of use of health facilities. [19367]
- (2) what mechanisms are available to the public to ensure the implementation of policy commitments given by a health authority during a public consultation process. [19368]
Mr. Malone: Progress on the development of new health facilities, or changes to them, is monitored by the NHS Executive. The public can raise any matters of concern direct with a health authority or through their community health council.
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