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WALES
Private Health Diagnosis
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairmen of Welsh health authorities and trusts concerning the efficacy of the guidelines for private practice diagnosis followed by NHS treatment; what recent representations he has received concerning the level of private practice diagnosis preceding NHS treatment; what statistics he has collated on the trend in such patterns of procedure; what assessment he has made of its impact on NHS waiting lists and times; and if he will make a statement. [25393]
Mr. Hague: None. It is for the management of NHS trusts to ensure that consultants have agreed up-to-date job plans which set out their fixed commitments and other responsibilities to the NHS, and that the rules regarding private work are observed.
Further and Higher Education
Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what were the staff-to-student ratios in further education in Wales in (a) 1980-81, (b) 1994-95 and (c) on the latest data for which figures are available; [26469]
- (2) what was the staff-to-student ratios in higher education in Wales in (i) 1980-81 (ii) 1994-95 and (iii) the latest date for which figures are available. [26476]
Mr. Richards: Full information is not available for the years requested. Information for the earliest and latest years available is shown in the following table.
| Academic year | 1980-81 | 1982-83 | 1993-94 |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Wales(17) | 6.2 | 6.1 | 9.0 |
| Other Higher Education(18) | 8.1 | 8.8 | 16.7 |
| Further Education | 8.1 | 9.2 | 14.1 |
(17)As at December of each year.
(18)Includes higher education provision at further education institutions.
Source:
Universities Statistical Record and the Welsh Office Annual Monitoring Survey.
Mr. Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the institutions of Welsh higher education categorised by their financial status as determined by the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales. [26470]
26 Apr 1996 : Column: 320
Mr. Richards: Information about the financial status of individual institutions is a confidential matter between the individual institutions and the funding council. Nine institutions are currently designated as being in a satisfactory financial position, four are marginal; and one is unsatisfactory.
Mr. Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list in (a) cash and (b) real terms the capital funding of Welsh higher education institutions in 1993-94, 1994-95 and 1995-96 and indicate in (i) cash and (ii) real terms the amount of capital funding per student. [26472]
Mr. Richards: The amount of capital funding for Welsh higher education institutions in 1993-94, 1994-95 and 1995-96 in cash and real terms was as follows:
| 1993-94 | 1994-95 | 1995-96
| Cash | November 1994 prices | Cash | November 1994 prices | Cash | November 1994 prices
| 21.534 | 21.930 | 30.893 | 30.893 | 25.297 | 24.620
| | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The amount of capital funding per student is as follows:
| 1993-94 | 1994-95 | 1995-96
| Cash | November 1994 prices | Cash | November 1994 prices | Cash | November 1994 prices
| 376 | 383 | 493 | 493 | 392 | 382
| | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr. Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of Stew for Wales if he will list in (a) cash and (b) real terms the amount of capital funding he plans to make available over the next three years and indicate in (i) cash and (ii) real terms the amount of capital funding per student in each of these years. [26473]
Mr. Richards: The indicative capital allocation for higher education for 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99 in cash and real terms is as follows:
| 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-99
| Cash | November 1994 prices | Cash | November 1994 prices | Cash | November 1994 prices
| 23.681 | 22.430 | 21.158 | 19.552 | 14.538 | 13.139
| | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The amount of capital funding per student is as follows:
| 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-99
| Cash | November 1994 prices | Cash | November 1994 prices | Cash | November 1994 prices
| 363 | 344 | 326 | 301 | 222 | 200
| | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr. Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement about the number of students
26 Apr 1996 : Column: 321
in higher education in Wales who did not complete their studies in each of the last three years; and what estimate he has made of the impact of the changes in the value of awards made to students and the development of the student loan scheme on the student drop-out rate. [26474]
Mr. Richards: The information requested is not currently available but it is being collected by the higher education statistics agency and will be available in due course.
The introduction of loans has given students more money for their living costs. Borrowers do not have to begin repaying their loans until at least the April after they leave their courses, and then only if and when their income exceeds 85 per cent. of average earnings. There is no reason, therefore, why students should be unable to continue their education as a result of the shift from grant to loan.
For students who do find themselves in financial difficulties institutions can use access funds to help. In 1993-94 and 1994-95 some 4,000 students in higher education institutions in Wales received help from the access funds. In both years, no students in these institutions, who were refused help from the access funds, failed to start or to continue their courses because of financial considerations.
Mr. Griffiths:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the impact on jobs in higher and further education of the funding announcements for 1996-97. [26475]
Mr. Richards:
The financial provision for higher education for 1996-97 assumes an efficiency saving of 2 per cent. over 1995-96. For further education the planned efficiency saving is 5.3 per cent.
It is for institutions to decide how they manage the resources made available to them by the higher and further education funding councils for Wales, including the numbers of staff they employ.
Mr. Griffiths:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much was spent in (a) cash and (b) real terms per student in higher education in Wales in (i) 1980-81 and (ii) 1994-95. [26477]
Mr. Richards:
The information in respect of 1980-81 is not available. The provision in cash and real terms for 1994-95 was £5,004.
Mr. Win Griffiths:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the projects in Wales undertaken through the private finance initiative which have already been agreed, giving an indication of the money being spent in each of the financial years over which each project is planned to be undertaken. [26471]
Mr. Gwilym Jones:
One project under the private finance initiative has been approved by the Welsh Office so far, a multi-storey car part at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff. The development will be paid for fully by those using the car parking facilities and therefore there is no cost to the Department. Other projects are under consideration. Information on schemes costing less than £1 million is not collected.
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Mr. Morgan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what expenditure has been approved under the health innovation zone scheme (a) in the south Wales industrial valleys and (b) elsewhere in Wales; and in which financial years. [27069]
Mr. Hague:
I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my reply in the Library of the House.
Mr. Morgan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what are (a) the competitive tender procedures and (b) the quality standards to be applied to applications for funding under the primary care development fund; what proportion of the allocated sums available under the fund was spent in 1995-96; what assessment he has made of the rate of allocation in 1996-97; and if he will make a statement; [27067]
Mr. Hague:
The primary care development fund has no formal status; it is a term used by the Department to refer to a number of budgets used to promote health care in the community. These budgets fund a number of centrally-promoted activities but health professionals and others may also bid for money to undertake worthwhile projects throughout Wales. There are no formal terms of reference but the Department expects a project to improve patient care and quality standards are determined on a case-by-case basis. The health innovator zone remains in place and benefits from many of the projects.
2) on what date, and for what reason, the health innovation zone was transformed into the primary care development fund; what expenditure has been approved under the fund; and if he will publish the fund's terms of reference. [27068]
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