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Hong Kong Businesses
Mr. Byers: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to introduce measures to assist businesses and their owners presently operating in Hong Kong. [28945]
Mr. Phillip Oppenheim [holding answer 13 May 1996]: The Hong Kong Government have full responsibility for the management and regulation of the economy and business environment in Hong Kong. The future Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will assume this responsibility when Hong Kong reverts to China in 1997. However, the British Government provide support for British businesses in Hong Kong through the office of the British Trade Commission. After 30 June 1997, this role will be per formed by the British Consulate-General in Hong Kong.
Wind Farms
Ms Roseanna Cunningham: To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what is the current total output of wind farms in the United Kingdom; [29174]
- (2) if he will list the wind farms in each part of the United Kingdom. [29173]
Mr. Page [holding answers 13 May 1996]: As at 31 March 1996, 31 wind, farms consisting of three or more wind turbines, were operating in the United Kingdom. These wind farms are listed as follows:
England and Wales
Deli, Nr. Delabole, Cornwall
Goonhilly Downs, Cury, Cornwall
Carland Cross Wind Farm, Mitchell, Cornwall
St Breock, St Breock Downs, Cornwall
Four Burrows, Blackwater, Cornwall
Cold Northcott Windfarm, Launceston, Cornwall
Kirkby Moor, Nr Ulverston, Cumbria
Orton Airport, Wiggonby, Cumbria
Haverigg Airfield, Millom, Cumbria
Caton Moor, Lancaster, Lancs
Blood Hill, Winterton-on-Sea, Norfolk
Blyth Harbour, Blyth, Northumberland
Royd Moor Farm, Thurlstone, S. Yorks
Chelker, Skipton Road, W. Yorks
Thornton (Ovendon Moor), Oxenhope, W. Yorks
Coal Clough Farm, Cornholme, W. Yorks
Rhyd-y-Groes 1 and 2, Rhosgoch, Anglesey
Llangwyryfon Windfarm, Llangwyryfon, Dyfed
Dyffryn-Brodyn, Blaenwaun, Dyfed
Taff-Ely Wind Farm, Gilfach Goch, Mid-Glamorgan
Mydydd Cemmaes, Cwith-Lliniad, Powys
Penrhyddlan Windfarm, Llandinam, Powys
Llidiartywaun Windfarm, Llandinam, Powys
Marcheini Wind Farm (Bryntitli), Rhayader, Powys
Northern Ireland
Corkey Wind Farm, Co. Antrim
Elliot's Hill, Co. Antrim
14 May 1996 : Column: 413
- Slieve Rushen Phase 1, Co. Fermanagh
Rigged Hill, Co. Londonderry
Bessey Bell, Co. Tyrone
Scotland
Hagshaw Hill S10, Lanarkshire
Hagshaw Hill S15, Lanarkshire.
HEALTH
GP Fundholders (Doncaster)
13. Mr. Kevin Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of the amount of underspend in the budget of GP fundholders in Doncaster for 1995-96. [27993]
Mr. Malone: The information will not be available until the accounts have been audited.
Nationally, general practitioner fundholders have consistently achieved efficiency savings of between 3 and 4 per cent. of budgets set.
Waiting Times
14. Mr. Mark Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in reducing the time patients have to wait for hospital and out-patient treatment. [27994]
Mr. Horam: Excellent progress has been made in reducing waiting times for all aspects of national health service treatment. At 31 March 1996 fewer than 4,400 patients had been waiting more than a year for inpatient or day case treatment. This is a significant improvement on the position only a year ago when there were more than 32,000 12-month waiters. Also for the first time no 18-month in-patient waits have been reported. For out-patients the latest available figures show that 97 per cent. of patients were seen within 26 weeks of referral and 83 per cent. seen within 13 weeks.
27. Mr. Janner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the current normal waiting time for a specialist consultation for a non-urgent illness. [28007]
Mr. Horam: Waiting times for out-patient appointments vary between trusts and between specialties.
The patients charter requires that all patients should be seen for their first out-patient appointment with a consultant within 26 weeks of a written referral from a general practitioner, with nine out of 10 seen within 13 weeks.
Of the 1,904,000 patients seen during the quarter ended 31 December 1995, 83 per cent. waited under 13 weeks and 97 per cent. under 26 weeks.
14 May 1996 : Column: 414
15. Sir Teddy Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health by what percentage the funds provided to the Southend health authority have increased this year; and what is the relative national increase. [27995]
Mr. Horam:
In 1996-97 South Essex health authority, which includes Southend has received a cash increase of 7.1 per cent. for hospital and community health services, which compares very favourably with the national increase of 3.9 per cent.
16. Mr. Timms:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the supply of community psychiatric nurses. [27996]
Mr. Horam:
Work force planning and decisions about the demand and supply of qualified nursing staff are most effectively taken by local employers.
The whole-time equivalent number of nurses working in this area rose from 1,880 in 1984 to 4,760 in 1994.
17. Mr. Matthew Banks:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he is taking to reform the care in the community programme. [27997]
Mr. Bowis:
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State published the Government's proposals for helping people to make better provision for their long-term care needs on 7 May.
18. Dr. Wright:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he collates on the outside interests of board members of NHS trusts. [27998]
Mr. Malone:
None. It is the responsibility of the board of each national health service trust to ensure that information on any relevant private interests of members is collected and maintained in a register of interests, which is available for inspection by the public.
19. Mr. Booth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to extend GP fundholding. [27999]
Mr. Malone:
Fundholding continues to grow every year. This year has seen a record number of general practitioners entering fundholding, and more are applying to join from next April.
29. Mr. Hanson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of general practitioners are fundholders. [28009]
Mr. Malone:
This year has seen a record number of general practitioners entering fundholding. Since 1 April approximately 51 per cent. of GPs are fundholders, serving 52 per cent. of the population.
14 May 1996 : Column: 415
20. Mr. Evennett:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many projects have been funded through the London initiative zone scheme; and if he will make a statement. [28000]
Mr. Malone:
The London initiative zone scheme is a five-year programme which is not yet complete. At its start in 1993-94, nearly 1,000 projects were included in LIZ health authorities' plans to develop primary care services in the capital.
21. Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that NHS patients within the East Lancashire health authority area who are registered with doctors in an adjacent health area are not transferred to another doctor against their wishes. [28001]
Mr. Malone:
None. General practitioners have the right, subject to certain safeguards, to remove patients from their lists without giving a reason. Similarly, patients have the right to withdraw from a doctor's list without giving reasons. In order to ensure that no patient is unable to register with a doctor, GPs are required to agree with their health authority the geographical area within which they are willing to accept patients. It is sometimes necessary, for example due to a sudden influx of patients onto their list, for GPs to re-define their practice area. Any patient who is registered with a GP but lives outside the GP's geographical area, and who is then removed from that GP's list, can expect the local health authority to find them another GP within two working days. The national health service now achieves this standard fully.
22. Mr. Roy Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of NHS dental provision; and what new initiatives he is taking to provide such facilities in areas at present without such a service. [28002]
Mr. Malone:
We regularly monitor the provision of national health service dental services across England. Our record bears out the Government's commitment to NHS dentistry:
14 May 1996 : Column: 416
aimed to reform dental services. In the longer term we aim to put in place a purchaser/provider system which will be sensitive to local needs.
Health authorities can advise patients about where to obtain NHS dental services and are able to use various measures, such as employing salaried dentists to ensure adequate availability of NHS dental services. We keep such measures under review so that they remain appropriate to current circumstances. We are also discussing with the dental profession a range of issues
At 31 December 1995 there were 15,942 NHS dentists on the lists of health authorities in England, the highest December figure ever. This is 516 more dentists than at 30 June 1992 and 3,796 more dentists than at 30 September 1979.
At 29 February there were 26.4 million patients registered in England. This is broadly in line with the position at 30 June 1992, given operational and seasonal factors.
In 1994-95 gross expenditure on general dental services in England was £1,279 million, an increase in real terms of nearly 60 per cent. since 1978-79.
In 1994-95 there were 3.7 million more adult dental examinations in England compared with 1979.
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