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Private Finance Initiative
23. Sir Fergus Montgomery: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been raised for the NHS through the private finance initiative. [28003]
Mr. Horam: An estimated £50 million of capital funding was made available by the private sector in 1995-96 for private finance initiative schemes in the national health service.
District General Hospital, Dartford
24. Mr. Dunn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will report progress on the proposed district general hospital in Dartford. [28004]
Mr. Horam: Dartford and Gravesham NHS trust has now shortlisted two consortia, and expects by August to be in a position to seek formal approval to award the contract for the proposed hospital.
Inadequate Housing (Effect on Health)
25. Mr. Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to address the health needs of people living in inadequate housing. [28005]
Mr. Horam: Health may be affected by a number of factors, and it is difficult to quantify the effects of any one of them. It is for clinicians to treat patients to the best of their ability, whatever the cause of their illness.
Cheviot and Wansbeck NHS Trust
26. Mr. Jack Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions his Department has had with the Cheviot and Wansbeck NHS trust regarding the funding of its phase II development; and if he will make a statement. [28006]
Mr. Horam: The outline business case of the phase II development at Cheviot and Wansbeck NHS trust was approved by the National Health Service Executive in January 1996, following appraisal and meetings with the trust. The scheme is now being tested under the private finance initiative.
NHS Building Projects
28. Sir Sydney Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will report progress on the number of major NHS building projects (a) presently under construction and (b) planned to start imminently. [28008]
Mr. Horam: There are currently 71 major national health service building projects under construction. Information about schemes planned to start imminently is not collected centrally.
Paediatric Intensive Care Beds
30. Mrs. Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he had made of the current availability of paediatric intensive care beds. [28010]
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Mr. Horam: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has asked the chief executive of the National Health Service Executive to report to him on the development of paediatric intensive care. This report will be published shortly.
Operating Theatres (Dress)
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring in regulations to require non-medically qualified persons viewing surgical operations (a) to conform with standard requirements concerning appropriate dress and (b) to be free of (i) jewellery (ii) make-up and (iii) other accessories. [28468]
Mr. Horam: It is for each national health service trust to ensure that it has effective local protocols, based on appropriate professional advice, for determining and maintaining safe and appropriate levels of cleanliness in operating theatres.
Asbestos (Cancer of the Larynx)
Mr. Ian McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been commissioned by his Department into links between the use of asbestos and cancer of the larynx. [28859]
Suicide
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the relationship between individual anti-depressant drugs and suicide deaths; and if he will make a statement. [28692]
Mr. Bowis: We commissioned and evaluated an effectiveness bulletin, "The Treatment of Depression in Primary Care", which includes reference to 1990 data on death rates by poisoning from anti-depressant drugs. Copies of the bulletin are available in the Library.
Brain Search Facilities
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the (a) centres and (b) hospitals which provide minute brain search facilities; and if he will make a statement. [28633]
Mr. Horam: In England, national health service trusts with acute hospital facilities have access to neurological and neurosurgical services, which would include facilities for undertaking investigations of the brain.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of CJD have been identified in the United Kingdom in each of the past five years analysed by the age group of the sufferer; and if he will indicate in each case his Department's assessment of whether a genetic component contributed to the condition. [28591]
Mr. Horam: I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave the hon. member for Wakefield (Mr. Hinchliffe) on 1 April at column 46. The national Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease surveillance unit carries out genetic investigations
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on cases of CJD referred to it. Approximately 10 per cent. of cases occur in clusters in families with an inherited genetic disposition.
Doctors
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Sectary of State for Health how many (a) junior doctors, (b) middle range doctors and (c) consultants were employed in each health authority or family health service authority at 30 December for each of the last 20 years. [29203]
Mr. Malone: Information on the number of doctors by grade is contained in standard tables on hospital medical staff for England and Wales which are available in the Library. These provide a breakdown by regional health authority for the years 1982-94 inclusive. Information by district and for years prior to 1982 is not available.
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 9 January, Official Report, column 75, if he will update the figures on vacant doctor posts. [29469]
Mr. Malone: More recent information is not yet available.
Osteosarcoma
Mr. Etherington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of osteosarcoma have been diagnosed in each of the district health authorities in the Northern and Yorkshire region since 1985. [29140]
Mr. Horam: This information is not available centrally.
Long-term Care
Mr. Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate he has made of the cost of exempting from contributions to long-term care the value of an individual's home; [29152]
- (2) what estimate he has made of the cost of exempting from contributions to long-term care the value of an individual's home up to a limit of £300,000. [29151]
Mr. Bowis: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave my right hon. Friend the Member for South Norfolk (Mr. Macgregor) on 4 March at columns 82-83.
Mr. Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the total public cost of introducing a partnership scheme for long-term care in which the average value insurance claimable is £30,000, under (a) the option set out in paragraph 9.6 of the consultation document, "A New Partnership for Care in Old Age", and (b) the option set out in paragraph 9.7, where the number of policies purchased is (i) 10,000, (ii) 100,000 and (iii) 1,000,000; and in each case over what period of time he forecasts that the expenditure would fall. [29265]
Mr. Bowis: The cost of the scheme would depend on a number of factors, including the level of protection from means testing earned by indemnity insurance and immediate needs annuities, the number of people with partnership products who need residential care and their asset holdings.
14 May 1996 : Column: 419
Consultants
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vacancies there are for consultants in each NHS trust. [29468]
Mr. Malone: Information on consultant vacancies in each national health service trust is not available.
Medical Locums
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 28 November 1995, Official Report, column 614, if he will provide the figures for medical locums for 1995. [29472]
Mr. Malone: Figures from the medical and dental work force census relating to 30 September 1995 are not yet available.
NHS Trusts
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will itemise for each trust, by region, the level of retained surplus or deficit in 1994-95 and 1995-96. [29397]
Mr. Horam: I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 5 December 1995 at column 193. Information for 1995-96 will be available in December, following the publication of the national health service trust annual accounts.
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what have been the costs associated with the establishment of trusts in each region in each year since 1990-91, including conveyancing costs. [29398]
Mr. Malone: I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the right hon. Member for Derby, South (Mrs. Beckett) on 5 May 1995 at column 323.
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