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NHS Performance

Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the spending on the NHS in May 1979; how many patients were treated in the year to May 1979; and what were the equivalent figures for the last available periods. [28290]

Mr. Horam: The information is not available in the form requested. National health service total gross expenditure in England in the financial year 1979-80 was £7,755 million, compared with £31,983 million in 1994-95.

On a comparative basis that is, after converting the 1979 discharge and deaths figure to finished consultant episodes--there were 6.6 million FCEs in all hospital specialties in England in the calendar year 1979 compared with 10.5 million FCEs in 1994-95.

Hypothermia

Mr. Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) incidents and (b) fatal incidents of hypothermia have occurred over the last five years in (i) London, (ii) Manchester, (iii) Cardiff, (iv) Newcastle, (v) Leicester, (vi) Derby, (vii) Nottingham, (viii) Norwich, (ix) Birmingham, (x) Plymouth, (xi) Edinburgh, (xii) Aberdeen and (xiii) Brighton. [28422]

14 May 1996 : Column: 420

Mr. Bowis: The information is not available in the form requested. Incidents of hypothermia in Wales and Scotland are matters for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales and for Scotland. The available information is shown in the tables.

The number of finished consultant episodes in England where the main diagnosis is hypothermia, ICD code 991.6, ordinary and day case admissions to hospital

Borough of residence	1990-91	1991-92	1992-93	1993-94
London inner and outer	127	107	97	133
Manchester	47	36	36	35
Newcastle	6	6	10	13
Leicester	6	4	3	3
Derby	3	1	3	2
Nottingham	9	7	8	3
Birmingham	31	50	27	27
Plymouth	10	7	3	0
Brighton	7	10	5	7

Source:

"Hospital Episodes Statistics".

Deaths from hypothermia in various towns and cities in England, Wales and Scotland (ICD codes E991.6 for England and Wales and E901, 778.3 (underlying cause of death), and E901, 778.3, 780.8, 780.9 (secondary cause) for Scotland

	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994
London	60	87	58	97	81
Manchester	0	2	3	3	2
Cardiff	0	2	0	2	1
Newcastle	1	0	1	5	6
Leicester	0	1	1	0	0
Derby	2	1	0	0	2
Nottingham	1	0	1	0	0
Norwich	0	1	0	1	1
Birmingham	5	12	5	8	5
Plymouth	3	1	2	1	0
Brighton	0	1	1	1	2
Edinburgh	21	15	14	13	19
Aberdeen	3	2	4	3	5

Source:

Office for National Statistics.

Diet and Behaviour (Children)

Mr. Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to investigate possible links between diet and disruptive behaviour and learning difficulties in children. [28933]

Mr. Horam: The Department's advisory committee--the Committee on the Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment--will be reviewing the issue of adverse reactions to food and food additives this year. The review will include assessing whether there is any firm evidence that food may affect behaviour in children.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Beef Ban (Job Losses)

Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the estimated loss of jobs following the ban on Northern Ireland beef by the European Union. [28457]

14 May 1996 : Column: 421

Mr. Ancram: The Department of Economic Development has received notifications of 142 proposed redundancies, of which 48 have taken place. All notifications relate to the red meat sector. It is estimated that some 1,500 people have been laid off due to the bovine spongiform encephalopathy crisis.

Figures for job losses directly attributable to the export ban are not available, and a number of those affected are self-employed.

Inward Investment

Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the locations of the inward investment projects promoted by the Industrial Development Board between 1 April 1995 to 31 March 1996 indicating the financial amounts in respect of each project. [29016]

Mr. Ancram: The new inward investment projects negotiated during 1995-96 by the Industrial Development Board were as follows:

Company name	Location	Assistance offered
		£ million
Fruit of the Loom Manufacturing Co. Ltd.	Londonderry	2.72
BCO Technologies (NI) Ltd.	Belfast	7.3
Montupet (UK) Ltd.	Lisburn	57
Stream International (NI) Ltd.	Londonderry	5.3
Plastofilm Ltd.	Enniskillen	0.948
Burnside Engineering	Enniskillen	1.033
Aldiscon (NI) Ltd.	Belfast	0.678
Duromould Ltd.	Londonderry	0.223
Europa Tool Co. Ltd.	Belfast	3.2
Seagate Technology (Ireland)	Londonderry	10.4
Scansoft (NI) Ltd.	Moira	Non-selective financial assistance

WALES

Cormorants and Saw-billed Ducks

Sir Cranley Onslow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many applications for a licence to shoot cormorants and saw-billed ducks were received by his Department in the year 1995-96; how many of these were refused; how many birds were licensed to be shot; and how many have been reported as having been shot. [28294]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: Between 1 April 1995 and 31 March 1996, 15 applications for licences to shoot cormorants and goosanders were received. Two were refused. The 13 licenses issued permitted a maximum number of 37 cormorants and 38 goosanders to be shot as an aid to scaring. Reports on the number of birds shot are still to be fully completed.

Beef Producers

Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures he proposes to assist the producers of mature beef; and if he will make a statement. [28405]

14 May 1996 : Column: 422

Mr. Gwilym Jones: My right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food said in his statement on 16 April, Official Report, columns 513-29, that arrangements were needed to allow back on the market meat from those breeds which often do not mature until after 30 months. Comments have now been invited from interested organisations on proposals to establish a voluntary mature beef assurance scheme. Under these proposals, those specialist beef herds where no cases of BSE have occurred would be able to sell cattle over 30 months for human consumption purposes. It is intended that they would exempt from the restriction in the Beef (Emergency Control) Order 1996.

Part-time Employment

Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what changes have taken place since 1980 as a percentage of the working population in (a) males and (b) females who have part-time jobs; and if he will make a statement. [28407]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: Data on the total number of part-time jobs in Wales in 1980 is not available. Information for 1981 and 1995 is shown in the following table:

Employees in employment, part-time: Wales

	September 1981	September 1995	Change	Change as percentage of 1981 working population(7)
Males	26,100	52,200	+26,100	3
Females	158,400	230,500	+72,100	16

(7) Working population comprises of employees in employment, claimant unemployed, self-employed, armed forces and participants on work-related schemes.

Source:

ONS.

Housing (Elderly People)

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many houses were built specifically for the elderly by local authorities and housing associations in Wales in (a) 1987, (b) 1991, (c) 1993 and (d) 1995; and if he will make a statement. [28641]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: The information requested is as follows:

Number of dwellings

	1987	1991	1993	1995
Local authority	438	131	72	41
Housing association(8)	(9)509	(9)1,149	655	148

(8) These figures are estimates provided by Housing for Wales, which may differ from the estimates returned by local authorities on housing associations, published elsewhere.

(9)Data relates to financial years ending 31 March after year shown: information not available for calender years.

Source:

Local authority returns Housing for Wales.

M4 (Accidents)

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) deaths, (b) injuries and (c) accidents have occurred on the M4 in Wales since 1985; and if he will make a statement. [28706]

14 May 1996 : Column: 423

Mr. Gwilym Jones: The information requested is given in the following table. The data refer to personal injury road accidents reported to the police and forwarded to the Welsh Office.

Death, injuries and accidents on the M4 in Wales

Year	Deaths	Injuries	Personal injury accidents
1985	6	199	117
1986	6	204	121
1987	2	176	122
1988	4	221	156
1989	3	245	162
1990	7	341	214
1991	4	272	171
1992	3	259	158
1993	2	224	147
1994	6	263	177
1995	4	319	209
Total	47	2,723	1,754

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