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Hospital Wards

Mr. Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what are the minimum requirements for the amount of space surrounding a bed in an NHS hospital ward; and what weight is given, when setting such requirements, to evidence on (a) the avoidance of cross-infection, (b) the ability to provide effective bedside diagnosis and treatment, and (c) the need for confidential discussions between patient and carer; [34761]

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Mr. Horam: Guidance on facilities to be provided in different types of hospital wards and recommended bed spaces is detailed in design guidance (health building notes) produced by National Health Service Estates, an executive agency of the Department of Health. The recommended amount of space surrounding a bed varies in accordance with the level of dependency of the patient, from 7.2 sq m in an adult acute ward to 25.5 sq m for a bed in intensive care.

A number of factors are considered in the recommendations, including the nature of bedside activities, the avoidance of cross-infection, the clinical equipment used and the associated ergonomic requirements, as well as patients' privacy.

Rather than proposing minimum requirements, the guidance suggests an appropriate mix of bed areas, sanitary facilities, clinical treatment areas, consultation and office spaces, depending on the nature of the condition of the patient.

It is for NHS trusts to take appropriate advice. Health building notes are intended to give good practice advice and guidance on the briefing and design implications of planning new buildings and of adapting or extending existing buildings. The guidelines are not enforced, and data on adherence to them is not available centrally.

Community Fundholding

Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the number of GPs, GP practices and patients covered by community fundholding as at 1 April 1996; and what proportion each figure is of the total numbers of GPs, practices and patient population. [34760]

Mr. Malone: The information is shown in the table.

CommunityPercentage of total
General Practitioners9604
Practices4195
Patients1.8 million4

Sources:

Community fundholding data from regional offices as at 1 April 1996. Data about all GPs from October 1995 GP Census.

Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme

Mr. Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many companies within the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme received each rate of return; how many exceeded their targets; and how many failed to reach their targets for each of the last three years for which figures are available. [34764]

Mr. Malone: This information is not available for reasons of commercial confidentiality. The Department last month published a first report to Parliament on the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme, which provides an overall assessment of the operation of the scheme. Copies of the report are available in the Library.

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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

United Nations Secretary-General

Ms Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the candidates who are currently under consideration for the post of Secretary-General of the United Nations. [34566]

Sir Nicholas Bonsor: Dr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, UN Secretary-General, declared his intention to stand again on 19 June. The one other formally declared candidate is Mr. Nicos Rolandis, Cyprus.

Female Genital Mutilation

Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received concerning the ritual practice of female genital mutilation; and if he will make a statement. [34166]

Sir Nicholas Bonsor: We receive occasional correspondence and this subject is also considered by the UN Commission on Human Rights.

Dr. Godman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received about which countries tolerate female genital mutilation; what discussions he has held with the leaders of such countries regarding it; and if he will make a statement. [34167]

Sir Nicholas Bonsor: The UN special rapporteur on violence against women monitors this practice in accordance with her mandate. At the Commission for Human Rights in April, the United Kingdom co-sponsored a resolution stressing the rapporteur's recommendation that states have a duty to enact and enforce legislation against the perpetrators of acts such as female genital mutilation. There have been no bilateral discussions.

Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

Mr. Robin Cook: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards Ambassador Ramaker's proposal that a comprehensive test ban treaty should enter into force after five years if 75 states have signed and ratified it. [34753]

Mr. David Davis: Her Majesty's Government's position is that, for it to be a fully effective non-proliferation measure, the comprehensive test ban treaty must have as parties the declared nuclear-weapon states and all other states with a nuclear capability and which are not otherwise prevented from testing by other international agreements to which they are parties. The formula proposed by Ambassador Ramaker on 20 June, but not incorporated into his revised text, does not meet this requirement.

Mr. Cook: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his Department's assessment of the implications for international security of a lengthy delay in the entry into force of a comprehensive test ban treaty. [34754]

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Mr. Davis: We believe that the earliest practicable entry into force of the treaty on the basis of universal adherence would best serve the interests of international security.

Mr. Cook: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government's policy on whether the 37 states with seismic stations or radionuclide laboratories must sign and ratify a comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty before it enters into force; and what is the reason for this policy. [34755]

Mr. Davis: Her Majesty's Government's position is that, for it to be a fully effective non-proliferation measure, the comprehensive test ban treaty should have as parties the declared nuclear-weapon states and all other states which are not otherwise prevented from testing by other international agreements to which they are parties. The formula referred to in the question, which appears in the chairman's draft text, meets these requirements and is therefore acceptable to the United Kingdom.

Mr. Cook: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the verification procedures as outlined in the draft comprehensive test ban treaty will come into effect only once the treaty has entered into force. [34756]

Mr. Davis: Once the treaty has been opened for signature, a preparatory committee will be established in order to make the necessary arrangements for the treaty organisation and the verification regime. This work can be expected to take at least two to three years. These arrangements must be complete before the treaty enters into force. Equally, entry into force is self-evidently necessary before the verification system can be operational.

Mr. Cook: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government's policy on allowing a comprehensive test ban treaty to enter into force before India, Pakistan and Israel have signed the treaty; and if he will make a statement. [34757]

Mr. Davis: I refer the right hon. Member to my earlier answer.

Foreign Affairs Council

Mr. Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on forthcoming business in the Council of the European Union. [34980]

Mr. David Davis: The forthcoming business will be:


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