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Mutual Status
Mr. French: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about the benefits of mutual status; and if he will make a statement. [36463]
Mrs. Angela Knight: During the recently concluded consultation on the draft Building Societies Bill, a number of societies, and others, mentioned the benefits of mutual status. We are currently considering these responses along with all the others we have received.
State Pensioners
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in receipt of a state pension pay (a) higher rate income tax, (b) basic and lower rate income tax only and (c) the lower rate of tax only. [36358]
Mr. Jack: The estimated numbers of taxpayers by marginal rate in receipt of state retirement pension--men aged 65 or over and women aged 60 or over--at 1996-97 income levels are given in the table.
| Number of taxpayers (millions) | |
|---|---|
| Lower rate | 1.50 |
| Basic and lower rate | 1.65 |
| Higher rate | 0.15 |
| Total | 3.30 |
HEALTH
Care for the Elderly
Mr. Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on action by the European Commission to incur expenditure on projects to assist the elderly without legal authority. [37690]
Mr. Dorrell: My Department has become aware that the European Commission has invited applications for funding for measures to assist the elderly. Such action has not been agreed by the Council of Ministers. The Government firmly believe that the Commission does not
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have the legal authority to commit expenditure of this kind without the endorsement of all member states in the Council. The Government have, therefore, lodged an application in the European Court of Justice challenging this planned expenditure. This challenge is necessary to ensure legality, financial propriety and democratic accountability in Commission spending.
Epilepsy
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial support he currently provides to the British Epilepsy Association in England. [36858]
Mr. Bowis: In the current financial year the main national epilepsy organisations, the British Epilepsy Association and the National Society for Epilepsy have been awarded section 64 project grants from the Department of Health amounting to £52,500 and £29,500 respectively. The British Epilepsy Association is currently receiving a section 64 project grant of £22,500 a year for three years towards its database project, and a grant towards its helpline of £90,000 over three years.
The National Society for Epilepsy is currently receiving a project grant for its joint educational fellowship for epilepsy project with the Royal College of General Practitioners of £40,000 over two years and a grant of £12,500 a year due to end in 1997-98 for its information needs project.
NHS Trusts
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in how many cases the regional executive for the North and Yorkshire has agreed that hospital trust budgets for 1996-97 can plan outturn deficits; and for which trusts deficit budgets have been agreed. [37019]
Mr. Horam: This information is based on estimates subject to revision. It is not therefore suitable for publication.
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what policy guidance he has given to hospital trusts about the planned setting of deficit budgets in the present financial year. [37020]
Mr. Horam: Trusts' annual plans are based on contracts negotiated with local purchasers. The primary financial duty of national health service trusts is to break even on an income and expenditure basis, taking one year with another. This is a statutory obligation and is set out in the NHS and Community Care Act 1990. We have not issued any further policy guidance on this matter.
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which hospital trusts had deficits in 1995-96; and what the size of the deficit was in each case. [37021]
Mr. Horam: Financial information for all trusts is placed in the Library when audit has been completed. The latest year for which audited records are available is currently 1994-95. The audited information for 1995-96 will not be available until later this year and as before will be placed in the Library as soon as practicable.
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Ethnic Minorities
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library the research which he has conducted into medical conditions that particularly affect members of ethnic minorities. [37023]
Mr. Malone: The Department attaches great importance to ensuring that the health needs of ethnic minority populations are recognised and met.
The Department's policy research programme is open and research findings are normally published. The main agency through which the Government support biomedical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council. The MRC is an independent body receiving its grant in aid from the office of my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade.
Ms Harman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on how the "The Health of the Nation" targets relate to members of ethnic minorities. [37036]
Mr. Horam:
The targets for improvement in health within "The Health of the Nation" White Paper relate to the whole of the population. The White Paper recognises that there will be a need for local decisions about developing local strategies and action to take account of the particular needs of different population groups such as those from black and ethnic minority groups.
Ms Harman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what have been the rates of incidence of (a) sickle cell anaemia, (b) thalassaemia, (c) glaucoma, (d) diabetes and (e) hypertension in each of the last five years in (i) ethnic minority and (ii) other patients. [37097]
Mr. Horam:
Information is not available centrally on rates of incidence of these conditions which differentiates between members of ethnic minorities and others.
Information is available centrally in the hospital episode system both of operations and diagnosis using specific codes. The available information is contained in "Hospital episode statistics", volume 1, copies of which are available in the Library.
Ms Harman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of the membership of the NHS executive board are from ethnic minorities. [37136]
Mr. Horam:
None of the current members of the national health service executive board are from ethnic minorities. Members of the board are senior civil servants and are appointed in line with civil service commissioners' guidelines for ensuring fair and open competition regardless of race or ethnic origin.
Ms Harman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the current percentage of ethnic minority consultants with (a) A+, (b) A, (c) B and (d) C merit awards; and what is the total percentage of consultants with a merit award. [37145]
Mr. Malone:
Information on the ethnic origin of distinction award holders is not currently held centrally. As at 30 September 1995, the proportion of consultants in Great Britain holding an A+, A, or B distinction award was 13 per cent. With effect from 1 April 1996 the C award element of the distinction award scheme was replaced by a system of discretionary points, decided locally.
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Ms Harman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish a breakdown of ethnic minority representation on the boards of (a) health authorities and (b) NHS trusts for the past five years. [37031]
Mr. Malone:
This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Ms Harman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish a breakdown of ethnic minority membership of community health councils. [37029]
Mr. Horam:
This information is not available centrally.
Ms Harman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the current percentage of consultants who are from an ethnic minority, by speciality and in total. [37144]
Mr. Malone:
The proportion of consultants in post from an ethnic minority is 16 per cent. However, this figure is based on information which is voluntarily provided to trusts by the doctors concerned. As not all doctors provide it, this data must therefore be subject to some uncertainty.
Ms Harman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will publish a breakdown of general practitioners by ethnic minority for each of the past five years (a) nationally and (b) by region; [37035]
Mr. Malone:
Information on the number of general practitioners was published in "Statistics for General Medical Practitioners in England: 1985-1995", copies of which are available in the Library. Information on the total number of ethnic minority general practitioners by region is not available centrally.
Ms Harman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is the current percentage of black and ethnic minority chairs and non-executive members of NHS authorities, trusts and community health councils, (a) nationally and (b) individually by (i) community health council, (ii) trust and (iii) district health authority; [37039]
Mr. Malone:
The current breakdown of ethnic minority chairmen and non-executive members is 4.8 per cent. of people appointed to national health service trusts and 5.9 per cent. of those appointed to health authorities. The figure for community health councils is not available centrally.
Specific details relating to each NHS trust and health authority will be in the annual report which is to be published later this summer.
None of the eight regional chairmen is from a minority ethnic background.
Ms Harman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) ethnic minority and (b) other patients have been sectioned under the provisions of Mental Health Acts in each of the last five years. [37098]
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Mr. Bowis:
The number of total formal admissions of patients detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 is shown in the table. Information on ethnic minority patients admitted under the Act is not available centrally.
(2) if he will list the total number of (a) general practitioners and (b) ethnic minority general practitioners by region. [37146]
(2) how many and what percentage of regional health authority chairmen are from ethnic minorities. [37137]
| Total formal admissions | |
|---|---|
| 1990-91 | 18,982 |
| 1991-92 | 21,564 |
| 1992-93 | 22,581 |
| 1993-94 | 24,616 |
| 1994-95 | 27,073 |
Source:
KH15, KO37 and Special Hospitals Services Authority.
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