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Mr. Jonathan Stirling

Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many export consignments of animals Mr. Jonathan Stirling has been involved with as an local veterinary inspector since 1 July. [38411]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 22 July 1996]: Mr. Jonathan Stirling did not carry out any LVI duties with respect to the export of any consignment of cattle, sheep or pigs during the period 1 July to 15 July 1996.

Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he intends to publish the report of the inquiry into Mr. Stirling's role as an LVI. [38412]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 22 July 1996]: My investigation officers have carried out a thorough investigation of the allegations made in the Channel 4 "Dispatches" programme which was broadcast earlier this year. The investigation included consideration of the material provided by the programme makers to the Department following broadcast.

A report was submitted by the investigation branch to the Department's prosecution lawyers at the beginning of June. The lawyers have now considered the report and concluded that there is no evidence which would give rise to criminal charges against anyone featured in the "Dispatches" programme nor was there any evidence to substantiate the allegations of serious misconduct by the LVI featured in the programme.

Reports of investigations carried out by investigation officers of the Department are not published.

Live Animal Exports

Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if export health certificates, issued by

23 Jul 1996 : Column: 267

his Department for the ovines destined for EU member states, request the certifying veterinarian to verify that he has conducted an examination of each animal and recorded individual ear tag numbers. [38414]

Mrs. Browning [holding answer 22 July 1996]: Model health certifications for intra-Community trade in sheep and goats are laid down in Council directive 91/68/EEC. The certifying veterinary officer is required to confirm that the animals were inspected on the day of certification, which must be no more than 48 hours prior to loading, and show no clinical sign of disease. The eartag number of each animal must be recorded on the certificate.

WALES

Winter Deaths

Mr. Dafis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what the excess winter mortality rates have been in Wales for each of the last 10 years expressed (a) in excess numbers and (b) as percentages; [38024]

(2) how many deaths have been recorded in Wales for each of the past 10 years in the period December to March. [38025]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: The information requested is given in the following table. The amount by which deaths occurring in December to March exceed the average of those occurring in the previous and following four month periods is defined as excess winter deaths.

Winter deaths in Wales, 1985-86 to 1994-95

Year	Number of deaths in December to March	Excess deaths:
		Number	Percentage(43)
1985-86	13,722	2,852	26.2
1986-87	12,415	1,867	17.7
1987-88	12,438	1,675	15.6
1988-89	11,902	919	8.4
1989-90	13,752	2,954	27.4
1990-91	13,007	2,327	21.8
1991-92	12,529	2,001	19.0
1992-93	12,121	1,361	12.6
1993-94	12,505	1,009	8.8
1994-95	12,551	1,661	15.3

(43) Excess winter deaths as a percentage of the average of the autumn and summer deaths.

Local Government Finance

Mr. Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the total amount of (a) useable capital receipts and (b) receipts set aside as provision for credit liability, held by each local authority in Wales at 31 March. [37977]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: The latest available information was given in my answer to the hon. Member on 16 February 1996, Official Report, column 730-31. I will write to the hon. Member when the figures for 31 March 1996 are available and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

23 Jul 1996 : Column: 268

Inward Investment

Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy that the budget of the Welsh Office and the Welsh Development Agency for securing inward investment projects and developing indigenous industry in locations in Wales outside the M4 corridor in south-east Wales will not be reduced or restricted as a result of the LG project at Newport; and if he will make a statement. [37855]

Mr. Hague: I will make decisions on future budgets later in the year in the usual way as part of the public expenditure survey, taking into account the total amount available to me in my block and the various demands upon it, including the need to promote and encourage economic development across all parts of Wales.

Manufacturing Industry

Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what strategy the Welsh Office has for increasing the number of producer services serving the needs of manufacturing industry in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [37856]

Mr. Hague: My plans for supporting the Welsh economy were published on 13 June in "Meeting the Challenge--The Competitiveness of Wales", copies of which are available in the Library of the House. It describes the services available to stimulate company growth, all of which can be accessed through Business Connect on 0345 96 97 98.

Health Service Managers

Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many health service managers there were in (a) 1995 and (b) 1991; and if he will make a statement. [38835]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: At 30 September 1991 there were 711 whole-time equivalent managers--staff paid on manager payscales--in the NHS in Wales. The figure for 30 September 1995 was 1,350 and 31 March 1996, the latest available, 1,321. Figures for the later years may include staff who have been reclassified as managers from other staff groups since 1991. The whole-time equivalent number of all administrative and clerical staff, including managers, was 8,865 at 30 September 1991, 9,875 at 30 September 1995 and 9,808 at 31 March 1996.

NHS Bureaucracy

Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to reduce bureaucracy in the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [38908]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: Excellent progress has been made in reducing unnecessary bureaucracy in the NHS in Wales, and further major initiatives are planned.

The number of health authorities has been reduced from 16 to five. Within three years, the number of staff employed by these authorities should have fallen by nearly a third. On the basis of the latest estimates from health authorities, this reduction should release £10 million per year for spending on direct patient care.

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This saving will be in addition to the £12.5 million transferred from management costs to patient care over the financial years 1994-95, 1995-96 and 1996-97 as called for in "Caring for the Future".

We have also cut the burden of form filling on the NHS. Since 1993-94, successive reviews have reduced the number of forms used by the Welsh Office to collect information from the NHS from over 100 to about 60. These reviews also resulted in significant cuts in the size of many of the remaining forms.

More broadly, action is already being taken to implement the "Patients not Paper" initiative to reduce the burden of bureaucracy on GP practices and other parts of the primary care sector.

In addition, the Dpearmtent is currently consulting on how best to implement in Wales the recommendations of the comparable efficiency scrutiny of burdens on health authorities and NHS trusts, "Seeing the Woods, Sparing the Trees". An announcement on the action to be taken on this will be made in the autumn.

Consultant Anaesthetists

Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many consultant anaesthetists there are in each of the health trusts in Wales. [38834]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: Information on permanent staff in post is given in the following table.

Consultant anaesthetists in post at 30 September 1995

NHS trust/directly managed unit	Whole-time equivalent number
Bridgend and District NHS Trust	7.5
Cardiff Community Healthcare NHS Trust	0.6
Carmarthen and District NHS Trust	7.0
Ceredigion and Mid Wales NHS Trust	5.0
East Glamorgan NHS Trust	6.4
Glan Clwyd Hospital NHS Trust	8.6
Glan Hafren NHS Trust	15.5
Glan-y-Mor NHS Trust	4.0
Gwynedd Hospitals NHS Trust	10.0
Llandough Hospital NHS Trust	5.0
Llanelli Dinefwr NHS Trust	3.0
Merthyr Cynon Health Unit	5.0
Morriston NHS Trust	8.8
Nevill Hall and District NHS Trust	6.0
Pembrokeshire NHS Trust	5.0
Powys Health Care NHS Trust	0.1
Rhymney Valley Health Unit	1.2
Swansea NHS Trust	9.1
University Dental Hospital NHS Trust	0.5
University Hospital of Wales NHS Trust	22.8
Wrexham Maelor NHS Trust	9.0

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