| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
WALES
Local Government Consultation Paper
Mr. Richards: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he proposes to announce his decisions on the proposals set out in his consultation paper "The Welsh Office and Local Government: Redefining the Relationship", published in March of this year. [41074]
Mr. Hague: I have already announced progress in a number of important areas, including arrangements for the first round of the Welsh capital challenge scheme. However, I have today published a second paper which provides a comprehensive summary of the original proposals and the responses received. It also sets out my decisions on all of the proposals and encourages further dialogue on the question of the Welsh Office's relationship with local government. Copies of the paper have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Second Severn Crossing
Mr. Donald Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will commission a study over an appropriate period of the effect of the second Severn crossing on the economy and employment of south Wales. [40031]
Mr. Hague: I have no such plans. The new crossing represents an opportunity that I believe Welsh businesses will take.
Tuberculosis
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many TB cases there were in Wales in the last available year; and if he will make a statement. [40051]
Mr. Hague: There were 184 notified cases of tuberculosis in Wales in 1995.
Smoking-related Diseases
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people died from smoking-related diseases in each of the last three years. [40047]
Mr. Hague: The available information is as follows. All figures for 1995 are provisional.
The specific category of smoking-related disease is not defined explicitly. Three diseases commonly caused by smoking are: lung cancer, coronary heart disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
15 Oct 1996 : Column: 865
The total number of deaths occurring in Wales from lung cancer was 2,017 in 1993, 1,966 in 1994 and 1,864 in 1995. It is likely that smoking would have been a major factor in between 90 and 95 per cent. of these deaths.
The total number of deaths occurring in Wales from coronary heart disease was 9,676 in 1993, 8,611 in 1994 and 8,739 in 1995. The total number of deaths occurring in Wales from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was 1,802 in 1993, 1,557 in 1994 and 1,990 in 1995. It is likely that smoking would have been a major factor in a significant proportion of these deaths.
Ms Abbott:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many women from ethnic minorities are employed by his Department and its agencies; at what grade; and what measures he has taken to encourage the (a) recruitment, (b) employment and (c) promotion of women from ethnic minorities within his Department and its agencies. [39900]
Mr. Hague:
My Department is committed to increasing the proportion of its staff who come from ethnic minority backgrounds. Outreach programmes have been introduced to encourage recruitment. A programme of action for staff from ethnic minorities has been developed to help identify and overcome any barriers and ensure staff have the opportunity to develop to their full potential.
Statistical information on staff from ethnic minorities is not available in the format requested.
Mr. Barry Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many practice managers and practice administrative staff there are in the health service in Wales. [40049]
| 1 October 1995 | |
|---|---|
| Practice managers, including fund managers | 440 |
| Other administrative staff(27) | 2,463 |
(27) Secretarial, receptionist, clerical, computer operators and other administrative staff.
Mental Health
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department spends on mental health; what proportion this constitutes of the health budget; and if he will make a statement. [40050]
Mr. Hague: In 1995-96, according to their audited accounts, district health authorities and family health authorities spent £149,880,964 on mental illness services which represented 7.6 per cent. of the total provision spent purchasing health care. This included some £13.8 million allocated by the Department for spending on mental health services.
15 Oct 1996 : Column: 866
Road and Economy Studies
Mr. Dafis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the titles of the studies (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated by his Department during the last 10 years concerning the relationship between economic growth, jobs and road building. [40064]
Mr. Hague: None, but the south Wales area traffic study published in December 1990 and the north-east Clwyd traffic study published in November 1991 looked at traffic levels, traffic growth and future capacity requirements for the road network in those areas of Wales. There is a degree of assessment of potential economic growth associated with such studies. Copies of both reports are in the Library of the House.
Youth Training
Mr. Rowlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate his Department has made of the average cost of a national vocational qualification acquired through youth training within each of the training and enterprise councils in Wales. [40484]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: The following table gives the estimated apportionment of costs, as between national vocational qualifications levels 1 to 4, incurred by the Welsh Office as a result of its contracts with the respective training and enterprise councils in Wales in 1995-96.
| TEC | Average--cost per NVQ 1995-96(£) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NVQ1 | NVQ2 | NVQ3 | NVQ4 | |
| Mid Glamorgan TEC | 4,285 | 3,658 | 7,943 | 8,544 |
| Gwent TEC | 3,338 | 2,604 | 5,943 | 6,227 |
| West Wales TEC | 3,309 | 3,022 | 6,331 | 6,944 |
| South Glamorgan TEC | 4,768 | 3,709 | 8,477 | 8,874 |
| Powys TEC | 3,801 | 2,997 | 6,798 | 7,145 |
| Targed | 2,983 | 2,448 | 5,430 | 5,775 |
| North East Wales TEC | 3,217 | 2,176 | 5,393 | 5,416 |
| Wales | 3,751 | 3,009 | 6,760 | 7,141 |
Mr. Rowlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate his Department has made of the percentage and number of those aged 19 who have not achieved a national vocational qualification at level 2 or a comparable educational qualification. [40487]
Mr. Evans: The labour force survey for winter 1995-96 estimated that 36,000 or 39 per cent. of 19 to 21-year-olds in Wales had not achieved a national vocational qualification at level 2 or a comparable educational qualification. No reliable figures are available for 19-year-olds separately.
Mr. Rowlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate his Department has made of the amount offered per training week within the youth training scheme by each training and enterprise council; and what proportion of that amount is spent on training. [40485]
Mr. Evans: The Welsh Office does not make estimates of the prices offered by each of the training and enterprise councils in Wales to training providers. The Department contracts with each TEC for a range of services at prices which reflect the nature and volume of service to be provided and take account of the previous year's outturn
15 Oct 1996 : Column: 867
performance in terms of comparative unit costs. The TECs in turn contract with training providers and other suppliers at prices which reflect their own commercial judgment as to appropriate levels. These may be above or below those paid by the Department.
School Leavers
Mr. Rowlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the percentage of school leavers who have entered work without recognised training or further education. [40486]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: The information requested is not collected by the Welsh Office. However, the Wales Association of Heads of Careers Companies has published figures showing that, of 16-year-olds in Wales in 1995, approximately 5 per cent. entered employment without any planned training.
Effluent Treatment Plants
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on how many occasions since 1 January 1990 consent conditions applied to effluent treatment plants in Wales have been contravened; and what steps have been taken to remedy the pollution. [40525]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: I refer the hon. Member to tables 13.1 to 13.3 in the "Environmental Digest for Wales No. 9 1996" published by the Welsh Office, a copy of which is in the Library of the House. Under the Water Resources Act 1991 and the Environment Act 1995, the Environment Agency has a wide range of powers to tackle aquatic pollution.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |