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WALES
BSE (Compensation)
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage and total amount of BSE eradication and compensation scheme expenditure has been received by (a) farmers, (b) slaughterers, (c) renderers and (d) other recipients; and if he will make a statement. [2162]
Mr. Hague [holding answer 6 November 1996]: Between April and the end of October 1996, the total UK expenditure on BSE eradication and compensation schemes broken down by recipients was as follows:
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| £ million | Per cent. | |
|---|---|---|
| (a) Farmers | 477 | 68 |
| (b) Slaughterers | 97 | 14 |
| (c) Renderers | 78 | 11 |
| (d) Other recipients | 48 | 7 |
| 700 |
Mr. Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the total expenditure to date on the BSE eradication and compensation schemes; and if he will make a statement. [2166]
Mr. Hague [holding answer 6 November 1996]: The total UK expenditure to date is £700 million. Most of this expenditure has been on the over-30-month slaughter scheme, the calf processing scheme, the additional EU compensation package--beef special premium scheme and suckler cow premuim scheme top-up,beef marketing payment scheme--the beef stocks transfer scheme, the animal feed recall scheme, aid to renderers, emergency aid to the slaughtering sector.
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list (a) the methods by which compensation has been directed to farmers in Wales since the onset of the BSE crisis, (b) the level of expenditure in Wales under each of these headings and (c) the amount of each expenditure item in Wales that is recoverable from the European Union. [3393]
Mr. Hague: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 24 July 1996, Official Report, columns 532-33. Subsequent to that reply, additional expenditure has been agreed as follows:
- Approximately £160 million from EU funds for direct support to UK beef producers. Over £100 million--of this, £10.46 million in Wales--has already been disbursed through supplementary payments to the beef special premium and suckler cow premium schemes and through the beef marketing payments scheme.
Some £89 million from national funds for direct support to UK beef producers. £60 million of this sum has been earmarked for distribution to eligible cattle producers under the 1997 hill livestock compensatory allowance scheme.
£16.6 million for extra cold storage capacity to help reduce the backlog of animals awaiting slaughter under the over-30-month scheme.
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GP Fundholding
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many applications for fundholding status he is considering from general practitioners in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [2267]
Mr. Gwilym Jones: Applications from 25 practices have been accepted and they are now preparing to start fundholding from next April.
Mr. Rowlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of the population within each health district are presently covered by general practitioner fundholding practices. [3187]
Mr. Jones: The latest available figures are given in the following table.
| Health authority area | Percentage of people registered with a doctor who are covered by a fundholding practice |
|---|---|
| Bro Taf | 42 |
| Dyfed Powys | 73 |
| Gwent | 50 |
| Morgannwg | 56 |
| North Wales | 44 |
| Wales | 52 |
Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many cases of MRSA have been recorded in the Royal Gwent hospital in each of the last five years broken down by age bands of 10 years; and if he will make a statement; [2899]
- (2) how many (a) cases and (b) deaths from MRSA have been recorded in Wales in each of the last five years broken down in each case by age bands of 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [2888]
Mr. Gwilym Jones: There were two, two and 53 cases of MRSA recorded by the Royal Gwent laboratory in 1994, 1995 and 1996--up to 22 July--respectively. No breakdown of these data by age band is available centrally. Information relating to Wales is given in the following table.
| Age group | 1994 | 1995 | 1996(46) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
| 1 to 4 | 1 | 3 | 7 |
| 5 to 14 | -- | 3 | 10 |
| 15 to 24 | 16 | 13 | 51 |
| 25 to 34 | 17 | 24 | 88 |
| 35 to 44 | 21 | 17 | 85 |
| 45 to 54 | 23 | 29 | 99 |
| 55 to 64 | 26 | 33 | 157 |
| 65 and over | 251 | 270 | 1,265 |
| Not known | 184 | 47 | 330 |
| Total | 541 | 442 | 2,100 |
Source:
CDSC Welsh unit MRSA surveillance programme in Wales.
Notes:
Completeness of reporting by laboratories is variable. Increased emphasis was placed on reporting in 1996 and additional features requested. Data may include some GP referrals. The numbers indicated are patients identified with MRSA, only a proportion of these will have clinical illness--estimated at 50 per cent.--due to MRSA infection, the remainders will be carriers of the organism.
(46) To 4 November.
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Figures for the number of deaths are not currently available. Work being undertaken by the Office for National Statistics may provide some data in due course.
Prescribed Drugs
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the average (a) number of types and (b) quantity of preparations taken by people in Wales in each of the last five years broken down by (a) gender and (b) age bands of 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [2884]
Mr. Gwilym Jones: No estimate has been made.
Nursery Vouchers
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many submissions he has received (a) in favour and (b) opposed to nursery school vouchers in the last two years. [3224]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: The Government's intention of increasing provision for four-year-olds has been welcomed. Submissions in favour of a voucher scheme as a means of giving effect to those proposals have not been solicited, although there has been one specific letter of support. In addition to ministerial correspondence, the Welsh Office has received some 4,500 letters and almost 60 petitions in opposition to the scheme. The large amount of correspondence against the scheme is not surprising as it is clear from the letters that there have been many misunderstandings and much misinformation.
Crown Estate
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of the land in Wales is owned by the Crown Estate; and what environmental regulations apply to this land. [3283]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: The Crown Estate in Wales extends to 67,466 acres, of which 63,509 acres are subject to commoners rights.
Environmental regulations covering this land will depend upon its designation.
Secondees and Consultants
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) secondees and (b) consultants are working for his Department on (i) private finance initiative and (ii) other issues; and at what cost to public funds in (1) the current financial year and (2) 1997-98. [3673]
Mr. Hague: Thirteen people are currently on secondment to my Department, at a total cost in 1996-97 of £351,500. One is working on the private finance initiative. My Department plans to spend around £880,000 on external consultants in 1996-97, including £130,000 on PFI-related work. Plans for expenditure on inward secondments and external consultancy in 1997-98 have not yet been decided.
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Gwent Health Authority
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what consultations he has had with the chairman of the Gwent health authority concerning a recent dispute relating to the appointment of a senior manager; [3674]
- (2) what requests he has received from the chairman of the Gwent health authority for approval of an ex gratia severance payment to a senior manager appointed in January 1996; and if he will make a statement. [3675]
Mr. Hague: I wrote to the chairman after I received a copy of the report of the inquiry into the appointment. No proposal to make a severance payment has been received.
University Hospital of Wales
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what secondment he has given to the former chief nurse of the university hospital of Wales; and if he will make a statement on the financial arrangements. [3676]
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Mr. Hague: The former chief nurse is working on a collaborative project managed by the trust, college of medicine and my Department on the developing role of the clinical nurse. It fulfils part of the remit of the task force on continuing education and practice chaired by the chief nursing officer. Costs are shared by the participants, with the trust paying for her salary until 31 May 1997.
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