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EU Social Affairs Council
Mr. Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will make a statement on the outcome of the EU Social Affairs Council on 2 December. [7797]
Mr. Paice: The UK was represented by the UK deputy permanent representative to the European Union at the Social Affairs Council on 2 December. No votes were taken.
The Joint Social Affairs Council, ECOFIN and Commission report on employment was approved for submission to the Dublin European Council. The proposal for the establishment of an employment and labour market committee was agreed unanimously and agreement in principle was reached on a number of amendments to directive 1408/71 on social security for migrant workers, although final adoption will await the opinion of the European Parliament. The directive on the implementation of the principle of equal treatment for men and women in occupational social security schemes was agreed unanimously.
A recommendation on the balanced participation of women and men in the decision-making process and resolutions on mainstreaming equal opportunities for men and women into the European social funds, equality of opportunity for people with disabilities and on the role of social protection in the fight against unemployment were all agreed unanimously.
There was a political discussion, but no agreement, on a draft directive amending the 1976 equal treatment directive to take into account the judgment of the European Court of Justice in the Kalanke case.
There were a series of presentations: on the proposed chemical agents directive; the conclusions on lifelong learning adopted at the Education Council; a Commission communication on information and consultation of workers; a Commission communication on the social dialogue; a French paper on initiatives to follow up President Chirac's memorandum on a European social model; and on a Commission report on cohesion.
The other member states discussed, but did not reach agreement on, the draft directive on the reversal of the burden of proof in sex discrimination cases, which is being taken forward under their agreement on social policy and which will not apply in the UK.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has for implementing the targets and commitments agreed by the recent world food summit; and if he will make a statement. [6100]
Dr. Liam Fox:
We will participate fully in the international follow-up to the world food summit. The Overseas Development Administration is ready to assist developing countries in their efforts to implement the world food summit plan of action. We will also encourage
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United Nationals and other international organisations to take co-ordinated and effective action to help developing countries to meet the summit's goals.
Mr. Barry Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many applications for grant-maintained status are currently being considered at (a) primary and (b) secondary level. [7238]
Mr. Jonathan Evans:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on Tuesday 3 December, Official Report column 604.
Mr. John Morris:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the estimated cost of the Government's proposals for changes to early retirement provisions for teachers (a) to local education authorities in Wales and (b) in the Neath Port Talbot county borough area; and what compensation is proposed for the additional costs to local education authorities. [5769]
Mr. Jonathan Evans:
Under our proposed changes to early retirement provisions, the employers' contribution rate to the teachers' superannuation scheme will be reduced. That will release funds so that employers can pay directly for those premature retirements that they believe to be necessary. Our proposals envisage a reduction of 40 per cent. in premature retirements in schools in England and Wales over the next three years. If employers in Wales provide for this reduced level of premature retirements there will be savings. The precise level of those savings in Wales, and in individual local authority areas, will depend on decisions of employers and cannot be quantified in advance.
Mr. Steen:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for South Hams of 15 November about the case involving the duty of care of Marine Safety Agency surveyors of fishing vessels. [7264]
Mr. Streeter:
The question concerns a matter which has been assigned to the Court Service under the terms of its framework document. I have therefore asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from M. D. Huebner to Mr. Anthony Steen, dated 4 December 1996:
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Mrs. Anne Campbell:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to his answer of 7 November, Official Report, columns 610-11, on the arrest and conviction of young offenders, if the figures cited referred to working days. [6544]
Mr. Streeter:
The figures cited in the answer in question count all days of the week, not working days alone. All figures published in the Department's information bulletins on magistrates courts time intervals also count all days of the week.
The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to your Question about your letter of 15 November.
As you know, your letter to the Lord Chancellor was transferred to me, as Chief Executive of the Court Service, to reply as it concerned an operational aspect of the Court of Appeal. The Parliamentary Secretary's Private Office wrote to you on 20 November to inform you of the transfer.
My enquiries into your constituent's case are currently underway and I hope to be in a position to reply to you by 9 December.
East London and the City Health Authority
Mr. Spearing: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 20 November, Official Report, columns 597-98, concerning application of his latest weighted capitation formula, what is the current formula and where it is set out; what sums were made available to the East London and the City health authority for 1996-97; what sums are planned for 1997-98; and what was the basis of calculation for such sums with particular reference to the base population used. [6622]
Mr. Malone: Details of the weighted capitation formula used to determine the 1996-97 allocations to health authorities can be found in the 1996-97 health authority revenue cash limits exposition booklet, copies of which are available in the Library.
East London and the City health authority received a general allocation of almost £337.2 million in 1996-97, an increase of £1.6 million, 0.5 per cent. in real terms.
In 1997-98, East London and the City health authority will receive an integrated allocation of £365.4 million, which will include a general allocation of £348 million, an increase of £7.4 million, 2.2 per cent. in real terms.
Details of the formula used to calculate the general allocation will be included in the 1997-98 health authority revenue cash limits exposition booklet, copies of which will be placed in the Library shortly.
Mr. Spearing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is (a) the population within the area of the East London and the City health authority on which that authority's capitation grant is calculated, (b) the total number of persons registered with general practitioners within that area, (c) the estimates he or others have made of the evidence of double registrations, (d) the estimates he or others have made of the number of persons not registered and (e) what action he has taken to adjust his capitation formula accordingly. [5091]
Mr. Malone
[holding answer 20 November 1996]: Resources are allocated on the basis of health authority resident population. The population forecasts used for resource allocation are updated annually.
The 1997-98 weighted capitation target for East London and the City health authority was calculated using the forecast population figures for 1997, based on 1995 population estimates, of 613,172.
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The number of patients registered with general practitioners within the former City and East London family health services authority on 29 March 1996 was 718,849.
The national population figure provided by the Office for National Statistics, the department responsible for providing population data to government, is lower than the total number of patients registered with general practitioners, which implies a level of double counting. Areas from which GPs draw their patients are not coterminous with health authority boundaries.
There are even greater variations between the two data sets when sub-national populations are considered, where there is evidence of both under and double counting. Double counting is known to be particularly prevalent in inner cities because of the transient nature of their populations. In the case of East London and the City, the estimate of double counting is around 18 per cent.
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