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Dental Services

Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) children, (b) adults and (c) people in total were registered with dentists in each health authority in Wales in (i) February 1993, (ii) July 1993, (iii) February 1994, (iv) July 1994, (v) February 1995, (vi) July 1995 and (vii) February 1996; and if he will make a statement. [7485]

9 Dec 1996 : Column: 59

Mr. Hague: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes) on 19 April 1996, Official Report, column 634.

Hospital Accident and Emergency Departments

Mr. Rogers: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what have been the numbers of admissions into each hospital accident and emergency department in Wales; and what these figures are as a percentage of the busiest in the last year for which figures are available. [8014]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: Information on the number of new attendances at each accident and emergency department or casualty unit in Wales during 1995-96 and the percentage this represented of the attendances at the largest unit is given in the following table:

Attendances in accident and emergency departments/casualty units, 1995-96

NHS Trust and Hospital	New attendances	As a percentage of the largest unit(21)
Bridgend and District
Maesteg General	571	0.7
Princess of Wales	48,511	56.7
Carmarthen and District
Llandovery	1,264	1.5
West Wales General	19,067	22.3
Ceredigion and Mid Wales
Aberaeron	396	0.5
Bronglais General	12,929	15.1
Cardigan and District	1,374	1.6
Tregaron	153	0.2
Clwydian Community Care
Colwyn Bay Community	1,287	1.5
Denbigh Community	2,930	3.4
Flint Community	3,950	4.6
Holywell Community	6,626	7.7
Llangollen Community	1,363	1.6
Mold Community	9,724	11.4
Royal Alexandra	1,287	1.5
Ruthin Community	1,953	2.3
Glan Clwyd Hospital
H M Stanley	2,966	3.5
Ysbyty Glan Clwyd	40,564	47.4
Glan Hafren
Aberbargoed and District	1,499	1.8
Caerphilly District Miners	12,504	14.6
Chepstow Community	3,971	4.6
County	5,705	6.7
Redwood Memorial	1,039	1.2
Royal Gwent	66,652	77.9
Glan-y-Mor
Neath General	26,971	31.5
Gwynedd Community
Bronygarth	2,885	3.4
Bryn Beryl	2,070	2.4
Dolgellau and Barmouth	2,173	2.5
Ffestiniog Memorial	2,017	2.4
Penrhos Stanley	316	0.4
Tywyn and District	2,400	2.8
Valley	4,352	5.1
Gwynedd Hospitals
Llandudno	12,823	15.0
Ysbyty Gwynedd	27,118	31.7
East Glamorgan
East Glamorgan General	29,513	34.5
Llandough
Barry Community	1,501	1.8
The Barry Hospital	4,157	4.9
Llanelli Dinefwr
Prince Philip	32,168	37.6
Morriston Hospital
Morriston	55,727	65.2
Nevill Hall and District
Blaenavon Health Care	1,696	2.0
Blaina and District	987	1.2
Ebbw Vale	1,891	2.2
Monmouth General	1,389	1.6
Nevill Hall	36,991	43.3
Tredegar General	2,684	3.1
North Glamorgan
Aberdare	8,432	9.9
Mountain Ash	6,103	7.1
Prince Charles	40,068	46.9
Pembrokeshire
South Pembrokeshire	6,667	7.8
Tenby Cottage	4,135	4.8
Withybush	20,366	23.8
Powys Health Care
Breconshire War Memorial	7,965	9.3
Broddyfi Community	2,192	2.6
Builth Wells Cottage	3,260	3.8
Llandrindod Wells	4,735	5.5
Llanidloes and District	1,442	1.7
Montgomery County Infirmary	4,320	5.1
Victoria Memorial	3,968	4.6
Ystradgynlais Community	2,646	3.1
Rhondda Health Care
Llwynpia	16,778	19.6
Swansea
Singleton	29,187	34.1
UHW Healthcare
Cardiff Royal Infirmary	85,524	100.0
University Hospital of Wales	520	0.6
Wrexham Maelor Hospital
Wrexham Maelor	43,976	51.4

(21) Largest in terms of the number of new attendances (Cardiff Royal Infirmary).

9 Dec 1996 : Column: 60

South East Wales Ambulance Trust

Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many single-manned journeys have been made by ambulance in 1996 in the South East Wales ambulance trust region; and if he will make a statement.[7726]

Mr. Hague: The information requested is not available centrally.

9 Dec 1996 : Column: 61

NHS Trust Directors

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which non-executive directors appointed to health service trusts in Wales at the time of their establishment are still in office. [7493]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: The information requested has been placed in the Library of the House.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

Central Science Laboratory

Mr. Waterson: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the future of the Central Science Laboratory. [8649]

Mr. Douglas Hogg: The Government have decided that, for the present, the Central Science Laboratory should remain as executive agency of MAFF. This will allow the CSL to consolidate its business following relocation to the new laboratory at Sand Hutton and to build on the links already established with the university of York and York bioscience initiative.

CSL's food science laboratory is to remain at Norwich and will continue to develop its collaboration with other institutes on the Norwich research park and with the university of East Anglia.

We must ensure that maximum value is obtained from the excellent new facilities at Sand Hutton. We will therefore be appointing specialists from the commercial sector to advise us on how best to achieve a secure future for CSL.

Beef Imports

Sir Ralph Howell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to introduce the same controls in respect of beef imports from non-EC countries as are placed on home produced beef. [6987]

Mrs. Browning: The Fresh Meat (Beef Controls) (No. 2) Regulations 1996 as amended, prohibit the sale for human consumption of any meat derived from bovine animals aged over 30 months and slaughtered on or after 29 March 1996, whether in the UK or overseas. The only exceptions are for bovine meat from non-EC countries specified in the regulations where the Government are satisfied that we can import beef without risk, and from animals slaughtered for human consumption under the beef assurance scheme.

Additionally, all consignments of fresh meat imported into the United Kingdom, whether from other member states or third countries, must have been produced in accordance with harmonised Community rules laid down in Council directive 64/433/EEC, as amended.

As regards controls on specified bovine materials, the Commission has recently put a proposal for EU-wide controls on such material to the Standing Veterinary Committee. This would also place equivalent controls on imports from third countries. The proposal was only supported only by the UK and France and is now expected to be submitted to the Council of Agriculture Ministers for further consideration.

9 Dec 1996 : Column: 62

Butter

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he has taken to protect the interests of consumers of spreadable butter; and what representations he has made to the European Commission on this matter. [7273]

Mr. Baldry: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave him on 19 November 1996, Official Report, column 474, and on 4 December 1996 Official Report, column 721.

BSE

Mr. Tyler: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent assessment he has made of the accuracy of the data on his Department's Internet site relating to the selective cull of cattle not over 30 months under the BSE eradication scheme. [8183]

Mr. Baldry: The Department is conscious of the importance of having accurate information across its Internet site which has until recently been available on the CCTA Government Information Service. However, during the past month we have been phasing in a dedicated MAFF service on the Internet (http://www.maff.gov.uk); this service is now fully available and contains fresh sources of information. We are also reviewing all MAFF's BSE documentation on the Internet with the aim of enhancing its content, currency and structure.

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