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Portable Antiquities
Mr. Faber: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what action the Government intend to take in response to the discussion document on portable antiquities which her Department published in March.[9681]
Mr. Sproat: In the discussion document on portable antiquities published in February 1996, we sought views on proposals for a scheme for the recording of all archaeological finds, of which perhaps as many as 400,000 a year are currently being discovered, in the belief that there was an urgent need to improve the current arrangements. We received a total of 173 responses and I would like to pay tribute to the care which many of the respondents took with their replies. There is a great deal of invaluable advice in the responses which will guide us as we take the initiative forward. I would like in particular to single out the detailed statements from the standing conference on portable antiquities and the National Council for Metal Detecting. Copies of the responses have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Everyone who responded agreed on the importance of recording archaeological finds and on the need to improve the current arrangements, while the balance of opinion was strongly in favour of a voluntary rather than a compulsory system. This means that, for the first time, we have a broad consensus for the way in which this should be taken forward.
In the light of these responses and following further consultation by my Department, I can now announce that we intend to establish a two-year programme of pilot
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schemes to commence on 1 September 1997 and that we are making £50,000 available for the eight-month period that falls within the year 1997-98. The scheme will be co-ordinated directly by this Department and the funding will be channelled through the Museums and Galleries Commission. The aim of the pilot schemes will be to enable an accurate estimate to be made of the resources that would be needed to extend the scheme across the whole of England. The funding will be directed towards employing additional staff in three or four areas to record finds. Our first step will be to invite any suitable body--museums, but also perhaps county planning departments or other archaeological bodies--to express an interest in bidding for funding and we intend to do this early in the new year.
Mr. Alex Carlile:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the current median waiting periods for patients needing (a) cataract treatment and (b) hip replacement treatment at each hospital where this operation is provided for patients whose operations are purchased by Welsh health authorities, and for Wales as a whole and the equivalent waiting times in each of the last two years; and if he will make a statement. [7467]
Mr. Hague:
Information on the median waiting time for those patients who had the relevant treatment in each of the last three years is given in the following table. For each category only those hospitals where there is full information on waiting periods and more than 10 operations were performed have been included. The figures are for operations purchased by health authorities and GP fundholders in Wales.
| Hospital | 1993-94 | 1994-95 | 1995-96 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cataract treatment | |||
| Breconshire War Memorial | 8 | 15 | 39 |
| Bridgend General | 312 | 165 | 150 |
| Bronglais | (4)-- | (4)-- | (4)-- |
| East Glamorgan | 211 | 205 | 79 |
| Glan Clwyd General Hospital | 103 | 68 | 72 |
| Llwynpia | 20 | 19 | 44 |
| Morriston | (5)-- | (4)-- | (4)-- |
| Nevil Hall | (5)-- | (5)-- | 47 |
| Prince Charles | 115 | 278 | 366 |
| Prince Philip | 7 | 7 | (4)-- |
| Princess of Wales | (5)-- | (5)-- | (5)-- |
| Royal Gwent | (5)-- | (5)-- | 326 |
| St. Woolos | 195 | 190 | (5)-- |
| Singleton | 76 | 93 | 194 |
| University Hospital of Wales | 81 | 113 | 109 |
| Withybush General Hospital | 31 | 267 | (4)-- |
| Wrexham Maelor Hospital | 362 | 388 | 228 |
| Ysbyty Gwynedd | 106 | 210 | 159 |
| Wales | 96 | 94 | 95 |
| Hip replacement treatment | |||
| Aberdare | (5)-- | (4)-- | (4)-- |
| Bronglais | 2 | 40 | 7 |
| Bridgend General | (5)-- | (4)-- | (5)-- |
| Cardiff Royal Infirmary | 126 | 115 | (4)-- |
| Caephilly District Miners | 76 | 145 | 23 |
| Cymla | (5)-- | (4)-- | (4)-- |
| East Glamorgan | (4)-- | (5)-- | (4)-- |
| Glan Clwyd General Hospital | 242 | 193 | 175 |
| Gorseinon | (5)-- | (5)-- | (4)-- |
| Morriston | 186 | 236 | (4)-- |
| Neath | 59 | 78 | (4)-- |
| Nevill Hall | 107 | 114 | 90 |
| Princess of Wales | 44 | 39 | 32 |
| Prince Charles | 355 | 286 | 167 |
| Prince Philip | 8 | 11 | 18 |
| Royal Gwent | 139 | 139 | 161 |
| Tredegar | (5)-- | (4)-- | (4)-- |
| Withybush General Hospital | 463 | 400 | 286 |
| Wrexham Maelor Hospital | 160 | 133 | 167 |
| Ysbyty Gwynedd | 124 | 119 | 96 |
| Wales | 84 | 91 | 85 |
(4) No operations performed or full waiting period data not available. (5) Less than 10 operations performed.
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Housing
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the change in the budget of Tai Cymru between 1996-97 and 1997-98 (a) in real terms and (b) expressed as a percentage. [7762]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: The reduction in net capital expenditure between the 1996-97 and 1997-98 financial years is (a) £27.2 million; and (b) 29.9 per cent.
Sea Empress
Mr. Dafis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the study by Dr. Peter Dyrynda into the effects of the Sea Empress disaster; and if he will make a statement. [8043]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: My right hon. Friend, established the Sea Empress environmental evaluation committee--SEEEC--to assess the environmental effects of the Sea Empress oil spill. Dr. Dyrynda's report, along with a number of others, is being considered by SEEEC whose final report is expected next year.
Ambulance Paramedics
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of whether the objective that ambulance trusts in Wales will provide one qualified paramedic on each emergency medical service ambulance by 1 January 1997 will be achieved. [9343]
Mr. Hague: This is assessed annually at the end of March. The latest position is set out in the Welsh Affairs Committee, Session 1995-96, third report on the training of ambulance paramedics printed on 24 July 1996 and in the Government's response printed on 30 October 1996. Copies are available in the Library of the House.
NHS Expenditure
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects the final outturn figures for NHS expenditure in 1995-96 to be published. [9341]
Mr. Hague: Outturn figures for NHS expenditure in 1995-96 are in the appropriation account for Wales; and the summarised accounts of district health authorities, family health service authorities, the Welsh Health Common Services Authority, the Health Promotion Authority for Wales and NHS trusts in Wales. It is the
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responsibility of the Comptroller and Auditor General to lay copies of these accounts before both Houses of Parliament.
Care in the Community
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the Welsh local government associations concerning the transfer arrangements for funding care in the community from 1 April 1997; how much additional money will be provided to each local authority; and if he will make a statement. [9344]
Mr. Hague: I have had the usual consultation with the Welsh Local Government Association on the local government revenue settlement and on the future distribution of mental handicap and mental illness strategy resources. I announced on 12 December the provisional standard spending assessments for local authorities in Wales. The following table shows each authority's provisional SSA and the amount included in the SSA in respect of community care and the mental handicap and mental illness strategies. In addition, each authority will receive direct grant under the mental handicap strategy in 1997-98. These grants will be announced shortly.
| County and County Borough Councils | Total SSA | Community care | Mental handicap and mental illness strategies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blaenau Gwent | 65,375 | 4,240 | 747 |
| Bridgend | 109,937 | 7,241 | 1,361 |
| Caerphilly | 147,579 | 9,148 | 1,767 |
| Cardiff | 251,077 | 15,991 | 3,253 |
| Carmarthenshire | 152,073 | 11,142 | 1,701 |
| Ceredigion | 61,623 | 4,258 | 739 |
| Conwy | 93,113 | 7,326 | 1,071 |
| Denbighshire | 80,281 | 5,901 | 897 |
| Flintshire | 115,617 | 7,257 | 1,561 |
| Gwynedd | 109,679 | 7,704 | 1,201 |
| Ilse of Anglesey | 61,859 | 3,987 | 672 |
| Merthyr Tydfil | 56,665 | 3,821 | 594 |
| Monmouthshire | 66,144 | 4,540 | 892 |
| Neath Port Talbot | 122,454 | 8,909 | 1,418 |
| Newport | 118,887 | 7,356 | 1,410 |
| Pembrokeshire | 102,108 | 6,353 | 1,148 |
| Powys | 118,573 | 7,548 | 1,243 |
| Rhondda Cynon Taff | 210,746 | 15,553 | 2,507 |
| Swansea | 196,484 | 13,596 | 2,388 |
| Torfaen | 78,568 | 4,627 | 932 |
| The Vale of Glamorgan | 96,003 | 6,028 | 1,215 |
| Wrexham | 100,795 | 6,684 | 1,284 |
| Total County and County Borough Councils | 2,515,641 | 169,209 | 30,000 |
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