| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Practice Nurses (Pensions)
Mr. Sutcliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) for what reasons practice nurses have not been allowed to transfer their contributions from the NHS pension fund to practice pension schemes; [8964]
- (2) for what reasons no explanation was given to practice nurses in respect of requirements made of them to remove their pensions from the NHS pension fund and to take out private pensions; [8966]
(3) how many practice nurses have been advised to take out private pensions to date; [8962]
(4) what factors underlay his decision to remove practice nurses from the NHS pension fund; [8963]
(5) how many practice nurses came out of the NHS pension fund in (a) 1989, (b) 1990 and (c) 1991; [8965]
(6) when he last had discussions with the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Nurses about the removal of practice nurses' pensions from the NHS pension fund to private pension schemes. [8967]
Mr. Malone: There will be an announcement shortly on entry of general practitioner practice staff including practice nurses to the national health service pension scheme.
16 Dec 1996 : Column: 460
Genetically Engineered Soya
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to protect public health regarding the increased use of imported soya which has been genetically engineered; and if he will make a statement. [8959]
Mr. Horam: Ministers are advised on the safety of foods and ingredients obtained from genetically modified--GM--organisms by an independent committee of experts, the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes. The ACNFP assessed the imported GM soya beans developed by Monsanto in 1994 and concluded that they were toxicologically and nutritionally equivalent to, and therefore as safe as, conventional soya beans.
Food Poisoning
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many cases of E.coli infection have been reported in east Lancashire since 1 December; [9223]
- (2) what assessment he has made of the source of the E.coli infection in east Lancashire. [9222]
Mr. Horam: E.coli infection has been isolated in clinical samples from 12 individuals, including one outside the area who has been linked to this outbreak. Of these, nine have been or are ill, but all are recovering. The outbreak is being investigated locally by a control team, which comprises medical, scientific and environmental health experts. Officials in the Department of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food are closely monitoring the progress of the local team and the action taken. Detailed epidemiological and microbiological investigations are continuing and precautionary measures have been taken to ensure that public health in the locality is not jeopardised.
Social Services White Paper
Mr. Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultations he (a) has had and (b) proposes to have with local authorities about his forthcoming White Paper on social services, with reference to the first paragraph of part D of the guidelines on central-local relations. [9317]
Mr. Burns: We expect to meet leaders of the social services authorities to discuss the proposed White Paper early in the new year.
SCOTLAND
Potato Prices
Mr. Welsh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he collates about the current levels of potato prices; and if he will list the prices for the current year and each of the past five years. [8346]
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson: Information about average wholesale market prices is collected for statistical purposes and published annually in the "Economics Report on Scottish Agriculture" by the Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department and these are as follows for each of the last five years. Current year (1996) provisional figures should be amiable in February 1997.
16 Dec 1996 : Column: 461
| 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995(7) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st earlies | 104.88 | 64.47 | 93.87 | 171.65 | 113.18 |
| Ware | 78.48 | 73.28 | 57.96 | 130.81 | 206.79 |
| Seed | 107.93 | 102.17 | 78.12 | 129.78 | 145.41 |
(7) Provisional.
Detailed price figures are also published by and may be obtained from the Potato Marketing Board.
Dounreay
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what notification his Department received from the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority in respect of the fires in the D9833 wet silo at Dounreay; and what investigations have been conducted by the Scottish Environmental Protection agency. [8674]
Mr. Kynoch: Notification of incidents of this nature would be made by the authority to the nuclear installations inspectorate. Nevertheless, reports by HM industrial pollution inspectorate covering the period April 1988 to March 1996 refer to an incident in 1992 when a small fire occurred in a radioactive waste store as a result of the reaction of traces of sodium metal with moisture. The fire was quickly brought under control and extinguished. Monitoring undertaken in the vicinity at the time indicated no radioactive material had been released.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency was established on 1 April 1996. It has received no notification of any fires in the wet storage facility. The agency will continue to monitor closely operations at the site.
Student Grants
Mr. Welsh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the number and percentage of students in Scotland who received Scottish Education Department grants in 1990. [9082]
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson [holding answer 13 December 1996]: In academic year 1990-91 70,742 students held awards from the Scottish Education Department. This represented 97.8 per cent. of the Scottish domiciled students undertaking full-time courses of higher education in Scotland.
Student Loans
Mr. Welsh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the cost to public funds of student loans in Scotland in each year since their introduction. [9081]
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson [holding answer 13 December 1996]: Expenditure by the Scottish Office on student loans, in each year since their introduction in academic year 1990-91, is as follows:
| Financial year | Net total |
|---|---|
| £ | |
| 1990-91 | 8,005,194 |
| 1991-92 | 16,486,843 |
| 1992-93 | 24,446,864 |
| 1993-94 | 36,904,818 |
| 1994-95 | 56,589,238 |
| 1995-96 | 78,321,353 |
| 1996-97(8) | 111,714,000 |
| 332,372,310 |
(8) Estimated.
16 Dec 1996 : Column: 462
Fishery Protection Orders
Ms Roseanna Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list each protection order currently in place under the Freshwater and Salmon Fisheries (Scotland) Act 1976; and if he will make a statement; [8968]
- (2) if he will list each amendment made to the River Tay protection order in each year since 1986; and if he will make a statement. [9039]
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson: The following protection orders have been made under the Freshwater and Salmon Fisheries (Scotland) Act 1976:-
The Rivers Tweed and Eye Protection Order 1980;
The Upper Spey and Associated Waters Protection Order 1982;
The River Lunan Catchment Area Protection Order 1983;
The River Tummel Catchment Area Protection Order 1983
The River Tay Catchment Area Protection Order 1986;
The West Strathclyde Protection Order 1988;
The River Earn Catchment Area Protection Order 1990;
The River Don Catchment Area (Part) Protection Order 1990;
The Loch Morar and River Morar Protection Order 1992;
The Loch Awe and Associated Waters Protection Order 1992;
The River Clyde Catchment Area (Part) Protection Order 1994;
The North West Sutherland Protection Order 1994;
The River Arkaig, Loch Arkaig and Associated Waters Protection Order 1995.
Prisoners (Drug Dependency)
Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the number of drug dependent prisoners currently detained in prisons in Scotland; and if he will make a statement. [9202]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The subject of the question relates to matters undertaken by the Scottish Prison Service. I have asked its chief executive, Mr. E. W. Frizzell, to arrange for a reply to be given.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |