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Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms exist for the disposal of dissecting instruments used in autopsies conducted at the CJD surveillance unit in Edinburgh. [10628]

Mr. Horam: Autopsies on patients with suspected Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease conducted in Edinburgh by surveillance unit staff are carried out in a dedicated high-risk autopsy suite in the Edinburgh royal infirmary. This autopsy suite has both disposable and non-disposable instruments which are not used for general autopsy purposes. After a CJD autopsy, the disposable instruments are handled according to guidelines published in 1994 by the Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens entitled, "Precautions for work with human and animal transmissible spongiform encephalopathies"--copies of which are available in the Library--and then incinerated. Non-disposable instruments are autoclaved in the high-risk autopsy suite at temperatures which are known to substantially inactivate the transmissible agents responsible for CJD. In the event of breakage, the non-disposable instruments would be disposed of according to the ACDP guidelines.

General Practitioners

Mr. Chris Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the average time general practitioners spent on administration for each year for which figures are available since 1979. [10671]

Mr. Malone: The Health Departments and the General Medical Services Committee of the British Medical Association have jointly conducted surveys of general practitioners' workload in 1985-86, 1989-90 and 1992-93. Copies of the results are in the Library.

Hepatitis B

Mr. Chris Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the estimated cost of treating hepatitis B in the NHS in the last year for which figures are available; and what is the estimated cost of universal hepatitis B immunisation per annum. [10679]

Mr. Horam: Information on the cost to the national health service of treating hepatitis B is not collected centrally. At manufacturers' current listed prices, the cost of hepatitis B vaccine for those born in any one year would be approximately £20 million. In addition, there would be vaccine administration costs which could vary depending upon the immunisation programme chosen.

13 Jan 1997 : Column: 172

Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act

Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what form, for what purpose, and with what public consultation he plans to review the working of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990; and if he will make a statement. [10523]

Mr. Horam: In the light of expressed concerns about whether the specific provision in schedule 3 of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 for consent to be in writing reflected current clinical and lay opinion, the Government announced on 5 December a review of that provision and the potential implications for the remainder of the 1990 Act. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health expects to announce shortly details of the review.

Hospitals

Mr. Chris Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospitals there are currently; and how many there were in 1979. [10689]

Mr. Horam: The number of national health service hospitals in England, as defined by section 128 of the NHS Act 1977, is not available centrally, nor has it ever been.

For the years 1979 to 1991, figures are available, based on a count of hospitals providing residential facilities. These were set out in the answer to a question from the hon. Member for Derby, South (Mrs. Beckett) on 16 May 1995, Official Report, columns 173-76.

Challenge Funds

Ms Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the bids for 1996-97 challenge funds. [10733]

Mr. Burns: Details of the successful bids for the 1996-97 mental health challenge fund were given in the press release of 23 April 1996.

In addition the emergency pressures fund for 1996-97 received bids as listed.

Mental Health Services: Funding to meet pressures in 1996-97Summary of bids

		£000
Health authority	Amount of bid	Amount awarded
South and West
Avon	150	120
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly	150	120
Gloucestershire	41	40
North and East Devon	45.5	45
Portsmouth	38.5	38
Southampton	150	120
Wiltshire	50	50
Total	625	533
Trent
Leicestershire	150	130
Lincolnshire	150	130
Nottingham	100	75
Rotherham	70	70
South Humber	150	130
Total	620	535
West Midlands
Wolverhampton	350	200
Birmingham	1,047.65	250
Shropshire	250	100
South Staffordshire	338	100
Solihull	50	50
Total	3,010.212	700
Anglia and Oxford
Northamptonshire	207	207
Total	207	207
North West
Manchester	1,000	700
Total	1,000	700
Northern and Yorkshire
Newcastle and N Tyneside	239.2	200
Leeds	305	250
Wakefield	75	75
County Durham	75	75
Total	694.2	600
South Thames
Merton Sutton and Wandsworth	225.617	200
Croydon	87.383	75
East Kent	84	75
West Surrey	116.15	100
West Sussex	112	100
Lambeth Southwark and Lewisham	175	175
Total	800.15	725
North Thames
Enfield and Haringey	238	225
North Essex	150	130
Redbridge and Waltham Forest	250	225
Barking and Havering	160	150
Brent and Harrow	176	150
Kensington Chelsea and Westminster	150	120
Total	1,124	1,000
Grand total	8,280.562	5,000

13 Jan 1997 : Column: 173

Social Services Spending

Mr. Thurnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, further to his speech to the social services conference in Edinburgh on 18 October, if he will list the average annual compound growth rate of spending on social services, in real terms, for the period since 1970-71, indicating the basis of his calculation; if he will list the real terms annual percentage increase in funding for personal social services, for each year from 1992-93 to 1997-98--projected; and in which years since 1979 that increase has been lower than the projected 1997-98 increase in real terms. [10514]

Mr. Burns: Net expenditure by social services departments was £80.6 million in 1970-71 and is budgeted to be £7,903.1 million in 1996-97, an average

13 Jan 1997 : Column: 174

real terms growth of 10 per cent. per annum. The figures used in the speech to the social services conference additionally included expenditure on Department of Social Security benefits paid to people in residential care and nursing homes.

The real terms percentage increase in funding provided for personal social services for each year from 1992-93 to 1997-98 is set out as:

Year	Real terms annual percentage increase
1993-94	11.9
1994-95	12.6
1995-96	6.1
1996-97	5.2
1997-98	2.4

Since 1979 the annual real terms increase in net expenditure on personal social services was less than 2.4 per cent. in 1981-82, 1984-85 and 1985-86.

Aldehydes

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the carcinogenic effects of aldehydes on humans. [10649]

Mr. Horam: None.

Staff Train Travel

Mr. Chris Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has issued to health authorities and trusts on the subject of first class train travel by staff when on business. [10672]

Mr. Malone: Section 23 of the General Whitley Council handbook deals with the reimbursement of travelling expenses including first class travel. Copies of this have been placed in the Library.

Contraception

Mr. Chris Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list (a) the average cost of a vasectomy and (b) the average yearly cost of providing contraceptive care to a patient. [10680]

Mr. Horam: Information on the cost of a vasectomy is not collected centrally. Provision of contraceptive care by the national health service costs an average of just over £40 per year per user of family planning services.

Health Authority Budgets

Mr. Chris Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the NHS budget by health authority for (a) 1994-95, (b) 1995-96 and (c) 1996-97. [10688]

Mr. Horam: Comparison between 1996-97 and previous years is not meaningful as the abolition of regional health authorities on 31 March 1996 and the reorganisation of health authorities on 1 April 1996 have resulted in changes to health authority responsibilities, boundaries and funding.

13 Jan 1997 : Column: 175

Details of district health authorities' final cash limits for 1994-95 and 1995-96 were set out in the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Dulwich (Ms Jowell) on 11 November 1996, Official Report, column 39.

For details of health authorities' 1996-97 cash limits I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Normanton (Mr O'Brien) on 3 December 1996, Official Report, column 638.

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