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WALES
Road Improvements
11. Sir David Knox: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the total spending by central Government on roads in Wales since 1979; and how many miles of motorway and trunk roads have been constructed since that year. [9917]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: Since 1979, total spending on the roads programme in Wales is nearly £3 billion, including £510 million transport grant, 36 miles of motorway and 171 miles of trunk road have been completed or improved. Three major improvement schmes totalling another 16 miles are under construction.
GP Fundholders
12. Mr. Jacques Arnold: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many GP fundholders there are in Wales; and what plans there are to extend this scheme. [9918]
Mr. Gwilym Jones: There are 210 and a further 25 are expected to become fundholders from 1 April next. Fundholding now covers 52 per cent. of the population of Wales and I expect its popularity to continue to increase.
25. Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of the population in Wales is served by fundholding GPs. [9932]
Mr. Jones: Fifty-two per cent. of the Welsh population are now covered by fundholding GPs, and this will rise to 55 per cent. by next April.
NHS Expenditure
13. Mr. Mans: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much was spent on the NHS in Wales in 1996 as a percentage of that spent in 1995. [9920]
Mr. Hague: In 1995-96, spending on the NHS in Wales as a percentage of that spent in 1994-95 was 105.8 per cent.
Local Government Finance
14. Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last met the treasurers of Welsh county and county borough councils to discuss local authority finance for 1996-97 in Wales. [9921]
Mr. Gwilym Jones: A meeting of the Welsh Consultative Council on Local Government Finance was held on 16 December 1996.
Nursery Vouchers
15. Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what further representations he has had about the introduction and implementation of nursery vouchers in (a) Clwyd and (b) Wales. [9922]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: Since my reply to the hon. Member's question on 15 July 1996 the Welsh Office has received some 1,700 further letters and some 20 petitions about the scheme, including some 60 letters and two petitions from the area covering the former Clwyd.
20 Jan 1997 : Column: 501
Roads Programme
16. Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on his Department's road programme for 1997-98. [9923]
Mr. Gwilym Jones: Details of improvements to the road network in 1997-98 will be published in the Welsh Office's departmental report in the spring.
Assisted Places Scheme
17. Mr. Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received about the proposed expenditure on assisted places in 1997-98. [9924]
Economic Prospects
18. Mr. Alan W. Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the prospects for the Welsh economy in 1997. [9925]
Mr. Hague: Prospects for the Welsh economy in 1997 are very good indeed. Employment is rising and unemployment continues to fall; independent forecasters expect GDP in 1997 to grow faster in Wales than in the UK as a whole; and for Wales to continue to have the strongest manufacturing growth of all regions. Business surveys show that businesses in Wales remain very confident.
Income Statistics (Carmarthenshire)
19. Mr. Denzil Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will express the income per head in Carmarthenshire as a percentage of the United Kingdom figure. [9926]
Mr. Hague: There are no official data on income per head in Carmarthenshire. However, in April 1996, the average gross weekly earnings of full-time employees in Carmarthenshire were 87 per cent. of the UK average.
Burgner Report
20. Mr. Thurnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he will publish his response to the Burgner report; and if he will make a statement. [9927]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health published the Burgner report on 18 October 1996. On that date he announced the Government's response to some key recommendations of the report in a speech to the annual conference of the Association of Directors of Social Services. He also announced that a more detailed response will be included in a social services White Paper, which the Government expect to publish in February.
Meningitis (Cardiff University)
21. Mr. Jon Owen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with (a) university authorities and (b) Bro Taf health authority concerning meningitis at Cardiff university in autumn 1996. [9928]
20 Jan 1997 : Column: 502
Mr. Hague: I have asked for reports from the vice-chancellor at the university of Wales and Bro Taf health authority on the outbreak. Both reports are expected by the end of January.
Further Education Funding
22. Mr. Dafis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimates he has made of the trends in funding of further education between 1996-97 and 1997-98. [9929]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: Following my right hon. Friend's announcement on 12 December regarding public expenditure in Wales for 1997-98, the Department's officials wrote to the chief executive of the Further Education Funding Council for Wales giving details of the council's grant for further education in 1996-97 and 1997-98 and indicative funding for the next two years. A copy of the letter has been placed in the Library.
Youth Unemployment
23. Mr. John Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement about youth unemployment in Wales. [9930]
Mr. Hague: Claimant unemployment among under-25s in Wales fell by 3,900, 12.3 per cent., in the year to October 1996. The rate in Wales is significantly lower than those in France, Italy and Spain, as well as below the EU average.
Private Finance Initiative
24. Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much money he expects to be raised through PFI projects in the next three years. [9931]
Mr. Hague: I expect the initiative to bring about £350 million of private sector capital investment in Welsh Office schemes.
Local Government Services
26. Mr. Donald Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received about the effect of the Budget settlement on local government services. [9933]
Mr. Gwilym Jones: My right hon. Friend and I discussed our proposals for the local government revenue settlement and capital spending plans for 1997-98 with representatives of local government at a meeting of the Welsh Consultative Council on Local Government Finance on 16 December 1996. In addition, my right hon. Friend and I have received around 20 written representations from the Welsh Local Government Association, Members of Parliament and individual local authorities.
Tai Cymru
27. Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many new units of social housing were provided by Tai Cymru in the past 12 months for which figures are available; and how many he forecasts for the next 12 months. [9934]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: During 1995-96, 3,802 dwellings were completed. Tai Cymru's target for 1996-97 is 3,500 dwellings.
20 Jan 1997 : Column: 503
Inward Investment
28. Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he will take to ensure equity of distribution of job-creating inward investment between the east of Wales and the west of Wales; and if he will make a statement. [9935]
Mr. Hague: I will continue to work hard for the whole of Wales. Decisions on location are ultimately a matter for the companies concerned. I have, however, set targets for the Welsh Development Agency and the Development Board for Rural Wales to attract investment to areas outside the east of Wales.
A465 Construction
Mr. Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he estimates the A465 Aberdulais to Glynneath road construction will be completed. [11034]
Mr. Gwilym Jones: I shall be writing to the hon. Member shortly, inviting him to the opening ceremony for this scheme, which is planned for the end of February.
Health Authority Savings Targets
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 17 December, Official Report, column 588, on savings by health authorities, if he will list the principal elements of the savings targets for the health authorities which will be achieved in (a) 1997-98 and (b) 1998-99. [11807]
Mr. Hague: It is a matter for health authorities to determine how to make the savings, and when, provided that they achieve the overall target by the end of 1998-99. Progress towards the £8 million savings will be monitored through health authority annual accounts when the information becomes available.
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