| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Asylum Seekers
Mr. Spearing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his latest estimate of the number of persons who (a) having applied for political asylum are awaiting (i) first determination or (ii) determination of an appeal or judicial review and (b) are awaiting departure or deportation; and if he will list the number and distributions of all such categories in local authority areas of the United Kingdom. [14955]
Mr. Kirkhope: As at 31 December 1996, there were 55,635 applications for asylum in the United Kingdom awaiting an initial decision. As at the same date, 1,340 asylum appeals were awaiting validation and preparation by the asylum directorate and 20,455 asylum appeals were awaiting a hearing by adjudicators at the Immigration Appeals Authority. In addition, there were a further 545 asylum appeals outstanding at the immigration appeals tribunal. A regional breakdown of these data is not centrally recorded.
Information on the number of asylum-related judicial reviews awaiting a decision, or on the number of persons awaiting departure or deportation is not available.
11 Feb 1997 : Column: 154
Mr. Straw:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on further amendments to part III of the Police Bill [Lords]. [15476]
Mr. Howard:
Contradictory amendments to part III of the Police Bill were passed in another place. The Government do not believe that either of these amendments is acceptable as it stands. Further amendment is therefore essential.
I have considered carefully the points raised during the debate. There are two key principles that I believe must be maintained. First, the authorisation of intrusive operations should remain the responsibility of chief officers. There should be effective external scrutiny of those decisions but they should not be the subject of second guessing. Secondly, chief officers must remain fully accountable for their decisions and remain liable to answer in court as to why they have authorised these operations. They should also be answerable for any complaint arising from the authorisation of an operation and be liable to be named in the annual report of the commissioner for any wrongly authorised operation.
Accordingly, I shall table amendments which will provide:
Mr. Chris Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the amounts retained by GP fundholders by health authority at the end of each financial year since the introduction of GP fundholding. [13651]
Mr. Malone:
Information about efficiency savings made by general practitioner fundholders for 1995-96 is not yet available. Figures for 1994-95 are given in the table. For years prior to 1994-95, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the right hon. Member for Derby, South (Mrs. Beckett) on 16 March 1995, Official Report column 704. GP fundholder savings are available to be reinvested for the benefit of patients in accordance with regulations.
11 Feb 1997 : Column: 155
that responsibility for authorising operations should be that of the chief officer;
that the prior approval of a commissioner will be required where there are reasonable grounds for thinking that the operation could affect legal, medical or journalistic privilege or where the operation involves intrusion into residential dwellings, offices and hotel bedrooms. Prior approval would not be necessary where the chief officer was acting with the consent of the person able to give permission in respect of the relevant premises or in urgent cases;
that the commissioner will approve an authorisation if he is satisfied there are reasonable grounds for believing that the action is likely to be of substantial value in the prevention or detection of serious crime and that what the action seeks to achieve could not reasonably be achieved by other means;
a right of appeal to the chief commissioner against a decision taken by the commissioner;
for commissioners to serve for a fixed period of three years, and for their removal from office within that period to require the consent of both Houses.
Source:
NHS Executive regional offices.
11 Feb 1997 : Column: 156
VAT (Incontinence Products)
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement in respect of the implications for the North Staffordshire Combined Health Care Trust of costs incurred in the event of the VAT tribunal ruling that VAT be applied to incontinence products. [14334]
Mr. Burns: The outcome of the tribunal will have no impact on the requirement on trusts to pay value added tax on incontinence products supplied to the national health service.
Equal Opportunities
Mr. Keith Hill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are employed by his Department to provide advice on the application of equal opportunities; and at what cost in the last year for which figures are available. [14468]
Mr. Horam: There is one full-time and one part-time member of staff who are employed solely to provide advice on equal opportunities in the Department of Health. In addition, a small proportion of their manager's time, other personnel officers' time and some administrative support are devoted to this responsibility.
Asthma
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for each regional health authority the number of hospital admissions for asthma for each year since 1980; and if he will make a statement. [14887]
Mr. Horam: The table gives information on hospital admissions with a primary diagnosis of asthma from 1989-90 to 1994-95--respectively the earliest and most recent years for which figures are available.
Source:
Hospital Episode Statistics.
11 Feb 1997 : Column: 157
11 Feb 1997 : Column: 157
Mr. Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are currently being treated for asthma (a) in each county and (b) in total; and if he will make a statement. [14886]
Mr. Horam:
The information requested is not available centrally.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |