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National Minimum Wage
Mr. Timms: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what analysis his Department has made of the employment consequences of a national minimum wage, on the basis of the 1995 new earnings survey; when such analysis was carried out; and if he will place a copy in the Library. [19427]
Mr. John M. Taylor: In December 1995, my officials calculated that a national minimum wage set at £4 an hour could result in the loss of 1 million jobs, assuming half restoration of pay differentials.
The methodology used to calculate this effect was set out in the note placed in the Library of the House on 2 February 1990.
Utilities (Pre-payment Meters)
Mr. Vaz: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the number of households with two pre-payment meters for basic utilities. [19615]
Mr. Page:
The information requested is not available.
10 Mar 1997 : Column: 36
Mr. Sheerman:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade when his Department established its Internet site; what representations he has received and what data he has collated on the use and utility of the site; and what steps he is taking to increase the amount of information available via the site. [19145]
Mr. Ian Taylor:
The Department of Trade and Industry, which was one of the first Departments to go on the Internet, established its site on 14 June 1995 with approximately 100 pages. The site is growing fast and currently stands at over 2,000 pages. It includes a wide range of information about the Department and its activities.
In the next few days, the Department will be enhancing its Internet presence with a new design and improved navigation around the site, following consultation, on the Internet, with its users.
Records are kept about the number of accesses to the pages within the DTI site which currently stand at 180,000 hits per month, which equates to approximately 50,000 pages served.
There are hypertext links to other web sites.
Mrs. Roche:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 20 February, Official Report, columns 723-24, on which dates he will be writing to potential lenders; and if he will list those to whom he is writing. [19308]
Mr. Page:
Letters to potential lenders were sent out on 6 March, with a deadline of 11 April for applications.
It is not appropriate to list potential lenders since interest in lending under the scheme is commercially confidential to the firms concerned.
Mr. Martyn Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the number of rural residents who live more than half a mile from a bus route; and if he will make a statement. [18403]
Mr. Gwilym Jones:
Reliable information is not available separately for Wales. However, information from the national travel survey indicates that about 12 per cent. of rural residents in Great Britain live further than 13 minutes walking time from a bus stop, which equates to about half a mile in distance.
Mr. Denzil Davies:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much financial assistance has been provided to date by (a) the Welsh Office and (b) the Welsh Development Agency towards the re-development of Llanelli town centre. [18509]
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Mr. Hague:
Between 1 April 1992 and 31 March 1996, the Welsh Office's urban programme and its successor, the strategic development scheme, contributed around £2.3 million towards the redevelopment of Llanelli town centre.
As part of the gradual delegation of responsibility to local authorities for administering SDS resources, £480,000 was allocated to Carmarthenshire county council in 1996-97 and £617,244 will be available in 1997-98 to approve new projects; it is for the council to determine whether its priorities for this assistance should include Llanelli town centre.
Information on financial assistance provided by the WDA is an operational matter for the agency. I have asked the acting chief executive to write to the right hon. Member with details. I shall arrange for a copy of the reply to be placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Wigley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his Department's total estimated expenditure on agriculture, fisheries and food in Wales in the current financial year; and how much of this expenditure was funded by payments made from the European Union.[18616]
Mr. Hague:
Total estimated expenditure by my Department on agriculture, fisheries and food in Wales in 1996-97 is £268.550 million. This includes expenditure on beef marketing payments schemes and the BSE-related top-up payments to beef special premium and suckler cow premium schemes made by my Department but excludes expenditure by the Intervention Board executive agency on other BSE schemes. The total receipts from the European Union relating to agriculture, fisheries and food are expected to be £228.324 million, of which £6.559 million relates to expenditure in the previous calendar year.
Mr. Chris Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total expenditure by (a) district health authorities, (b) fundholders and (c) NHS trusts on purchasing health care from non-NHS providers in 1995-96 in Wales. [18802]
Mr. Gwilym Jones:
The information is as follows:
10 Mar 1997 : Column: 38
| 1995-96 | |
|---|---|
| £000 | |
| District health authorities | 22,802 |
| GP fundholders(3) | 2,264 |
| NHS trusts | 4,110 |
Note:
(3) Information is not held centrally in respect of individual GP fundholding practices, but their expenditure is shown on an aggregated basis in the annual accounts of the family health services authorities which pay for healthcare purchases on their behalf.
Source:
Financial returns of district health authorities and NHS trusts, and the audited annual accounts from family health services authorities.
NHS Trusts
Mr. Richards: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement about the development of NHS trusts in Wales. [19910]
Mr. Gwilym Jones: There are currently 30 NHS trusts in Wales.
My right hon. Friend and I have received a joint application from the Pembrokeshire and Derwen NHS trusts to dissolve and create a new single trusts from April 1997. Public consultation on this application ended on 17 February 1997.
Taking full account of the many representations received, and of the individual merits of bringing the two trusts together, we have decided to approve the merger. The two existing trusts will both be dissolved on 1 April 1997 and immediately re-established as a single trust, Pembrokeshire and Derwen NHS trust.
Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list (1) by health authority area and (2) health authority, trust or equivalent body the number of (a) doctors, (b) nurses, (c) midwives, (d) health visitors, (e) administration and clerical staff and (f) managers in (i) 1990, (ii) 1992, (iii) 1994, (iv) 1995 and (v) 1996.[18897]
Mr. Gwilym Jones:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. and learned Member for Montgomery (Mr. Carlile) on 10 December 1996, columns 168-72, by my right hon. Friend. Information for 1996 is given in the following table. Information for nurses, midwives and health visitors is not available separately, and the total of nursing and midwifery staff is therefore shown.
(4) Organisations are listed under the name they had at 30 September 1996.
(5) Provisional. Working in the hospital, community or public health service but excluding general medical practitioners.
(6) Excluding pre-registration learners.
(7) Including managers.
(8) Covering the former Mid Glamorgan area.
(9) Covering the former areas of South Glamorgan, Gwent and Powys.
(10) Covering the former areas of West Glamorgan and East Dyfed.
(11) Includes staff employed in Health Promotion Wales.
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Mr. Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many NHS clerical, administrative and management staff there were in each year since 1989. [18900]
(12) Whole-time equivalents. Includes managers. Excludes GP support staff.
10 Mar 1997 : Column: 40
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