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Nursing Staff (Wakefield)

Mr. Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nursing staff were employed in the Wakefield district in (a) 1979 and (b) 1996. [20722]

Mr. Malone: The information requested is not available in the form requested. There were 2,690 whole-time equivalent nursing and midwifery staff employed by the national health service hospital and community health services in the Wakefield health authority area in 1979. Figures for 1996 are not yet available.

Measles, Mumps and Rubella Vaccine

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what factors led the licensing authority (a) to grant a product licence for the Pluserix MMR vaccine on 9 February 1995 and (b) to withdraw it from public use in 1997; what differences exist between the 1988 product and the 1995 product; if he will place in the Library a copy of all versions of the data sheets for each product; and if he will make a statement. [21560]

Mr. Malone: Discussions between the Licensing Authority and marketing authorisation holder associated with the granting of a product licence are confidential. Pluserix measles, mumps and rubella vaccine still holds a licence. There are no significant differences between Pluserix vaccines licensed in 1988 and 1995 and copies of the data sheets are available in the "Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry Data Sheet Compendium" 1989-90, 1990-91 and 1991-1992 which can be obtained from the Library.

Suicides

Mr. Chris Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for each of the last five years the number of (a) suicides and (b) attempted suicides of young people in care in each case (i) in total and (ii) broken down by social services authority; and if he will indicate what recording mechanisms are in place for the social services inspectorate to monitor such data. [20074]

Mr. Burns: Under schedule 2(20) of the Children Act 1989, local authorities are required to notify my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health of all deaths of children who are being looked after by the local authority.

21 Mar 1997 : Column: 1032

There is no statutory requirement for the cause of death to be identified although local authorities generally do provide it. Information on numbers of attempted suicide is not held centrally.

The Department's records indicate that there have been a total of 12 suicides of children looked after during the last five years.

Notifications of suicides of children looked after by local authorities 1992-97

YearNumber of suicidesLocal authority area
1992-931London Borough of Wandsworth
1Liverpool
1Lancashire
1993-941Tameside
1Cheshire
1994-951Hertfordshire
1Salford
1Northumberland
1995-961London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
2Hampshire
1996-971Cheshire

Reports of deaths of children looked after are received by the regional offices of the social services inspectorate who identify when further investigation may be required. "Working Together Under the Children Act" requires area child protection committees to carry out a review of any incident leading to the death of a child where child abuse is confirmed or suspected or a child protection issue likely to be of major public concern arises.

North Hampshire Hospital

Mr. Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) in-patient and (b) out-patient treatments were performed in (i) 1979 and (ii) 1996 at the North Hampshire hospital, formerly Basingstoke district hospital; and what was the percentage change between the two dates. [20688]

Mr. Horam: Information on numbers of patients treated is not collected centrally. In-patient activity is recorded in terms of finished consultant episodes. The latest year for which in-patient and out-patient information is available is 1995-96. These data are contained in "Ordinary and day case admissions for England" and "Outpatients and ward attenders for England", copies of which are available in the Library.

Prior to 1988-89 in-patient data were collected on a different basis. Information for 1979 is not available on an individual provider basis.

The table details finished consultant episodes and consultant outpatient attendances for North Hampshire Hospitals NHS Trust, formerly Basingstoke general services unit, for the years 1991-92 and 1995-96.

Finished consultant episodes(56) and consultant outpatient attendances(57), by North Hampshire Hospitals NHS Trust (formerly Basingstoke General Services Unit), 1991-92 and 1995-96

YearFinished consultant episodes(56)Consultant outpatient attendances(57)
1991-92(Basingstoke General Services Unit)34,010(58)--
1993-94(Basingstoke General Services Unit)35,859113,656
1995-96(North Hampshire Hospital NHS Trust)33,278127,798
Average annual percentage change 1991-92 to 1995-96-0.5--
Average annual percentage change 1993-94 to 1995-96--6.0

Notes:

(56) Finished consultant episodes is the total of ordinary and day case admissions including well babies.

(57) Consultant outpatient attendances is the total of first and subsequent attendances seen.

(58) Denotes not available.

Source:

Department of Health form KP70 for finished consultant episodes.

Department of Health form KH09 for consultant outpatient attendances.


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21 Mar 1997 : Column: 1033

North Hampshire Hospitals NHS Trust came into being at the beginning of the 1994-95 financial year. Prior to this date it was a directly managed unit called Basingstoke general services unit.

Finished consultant episode data prior to 1991-92 were aggregated to district health authority level, and this is the same for consultant outpatient attendances. However, from that year to 1992-93 NHS trust data could be given individually, but not directly managed unit data, this was again aggregated to district health authority level.

Corticosteroids

Mr. Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which Government-funded advisory organisations investigating the effects of corticosteroids do not contain Government appointed representatives. [20835]

Mr. Malone [holding answer 18 March 1997]: There are no such organisations.

Edgware General Hospital

Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the agreement between his Department and the hon. Members for Hendon, North (Sir J. Gorst) and Harrow, East (Mr. Dykes) in respect of comprehensive new casualty facilities at Edgware general hospital; and if he will make a statement. [21578]

Mr. Malone: We agreed to suggest to Barnet health authority that they might consider inviting an independent person to assess the service being provided in the urgent treatment centre at Edgware--after any interim arrangements have ended--to confirm that the maximum range of treatments possible in such a service are being offered. The health authority has agreed to do this.

Public Bodies

Dr. Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department (a) hold public meetings, (b) conduct public consultation exercises, (c) conduct consultation exercises with outside commercial interests, (d) publish a register of members' interests, (e) publish agendas for meetings and (f) publish the minutes of meetings; and whether in each case this is under a statutory requirement. [21695]

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Mr. Horam: The information requested is as follows:


21 Mar 1997 : Column: 1035

Dr. Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which of the national health service bodies sponsored by his Department publish (a) annual reports, (b) annual accounts, (c) the minutes of meetings, (d) the agendas of meetings and (e) a register of members' interests; and if this is in each case under a statutory requirement. [21434]

Mr. Horam: There is a statutory obligation on all national health service trusts to publish an annual report. All other national health service bodies are required to do so by the Department of Health codes of conduct and accountability for national health service boards. The codes of conduct and accountability also require all national health service bodies to maintain a register of members' interests. There is a statutory obligation for the annual accounts of all national health service bodies to be published. There is no obligation on national health service bodies to publish minutes of meetings, although some do. Health authorities are statutorily obliged to publish the agendas of their meetings, but this requirement does not relate to any other bodies.

Dr. Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which of the national health service bodies sponsored by his Department have a statutory base; and if he will list those bodies which (a) admit members of the public to all board or committee meetings and (b) hold open meetings for the public; and whether in each case this is under a statutory requirement. [21758]

Mr. Horam: All national health service bodies, as defined by the Cabinet Office, have a statutory basis. Health authorities are statutorily required to admit members of the public to their meetings. Special health authorities are now required to admit members of the public to their meetings if this is stipulated in their establishment order. National health service trusts are not statutorily required to hold board meetings in public, but some trusts choose to do so. All trusts are statutorily required to hold an annual public meeting. There is no requirement on the Dental Practice Board to hold any meetings to which the public is admitted.

Dr. Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those of his Department's advisory non-departmental public bodies which the Government are required to (a) consult prior to legislative proposals and (b) publish their response to advice from. [21740]

Mr. Horam: The information requested is as follows:


Dr. Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the national health service bodies sponsored by his Department which are subject to (a) investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner, (b) scrutiny by the Audit Commission, (c) scrutiny by the National Audit Office, (d) statutory provisions for open government, (e) performance indicators and (f) provisions under the citizens charter. [21729]

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Mr. Horam: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 21 March 1996 at column 323.

Dr. Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department (a) have a statutory base, (b) publish their advice to Government, (c) publish an annual report and (d) lay an annual report before Parliament; and if he will indicate in each instance whether this is under a statutory requirement. [21718]

Mr. Horam: The information requested is as follows:


21 Mar 1997 : Column: 1037

Dr. Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which of the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department have a statutory base; if he will list those bodies which (a) admit members of the public to all board and committee meetings and (b) hold open meetings for the public; and if in each case this is under a statutory requirement. [21446]

Mr. Horam: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 22 February 1996 at columns 269-70. However, the English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting does now voluntarily admit members of the public to all board meetings.


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