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Mixed Sex Wards

Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to introduce guidelines for hospitals in respect of mixed wards; and if he will make a statement. [3411]

Mr. Milburn: Guidance on single sex accommodation was issued in an Executive Letter to the National Health Service in January. Further action is being considered following recent survey of health authorities' target dates for meeting the key objectives set out in the guidance.

General Practitioners

Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GPs completed training and commenced practice in each of the last five years; how many he expects to commence practice in each of the next two years; and if he will make a statement. [3410]

Mr. Milburn: The available information is shown in the table.

(i) New Joiners in England 1991-1996

	Stock	New joiners
1991	25,690	1,250
1992	25,970	1,130
1993	26,290	1,130
1994	26,570	1,190
1995	26,700	1,060
1996	26,860	(3)(4)--

Source:

GMS database October 1991-1996.

Notes:

(3) Stock refers to number of GPs (unrestricted principals) at 1 October. An unrestricted principal is a practitioner who provides the full range of general medical services and whose list is not limited to any particular group of persons.

(4) The New-Joiners figures are derived from the annual GMS Census and show the number of principals who have started practising as fully qualified GPs in the 12 months between each census.

(ii) Numbers of new-joiners in England in 1997 and 1998
No estimates are available on the number of GPs expecting to commence practice in the next two years. Although there were 1,305 trainees in England in General Practice on 1 October 1996, not all of these will take up immediate appointment as a qualified GP, and some may not take up appointment at all.

Mr. Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GPs took maternity leave in each of the last three years; what percentage of them have not yet returned to work afterwards; and if he will make a statement. [3409]

Mr. Milburn: The information requested is not held centrally.

Trench Foot

Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many incidents of trench foot were reported in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [3408]

17 Jun 1997 : Column: 105

Ms Jowell: The table gives, for the most recent five years for which data are available, the estimated number of finished consultant episodes (FCEs: ordinary admissions and day cases combined) in National Health Service hospitals in England with a primary diagnosis of trench foot:

	FCEs
1990-91	4
1991-92	4
1992-93	4
1993-94	5
1994-95	2

Source:

Department of Health, Hospital Episode Statistics (HES).

Trench foot varies in severity and in many cases there will not have been any hospital in-patient treatment.

Hospital Closures

Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list, by region, the cottage and community hospitals which are currently subject to proposals for closure; and if he will make a statement. [3407]

Mr. Boateng: It is difficult to define comprehensively what is meant by "community" or "cottage" hospital. They differ from place to place in the scale, range and volume of services they offer. What characterise nearly all of them is that they provide a local service and admit patients under the care of a general practitioner. The list has been compiled on that basis and shows hospitals that are currently, or have recently been, the subject of local consultation about full closure.

Anglia and Oxford
None.
North Western
Ulverston Hospital, Ulverston
North Thames
None.
Northern and Yorkshire
None.
South Thames
Battle Hospital, Battle
Eversfield Hospital, St. Leonard's-on-Sea
South West
Belmont Hospital, Tiverton
Lynton Community Hospital ¹
Odiham Cottage Hospital
Winsford Community Hospital ¹
Trent
None.
West Midlands
None.
¹ Temporary closures.

Food Poisoning

Mr. Swinney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much his Department has spent on research into food poisoning in each of the last five years, broken down to show the funds dedicated to (a) E.coli, (b) campylobacter and (c) salmonella; [3612]

17 Jun 1997 : Column: 106

(2) how much his Department has budgeted for research into food poisoning in 1997-98, broken down to show the funds dedicated to (a) E.coli, (b) campylobacter and (c) salmonella. [3613]

Ms Jowell: Funding for food poisoning research comes principally from the Department's Microbiological Food Safety surveillance and research budget (1997-98 allocation £2.3 million), supplemented by further amounts from the Department's general research and development budget and through core funding of the Public Health Laboratory Service and the Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research. The total budget allocation, and expenditure before 1993, could only be derived at disproportionate costs.

Information on funding since the 1993-94 financial year is given in the table;

Camplyobacter, E. Coli and Salmonella research and surveillance expenditure funded from DH budgets(5)£1,000

Financial Year	Campylobacter	E. Coli	Salmonella
1993-94	399	185	523
1994-95	405	397	391
1995-96	702	459	603
1996-97	673	884	332
1997-98(6)	472	978	334

(5) Excluding PHLS core funding.

(6) Amount committed to spend through current contracts.

The Department of Health is also funding the Intestinal Infectious Diseases study which is currently expected to cost a total of £2.6 million. This study involves Campylobacter, E.coli O157 and Salmonella as well as other pathogens. Additionally, there are other projects funded by the Department which involves research/surveillance into two or more pathogens. Although these include Campylobacter or E.coli O157 or Salmonella because other pathogens are involved the cost of these projects is not included in the above table. The Department of Health intends to place more research and surveillance contracts which will receive funding during the current financial year.

Non-emergency Treatment

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what powers NHS trust hospitals have to refuse non-emergency treatment; and what checks are operated to ensure that such powers are exercised reasonably. [4148]

Mr. Milburn: We will continue to give priority to meeting emergency needs. We look to the National Health Service to plan carefully to meet this duty while minimising the need to cancel non-emergency work.

Under the current arrangements it is for health authorities and general practitioner fundholders, taking into account local needs, to agree what care should be provided and to set and monitor contracts with NHS trusts. Where changes are proposed, for example to respond to changing local circumstances, these should be discussed and agreed between the parties. Decisions on the admission of individual patients are for the clinicians concerned.

17 Jun 1997 : Column: 107

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Correspondence

Mr. Miller: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will publish the latest figures showing the volume of correspondence received by Ministers and agency chief executives from hon. Members, the targets set for reply and the percentage of replies sent within target. [4273]

17 Jun 1997 : Column: 108

Mr. Kilfoyle: It has been customary to publish these figures annually. I attach therefore a table setting out the correspondence figures for the 1996 calendar year. The table also sets out the figures for 1995, first published on 20 June 1996, Official Report, columns 526-30. Members' attention is drawn to the footnotes which accompany the table and which provide general background information on how totals have been calculated.

17 Jun 1997 : Column: 107

Correspondence from Members of Parliament to Ministers and Agency Chief Executives

	1995			1996
Department or Agency	Target set for reply (working days)	Number of letters received	Percentage of replies within target	Target set for reply (working days)	Number of letters received	Percentage of replies within target
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food	15	8,533	68	15	10,645	62
Cabinet Office (OPS)	15	1,526	76	15	1.067	63
Crown Prosecution Service	15	118	81	15	92	91
Ministry of Defence	15	7,109	75	15	5,897	66
--Army Technical Support Agency	--	--	--	15	11	100
--Defence Analytical Services Agency	--	--	--	10	14	93
--Defence Evaluation and Research Agency	7	103	76	10	377	74
--Defence Postal and Courier Service	15	13	100	15	12	100
--Disposal Sales Agency	15	15	100	15	10	100
--Duke of York's Royal Military School	3	17	100	3	11	100
--Meteorological Office	--	--	--	15	16	70
--Naval Recruiting and Training Agency	--	--	--	15	10	100
--Pay and Personnel Agency	--	--	--	10	25	84
Department for Education and Employment	20	8,111	87	20	(7)16,774	88
--Employment Service	15	1,306	97	15	1,044	98
--Teachers' Pensions' Agency(8)	10	95	100	10	59	98
Department of the Environment	15	18,138	52	15	14,395	(9)52
--Planning Inspectorate Agency	8	593	89	8	481	84
Foreign and Commonwealth Office	10	7,364	90	10	(10)9,756	95
Department of Health	20	16,121	79	20	11,376	87
--NHS Pensions Agency	20	81	84	15	46	70
HM Customs and Excise	18	4,914	68	18	4,303	63
Home Office	15	11,556	26	15	12,072	32
	25	12,327	51	(11)25	10,371	57
--HM Prison Service	15	2,564	76	15	2,911	89
--UK Passport Agency	15	101	86	(12)10	245	87
Inland Revenue	18	4,746	47	(13)18	3,914	41
	23	336	49	(14)23	682	85
--Valuation Office	23	221	48	(15)23	256	46
	15	31	51	(16)15	53	73
Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers	15	359	75	15	(17)515	76
Lord Chancellor's Department	20	4,641	81	20	2,876	(18)68
--Court Service	20	985	46	20	1,217	93
--HM Land Registry	20	63	100	20	53	98
--Public Record Office	--	--	--	10	12	92
--Public Trust Office	15	45	98	15	113	100
Department of National Heritage	18	3,834	95	18	5,476	81
--Historic Royal Palaces Agency	10	16	100	10	19	100
--Royal Parks Agency	10	20	80	10	29	86
Northern Ireland Office (including	10	4,237	64	(19)10	(7)4,195	52
Northern Ireland Departments)	15	1,857	80	(20)15	(7)2,094	72
--Child Support Agency	10	73	74	10	69	86
--Compensation Agency	10	94	99	10	77	100
--Northern Ireland Prison Service	10	54	83	10	127	99
--Planning Service	--	--	--	15	163	99
--Rate Collection Agency	--	--	--	5	19	100
--Roads Service	--	--	--	15	91	100
--Social Security Agency	10	41	63	10	75	87
--Water Service	--	--	--	15	52	92
Office for National Statistics	--	--	--	10	(21)199	54
Overseas Development Administration	15	3,941	96	15	3,508	94
Scottish Office	17	5,874	49	17	5,226	61
--Historic Scotland	17	39	95	17	59	93
--Scottish Office Pensions Agency	17	11	100	17	31	97
--Scottish Prison Service	17	81	84	17	112	99
--Student Awards Agency for Scotland	17	61	95	17	120	97
Department of Social Security	20	19,645	71	20	(22)18,091	74
--Benefits Agency	20	2,689	89	20	(23)2,175	98
--Child Support Agency	20	5,554	63	20	9,110	62
--Contributions Agency	20	304	48	20	395	61
--War Pensions Agency	20	1,117	100	20	1,283	99
Department of Trade and Industry	10	18,505	72	10	(7)15,483	74
--Companies House	10	44	85	10	48	100
--Insolvency Service	10	29	100	10	42	98
--Patent Office	10	17	100	10	26	100
--Radiocommunications Agency	10	38	100	10	23	100
Department of Transport	15	19,427	65	15	15,929	66
Coastguard Agency	--	--	--	15	27	78
DVLA	7	402	99	7	373	100
Driving Standards Agency	15	122	94	15	273	91
Highways Agency	15	665	84	15	662	98
Marine Safety Agency	15	18	100	15	16	94
Vehicle Inspectorate	15	42	98	15	37	97
HM Treasury	15	7,761	62	15	(7)4,331	57
Welsh Office	12	2,987	82	12	2,989	80
CADW (Welsh Historic Monuments)	12	46	93	10	35	97

Notes on 1996 Figures

(7) Includes all Ministerial replies, not only those letters to Members of Parliament.

(8) The Teacher's Pensions Agency became part of the Capita Group on 1 October 1996.

(9) 71 per cent. of letters were replied to within 20 working days.

(10) In addition, the FCO's Migration and Visa Department received 6,196 letters direct from MPs in 1996. 78 per cent. of these were replied to within the 15 working day target.

(11) The 25 working day target is for replies on Prison Service, UK Passport Agency and Immigration and Nationality Department subjects. The figures include letters sent direct to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate Board. The 15 day working day target is for all there subjects.

(12) Target time reduced from 15 working days to 10 working days with effect from 26 February 1996.

(13) Head Office figures.

(14) Local Office and "delegated" figures (where local officials reply direct to MPs).

(15) Letters from MPs where the Chief Executive has replied on behalf of Treasury Ministers.

(16) Letters from MPs sent direct to the Chief Executive.

(17) This figure excludes letters received by the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers which were subsequently replied to by the Director of Public Prosecutions.

(18) The apparent decline in performance is accounted for by a change in the method of calculation.

(19) Replies signed by the Minister.

(20) Replies signed by the Private Secretary to the Minister.

(21) Includes 165 letters where the Chief Executive replied on Ministers' behalf.

(22) Excludes letters replied to by the Chief Executive of the Contributions Agency on behalf of Ministers.

(23) In addition, the Benefits Agency replied to 18,556 letters from MPs sent direct to local offices, 91 per cent. of which were replied to within the 20 working day target.

(24) Includes letters from MPs to Ministers where the Chief Executive has replied on Ministers' behalf.

(25) The 1995 figures are taken from the Official Report, 20 June 1996, columns 526-530. Please also refer to notes given with that reply. In addition the following Departments and Agencies received between 1 and 10 letters from Members of Parliament during 1996 but are not shown in the table:

--ADAS, Central Science Laboratory, Meat Hygiene Service, Veterinary Laboratories Agency (MAFF);

--Central Office of Information, Property Advisors to the Civil Estate, The Buying Agency (Cabinet Office);

--Army Base Repair Organisation, Army Base Storage and Distribution Agency, Army Personnel Centre, Defence Bills Agency, Defence Clothing and Textiles Agency, Defence Secondary Care Agency, Defence Transport and Movements Executive, Military Survey, MOD Police Agency, Naval Bases and Supply Agency, Naval Manning Agency, RAF Maintenance Group Defence Agency, Service Children's Education Agency (MOD);

--Medical Devices Agency, Medicines Control Agency (Health);

--Government Property Lawyers, Serious Fraud Office, Treasury Solicitors Department (Attorney General);

--Construction Service, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency, Environment and Heritage Service, Land Registers of Northern Ireland, Rivers Agency, Training and Employment Agency, Valuation and Lands Agency (NIO and NI Departments);

--Scottish Court Service, Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency (Scottish Office);

--Information Technology Services Agency (DSS);

--National Weights and Measures Laboratory (DTI).

17 Jun 1997 : Column: 111

17 Jun 1997 : Column: 111

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