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NHS Pay

Mr. Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the additional costs to the NHS in England if pay rates were set at hourly rates (a) £2.75, (b) £3.00, (c) £3.25, (d) £3.50, (e) £3.75, (f) £4.00, (g) £4.25, and (h) £4.50 for (i) 1996-97 and (ii) 1997-98. [7447]

Mr. Milburn: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Romsey (Mr. Colvin) on 2 June at column 37, and also to the reply I gave to the right hon. Member for Bridgwater (Mr. King) on 9 June at column 421.

Commercial Lobbyists

Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) on what dates since 1 May (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have met commercial lobbyists to discuss matters relating to the business of his Department; and if he will introduce a register of such meetings; [8091]

Ms Jowell: As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister explained in response to my hon. Friend the Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) on 2 June 1997 at column 99, Ministers and officials in the Department receive deputations from many groups who are concerned to press their own interests or those of their clients, which Ministers and officials take due care to consider within the wider public interest and Government policy. As it is not practicable to distinguish particular groups as lobbyists, the Department cannot keep a register of such meetings.

Benzodiazepines

Dr. Naysmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what quantity of each individual type of benzodiazepine was prescribed via community pharmacists in England and Wales in (a) 1995 and (b) 1996. [8497]

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

Table 1: Benzodiazepines: number of prescription items dispensed (thousands), 1995 and 1996
England

Drug group19951996
Temazepam6,0635,540
Diazepam3,4113,600
Nitrazepam2,5822,539
Lorazepam818785
Chlordiazepoxide438428
Oxazepam300304
Lormetazepam201234
Loprazolam213221
Clonazepam168180
Clobazam7074
Triazolam00
Totals14,26613,905

1. Data cover all prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists and appliance contractors, dispensing doctors and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered.

2. A "0" indicates less than 500 prescription items.

3. Figures may not add up due to rounding.

Table 2: Benzodiazepines: number of prescription items dispensed (thousands), 1995 and 1996
Wales

Drug groupApril 1995 to March 1996April 1996 to March 1997
Temazepam588548
Diazepam371416
Nitrazepam245243
Lorazepam7876
Chlordiazepoxide3537
Oxazepam3535
Lormetazepam2124
Loprazolam2123
Clonazepam1214
Clobazam13
Midazolam Hydrochloride11
Totals1,4111,420

Note: These figures were obtained from the Welsh Office.

Day and Domiciliary Care

Mr. Etherington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures his Department is taking to ensure that local authorities monitor the effect of changes to charging policies for day and domiciliary care service take-up and use. [8509]

Mr. Boateng: Currently local authorities are not required to keep the Department informed about their charging policies, nor when they introduce charging for the first time or when revising their charges.

Local authorities are, however, expected to monitor the effect of charges themselves as suggested in the Advice Note issued by the Social Services Inspectorate in January 1994.

Long-term Care (Elderly People)

Mr. Colvin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when he expects his Department to have determined

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the form of its examination into the future funding of the long-term care of the elderly; and if he will make a statement; [8532]

Mr. Boateng: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to him and the hon. Member for Tewkesbury (Mr. Robertson) on 30 June at columns 28-29.

Erb's Palsy

Mr. Peter Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will require hospital trusts to collate statistics on the incidence of Erb's palsy in new born babies. [8327]

Ms Jowell: Erb's Palsy and brachial plexus injuries are, fortunately, rare occurrences. Most babies with Erb's Palsy recover spontaneously within a few months.

We do not intend to require the collection of information on incidence.

Tamworth Primary Care Project

Mr. Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the Tamworth Primary Care Organisation project. [8434]

Mr. Milburn: None. There are two stages to the application process--an expression of interest followed by a formal application. Everyone who has submitted an expression of interest to pilot the new arrangements under the NHS (Primary Care) Act 1997 will receive feedback on their proposal from their local health authority and will be given the opportunity to re-visit their proposal in light of the comments made. Formal applications to enter the Primary Care Act Pilot scheme have to be with Health Authorities by 1 November and applicants will be notified as to whether their application has been approved before the end of December.

Rat Infestation

Ms Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his policy for reducing public health problems arising through rat infestation. [8441]

Ms Jowell: Statutory responsibility for the control of rat infestations rests with local authorities. There is no evidence that the levels of infestation found in the 1993 National Rodent Survey were associated with detectable effects on public health. Officials from the Department of Health, in discussion with officials from other government departments, will continue to monitor trends in infestation and the adequacy of current control measures.

Private Finance Initiative

Dr. Brand: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 3 July, Official Report, column 230, relating to PFI schemes, how many of these schemes contain an element of service provision; and what services are to be provided under PFI in each case. [8460]

Mr. Milburn: Of the 14 major hospital Private Finance Initiative schemes selected for prioritisation, two, at Dartford and Gravesham National Health Service Trust and Norfolk and Norwich Health Care NHS Trust, have

17 Jul 1997 : Column: 296

reached agreement to proceed to financial close. Both trusts will continue to provide a full range of NHS services to NHS patients under their respective PFI schemes. The following support services have been transferred to, and will be managed and operated by, the trusts' private sector partners:


The other 12 NHS trusts with major hospital PFI schemes selected for prioritisation are at various stages of negotiation with their private sector partners.

Waiting Times

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the North Staffordshire Hospital NHS Trust area were awaiting non-emergency treatment for (a) up to 12 months, (b) up to 18 months and (c) over 18 months. [8874]

Mr. Milburn: Information about patients waiting for admission to National Health Service trusts on either an in-patient or day case basis is published twice yearly in "Hospital Waiting List Statistics: England". The latest available shows the position on 31 March 1997. Similar information is given on a health authority basis in the quarterly "Hospital Waiting List Statistics: England (Resident Based)". The latest available information gives the position on 31 December 1996. Copies of both documents are available in the Library.

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