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NHS Staff (Patient Care)
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of NHS staff provided direct patient care in (a) 1979 and (b) 1996. [10900]
Mr. Milburn [holding answer 28 July 1997]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave him on 22 July at column 736.
Estimates for national health service staff, which comprise hospital and community health services and general medical services as a whole, are not available before 1990.
Hospital Waiting Times
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department has collated in respect of individual trusts' plans for hospital waiting times. [10421]
Mr. Milburn [pursuant to his reply, 29 July 1997, c. 124]: I am now able to provide additional information. The full reply is as follows:
Information is not collated by the Department on individual trust's plans for hospital waiting times. The Government have inherited a situation where 44 of 100 health authorities have contracted for longer maximum waiting times in 1997-98 than in 1996-97. Whereas only four have contracted for shorter maximum waiting times.
31 Jul 1997 : Column: 622
The Government have made clear the priority that they attach to waiting lists, and to safeguarding emergency admissions.
Mr. McDonnell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his Department's future plans for the development of the school nursing service in London. [9176]
Mr. Milburn:
The Government are currently considering all health services for school-age children within the context of the response to the Health Select Committee report on children's services.
Mr. Mullin:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the Royal College of Psychiatrists over its decision not to publish the report by Professor Sydney Brandon into recovered memories of child sexual abuse; and if he will make a statement.[11145]
Ms Jowell:
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not had any discussions with the Royal College of Psychiatrists about the report of its working party on recovered memory chaired by Professor Sydney Brandon. The question whether it publishes his report is a matter for the royal college.
31 Jul 1997 : Column: 623
Mr. Livingtstone:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what work has been carried out by the Public Health Laboratory Service since 1990 to evaluate the health effects of the organism E. coli MRE 162; for what reasons and on whose behalf this work was conducted; when this work was conducted; what was the conclusion of the work; and in which publications, and when, this work was published. [12189]
Ms Jowell:
The Public Health Laboratory Service's laboratory of enteric pathogens received E. coli MRE 162 from the chemical and biological defence establishment at Porton Down in March 1997. There was a request from CBDE to evaluate the organism with respect to the risk posed to human health.
The organism was fully identified as E. coli serotype 08:H9 and tested for a wide range of enteric virulence factors. All tests were negative and it was concluded that the strain was unlikely to cause diarrhoeal disease. A report was sent to CBDE on 22 April 1997. The work carried out has not been published in scientific journals.
Mr. Rammell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what role county, district and borough councils will have in planning and implementing health action zones. [12094]
Mr. Milburn:
To set up and run a health action zone, a wide range of interests including local authorities will have to work in close partnership. We shall publish further details in due course.
Mr. Bill Michie:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps his Department is taking to eliminate the damage caused by (i) Erb's palsy and (ii) brachial plexus injuries during the birth process;[2885]
Mr. Green:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to raise national awareness of Erb's palsy. [2878]
31 Jul 1997 : Column: 624
106. Mr. Goggins:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce a programme (a) for the recording of every incidence of (i) Erb's palsy and (ii) brachial plexus injuries and (b) to raise the general awareness about Erb's palsy. [2930]
Ms Jowell
[pursuant to her reply, 12 June 1997, c. 528-29]: I am now able to provide additional information. The full reply is as follows:
We are of course concerned about the damage to babies caused by Erb's palsy and brachial plexus injuries during birth. The safety of the mother and her unborn child are of paramount importance and childbirth is safer now than at any other time. Most cases of Erb's palsy and brachial plexus injuries arise spontaneously, but are also considered to be influenced by misplacement of the shoulders in the birth canal. In recognition of this problem, a working group under the auspices of the confidential inquiry into stillbirths and deaths in infancy, is currently preparing guidance on the management of shoulder dystocia--difficulty in delivering the shoulders during the birth. The guidance will provide advice on the early identification of cases where there may be a risk on coping with cases where shoulders dystocia occurs. The guidance is expected to be available later this year.
Information on the number of finished consultant episodes of those patients admitted to hospital with primary diagnosis Erb's palsy and brachial plexus injuries in NHS hospitals in England up to 1994-95 is available through hospital episode statistics data and is shown in the table. The definition of a consultant episode is the period that a patient spends under the continuous care of a specific consultant in a specific health care provider. A hospital provider spell can comprise one or more consultant episodes. However, episode statistics will therefore pick up cases where the diagnosis was not made at birth and the baby was subsequently readmitted. Information before 1989-90 recorded discharges and deaths and is therefore not directly comparable to hospital episode statistics data.
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(2) if he will list the incidence of (a) Erb's palsy and (b) brachial plexus injuries over the past 20 years. [2886]
Primary diagnosis--of Erb's palsy (ICD9 code 767.6) and brachial plexus injuries (ICD9 code 953.4)
Estimated number of Finished Consultant Episodes (FCEs),
Ordinary admissions and day cases combined NHS hospitals, England.
| 1989-90 | 1990-91 | 1991-92 | 1992-93 | 1993-94 | 1994-95 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erb's palsy/Klumpke's palsy | 142 | 158 | 202 | 240 | 370 | 330 |
| Injury to brachial plexus | 337 | 191 | 181 | 149 | 135 | 148 |
Notes:
ICD9 code 767.6: Injury to brachial plexus (birth trauma)--Erbs palsy and Klumpke's palsy combined.
ICD9 code 953.4: Injury to brachial plexus.
Data in this table are grossed for both coverage and unknown/invalid clinical data.
Source:
Department of Health, hospital episode statistics.
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TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Advance Corporation Tax Credit
21. Mr. Fabricant
: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on the impact on the cash flow of small businesses of the Budget changes to ACT tax credit. [10046]
31 Jul 1997 : Column: 624
Mrs. Roche:
The changes to ACT tax credit are part of a package of measures designed to create a better environment for growth and high-quality, long-term investment. Taking account of the cut in the small companies' corporation tax rate, and of increased first-year plant and machinery allowances for small and medium businesses, the small firms sector as a whole will receive a significant boost from the Chancellor's Budget.
31 Jul 1997 : Column: 625
22. Mr, Olner:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what further steps her Department intends to take to promote inward investment in the United Kingdom.[10047]
Mr. Ian McCartney:
My Department's Invest in Britain Bureau will continue to promote the attractions of the UK for mobile international investment to consolidate our position as the No. 1 location in Europe for inward investment. The Government will pursue economic policies which enhance those attractions, including macro-economic stability, an increase in the skills base, "flexibility plus" in labour markets and a positive approach to Europe.
Mr. David Heath:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimate she has made of the number of foreign-owned companies, by country, which have established operations in the United Kingdom. [11210]
Mrs. Roche
[holding answer 30 July 1997]: According to information notified to my Department's Invest In Britain Bureau, the numbers of new projects by country of origin between 1979 and to date, are as follows:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Australia | 24 |
| Austria | 4 |
| Belgium | 16 |
| Brazil | 1 |
| Canada | 69 |
| Denmark | 33 |
| Finland | 19 |
| France | 65 |
| Germany | 285 |
| Hong Kong | 21 |
| Iceland | 1 |
| India | 4 |
| Indonesia | 1 |
| Isle of Man | 1 |
| Israel | 6 |
| Italy | 16 |
| Japan | 174 |
| Kenya | 2 |
| Korea (South) | 30 |
| Liechenstein | 1 |
| Malysia | 1 |
| Middle East | 1 |
| Netherlands | 34 |
| New Zealand | 5 |
| Norway | 29 |
| Portugal | 2 |
| Republic of Ireland | 51 |
| Saudi Arabia | 3 |
| Singapore | 6 |
| South Africa | 8 |
| Spain | 10 |
| Sweden | 42 |
| Switzerland | 42 |
| Taiwan | 24 |
| Thailand | 2 |
| Turkey | 3 |
| Uruguay | 1 |
| United States | 765 |
1. These figures are based on information on new projects provided by companies at the time of the announcement of the decision to invest and exclude expansions and mergers or acquisitions. There is no requirement to notify the Department and so the figures include only those projects where IBB and its regional partners were involved or which have come to their notice. They take no account of subsequent developments.
2. Data collected from 1977 onwards--when IBB was established.
31 Jul 1997 : Column: 626
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