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Mentally Ill Patients

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the secretary of State for Health what measures he is taking to protect mentally ill patients from harassment and intimidation in their communities. [14563]

Mr. Boateng: The appropriate statutory authorities have a responsibility to ensure that mentally ill patients are cared for in the community in a safe and therapeutic environment. Clearly, mental health services need to proceed with sensitivity and adopt an informative, open approach in handling their plans for community developments. However, we recognise that the stigmatisation of mental illness is a serious problem. We therefore attach great importance to the need to

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increase knowledge and understanding about mental health among the general public, thereby promoting a positive image of mental health and combatting stigma. Through our Impact Mental Illness Public Information Strategy, we are working closely with the voluntary sector, the media and other groups to take forward such work.

Refugees and Asylum Seekers

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons refugees and asylum seekers are not included in the formula for allocating funding to individual health authorities, with specific reference to health authorities in London; and if he will amend the funding formula to take account of the health needs of refugees and asylum seekers. [14622]

Mr. Milburn: Refugees and asylum seekers are already included in the population data which are used in the weighted capitation formula to allocate funds to health authorities.

We are however asking the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA) to look at all aspects of population statistics used for resource allocation. ACRA will also consider whether there are any extra unavoidable costs associated with ethnicity.

Basildon and Thurrock

General Hospitals NHS Trust

Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 3 November, Official Report, columns 76-77 (1) if one of the two vacant posts of non-executive director only required specific skills; and if he will make a statement; [15003]

(2) how many of the shortlisted applicants for the post of non-executive director of the Basildon and Thurrock General Hospitals NHS Trust had audit skills; [15004]

(3) how many candidates shortlisted for interviews for the post of non-executive director at the Basildon and Thurrock General Hospitals NHS Trust had theappropriate skills and capacity to chair the Trust's Audit Committee and met the requirements of the job description; [15007]

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(4) for what reasons candidates for interview were not advised of detailed job descriptions relating to the need to have appropriate skills and to be able to chair the Trust's Audit Committee. [15005]

Mr. Milburn: The interview panel were looking for one candidate capable of chairing the trust's audit committee, and another to have responsibility for patient relations and act as a complaints convenor. Four of the eleven shortlisted applicants, ten of whom were subsequently interviewed by the panel, were judged to have the appropriate skills to chair the audit committee. All applicants received the standard job description for non-executive directors which states that non-executives may be asked to sit on the audit committee or oversee the trust's response to complaints from the public. The local advertisement for the vacancies also made it clear that one of those appointed would be expected to chair the audit committee.

Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 3 November, Official Report, columns 76-77, by whom and on what basis were (a) Mr. Ian MacDonald, (b) Mr. Ian Robertson and (c) Mr. Geoff Jennings selected to serve on the selection/interviewing panel for the vacant non-executive director's post at the Basildon and Thurrock General Hospitals NHS Trust. [15006]

Mr. Milburn: The interview panel was recommended by the current chairman of the Basildon and Thurrock General Hospitals National Health Service Trust and approved by the National Health Service Executive Regional Office.

NHS Funding

Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the annual change in funding for the national health service for each year from 1979-80 to 1998-99 in (a) cash terms, (b) 1996-97 prices and (c) percentage real terms; and if he will make a statement.[14751]

Mr. Milburn: The information requested is set out in the attached table.

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Real growth in National Health Service total expenditure (England)

Year(36)	Gross expenditure			Net expenditure
	Cash growth	Real growth(37) (1996-97 prices)	Real growth(37)	Cash growth	Real growth(37) (1996-97 prices)	Real growth(37)
	(£ million)	(£ million)	(per cent.)	(£ million)	(£ million)	(per cent.)
1979-80	1,230	368	1.8	1,174	332	1.7
1980-81	2,348	2,065	10.1	2,253	1,979	10.1
1981-82	1,226	505	2.2	1,154	437	2.0
1982-83	1,024	412	1.8	965	364	1.7
1983-84	761	341	1.5	675	230	1.0
1984-85	988	567	2.4	913	492	2.2
1985-86	809	59	0.2	769	56	0.2
1986-87	1,123	1,068	4.4	997	903	3.9
1987-88	1,608	1,138	4.5	1,495	1,036	4.3
1988-89	1,974	1,121	4.2	1,745	890	3.5
1989-90	1,516	193	0.7	1,442	206	0.8
1990-91	2,522	1,016	3.6	2,471	1,078	4.1
1991-92	3,132	1,864	6.4	3,027	1,841	6.7
1992-93	2,585	1,611	5.2	2,617	1,712	5.9
1993-94	1,022	181	0.6	971	170	0.6
1994-95	1,580	1,184	3.6	1,629	1,259	4.1
1995-96	1,500	639	1.9	1,388	564	1.7
1996-97	1,149	224	0.7	1,086	203	0.6
1997-98(38)	1,552	584	1.7	1,541	615	1.9
1998-99(39)	1,419	402	1.1	1,529	547	1.6

(36) 1978-79 to 1996-97 are outturn figures, 1997-98 is forecast outturn and 1998-99 is planned expenditure.

(37) Using GDP deflator of 2 July 1997.

(38) Forecast outturn for 1997-98 includes the extra resources announced for this winter on 14 October.

(39) Planned expenditure for 1998-99 includes the extra £1 billion announced at the 2 July Budget.

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Suicides

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary for Health what action he is taking to reduce the incidence of suicide.[14564]

Mr. Boateng: Latest figures show an encouraging downward trend in the overall suicide rate--9.8 per cent. since 1990 (based on a three-year average) but there is no room for complacency. As there is no single reason why people take their own lives, action needs to be taken on a number of fronts. Measures include: reducing access to means, for example, we recently announced restrictions on paracetamol and aspirin pack sizes and improvements in warnings about the effect of overdose; increasing public awareness and understanding about mental illness; focusing on high risk groups, for example, the development of a telephone helpline for young men; educating health and social care professionals about depression; audit of serious incidents and the dissemination of findings; and improving primary and secondary mental health services.

Monitor Consultancy

Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list (a) the nature and value of contracts

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his Department has entered into and (b) discussions ministers or officials have held with the Monitor Consultancy since 1990. [14951]

Ms Jowell [holding answer 7 November 1997]: The Department has no record of placing any contracts with Monitor Consultancy in the period 1 April 1992 to the present time. Information about the period 1 April 1990 to 31 March 1992 is not readily available and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS

Train Passengers

Mr. Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will list the percentage of passengers in excess of capacity carried by each train operating company during (a) the morning peak hours and (b) the evening peak hours and the number of standing passengers that this represents in each case; and if he will make a statement. [13051]

Ms Glenda Jackson: Figures for 1995 and 1996 are in the table. The trend shows that the number of peak passengers into and out of London has increased but the levels of crowding have reduced. Certain ScotRail services are also subject to Passengers in Excess of Capacity (PIXC) monitoring, but figures are not yet available.

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Passengers in excess of capacity: London terminals

	1995 AM	1996 AM	Change	1995 PM	1996 PM	Change	1995 total	1996 total	Change
Chiltern (per cent.)	5.5	0.2	-5.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	3.0	0.1	-2.9
Connex South Central
South London (Inner) (per cent.)	2.2	3.2	1.0	2.2	1.2	-1.0	2.2	2.3	0.1
Sussex Coast (Outer) (per cent.)	2.2	5.8	3.6	2.5	2.2	-0.3	2.3	4.1	1.8
Total (per cent.)	2.2	4.0	1.8	2.3	1.6	-0.7	2.2	2.9	0.7
Connex South Eastern
Kent Link (Inner) (per cent.)	2.2	2.2	0.0	0.1	0.3	0.2	1.2	1.3	0.1
Kent Coast (Outer) (per cent.)	3.8	2.9	-0.9	0.7	2.5	1.8	2.2	2.7	0.5
Total (per cent.)	2.5	2.3	-0.2	0.3	0.9	0.6	1.5	1.7	0.2
Great Eastern
Inner (per cent.)	5.2	5.6	0.4	1.0	1.9	0.9	3.2	3.8	0.6
Outer (per cent.)	2.5	2.8	0.3	2.0	1.5	-0.5	2.2	2.2	0.0
Total (per cent.)	3.7	4.1	0.4	1.6	1.7	0.1	2.7	2.9	0.2
London, Tilbury and Southend (per cent.)	0.3	0.5	0.2	0.0	0.4	0.4	0.2	0.5	0.3
North London
Watford Local (Inner) (per cent.)	0.0	2.1	2.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.3	1.3
Northampton (Outer) (per cent.)	0.6	1.3	0.7	0.0	1.3	1.3	0.3	1.3	1.0
Total (per cent.)	0.5	1.4	0.9	0.0	1.1	1.1	0.3	1.3	1.0
South West Trains
Inner (per cent.)	7.1	3.4	-3.7	0.3	1.2	0.9	4.2	2.4	-1.8
Outer (per cent.)	3.5	2.2	-1.3	0.2	0.3	0.1	1.9	1.3	-0.6
Total (per cent.)	5.9	3.0	-2.9	0.3	0.9	0.6	3.4	2.0	-1.4
Thames (per cent.)	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.0	-0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0
Thameslink
Inner (NSC) (per cent.)	7.5	4.6	-2.9	0.0	6.4	6.4	4.3	5.5	1.2
Outer (North/South) (per cent.)	1.6	1.4	-0.2	3.0	2.1	-0.9	2.3	1.7	-0.6
Total (per cent.)	2.6	2.0	-0.6	2.6	2.9	0.3	2.6	2.4	-0.2
West Anglia and Great Northern
Inner (per cent.)	4.8	1.7	-3.1	2.3	0.4	-1.9	3.6	1.1	-2.5
Outer (per cent.)	0.1	0.5	0.4	0.9	2.1	1.2	0.5	1.3	0.8
Total (per cent.)	2.7	1.1	-1.6	1.6	1.3	-0.3	2.2	1.2	-1.0
London PIXC total (per cent.)	3.0	2.6	-0.4	1.0	1.2	0.2	2.1	1.9	-0.2
Passenger numbers	382,244	387,488	5,244	328,836	336,972	8,136	711,080	724,460	13,380
Passenger numbers (per cent.)	100	101.37	1.37	100	102.47	2.47	100	101.88	1.88
Number of passengers in excess of capacity	11,532	9,948	-1,584	3,222	3,962	740	14,754	13,910	-844

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