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HEALTH
Appointments
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list (a) all those people he has appointed since taking office, (b) the offices to which he has appointed them, (c) the period of office for which they have each been appointed and (d) the political party allegiance or membership of each of their appointees and the date of appointment where this is known. [18556]
Mr. Milburn: Most of the information requested by the hon. Member is collected by the Department but it will take a little time to assemble. I will write to him immediately it is available. However, we will be unable to provide information on the political allegiance or party membership of candidates for National Health Service appointments as this is not collected by the Department. We will be able to provide information on the political activity of candidates, as defined by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. The Commissioner's guidance requires candidates for appointment to NHS boards to make a declaration about any significant political activity in the last 5 years. Significant political activity is defined as activities that are a matter of public record such as office holding in, public speaking in support of, or candidature on behalf of a political party (or affiliated body) which fields candidates at local or national elections.
Child Labour
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to introduce ILO conventions into British law in respect of child labour. [18070]
1 Dec 1997 : Column: 87
Mr. Boateng:
The Government fully support the efforts of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in tackling the problem of child labour. The United Kingdom is party to a number of ILO Conventions which deal with the minimum age for admission to employment and has launched an urgent review of what is involved in order to ratify the core Convention (No. 138) in this area. The UK welcomes the discussions planned for next year's ILO Conference aimed at drawing up a new Convention specifically designed to tackle the most abhorrent forms of child labour.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received concerning child labour legislation from local authorities; and if he will make a statement. [18078]
Mr. Boateng:
We have received few representations from local authorities about the law on children's employment. We intend to announce our plans shortly.
Mr. Rhodri Morgan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the figures for the last five financial years on capital expenditure and revenue in respect of (a) version 2 and (b) version 3 of the Read Codes.[18533]
Mr. Milburn:
Version 3 of the Read Codes was developed by the Clinical Terms Projects. The relevant costs are as follows:
| Revenue | Capital | |
|---|---|---|
| 1992-93 | 1.1 | Nil |
| 1993-94 | 2.1 | Nil |
| 1994-95 | 0.5 | Nil |
| Total | 3.7 | Nil |
| Revenue | Capital | |
|---|---|---|
| 1994-95 | 0.7 | Nil |
| 1995-96 | 0.7 | Nil |
| Total | 1.4 | Nil |
Since 1996 maintenance of new Read Codes version 3 has stabilised. Maintenance of all versions is now part of the baseline activity of the NHS Centre for Coding and Classification. It is not possible retrospectively to break down its baseline budgets into separate capital and revenue figures for the maintenance of each version of the Read Codes.
Mr. Rhodri Morgan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total licence income from all NHS sources to Computer Aided Medical Systems Ltd. in each financial year since 1991-92; and what proportion of this income was derived from Read Codes version 3. [18534]
1 Dec 1997 : Column: 88
Mr. Milburn:
The revenues for National Health Service licences paid to Computer Aided Medical Systems Ltd. up to 1995-96 are as follows:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| April 1991 to September 1992 (18 months) | 1,530,900 |
| October 1992 to September 1993 | 1,286,912 |
| October 1993 to September 1994 | 1,572,877 |
| October 1994 to September 1995 | 1,684,016 |
| October 1995 to September 1996 | 1,615,189 |
The relevant accounts for the year 1996-97 are not yet available.
The National Health Service Read Code licence covers the use of all versions of the Read Codes and it is not possible to estimate what proportion of the above income was derived from Read Codes version 3.
Mr. Rhodri Morgan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received from NHS clinicians in relation to Read Codes version 3; and what assessment he has made of the degree of clinician support for the viability of that version. [18535]
Mr. Milburn:
In 1994 the clinical professional bodies wrote formally to the National Health Service Executive supporting the use of the Read Coded Clinical terms as recommended clinical dictionary to underpin all clinical information systems and communication in the NHS.
A review of the Information Management and Technology Strategy for the NHS is currently in progress and this will include a proposal for the future role of version 3 of the Read Codes.
Mr. Chidgey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those NHS trust hospitals which employ a (a) full-time or (b) part-time bereavement officer or counsellor. [18295]
Mr. Milburn:
The information requested is not held centrally. Bereavement counselling is undertaken by a variety of different people, depending on who within the hospital is trained to undertake the work. This may be a psychologist, a nurse trained in bereavement counselling or a counsellor called in from the community.
Mr. Chidgey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list (a) those hospitals which have contracted out their bereavement services to the private sector and (b) the names of the trading companies and their parent companies which have been awarded the bereavement services contracts; [18296]
Mr. Milburn:
The National Health Service Executive market testing database has a record of one NHS trust, the Central Middlesex Hospital, which has contracted out its bereavement and mortuary services (but not its bereavement counselling). This contract was awarded to
1 Dec 1997 : Column: 89
Associated Funeral Directors whose parent company is Service Corporation International plc. The bereavement officer is an employee of Associated Funeral Directors.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the £300 million extra funds for the National Health Service this winter will be spent on provision for the mentally ill. [18373]
Mr. Milburn:
Details of the purposes to which the extra funds are to be put are contained in the Executive Letter EL(97)64, copies of which are available in the Library. Details of the amounts allocated to specific service areas are not held centrally.
Dr. Harris:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many representations he has received from Oxfordshire about reductions in social services provision in the county. [18389]
Mr. Boateng:
The Director of Social Services for Oxfordshire wrote on behalf of the Social Services Committee to express concern about budget reductions on the provision of Social Services on Oxfordshire. Ministers will be responding shortly.
Mrs. Gillan:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade when the consultation paper on wealth warnings will be issued. [14436]
Mr. Nigel Griffiths
[holding answer 4 November 1997]: I will publish a consultation paper on simplification and clarification of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 shortly. This will include a proposal on wealth warnings.
Mr. David Atkinson:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment she has made of how many computer systems will be made redundant by the century date change; if she has had discussions and issued guidelines on arrangements for their disposal or redeployment; and if she will make a statement. [17427]
Mrs. Roche:
I have made no assessment and issued no guidelines. I understand that relatively few systems will be made redundant. Most affected systems can be upgraded, some by reworking existing software or electronic components and others by replacing inadequate software or components.
(2) if he will list (a) those NHS hospitals whose bereavement officers are employees of funeral director companies and (b) trading companies and the parent companies involved. [18297]
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