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Community Hospitals
Mr. Prior: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors and nurses are currently working in community hospitals. [44479]
Mr. Milburn: The information is not collected centrally in the format requested.
Mr. Prior: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has given to health authorities on the closure of community hospitals. [44480]
Mr. Milburn:
In our White Paper "The New NHS--Modern, Dependable" we set out the important role community hospitals can play in providing locally based services. Within this broad framework, health authorities are responsible for determining the appropriate balance of care for their populations.
10 Jun 1998 : Column: 605
Mr. Laurence Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to promote awareness and understanding of myalgic encephalomyelitis among doctors and the general public; what help is offered to people who suffer from the illness; and if he will make a statement. [44923]
Ms Jowell:
The National Health Service provides a wide range of services to which sufferers of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME)/chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) have access and such patients are seen within a wide range of community services and hospital specialties. Patients can discuss the options available to them with their general practitioner and they may also request an assessment of their needs by local authority social services departments. It is the responsibility of health authorities to decide how the needs of ME/CFS sufferers should be met and whether or not they should purchase dedicated services. All such decisions are made in the light of competing priorities.
Raising awareness and understanding about ME/CFS is a major part of the work of the ME/CFS voluntary organisations. Since 1988, the Department has provided substantial funding to ME/CFS organisations, amounting to almost a quarter of a million pounds. Some of the ME/CFS organisations provide information packs to GPs about the condition, as well as to sufferers and their families.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the cost of abortions in the first trimester to the National Health Service in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [43490]
Ms Jowell:
Information on the costs of specific operations is not held centrally.
Mr. Tredinnick:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health following the recent review of expenditure, if he will list the reductions in funding for complementary and alternative medicine services by category and amount broken down by (a) homeopathy, (b) acupuncture and (c) therapeutic touch in the East London and The City Health Authority; and if he will make a statement. [45136]
Ms Jowell:
This information is not held centrally in the form requested. East London and The City Health Authority ceased funding complementary medicine with effect from 1 April 1997. This represented some £120,000 in contracts with a number of National Health Service trusts and other providers.
Mr. Ben Chapman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the key business targets for the Medicines Control Agency for 1998-99. [45278]
Ms Jowell:
We have today placed copies of the 1998-99 high level business targets of the Medicines Control Agency in the Library.
10 Jun 1998 : Column: 606
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effects of counselling for ex-servicemen. [44387]
Dr. Reid:
The Ministry of Defence has not commissioned or evaluated any research into the effects of counselling for ex-Service personnel. However, my Department maintains links with numerous ex-Service organisations and charities, including the Ex-Services Mental Welfare Society (Combat Stress), which provides limited counselling facilities. We very much value the contributions which these organisations make towards the resettlement and aftercare of ex-Service personnel.
Mr. Menzies Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the personnel numbers for (a) the full strength and (b) the current strength of each Army regiment. [44189]
Dr. Reid:
I will write to the hon. and learned Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Menzies Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Navy vessels are below full crew complement; and by how many. [44190]
Dr. Reid:
The major ships of the Surface Flotilla all experience a degree of gapping which, on average, amounts to 5 per cent. of the full crew complement. In the case of minor ships, this average is 4 per cent. No submarines are operating below their full crew complement.
Mr. Alasdair Morgan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the (a) extent and (b) sources of the external nuclear threat to the United Kingdom. [45038]
Mr. George Robertson:
We do not see any immediate nuclear threats to the United Kingdom. However, while large nuclear arsenals and risks of proliferation remain we cannot be certain that this situation could not change. Our minimum deterrent therefore remains a necessary element of our security.
Mr. Menzies Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many joint WEU training missions the (a) Royal Navy, (b) British Army, and (c) RAF have participated in over the past five years; and if he will make a statement. [44183]
Dr. Reid:
The exercise programme of the Western European Union (WEU) is focused on testing crisis management procedures at the headquarters level; exercises of this type organised by the WEU have involved UK personnel, including Service personnel. UK
10 Jun 1998 : Column: 607
forces train with those of other WEU nations for the types of missions which the WEU might undertake; this training is organised by nations, not by the WEU.
Mr. Menzies Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if it is the practice to allocate each ship in the Royal Navy an annual quota of fuel. [44185]
Mr. Spellar:
Fuel is allocated to the RN surface Flotilla on an annual basis. Individual HM Ships receive a monthly allocation based on their forward programme requirements.
Mr. Menzies Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the average annual number of days spent on (a) exercises and (b) operations by an infantry soldier in each of the last 10 years. [44186]
Dr. Reid:
This information is not held centrally by my Department and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Menzies Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the cost of the RAF's involvement in policing the air exclusion zones over Northern and Southern Iraq in each year since 1992; and from what budget heading the cost of the operations has been met. [44180]
Mr. George Robertson:
The additional costs of the RAF's involvement in policing the air exclusion zones over Northern and Southern Iraq, i.e. in Op Jural and Op Warden, and the budget headings from which the costs were met are shown in the table:
| Year | North (£ million) | South (£ million) | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-93 | 3.865 | 3.303 | Class 1. Vote 1. (Personnel cost, support and other services) |
| 0.038 | 0.678 | Class 1. Vote 2. (Procurement) | |
| 1993-94 | 4.892 | 2.157 | Class 1. Vote 1. (Operational and support costs) |
| 0.199 | 0.229 | Class 1. Vote 2. (Logistics services) | |
| 1994-95 | 5.963 | 3.932 | Class 1. Vote 1. (Operational and support costs) |
| 0.333 | 0.622 | Class 1. Vote 2. (Logistics services) | |
| 1995-96 | 0.512 | 0.457 | Class 1. Vote 1. (Operational and support costs) |
| 0.260 | 0.728 | Class 1. Vote 2. (Logistics services) | |
| 1996-97 | 0.639 | 0.938 | Class 1. Vote 1. (Operational and support costs) |
| 0.105 | 0.134 | Class 1. Vote 2. (Logistics services) | |
| 1997-98 | 0.165 | 0.31 | Class 1. Vote 1. (Operational and support costs) |
| 0.296 | 0.294 | Class 1. Vote 2. (Logistics services) |
Note:
Changes in the MOD Budget Structure in 1993 resulted in the renaming of Budget Headings.
10 Jun 1998 : Column: 608
Persian Gulf
Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost of the Royal Navy's involvement in operations in the Persian Gulf in each year since 1992; and from what budget heading the cost of the operations has been met. [44181]
Mr. George Robertson: The additional costs of the Royal Navy's involvement in operations in the Persian Gulf, (ie Op Granby and Op Bolton), and the budget headings from which the costs were met are shown in the table:
| Year | Cost (£ million) | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| 1992-93 | 0.906 | Class 1. Vote 1. (Personnel cost, support and other services) |
| 10.512 | Class 1. Vote 2. (Procurement) | |
| 1993-94 | 0.770 | Class 1. Vote 1. (Operational and support costs) |
| 17.031 | Class 1. Vote 2. (Logistics services) | |
| 1994-95 | 0.320 | Class 1. Vote 1. (Operational and support costs) |
| 14.854 | Class 1. Vote 2. (Logistics services) | |
| 1995-96 | 0.011 | Class 1. Vote 2. (Logistics services) |
| 1996-97 | 0.00 | N/A |
| 1997-98 | 4.506 | Class 1. Vote 1. (Operational and support costs) |
| 0.630 | Class 1. Vote 2. (Logistics services) |
Note:
Changes in the MOD Budget Structure in 1993 resulted in the renaming Budget Headings.
Mr. Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the cost of the RAF's involvement in operations in the Persian Gulf in each year since 1992; and from what budget heading the cost has been met. [44191]
Mr. George Robertson: The additional costs of the RAF's involvement in operations in the Persian Gulf, i.e. Op Granby, Op Driver and Op Bolton, and the budget headings from which the costs were met are shown in the table:
Note:
Changes in the MOD Budget Structure in 1993 resulted in the renaming of Budget Headings. These figures exclude the costs of the No Fly Zones over Southern and Northern Iraq.
10 Jun 1998 : Column: 609
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