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Petrol Prices
Dr. Marek: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to require petrol retailers to display at the pumps the amount of tax paid on a litre of fuel. [72328]
Ms Hewitt [holding answer 23 February 1999]: No.
Transport (New Technology)
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has to provide fiscal incentives to use new technology in transport. [71112]
Ms Hewitt
[holding answer 24 February 1999]: In his last Budget, several measures were announced by the Chancellor in keeping with the Government's commitment to reduce pollutant emissions, including a
25 Feb 1999 : Column: 427
freeze on duty for road fuel gases, a £500 reduction in vehicle excise duty for lorries that meet a low emission standard, a £50 reduction in vehicle excise duty for the smallest, cleanest cars and an increase in the duty differential between conventional diesel and ultra low sulphur diesel.
Mr. Gibb:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax payers paid income tax at the rate of 40 per cent. in (a) 1996-97 and (b) 1997-98. [73123]
Dawn Primarolo:
The latest estimates, based on the 1996-97 Survey of Personal Incomes, for the number of taxpayers paying some income tax at the higher rate are 2.08 million for 1996-97 and 2.30 million for 1997-98.
Domestic Violence
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library copies of the responses to the requests to local authorities to report their activity on tackling domestic violence. [70534]
Ms Jowell: The responses of the local authorities on their activities on tackling domestic violence were summarised in a report by the London Research Centre, "Tackling Violence Against Women". This report which was jointly funded by the women's unit in the Cabinet Office and the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions was placed in the Library in November 1998.
Neurological Services
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his officials will commence work on drawing up a compendium of good practice on the commissioning of neurological services; and when it will be published. [72564]
Mr. Hutton: Subject to resource availability next year, a compendium of good practice on the commissioning of neurological services is currently being considered for development in 1999-2000.
Occupational Therapy
Mr. Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many schoolchildren by (a) age and (b) health authority are awaiting the services of an occupational therapist at the Sunderland, Hartlepool and Durham Hospital Trusts following a recommendation from an educational special needs assessment; and what was the average waiting time in the last year for which figures are available. [72322]
Mr. Hutton: The information is not held by the Department. The health authorities involved should be able to provide the information requested for their own areas.
Asthma (Children)
Mr. Ennis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the number of children under 16 years of age suffering from asthma in (a) England and Wales and (b) Sheffield Health Authority area. [71965]
25 Feb 1999 : Column: 428
Mr. Hutton:
There are no comprehensive data on the number of children with asthma. On the basis of all the information available, it has been estimated that "the prevalence of asthma sufficiently severe to require regular medical supervision is from 4-6 per cent. in children". This estimate is quoted in "Asthma: An Epidemiological Overview" (Central Health Monitoring Unit, 1995), which brought together a broad range of the best statistics on asthma in England. Copies are available in the Library.
According to the report of the Health Survey for England 1997, 23 per cent. of boys and 18 per cent. of girls aged 2 to 15 years had been diagnosed at some time in the past as suffering from asthma. Copies of this report are also available in the Library.
The equivalent figures for the Sheffield Health Authority area are not available centrally. Information on the number of children suffering from asthma in Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
Sir Alastair Goodlad:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has obtained as to how many people discharged from mental illness hospitals in England in the last year after a main diagnosis of schizophrenia psychoses, having been proved vulnerable homeless, subsequently became voluntary homeless. [72581]
Mr. Hutton:
The information requested is not available centrally.
Dr. Starkey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what clinical guidelines his Department has given to obstetricians in assessing when a caesarean section is appropriate. [72537]
Mr. Hutton:
The Department does not issue clinical guidelines. The Department is funding the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to carry out a national audit of caesarean sections in order to develop caesarean section audit criteria for particular groups of women.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to publish a strategy for people with learning disabilities. [72520]
Mr. Hutton:
Our White Paper "Modernising Social Services" published in November 1998 set out our strategy for the development of social services for all client groups including people with learning disabilities. They will also benefit from wider developments such as the proposals in our National Health Service White Paper and Public Health Green Paper, and the Welfare to Work strategy. We have recently completed a review of learning disability hospital reprovisioning plans, are currently carrying out a survey in 24 local authorities and their matching health authorities and are awaiting the results of an evaluation of different types of residential provision for people with learning disabilities. We will then consider what, if any, further action needs to be taken in the light of this work and advice from the Learning Disability Advisory Group set up last November.
25 Feb 1999 : Column: 429
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for mother and baby units for the mentally ill. [72521]
Mr. Hutton:
Health authorities are required to assess the health needs of their population and arrange for the provision of adequate services. This should include the needs of mothers with a psychiatric illness.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to publish his plans for long-term nursing care. [72592]
Mr. Hutton:
We have already set in hand a number of initiatives to improve long-term care services--particularly those set out in our White Paper "Modernising Social Services". We also await the report of the Royal Commission on Long Term Care of the Elderly, due very shortly.
Ms Kelly:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) deaths and (b) hospital admissions have resulted from the abuse of gamma hydroxy butyrate in (a) the North West and (b) England in each of the last 10 years. [72900]
Ms Jowell:
Between 1988 and 1997, one death is mentioned on the death certificate (in 1995) as being due to the abuse of gamma hydroxy butyrate (GHB) in England, none in the North West. Figures for 1993 to 1997 are provisional.
Figures for hospital admissions from the abuse of GHB are not identified separately in the information that is available centrally.
Mr. Gerrard:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase charges in the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [73880]
Mr. Denham:
We shall shortly lay before the House regulations to increase National Health Service Charges in England and Wales from 1 April 1999. There will be a cash increase in the charge of 10p, (1.72 per cent.) from £5.80 to £5.90 for each quantity of a drug or appliance dispensed. This means that prescription charges will fall in real terms.
The cost of prescription prepayment certificates will rise to £30.80 for a 4 month certificate and £84.60 for an annual certificate. These offer savings for those needing more than 5 items in four months or 14 in one year.
Prescription charges are expected to raise some £377 million for the NHS in 1999-2000.
Charges for elastic stockings and tights, wigs and most fabric supports supplied through the Hospital Service will be increased similarly.
The maximum patient charge for a single course of dental treatment begun on or after 1 April 1999 will increase from £340 to £348. Only about 1 in every 1,000 courses of treatment will attract the new maximum charge.
25 Feb 1999 : Column: 430
The increases are below the current rate of inflation as measured by the Retail Price Index for January 1999, 2.4 per cent.
We will also be laying regulations to increase optical voucher values. Increases range from 2.5 per cent. to 18 per cent. with most help targeted towards people with serious sight problems who are prescribed the most complex, expensive glasses.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland will lay regulations to increase charges in Scotland by the same amounts. Similar arrangements will apply in Northern Ireland.
Details of the revised charges have been placed in the Library.
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