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Northern Ireland Assembly
Mr. William Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is her estimate of the cost of (a) the Northern Ireland Assembly, (b) each of the 10 departments of Government and (c) the offices of the First and Deputy Ministers in the first full year of their operation. [76837]
Mr. Paul Murphy: This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Assembly. The Assembly Commission recently estimated the operating costs of the Assembly at £36 million in 1999-2000.
Biological Scientists
Mr. William Ross:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many biological scientists are employed in each hospital in Northern Ireland; what are the qualifications required for such work; and what are the salary scales for such posts. [76884]
19 Mar 1999 : Column: 846
Mr. McFall:
Clinical Scientists are employed in pathology laboratories in the following Northern Ireland Health and Social Services Trusts:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Belfast City Hospital | 35 |
| Green Park | 1 |
| Mater Infirmorum Hospital | 2 |
| Royal Group of Hospitals | 26 |
| Ulster Community and Hospitals | 1 |
| United Hospitals | 2 |
| Grade | Spine points | Salary £ |
|---|---|---|
| A | 01 | 13,290 |
| 02 | 13,822 | |
| 03 | 14,375 | |
| 04 | 14,949 | |
| 05 | 15,546 | |
| 06 | 16,169 | |
| 07 | 16,817 | |
| 08 | 17,486 | |
| B(12) | 09 | 18,188 |
| 10 | 18,915 | |
| 11 | 19,671 | |
| 12 | 20,458 | |
| 13 | 21,276 | |
| 14 | 22,127 | |
| 15 | 23,013 | |
| 16 | 23,931 | |
| 17 | 24,891 | |
| 18 | 25,885 | |
| 19 | 26,919 | |
| 20 | 27,998 | |
| 21 | 29,118 | |
| 22 | 30,283 | |
| 23 | 31,494 | |
| 24 | 32,753 | |
| 25 | 34,065 | |
| C | 26 | 35,426 |
| 27 | 36,844 | |
| 28 | 38,318 | |
| 29 | 39,851 | |
| 30 | 41,443 | |
| 31 | 43,102 | |
| 32 | 44,825 | |
| 33 | 46,620 | |
| 34 | 48,485 | |
| 35 | 50,424 | |
| 36 | 52,443 | |
| 37 | 54,539 |
(12) Individual posts will be assigned a payscale of three consecutive points within the range 09 to 25 on the spine
Working Time Directive
Mr. Tyrie:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many civil servants in her Department have been invited to waive the Working Time Directive requirement to work less than 48 hours a week on 17 consecutive weeks; how many civil
19 Mar 1999 : Column: 847
servants in her Department have refused to waive the requirement; and what is the total cost of compliance with the Directive. [76803]
Mr. Paul Murphy:
To date members of the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Departments and agencies have not systematically been invited to waive the 48 hour limit. However, a small number of staff who have been identified as working regularly in excess of the 48 hour average limit have signed the waiver. There have not been any refusals.
The cost of the introduction of some minor modifications to existing administrative procedures, particularly record keeping, cannot readily be identified. No additional staffing requirements have been identified.
NHS Appointments
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his written answer of 16 February 1999, Official Report, column 730, (1) if he will give the total amount of annual fees which is payable to (a) Labour, (b) Liberal Democrat, (c) Conservative and (d) independent councillors appointed to NHS trusts or health authorities since 1 May 1997; [72623]
- (2) if he will list the numbers of councillors of each political party appointed to each NHS trust or health authority since 1 May 1997; [72624]
(3) if he will list the health authorities and NHS trusts to which each named individual has been appointed, indicating in each case whether the appointment is as (a) chairman and (b) board member. [73898]
Mr. Denham [holding answers 22 February and 1 March 1999]: Copies of the following information have been placed in the Library.
A list of all individuals appointed to chairman and non-executive positions on National Health Service trust or health authority boards since 1 May 1997 and who were known to be councillors at the time of their appointment. The listing shows their appointment by name, NHS trust or health authority, political party and whether they were appointed as chairman or non- executive member; and a list of the same information but grouped according to the trust or health authority concerned.
These listings include the names of 12 individuals who were not discovered by the database search of 15 February and reported in my answer of 16 February.
Chairmen receive remuneration in one of three bands according to the turnover of their NHS trust or the allocation made to their health authority.
All non-executive members or directors receive £5,000.
19 Mar 1999 : Column: 848
Band 1: £19,285
Band 2: £17,145
Band 3: £15,125.
| £ | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Chairmen | Non-executives | Total | |
| Labour | 390,895 | 990,000 | 1,380,895 |
| Conservative | 51,555 | 45,000 | 96,555 |
| Liberal Democrat | 62,520 | 125,000 | 187,520 |
| Other (including independents) | 0 | 40,000 | 40,000 |
Local councillors account for 9.9 per cent. of those serving on NHS boards and receive 8.4 per cent. of the total amount of remuneration payable. They bring to the NHS invaluable experience and commitment to the service of their communities.
All appointments are made on merit in accordance with Nolan principles. Information was not collected on the political activity of all non-executives appointed by the last Government, so full comparisons are not possible.
Mr. Shaw:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pensioners will be eligible for free eye prescriptions in (a) the Medway towns and (b) Chatham and Aylesford in April. [75553]
Mr. Denham:
From 1 April 1999, everyone aged 60 and over will be eligible for free National Health Service sight tests. We cannot make population estimates for areas within local authority boundaries. We estimate that there are some 40,000 people aged 60 and over resident in the area of the Medway Unitary Authority.
Mr. Greenway:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what weighting he will give to regional needs when deciding which universities will benefit from the proposed allocation of an additional 1,000 medical school places; [75924]
Mr. Denham:
The responsibility for allocating medical student places in England lies with the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).
A joint implementation group has been established to take forward this work. The objectives, which were approved by Ministers, have been placed in the Library. The group wrote to all universities in England on 8 January 1999, inviting them to submit bids for a share of the extra medical student places by 12 March 1999. The group will consider all proposals received, and make recommendations to the HEFCE, which will announce the allocations later in the year.
Mr. Sanders:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about the future of private sector care homes for the elderly. [75920]
19 Mar 1999 : Column: 849
Mr. Hutton:
The Government's policy in this area was set out in the White Paper "Modernising social services".
The commissioning of long-term residential care is a matter for local authorities. The Government have no ideological view as to the choice of private or public ownership. What is important is that the arrangements made by authorities should be based on judgments about best value and optimum outcomes for individual users.
Mrs. Lait:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to raise in the EU Health Council the health effect of EU policy in relation to tobacco growers. [76935]
Mr. Hutton:
We expect the German Presidency to include an item on tobacco on the agenda of the Health Council meeting on 8 June 1999. The Commission will report on progress made in implementing the recommendations of its 1996 report on the Community's role in combating tobacco consumption, which includes the issue of tobacco production in the European Union. We intend to indicate our support for co-ordinated action.
(2) in deciding where to allocate the proposed additional 1,000 medical school places, he will conduct an impact assessment on the consequences for (a) public health and (b) community regeneration of approving a new medical school at Hull University. [75935]
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