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Private Pensions
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the regulation requiring the conversion of private pensions, on maturity, to annuities. [82717]
Ms Hewitt: The purpose of private pension schemes is to provide an income throughout their members' retirement. So pension schemes that cannot themselves guarantee payment of lifetime pensions provide this security by buying annuities.
Bank Charges
Mr. Sheerman:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what evidence his Department has evaluated of the charging practices of United Kingdom high street banks with particular reference to small business customers. [81647]
4 May 1999 : Column: 345
Ms Hewitt:
None at present, though the relationship between the high street banks and small business is one of the issues on which the Banking Review led by Don Cruickshank will be seeking evidence as part of their wider review of the levels of innovation, competition and efficiency in the United Kingdom banking market.
Mr. Gibb:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 21 April 1999, Official Report, column 587, on literacy skills, when he expects comparable figures for later years to be available. [82189]
Mr. Mudie:
I have been asked to reply.
There are currently no specific plans to repeat the International Adult Literacy Survey in Britain. The Government are considering "A Fresh Start", the recent report about adult basic skills by Sir Claus Moser. As part of that work we will consider how best to measure levels of literacy and numeracy in the future. This could involve participation in the International Life Skills Survey, which includes a literacy and numeracy element, and is planned to take place in 2001.
Mr. Laurence Robertson:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for the future of Training for Work. [82162]
Mr. Andrew Smith
[holding answer 26 April 1999]: I have been asked to reply.
Training for Work is now known in England as Work Based Learning for Adults (WBLA). The key objective of the programme is to help long-term unemployed people to move into sustained employment by boosting their skills.
A recently published evaluation study shows that clients who participated in the programme spent an average of around 50 per cent. more time in work over the first 18 months after training than others with similar characteristics who did not.
In the light of this, we have allocated a budget of £328 million this year for WBLA in England. This is sufficient to provide opportunities for over 100,000 adults over 25. We have also extended the help available for disabled people and those with basic skills needs.
My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales have separate responsibilities for adult training and programmes. These are operated along broadly similar lines to those in England.
4. Mr. Corbett:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to publish a national service framework for patients with diabetes. [81811]
Mr. Hutton:
We plan to publish National Service Framework for diabetes in Spring 2001.
4 May 1999 : Column: 346
18. Mr. Hinchliffe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to widen the range of services available within GPs' surgeries and primary care centres. [81826]
Mr. Denham:
We are committed to modernising the National Health Service and have introduced new arrangements to give patients improved access, convenience and improved range and quality of services. These schemes include Primary Care Groups, Primary Care Trusts, Personal Medical Service Pilots, Local Development Schemes, Health Improvement Programmes, Health Action Zones and NHS Primary Care Walk-in Centres.
19. Mr. Llwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the number of people currently suffering from the toxic effects of exposure to organophosphate compounds; and if he will make a statement. [81827]
Ms Jowell:
Organophosphate compounds are used in many different ways; principally as veterinary medicines and pesticides. There are adverse reactions schemes relating to these products and figures of reported past incidents are published annually. It would not be possible from these data to asses the number who are currently suffering.
20. Mr. Jack:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the provision of renal services in Lancashire and South Lakeland; and what expenditure per head is planned (a) in this area and (b) nationally over the next three years. [81828]
Mr. Hutton:
Funds for specific services are not separately identified either nationally or within individual Health Authority or NHS Trust allocations. I can confirm, however, that the four health authorities in Lancashire and South Cumbria, working in collaboration with the NHS Executive North West, have identified capital investment of £1 million and revenue spending of about £1 million for next year, to provide 15 new dialysis stations which are expected to be in place by the spring of next year.
21. Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to address the discrepancies between the number of accredited specialists in several medical and surgical specialties and the number of consultant posts available in the NHS. [81829]
Mr. Denham:
We intend to improve National Health Service workforce planning processes. We are studying the Health Committee's Report on Future NHS Staffing Requirements. Our proposals for further action will be published in due course.
Mr. Flight:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to encourage cross-disciplinary working between consultants in NHS hospitals; and if he will make a statement. [81809]
4 May 1999 : Column: 347
Mr. Denham:
The Government's main concern is to ensure that National Health Service patients receive the best quality medical care. The arrangements for clinical governance make it clear that quality is everyone's business and can be delivered only through effective team-working involving all health professionals. We want trusts to pursue optimum flexibility to meet local needs.
22. Fiona Mactaggart:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the level of impact of the creation of NHS Direct on the recruitment and retention of nurses in the community and in hospitals. [81830]
Mr. Denham:
NHS Direct has recruited nurses from many sources including the private sector. NHS Direct offers an exciting new career opportunity for nurses, which the Government believe will help to retain nurses in the National Health Service.
23. Mr. Ronnie Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase the range of services available through NHS Direct. [81831]
Mr. Denham:
In April, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced that NHS Direct will develop in six new ways: to provide integrated out of hours access to other services; to develop an outreach service for people who may need help or advice; to introduce an online service to other health information; to provide a range of public access points for NHS Direct; to produce a new healthcare guide and a related healthcare education programme. These new services which will be developed and piloted in coming months provide further evidence of this Govenrment's commitment to modernise the National Health Service.
24. Kali Mountford:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice his Department plans to issue to young women about the long-term health effects of the contraceptive pill. [81832]
Ms Jowell:
Information on the risks and benefits of the Pill are given in the information provided to doctors and patients by pharmaceutical companies, the Family Planning Association and the Contraceptive Education Service. Millions of women around the world use oral contraception and there is abundant evidence that taking the Pill appropriately poses less risk to healthy women than pregnancy itself.
25. Mr. Bill O'Brien:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what health advice his Department issues to people who live near toxic waste tips, with particular reference to pregnant women; and if he will make a statement. [81833]
Ms Jowell:
The Department does not consider that current evidence shows that landfill sites taking hazardous waste pose a risk to the health of people living nearby. However, the Government recognise the concern caused by recent reports of an association between birth defects and landfill sites and has commissioned research to investigate this further.
4 May 1999 : Column: 348
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