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Ministerial Responsibilities

23. Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the extent of his responsibilities following the creation of the Scottish Executive. [84150]

25 May 1999 : Column: 128

Dr. Reid: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given earlier today to the hon. Members for Rochford and Southend, East (Sir T. Taylor) and for Bromsgrove (Miss Kirkbride).

Funding (Health and Education)

24. Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many representations he has received this year on (a) higher and further education funding and (b) NHS funding. [84151]

Mr. Macdonald: Scottish Office Ministers and officials have had regular contact with a wide range of institutions and interests in further and higher education. Issues arising have included matters relating to funding and I have been particularly pleased by the warm response from both sectors to our commitment to invest significantly in further and higher education throughout the three year Comprehensive Spending Review period.

Representations on NHS funding have been received from a variety of bodies. Following the Comprehensive Spending Review an additional investment of £1.8 billion is being made available in the NHS in Scotland over the next three years. A further £37.1 million over the next three years was provided in the March budget for Capital Modernisation.

From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

Infant Deaths

25. Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to introduce a confidential case inquiry into each incident of sudden unexpected infant death in Scotland. [84152]

Mr. Macdonald: I have no plans to do so. There is already a significant body of evidence relating to the epidemiology of sudden unexpected infant death. This is consistent with Health Departments' guidance and advice on reducing the risk of cot death. The Government will continue to support biomedical and health service research into this important topic, alongside the valuable work of voluntary agencies, such as the Scottish Cot Death Trust, to help find out how sudden unexpected infant death might be reduced further.

From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

Food Standards Agency

26. Mr. Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the impact on small businesses of the flat rate levy to fund the new Food Standards Agency. [84153]

Mr. Macdonald: The possible impact of the levy has been discussed with representatives from small business organisations at a series of consultation seminars across Scotland. We have also received a large number of responses to the public consultation on the charging proposals. We are considering these responses--including suggestions for alternative proposals--before deciding how to proceed.

From l July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

25 May 1999 : Column: 129

NHS Reform

27. Mrs. Fyfe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has for the reform of the NHS. [84154]

Mr. Macdonald: Our broad plans to modernise the NHS in Scotland were set out in the White Paper "Designed to Care", which we published in December 1997. That programme is now being implemented in detail, and the primary legislation required is currently before Parliament. Our intention now is to consolidate the modernisation process.

From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

EU Structural Funds

28. Mrs. McKenna: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made in deciding the future of European structural funds in Scotland. [84155]

Mr. Macdonald: We have made good progress. At the Berlin Summit in March, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister secured a special aid package for the Highlands and Islands, and we are now consulting on Objectives 2 and 3.

Millennium Bug

Mr. Alasdair Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the degree of preparedness for the Year 2000 and the millennium bug of the pharmacy practice division of the Common Services Agency of the Scottish Health Service. [84867]

Mr. Macdonald: The Common Services Agency has an extensive programme for Year 2000 preparedness. In the case of the Pharmacy Practice Division, the decision was taken to replace the existing old and largely manual system with a completely new system which incorporates high speed Intelligent Character Recognition. I am advised by the General Manager of the CSA that best current estimates from the suppliers indicate that the new

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system will complete testing and come into operation before the end of this calendar year, and that robust contingency plans are being developed to ensure continuity of payments to pharmacy contractors.

From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

HIV/AIDS

Dr. Strang: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list the cumulative number of people who had been diagnosed HIV positive (i) broken down by probable means of transmission and (ii) in total in (a) Scotland and (b) each health board area of Scotland, for each year from 1981 to 1988, in 1998 and for 1999 to date; [84823]

Mr. Macdonald: I shall write to my right hon. Friend in view of the extent of the information requested. I shall arrange for a copy of my letter to be placed in the Library of the House.

From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

Dr. Strang: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people diagnosed with AIDS and not known to have died there were in (a) Scotland and (b) each health board area of Scotland in each year from 1981 to 1988, in 1998 and in 1999 to date. [84818]

Mr. Macdonald: The information is set out in the following table:

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AIDS cases not known to be dead as at 31 December of selected years by health board of AIDS registration, and for Scotland,
as at 31 March 1999

Health Board1981198219831984198519861987198819981999
Argylle & Clyde0000002233
Ayrshire & Arran0000000022
Borders0000000000
Dumfries & Galloway0000000000
Fife000000111515
Forth Valley0000000000
Grampian0000011177
Greater Glasgow00013110137778
Highland0000100022
Lanarkshire0000000055
Lothian0002361525106110
Orkney0000000000
Shetland0000000000
Tayside000001042624
Western Isles0000000000
Scotland0003792946243246

Note:

This table is based on year of AIDS diagnosis.

Source:

The Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health AIDS/HIV Register


25 May 1999 : Column: 131

From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

Dr. Strang: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people with AIDS died in (a) Scotland and

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(b) each health board area of Scotland in each year from 1981 to 1988, in 1998 and in 1999 to date. [84819]

Mr. Macdonald: The information is set out in the following table.

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AIDS deaths by health board of AIDS registration, and for Scotland, by year of death, as at 31 March 1999

Health board1981198219831984198519861987198819981999
Argyll and Clyde0000000000
Ayrshire and Arran0000000000
Borders0000000000
Dumfries and Galloway0000000000
Fife0000001000
Forth Valley0000100000
Grampian0000002110
Greater Glasgow0101063860
Highland0000010010
Lanarkshire0000001000
Lothian0000024860
Orkney0000000000
Shetland0000000000
Tayside0000011082
Western Isles0000000000
Scotland01011101217222

Source:

The Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health AIDS/HIV Register.


25 May 1999 : Column: 131

From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

Dr. Strang: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the cumulative number of people diagnosed with AIDS in (a) Scotland and (b) each health board area

25 May 1999 : Column: 132

of Scotland in each year from 1981 to 1998, and in 1999 to date. [84821]

Mr. Macdonald: The information is set out in the table:

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Cumulative AIDS cases diagnosed as at 31 December of selected year, by health board of AIDS registration, and for Scotland, as at 31 March 1999

Health board198119821983198419851986198719881989
Argyll and Clyde000000223
Ayrshire and Arran000000004
Borders000000000
Dumfries and Galloway000000000
Fife000000222
Forth Valley000011112
Grampian000001346
Greater Glasgow011359213251
Highland000011112
Lanarkshire000000111
Lothian000238213981
Orkney000000000
Shetland000000000
Tayside0000022613
Western Isles000000000
Scotland011510225488165

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25 May 1999 : Column: 132

Cumulative AIDS cases diagnosed as at 31 December of selected year, by health board of AIDS registration, and for Scotland, as at 31 March 1999

Health board1990199119921993199419951996199719981999
Argyll and Clyde4445555577
Ayrshire and Arran445681010111111
Borders0111111111
Dumfries and Galloway2222333333
Fife3448111622262727
Forth Valley2223344444
Grampian9141920283336363737
Greater Glasgow74107130161188213227249257258
Highland2333445677
Lanarkshire2789101111121515
Lothian121160198266310367404428441445
Orkney0000000000
Shetland0000000000
Tayside1837506896121140147154154
Western Isles0000000000
Scotland241345426552667788868928964969

Source:

The Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health AIDS/HIV Register


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25 May 1999 : Column: 133

From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.


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