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NHS Trusts
Dr. Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial arrangements are being made in respect of the NHS trusts dissolved on 1 April 1999, 1 May 1999 and 1 October 1999 in connection with new NHS trusts established on those dates. [114548]
Mr. Milburn: Pursuant to the dissolution of 48 National Health Service trusts on 1 April 1999, 1 May 1999 and 1 October 1999, and their reconfiguration through the establishment of 23 new trusts on those dates, I propose to create originating capital for the new trusts equal to the net assets transferred to them and therefore to remit the outstanding debt of the dissolved trusts.
These operations will involve no overall loss to the Exchequer. Her Majesty's Treasury has today presented a minute to the House of Commons giving particulars and circumstances of the proposed remission which it has approved in principle.
Press Releases
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for the period 2 May 1997 to 29 February 2000 what was (a) the number of occasions on which couriers were used to distribute news releases from his Department and (b) the total cost of using couriers to distribute news releases. [113980]
Ms Stuart:
As is common practice among many Government Departments, the Central Office of Information News Distribution Service issues press releases on behalf of the Department. Couriers are unlikely to be used purely to distribute press releases. It is however impossible to separate the times when
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couriers were used as the only practical means of sending out sensitive material which may have had news releases attached.
There were 1,656 press releases issued and the cost of this distribution was £75,365, for the period 2 May 1997 to 29 February 2000.
Mr. Brady:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the (a) national, (b) regional and (c) local newspapers and media bodies to which his Department sent news releases during the period 2 May 1997 to 29 February 2000. [113996]
Ms Stuart:
The cost of compiling the lists of national, regional, local newspapers and media bodies is disproportionate. The Department ensures press releases are made available to the press via the news distribution service managed by Central Office of Information; and the Internet.
Targeted distribution will rely on the subject and content of the specific press releases.
Mr. Webb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will investigate the circumstances which led to the second cancellation of a rotator cuff repair operation for a constituent, Mr. Bruce, at the Avon Orthopaedic Centre on 7 March. [114143]
Ms Stuart:
Continuing high numbers of medical admissions have necessitated the postponement of a number of orthopaedic operations. Decisions about the postponement of operations are taken by clinicians on the basis of clinical priority.
The trust is taking action to maintain its elective capacity by the use of weekend operating lists, the use of local independent hospitals to enable routine surgical operations to be performed by national Health Service surgeons operating in NHS time, and buying places in private nursing homes to facilitate the discharge of medical patients.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list, for each year since 1992 to date, the number of (a) nurses, (b) doctors and (c) consultants employed by the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital; and if he will make a statement. [114124]
Mr. Denham:
The table illustrates that the number of nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff employed by the Royal Shrewsbury Hospitals National Health Service Trust declined between the years 1994 and 1997. However, numbers remain constant for 1998, and the numbers of hospital medical doctors employed within the trust steadily increased since 1994, demonstrating our commitment to increase the number of doctors and nurses working within the NHS. It should be noted that inflated figures for nursing staff in 1994 are not comparable with later years, due to a new classification system introduced in 1995 (see notes).
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| Nursing, Midwifery and health visiting staff | Hospital medical staff and consultants | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole-time equivalents | Numbers (headcount) | Numbers (headcount) | Of which medical consultants | |
| 1994 | 850 | 1,130 | 160 | 70 |
| 1995 | 750 | 950 | 170 | 70 |
| 1996 | 730 | 940 | 190 | 70 |
| 1997 | 710 | 900 | 190 | 70 |
| 1998 | 720 | 900 | 200 | 80 |
Notes:
1. The Royal Shrewsbury Hospitals NHS Trust came into being on 1 April 1994. Data from earlier years cannot be disaggregated from health authority returns.
2. Figures are rounded to the nearest ten.
3. 1994 figures include agency staff and exclude learners, 1995 to 1998 figures exclude agency staff and learners.
4. A new classification of the non-medical workforce was introduced in 1995, therefore information based on this classification is not comparable with earlier years.
5. Before 1996, some hospital medical staff were employed directly by the Regional Health Authority and so may not be included in these figures.
Source:
Department of Health Non Medical Workforce Census
Department of Health Medical and Dental Workforce Census
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
BSE Inquiry (Costs)
Dr. Cable: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the maximum amount spent to date on legal fees at the BSE Inquiry in support of an individual serving or former civil servant in (a) Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and (b) the Department of Health; and how much has been spent to date in supporting Sir Richard Southwood and his working party. [112440]
Ms Quin: All witnesses have had legal support available to them, under the procedures established by the BSE Inquiry, to assist in presenting their involvement in the BSE story to the Inquiry. To protect the privacy of individuals we consider it inappropriate to provide figures for the legal support of any individual or advisory group.
Greyhounds
Mr. Baker: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many licences have been issued for the export of racing greyhounds to Vietnam in the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [112390]
Ms Quin [holding answer 1 March 2000]: Licences are not issued for the export of greyhounds to Vietnam or any other destination.
This Department is responsible for the issue of export health certificates to accompany dogs to Vietnam and other destinations. These are provided at the request of the Vietnamese authorities. The health certificate for the export of dogs to Vietnam provides guarantees to the Vietnamese authorities and the importer that the animals are free from signs of disease and are vaccinated against rabies. Export health certificates are signed by
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government appointed veterinarians. The certificates do not contain information on the breed of dogs being exported.
In the last three years two such animal health certificates for Vietnam have been issued--one for 1997 and one for 1999.
The above figures are not sub-categorised by breed. It is not therefore possible for me to state whether either of these animals were greyhounds or the purpose for which they were intended, for example racing.
This Department provides advice on request to all exporters that they must ensure that exported animals comply with the requirements of the relevant importing country. Where there is a requirement for an export health certificate to accompany a consignment of animals this advice is given.
Joan Ruddock:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are (a) the growing season for genetically modified herbicide tolerant winter oil seed rape in UK field trials and (b) the prohibited period for the use of the herbicide glufosinate ammonia in the UK; and on what research evidence the prohibited period for glufosinate ammonia is based. [111353]
Ms Quin
[holding answer 28 February 2000]: Genetically modified herbicide tolerant winter oil seed rape is sown at the end of August and the beginning of September; the crop is harvested in the following July or early August.
Approvals for the commercial use of glufosinate ammonium on oil seed rape all prohibit its use for weed control from 30 September to 1 March. This is because data submitted do not support its use on oil seed rape during that period.
However, experimental approvals have not imposed this prohibition.
Ms Walley:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his latest assessment of the adequacy of the Fertiliser Regulations, following the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee's recommendation on the use of liquid condensate as a fertiliser on grazing land. [113041]
Ms Quin:
The Fertiliser Regulations were introduced originally to complement the ban on Mammalian Meat and Bone Meal in animal feed. Their purpose is to avoid ruminant animals gaining access to a source of potentially recycled disease. We are actively considering the adequacy of these and other controls in relation to the Committee's recommendations concerning liquid condensate.
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