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Consultant Vacancies
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many consultant vacancies currently exist in accident and emergency departments. [102084]
Ms Stuart: The latest available information about consultant vacancies in accident and emergency is contained in the Department of Health Recruitment, Retention and Vacancies Survey, March 1999, copies of which are available in the Library.
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many accident and emergency departments currently have no consultant in post. [102085]
Ms Stuart: Information about the number of staff in individual hospital departments is not collected centrally. The latest available data show that, of those National Health Service trusts with a major accident and emergency department (consultant-led service with full resuscitation facilities) on 31 March 1998, every one had at least one consultant in post on 30 September 1998.
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the number of UK CCST holders who are available to fill consultant vacancies in accident and emergency departments. [102086]
Ms Stuart: For England and Wales, information about the current numbers of higher specialist trainees holding Certificates of Completion of Specialist Training (CCST) is not collected centrally. Information from the Regional Postgraduate Deans suggests that around 20 higher specialist trainees in accident and emergency medicine should have gained their CCST in 1999. We anticipate that around 40 should qualify in 2000 and there will be around 320 qualifying for consultant posts in accident and emergency medicine between now and 2004.
Questions relating to Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for my right hon. Friends the First Secretary for Scotland and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
E112 Forms
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what directions are given to health authorities and trusts regarding the issue of form E112 for continuing medical and surgical treatment in the EU paid for by the NHS. [103210]
Ms Stuart:
Advice to health authorities and trusts was issued in 1994. Decisions on issue of forms E112 are taken centrally by the Department, taking into account the view of the relevant health authority and the individual patient's medical and social circumstances. Information for the general public is contained in the Department's leaflet "Health Advice for Travellers", copies of which are available in the Library.
20 Dec 1999 : Column: 423W
Dr. Iddon:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if Age Concern was consulted by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence during the appraisal of relenza. [101677]
Ms Stuart:
I understand that the National Institute for Clinical Excellence consulted Age Concern informally during its rapid appraisal of Relenza. For a full appraisal, including the review of Relenza next year, interested parties such as professional and patient groups will be invited to submit evidence and to comment on guidance in draft.
Mr. Burns:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the hon. Member for West Chelmsford will receive a reply to his two questions on deficits at Mid Essex Hospital Trust and North Essex Health Authority, which were due for an answer on 24 November. [102868]
Mr. Denham:
I shall let the hon. Member have a reply to his two questions as soon as possible.
Mr. Cousins:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the life expectancy of new baby (a) boys and (b) girls, broken down by health authority area of England. [102229]
Miss Melanie Johnson
[holding answer 15 December 1999]: I have been asked to reply.
20 Dec 1999 : Column: 425W
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Departmental Employees (Ethnic Minorities)
Mr. Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of the total workforce in her Department is of ethnic minority origin; and what steps she is taking to encourage the employment of people from the ethnic minorities in her Department. [102732]
Clare Short: 7.8 per cent. of DFID's Civil Service staff are of ethnic minority origin.
Our recruitment adverts state that we are committed to a policy of equal opportunities and encourage applicants from all sectors of the community. Vacancies are advertised by various means, including national newspapers, professional journals, several south-east London newspapers with a broad readership base, and local job centres. For posts and grades where there is a particular lack of representation from certain sectors of the community, our advertisements now carry a specific invitation, encouraging under-represented groups to apply. Selection is on merit.
We took part in a recruitment fair in London in the summer of 1999 specifically aimed at ethnic minority graduates and we plan to do so again in 2000.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department has taken to provide assistance for women in Nicaragua since Hurricane Mitch. [102818]
Clare Short:
Our post-hurricane emergency assistance to Nicaragua was in the health, education and water sectors. It is our policy to ensure all emergency assistance takes account of the needs of women and does not leave them marginalised.
Women's NGOs in Nicaragua form a strong voice within civil society and we have supported their roles through our capacity building fund with the Inter American Development Bank and also in post Mitch reconstruction activities and decision making through the Joint Funding Scheme. The funds have gone to supporting a number of projects with non-governmental organisations, including Christian Aid and Oxfam, that are aimed specifically at women particularly in the fields of health and training.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what debts (a) Honduras and (b) Nicaragua have paid to the (i) World Bank and (ii) IMF (A) before and (B) since Hurricane Mitch. [102816]
20 Dec 1999 : Column: 426W
Clare Short:
The levels of debt service payments (principal and others) by Honduras and Nicaragua to the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund are shown in the tables.
| Year | World Bank (26) in US$ millions | International monetary fund in SDR (27) millions |
|---|---|---|
| Honduras | ||
| 1996 | 94.1 | 27.31 |
| 1997 | 77.8 | 7.05 |
| 1998 | 73.5 | 1.51 |
| 1999 | 63.7 | 5.08 |
| Nicaragua | ||
| 1996 | 25.9 | 6.68 |
| 1997 | 23.4 | 0.1 |
| 1998 | 14.9 | 0.29 |
| 1999 | 10.9 | 2.3 |
(26) The World Bank figures include International Board for Reconstruction and International Development Association.
(27) SDR--Special Drawing Rights
Note:
The figures are based on calendar years
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