| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Coroners' Certificates (Drugs)
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths recorded on coroners' certificates in the past 10 years mentioned (a) heroin, (b) methadone, (c) cocaine, (d) ecstasy, (e) anti-depressants, (f) painkillers and (g) anti-inflammatories. [151773]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated February 2001:
- As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking for the most recent estimate of the total number of deaths recorded or coroners' certificates in the past 10 years in which heroin, methadone, cocaine, ecstasy, anti-depressants, painkillers and anti-inflammatories were mentioned (151773).
- The information requested is only available on a comparable basis from 1993, when text from death certificates was first stored electronically. This enables named drugs to be identified. The most recently available figures are for 1999.
6 Mar 2001 : Column: 162W
- The figures in the table show the numbers of deaths where specific substances were mentioned on death certificates.
| Drug | Number of deaths |
|---|---|
| Heroin and/or morphine(16) | 3,131 |
| Methadone | 2,259 |
| Cocaine | 263 |
| Ecstasy | 113 |
| Antidepressants | 3,502 |
| Painkillers(17) | 10,771 |
| Non-opioid analgesics | 4,067 |
| Opioid analgesics | 7,130 |
| Anti-inflammatory drugs(18) | 366 |
(16) Deaths mentioning heroin and/or morphine, as opposed to heroin alone, are given. This is because heroin breaks down in the body into morphine, and it is the latter which may be detected at post mortem.
(17) Painkillers comprise substances identified in Chapter 4.7 of the British National Formulary (BNF). Opioids and non-opioids are given separately because heroin and morphine are opioids.
(18) Anti-inflammatories comprise substances identified in Chapter 10.1.1 of the BNF.
Note:
According to the BNF, aspirin is both a painkiller and an anti-inflammatory as it appears in both Chapters 4.7 and 10.1.1.
6 Mar 2001 : Column: 163W
ECOFIN
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Clydesdale (Mr. Hood), on 29 January 2001, Official Report, columns 42-43W, on ECOFIN, if he will place a copy of the compromise proposal on the excise duties and mineral oils in the Library. [150061]
Mr. Timms [holding answer 12 February 2001]: Yes. Copies of Presidency proposal SN 1272/01 will be deposited in the House of Commons Library today.
Ofgem
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 8 February 2001, Official Report, column 682W, if he will provide a breakdown of the expected merger expenditure of £14 million broken down between (a) redundancy, (b) refurbishment costs, (c) dilapidation and (d) other. [150187]
Mr. Andrew Smith: Of Ofgem's forecast merger expenditure of, £14 million it is estimated that (a) £4.4 million will be spent on redundancy and severance, (b) £4.7 million on refurbishment, (c) nil on dilapidations and (d), £4.9 million on other costs.
Chester Street Insurance Holdings
Mr. Clapham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the distribution of post-and pre-1990 cases is between Chester Street Insurance Holdings and Iron Trades Holdings Ltd; and which company has responsibility for pre-1972 cases; [150323]
- (2) what the (a) estimated asset value and (b) estimated liabilities are of Chester Street Insurance Holdings; and how they are divided between post and pre-1972 cases. [150322]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The provisional liquidators are currently assessing the information available about existing and potential claims.
Mr. Clapham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to ensure that pre-1972 cases held by Chester Street Insurance Holdings Limited are protected; and if he will make a statement. [150324]
Miss Melanie Johnson: It is important to remember that it is the employer who holds the policy with Chester Street Insurance Holdings Limited not the employee, and the employer remains liable for claims made against them by their employees or former employees. The Government are aware of the issue raised by pre-1972 cases and are considering this issue carefully.
Mr. Clapham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the value was of the bonuses paid to the directors of Chester Street Insurance Holdings Limited in each of the last three years. [150325]
Miss Melanie Johnson: This is a matter for the management of Chester Street Insurance Holdings Limited, but I understand that this concern has already been brought to the attention of the provisional liquidator, who will look into such issues as part of the job in winding-up the affairs of the company.
6 Mar 2001 : Column: 164W
Mr. Clapham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about Chester Street Holdings Ltd., formerly known as Iron Trades Holding Ltd.; and if he will make a statement. [150320]
Miss Melanie Johnson: I have received a number of representations from hon. Members and others on behalf of those suffering asbestos-related disease as a consequence of the employment in firms whose employers' liability insurance is provided by Chester Street Insurance Holdings.
Mr. Clapham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the reasons underlying the economic failure of Chester Street Insurance Holdings Ltd.; and if he will make a statement. [150321]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Under the scheme of arrangement, the provisional liquidators are required to conduct a review of the affairs of the company, and the actions of both the directors and other parties.
CHURCH COMMISSIONERS
First Estates Commissioner
Mr. Baker: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, what assessment he has made of the work of the First Estates Commissioner; and if he will make a statement in respect of the role he anticipates him undertaking in future. [151855]
Mr. Stuart Bell: The role of the First Church Estates Commissioner is to chair the Church Commissioner's Assets Committee which, subject to any general rules made by its Board of Governors, has an exclusive power and duty to act in all matters relating to the management of the Commissioners' assets. No change in that role is envisaged.
EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT
Higher Education
Ms Kelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much funding was given to the higher education sector in each year since 1990 (a) in total and (b) per student. [151001]
Mr. Wicks [holding answer 28 February 2001]: The information is in the tables:
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 1990-01 | 3,266 |
| 1991-92 | 3,679 |
| 1992-93 | 3,976 |
| 1993-94 | 4,291 |
| 1994-95 | 4,559 |
| 1995-96 | 4,718 |
| 1996-97 | 4,627 |
| 1997-98 | 4,686 |
| 1998-99 | 4,834 |
| 1999-2000 | 5,153 |
| 2000-01 | 5,414 |
| 2001-02 | 5,826 |
| 2002-03 | 6,094 |
| 2003-04 | 6,392 |
6 Mar 2001 : Column: 165W
| (19)£ | |
|---|---|
| 1990-91 | 6,935 |
| 1991-92 | 6,585 |
| 1992-93 | 6,090 |
| 1993-94 | 5,745 |
| 1994-95 | 5,585 |
| 1995-96 | 5,335 |
| 1996-97 | 4,980 |
| 1997-98 | 4,845 |
| 1998-99 | 4,820 |
| 1999-2000 | 4,785 |
| 2000-01 | 4,750 |
(19) Unit funding per student is rounded to the nearest £5.
Between 1989 and 1997, publicly planned funding per full-time equivalent higher education student fell by over 36 per cent. from just under £7,600 to just over £4,800. As a result, Lord Dearing's National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education concluded in 1997 that higher education institutions could not absorb a further reduction of over 6 per cent. in funding which was planned for 1998-99 and 1999-2000.
The Government accepted the recommendation of the Inquiry. Higher education institutions were asked to deliver no more than a 1 per cent. reduction in unit funding in both 1998-99 and 1999-2000. This was later extended for a further year.
The Government announced last November cash increases in publicly planned funding of £412 million, £268 million and £298 million over the three years to 2003-04. Coupled with planned increases in student numbers this implies estimated annual increases in publicly planned unit funding of 3.2 per cent., 2.5 per cent. and 2.9 per cent. which themselves imply estimated real-terms increases in funding per full-time equivalent student of 0.7 per cent., 0 per cent. and 0.4 per cent. over the next three years.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |