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Parole Board: Directions
Baroness Lockwood asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What plans they have to give new directions to the Parole Board following the implementation of Section 103 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.[HL860]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Williams of Mostyn): Section 103 of the Crime and Disorder Act commenced on 1 January 1999. As a result, all short-term prisoners whose original offences were committed on or after that date and who are subsequently released on licence will be subject to recall by the Parole Board in the same way as those released from long-term sentences.
My right honourable friend the Home Secretary has, therefore, prepared new directions for the Board as to the matters to be taken into account in dealing with such recalls. These directions are being made under the powers given to him by Section 32(6) of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 and are based very closely on the existing directions in respect of long-term prisoners.
The new directions also make clear that there should be a clear presumption in favour of recall in cases where a licensee is charged with an offence committed whilst subject to home detention curfew (HDC). This is because the commission of an offence by a prisoner subject to HDC is clearly a breach of the trust placed in that individual.
My right honourable friend the Home Secretary has written to Usha Prasher, Chairman of the Parole Board, informing her of the new directions. Copies of the new directions have been placed in the Library.
Baggage: Searches
Lord Lamont of Lerwick asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether it is normal for baggage to be opened by Customs and Excise or Special Branch without the owners of the luggage being present.[HL597]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: It is not normal practice for Customs officers or Special Branch officers to open travellers' baggage without the owners being present.
General Pinochet
Lord Lamont of Lerwick asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the baggage belonging to General Pinochet's personal physician and four other members of his staff was broken into by Special Branch at Heathrow on Tuesday 27 December 1998; and, if so, why.[HL596]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The Government do not normally comment on operational matters, but I understand that the Metropolitan Police have said that no searches were undertaken by their officers in this case, and in these circumstances I am able to confirm that the Home Secretary has received an assurance from the Metropolitan Police to that effect. My right honourable friend, the Home Secretary, has written separately to the noble Lord on this matter.
Pharmaceutical Services: Expenditure Allocations
Lord Selkirk of Douglas asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What categories of expenditure are included under (a) general pharmaceutical services; and
(b) non cash-limited pharmacists' remuneration in the notification which has been allocated for the year 1999-2000.[HL744]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Baroness Hayman): Pharmaceutical services consist primarily of the supply of drugs and appliances prescribed by general practitioners. Reimbursements for drugs and appliances account for over 80 per cent. of the gross cost of the services, with fees to pharmacists and other dispensing practitioners making up most of the remainder. Income from prescription charges collected from patients is offset against these costs.
Non cash-limited pharmacists' remuneration comprises the fees paid to community pharmacists for dispensing prescriptions and most other pharmaceutical services. Some expenditure on locally managed pharmaceutical services is cash limited.
In 1999-2000, expenditure on drugs and appliances will be covered by health authorities' cash-limited allocations. Health authorities do not receive a predetermined allocation for non cash-limited expenditure.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Earl Howe asked Her Majesty's Government:
- On which dates in each of the next six months they plan to publish the statistics relating to hospital waiting lists.[HL724]
Baroness Hayman: In England, hospital in-patient waiting list statistics are published monthly five or six weeks after the month end. The figures for 31 December 1998 will be published during the week commencing 8 February. The publication timetable for future months is currently under review.
Waiting list statistics for National Health Service hospitals in Scotland are published quarterly. Waiting list data for 31 December 1998 will be published in February as soon as the validated figures are available. From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Waiting list statistics for Wales are published monthly during the sixth week after the month end. The publication dates for the next four months are as follows.
| Month ending | Publication date |
| 31 December 1998 | 10 February 1999 |
| 31 January 1999 | 10 March 1999 |
| 28 February 1999 | 7 April 1999 |
| 31 March 1999 | 12 May 1999 |
A new publication timetable for waiting list statistics relating to April onwards is being discussed.
Waiting list statistics in Northern Ireland are included in the Department of Health and Social Services' Charter Monitoring Report that is published on a quarterly basis. The Charter Monitoring Report is issued three months after each quarter end date. The dates of the next two reports are as follows.
| Quarter ending | Publication date |
| 31 December 1998 | End March 1999 |
| 31 March 1999 | End June 1999 |
Private Finance Initiative Hospital Development Programme
Lord Clement-Jones asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many beds will be created by each hospital development in the Private Finance Initiative; and how many beds are in each of the hospitals which such developments will replace.[HL474]
Baroness Hayman: Figures are provided in the tables for all major schemes (that is those with a capital value of at least £25 million) that have been nationally prioritised, showing:
- (i) the current number of staffed in-patient beds;
- (ii) the number of staffed beds required following the strategic investment appraisal conducted for the Outline Business Case (OBC). These are the
- numbers of beds agreed as being necessary to meet the strategic health needs of the area; it makes no presumption as to the source of funding to meet this recruitment;
- (iii) the number of staffed beds projected to be provided in a new hospital under the Private Finance Initiative solution.
| Trust | Total number of NHS beds at present | Total number of NHS beds proposed in the OBC | Total number of NHS beds provided by PFI solution |
| Norfolk & Norwich | 955 | 809 (adjusted OBC) | 809 |
| South Bucks | 577 | 537 | 537 |
| Calderdale | 796 | 614 (includes 20 day case beds) | (2)614 |
| South Manchester | (3)1,229 | 881 | 881 |
| Wellhouse | (4)406 | 406 | (5)459 |
| Dartford & Gravesham | 451 | 400 | 400 |
| Worcester | 483 | 390 | 390 |
| Bromley | 619 | 525 | 507 |
| Swindon & Marlborough | 608 | 513 | (6)516 |
(2) Final approved figure in FBC; differs from proposed figure of 573 which appeared previously in Hansard (18 December 1997, col. 330).
(3) These are split across the two sites and include "traditional" in-patient beds in Mental Health and Elderly service.
(4) 520 beds before the (publicly funded) phase 1a of the redevelopment was completed.
(5) This includes neonatal, intensive care and ITU/HD beds not included in the previous figure of 406 published in Hansard (18 December 1997, col. 330).
(6) This does not include 34 day care beds and 25 beds which will continue to be provided at Savernake Hospital.
(7) Final approved figure in FBC; differs from proposed figure of 454 which appeared previously in Hansard (18 December 1997, col. 330).
(8) Final approved figure in FBC; differs from proposed figure of 474 which appeared previously in Hansard (18 December 1997, col. 330).
(9) Reduction from 375 which appeared in the table in Hansard (18 December 1997, col. 330) to the current figure of 308 is due to the rationalisation of in-patient beds which occurred at the NHS Trust between August 1997 and July 1998.
(10) Increase from 223 which appeared in Hansard (18 December 1997, col. 330) to the current figure of 351 is due to a revised OBC which includes elderly, maternity and special care beds which were to be retained at Bishop Auckland, 43 day care beds and 2 x 24 bed wards required to reprovide in-patient beds at Tindale Crescent Hospital.
(11)978 in OBC but adjusted down to 955 following further review of service activity.
(12) The PFI scheme is being developed jointly by the Central Manchester NHS Trust and the Manchester Children's NHS Trust. The figure given for bed numbers therefore refers to the total number of beds provided by the two trusts.
(13) Review of organisation of children's services across Greater Manchester, which is still in progress, will influence the final figures for bed numbers.
(14) The reduction in beds will see the balance of patients will be resettled into more appropriate community settings elsewhere within the county.
(15) This figure includes 48 beds provided to take the Accident and Emergency work transferred to King's following the closure of Guy's A&E department.
NB Estimates for future bed numbers are still provisional at this stage in several cases and may change.
Notes:
(16) None of these three schemes prepared Outline Business Cases (OBCs) since the projects were originally designed as publicly-funded schemes. Figures for this column have been taken from the nearest equivalent to the OBC in each case.
(17) This figure includes 25 maternity beds that are due to be transferred elsewhere.
Trust Total number of NHS beds at present Total number of NHS beds proposed in the OBC Total number of NHS beds provided by PFI solution
North Durham 539 565 (12)477
Carlisle 467 474 (13)465
Hereford 414 340 340
South Durham (Bishop Auckland) (14)308 (15)351 347
Greenwich 575 621 565
r> South Tees 1,051 (16)955 980
Trust Total number of NHS beds at present Total number of NHS beds proposed in OBC Total number of NHS beds provided by PFI solution
Central Manchester/ Manchester Children's(12) 1,215 (Figure not yet available) (13) (Figure not yet available) (13)
Dudley Hospitals 932 773 773
West Berkshire (Fair Mile Hospital) 237 (14)203 (14)203
Newcastle 1,808 (Figure not yet available) (Figure not yet available)
Walsgrave 1,180 980 980
West Middlesex 400 400 400
UCLH 952 834 834
King's 795 (15)837 (15)837
St. George's 1,013 1,017 1,013
Royal Hospitals 1,004 1,200 1,200
Trust Total number of NHS beds at present Total number of NHS beds proposed in OBC(16) Total number of NHS beds provided by PFI solution
Hairmyres & Stonehouse Hospitals 492 364 364
Law Hospital 703 636 636
Royal infirmary of Edinburgh (17)1,058 986 869
Trust Total number of NHS beds at present Total number of NHS beds proposed in OBC Total number of NHS beds provided by PFI solution
Glan y Mor 723 734 734
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