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Nuclear Power Stations
Lord Gray of Contin asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the estimated timescale for the closing down of the remaining United Kingdom nuclear power stations.[HL848]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville): Latest published company information on expected station closure dates is as follows:
| Magnox | Published Lifetime |
| Calder Hall | 2003 |
| Chapelcross | 2005 |
| Bradwell | 2002 |
| Sizewell A | 2006 |
| Dungeness A | 2006 |
| Oldbury | 2008 |
| Wylfa | 2010 |
| British Energy | Published Lifetime |
| Dungeness B | 2008 |
| Hartlepool | 2014 |
| Heysham 1 | 2014 |
| Heysham 2 | 2023 |
| Hinkley Point B | 2011 |
| Hunterston B | 2011 |
| Sizewell B | 2035 |
| Torness | 2023 |
Lord Gray of Contin asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the estimated timescale for the decommissioning of the remaining United Kingdom nuclear power stations when they no longer supply the National Grid.[HL849]
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: Decommissioning of a nuclear power station, including details of timing, is a matter for the operator, taking into account the requirements of the regulatory authorities.
Americium: Export Control
Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Why the Atomic Energy (Americium) Order 2002 came into force on 1 December when the Dual-Use Items (Export Control) (Amendment) (No 2) Regulations 2002 applied from 21 August.[HL874]
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: There was no dependency between the two measures and therefore no particular need to bring them into force at the same time. The export control amendment occurred earlier due to the fact that routine amending regulation was pending in July and was hence readily available as a vehicle for introducing export control upon americium.
Wireless Telegraphy Regulations: Licence Renewal
Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether under paragraph 4(m) of the Wireless Telegraphy (Public Fixed Wireless Licences) Regulations 2002 it is not possible for the Secretary of State to refuse to renew a licence.[HL876]
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: If the notice yet to be issued by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry under Regulation 4 of the Wireless Telegraphy (Public Fixed Wireless Licences) Regulations 2002 were to contain the provision set out in paragraph (2) (m) of that regulation, under which each sucessful participant in the spectrum auction provided for in the regulations would have the option to renew their licences for two successive five-year periods, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry could not refuse to renew the licence if the option were exercised.
Hospital Admission: Declaration of Religious Affiliation
Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Why patients are asked to give their religious affiliation on admission to hospital when it appears that this information is not, or cannot be, passed on to chaplains who may give appropriate spiritual support.[HL450]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): Hospital chaplains have an important role to play in hospitals and their work is appreciated by many patients.
Under the provisions of both the Data Protection Act 1998 and the common law duty of confidentiality, NHS hospitals must not disclose information about a patient's religious affiliation to chaplains for the purposes of spiritual care without first seeking the consent of the patient. The exceptions are where there is a statutory requirement to disclose or where a patient is incapable of providing consent and clinicians consider that disclosure is in the patient's best interests.
It is possible for hospitals to seek consent when they collect information and we understand that there are hospital trusts where this is routinely done. The Department of Health is presently working with representatives of various faith groups to identify and share good practice examples of hospital admission systems which routinely seek consent for the relay of this information to chaplains and which work in an efficient manner.
Antenatal Clinics
Lord Northbourne asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What percentage of mothers and fathers (respectively) attending antenatal clinics have received advice not only on child birth and physical care of the young child but also on the emotional needs of young children and the kinds of care appropriate to fulfilling those needs.[HL657]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The information requested is not collected centrally. However, the antenatal services work closely with the postnatal services. Parents are given advice after the birth of the baby mainly through health visitors, who visit in the first six weeks after the birth of the child to provide guidance and support on the physical as well as the emotional needs of young children. The Birth to Five book is available free to all first-time mothers—usually handed out by the health visitor on the first visit after the mother has returned home with her baby
rather than at the antenatal clinic. This is a complete guide to parenthood and covers the first five years of the child's life and includes caring for its emotional needs. peter
Lord Northbourne asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What were:
(a) the number of births registered in the most recent year for which statistics are available;
(b) the number of mothers who attended antenatal clinics in the same year;
(c) the number of fathers who attended antenatal clinics in the same year; and
(d) the percentage of mothers and fathers (respectively) attending who followed through the whole course.[HL658]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The number of births registered in 2001 for England and Wales was 594,634 live births and 3,159 stillbirths.
The information relating to the number of mothers and fathers attending antenatal clinics is not collected centrally. However, relevant information relating to some specific activity in the National Health Service is published as part of the Reference Costs 2002 publication which gives the activity data for first and follow-up attendances in NHS Trust Antenatal clinics. This is available at www.doh.uk/nhsexec/refcosts.htm. An extract is as follows.
Antenatal care provision, including courses of antenatal classes, is determined on the needs of women and their partners and there is also no central collection of statistics for these.
| Service code | Ante-natal outpatients: NHS trusts | No of first attendances | No. of follow-up attendances | |
| MSA1 | Mothers with substance abuse | 4,733 | 9,993 | |
| MDI1 | Mothers with diabetes | 5,082 | 21,081 | |
| MOT1 | Other | 268,303 | 844,054 | |
| Sub-Total NHS Trusts | 278,118 | 875,128 |
| Service code | Ante-natal outpatients: PCTs | No. of first attendances | No. of follow-up attendances |
| MOT1 | Other | 210 | 436 |
| Sub-total PCTs | 210 | 436 | |
| Grand totals | 278,328 | 875,564 |
Data based on financial year 2001: source data: Reference Costs 2002 publication. NB: Service not provided by PMS+sites. Activity available for mother only; father may/may not also attend, but is not counted/costed.
Lord Tomlinson asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: We are announcing capital allocations for the National Health Service for the next three years today. This is consistent with the revenue budget allocations which were issued late last year.
Capital allocations are made to the NHS in two parts. Operational capital is for the purpose of maintaining and enhancing existing capital stock and is made direct to NHS trusts and primary care trusts. Strategic capital, which is allocated direct to all strategic health authorities (StHAs), is for distribution at their own discretion for larger scale investments.
Total operational capital is increasing by 10 per cent in each of the three years 2003–04 and 2005–06. The growth in strategic capital in the StHAs is 13 per cent, 11 per cent, 14 per cent for each of the three years. The residue of the capital is being held centrally—the largest being for information technology where £400 million is being held for 2003–04, £700 million for 2004–05 and £1.2 billion for 2005–06.
This is the first time that day-to-day operational capital has been allocated directly to NHS StHAs, trusts and primary care trusts.
This is the first time that capital allocations have been made for three years rather than one year, allowing the local NHS to plan with confidence and certainty for the future.
In addition, allocations have been informed by a new funding formula for both operational and strategic capital to give a nationally consistent and fairer basis for the distribution of funds.
Of the money allocated to StHAs, £100 million is for the establishment of a local access incentive fund. The purpose is to reward NHS trusts and primary care trusts which make rapid progress in improving access to NHS treatment. Clearly this could include any of the NHS plan targets for access, both in hospital and primary care. Initially, however, we expect the main focus to be on:
When they will announce the 2003–04 to 2005–06 National Health Service capital allocations.[HL970]
(a) reducing waiting times in accident and emergency (A&E) (progress towards the maximum four hour total wait in A&E);
(b) reducing in-patient and out-patient waiting times (progress towards the maximum six month waiting time target and the maximum 13-week wait);
(c) reducing in-patient and out-patient waiting lists.
Details of the allocations and an explanation of the new funding formulae have been placed in the Library.
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