§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he intends to establish a regional specialist centre for cataract eye surgery at Morriston hospital, Swansea.
§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will specify the target date by which the University hospital of Wales will be performing 800 open heart operations per year.
§ Mr. GristSouth Glamorgan health authority is expected to complete as soon as practicable the developments which will enable 800 open heart operations to be performed yearly at the University hospital of Wales. Work is presently in hand to enhance cardiac catheter laboratories and intensive care facilities and progress is being regularly monitored.
§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he intends to announce the location of the second cardiac surgery unit in Wales.
§ Mr. GristConsideration is currently being given to the most appropriate arrangements for a further cardiac facility and we hope to be able to reach a decision in the near future.
§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information his Department holds on the number of patients from Wales who receive open heart surgery outside the Principality.
§ Mr. GristComprehensive information on the number of patients from Wales who receive open heart surgery outside the Principality is not held centrally. However, central funds have been made available to South Glamorgan health authority, which manages the regional cardiac services in Wales, and to Clwyd health authority to enable them to secure additional open heart surgery for
512W
Number of persons exempt from paying the personal community charge1 Category of exemption2> Local authority C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 Total Alyn and Deeside 5 0 169 102 32 25 26 463 0 0 0 0 822 Colwyn 6 0 217 97 9 10 0 1,224 2 0 0 0 1,565 Delyn 5 0 213 150 40 50 16 591 0 0 3 1 1,069 Glyndwr 4 0 110 170 67 24 149 820 12 0 0 0 1,356 Rhuddlan 0 0 191 26 0 12 4 823 1 0 0 0 1,057 Wrexham Maelor 41 0 320 454 262 29 38 1,108 2 0 30 150 2,434 Carmarthen 2 0 168 190 76 6 254 533 0 0 11 0 1,240 Ceredigion 1 0 163 122 72 14 52 523 2 0 0 1 950 Dinefwr 1 0 146 75 254 0 2 415 48 0 0 0 941 Llanelli 50 0 246 73 13 6 82 548 0 0 13 0 1,031 Preseli Pembrokeshire 6 354 199 11 301 21 19 425 0 0 0 0 1,336 South Pembrokeshire 8 76 125 12 323 26 11 466 0 0 0 24 1,071 Blaenau Gwent 7 0 228 117 123 0 20 471 0 0 0 3 969 Islwyn 6 0 197 79 21 4 33 269 1 0 0 0 610 Monmouth 2 16 163 324 90 11 383 733 1 0 0 0 1,723 Newport 48 0 549 571 127 38 287 1,256 0 0 57 48 2,981 Torfaen 6 0 302 111 16 51 32 893 0 0 0 0 1,411 Aberconwy 23 0 175 80 87 41 244 961 6 0 0 0 1,617 Arfon 4 0 193 40 35 4 6 78 0 0 0 1 361 Dwyfor 1 0 71 36 15 7 9 378 1 0 0 0 518 Meirionydd 2 0 151 93 38 21 57 286 1 0 0 0 649 Ynys Môn 10 2 187 200 27 8 8 609 1 0 0 0 1,052 Cynon Valley 5 0 209 206 80 0 1 266 0 0 0 0 767 Merthyr Tydfil 15 0 195 90 15 5 43 364 0 0 0 0 727 Ogwr 27 0 615 607 141 27 619 956 0 0 0 0 2,992 Rhondda 12 3 350 89 28 0 176 321 3 0 0 0 982 Rhymney Valley 6 0 351 26 13 5 68 361 0 0 0 18 848 Taff Ely 6 0 226 120 40 2 63 308 1 0 0 0 766 Brecknock 2 2 95 115 5 15 252 478 0 0 0 0 964 Montgomeryshire 4 0 171 39 12 10 128 342 0 0 0 0 706 Radnorshire 2 0 36 30 18 9 25 234 5 0 0 0 359 Cardiff 448 62 749 151 351 79 48 2,196 18 0 192 0 4,294 Vale of Glamorgan 22 0 297 254 180 4 383 1,096 5 0 0 0 2,241 Port Talbot 13 0 221 43 54 8 41 294 0 0 0 0 674 Lliw Valley 6 0 196 130 42 21 63 434 0 0 0 0 892 patients. I understand that between 1 April and 31 October this year 92 patients have been referred to centres outside Wales under these arrangements.