HC Deb 04 June 1981 vol 5 cc419-20W
Mr. Foulkes

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his reply of 8 April, Official Report, column 295, to the hon. Member for South Ayrshire, why details

frequency of and reason for use of sessional general practitioners, (iii) the numbers of people examined by the regional medical officer during each of the last five years and (iv) the numbers and ages of people passed fit for work within limits, such as "fit for light work" in each of the past five years.

Mr. Fairgrieve

There are 10 full-time doctors in the Glasgow regional medical office which serves an area almost the same as Strathclyde region; and there is a total of 15 full-time doctors in the service in Scotland as a whole. Additionally, 35 part-time medical referees are available to the Glasgow regional medical office and 54 in Scotland as a whole.

Practitioners appointed as part-time medical referees are carefully selected for their experience as general practitioners including in particular, experience of problems relating to fitness for work. Training is limited to familiarisation with the regional medical service procedures. Part-time medical referees are called upon as and when necessary to assist the full-time staff.

The further information requested is set out in the table below except for information about the ages of people passed fit for work within limits which is not available centrally:

of the allocation of public money under section 7 of the Industry Act are not made publicly available but: are treated as confidential.

Mr. Alexander Fletcher

The procedure for disclosure of such information was established by the previous Administration following an announcement by the then Secretary of State for Industry on 19 July 1974. The arrangements draw a balance between the need to protect firms from the disclosure of information which may be harmful to their commercial interests and the responsibility of the Government to provide the public with reasonably detailed information about Government financial assistance. I see no need to alter these arrangements.