Written Answers of 8 March 1988

WALES

  Bistre Nursery School
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will pay an official visit to the Bistre (Buckley) nursery school to meet members of staff, members of the parent-teachers' association, members of the governing body and committee members of the voluntary bodies that use the school out of hours; if he will take steps to ensure that Bistre nursery school will remain open for the school years 1988–89, 1989–90 and 1990–91; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answers I gave him on 12 January.

  Rate Support Grant (Fire Stations)
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to increase the rate support grant for Clwyd to enable the county to avoid both the closure of fire stations and cutbacks in fire stations, with specific reference to the Buckley and Queensferry fire stations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  It is primarily for the local authority to determine its own spending priorities from within available resources. However, the Home Secretary's approval under section 19 of the Fire Services Act 1947 (as amended by section 7 of the 1959 act) would be required before any reduction in fire cover in Clwyd could be implemented.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Prisons (Worship)
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what extra staffing will be required to make sure that at least two principal Sunday services are available to prisoners between the hours of 9 am and I am on Sunday mornings if proposals to close Roman Catholic chapels in prisons are implemented;

  (2) what consultation there has been with all denominations, both within the prison service chaplaincy and within the local hierarchies of the denominations concerned in areas where prison establishments are situated, on the proposals to close Roman Catholic chapels in prisons;

  (3) what proposals there are to close Roman Catholic chapels in prison establishments where there is more than one dedicated worship place.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Since the early 1970s, with the full agreement of the Prison Service Chaplaincy and the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches, a single shared chapel has been provided in all prison establishments except those very large prisons where two separate chapels 110
  are considered operationally necessary. There are no proposals for closing any of he existing Roman Catholic chapels and the question of extra staffing has not therefore arisen.

  Prisons (Development Value)
  Mr. Temple-Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether any consideration has been given to the development value of the present sites of Her Majesty's prisons at Cardiff, Reading and Swansea in the context of the prison building programme;

  (2) what are the current site values as such and for development purposes of the present sites of Her Majesty's prisons at Cardiff, Reading and Swansea.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  It is recognised that sites such as those mentioned may have considerable redevelopment value. Under present rules the proceeds of any sale would not be available for prison building. Moreover, each establishment is well placed to perform its function as a local prison. The population pressures on the prison system are so great that there can be no question at present of selling any of them. Current site values have not therefore been assessed.

  Domestic Violence
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis on whether the police force order relating to domestic violence has been fully implemented, and as to whether a local referral point and nearest refuge to each police station has been identified; if he will list the number of domestic violence incidents for each police division since the police force orders to the end of February; in how many such cases police transport was provided; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Implementation of force orders within the Metropolitan police district is the responsibility of the commissioner. I understand from the commissioner that the implementation of the force order relating to domestic violence is being evaluated.

  I also understand that local referral points for victims have been identified, together with a centralised emergency line to find the most appropriate refuge in each case; and that police transport is provided for victims wishing to go to a refuge. I regret that statistics in the form requested by the hon. Member are not available.

  Oxford Prison (Syringes)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the recent amnesty on syringes at Oxford prison; whether any of the syringes surrendered contained the AIDS virus; whether it is proposed to extent this amnesty to other prisons; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  There has been no such amnesty.

  Prisons (Conjugal Visits)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review current prison rules and regulations to allow conjugal visits; what information he has on the practice in this respect in prisons in other countries; and if he will make a statement.
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  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  No. We do not have comprehensive information about the position abroad, but officials keep in touch with developments in other countries with respect to many aspects of prison administration, including visiting arrangements.

  Prisons (Toilets)
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the provision of toilet facilities in Her Majesty's prisons.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  All accommodation at new prisons has access to night sanitation. At existing establishments there are some 22,000 places without access to night sanitation out of a total of about 42,000. The refurbishment programme is steadily reducing the number of places without access.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the provisions of toilet facilities in the remand wing of Her Majesty's prison, Lincoln.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Refurbishment of the toilet facilities in the remand wing of Her Majesty's prison, Lincoln is due for completion this summer and will increase their provision by 75 per cent.

  Applications resolved

  Awards made

  Staff

  Board Members

  1964–65 (8 months)

  130

  114

  11

  4

  1965–66

  1,375

  1,164

  30

  6

  1966–67

  2,717

  2,404

  40

  6

  1967–68

  3,869

  3,490

  58

  7

  1968–69

  5,985

  5,060

  58

  9

  1969–70

  6,817

  5,614

  65

  9

  1970–71

  5,893

  4,901

  65

  9

  1971–72

  9,449

  8,102

  79

  9

  1972–73

  9,837

  8,322

  99

  9

  1973–74

  10,564

  9,024

  99

  9

  1974–75

  12,506

  10,708

  106·5

  10

  1975–76

  13,599

  11,500

  119·5

  13

  1976–77

  16,393

  13,951

  116·5

  13

  1977–78

  16,432

  14,052

  126

  14

  1978–79

  19,607

  16,357

  132·5

  15

  1979–80

  21,113

  17,460

  156·5

  16

  1980–81

  26,277

  20,138

  155

  19

  1981–82

  22,557

  17,350

  163

  19

  1982–83

  26,098

  19,733

  163

  19

  1983–84

  29,705

  21,133

  182

  20

  1984–85

  27,450

  19,771

  189

  22

  1985–86

  29,965

  22,534

  203·5

  25

  1986–87

  29,605

  21,925

  214·5

  26

  Offenders (Electronic Tagging)
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on plans to evaluate electronic tagging as an alternative to custody.

  Mr. John Patten
  The next step is to make a technical assessment of the various systems in use in North America and those which could be produced by British firms. This is being set in hand.

  TV-am (Franchise)
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that

  Criminal Injuries Compensation Board
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases are currently being considered by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board.

  Mr. John Patten
  The latest available figures from the board show that about 76,000 applications were awaiting resolution at the end of January 1988.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many cases have been(a) considered and (b) awarded payments by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board in each year since it was established.

  (2) how many staff and assessors have been employed by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board in each year since it was established.

  Mr. John Patten
  The following table lists the numbers of applications resolved and awards made by the board in each year since its inception in August 1964. Details of the numbers of staff in post at 1 April each year are available from 1977 only, and are set out in the table with details of staff complements from 1964 to 1976. The table also shows the number of board members at 1 April each year.

  the Independent Broadcasting Authority carries out the terms of the Broadcasting Act 1981 in relation to the TV-am franchise and Saudi Arabian investment in that company; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Renton
  It is for the Independent Broadcasting Authority to determine the way in which it discharges its responsibilities under the Broadcasting Act 1981.

  Television Franchises
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy not to reach any final decision on the method by which independent television company franchises are to be allocated in the
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  next round until (a) the Home Affairs Select Committee has reported on its present inquiry into broadcasting and (b) consultation has taken place on his proposals in the form of a White Paper.

  Mr. Renton
  The Government are considering a range of matters on the future of broadcasting, and we have in mind the possibility of a White Paper. We shall take careful account of the views of the Home Affairs Select Committee. Legislation will be required to give effect to any changes in the existing broadcasting structure, including any changes in the method for awarding ITV franchises.

  Custody
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to try and reduce the use of custodial remands in England and Wales.

  Mr. John Patten
  [holding answer 1 March 1988]: Work is being done by the probation service and the Vera Institute of Justice on providing better information on defendants to magistrates through bail information schemes; resources are being provided over the next three financial years for about nine new bail hostels; and my noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor is preparing improved training on bail decisions for magistrates. My right hon. Friend has made clear the Government's view that custody should be used only where it is necessary. The extension of custody time limits to all of Wales and a number of counties in England, with effect from 1 April, will provide a discipline against undue delay in bringing to trial those defendants who are remanded in custody.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Industrial and Provident Societies
  Mr. John Townend
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) if he will take steps to require any industrial and provident society which competes commercially with bona fide customers which announces a scheme to secure a stock market flotation, to ensure that the promotion of such a scheme complies with the provisions of the Companies, Financial Services and Prevention of Fraud (Investment) Acts;

  (2) if he will take steps to prevent any industrial and provident society from issuing misleading advertisements relating to the stock market value of its shares when (a) its members have not been consulted on a change of status to enable a stock market flotation to proceed and (b) its campaign creates a major distortion of competition between it and other properly constituted commercial enterprises;

  (3) if he will refer to the Director General of the Office of Fair Trading the question whether the issue of discounted bonus shares over a three-year period linked to tied customer purchases distorts open market competition and therefore should be ruled an anti-competitive practice, with particular reference to the issue of such shares by an industrial and provident society;

  (4) if he will consider taking action under the Prevention of Fraud (Investment) Act 1988 against Unichem Ltd. in respect of its proposal to offer additional shares to members at £1 each which it states will be worth not less than £12 when Unichem is converted from an industrial and provident society to a plc.
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  Mr. Maude
  My Department has received and is considering allegations that the issue of certain advertisements by Unichem Ltd. may have infringed the Prevention of Fraud (Investments) Act 1958. It is for the Director General of Fair Trading to consider whether the issue of bonus shares on the terms proposed would constitute an anti-competitive practice under the Competition Act 1980.

  David Abell of Suter
  Mr. Ashdown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on investigations undertaken by his Department into the affairs of David Abell of Suter.

  Mr. Maude
  It is not my practice to comment on the affairs of an individual.

  Restrictive Trade Practices
  Mr. Page
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when the Green Paper on reform of the restrictive trade practices legislation will be published.

  Mr. Maude
  The Green Paper, "Review of Restrictive Trade Practices Policy" has been laid before the House today. It proposes fundamental reform of the current legislation in order to control seriously damaging cartels more effectively. Together with the conclusions announced in the departmental policy paper on mergers published on 3 March, this concludes the review of law and policy on mergers and restrictive trade practices announced in June 1986, by my right hon. Friend the Member for Southend, West (Mr. Channon).

  In particular, the Green Paper proposes a general prohibition of business agreements whose effect is to prevent, restrict or distort competiton. This concentration on anti-competitive agreements means that the scope of the law is at once consistent with its objective. By contrast, the present legislation covers agreements of a particular legal form; it is therefore possible for it to cover agreements which have little effect on competition. This disadvantage and the present statutory requirements to furnish details of agreements of a specified form to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) makes the present law unduly burdensome on business. The new law proposed in today's Green Paper, which is aimed at the effects of agreements, will be more precisely targeted on those agreements which are genuinely anti-competitive, and will have the added advantage for firms of being closely aligned with European cartel law.

  There will be provision under the new system for the exemption of agreements which, though anti-competitive, are on balance beneficial. Applications for exemptions will be judged against a broad test, along the lines of article 85(3) of the treaty of Rome. Guidance notes will be published to help firms and their advisers.

  It may be appropriate to draw up "block" exemptions for some categories of agreement, such as franchising, whereby agreements which satisfied certain conditions would become automatically exempt. This would allow some element of self-policing by firms.

  As a general rule, it is our intention that exemptions will be granted sparingly; it is a central objective of the Government's economic philosophy to promote competition as far as possible — not to sanction anti-competitive behaviour. The same principle applies to

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  economic sectors and professional services which benefit from exemption from the present legislation. These exemptions will not be automatically carried across into new legislation without the merits of each case being thoroughly re-examined. The Government intend to end as many of the existing exemptions as possible.

  We propose that decisions whether agreements are anti-competitive and decisions on applications for exemption will be taken by an administrative competition authority. This will be based on the OFT although the new legislation would require changes to the OFT's organisation and procedures. For this reason, the Green Paper simply refers to an "authority" throughout.

  There will be rights of appeal from the authority to the Restrictive Practices Court, and provision for private actions.

  The Green Paper also proposes more effective powers of investigation and enforcement and potentially heavy fines—up to 10 per cent. of total turnover—for those who breach the law. This is a particularly important feature of our proposals and an approach strongly urged on us by many of those who submitted comments during the review. It is envisaged that the authority will impose the fines, although decisions on fines would also be subject to appeal.

  I hope that the business community will support these proposals; they reflect many of the comments made to us over the last year or so. This is a crucially important area for business and I believe that our proposals will benefit from thorough public debate. We are allowing a further period (up to 30 September) for comments on the basis of the Green Paper proposals, which I hope will be widely read.

  Automotive Industry (Research and Development)
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what incentives are being proposed to promote research and development in the United Kingdom auto industry.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 7 March 1988]: The automotive industry is eligible to receive assistance through all the Department of Trade and Industry initiatives for innovation which were announced in the White Paper "DTI — the department for Enterprise". This was placed before the House on 12 January 1988 by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

  North-east (Investment)
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what measures and initiatives are being undertaken to attract investment capital and industry to the north-east: and if he will provide a table of capital investment in real terms, showing the percentage increase this sum represents from May 1979 to the latest available date.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 7 March 1988]: My Department offers a range of incentives under its recently launched enterprise initiative which are designed to encourage industrial and commercial development in the north-east and elsewhere. The information sought by the hon. Member about capital investment is as follows. For the standard economic planning region of the north (which includes Cumbria as well as Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Durham and Cleveland), the figures in the table
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  imply the following percentage changes in manufacturing net capital expenditure from the 1979 base year figure of £613 million:

  Calendar year

  Expenditure £ million (1979 prices)

  Per cent. change since 1979

  1980

  428

  -30·2

  1981

  284

  -53·7

  1982

  256

  -58·2

  1983

  279

  -54·5

  1984

  356

  -41·9

  1985

  403

  -34·3

  STRIDE Programme
  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement as to which regions of the United Kingdom are included within the European Commission's STRIDE programme.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 3 March 1988]: The European Commission has yet to make any proposals for this programme.

EMPLOYMENT

  EC (Internal Market)
  Mr. Heddle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the extent and impact of the proposals contained in the European Commission's White Paper, "Europe without frontiers; Towards a Large Internal Market", in so far as his Department is concerned.

  Mr. Cope
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given him by my hon. Friend the Minister for Trade on Thursday 3 March 1988, at column 643. This Department has a particular interest in the employment effects arising from the removal of trade barriers, the effects on small firms, and proposals concerning the health and safety of workers.

  Departmental Staff
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many members of staff within his Department are located within each region outside London; what percentage this constitutes of staff within his Department; and what were the comparable figures, in absolute and percentage terms in 1979.

  Mr. Lee
  It is estimated that the following numbers and percentages of staff were employed within the regions of the Department of Employment group at 1 January 1988. Comparable data for 1979 and a disaggregation of central London staff from those in the south-east as a whole are not available without disproportionate cost.

  Department of Employment group staff in post at 1 January 1988

  Number

  Percentage of all staff

  Scotland

  6,120

  10·2

  North-West

  8,641

  14·4

  Northern

  4,080

  6·8

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  7,740

  12·9

  Wales

  3,420

  5·7

  Midlands

  8,641

  14·4

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  Number

  Percentage of all staff

  South-West

  4,020

  6·7

  London and South-East

  17,341

  28·9

  All

  60,003

  Note:

  The Department of Employment (DE) group comprises the Department itself (including the employment service), the Manpower Services Commission (MSC), the Health and Safety Executive and Commission (HSE and HSC) and the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS). There are some minor variations in regional boundaries between different parts of the group.

  Local Enterprise Agency Grant Scheme
  Mr. Andy Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to change the local enterprise agency grant scheme.

  Mr. Cope
  The local enterprise agency grant scheme (LEAGS) was introduced as a five-year pump-priming scheme to develop a network of viable enterprise agencies (LEAs) led and supported by the private sector. There are no plans to extend the scheme or alter its basic structure. However, it remains our intention that a network of viable agencies should be created which will continue with private sector support.

  Following the announcement of Government plans in respect of the inner cities and representations from business in the community and several enterprise agencies, some modifications to the scheme will come into effect on 1 April 1988.

  The changes are:

  (i) The income ceiling up to which LEAs are eligible for LEAGS will be raised to £100,000 pa and will remain at this level for the remaining three years of the scheme:

  (ii) During the year of a merger, newly merged LEAs will be allowed an income ceiling of £150,000 and will be able to receive up to 50 per cent. additional grant—for that one year only.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Economic Development
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what studies his Department has sponsored on the role of private enterprise in fostering economic development.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  In recent years the Department has sponsored studies covering the role of multinational corporations in assisting small-scale enterprises, privatisation in developing countries, and the role of British commercial banks in Commonwealth development. Related studies include trade and industrial strategies of the newly industrialised countries, export diversification for the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, and the promotion of Indian handicrafts for export.

ENVIRONMENT

  Trafford Park Development Corporation
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has had from the Trafford Park urban development corporation for trade union representation on the board.
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  Mr. Trippier
  None. Urban development corporation board members are chosen for their ability to do the job, not as representatives of particular interests.

  London Docklands Development Corporation
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of the dwellings built or started in the area of the London Docklands development corporation is for rent.

  Mr. Trippier
  Of the 8,000 dwellings completed in the LDDC area by 30 September 1987, a total of 16 per cent. were built for renting.

  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the average worth of land per acre when vested in the London Docklands development corporation; and at what average price it is now being sold to developers.

  Mr. Trippier
  The average value of land when it was vested in the UDA, including water areas and reflecting liabilities transferred, was approximately £50,000 per acre. Land prices currently range from £250,000 per acre to £3 million per acre, depending on size, location, planning use and LDDC expenditure on site preparation arid infrastructure.

  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the remit of the London Docklands development corporation's social facilities programme unit.

  Mr. Trippier
  To carry forward the corporation's commitment to improvements in education, training, health, tourism, leisure, the arts and community development in docklands.

  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the enhancement of land values accruing to the London Docklands development corporation arising from the Beckton extension of the dockland's light railway and the approximate proportion of that increase which will need to be devoted to fund the construction of that extension.

  Mr. Trippier
  [holding answer 3 March 1988]: The Secretary of State and the LDDC are satisfied that the enhancement will be sufficient to meet the costs of the railway's construction. Precise forecasts of land receipts are not possible and the estimates used are confidential for commercial reasons.

  Isle of Dogs Enterprise Zone
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the effective tax subsidy for businesses locating at the enterprise zone of the Isle of Dogs, calculated as a percentage.

  Mr. Trippier
  Industrial and commercial property in enterprise zones is 100 per cent. exempt front local authority rates. The rate revenue thus forgone by the authorities is reimbursed by the Government: up to 31 March 1987 a total of £10·5 million had been paid to the local authorities in whose areas the Isle of Dogs enterprise zone lies.

  In addition, there is an allowance, for corporation and income tax purposes, of 100 per cent. of capital

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  expenditure on the construction, extension or improvement of industrial and commercial buildings in an enterprise zone. Not all businesses that locate in enterprise zones are in a position to avail themselves of this benefit. Information about tax revenue forgone as a consequence is not kept for individual zones.

  Neighbourhood Revitalisation
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what additional funding his Department has allocated for neighbourhood revitalisation schemes.

  Mrs. Roe
  The National Home Improvement Council has been allocated grant in aid of approximately £2 million towards the costs of setting up neighbourhood revitalisation services schemes throughout England.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those local authorities which have received allocations in their housing investment programme for neighbourhood revitalisation schemes.

  Mrs. Roe
  No specific capital allocations have been given to those local authorities co-operating with neighbourhood revitalisation services in setting up agency services schemes. The Department's regional controllers take the establishment of the NRS scheme into account in exercising their discretion over housing investment programme allocations.

  Chlorofluorocarbons
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether his Department has assessed the effects of the use of chlorofluorocarbons, used as a blowing agent in the manufacture of food packaging.

  Mr. Moynihan
  Scientific assessment of the effects of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) undertaken by the Department's stratospheric ozone review group is concerned with total emissions not individual uses. Rigid polystyrene foam, which is widely used in the food packaging industry, uses approximately 5 per cent. of global production of CFCs.

  Ozone Layer
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he is having with the industries concerned in order to bring about an urgent voluntary agreement to ban substances and activities likely to damage the ozone layer.

  Mr. Moynihan
  Officials in the Departments of the Environment and of Trade and Industry hold regular meetings with representatives of British industry on implementing the Montreal protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer. These meetings enable producers and users of chlorofluorocarbons and halons to report their plans for reducing the emissions of these chemicals and for switching to environmentally safe substitutes.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. John M. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any estimates of the effect of the alternative system of local government finance proposed recently by the Association of London Authorities on the level of local taxation outside London.
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  Mr. Howard
  The ALA document does not itself offer estimates of the effect of its proposals on particular local authority areas, and does not provide sufficient information to enable others to calculate them in detail. However, the document proposes a combination of local income tax and domestic rates, with the latter equalised to reflect only variations in incomes between areas. Such an arrangement would make it virtually certain that the level of local taxation would increase in those parts of the country — particularly the north — where domestic rateable values are very low at present.

  Gay and Lesbian Groups
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will discuss with the Association of London Authorities the level of expenditure by local authorities in London on support for gay and lesbian groups.

  Mr. Chope
  No. Clause 28 of the Local Government Bill will ensure that expenditure by local authorities for the purpose of promoting homosexuality will no longer be permitted.

  Enterprise Zones (Report)
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what future policy initiatives he is considering in the light of the publication of his Department's consultant's report on "An Evaluation of the Enterprise Zone Experiment."

  Mr. Trippier
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend to my hon. Friend the Member for Banbury (Mr. Baldry) on 17 December 1987 at column 618.

  Carpets (Houses of Parliament)
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to replace the artificial fibre carpets in the House and its associated buildings; and what steps he is taking to reduce the degree of static electricity in the meantime.

  Mr. Chope
  Most carpeting in the Palace of Westminster is made of an 80 per cent. wool and 20 per cent. nylon mix. There is a limited amount of synthetic fibre carpet, most of which has been modified to prevent static build-up. There are no plans to replace it.

  Static electricity is exacerbated when there are low levels of humidity. The Crown Suppliers spray carpets with anti-static fluid when requested to do so.

  Derelict Land
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on how many occasions, where, and on what dates, his Department has initiated, or been actively involved in, derelict land clearance operations outside England, since 1969.

  Mr. Ridley
  In the period in question, the statutory responsibilities of the Secretary of State for the Environment for derelict land reclamation have been confined to England, though on occasions initiatives launched in England have been of benefit to other parts
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  of Great Britain and collaboration has always taken place between those involved in derelict land clearance programmes throughout Great Britain.

  Ministerial Visits (Wales)
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report a list of all the official visits to Wales by a Secretary of State for the Environment, in each year since 1969.

  Mr. Ridley
  This information is not available.

  Rating Reform
  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what plans he has to commission management consultants to investigate the costs of collecting the community charge; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) how much he plans to spend on research into the administration and collection of the community charge in (a) 1987–88 and (b) 1988–89; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ridley
  Various estimates from different sources have emerged in recent months for the cost of preparing for and collecting the proposed community charge. My Department's forecasts have not changed. I am about to commission consultants to undertake a study of these costs, the reasons for the wide differences between authorities of similar size and factors which authorities should take into account in designing efficient new systems. The cost of this study, which will fall to be paid in 1988–89, will be up to £60,000.

  Water Industry
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how the water industry will be guided on the development of Government policy for the regulation of charges for water and sewerage services during preparations for its forthcoming reorganisation and privatisation.

  Mr. Ridley
  I am sending to the chairman of the Water Authorities Association and the president of the Water Companies' Association a series of letters setting out the details of various aspects of the policy settled in the light of the discussions and consultations that have taken place to date. I have placed a copy of the first of these letters, "Utility Company Charges Regulation for Core Services (WRP 1)," in the Libraries of both Houses. The main features of charges regulation will be as follows:—Customers should be protected against the ability of the water authorities, as monopolies, to charge high prices;
  —Existing statutory safeguards covering the structure of water charges will remain in force after privatisation. The utilities must avoid undue discrimination between classes of customers and charges must have regard to the utilities' costs of providing water and sewerage services;
  —Charges increases are to be related to movements in the RPI, adjusted to take account of factors affecting the efficiency and financial requirements of the privatised water utilities;
  —A new, independent Director General of Water Services will be appointed to oversee the "utilities charges and to protect customers' interests".

PRIME MINISTER

  Tees and Hartlepool Port Authority
  Mr. Fallon
  To ask the Prime Minister whether she will make an official visit to Tees and Hartlepool port authority.

  The Prime Minister
  I have at present no plans to do so.

  Marton
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans to make an official visit to Marton near Rugby.

  The Prime Minister
  I have at present no plans to do so.

  Interdepartmental Working Parties
  Mr. Madel
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list the number of Government interdepartmental working parties not at work, with the exception of those concerned with national security; and what subjects they are considering.

  The Prime Minister
  Interdepartmental working parties are a normal feature of government. They are necessary to secure the requisite degree of co-ordination. Records are not held centrally. In many cases the detailed arrangements for such interdepartmental co-ordination and the matters discussed are classified and may form the basis of advice to Ministers.

  Engagements
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 8 March.

  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 8 March.

  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 8 March.

  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 8 March.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 8 March.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 8 March.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 8 March.

  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 8 March.

  The Prime Minister
  This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today. This evening I hope to have an audience of Her Majesty the Queen.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Inner Cities
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the achievements of his Department with respect to education in the inner cities.

  Mr. Dunn
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer which I gave him on 1 December at column 539. In addition, the city technology colleges programme

  123
  continues to expand, and the Department is to co-operate with the Department of Employment and the Manpower Services Commission as announced on 7 March 1988 in backing 12 new compacts between groups of employers and schools and colleges in inner cities.

  Polytechnics (Women Staff)
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proportions of polytechnic teachers and heads of departments in polytechnics are women.

  Mr. Jackson
  At March 1986, the latest date for which information is available, 15·9 per cent. of full-time teachers, and 7·8 per cent. of full-time heads of departments in polytechnics in England and Wales were women.

  City Technology Colleges
  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on new developments in the establishment of the city technology colleges.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Sponsorship for five city technology colleges has now been announced. We are making good progress in discussions with a number of prospective sponsors.

  Education Reform Bill
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what recent representations he has received about the likely effects of the Education Reform Bill on higher education: and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  We have received many representations concerning the higher education provisions in the Education Reform Bill which, by clarifying responsibilities and accountability, pave the way for increased efficiency.

  Research Councils
  Dr. Reid
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will make provision for restructuring costs of the research councils an addition to the science budget, as recommended by the Advisory Board for the Research Councils in its discussion document "A Strategy for the Science Base."

  Mr. Jackson
  We shall be considering what additional resources might be required to implement such recommendations in the document as may be approved.

  Postgraduates
  Mr. Baldry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how the number of postgraduates in science has changed since 1979, in absolute and percentage terms.

  Mr. Jackson
  The information is as follows:

  Full-time United Kingdom domiciled science postgraduates in Great Britain

  Thousands

  1979

  8·3

  1986

  1·11

  Change

  +2·8

  Percentage change

  +34

  124
  The subject classification for universities changed in 1985, so that the figures are compiled on slightly different bases.

  Pupil Costs
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how much was spent per pupil in primary schools in(a) England and (b) Suffolk in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what were the comparable figures for 1978–79 at constant prices;

  (2) how much was spent per pupil in middle and high schools in (a) England and (b) Suffolk in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what were the comparable figures for 1978–79 at constant prices.

  Mr. Dunn
  The available information is as follows:

  Net institutional recurrent expenditure1 per pupil (£1985–86 prices)

  England

  Suffolk

  1978–792

  1985–86

  1978–792

  1985–86

  Primary schools3

  690

  815

  680

  770

  Secondary schools3

  1,000

  1,175

  890

  1,030

  Notes:

  1 Net institutional recurrent expenditure covers the cost of salaries and wages, premises and certain supplies and services. It does not include the cost of school meals, central administration and inspection, debt charges or revenue contributions to capital outlay.

  2 The cash prices for 1978–79 have been repriced to 1985–86 prices using the Gross Domestic Product (Market Prices) Deflator.

  3 Includes Middle Schools as deemed.

  Language Teachers
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what action is being taken to ensure that there are adequate numbers of teachers trained for languages other than French.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Education support grants are being made available from 1988–89 to help local education authorities to plan and implement diversification of modern language provision. We are holding a secondary teacher staffing this month—a year early—to establish up-to-date information on existing stocks of teachers, including those qualified to teach languages other than French. We are in the process of estimating likely demand for teachers for the national curriculum including modern languages. We monitor applications for initial teacher training closely. We are already featuring the need for modern language teachers in our teacher recruitment publicity.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Property Compensation
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he has any plans to change the policy of offering £50 as site value for a terraced house in an area scheduled for redevelopment in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Needham
  There is no "policy" of offering £50 site value for a terrace house in an area scheduled for redevelopment in Northern Ireland. In accordance with the legislative framework applying to compensation for compulsory acquisition, settlement levels are governed by property values in an open market and by the particular circumstances of each individual case.
  125
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many home owners denied grant because of redevelopment proposals prior to a vesting order, can obtain adequate compensation; and what estimate he has made of the average ratio between expenditure on private improvements and the subsequent level of compensation.

  Mr. Needham
  Compensation for houses compulsorily acquired by the Housing Executive is governed by property values in an open market under the Housing (Northern Ireland) Order 1981. Data on the average ratio between expenditure on private improvements and the subsequent level of compensation are not available.

  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the level of compensation payable to owners of property which is to be acquired compulsorily, by vesting order if necessary, for redevelopment, was last reviewed; and if he will take steps to increase the level of compensation payable at present.

  Mr. Needham
  The Housing (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 consolidated the previous legislation on compensation for compulsory purchase for this purpose and maintained the existing practice of compensation being based on the market value of a particular property. The level of compensation follows the market and is therefore self-regulatory. I have no plan to change the current practice.

  Antrim Area Hospital
  Mr. Clifford Forsythe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will forecast the completion date of the Antrim area hospital; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  Contracts for the construction of the new Antrim hospital will be let at the end of this year and I expect building work to be complete by December 1992.

  The new hospital will provide urgently needed, modern facilities for acute services for the people of Antrim, Larne, Ballymena, Carrickfergus and Newtownabbey as well as providing some specialised services for the whole of the northern area.

  This is a vital development and I should like to take this opportunity to reaffirm my full commitment to the project.

  Housing Condition Surveys
  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many housing condition surveys have been completed in Northern Ireland since 1970; what has been the cost of each at 1988 prices; and when he expects the next survey to be carried out.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 7 March 1988]: There have been three major surveys carried out since 1970, in 1974, 1979 and 1984. The Housing Executive is also working on a mini house condition survey for 1987, which is a mid-term analysis survey. The results are due in report form by the end of 1988. Details of the costs are as follows:
  126

  Year

  Actual cost

  Cost at January 1988 prices

  £

  £

  1974

  83,200

  339,000

  1979

  180,000

  328,000

  1984

  248,400

  284,700

  1987 Mini House Condition Survey—budget £59,000

  Kincora Boys' Home
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Brent, East of 25 February, he will call for a report from the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary as to the total number of Government employees interviewed in connection with investigations into the Kincora boys' home, and as to how many of these were officials of his Department at the time of the interview.

  Mr. Tom King
  [holding answer 2 March 1988]: No.

ENERGY

  Departmental Cash Limits
  Dr. Michael Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has any changes to announce to his Department's cash limits for 1987–88.

  Mr. Parkinson
  In addition to the £1 million reduction announced on 2 February 1988, at column 533, the cash limit for class VI, vote 2 has been reduced by a further £10 million to £240·272 million. This reduction is to help offset the increase in provision in class VI sought in a Spring Supplementary Estimate (HC. 284) to the non-cash limited vote 1.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Arab-Israel Dispute
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the boundaries of Jerusalem which are currently recognised by Her Majesty's Government; and whether they include those previously unoccupied areas on which new housing estates have been built since 1967, and which have been incorporated under Israeli law within the Jerusalem municipality.

  Mr. Mellor
  The status of the whole Jerusalem area, as defined by United Nations General Assembly resolution 303 (IV) of 9 December 1949, remains to be determined. All Israeli settlements in the territories occupied since 1967 are illegal.

  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has sought from the consul-general in Jerusalem about the refusal of Palestinian representatives to meet the United States Secretary of State on his recent visit; and if he will instruct the consul-general to urge those Palestinian representatives to convey their views on the peace process to Her Majesty's Government, for onward transmission to the Government of the United States of America.

  Mr. Mellor
  We have received full reports from all the appropriate posts about Mr. Shultz's recent visit to the
  127
  middle east. We hope that a way can be found for the Palestinians to put their views direct to Mr. Shultz. Meanwhile, we will continue to do all we can to help the parties to the Arab/Israel dispute bridge the gap between their respective positions.

  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will list the specific claims to sovereignty over that area of the former British mandate in Palestine, now variously described as the West Bank or Judaea and Samaria, and currently under Israeli administration, which are(a) accepted and (b) noted by Her Majesty's Government.

  Mr. Mellor
  Since 27 April 1950 we have recognised Jordanian sovereignty over the West Bank. No other Government have formally claimed sovereignty to this area, except those parts which Israel purports to have incorporated within the municipal boundaries of Jerusalem.

  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the international boundaries on the Golan Heights which are currently recognised by Her Majesty's Government; and how they relate to those areas currently supervised by the United Nations under the 1974 disengagement agreements.

  Mr. Mellor
  The international boundary between Israel and Syria remains to be negotiated, but the armistice line established by the 1949 Syria-Israel armistice agreement has generally been accepted as the de facto boundary. The demilitarised zone, in which the United Nations disengagement observer force operates, lies well to the east of this line.

  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will list the specific claims to sovereignty over the Gaza strip which are(a) accepted and (b) noted by Her Majesty's Government.

  Mr. Mellor
  No Government have made a specific, formal claim to sovereignty over the Gaza strip.

  Mr. Yasser Arafat (Speech)
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the action of the British delegation(a) before and (b) during the speech to the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva by Mr. Yasser Arafat; whether the action of the British delegation was co-ordinated in advance with that of the United States of America; and whether any protest has been made by the British delegation to the chairman of the Commission about (a) allowing Mr. Arafat to speak from the podium and (b) the violence of his language against another member state.

  Mr. Mellor
  We and other Western delegations expressed to the chairman of the Human Rights Commission our vigorous opposition to the proposal to extend exceptional privileges to Mr. Arafat, but the majority of members were in favour and the chairman ruled accordingly. A junior member of the United Kingdom delegation was present during Mr. Arafat's speech. The level of representation was discussed in advance with other Western delegations, but not 128
  specifically co-ordinated with that of the United States. We have made no protest about the content of Mr. Arafat's speech.

  Gazans (Travel to Egypt)
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what requests he has made, on humanitarian grounds, to the Egyptian Government to permit Gazans to travel to Egypt without a visa through the security fence, and to assist in the resettlement of overcrowded families within Egyptian territory in Sinai; and what response he has received.

  Mr. Mellor
  None.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  EC (Internal Market)
  Mr. Heddle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the extent and impact of the proposals contained in the European Commission's White Paper, "Europe without frontiers; Towards a Large Internal Market", in so far as the Treasury is concerned.

  Mr. Brooke
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 3 March at column 643. The Treasury has a particular interest in proposals relating to public procurement procedures, capital movements, banking services and fiscal issues.

  Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise
  Mr. McLoughlin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise will be implementing the Keith committee's recommendation that they extend nationwide their 1977 Leeds experiment for exchange of information between local revenue and value added tax offices.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  Both the Revenue and Customs, in their published responses to volumes 1 and 2 of the report of the Keith committee on the enforcement powers of the revenue departments, proposed that the matching recommendations on local exchange of information should be accepted. With my authority, exchanges, which were formerly restricted to head office level as a result of a 1972 ministerial undertaking, will, from 1 April 1988, take place at local level also. The exchanges will concentrate on larger cases of suspected tax evasion.

  Statutory authority for the exchange of information by Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise for the purpose of assisting them in the performance of their duties is already provided by section 127, Finance Act 1972. No new legislation is therefore required.

  Value Added Tax
  Mr. Robertson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list all those goods and services whose exemption from value added tax is currently under review by the European Court of Justice.

  Mr. Lilley
  There are no goods or services whose exemption from value added tax in the United Kingdom is currently under review by the European Court; we are not aware of any such cases currently involving other member states.

  Privatisation
  Mr. Soames
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his future plans for privatisation.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The Government have already announced their intention to privatise British Steel, and the water and electricity industries. There may also be other sales. No decision has been taken on the timing of future privatisations.

  Mr. Soames
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the bodies privatised since 1979 and the proceeds that Her Majesty's Government have accrued therefrom.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  A list of bodies privatised from 1979–80 to 1986–87 can be found in the Government's public expenditure White Papers published since 1984. In 1987–88 Rolls-Royce, BAA and Royal Ordnance plc were privatised and the Government also sold their 31 per cent. residual shareholding in BP. The latest estimate of proceeds for these and other asset sales in 1987–88 is £5 billion.

  International Debt
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table of the debts owed to Western banks by Third world countries; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lilley
  The data requested are to be found in table 4a of the quarterly report on international banking developments, published by the Bank for International Settlements.

  Tobacco
  Mr. Forth
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has estimated the revenue effect of the proposed banning of oral tobacco products announced by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Security, the hon. Member for Derbyshire, South (Mrs. Currie),Official Report, 26 February, column 362.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 7 March 1988]: The oral tobacco products covered by the proposed ban are not subject to any excise duty.

THE ARTS

  Almeida Theatre
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will make a statement on the implications for his arts funding policy of the Greater London Arts Association's refusal to continue funding the Almeida theatre, in the light of its record on ethnic minority employment.

  Mr. Luce
  [holding answer 7 March 1988]: I understand that the Greater London Arts Association has not refused to fund the Almeida threatre, but that its performing arts committee has recommended a grant of £166,000 in 1988–89—12·3 per cent. less than the previous level. This has to be seen in the context of a 10 per cent. cut in the overall budget of the GLA. I note that a meeting has been proposed between the Arts Council and the GLA. I have asked to be informed of the outcome.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Research and Development
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the agricultural research and development bodies invited to give information and suggestions to the Barnes review; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  As explained in the reply given to the hon. Member for Falkirk, East (Mr. Ewing) on 3 March at column 674 there have been no formal consultations outside Government, but the following bodies responsible for agricultural research and development are among those from whom we have received views and information:

  Agricultural and Food Research Council

  Apple and Pear Development Council

  British Flour Milling and Baking Research Association

  British Food Manufacturing Industry Research Association

  Campden Food Preservation Research Association

  Home Grown Cereals Authority

  Horticultural Development Council

  Meat and Livestock Commission

  Milk Marketing Board

  Potato Marketing Board

  Priorities Board for Research and Development in Agriculture and Food

  Processors and Growers Research Organisation

  Scottish Agricultural Colleges

  Scottish Agricultural Research Institutes

  Sea Fish Industry Authority

  Sugar Beet Research and Education Committee

  I would also refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Bristol, South (Ms. Primarolo) on 1 March at column 546.

  Mr. Eadie
  To ask the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish the Barnes review into research and development activities within his Departmental responsibility.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Bristol, South (Ms. Primarolo) on 1 March at column 546.

  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what definition he has of the term near market, as applied to agricultural research and development.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Bristol, South (Ms. Primarolo) on 1 March at column 547.

  Arctic Foxes
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will make it his policy to take steps to apply the provisions of the Arctic Foxes Order (Northern Ireland) 1988 to the United Kingdom, as a whole;

  (2) what information he has concerning the number of Arctic fox fur farms in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  I have information about premises farming Arctic fox for their fur from the licensing arrangements operated for mink farms and from the review of those arrangements in 1987. Arctic fox are farmed at three establishments of which two are in England and one in Scotland.
  131
  My Department is considering whether controls on the keeping of destructive non-indigenous animals should be extended to Arctic fox and other species. Organisations and the public have been invited to make representations by the end of the month.

  Total sheep and lambs

  1975

  1980

  1983

  1986

  Cleveland

  37,216

  39,793

  44,740

  51,779

  Cumbria

  1,539,982

  1,722,919

  1,890,202

  2,096,039

  Durham

  413,267

  480,235

  526,952

  582,258

  Northumberland

  1,110,454

  1,223,453

  1,350,584

  1,452,855

  Tyne and Wear

  6,722

  9,081

  9,210

  9,579

  Humberside

  286,039

  231,253

  190,455

  172,325

  North Yorkshire-North Allerton

  823,837

  919,525

  1,682,543

  1,793,499

  North Yorkshire-Beverley

  602,199

  674,762

  21,123

  20,641

  South Yorkshire

  35,494

  45,111

  54,501

  62,710

  West Yorkshire

  112,820

  142,516

  161,192

  194,778

  Derbyshire

  241,425

  290,575

  317,740

  358,347

  Leicestershire

  300,750

  319,547

  350,962

  374,562

  Lincolnshire

  312,741

  286,732

  255,949

  258,853

  Northamptonshire

  352,506

  363,497

  386,181

  411,283

  Nottinghamshire

  91,199

  74,155

  81,482

  83,268

  Cambridgeshire

  51,377

  47,937

  53,493

  62,492

  Norfolk

  88,100

  99,994

  107,460

  122,852

  Suffolk

  54,557

  46,655

  44,915

  51,092

  Bedfordshire

  32,970

  39,761

  44,397

  52,588

  Berkshire

  42,775

  51,780

  52,109

  60,822

  Buckinghamshire

  126,707

  155,628

  179,469

  203,733

  East Sussex

  197,986

  240,149

  284,256

  315,019

  Essex

  48,065

  52,918

  63,490

  77,286

  Greater London (East)

  2,398

  1,971

  2,013

  2,407

  Greater London (South East)

  2,782

  2,813

  2,975

  3,010

  Hampshire

  104,645

  131,154

  158,575

  204,063

  Hertfordshire

  26,489

  26,070

  31,056

  38,862

  Isle of Wight

  10,782

  18,521

  22,229

  27,234

  Kent

  591,789

  616,807

  633,075

  638,974

  Oxfordshire

  163,118

  175,359

  185,213

  211,797

  Surrey

  32,155

  41,346

  52,497

  67,334

  West Sussex

  58,949

  79,865

  104,011

  124,392

  Avon

  42,094

  55,365

  59,393

  79,276

  Cornwall

  413,458

  489,202

  539,634

  563,734

  Devon

  1,328,193

  1,480,138

  1,605,269

  1,687,038

  Dorset

  102,784

  141,452

  156,271

  188,848

  Gloucestershire

  279,837

  311,869

  357,831

  385,887

  Isles of Scilly

  11

  93

  118

  4

  Somerset

  385,025

  444,163

  497,340

  510,115

  Wiltshire

  141,043

  187,497

  220,613

  245,867

  Hereford and Worcester

  861,555

  931,724

  1,047,556

  1,109,455

  Shropshire

  629,484

  708,006

  780,300

  831,228

  Staffordshire

  149,366

  192,553

  221,093

  251,281

  Warwickshire

  233,822

  265,716

  302,711

  313,340

  West Midlands

  12,253

  15,547

  17,228

  17,882

  Cheshire

  80,761

  106,000

  129,819

  156,976

  Greater Manchester

  31,348

  35,155

  44,356

  56,233

  Lancashire

  469,443

  535,516

  572,330

  641,404

  Merseyside

  3,226

  2,573

  3,601

  4,812

  Source: June agricultural census

DEFENCE

  NATO Nuclear Planning Group
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will provide a full list of the projects within the decision of the NATO nuclear planning group meeting in October 1983 to modernise weapons.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  SACEUR's proposals for implementing the 1983 Montebello commitment were presented to

  Sheep
  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the number of sheep farmed in each county of England in the following years, 1975, 1980, 1983, 1986 and 1987.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  [holding answer 7 March 1988]: The information is given in the table. 1987 figures are not yet available.

  NATO Defence Ministers in 1985. The modernisation measures called for by SACEUR comprise the development of a stand-off tactical air-to-surface missile (TASM), the deployment of a follow on to the Lance surface-to-surface missile system, the introduction of improved nuclear artillery shells and the continued modernisation of NATO's dual capable aircraft.

  Data Protection
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many subject access requests under the terms of the Data Protection Act his Department has received; what was his estimate of this number; whether he is reconsidering the subject access fee charged by his Department as a result; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  A total of 2,317 subject access requests have been received by the major pay and personnel database centres in the Ministry of Defence; all were from current, past or potential employees. The figures so far are considered to be roughly in line with the forecast of between 0·01 per cent. and 0·1 per cent. of the target population per annum. The subject access fee charged has not been reconsidered at this time.

  Women
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many(a) generals, (b) colonels, (c) majors, (d) captains, (e) warrant officers, (f) lieutenants and (g) non-commissioned officers in the British Army are women; what is the total number of people in each rank; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  The information requested is as follows:

  Total

  Female

  Officers

  General

  9

  0

  Lieutenant General

  12

  0

  Major General

  64

  0

  Brigadier

  243

  3

  Colonel

  632

  15

  Lieutenant Colonel

  1,833

  30

  Major

  5,175

  168

  Captain

  5,248

  529

  Lieutenant/2nd

  Lieutenant

  3,515

  374

  (Officer Designate)

  389

  15

  Servicemen/Women

  WO (Class 1 and 2)

  8,194

  107

  Other NCO's

  70,323

  2,890

  (Privates)

  62,735

  2,389

  Total

  158,372

  6,520

  Memoranda of Understanding (US-UK)
  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many memoranda of understanding exist between the United Kingdom and the United States of America arising from the Nunn amendment; what each covers; how many have been funded; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Ten MOU exist between the United Kingdom and United States of America involving Nunn amendment funding. They cover:

  The NATO Frigate for the 1990s (NFR90)

  NATO Anti-Air Warfare System (NAAWS)

  The Modular Stand-Off Weapon (MSOW)

  ADA Project Support Environment (ADA PSE)

  Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS)

  Airborne Radar Demonstrator System (ARDS)

  NATO Information System, Information Exchange

  NATO Information System, Co-operative Q & A component development

  Advanced Sea Mine (ASM)

  Advanced Short Takeoff and Verticial Landing Technology (ASTOVL)

  134
  All the above MOU except the advanced sea mane and ASTOVL technology, involve other NATO nations in addition to the United States and United Kingdom. The United Kingdom has funded initial work under all of the above MOU with the exception of the modular stand-off weapon programme, for which funding will be considered once proposals from industry have been evaluated.

  US Naval Airship Programme
  Mr. Grylls
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what involvement his Department has in the United States naval airship programme.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer 4 March 1988]: The Department has had no direct involvement in the United States naval airship programme, but has been fully supportive of British industrial participation.

  Military Equipment
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those countries to which Her Majesty's Government will not authorise the sale of defence equipment.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer 26 February 1988]: It is our general policy to consider all applications for licences to export defence equipment on a case by case basis, taking into account our international obligations and declared policy towards individual countries.

SCOTLAND

  Drug Addicts
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his best estimate of the number of persons suffering from drug-related problems in(a) Glasgow district council area and (b) Shettleston parliamentary constituency; what additional measures he proposes to take in order to tackle the problem in both areas; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Because of the nature of the activity it is very difficult to make precise estimates of the numbers of problem drug takers. The latest estimate is that there are between 5,000 and 7,500 intravenous drug misuers in the west of Scotland (mainly Glasgow). Figures are not collected in respect of individual parliamentary constituencies.

  The Government remain committed to tackling the problem of drug misuse throughout Scotland and a wide range of positive measures have already been taken or are in hand. A further stage of the Government's information and education campaign against drug misuse in Scotland was launched on 1 February. From 1987–88 the total sum set aside in the health programme in Scotland specifically for the support of drug misuse services is over £1 million per annum. The sum allocated to Greater Glasgow health board under these arrangements in 1987–88 is £392,615. This is a major contribution to the encouragement and assistance of these services. The provision of such services is, however, primarily the responsibility of health boards and local authorities.

  Data Protection
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many subject access requests under the terms of the
  135
  Data Protection Act his Department has received; what was his estimate of this number; whether he is reconsidering the subject access fee charged by his Department as a result; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Rifkind
  No valid requests for access have been received from the general public. For forward planning, there was a working assumption of 500 requests per annum. I am not proposing to review the access fee. There have been no complaints or other evidence that the access fee accounts for the low level of interest shown.

  Inverclyde Initiative
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 29 February to the hon. Member for Greenock and Port Glasgow,Official Report, column 433, how much of the £8·75 million of public money spent on the Inverclyde initiative came from the Scottish Development Agency.

  Mr. Lang
  The sum of £8·75 million of public money spent by the Inverclyde initiative since its inception represents the total Scottish Development Agency expenditure to date.

  Consultants
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much money has been paid to management or financial consultants in 1985–86 and 1986–87 for work for(a) the Scottish Home and Health Department and (b) each health board.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Amounts paid to management or financial consultants for work commissioned by the Scottish Home and Health Department were:

  £

  1985–86

  282,252

  1986–87

  1248,535

  1 Includes £118,000 for a project commissioned by the Home side of the Department.

  Information available from the annual accounts of health boards relates to the total of fees paid to management consultants, to legal firms (other than for legal expenses connected with compensation claims) and to work study consultants. The amounts for each health board are shown in the table.

  Health board

  1985–86

  1986–87

  £

  £

  Argyll and Clyde

  8,844

  55,016

  Ayrshire and Arran

  33,570

  7,049

  Borders

  13,930

  2,017

  Dumfries and Galloway

  4,865

  2,800

  Fife

  12,392

  25,333

  Forth Valley

  22,902

  26,287

  Grampian

  15,364

  93,493

  Greater Glasgow

  3,832

  —

  Highland

  2,907

  19,170

  Lanarkshire

  125

  —

  Lothian

  13,917

  83,514

  Orkney

  1,637

  645

  Shetland

  1,324

  1,442

  Tayside

  61

  255

  Western Isles

  14

  2,219

  Total

  135,684

  319,240

  Caesarian Section Deliveries
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many women in 1986–87, having had a caesarian section, were discharged from a National Health Service maternity unit into a private hospital in Lothian, Tayside and Greater Glasgow health board areas.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I regret that the information requested is not held centrally.

  Childbirth (Statistics)
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many women in 1986–87, having given birth, were discharged from a National Health Service maternity unit into a private hospital in Lothian, Tayside and Greater Glasgow health board areas;

  (2) how many women in 1986–87 were admitted to National Health Service maternity units from private hospitals in Lothian, Tayside and Greater Glasgow health board areas.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I regret that the information requested is not held centrally.

  Health Boards (Income)
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what was the total income received by each health board for dressings from private hospitals and clinics in each of the last 10 years;

  (2) what was the total income received by each health board for dressings from private nursing homes in each of the last 10 years;

  (3) what was the total income received by each health board for dressings from individual consultants in each of the last 10 years;

  (4) what was the total income received by each health board for pharmaceutical preparations and medicines from private nursing homes in each of the last 10 years;

  (5) what was the total income received by each health board for pharmaceutical preparations and medicines from private hospitals and clinics in each of the last 10 years;

  (6) what was the total income received by each health board for pharmaceutical preparations and medicines from individual consultants in each of the last 10 years;

  (7) what was the total income received by each health board in each of the last 10 years for the hire of National Health Service equipment to private registered nursing homes;

  (8) what was the total income received by each health board in each of the last 10 years for the hire of National Health Service equipment to private hospitals;

  (9) what was the total income received by each health board in each of the last 10 years for the hire of National Health Service equipment to individual consultants.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Information held centrally on income received by health boards does not separately identify the items requested.

  Private Beds
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the number of private beds in National Health Service hospitals in Scotland by each health board and hospital.
  137
  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The table shows the numbers of pay beds in National Health Service hospitals in Scotland.

  Health board and hospital

  Number of pay beds

  Argyll and Clyde

  Inverclyde Royal

  9

  Dunoon and District

  3

  Vale of Leven

  1

  —

  13

  Ayrshire and Arran

  Ayr County

  2

  Ballochmyle

  2

  Heathfield

  1

  North Ayrshire District General Hospital (Crosshouse)

  5

  Seafield Children's

  1

  —

  11

  Borders

  Peel

  1

  Fife

  Victoria

  1

  Forth Valley

  Clackmannan County

  1

  Falkirk and District Royal Infirmary

  1

  RSNH, Larbert

  2

  Stirling Royal Infirmary

  1

  —

  15

  Grampian

  Aberdeen Maternity

  2

  Aberdeen Royal Infirmary

  6

  Woodend General

  1

  House of Daviot

  4

  Bilbohall, Elgin

  1

  Dr. Gray's, Elgin

  1

  Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital

  2

  —

  217

  Greater Glasgow

  Canniesburn

  11

  Gartnavel District General

  1

  Royal Samaritan

  4

  Southern General

  3

  Victoria Infirmary

  10

  Western Infirmary

  2

  —

  331

  Highland

  Belford

  1

  Royal Northern Infirmary, Raigmore, Inverness

  2

  Caithness General

  1

  Lawson Memorial

  1

  —

  45

  Lothian

  City

  1

  Eastern General

  1

  Edinburgh Royal Infirmary

  2

  Princess Margaret Rose

  6

  Simpson Maternity

  2

  Western General

  4

  RHSC Edinburgh

  2

  Bangour General

  1

  —

  19

  Tayside

  Forfar

  1

  138

  Health board and hospital

  Number of pay beds

  Perth Royal Infirmary

  2

  Bridge of Earn

  2

  Arbroath

  1

  Brechin

  1

  Stracathro

  2

  —

  59

  Total pay beds at March 1988 all of Scotland

  6112

  1 Plus six emergency beds.

  2 Plus two emergency beds.

  3 Limited to 30 beds at any one time.

  4 Plus two emergency beds.

  5 Plus four emergency beds.

  6 Plus 14 emergency beds.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the total income from private beds in National Health Service hospitals in 1986–87 for each health board area.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The total income from private beds in National Health Service hospitals in each health board area in 1986–87 was as follows:

  Health board

  Total income

  £

  Argyll and Clyde

  169,615

  Ayrshire and Arran

  102,592

  Borders

  10,068

  Dumfries and Galloway

  —

  Fife

  2,081

  Forth Valley

  77,802

  Grampian

  172,438

  Greater Glasgow

  33,333

  Highland

  21,582

  Lanarkshire

  —

  Lothian

  131,044

  Orkney

  —

  Shetland

  —

  Tayside

  92,307

  Western Isles

  —

  812,862

  Merit Awards
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide health boards with an additional allocation to cover the cost of merit awards; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  No. The costs of distinction and meritorious service awards along with all other pay-related costs fall to be met from health boards' general allocations.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give individual health boards control over the granting of merit awards; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  This would not be practicable. The objective of the present system is to ensure that the awards available for distribution are allocated fairly and equitably on a Great Britain basis and this could not be achieved if allocation was determined separately by individual health boards.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total value of merit awards for each health board in Scotland for each of the financial years from 1979–80 to 1987–88.
  139
  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information requested is not collected centrally, but an estimate can be made from the number and value of awards at 30 November each year. Estimates are shown in the table for 1983–87; figures for earlier years are not readily available.

  Estimated annual value of Distinction Awards awarded: as at 30 November

  £'000s

  Health Board

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  Argyll and Clyde

  123

  151

  137

  144

  186

  Ayrshire and Arran

  140

  124

  137

  127

  126

  Borders

  22

  29

  35

  44

  59

  Dumfries and Galloway

  103

  97

  103

  121

  154

  Fife

  72

  84

  99

  109

  130

  Forth Valley

  98

  126

  137

  140

  168

  Grampian

  396

  430

  458

  541

  662

  Greater Glasgow

  1,864

  2,092

  2,376

  2,614

  2,748

  Highland

  183

  190

  213

  250

  235

  Lanarkshire

  168

  182

  192

  226

  224

  Lothian

  1,027

  1,179

  1,256

  1,390

  1,507

  Tayside

  508

  529

  557

  568

  632

  Orkney, Shetland and Western Isles

  13

  15

  5

  11

  12

  Consultants by specialty, contract and health board at 30 September 1987 Type of contract: Whole-time

  Specialty

  Specialty code

  Argyll Clyde

  Ayr and Arran

  Border

  Dumfries and Galloway

  Fife

  Forth Valley

  Grampian

  Greater Glasgow

  Highland

  Lanark

  Lothian

  Orkney

  Shetland

  Tayside

  Western Isle

  All Specialties

  86

  77

  25

  43

  77

  71

  127

  396

  71

  144

  220

  1

  2

  147

  5

  Surgical Specialties

  Cardiothoracic surgery

  07

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  5

  —

  2

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  ENT surgery

  03

  1

  —

  —

  2

  2

  1

  1

  6

  2

  4

  2

  —

  —

  4

  —

  General surgery

  01

  5

  5

  3

  4

  5

  4

  8

  23

  9

  10

  11

  1

  2

  8

  1

  Neurosurgery

  06

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  4

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  2

  —

  Ophthalmology

  04

  2

  2

  —

  1

  1

  4

  3

  10

  3

  4

  —

  —

  —

  3

  —

  Orthopaedic surgery

  02

  5

  3

  2

  2

  4

  4

  5

  13

  3

  11

  4

  —

  —

  10

  —

  Plastic surgery

  08

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  1

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Surgical Paediatries

  39

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  4

  —

  —

  3

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Urology

  05

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  2

  2

  4

  —

  2

  1

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Accident and Emergency

  49

  2

  1

  —

  —

  1

  —

  2

  3

  —

  2

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Anaesthetics

  41

  10

  14

  4

  5

  12

  9

  12

  63

  8

  23

  36

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Medical Specialties

  Communicable diseases

  31

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  3

  —

  1

  3

  —

  —

  3

  —

  Dermatology

  23

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  1

  2

  5

  2

  1

  2

  —

  —

  4

  —

  General medicine (group) Cardiology

  17

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  7

  —

  —

  4

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics

  20

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Endocrinology and diabetes

  18

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Gastroenterology

  21

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  General medicine

  16

  10

  11

  3

  4

  6

  7

  12

  25

  6

  15

  17

  —

  —

  8

  1

  Homeopathy

  36

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Medical oncology

  37

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  1

  —

  —

  3

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Nephrology

  24

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  4

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Rheumatology

  25

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3

  2

  —

  1

  1

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Sexually transmitted diseases

  32

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  1

  3

  1

  —

  4

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Geriatric medicine

  50

  5

  4

  2

  2

  4

  4

  7

  18

  2

  5

  8

  —

  —

  7

  —

  Medical paediatrics

  40

  4

  3

  2

  2

  3

  3

  6

  16

  2

  4

  12

  —

  —

  6

  —

  Neurology

  19

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  5

  —

  —

  3

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Radiotherapy and oncology

  34

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  9

  1

  —

  4

  —

  —

  3

  —

  Rehabilitation medicine

  26

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  3

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Respiratory medicine

  28

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  3

  11

  2

  —

  3

  —

  —

  2

  —

  Dental Specialties

  Oral surgery and oral medicine

  12

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  5

  1

  1

  1

  —

  —

  2

  —

  Othodontics and paediatric dentistry

  11

  2

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  2

  3

  2

  2

  2

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Restorative dentistry

  13

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Obstetrics and Gynaecology

  42

  5

  4

  1

  1

  5

  4

  6

  19

  5

  11

  9

  —

  —

  6

  1

  Psychiatric Specialties

  Child and Adolescent psychiatry

  56

  2

  1

  —

  2

  2

  2

  3

  4

  1

  3

  5

  —

  —

  4

  —

  Forensic psychiatry

  58

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  4

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Mental handicap

  59

  —

  1

  —

  1

  2

  2

  4

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Mental illness

  53

  17

  6

  4

  7

  11

  10

  12

  38

  8

  15

  24

  —

  —

  17

  1

  Psychotherapy

  55

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  3

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Laboratory and Support Specialties

  Blood transfusion

  63

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  140

  Health Board

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  Common Services Agency and State Hospital

  42

  56

  64

  66

  83

  Scotland

  4,759

  5,283

  5,770

  6,350

  6,926

  Notes:

  (1) The estimates are based on the value of awards multiplied by the whole time equivalent of the doctors and dentists receiving them. Honorary staff are given a notional WTE of 7/11.

  (2) Other employers' costs, such as national insurance contributions for example, are not included in these estimates.

  Medical Consultants
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if, further to his reply of 25 January,Official Report, column 54, he will list how many consultants employed by the National Health Service in Scotland are (a) full-time, (b) maximum part-time and (c) part-time, by health board and specialty.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information requested is shown in the tables.
  141

  Specialty

  Specialty code

  Argyll Clyde

  Ayr and Arran

  Border

  Dumfries and Galloway

  Fife

  Forth Valley

  Grampian

  Greater Glasgow

  Highland

  Lanark

  Lothian

  Orkney

  Shetland

  Tayside

  Western Isle

  Clinical chemistry

  65

  2

  1

  —

  1

  —

  1

  —

  4

  1

  1

  2

  —

  —

  2

  —

  Clinical genetics

  66

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Haematology

  62

  3

  3

  1

  3

  2

  2

  1

  13

  1

  5

  5

  —

  —

  2

  —

  Immunology

  68

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Microbiology

  67

  2

  2

  1

  1

  1

  1

  2

  11

  2

  2

  5

  —

  —

  2

  —

  Nuclear medicine

  35

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Pathology

  64

  3

  4

  —

  2

  3

  2

  4

  15

  2

  6

  8

  —

  —

  4

  —

  Radiodiagnosis

  33

  6

  7

  2

  3

  7

  5

  8

  23

  5

  13

  17

  —

  —

  12

  —

  Virology

  69

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Occupational Health

  96

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  1

  1

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Consultants by specialty, contract and health board at 30 September 1987 Type of contract: Maximum part-time

  Specialty

  Specialty code

  Argyll Clyde

  Ayr and Arran

  Border

  Dumfries and Galloway

  File

  Forth Valley

  Grampian

  Greater Glasgow

  Highland

  Lanark

  Lolhtan

  Orkney

  Shetland

  Tayside

  Western Isles

  All Specialties

  25

  18

  0

  2

  5

  10

  26

  85

  0

  12

  62

  0

  0

  10

  0

  Surgical Specialties

  Cardiothoracic surgery

  07

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  ENT surgery

  03

  2

  3

  —

  —

  —

  2

  3

  6

  —

  1

  4

  —

  —

  1

  —

  General surgery

  01

  6

  1

  —

  —

  1

  2

  2

  8

  —

  3

  8

  —

  —

  2

  —

  Neurosurgery

  06

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Ophthalmology

  04

  4

  1

  —

  —

  1

  —

  2

  4

  —

  —

  5

  —

  —

  2

  —

  Orthopaedic surgery

  02

  1

  3

  —

  1

  —

  —

  4

  9

  —

  1

  7

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Plastic surgery

  08

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  4

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Surgical paediatrics

  39

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Urology

  05

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  1

  1

  7

  —

  1

  2

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Accident and Emergency

  49

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Anaesthetics

  41

  1

  3

  —

  1

  —

  1

  6

  11

  —

  1

  10

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Medical Specialties

  Communicable diseases

  31

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Dermatology

  23

  2

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  1

  4

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  General medicine (group) Cardiology

  17

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics

  20

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Endocrinology and diabetes

  18

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Gastroenterology

  21

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Genera1 medicine

  16

  4

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  1

  6

  —

  2

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Homeopathy

  36

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Medical oncology

  37

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Nephrology

  24

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Rheumatology

  25

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Sexually transmitted diseases

  32

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Geriatric medicine

  50

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Medical paediatrics

  40

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Neurology

  19

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Radiotherapy and oncology

  34

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Rehabilitation medicine

  26

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Respiratory medicine

  28

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Dental Specialties

  Oral surgery and oral medicine

  12

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Othodontics and paedialric dentistry

  11

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Restorative dentistry

  13

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Obstetrics and Gynaecology

  42

  4

  2

  —

  —

  1

  2

  2

  8

  —

  —

  6

  —

  —

  2

  —

  Psychiatric Specialties

  Child and Adolescent psychiatry

  56

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Forensic psychiatry

  58

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Mental handicap

  59

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Mental illness

  53

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Psychotherapy

  55

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Laboratory and Support Specialities

  Blood transfusion

  63

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Clinical chemistry

  65

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Clinical genetics

  66

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Haematology

  62

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Immunology

  68

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Microbiology

  67

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Nuclear medicine

  35

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Pathology

  64

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Radiodiagnosis

  33

  1

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  6

  —

  3

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Virology

  69

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Occupational Health

  96

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Consultants by specialty, contract and health board at 30 September 1987 Type of contract: Part-time

  Specialty

  Specialty code

  Argyll Clyde

  Ayr and Arran

  Border

  Dumfries and Galloway

  Fife

  Forth Valley

  Grampian

  Greater Glasgow

  Highland

  Lanark

  Lothian

  Orkney

  Shetland

  Tayside

  Western Isle

  All Specialties

  5

  1

  2

  8

  0

  0

  3

  8

  5

  4

  10

  0

  0

  2

  1

  Surgical Specialties Cardiothoracic surgery

  07

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  142 143

  Specially

  Specially code

  Argyll Clydr

  Ayr and Arran

  Border

  Dumfries and Galloway

  Fife

  Forth Valley

  Grampian

  Greater Glasgow

  Highland

  Lanark

  Lothian

  Orkney

  Shetland

  Tayslde

  Western Isle

  ENT surgery

  03

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  General surgery

  01

  —

  1

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  Neurosurgery

  06

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Ophthalmology

  04

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Orthopaedic surgery

  02

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Plastic surgery

  08

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Surgical paediatrics

  39

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Urology

  05

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Accident and Emergency

  49

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Anaesthetics

  41

  1

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Medical Specialties

  Communicable diseases

  31

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Dermatology

  23

  1

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  General medicine (group) Cardiology

  17

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics

  20

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Endocrinology and diabetes

  18

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Gastroenterology

  21

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  General medicine

  16

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Homeopathy

  36

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Medical oncology

  37

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Nephrology

  24

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Rheumatology

  25

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Sexually transmitted diseases

  32

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Geriatric medicine

  50

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Medical paediatrics

  40

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Neurology

  19

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Radiotherapy and oncology

  34

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Rehabilitation medicine

  26

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Respiratory medicine

  28

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Dental Specialties

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Oral surgery and oral medicine

  12

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Othodontics and paediatric dentistry

  11

  —

  —

  1

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Restorative dentistry

  13

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Obstetrics and Gynaecology

  42

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Psychiatric Specialties

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Child and Adolescent psychiatry

  56

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Forensic psychiatry

  58

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Mental handicap

  59

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Mental illness

  53

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  4

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Psychotherapy

  55

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Laboratory and Support Specialties

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Blood transfusion

  63

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Clinical chemistry

  65

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Clinical genetics

  66

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Haematology

  62

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Immunology

  68

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Microbiology

  67

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Nuclear medicine

  35

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Pathology

  64

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —.

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Radiodtagnosis

  33

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Virology

  69

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Occupational Health

  96

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Hip Replacement Operations
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average waiting time for a hip replacement operation in National Health Service beds in National Health Service hospitals in each health board area.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information recorded for 1985, which is the lastest available, is as follows:

  Health board

  Mean waiting time in days

  Argyll and Clyde

  207

  Ayrshire and Arran

  167

  Borders

  116

  Dumfries and Galloway

  191

  Fife

  214

  Forth Valley

  277

  Grampian

  303

  Greater Glasgow

  127

  Highland

  323

  Lanarkshire

  145

  Lothian

  207

  144

  Health board

  Mean waiting time in days

  Orkney

  —

  Shetland

  —

  Tayside

  285

  Western Isles

  —

  Scotland

  203

  Eye Tests and Dental Examinations
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many(a) eye tests and (b) dental examinations took place in Fife in each of the years 1980 to 1986.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information is set out in the table.
  145

  Thousands

  Year

  Eye tests

  Dental examinations

  1980

  49·0

  1

  1981

  48·3

  1

  1982

  51·3

  151·4

  1983

  54·7

  157·7

  1984

  56·3

  164·5

  1985

  60·3

  169·0

  1986

  62·4

  183·4

  1 Not held centrally.

  Prison Officers
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many extra prison officer posts will be created during the financial years 1988–89 and 1989–90.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. and learned Friend expects increases in the number of staff by 218 in 1988–89 and a further 114 in 1989–90.

  Police Officers
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many extra police officer posts will be created during the financial years 1988–89 and 1989–90 in Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  This will depend on decisions taken by police authorities in the first instance. However, the assumptions regarding police manpower growth in these years underlying the Government's public expenditure plans were outlined in the recently published "Scottish Commentary," a copy of which is in the Library.

  These plans provide for police strength to increase to 13,830 by the end of 1988–89 and to 13,880 by the end of 1989–90.

  Probation
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of persons placed on a probation order in Scotland in 1985 and 1986 completed their period of supervision without a further appearance in court.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information requested is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Community Service Order
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what percentage of persons placed on a community service order in Scotland during 1985 and 1986 completed their period of service without a further appearance in court;

  (2) what percentage of persons who were the subject of a community service order in Scotland had been sentenced again within two years of the completion of the order, for the latest convenient period.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information requested is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Recidivism
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many persons in Scotland who were granted parole 146
  in 1985 and 1986 whose original offence involved violence, sexual assault or robbery were sentenced again (a) during the period of their parole licence or (b) within 12 months of the expiration of that licence.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Information on the numbers of persons convicted within 12 months of their parole licence expiring is not collected centrally; the other information requested could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.

  Offenders (Electronic Tagging)
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has any plans to introduce electronic surveillance as a condition of bail, probation, parole or executive release on a trial basis in either Strathclyde or any other part of Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  While we are keeping developments on this matter under review, we have no such present plans in Scotland.

  Police Surgeons
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many police surgeons are employed in Scotland; and, of these, how many are female.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  169, of whom 18 are female.

  Agency Staff
  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the latest figures for the number of agency staff supplied to the National Health Service in the following categories:(a) nurses, (b) midwives, (c) professional and technical staff (excluding works staff), (d) works professional staff, (e) administrative and clerical staff, (f) ambulance officers and control assistants and (g) other staff, indicating their distribution by health board; what payments in fees has been made by each board to each of these groups over the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Information is held centrally only for agency nurses and midwives and ambulance officers and control assistants. No agency ambulance officers and control assistants are employed. The table shows the average daily number of qualified nurses and midwives, by whole-time equivalent, supplied by agencies to health boards in Scotland during the year ended 30 September 1987. No information is available centrally about payments made for agency staff.

  Midwives

  Other qualified nurses

  SCOTLAND

  0·8

  202·1

  Argyll and Clyde

  —

  —

  Ayrshire and Arran

  —

  5·8

  Borders

  0·3

  2·9

  Dumfries and Galloway

  —

  —

  Fife

  —

  —

  Forth Valley

  —

  —

  Grampian

  —

  2·6

  Greater Glasgow

  —

  132·7

  147

  Midwives

  Other qualified nurses

  Highland

  —

  —

  Lanarkshire

  —

  —

  Lothian

  0·3

  57·5

  Orkney

  0·2

  —

  Shetland

  —

  0·6

  Tayside

  —

  —

  Western Isles

  —

  —

  Agricultural Research and Development
  Mr. Eadie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any further proposals to cut agricultural research and development funding in Scotland.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Our current proposals are set out in the White Paper "The Government's Expenditure Plans 1988–89 to 1990–91" Cm. 288-II.

  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what definition his Department uses of the term near market, as applied to agricultural research and development.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  There is no formal definition. It is, however, a convenient way of referring to the kind of work of direct commercial benefit towards which the Government believe industry should contribute more.

  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what reviews are being, or have been, carried out by or on behalf of, his Department into agricultural research and development funded by his Department; when the results of any such reviews will be published; and if this information will be made available to the House.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The programmes of agricultural research and development are kept under continual review in association with the Priorities Board for R and D in Agriculture and Food, the Agricultural and Food Research Council, the Scottish Agricultural R and D Advisory Council and other bodies. Ad hoc reviews are also undertaken from time to time into specific subject areas or other issues, as appropriate.

  Language Teachers
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action is being taken to ensure that there are adequate numbers of teachers in Scotland training for languages other than French.

  Conservancy

  Number referred to Regional Advisory Committees

  Number resolved by voluntary withdrawal or amendment of application

  Number referred by Regional Advisory Committee to Forestry Commissoners

  Grant Scheme Applications—Year to 31 March 1984

  North West England

  1

  —

  1

  North East England

  1

  —

  1

  East England

  —

  —

  —

  South East England

  —

  —

  —

  South West England

  —

  —

  —

  North Scotland

  1

  1

  —

  East Scotland

  1

  1

  —

  South Scotland

  4

  —

  4

  West Scotland

  3

  1

  2

  North Wales

  2

  1

  1

  South Wales

  3

  1

  2

  148
  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Consultations about the annual intake of student teachers to the colleges of education provide a mechanism for alerting the Government to areas of actual or potential need. The most recent consultations indicate that the supply of modern languages teachers is adequate to meet the needs of education authorities.

  Forestry
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the average wage of Forestry Commission forest keepers, at the latest available date.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 22 February 1988]: The basic weekly wage is £131·91 and the average gross weekly earnings are £.177·31.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many(a) grant and (b) felling licence applications were received by the Forestry Commission in each year from 1984; how many were referred to regional advisory committees; and what proportion of the annual total this represented.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 1 March 1988]: The information is as follows:

  Year (to 31 March)

  Number received

  Number and percentage of cases referred to Regional advisory committees

  Grant scheme applications

  1984

  2,255

  16 (0·7)

  1985

  2,915

  10 (0·3)

  1986

  5,327

  18 (0·3)

  1987

  5,319

  25 (0·5)

  Felling licence applications

  1984

  1,444

  7 (0·5)

  1985

  1,729

  4 (0·2)

  1986

  2,321

  3 (0·1)

  1987

  2,254

  Nil (-)

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many(a) grant and (b) felling licence applications were referred to the regional advisory committee for each Forestry Commission conservancy in each year from 1984, and what were the results.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 1 March 1988]: The information is set out in the following tables, and reflects the fact that the commission's conservancies were reorganised in 1984–85.
  149 150

  Conservancy

  Number referred to Regional Advisory Committees

  Number resolved by voluntary withdrawal or amendment of application

  Number referred by Regional Advisory Committee to Forestry Commissoners

  Felling Licence Applications—Year to 31 March 1984

  North West England

  1

  —

  1

  North East England

  —

  —

  —

  East England

  —

  —

  —

  South East England

  2

  —

  2

  South West England

  2

  —

  2

  North Scotland

  —

  —

  —

  East Scotland

  —

  —

  —

  South Scotland

  1

  —

  1

  West Scotland

  1

  1

  —

  North Wales

  —

  —

  —

  South Wales

  —

  —

  —

  Grant Scheme Applications—3 years to 31 March 1987

  North England Conservancy

  1985

  2

  2

  —

  1986

  6

  1

  5

  1987

  3

  1

  2

  East England Conservancy

  1985

  —

  —

  —

  1986

  1

  —

  1

  1987

  —

  —

  —

  West England Conservancy

  1985

  —

  —

  —

  1986

  —

  —

  —

  1987

  —

  —

  —

  Wales Conservancy

  1985

  3

  1

  2

  1986

  3

  —

  3

  1987

  4

  —

  4

  North Scotland Conservancy

  1985

  —

  —

  —

  1986

  —

  —

  —

  1987

  10

  2

  8

  Mid Scotland Conservancy

  1985

  4

  1

  3

  1986

  6

  3

  3

  1987

  6

  1

  5

  South Scotland Conservancy

  1985

  1

  —

  1

  1986

  2

  2

  —

  1987

  2

  1

  1

  Felling Licence Applications—3 years to 31 March 1987

  North England Conservancy

  1985

  —

  —

  —

  1986

  —

  —

  —

  1987

  —

  —

  —

  East England Conservancy

  1985

  3

  —

  3

  1986

  —

  —

  —

  1987

  —

  —

  —

  West England Conservancy

  1985

  —

  —

  —

  1986

  —

  —

  —

  1987

  —

  —

  —

  Wales Conservancy

  1985

  1

  —

  1

  1986

  3

  —

  3

  1987

  —

  —

  —

  North Scotland Conservancy

  1985

  —

  —

  —

  1986

  —

  —

  —

  1987

  —

  —

  —

  Mid Scotland Conservancy

  1985

  —

  —

  —

  1986

  —

  —

  —

  1987

  —

  —

  —

  South Scotland Conservancy

  1985

  —

  —

  —

  1986

  —

  —

  —

  1987

  —

  —

  —

  Scottish Health Service (Advertisement)
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland who placed the advertisement in The Scotsman on behalf of the Scottish Health Service in which notice of information about tendering for in-house ancillary services for health boards was given; and who is responsible for the payment for the advertisement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 3 March 1988]: The advertisement was placed and paid for by the health boards acting jointly. Such co-ordinated action by boards seems a cost-effective way to implement the Government's policy of competitive tendering.

  Ministerial Offices
  Mr. Harry Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total cost involved in moving his office, together with the offices of other Scottish Office Ministers, from their present location in New St. Andrew's House to St. Andrew's House.

  Mr. Rifkind
  [holding answer 4 March 1988]: The return of my office and that of certain of my ministerial colleagues to St. Andrew's House requires certain structural adaptations and improvements to the ministerial accommodation in the building. The total cost is likely to be of the order of £150,000 including VAT and contingencies.

  HMA v Russell Stirton
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what further proceedings the Lord Advocate is considering arising from the facts and circumstances surrounding the case of HMA v Russell Stirton, with particular reference to those narrated in charge 9 of the indictment.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 4 March 1988]: None.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if the Lord Advocate was consulted by the procurator fiscal of Glasgow in connection with his consideration of whether to oppose bail in respect of charges against Russell Stirton on 24 April 1986.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 4 March 1988]: No.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if the Lord Advocate will review the circumstances surrounding the case of HMA v Russell Stirton and the investigation by an officer of Lothian and Borders police into allegations made by Russell Stirton; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 4 March 1988]: The Lord Advocate does not intend any further review of the circumstances surrounding the case of HMA v Russell Stirton.

  Bail
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidelines the Lord Advocate issued to procurators fiscal in connection with the granting of bail(a) before 26 April 1986 and (b) thereafter; and if he will make a statement.
  152
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 4 March 1988]: Instructions were issued to procurators fiscal following the coming into force of the Bail etc. (Scotland) Act 1980. These instructions were current on 26 April 1986. They have recently been revised and re-issued. The date, 26 April 1986, is without significance in this connection.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if guidelines are issued to procurators fiscal concerning policy on whether or not to oppose bail in cases where an accused person offers to provide information to the police in respect of a third party.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 4 March 1988]: No. Procurators fiscal are expected to exercise their discretion in the light of all relevant factors affecting the public interest in such cases.

  Electricity Generation
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of electricity generation in Scotland is met by(a) nuclear, (b) coal-fired, (c) oil fired, (d) hydro and (e) other power stations.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 7 March 1988]: I am advised by the Scottish electricity boards, UKAEA and BNFL that the proportions of electricity generation sent out to the supply network from different sources in Scotland during the year ending 31 March 1987 were as follows:

  Percentage

  Nuclear

  43·5

  Coal-fired

  34·4

  Oil-fired

  9·1

  Hydro

  12·7

  Pumped storage (net)

  0·2

  Other (for example diesels, wind, private generation)

  0·1

  100·0

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the proportion of electricity generation in Scotland in 1998 which will be met by(a) nuclear, (b) coal-fired, (c) oil-fired, (d) hydro and (e) other power stations.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 7 March 1988]: The proportions of electricity generation met from different sources in 1998 will depend upon the availability of fuels and their relative costs at that time. In view of the uncertainties associated with these factors, it is considered that no useful estimates can be made.

  United States Tobacco Company
  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the grants awarded to the United States Tobacco Company to set up and maintain its company in East Kilbride.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 7 March 1988]: I refer to the reply given to the hon. Member for Falkirk, East (Mr. Ewing) on 4 March.

  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if it is his intention to provide additional grant support to the United States Tobacco Company in East Kilbride to manufacture products other than tobacco products for oral use, consequent upon the announcement made by the
  153
  Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health, the hon. Member for Derbyshire, South (Mrs. Currie), on 26 February, Official Report, column 362, concerning a prohibition on tobacco products for oral use.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 7 March 1988]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 3 March. It is, of course, open to the company to apply for relevant grants for any projects which it is considering.

  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will take steps to provide alternative employment for the employees of the United States Tobacco Company in East Kilbride consequent upon the announcement made by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health, the hon. Member for Derbyshire, South (Mrs. Currie), on 26 February,Official Report, column 362, concerning a prohibition on tobacco products for oral use.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 7 March 1988]: I refer to my previous reply to the hon. Member on 3 March.

  Mr. Harry Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he intends to discuss with United States Tobacco the refunding of financial assistance given to it for the manufacture of Skoal Bandits.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 4 March 1988]: Any question of the refunding of financial assistance in relation to United States Tobacco will arise only if the conditions under which assistance was given are breached. I have no evidence at this time that any such breach has taken place.

  Mr. Harry Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on what date it was decided to give financial assistance to United States Tobacco for the manufacture of Skoal Bandits; and what was the total amount of assistance given.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 4 March 1988]: Financial assistance in terms of the Industrial Development Act 1982 was offered to United States Tobacco on 27 November 1984. To date the only payments made have been under the regional development grant scheme and amount to £193,357.

TRANSPORT

  EC (Internal Market)
  Mr. Heddle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the extent and impact of the proposals contained in the European Commission's White Paper, "Europe without frontiers; Towards a Large Internal Market", in so far as his Department is concerned.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on 3 March. The Department of Transport has a particular interest in proposals covering the transport of goods and passengers by road, vehicle emissions and vehicle type approval, air transport, maritime transport, and inland waterways transport.

  Departmental Staff
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many members of staff within his Department are 154
  located within each region outside London; what percentage this constitutes of staff within his Department; and what are the comparable figures, in absolute arid percentage terms, in 1979.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The number of percentage of Department of Transport staff (including casuals and part-timers) located outside London is as follows:

  1 March 1988

  1 April 1979

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  South East

  2,146

  14·1

  2,193

  14·8

  South West

  1,103

  7·3

  864

  5·8

  East Anglia

  314

  2·1

  324

  2·2

  East Midlands

  545

  3·6

  497

  3·4

  West Midlands

  773

  5·1

  720

  4·9

  North West

  842

  5·5

  797

  5·4

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  694

  4·6

  669

  4·5

  Northern

  452

  3·0

  453

  3·1

  Wales

  4,665

  30·7

  5,193

  35·1

  Scotland

  797

  5·3

  752

  5·1

  Northern Ireland

  15

  0·1

  0

  0·0

  Organisation changes made since 1979 will distort any comparison between years. These include the transfer of 765 staff from the Department of Environment in 1981 and 1,459 from the Department of Trade and Industry in 1984.

  Truck Stops
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on progress on meetings with local authority associations and others on the provision of truck stops near motorways.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  On 19 February the Department had discussions with the three main local authority associations concerned with the provision of services on all purpose trunk roads, including those for lorry drivers. It is proposed shortly to have a further meeting with both them and representatives of the oil and catering industries so as to take further the initiative to secure comprehensive provision of facilities where needed and where consistent with road safety and other considerations.

  The policy on provision of services for motorway users was set out in answer to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Mid-Worcestershire (Mr. Forth) on 1 July last year, column 88. Where proposals are put forward for truck stops off motorways but designed to serve the needs of motorway users, the Department asks local planning authorities to take into account road safety and traffic implications as well as the services already available or to be provided on the motorway itself.

  Merchant Shipping Policy
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last met members of the Nautical Institute to discuss merchant shipping policy.

  Mr. Channon
  I have had no such meeting, but officials of my Department are in regular contact with the institute.

  Motorways (Surface Water)
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department will undertake further surveys to assess the effect of spray on motorways and its involvement in accidents.
  155
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The Department's research programme on spray includes work on drivers' reactions to spray in motorway conditions. Motorway accident reports do not identify the possible contribution of spray.

  Heavy Vehicles (Spray Guards)
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has any proposals to legislate for improved heavy vehicle spray guards.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Regulations introduced in 1984 require spray reducing devices on new British registered heavy lorries and existing heavy trailers. The devices must comply with British Standard BS AU 200. The European Commission has made proposals on similar lines, but there is no early prospect of these being adopted by the Council of Ministers.

  Channel Tunnel
  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what indications he has received from British Rail as to when it is likely to come forward with proposals for the construction of a high speed railway line across Kent to link London and other British cities with the continental rail network after the Channel tunnel is built.

  Mr. Channon
  I have asked British Rail to let me have a report by 1 June 1988 on the options for increasing the capacity of its rail network between London and the tunnel once the capacity of the existing network is exhausted. It will be considering all possible options, including a new high-speed line.

  Merchant Shipping Act 1984
  Mr. Onslow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received concerning the need to reform the provisions of the Merchant Shipping Act 1984, in so far as these have come to be applied to the disposal of antiquities recovered from historic shipwrecks; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Channon
  One such representation has been made, by the Museums Association. Our aim is that the disposal of items recovered from wreck sites designated under the provisions of the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973 as of historical, archaeological or artistic importance should be conducted in such a way as to ensure as far as possible that they remain accessible to the general public, that collections of items are kept together and that items of particular local interest go to local museums. In 1984 my Department published a consultative document containing proposals for changes to the wreck provisions of the 1894 Act. It remains the Government's intention to introduce legislation on the lines proposed, when Parliamentary time allows.

  Railways (Capital Investment)
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last met the chairman of British rail to discuss the railways capital investment programme.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  My right hon. Friend discusses BR's capital investment programme with the chairman each year when considering BR's corporate plan and its external financing requirements. Particular aspects of the 156
  capital investment programme are discussed as necessary. Major projects are submitted for my right hon. Friend's approval.

  Drink-Driving
  Mr. Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make available the established international protocal for the conduct of roadside surveys of drinking and driving.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The recommended research methodology for such surveys is set out in an annex to the OECD report "Road Research: New Research on the Role of Alcohol and Drugs in Road Accidents" published in 1978. I have arranged for a copy to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Lord
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department is undertaking in support of his efforts to reduce drinking and driving.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The Transport and Road Research Laboratory will be publishing tomorrow the results of a study of the personal characteristics, driving experience and drinking habits of drivers or riders who had been involved in road accidents. The study has been able to quantify for the first time the frequency with which particular characteristics and initiatives occur and the extent to which these vary with the level of drinking prior to the accident.

  To complement this work the laboratory will now be carrying out a programme of roadside surveys of drinking and driving in Warwickshire and Sussex. The surveys will provide valuable information about attitudes to drinking and driving of a random selection of people from the general driving population. Participation in the surveys will be voluntary. By enlarging the sample in this way we shall obtain a fuller picture of the problem and be able to target efforts to put an end to the drinking and driving menace more effectively.

  Orange Badge Scheme
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the review into the operation of the orange badge scheme of parking concessions for disabled people is expected to report; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hannam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has completed his review of the orange badge parking scheme for the disabled; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  [holding answer 7 March 1988]: The Department is issuing a revised leaflet on the orange badge scheme.

  The leaflet is an interim measure and seeks to provide better information on the rights and duties of badgeholders under the present scheme. We hope to make a further announcement shortly on measures to improve the scheme as a result of the recent review.

  Copies of the leaflet have been placed in the Library.

SOCIAL SERVICES

  Competitive Tendering
  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what savings he expects from competitive tendering in 1988–89 and subsequent years.

  Mr. Sims
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what savings he expects from competitive tendering in 1988–89 and subsequent years.

  Mr. Newton
  Cumulative annual savings in respect of domestic, laundry and catering services will amount to some £105 million in the coming year. Further extension of the programme to other services is a matter for regional and district health authorities to determine in the light of local needs, priorities and resources.

  Mr. Gregory
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a further statement on the progress of the competitive tendering initiative.

  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a further statement on the progress of the competitive tendering initiative.

  Mrs. Currie
  The most recent information held centrally is for the quarter ended 31 December 1987. By that date approaching 95 per cent. of domestic and laundry services had been put out to tender, and some 75 per cent. of catering services. Estimated annual savings generated from contracts awarded for the three services totalled £105 million: £79 million for domestic services, £18 million for catering services and £8 million for laundry services. £28 million has been generated from contracts won by outside contractors and £77 million from tenders secured by in-house organisations.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many districts have yet to let any contracts by competitive tendering.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services, how many districts have yet to let any contracts by competitive tendering.

  Mrs. Currie
  Only three district health authorities have yet to let a contract for at least one of the three services to which the competitive tendering initiative applies. Of these, two have now gone out to tender for domestic and laundry services and the third intends to put its domestic services out to tender shortly.

  Mr. Forth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his policy towards the extension of competitive tendering to non-medical areas other than laundry, cleaning and catering.

  Mrs. Currie
  Competitive tendering has established its value as a management tool in the National Health Service. We encourage health authorities to look constructively at any possibility of securing greater cost-effectiveness in the provision of their NHS services. This can include going to tender for services other than domestic cleaning, catering and laundry, noting that competitive tendering for those services has already generated annual savings of over £100 million in England.

  Social Fund
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has received any further representations about the level of the capital limit which bars application for single payments from the social fund.

  Mr. Patchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has received any further representations about the level of the capital limit which bars application for single payments or the social fund.

  Mr. Portillo
  We have received very few representations recently. Capital over £500 is taken into account in assessing the amount of any single payment award. A similar rule for the social fund ensures that social fund payments are made to those people most in need of help.

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what step he is taking to monitor the impact of the social fund on the clients of local authority social services departments.

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is taking to monitor the impact of the social fund on the clients of local authority social service departments.

  Mr. Scott
  There will be a great deal of management information on the number of applications and refusals, the amounts awarded, for what purpose, and the applicants to whom the awards are made. The quality of decision-making will also be monitored. We propose to commission independent research later in the year into the extent to which the social fund is meeting its objectives.

  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what arrangements have been made to provide additional funds to his Department's officers should urgent, serious or special needs arise for either grants or loans under the social fund after the relevant sums for any particular month have been exhausted.

  Mr. Portillo
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Maryhill (Ms. Fyfe) on 4 March at column 746.

  Hypothermia
  Mr. Jacques Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how frequently hypothermia is cited as a cause of death; and to what extent the incidence of hypothermia is changing.

  Mrs. Currie
  The total number of deaths from all causes in England and Wales last year was 560,000. The provisional total of deaths from hypothermia was 581. There has been no particular trend in this total in recent years.

  Personal Social Services
  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the review of the National Health Service at present being undertaken by the Government will take into account the impact of National Health Service funding on the personal social services.

  Mr. Newton
  We shall seek to take account of all relevant factors.

  Drugs
  Sir John Farr
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list in order the three biggest overseas suppliers of drugs to the National Health Service.

  Mr. Newton
  For the family practitioner services in Great Britain, the three biggest overseas-owned companies supplying drugs to the NHS in 1986 were, CIBA Geigy, Merck Sharp and Dohme, and Bayer in that order. For drugs supplied to the hospital service, aggregate information concerning suppliers is not collected.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Frank Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he has taken to ensure that all housing authorities will be able to implement the new housing benefit scheme on 1 October.

  Mr. Portillo
  The new housing benefit scheme starts from 1 April 1988. The Department has been involved in consultation with local authority Associations on details of the new scheme for over 18 months. It has provided £25 million this year for authorities' preparation costs and produced and distributed free of charge training material, publicity and explanatory literature.

  Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act
  Mr. Randall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people with disabilities were registered with their local social services authorities under section 1 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act at the latest date for which figures are available.

  Mr. Haynes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people were registered as disabled with their local authorities at the latest date for which figures are available.

  Mr. Scott
  The latest information available centrally on the number of people with disabilities registered with local authorities Social Service Authorities in England is as follows:

  In 1984, there were about 1·1 million people registered as physically disabled.

  In 1986, there were about 192,000 people registered as blind or partially sighted.

  Also in 1986, there were over 97,000 people registered as deaf or hard of hearing.

  Mr. Eastham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people received help under the provisions of section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act in the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Scott
  This information is not collected centrally. The information that is available relates to the number of meals served and to the number of cases of assistance in England in the year ending 31 March 1986, and the latest figures are:

  Number of meals served: over 44 million

  Number of cases of assistance: some 670,000

  Further details are available in the publication: "Domiciliary Services, Aids and Adaptations Year Ending 31 March 1986" England: a copy of which has been placed in the Library.

  Mr. Bidwell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many local authorities are fully 160
  meeting their statutory duties to disabled people registered with them under the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act.

  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he takes to ensure that all social services authorities are fulfilling their statutory duties under section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act.

  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he takes to ensure that all social services authorities are fulfilling their statutory duties under section 1 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act.

  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied that all local social services authorities are meeting their statutory duties under the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act.

  Mr. Scott
  Responsibility for implementing the Act lies with local authorities. However, the Department receives regular returns on certain services provided under the Act, in addition to information from a number of sources including the social services inspectorate.

  Mr. Allen McKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the adequacy of funds available to local social services authorities for the implementation of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act.

  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the additional resources local social services authorities would need fully to implement the provisions of section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act in respect of all the disabled people registered with them under the Act.

  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to increase the resources available to local social services authorities to implement the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act.

  Mr. John
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will increase the resources available to local social services authorities to implement the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act.

  Mr. Scott
  I am unable to add to my reply to the hon. Member for Aberdeen South (Mr. Doran) on 9 February 1988 at column 191.

  Winter Mortality
  Mr. Summerson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the causes of the 30-year decline, in England, in excess winter mortality.

  Mr. Carttiss
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what further information he can provide on recent trends in the incidence of winter mortality among elderly people.

  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the causes of the 30-year decline, in England, in excess winter mortality.

  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what further information he can provide on recent trends in the incidence of winter mortality among elderly people.
  161
  Mrs. Currie
  Since 1958 there has been a clear downward trend in excess winter mortality. For England and Wales, it averaged 55·6 per cent. between 1958 and 1962, dropping to 28·6 per cent., or around 37,000 cases each winter, between 1983 and 1987. The causal relationship between cold weather and excess winter mortality is not clearly understood, and further research is needed. We hope that the Medical Research Council will be able to help out in this area.

  Disabled People
  Mr. John Garrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what resources are being allocated to the special fund his Department is setting up in co-operation with the Disablement Income Group.

  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to be able to indicate the cost to the Government of the special fund his Department is setting up with the Disablement Income Group.

  Mr. Ray Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what sums he expects to be made available by his Department to the Disablement Income Group for the special fund for assisting people with disabilities who will have a reduced social security entitlement in April.

  Mr. Scott
  Up to £5 million has been set aside for the fund in 1988–89. The level of funding for future years will be considered in the light of experience.

  Mr. Doran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what monitoring will take place of the implementation of the Disabled Person (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act, with particular regard to the interests of mentally ill people.

  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has to monitor the implementation of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986.

  Mr. Scott
  The particular needs of people who suffer from a mental disorder will be considered within the monitoring exercise which I mentioned in my reply to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Maryhill (Mrs. Fyfe) earlier today.

  Mr. Moss
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on his discussions with the Disablement Income Group before and after the Announcement of new measures to assist very severely disabled people.

  Mr. Scott
  The discussions are continuing. The Disablement Income Group is working with my officials to devise criteria of eligibility for payment from the fund and is giving advice on other administrative matters. As I announced in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Richmond and Barnes (Mr. Hanley) today the fund's trustees will include individuals nominated by the Disablement Income Group.

  The dicsussions I held with the Disablement Income Group and other organisations of and for disabled people before the announcement of the fund were informal and those who gave their advice did so in confidence.
  162
  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many cases of discrimination against disabled people have been referred to his Department in each of the past four years.

  Mr. Scott
  The numbers of complaints of alleged discrimination against disabled people referred to the Department in each of the last four years are as follows:

  Number

  1984

  3

  1985

  2

  1986

  0

  1987

  4

  In addition we have so far received two complaints in 1988.

  Long-term Sick and Disabled People
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the Government's total estimated expenditure on the long-term sick and disabled for 1987 –88; how this compares with 1978 –79 in real terms; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  The estimated expenditure on benefits for long-term sick and disabled people for 1987 –88 is £6 ·75 billion. This is an increase of over 80 per cent. in real terms compared with expenditure in 1978 –79.

  Health Vouchers
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what recent representations he has received seeking the inclusion in the current Government review of the National Health Service the idea of issuing vouchers to enable people to contract out of the National Health Service; what response he has made; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moore
  We have received a number of representations about the introduction of vouchers. We shall consider all proposals put to us in the context of our review.

  NHS Review
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress has been made in the examination of the use of resources in the National Health Service as part of the overall review of the funding of the service.

  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to reorganise the administration of the National Health Service.

  Mr. Duffy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what consultations the Government have undertaken in their consideration of the future of the National Health Service.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if the current review of National Health Service funding will compare the National Health Service with health services in other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moore
  The Government's review of the Health Service will be wideranging and fundamental. We shall look at all the options, including the experience of the
  163
  other countries, and shall bring forward our proposals in due course. In the meantime, I shall consider carefully any representations which are made to me.

  NHS Pay Awards
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received regarding the funding of any pay awards made to National Health Service employees.

  Mr. Wall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make it his policy that Her Majesty's Government will meet the pay award to nurses and the ancillary staff in the National Health Service.

  Mr. Newton
  A large number of representations on the subject of funding pay awards has been received from a wide range of organisations and individuals.

  As in the past, the Government will await the recommendations of the review body on nurses' pay before taking decisions on implementation and funding. These decisions will be announced as soon as possible thereafter. The pay of ancillary staff is a matter for negotiation within the ancillary staffs Whitley Council.

  Nursing Homes
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what recent representations he has received regarding income support limits for elderly people in residential care and nursing homes.

  Mr. Portillo
  We have received a number of letters on the levels of the income support limits; in addition I recently met representatives of the National Confederation of Registered Residential Care Homes Associations and this issue was raised.

  Blackpool HQ Office
  Mr. Holt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he will next review the work of his Departments headquarters office at Blackpool; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  Under standing management arrangements, the functions, objectives, resources and performance of North Fylde central office are kept under regular review in accordance with the principles of the Government's financial management initiative.

  Trent Region (Funding)
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the funding of the National Health Service in the Trent region in the forthcoming financial year.

  Mr. Newton
  Trent regional health authority's initial general revenue allocation will be some £1,050 million. This is a cash increase of 6 ·3 per cent. (1 ·7 per cent. above forecast general inflation) and will bring the region to within 3 per cent. of its target share of resources. The region will also receive £1 ·16 million for the treatment and prevention of AIDS and £0 ·75 million to develop breast cancer screening services. Trent's capital allocation will be over £61 million. Allocations to district health authorities are a matter for the RHA.

  Purchasing Procedures
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will undertake a review of his Department's purchasing procedures with a view to widening access to small suppliers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Currie
  We have recently appointed a departmental purchasing adviser, part of whose task is to oversee the implementation of the agreed recommendations of the multi-Department review of purchasing and to review all departmental purchasing and contracting procedures, with specific reference to ensuring equal opportunity for small suppliers. In the National Health Service, a major proportion of suppliers are small firms and we are seeking to develop further opportunities for them, always having regard to the need to obtain value for money, both in departmental and NHS purchasing.

  Social Security Reform
  Mr. Flannery
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many families will lose net weekly spending power in April on the basis of the figures given in his answer to the hon. Member for Kensington (Sir B. Rhys Williams) on 4 February,Official Report, column 737.

  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many families will lose net weekly spending power in April on the basis of the figures given in his answer to the hon. Member for Kensington (Sir B. Rhys Williams) on 4 February,Official Report, column 737.

  Mr. Scott
  The hypothetical examples given in my reply to the hon. Member for Kensington (Sir B. Rhys Williams) on 4 February at columns 737–42 cannot be used to assess the actual impact of the reforms. Nationally representative data reflecting families' actual circumstances give a more balanced picture. I refer the hon. Members to the "Impact of the Reformed Structure of Income-Related Benefits" published last October by the Department. Copies are in the Library.

  NHS Buildings (Norfolk)
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to increase investment in new National Health Services buildings in the Norfolk area.

  Mrs. Currie
  Investment in new hospital buildings in the Norfolk area is the responsibility of the East Anglian regional health authority. However, my hon. Friend may be aware that the regional health authority has submitted to the Department a proposal to build a second district general hospital in Norwich at a total cost of £50 million.

  Private Ambulances
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will provide details of any representations made to him from private companies with regard to alternative arrangements for providing ambulance services.

  Mrs. Currie
  We have had no direct representations from private companies about existing services; but it is for health authorities to manage ambulance service
  165
  provision locally and I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Norwood (Mr. Fraser) on I March 1988 at column 610.

  Nurses (Pay)
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when the review body for nursing staff will report on the nurses' pay award.

  Mr. Newton
  The nurses' pay review body is expected to report to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in April.

  NHS Consultants
  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many consultants are employed in the National Health Service; and of those how many work in more than one district health authority.

  Mr. Newton
  At 30 September 1986 there were 14,731 medical and dental consultants employed in NHS hospitals in England. Information is not held centrally on the number of these who work in more than one district health authority.

  Health Authorities (Trading of Services)
  Mrs. Rosie Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he intends to take any steps to encourage district health authorities to trade services between one another to reduce waiting lists and improve efficiency.

  Mr. Newton
  As part of our waiting list initiative we are keen to encourage far better use of all health care capacity and this includes one district making use of temporary spare capacity in another for an agreed number of patients at an agreed cost. I wrote to regional chairmen last December pointing out the scope for health authorities to arrange treatment for waiting list patients in this way.

  Home Helps
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many social service departments provide home help services free of charge; and what number do not.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the minimum and maximum charges for home help services by social services departments.

  Mr. Newton
  Local authorities have discretion whether, and to what extent, to charge for home help services. Information about charges is not collected by the Department. However, details are available in "Personal Social Services Statistics, 1985–86, Actuals", published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, a copy of which is in the Library.

  Social Fund Officers
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he has taken to train social fund officers in their new duties.

  Mr. Portillo
  I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Member for Islington, North (Mr. Corbyn) on 15 December at columns 483–4.

  Consultants (Contracts)
  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has plans to transfer consultants contracts from regional to district health authorities.

  Mr. Newton
  We have no plans to do so.

  Retail Prices Index (Error)
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many representations he has received concerning the decision not to pay £8 additions to recipients with two benefits on one book; from whom he has received the representations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received seeking full reimbursement to all pensioners and other recipients of state benefits for the computer error made regarding back payments; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  We have received some 670 representations about the £8 special payments exercise most of which concerned more than one benefit combined on a single order book. By no means all of the individuals concerned have been under-compensated. Most representations were made by individuals through their Members of Parliament; a small proportion wrote directly to the Department.

  Disabled People (Discrimination)
  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to introduce further legislation further on discrimination against disabled people.

  Mr. Scott
  No.

  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many cases of discrimination against disabled people have been investigated by his Department; and what the results have been.

  Mr. Callaghan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if his Department is currently investigating any cases of discrimination against disabled people.

  Mr. Scott
  Since February 1983, when an invitation was extended by my hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Sir H. Rossi) for details of alleged discrimination to be submitted, 33 such cases have been referred to the Department.

  In those cases where investigations have been completed:

  in six cases, no evidence of discrimination was found;

  in six cases, insufficient information was available to enable inquiries to be completed;

  there were genuine problems of access in four cases;

  three cases involved judgments by a potential employer that the individual's disability adversely affected their ability to perform the job effectively or safely;

  in three cases the problem was resolved in favour of the complainant during the course of our inquiries;

  two cases involved commercial judgments, the basis of which could not effectively be checked;

  one case concerned maritime regulations laid before Parliament;

  one case was a complaint by a disabled person against an employee who was subsequently disciplined by the employer;

  167

  one case involved a conflict of opinion over the application of right-to-buy housing legislation;

  in one case the Department requested further information from the complainant but received no response;

  five cases are under consideration.

  Elderly People
  Mr. Arbuthnot
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the extent of support for elderly people in the United Kingdom; and what equivalent information he has about other European countries.

  Mr. Sumberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of gross domestic product in the United Kingdom is spent on support for elderly people; and what equivalent information he has about other countries in the EEC.

  Mr. Scott
  At the latest date for which full comparable information is available, the United Kingdom devoted 9·6 per cent. of its gross domestic product to the support of the elderly, excluding health care. Information for other EC member states is in the table.

  Expenditure on programmes for old age as a proportion of GDP at market prices for EC member states (excluding Greece) in 1983

  Country

  Percentage

  Denmark

  10·4

  France

  9·8

  Percentage change in net revenue expenditure 1980–81 and 1986–871

  Percentage change in whole time equivalent medical staff3 1980 to 1986

  Cash Per cent.

  Real terms2 Per cent.

  Per cent.

  West Midlands

  54·1

  8·0

  9·7

  England

  50·0

  6·5

  8·1

  1 Figures are based on health authorities' summarised income and expenditure accounts.

  2 Adjusted by the gross domestic product deflator.

  3 Includes permanent paid, honorary and locum staff.

  Families (Financial Aid)
  Mr. David Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many more families with children will be eligible for targeted financial support following implementation of the Social Security Act 1986.

  Mr. Scott
  When, in April, income support supersedes supplementary benefit the broad number of recipients caring for dependent children is likely to be unaltered. Some new entitlements are, however, expected because there will be a more generous capital rule allowing those with savings of up to £6,000 to claim. Priority will be given to families with children through a system of special automatic weekly premiums.

  Help will also be targeted more effectively on need among working families. Thus, whilst 300,000 families may lose entitlement to housing benefit, 270,000 more families are expected to receive the new and more generous family credit when it replaces family income supplement. In total, 470,000 families are expected to receive family credit.

  Overall, and in addition to the transitional arrangements providing cash protection for those families who
  168

  Country

  Percentage

  United Kingdom

  9·6

  Italy

  9·5

  Netherlands

  8·6

  West Germany

  8·6

  Luxembourg

  7·8

  Ireland

  6·1

  Average

  9·3

  Source: Eurostat Statistical Bulletin, Social protection Statistics, March 1985.

  Note: Figures include state and occupational pensions and cash benefits for the elderly, expenditure on residential and nursing homes, local authority services for the elderly and other expenditure on the elderly, excluding health care and increases in pensions for dependants.

  NHS Funding
  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the percentage change in (i) National Health Service funding and (ii) employment of medical staff for the years 1980 to 1987 for(a) England and Wales and (b) the west midlands region.

  Mr. Newton
  The information requested in respect of the hospital and community health service in England and the west midlands region is shown in the table. Information relating to Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  might receive less by way of income support and family credit, the weekly net disposable incomes of low income families with children will rise by around £200 million annually.

  Obstetric Units
  Mr. Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what discussions he has had with the professional bodies representing anaesthetists and obstetricians about maintaining flying squad services to small obstetric units.

  Mrs. Currie
  Responsibility for determining the pattern of maternity care rests with individual health authorities. General guidelines on clinical operational and medical cover for maternity units are contained in the second and third reports of the maternity services advisory committee, which have been commended to health authorities for action. The guidance further states that the policies should be regularly updated and agreed with senior members of the professions involved.
  169
  Mr. Fallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will set out the functions currently exercised by regional health authorities.

  Mrs. Currie
  Under the terms of the NHS Act 1977 (as amended) regional health authorities act as agents of the Secretary of State in contributing to the provision of a comprehensive health service in England. Their specific functions are detailed in various statutory instruments and health circulars, but in general each RHA is responsible, within national guidelines, for the policies and strategic plans for health services in its region. The RHA's allocate resources to and monitor the performance of their district health authorities in achieving agreed objectives. They are the design and contracting authority for major capital developments and provide certain regional services such as the blood transfusion service, management services and in some cases, ambulance services. Regional health authorities also hold the contacts of consultants not working in teaching districts.

  Foster Parents
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what resources his Department plans to provide to train foster parents dealing with children involved in suspected cases of non-accidental injury.

  Mr. Newton
  The training of foster parents is a matter for individual local authorities who set their own priorities in relation to available resources. However, we recognise that there may be a need to develop new training materials for use in the preparation of foster parents who will be having abused children placed in their homes, and we are considering this for the inclusion in the Government's central child abuse training initiative.

  Staff Shortages
  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the representations made by hon. Members concerning staff shortages in local benefit offices of his Department.

  Mr. Portillo
  The complementing system for local offices aims to match staff and work loads, and I am satisfied that, overall, this aim has been achieved. Inevitably, there will be some local offices where, on occasions, factors such as higher than anticipated turnover of staff will lead to a temporary shortfall. However, I am confident that appropriate steps are taken by local management to make good these shortfalls as soon as possible.

  Benefits and Rebates
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the likely effects on the physical and moral well-being of individuals and on family life, of the combined effect of differential rates of social security benefits and proposed community charge rebates, for those aged under and over 25 years.

  Mr. Scott
  Whereas the present supplementary benefit scheme has differential rates of benefit for householders and non-householders, which may encourage young people to leave home, the new income support scheme will have rates of benefit which will vary according to age and family status. People under 18 will not be liable to pay the 170
  community charge. Those young people who are liable will be helped, in the same way as anyone else, through a new community charge rebate scheme and the help towards the 20 per cent. minimum contribution which will be built into income-related benefit levels. The new arrangements are not expected to affect adversely family life or the well-being of individuals.

  Southend Office
  Dr. Michael Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the total value of the benefits administered by the Southend office of his Department during the last 12 months for which figures are available.

  Mr. Portillo
  I regret that the information is not available. For those benefits administered by the Department's local offices, there is no routine collection of information about the value of benefits paid to beneficiaries in the area; an estimate could be given only after a costly special exercise.

  Patient Care
  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how much extra money has been made available for patient care as a result of contracting-out National Health Service services.

  Mrs. Currie
  As at December 1987 cumulative annual savings of some £105 million had been generated from contracts awarded following competitive tendering for domestic cleaning, catering and laundry services. Information is not held centrally on other contracting out.

  Hospital Facilities
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to visit Liverpool to inspect National Health Service hospital facilities.

  Mrs. Currie
  We have no plans at present to visit hospital premises in Liverpool.

  Salaries and Wages
  Mr. Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his latest estimate of the percentage of the total cost of the National Health Service which is allocated to salaries and wages; and what was the overall average percentage increase in salaries and wages in the last 12 months.

  Mr. Newton
  The summarised accounts of regional and district health authorities in England for 1986–87 (the latest year available) show that 74·5 per cent. of their total revenue expenditure was incurred on gross salaries and wages costs (including employer's national insurance and superannuation contributions and expenditure on non-National Health Service, agency, etc., staff). Between 1985–86 and 1986–87 health authorities' total expenditure on salaries and wages increased in cash terms by 8·0 per cent. Equivalent information for 1987–88 will not be available until the autumn.

  Committee on Food Policy
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the current work of the Chief Medical Officer's committee on food policy.

  Mrs. Currie
  The work currently being undertaken by the Chief Medical Officer's Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy through its panels, working groups and sub-committees includes:a continuing review of matters relating to infant and child nutrition, with particular reference to ways of promoting breastfeeding; as recommended in the COMA report "Present day practice in Infant Feeding: Third Report" published in February 1988;
  a continuing review of the relationship between diet and cardiovascular disease; as recommended in the COMA report on "Diet and Cardiovascular Disease" published in 1984;
  a study of the rate of growth and achieved height of primary schoolchildren aged 5 to 11, with special reference to inner city and ethnic minority groups;
  special consideration of the nutritional status of children in families in "bed and breakfast" accommodation;
  review of the recommended daily amounts for energy and nutrients, embracing protein, vitamins, minerals, fat, carbohydrate, dietary fibre; this panel was set up on 28 September 1987;
  the relationships, if any, between dietary sugars and disease; this panel was set up on 19 March 1987;
  completion of detailed analysis of data from the 1984 survey of schoolchildren's diets;
  analysis of the data from the 1986–87 survey of adult nutritional status and diets, in collaboration with MAFF and OPCS;
  preparation of the third report of the sub-committee on nutritional surveillance, a summary of which is expected shortly.

  We are most grateful to all the members of COMA for their efforts.

  Griffiths Report
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he received the Griffiths report; when the report will be published; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the Griffiths report on community care will be published in full; and if he will make a statement on the delays that have held up his publication of the report.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has yet received the report by Sir Roy Griffiths on care in the community; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moore
  I have received Sir Roy Griffiths' report. I am arranging for publication on 16 March and copies will then be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

  The report makes wide-ranging proposals affecting the responsibilities of local government; individuals' social security entitlements; central funding and control of community care services; and aspects of the social fund.

  The Government will be considering the proposals, taking account of the report of the committee chaired by Lady Wagner on residential care which the National Institute for Social Work is publishing tomorrow, and of reactions to both reports; and will bring forward their own proposals in due course.

  Speech Therapists
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many health authorities are currently unable to recruit their full establishment of speech therapists.

  Mr. Newton
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Wolverhampton, North-East (Mrs. Hicks) on 29 February at column 463.

  Child Care
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to be in a position to announce what further action is planned on child care law, following the suggestion contained in the Government's White Paper issued in January 1987.

  Mr. Newton
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Surrey, South West (Mrs. Bottomley) on 28 October 1987 at columns 307–8.

  No-fault Drug Damage Compensation Scheme
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will initiate discussions with the Association of British Pharmaceutical Industries regarding the establishment of a no-fault drug damage compensation scheme.

  Mr. Newton
  We have no plans to do so. The Government have already introduced changes, which took effect from 1 March 1988 through the Consumer Protection Act 1987, to remove the need for an individual to prove negligence in establishing liability where it can he shown that a defective medicinal product caused personal injury. It must be for the pharmaceutical industry to decide whether it wishes to set up its own no-fault drug compensation scheme.

  Physiotherapists
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is taking to encourage the recruitment and training of physiotherapists.

  Mr. Newton
  The manpower planning advisory group which advises the NHS management board and regional chairmen on NHS manpower issues, has recently established a joint consultative group with the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy which is considering supply and demand in the profession as a matter of priority. When the results of that study are known, consideration will be given to preparation of appropriate advice to NHS authorities on recruitment and training.

  Non-accidental Injuries (Investigations)
  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what amounts of resources his Department plans to provide to train social workers in investigating suspected cases of non-accidental injury.

  Mr. Newton
  The Department makes grants available to Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work which has within its programme work to develop child care training. We have also set up a centrally funded interdisciplinary training initiative as announced on 30 October 1986 and 8 April 1987 at a cost of £500,000.
  173
  Several of the six projects so far established will be of benefit to social workers. Other projects are under consideration.

  Free School Milk and Meals
  Mrs. Maureen Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what provision has been made for pupils currently entitled to free school milk and free school lunches whose parents will be in receipt of income support after April.

  Mr. Portillo
  I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to her on 26 February 1988 at column 361.

  Patient Statistics
  Mr. Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many patients were treated in National Health Service hospitals in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what was the comparable figure for 1978–79.

  Mrs. Currie
  I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Skipton and Ripon (Mr. Curry) on 24 November at columns 168–69.

  State Pensions
  Mr. Patrick Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has as to how many countries in the European Economic Community pay a basic pension of equal value to all or most elderly people.

  Mr. Scott
  Denmark and the United Kingdom pay flat-rate pensions to almost all pensioners, plus earnings-related additions. Ireland and the Netherlands pay flat-rate pensions to those who have satisfied contribution conditions, but do not pay separate pensions to married women without a contribution record of their own. The Netherlands also has an earnings-related top-up. Other EC countries have earnings-related pension systems in which the level of final pension depends on the individual's own average earnings and contribution record. Some have thresholds to ensure that no contributor falls below a minimum regardless of actual earnings-related entitlement. Separate pensions are not available in other EC countries to wives without a contribution record.

  New Social Security Legislation
  Dr. Reid
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received from Strathclyde regional council on the impact of the new social security legislation.

  Mr. Portillo
  We have no record of any formal representations having been received from Strathclyde regional council during 1988. Last year, Strathclyde regional council made representations on the consultative draft social fund manual.

  Transitional Payments
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on preparations for the implementation of transitional payments under the new social security legislation.
  174
  Mr. Scott
  The assumptions used in estimating the number and level of transitional additions payable at the implementation of income support and family credit are outlined in the explanatory notes to the tables in "Impact of the Reformed Structure of Income-Related Benefits", a copy of which is available in the Library. For income support the data source was the 1986 "Annual Statistical Enquiry;" for family credit it was the family expenditure surveys for 1983, 1984 and 1985.

  The estimated number of claimants in Great Britain who will receive a transitional addition at the point of change is 1·4 million.

  Young Children (Poisoning)
  Mr. Hannam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what further action is being considered to deal with the continued admissions to hospital of very young children with suspected poisoning.

  Mr. Bright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether in view of the continuing incidents of child poisoning, he will take steps to provide an increased protection for children by establishing safety standards for blister and strip packaging for medical tablets.

  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether, in view of the continuing incidence of child poisoning, he will take steps to provide increased protection for children by establishing safety standards for blister and strip packaging for medical tablets;

  (2) whether he will give the statistics from 1977 until the most recent date of young children admitted to hospital for in-patient and out-patient treatment as a result of poisoning or suspected poisoning;

  (3) whether he will publish information indicating the results of the introduction of child-resistant closures for medicines and the numbers of children admitted to hospital for treatment for poisoning;

  (4) what further action is being considered to deal with the continued admission to hospital of very young children with suspected child poisoning;

  (5) if he will receive a deputation from the campaign for safety standards in child-resistant packaging;

  (6) whether he will establish a system of monitoring and testing strip and blister packaging to ensure child safety.

  Mr. Newton
  [holding answer 26 February 1988]: The Government have emphasised the importance of preventive services generally and specifically asked health authorities to develop local strategies for reducing accidents in the home. We also fund the child accident prevention trust, which collects and disseminates information about accidents to children including information on accidental poisonings. We consider that future action must continue to concentrate on prevention and education.

  Our proposals for improved labelling of medicines include a clearer reminder to parents that all medicines should be kept away from children.

  The present arrangements are as follows. Under the Medicines (Child Safety) Regulation 1975, as amended, solid dose aspirin and paracetamol are to be supplied retail only in reclosable child resistant containers complying with BS 6652 or in dark or opaque strip or blister packs.

  175
  The Pharmaceutical Society has since 1981 advised pharmacists to apply the same arrangements to all dispensed solid-dose medicines, unless the patient specifically requests otherwise. In addition, all aspects of safety including quantity, labelling, and packaging are considered before decisions are taken to licence medicines for the market.

  Information about the effectiveness of child-resistant packaging has already been published in "Accidental Poisoning in Childhood: A Multicentre Survey" (Human Toxicology, Vol. 6, No. 4, p. 293–31, July 1987). This also emphasised the importance of secure home storage away from children and called for the development of standards of child resistance of packs.

  The industry has communicated its guidelines for the design of unit dose packs to the British Standards Institution which is considering them with a view to development of a standard or code of practice. We shall take a close interest in the progress of the work at the institution and will consider actively its conclusions when available.

  Should the campaign to which the right hon. Member refers, wish to put particular proposals to us, I should be happy to examine them and to consider whether a meeting might be helpful.

  Available information about in-patients aged 0 to 4 treated for the effects of poisoning is given in tables 1 and 2.

  Information about out-patients is not available centrally.

  Table 1

  Estimated number of discharges (including deaths in hospital of in-patients aged 0–4 with main diagnosis of poisoning by drugs, medicaments and biological substances1, non-psychiatric hospitals,England, 1977–85

  Year

  age Group 0–4year

  1977

  17,600

  1978

  14,870

  1979

  13,900

  1980

  12,960

  1981

  13,810

  1982

  13,580

  1983

  13,820

  1984

  13,380

  1985

  12,290

  1 1979–85 ICD Codes 960–989 (International Classification of Diseases; 9th Revision)

  1975–78 ICD Codes N960-N989 (International Classification of Diseases; 8th Revision)

  Table 2

  Estimated number of discharges (including deaths in hospital of in-patients aged 0–4 with main diagnosis of poisoning by drugs, medicaments and Bbiological substances1, non-psychiatric hospitals, England, 1975–85

  Year

  Age Group 0–4 year

  1975

  14,520

  1976

  12,640

  1977

  10,910

  1978

  8,700

  1979

  8,540

  1980

  7,800

  1981

  8,600

  1982

  8,460

  1983

  8,240

  1984

  8,190

  1985

  7,850

  176
  11979–85 ICD Codes 960–979 (International Classification of Diseases; 9th Revision)

  1975–78 ICD Codes N960-N979 (International Classification of Diseases; 8th Revision)

  Contract Cleaning
  Mr. Hayes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he last met representatives of the contract cleaning industry.

  Mr. John Moore
  I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Fylde (Mr. Jack) earlier today.

  Hospital Waiting Lists
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the current waiting lists for(a)examinations, (b)operations and (c)beds in each specialty in each hospital in (i) the Crewe, (ii) the Chester and (iii) the Halton health districts.

  Mr. Newton
  I am sorry I cannot give my hon. Friend all the information he seeks. The available information is given in the table. It should be noted that in certain specialities a clinician may maintain a waiting list which is common to more than one hospital within a district health authority.

  In-patient waiting lists as at 31 December 1986, by hospital, Chester, Crewe and Halton health authorities

  Health authority and hospital

  Specially

  Waiting list

  Chester

  Chester Royal Infirmary

  General surgery

  973

  Ear Nose and Throat

  48

  Traumatic and Orthopaedic

  342

  Opthalmology

  278

  Oral surgery

  121

  Gynaecology

  402

  Total

  2,164

  Chester City Hospital

  Total

  0

  Ellesmere Port Hospital

  Total

  0

  The Countess of Cheshire

  Mental illness

  20

  Hospital, Psychiatric

  Adolescent psychiatry

  1

  Wing

  Total

  21

  The Countess of Cheshire

  Total

  0

  Hospital, General wing and Maternity wing.

  The Manor Hospital

  Total

  0

  Crewe

  Leighton Hospital

  General medicine

  1

  General surgery

  1,509

  Ear Nose and Throat

  191

  Traumatic and Orthopaedic

  333

  Opthalmology

  217

  Urology

  665

  Oral surgery

  297

  Gynaecology

  796

  Total

  4,009

  Victoria Infirmary

  Total

  0

  Tarporley War Memorial Hospital

  Total

  0

  Barony Hospital

  Total

  0

  Oakmere Rehabilitation Centre

  Total

  0

  Cranage Hall Hospital

  Mental handicap

  2

  total

  2

  Arclid

  Total

  0

  Grange Hospital (Weaverham)

  Total

  0

  177

  Health authority and hospital

  Specialty

  Waiting list

  Halton

  Crossley Hospital

  Total

  0

  Crow Wood Hospital

  Total

  0

  Dutton Hospital

  Total

  0

  Halton General

  General medicine

  1

  General surgery

  153

  Urology

  34

  Total

  188

  Highfield Hospital

  Total

  0

  Community Mental Handicap Unit

  Total

  0

  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the figures for Sunderland health authority's in-patient waiting lists for each of the years from 1979 to the latest years for which figures are available.

  Mr. Newton
  The information requested is given in the table.

  Sunderland District Health Authority in-patient waiting list figures at 31 March, 1979 to 1987.

  Year

  Patients on waiting list

  1979

  5,549

  1980

  4,385

  1981

  4,195

  1982

  3,516

  1983

  5,254

  1984

  4,411

  1985

  3,851

  1986

  3,890

  1987

  3,659

  Mr. Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he was on the waiting list(a) for out-patient examinations and (b) for in-patient surgery, in the Northern regional health authority.

  Mr. Newton
  The latest available information about NHS waiting lists is contained in the summary booklet, "Hospital in-patient waiting list—England at 31 March 1987," copies of which have been placed in the Library. Information about out-patient waiting lists is not held centrally.

  Abortions
  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the number of abortions carried out on each day of January for(a) 1984, (b) 1985, (c) 1986, (d) 1987 and (e)

  Mr. Newton
  The number of notifications of abortions carried out on each day of January, England and Wales 1984–87 was as follows:

  January

  1984

  1985

  1986

  11987

  1

  1

  6

  46

  10

  2

  32

  410

  532

  545

  3

  431

  451

  551

  295

  4

  482

  499

  293

  109

  5

  509

  307

  112

  471

  6

  556

  59

  472

  497

  7

  343

  418

  434

  486

  8

  126

  428

  512

  583

  9

  528

  415

  530

  598

  10

  519

  594

  614

  330

  11

  468

  572

  356

  138

  178

  January

  1984

  1985

  1986

  11987

  12

  557

  382

  134

  544

  13

  628

  134

  572

  504

  14

  364

  530

  535

  493

  15

  144

  522

  527

  533

  16

  610

  497

  619

  586

  17

  594

  627

  653

  312

  18

  537

  613

  383

  127

  19

  635

  394

  139

  589

  20

  661

  140

  599

  543

  21

  353

  597

  559

  518

  22

  149

  552

  573

  646

  23

  646

  590

  644

  614

  24

  574

  636

  643

  368

  25

  532

  619

  381

  132

  26

  624

  369

  186

  643

  27

  667

  156

  663

  562

  28

  343

  571

  581

  588

  29

  143

  571

  551

  661

  30

  599

  552

  695

  674

  31

  559

  655

  666

  365

  1 Provisional.

  NHS (Administrative Costs)
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will show the total expenditure on National Health Service administrative and clerical staff for each of the years 1974, 1984, 1985 and 1986; and if he will also estimate National Health Service administrative overheads for each of these years.

  Mr. Newton
  Following is information, covering both hospital and community health services and family practitioner services, derived from annual accounts submitted to the Department:

  Expenditure on headquarters administration

  Expenditure on salaries and wages —administrative and clerical staff

  £000

  £000

  1974–75

  128,788

  210,628

  1984–85

  444,016

  797,761

  1985–86

  479,047

  839,180

  1986–87

  516,624

  905,333

  Sources:

  Annual financial accounts of:

  (i) regional and district health authorities and the special health authorities for the London postgraduate teaching hospitals. (predecessor authorities for 1974–75);

  (ii) family practitioner committees;

  (iii) the Dental Estimates Board and the Prescription Pricing Authority.

  Notes:

  1. Expenditure on headquarters administration includes all current expenditure on the pay and pay related costs of staff of all disciplines (including general managers) employed at headquarters levels and their office costs and overheads. It excludes the cost of clerical and secretarial support staff employed in departments at hospital and unit levels: such costs are regarded as operational.

  2. The figures for headquarters administration also include the total expenses of the Dental Estimates Board and the Prescription Pricing Authority which are regarded as wholly administrative.

  3. The figures for expenditure on the salaries and wages of administrative and clerical staff include:

  (i) the gross pay and employers' national insurance and superannuation contributions for all grades of National Health Service administrative and clerical staff employed at all levels;

  (ii) the total expenditure on the employment of all non-National Health Service (agency, etc) administrative and clerical staff;

  (iii) the total pay costs of the Dental Estimates Board and the Prescription Pricing Authority which are predominantly for

  179
  administrative and clerical staff but include a small element for other staff categories which is not separately identifiable.

  4. All expenditure by other bodies and special health authorities providing central services to the National Health Service (eg the Central Blood Laboratories Authority) and expenditure met centrally by the Department is excluded.

  Staff
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the cost of employing(a) directly employed staff, (b) temporary directly employed staff and (c) agency staff as (i) nurses, (ii) midwives, (iii) junior doctors and (iv) ancillary staff.

  Mr. Newton
  Following is information derived from summarised annual accounts of health authorities in England for 1986–87 (the latest year available):

  Expenditure £000

  Total directly employed National Health Service staff salaries and wages

  7,532,513

  Non NHS staff (agency etc.)

  (a) All nursing staff (including midwives)

  70,788

  (b) Medical staff (all grades)

  26,064

  (c) Ancillary staff

  6,359

  Supplementary information within the accounts of health authorities show that of the total directly employed National Health Service staff salaries and wages for medical staff (£1,067·5 million) and dental staff (£54·6 million) some £42·3 million and £0·8 million respectively related to locum staff. Otherwise, the annual accounts do not separately identify the costs of directly employed staff engaged on a temporary basis nor the costs of agency midwives and junior doctors.

  Midwives
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give, for each district health authority, regional health authority and special health authority, and the total for England as a whole(a) the number of agency midwives employed and (b) the amount spent on agency midwives in the latest available year, for the previous year and for 1979.

  Mr. Newton
  The number of agency midwifery staff in each region, special health authority and England at September 1979, 1985 and 1986 is given in the table. Similar information for September 1987 is not yet available. Information by district health authority is available only from 1982 and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Expenditure specifically for agency midwives is not available centrally.

  NHS midwifery agency staff: 30 September

  Whole-time equivalents1

  Region

  1979

  1985

  1986

  Northern

  2

  —

  —

  Yorkshire

  —

  1

  1

  Trent

  —

  —

  —

  East Anglian

  4

  6

  1

  North West Thames

  30

  58

  31

  North East Thames

  43

  66

  130

  South East Thames

  62

  81

  94

  South West Thames

  49

  26

  26

  Wessex

  2

  3

  —

  180

  Region

  1979

  1985

  1986

  Oxford

  3

  —

  —

  South Western

  16

  1

  —

  West Midlands

  9

  4

  10

  Mersey

  —

  —

  2

  North Western

  —

  —

  —

  London Postgraduate Special Health Authorities

  12

  15

  8

  England: Total

  l21

  261

  303

  Source: DHSS Annual census of NHS non-medical manpower.

  1 Figures are independently rounded to the nearest whole-time equivalent.

  Charing Cross Hospital
  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the saving to the district health authority which was estimated in the original feasibility study on the re-building of Charing Cross hospital; and what has the eventual saving actually been.

  Mrs. Currie
  Responsibility for the planning and construction of health buildings is delegated to regional health authorities. The hon. Member may wish to approach the regional chairman of the North-West Thames regional health authority to inquire what information is available.

  Long-term Disabled
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what special arrangements he is making to assist the long-term disabled when the new benefit system comes into effect in April.

  Mr. Scott
  Under the new benefit system, income support replaces supplementary benefit from 11 April. Claimants who, or whose partners receive attendance allowance, mobility allowance, invalidity benefit or severe disablement allowance or are blind, will qualify for the disability premium, as will claimants who have been sick for at least 28 weeks. The premium will be £13£05 for a single person and £18£60 for a couple. Claimants who are, or whose partner is, aged 60 or over and receive one of these qualifying benefits or are blind, will qualify for the higher pensioner premium which is payable at the same rate; so too will claimants who, immediately before their 60th birthday, were receiving the disability premium. People entitled to the disability premium who work part-time will be entitled to the higher (£ l5) earnings disregard. In addition, the severe disability premium will be paid to claimants who receive attendance allowance, live independently in the community and are not cared for by someone receiving invalid care allowance. This premium is £24·75 for a single person and £49·50 for couples both of whom satisfy the conditions. The same provisions will exist in the new housing benefit cheme.

  There will be no limit on the number of hours mentally or physically disabled people can work and remain entitled to income support if their earning capacity is reduced to 75 per cent. or less of what they would otherwise earn. Normally people who work 24 hours or more a week on average will not be entitled.

  We also intend to establish a special fund to enable very severely disabled people to live independently.
  181
  We will look again at provisions for disabled people when the results of the survey into disability being carried out by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys are known.

  Spending Power
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish tables similar to his Department's tax/benefit model table showing the net weekly spending power for each of(a) a single person, (b) a married couple with no children, (c) a couple with a child aged 11 years, (d) a couple with two children aged eight and 11 years, (e) a couple with three children aged eight, 11 and 15 years and (f) a couple with four children aged three, eight, 11 and 15 years, with weekly earnings of (i) £60, (ii) £70, (iii) £80, (iv) £90, (v) £110, (vi) £120,

  Existing tax and benefit system.Single person Income and means tested benefits Family head in full-time work

  Tex threshold: £48·17

  Earnings head

  Tax

  National insurance

  Family income supplement

  Child benefit

  Rent

  Rent rebate

  Rates

  Rate rebate

  Fares to work

  Free school meals

  Free welfare milk

  Net weekly spending power

  60·00

  3·19

  3·00

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  11·99

  8·45

  4·78

  5·85

  0·00

  0·00

  40·34

  70·00

  5·89

  4·90

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  9·47

  8·45

  3·96

  5·85

  0·00

  0·00

  42·40

  80·00

  8·59

  5·60

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  6·17

  8·45

  2·66

  5·85

  0·00

  0·00

  44·40

  90·00

  11·29

  6·30

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  2·87

  8·45

  1·36

  5·85

  0·00

  0·00

  46·40

  110·00

  16·69

  9·90

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  0·00

  8·45

  0·00

  5·85

  0·00

  0·00

  53·17

  120·00

  19·39

  10·80

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  0·00

  8·45

  0·00

  5·85

  0·00

  0·00

  59·57

  130·00

  22·09

  11·70

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  0·00

  8·45

  0·00

  5·85

  0·00

  0·00

  65·97

  140·00

  24·79

  12·60

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  0·00

  8·45

  0·00

  5·85

  0·00

  0·00

  72·37

  150·00

  27·49

  13·50

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  0·00

  8·45

  0·00

  5·85

  0·00

  0·00

  78·77

  160·00

  30·19

  14·40

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  0·00

  8·45

  0·00

  5·85

  0·00

  0·00

  85·17

  170·00

  32·89

  15·30

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  0·00

  8·45

  0·00

  5·85

  0·00

  0·00

  91·57

  New System from April 1988 Single Person Income and means tested benefits Family head in full-time work

  Tax threshold: £48·17

  Earnings head

  Tax

  NI

  Family credit

  Child benefit

  Rent

  Rent rebate

  Rates

  Rate rebate

  Fares to work

  Net Weekly spending power

  60·00

  3·19

  3·00

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  5·93

  8·45

  2·25

  5·85

  31·75

  70·00

  5·89

  4·90

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  2·42

  8·45

  1·17

  5·85

  32·56

  80·00

  8·59

  5·60

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  0·00

  8·45

  0·00

  5·85

  35·57

  90·00

  11·29

  6·30

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  0·00

  8·45

  0·00

  5·85

  42·17

  110·00

  16·69

  9·90

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  0·00

  8·45

  0·00

  5·85

  53·17

  120·00

  19·39

  10·80

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  0·00

  8·45

  0·00

  5·85

  59·57

  130·00

  22·09

  11·70

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  0·00

  8·45

  0·00

  5·85

  65·97

  140·00

  24·79

  12·60

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  0·00

  8·45

  0·00

  5·85

  72·37

  150·00

  27·49

  13·50

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  0·00

  8·45

  0·00

  5·85

  78·77

  160·00

  30·19

  14·40

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  0·00

  8·45

  0·00

  5·85

  85·17

  170·00

  32·89

  15·30

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  0·00

  8·45

  0·00

  5·85

  91·57

  Existing tax and benefit system: Married Couple Income and means tested benefits Family head in full-time work

  Tax threshold: £75·48

  Earnings head

  Tax

  NI

  FIS

  Child benefit

  Rent

  Rent rebate

  Rates

  Rent rebate

  Fares to work

  Free school meals

  Free welfare milk

  net weekly spending power

  60·00

  0·00

  3·00

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  15·94

  8·45

  6·67

  5·85

  0·00

  0·00

  49·37

  70·00

  0·00

  4·90

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  15·48

  8·45

  5·89

  5·85

  0·00

  0·00

  56·23

  182
  (vii) £130, (viii) £140, (ix) £150, (x) £160 and (xi) £170 under (a) the existing tax and benefit system and (b) the new system to be implemented in April.

  Mr. Scott
  The information requested is set out in the tables. It should he noted that the results are hypothetical in two senses. First, the results are based on average local authority rents and rates and do not present a balanced picture reflecting peoples actual family circumstances and housing arrangements. For example, larger families composed of older children are not included. Similarly, mortgagors, outright owners and non-householders are excluded. A half of the family credit recipient population are unlikely to be rent payers. Second, the other assumptions used are those set out in "Impact of the Reformed Structure of Income-Related Benefits", October 1987.
  183

  Earnings head

  Tax

  NI

  FIS

  Child benefit

  Rent

  Rent rebate

  Rates

  Rate rebate

  Fares to work

  Free school meals

  Free welfare milk

  Net weekly spending power

  80·00

  1·22

  5·60

  0·000

  0·00

  15·94

  12·98

  20·14

  8·45

  20·14

  5·09

  5·85

  61·01

  90·00

  3·92

  6·30

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  10·48

  8·45

  4·29

  5·85

  0·00

  0·00

  64·31

  110·00

  9·32

  9·90

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  4·17

  8·45

  1·88

  5·85

  0·00

  0·00

  66·59

  120·00

  12·02

  10·80

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  0·87

  8·45

  0·58

  5·85

  0·00

  0·00

  68·39

  130·00

  14·72

  11·70

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  0·00

  8·45

  0·00

  5·85

  0·00

  0·00

  73·34

  140·00

  17·42

  12·60

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  0·00

  8·45

  0·00

  5·85

  0·00

  0·00

  79·74

  150·00

  20·12

  13·50

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  0·00

  8·45

  0·00

  5·85

  0·00

  0·00

  86·14

  160·00

  22·82

  14·40

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  0·00

  8·45

  0·00

  5·85

  0·00

  0·00

  92·54

  170·00

  25·52

  15·30

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  0·00

  8·45

  0·00

  5·85

  0·00

  0·00

  98·94

  New system from April 1988 Married couple Income and means tested benefits family head in full-time work

  Tax threshold: £75.48

  Earnings head

  Tax

  NI

  Family credit

  Child benefit

  Rent

  Rent rebate

  Rates

  Rate rebate

  Fares to work

  Net weekly spending power

  60·00

  0·00

  3·00

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  15·94

  8·45

  5·34

  5·85

  48·04

  70·00

  0·00

  4·90

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  13·57

  8·45

  4·61

  5·85

  53·04

  80·00

  1·22

  5·60

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  8·32

  8·45

  2·99

  5·85

  54·25

  90·00

  3·92

  6·30

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  4·03

  8·45

  1·67

  5·85

  55·24

  110·00

  9·32

  9·90

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  0·00

  8·45

  0·00

  5·85

  60·54

  120·00

  12·02

  10·80

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  0·00

  8·45

  0·00

  5·85

  66·94

  130·00

  14·72

  11·70

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  0·00

  8·45

  0·00

  5·85

  73·34

  140·00

  17·42

  12·60

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  0·00

  8·45

  0·00

  5·85

  79·74

  150·00

  20·12

  13·50

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  0·00

  8·45

  0·00

  5·85

  86·14

  160·00

  22·82

  14·40

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  0·00

  8·45

  0·00

  5·85

  92·54

  170·00

  25·52

  15·30

  0·00

  0·00

  15·94

  0·00

  8·45

  0·00

  5·85

  98·94

  Existing tax and benefit system: Married couple with one child aged 11 Income and means tested benefits Family head in full-time work

  Tax threshold: £75·48

  Earnings head

  Tax

  NI

  FIS

  Child benefit

  Rent

  Rent rebate

  Rates

  Rate rebate

  Fares to work

  Free school meals

  Free welfare milk

  Net weekly spending power

  60·00

  0·00

  3·00

  29·30

  7·25

  17·82

  13·87

  9·28

  5·52

  5·85

  2·55

  0·00

  82·54

  70·00

  0·00

  4·90

  24·30

  7·25

  17·82

  12·62

  9·28

  5·12

  5·85

  2·55

  0·00

  83·99

  80·00

  1·22

  5·60

  19·30

  7·25

  17·82

  11·37

  9·28

  4·72

  5·85

  2·55

  0·00

  85·42

  90·00

  3·92

  6·30

  14·30

  7·25

  17·82

  9·93

  9·28

  4·20

  5·85

  2·55

  0·00

  85·06

  110·00

  9·32

  9·90

  4·30

  7·25

  17·82

  6·63

  9·28

  2·90

  5·85

  2·55

  0·00

  81·46

  Mandatory provision of free school meals ceases

  120·00

  12·02

  10·80

  0·00

  7·25

  17·82

  4·75

  9·28

  2·16

  5·85

  0·00

  0·00

  78·39

  130·00

  14·72

  11·70

  0·00

  7·25

  17·82

  1·45

  9·28

  0·86

  5·85

  0·00

  0·00

  80·19

  140·00

  17·42

  12·60

  0·00

  7·25

  17·82

  0·00

  9·28

  0·00

  5·85

  0·00

  0·00

  84·28

  150·00

  20·12

  13·50

  0·00

  7·25

  17·82

  0·00

  9·28

  0·00

  5·85

  0·00

  0·00

  90·68

  160·00

  22·82

  14·40

  0·00

  7·25

  17·82

  0·00

  9·28

  0·00

  5·85

  0·00

  0·00

  97·08

  170·00

  25·52

  15·30

  0·00

  7·25

  17·82

  0·00

  9·28

  0·00

  5·85

  0·00

  0·00

  103·48

  New System from April 1988 Married couple with one child aged 11 Income and means tested benefits Family head in full-time work

  Tax threshold: £75·48

  Earnings head

  Tax

  NI

  Family credit

  Child benefit

  Rent

  Rent rebate

  Rates

  Rate rebate

  Fares to work

  Net weekly spending power

  60·00

  0·00

  3·00

  39·62

  7·25

  17·82

  4·71

  9·28

  1·97

  5·85

  77·60

  70·00

  0·00

  4·90

  33·95

  7·25

  17·82

  3·13

  9·28

  1·48

  5·85

  77·96

  80·00

  1·22

  5·60

  28·29

  7·25

  17·82

  1·56

  9·28

  1·00

  5·85

  78·33

  90·00

  3·92

  6·30

  23·67

  7·25

  17·82

  0·00

  9·28

  0·60

  5·85

  78·35

  110·00

  9·32

  9·90

  15·97

  7·25

  17·82

  0·00

  9·28

  0·00

  5·85

  81·05

  120·00

  12·02

  10·80

  11·49

  7·25

  17·82

  0·00

  9·28

  0·00

  5·85

  82·97

  184 185

  Earnings head

  Tax

  NI

  Family Child

  Child benefit

  Rent

  Rent rebate

  Rates

  Rate rebate

  Fares to work

  Net weekly spending power

  130·00

  14·72

  11·70

  7·01

  7·25

  17·82

  0·00

  9·28

  0·00

  5·85

  84·89

  140·00

  17·42

  12·60

  2·53

  7·25

  17·82

  0·00

  9·28

  0·00

  5·85

  86·81

  150·00

  20·12

  13·50

  0·00

  7·25

  17·82

  0·00

  9·28

  0·00

  5·85

  90·68

  160·00

  22·82

  14·40

  0·00

  7·25

  17·82

  0·00

  9·28

  0·00

  5·85

  97·08

  170·00

  25·52

  15·30

  0·00

  7·25

  17·82

  0·00

  9·28

  0·00

  5·85

  103·48

  Existing tax and benefit system: Married couple with two children aged 8 and 11 Income and means tested benefits Family head in full-time work

  Tax threshold: ·75·48

  Earnings head

  Tax

  NI

  FIS

  Child benefit

  Rent

  Rent rebate

  Rates

  Rate rebate

  Fares to Work

  Free school meals

  Free welfare milk

  Net weekly spending power

  60·00

  0·00

  3·00

  35·50

  14·50

  19·12

  15·18

  9·80

  6·00

  5·85

  5·10

  0·00

  98·51

  70·00

  0·00

  4·90

  30·50

  14·50

  19·12

  13·93

  9·80

  5·60

  5·85

  5·10

  0·00

  99·96

  80·00

  1·22

  5·60

  25·50

  14·50

  19·12

  12·68

  9·80

  5·20

  5·85

  5·10

  0·00

  101·39

  90·00

  3·92

  6·30

  20·50

  14·50

  19·12

  11·42

  9·80

  4·79

  5·85

  5·10

  0·00

  101·32

  110·00

  9·32

  9·90

  10·50

  14·50

  19·12

  8·12

  9·80

  3·49

  5·85

  5·10

  0·00

  97·72

  120·00

  12·02

  10·80

  5·50

  14·50

  19·12

  6·47

  9·80

  2·84

  5·85

  5·10

  0·00

  96·82

  130·00

  14·72

  11·70

  0·50

  14·50

  19·12

  4·82

  9·80

  2·19

  5·85

  5·10

  0·00

  95·92

  Mandatory provision of free school meals ceases

  140·00

  17·42

  12·60

  0·00

  14·50

  19·12

  1·69

  9·80

  0·96

  5·85

  2·55

  0·00

  94·91

  150·00

  20·12

  13·50

  0·00

  14·50

  19·12

  0·00

  9·80

  0·00

  5·85

  0·00

  0·00

  96·11

  160·00

  22·82

  14·40

  0·00

  14·50

  19·12

  0·00

  9·80

  0·00

  5·85

  0·00

  0·00

  102·51

  170·00

  25·52

  15·30

  0·00

  14·50

  19·12

  0·00

  9·80

  0·00

  5·85

  0·00

  0·00

  108·91

  New system from April 1988: Married couple with two children aged 8 and 11 Income and means tested benefits Family head in full-time work

  Tax threshold: £75·48

  Earnings head

  Tax

  NI

  Family credit

  Child benefit

  Rent

  Rent rebate

  Rates

  Rate rebate

  Fares to work

  Net weekly spending power

  60·00

  0·00

  3·00

  45·67

  14·50

  19·12

  4·36

  9·80

  1·87

  5·85

  88·63

  70·00

  0·00

  4·90

  40·00

  14·50

  19·12

  2·78

  9·80

  1·39

  5·85

  89·00

  80·00

  1·22

  5·60

  34·34

  14·50

  19·12

  1·20

  9·80

  0·90

  5·85

  89·35

  90·00

  3·92

  6·30

  29·72

  14·50

  19·12

  0·00

  9·80

  0·51

  5·85

  89·74

  110·00

  9·32

  9·90

  22·02

  14·50

  19·12

  0·00

  9·80

  0·00

  5·85

  92·53

  120·00

  12·02

  10·80

  17·54

  14·50

  19·12

  0·00

  9·80

  0·00

  5·85

  94·45

  130·00

  14·72

  11·70

  13·06

  14·50

  19·12

  0·00

  9·80

  0·00

  5·85

  96·37

  140·00

  17·42

  12·60

  8·58

  14·50

  19·12

  0·00

  9·80

  0·00

  5·85

  98·29

  150·00

  20·12

  13·50

  4·10

  14·50

  19·12

  0·00

  9·80

  0·00

  5·85

  100·21

  160·00

  22·82

  14·40

  0·00

  14·50

  19·12

  0·00

  9·80

  0·00

  5·85

  102·51

  170·00

  25·52

  15·30

  0·00

  14·50

  19·12

  0·00

  9·80

  0·00

  5·85

  108·91

  Existing tax and benefit system: Married couple with three children aged 8, 11 and 15 Income and means tested benefits Family head in full-time work

  Tax threshold: £75·48

  Earnings head

  Tax

  NI

  FIS

  Child benefit

  Rent

  Rent rebate

  Rates

  Rate rebate

  Fares to work

  Free school meals

  Free welfare milk

  Net weekly spending power

  60·00

  0·00

  3·00

  48·40

  21·75

  19·12

  14·05

  9·80

  5·64

  5·85

  7·65

  0·00

  119·72

  70·00

  0·00

  4·90

  43·40

  21·75

  19·12

  12·80

  9·80

  5·24

  5·85

  7·65

  0·00

  121·17

  80·00

  1·22

  5·60

  38·40

  21·75

  19·12

  11·55

  9·80

  4·84

  5·85

  7·65

  0·00

  122·60

  90·00

  3·92

  6·30

  33·40

  21·75

  19·12

  9·92

  9·80

  4·20

  5·85

  7·65

  0·00

  121·93

  110·00

  9·32

  9·90

  23·40

  21·75

  19·12

  6·62

  9·80

  2·90

  5·85

  7·65

  0·00

  118·33

  120·00

  12·02

  10·80

  18·40

  21·75

  19·12

  4·97

  9·80

  2·25

  5·85

  7·65

  0·00

  117·43

  130·00

  14·72

  11·70

  13·40

  21·75

  19·12

  3·32

  9·80

  1·60

  5·85

  7·65

  0·00

  116·53

  140·00

  17·42

  12·60

  8·40

  21·75

  19·12

  1·67

  9·80

  0·95

  5·85

  7·65

  0·00

  115·63

  186 187

  Earnings head

  Tax

  NI

  FIS

  Child benefit

  Rent

  Rent rebate

  Rates

  Rate rebate

  Fares to work

  Free school meals

  Free welfare milk

  Net weekly spending power

  150·00

  20·12

  13·50

  3·40

  21·75

  19·12

  0·00

  9·80

  0·00

  5·85

  7·65

  0·00

  114·41

  Mandatory provision of free school meals ceases

  160·00

  22·82

  14·40

  0·00

  21·75

  19·12

  0·00

  9·80

  0·00

  5·85

  2·55

  0·00

  112·31

  170·00

  25·52

  15·30

  0·00

  21·75

  19·12

  0·00

  9·80

  0·00

  5·85

  0·00

  0·00

  116·16

  New system from April 1988: Married couple with three children aged 8, 11 and 15 Income and means tested benefits Family head in full-time work

  Tax threshold: £75·48

  Earnings head

  Tax

  NI

  Family credit

  Child benefit

  Rent

  Rent rebate

  Rates

  Rate rebate

  Fares to work

  Net weekly spending power

  60·00

  0·00

  3·00

  57·07

  21·75

  19·12

  2·70

  9·80

  1·36

  5·85

  105·11

  70·00

  0·00

  4·90

  51·40

  21·75

  19·12

  1·12

  9·80

  0·88

  5·85

  105·48

  80·00

  1·22

  5·60

  45·74

  21·75

  19·12

  0·00

  9·80

  0·00

  5·85

  105·90

  90·00

  3·92

  6·30

  41·12

  21·75

  19·12

  0·00

  9·80

  0·00

  5·85

  107·88

  110·00

  9·32

  9·90

  33·42

  21·75

  19·12

  0·00

  9·80

  0·00

  5·85

  111·18

  120·00

  12·02

  10·80

  28·94

  21·75

  19·12

  0·00

  9·80

  0·00

  5·85

  113·10

  130·00

  14·72

  11·70

  24·46

  21·75

  19·12

  0·00

  9·80

  0·00

  5·85

  115·02

  140·00

  17·42

  12·60

  19·98

  21·75

  19·12

  0·00

  9·80

  0·00

  5·85

  116·94

  150·00

  20·12

  13·50

  15·50

  21·75

  19·12

  0·00

  9·80

  0·00

  5·85

  118·86

  160·00

  22·82

  14·40

  11·02

  21·75

  19·12

  0·00

  9·80

  0·00

  5·85

  120·78

  170·00

  25·52

  15·30

  6·54

  21·75

  19·12

  0·00

  9·80

  0·00

  5·85

  122·70

  Existing tax and benefit system: Married couple with four children aged 3, 8, 11 and 15 Income and means tested benefits Family head in full·time work

  Tax threshold: £75·48

  Earnings head

  Tax

  NI

  FIS

  Child benefit

  Rent

  Rent rebate

  Rates

  Rale rebate

  Fares to work

  Free school meals

  Free Welfare milk

  Net weekly spending power

  60·00

  0·00

  3·00

  54·60

  29·00

  19·12

  14·58

  9·80

  5·81

  5·85

  7·65

  1·83

  135·70

  70·00

  0·00

  4·90

  49·60

  29·00

  19·12

  13·33

  9·80

  5·41

  5·85

  7·65

  1·83

  137·15

  80·00

  1·22

  5·60

  44·60

  29·00

  19·12

  12·08

  9·80

  5·01

  5·85

  7·65

  1·83

  138·58

  90·00

  3·92

  6·30

  39·60

  29·00

  19·12

  10·63

  9·80

  4·48

  5·85

  7·65

  1·83

  138·20

  110·00

  9·32

  9·90

  29·60

  29·00

  19·12

  7·33

  9·80

  3·18

  5·85

  7·65

  1·83

  134·60

  120·00

  12·02

  10·80

  24·60

  29·00

  19·12

  5·68

  9·80

  2·53

  5·85

  7·65

  1·83

  133·70

  130·00

  14·72

  11·70

  29·60

  29·00

  19·12

  4·03

  9·80

  1·88

  5·85

  7·65

  1·83

  132·80

  140·00

  17·42

  12·60

  14·60

  19·00

  19·12

  2·38

  9·80

  1·23

  5·85

  7·65

  1·83

  131·90

  150·00

  20·12

  13·50

  9·60

  29·00

  19·12

  0·73

  9·80

  0·58

  5·85

  7·65

  1·83

  131·00

  160·00

  22·82

  14·40

  4·60

  29·00

  19·12

  0·00

  9·80

  0·00

  5·85

  7·65

  1·83

  131·09

  Mandatory provision of free school meals ceases

  170·00

  25·52

  15·30

  0·00

  29·00

  19·12

  0·00

  9·80

  0·00

  5·85

  5·10

  0·00

  128·51

  New system from April 1988: Married couple with four children aged 3,8, 11 and 15. Income and means tested benefits Family head in full-time work

  Tax threshold: £75·48

  Earnings head

  Tax

  NI

  Family credit

  Child benefit

  Rent

  Rent rebate

  Rates

  Rate rebate

  Fares to work

  Net weekly spending power

  60·00

  0·00

  3·00

  6312

  29·00

  19·12

  1·04

  9·80

  0·85

  5·85

  116·24

  70·00

  0·00

  4·90

  57·45

  29·00

  19·12

  0·00

  9·80

  0·00

  5·85

  116·78

  80·00

  1·22

  5·60

  51·79

  29·00

  19·12

  0·00

  9·80

  0·00

  5·85

  119·20

  90·00

  3·92

  6·30

  47·17

  29·00

  19·12

  0·00

  9·80

  0·00

  5·85

  121·18

  110·00

  9·32

  9·90

  39·47

  29·00

  19·12

  0·00

  9·80

  0·00

  5·85

  124·48

  120·00

  12·02

  10·80

  34·99

  29·00

  19·12

  0·00

  9·80

  0·00

  5·85

  126·40

  130·00

  14·72

  11·70

  30·51

  29·00

  19·12

  0·00

  9·80

  0·00

  5·85

  128·32

  140·00

  17·42

  12·60

  26·03

  29·00

  19·12

  0·00

  9·80

  0·00

  5·85

  130·24

  188 189

  Earnings head

  Tax

  NI

  Family credit

  Child benefit

  Rent

  Rent rebate

  Rates

  Rate rebate

  Fares to work

  Net weekly spending power

  150·00

  20·12

  13·50

  21·55

  29·00

  19·12

  0·00

  9·80

  0·00

  5·85

  132·16

  160·00

  22·82

  14·40

  17·07

  29·00

  19·12

  0·00

  9·80

  0·00

  5·85

  134·08

  170·00

  25·52

  15·30

  12·59

  29·00

  19·12

  0·00

  9·80

  0·00

  5·85

  136·00

  Foetal and Genetic Abnormality
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the King's Fund Forum "Consensus Statement on Screening for Foetal and Genetic Abnormality", a copy of which has been sent to him.

  Mr. Newton
  The King's Fund consensus statement is a timely and informative study which adds to our current consideration of how genetic services including counselling can best be provided from within the NHS.

  Industrial Disablement Benefit
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what provision there will be for the storage of thoracic organs by the pneumoconiosis panel, after the abolition of industrial death benefit, in order to allow for subsequent re-examination of the tissue in cases where it was not recognised at the time that death was due to industrial causes.

  Mr. Scott
  After the abolition of Industrial Death Benefit on 11 April 1988 the medical boarding centres (respiratory diseases)—formerly the pneumonoconiosis medical panels — will cease to have access to thoracic organs except where a coroner seeks the advice of the centre to establish a cause of death. There will be no provision for storage of thoracic organs at the medical boarding centre (respiratory diseases). Any storage of tissue for further examination will he the responsibility of the coroner, and their subsequent disposal is a matter entirely for the coroner to decide.

  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what provision there will be for the posthumous payment of industrial disablement benefit in cases of people who are proved to have been suffering from an asbestos-related disease at post-mortem, in the light of the fact that, with the abolition of industrial death benefit from 1 April, there will be no requirement for the pneumoconiosis panel to examine thoracic organs after death.

  Expenditure on all non-directly employed National Health Service staff (including agency) and the number of agency nursing and midwifery staff by region—1986

  Non-National Health Service staff (including agency) 1986–871

  Agency nursing and midwifery staff September 19862

  Region

  Total

  Nursing

  Total

  Nurses

  Midwives

  Northern

  852

  45

  41

  41

  —

  Yorkshire

  4,505

  1,239

  90

  89

  1

  Trent

  2,857

  157

  —

  —

  —

  East Anglian

  4,436

  2,025

  183

  182

  1

  North West Thames

  28,534

  15,058

  1,363

  1,332

  31

  North East Thames

  35,006

  19,299

  1,399

  1,269

  130

  South East Thames

  21,013

  11,727

  862

  768

  94

  South West Thames

  19,963

  8,377

  621

  595

  26

  190
  Mr. Scott
  After the abolition of industrial death benefit on 11 April 1988 dependants will continue to be able to claim industrial injuries disablement benefit posthumously if they consider that the deceased may have been suffering in life from a prescribed disease, including an asbestos-related disease. Claims will be decided on the available evidence from post-mortem reports and records in life.

  Agency Staff
  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the latest figures for the number of agency staff supplied to the National Health Service in the following categories:(a) nurses, (b) midwives, (c) professional and technical staff (excluding works staff), (d) works professional staff, (e) administrative and clerical staff, (f) ambulance officers and control assistants and (g) other staff, indicating their distribution by regional health authority; what payments in fees have been made by each authority to each of these groups over the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  Information about the number of agency staff, other than nursing and midwifery agency staff and medical and dental locums employed, in the National Health Service and health authority expenditure specifically for agency staff is not collected centrally.

  The table shows the number of agency nursing and midwifery staff employed by each regional health authority at 30 September 1986 and the expenditure on all non-directly employed National Health Service staff, including agency staff, during, the financial year 1986–87.

  Whilst posts in the National Health Service should ideally be filled with directly employed full and part-time staff, suitably qualified staff are not always available in the particular locality. Where recruitment difficulties are encountered or where an urgent short-term need arises the use of appropriately qualified staff from agencies can provide valuable assistance.
  191

  Non-National Health Service staff (including agency) 1986–871

  Agency nursing and midwifery staff September 19862

  Region

  Total

  Nursing

  Total

  Nurses

  Midwives

  Wessex

  4,288

  1,409

  122

  122

  —

  Oxford

  4,426

  1,364

  88

  88

  —

  South Western

  3,004

  553

  43

  43

  —

  West Midlands

  7,212

  2,275

  170

  160

  10

  Mersey

  1,946

  761

  81

  80

  2

  North Western

  1,554

  211

  20

  20

  —

  London Post-Graduate SHAs

  10,496

  5,837

  366

  358

  8

  ENGLAND TOTAL

  150,092

  70,788

  5,450

  5,147

  303

  1 Figures rounded to nearest £000.

  2 Figures independently rounded to the nearest whole-time equivalent.

  National Insurance Fund
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the most recent advice he has received from the Government Actuary as to the minimum target balance of the national insurance fund as a percentage of annual benefit expenditure; and what was the actual balance in each year since 1979–80.

  Mr. Portillo
  For the first part of her question I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Bradford, West (Mr. Madden) on 7 March. The remaining information is as follows:

  Balance in the national insurance fund at the end of the financial year

  £ millions

  1979–80

  4,626

  1980–81

  5,037

  1981–82

  4,046

  1982–83

  4,023

  1983–84

  4,604

  1984–85

  4,978

  1985–86

  5,293

  1986–87

  5,707

  Source: Annual accounts of the National insurance fund as presented to Parliament pursuant to section 133(2) of the Social Security Act 1975. The fund accounts for 1986–87 were presented to Parliament on 22 January 1988.

  Mr. Ken Hargreaves
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each year since 1975–76 the balance in the national insurance fund; and also, for each year, if he will express the balance as a percentage of annual benefit expenditure financed by the fund.

  Mr. Portillo
  The information is as follows:

  Balance in the national insurance fund at the end of the financial year expressed as a percentage of annual benefit expenditure

  Year

  Balance (end of year) £ milliom

  Benefit expenditure £ million

  Balance as a percentage of benefit expenditure

  1975–76

  2,219

  6,812

  32·6

  1976–77

  3,147

  8,066

  39·0

  1977–78

  3,825

  9,385

  40·8

  1978–79

  4,090

  10,682

  38·3

  1979–80

  4,626

  12,243

  37·8

  1980–81

  5,037

  14,893

  33·8

  1981–82

  4,046

  17,243

  23·5

  1982–83

  4,023

  18,611

  21·6

  1983–84

  4,604

  19,716

  23·4

  192

  Year

  Balance (end of year) £ milliom

  Benefit expenditure £ million

  Balance as a percentage of benefit expenditure

  1984–85

  4,978

  20,831

  23·9

  1985–86

  5,293

  22,309

  23·7

  1986–87

  5,707

  24,005

  23·8

  Source:

  Annual accounts of the national insurance fund as presented to Parliament pursuant to section 133(2) of the Social Security Act 1975. The fund's accounts for 1986–87 were presented to Parliament on 22 January 1988.

  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services by how much the contribution income of the national insurance fund for 1988–89 would be reduced if the Treasury supplement were not reduced from 7 to 5 per cent. of gross contributions, the balance in the fund were maintained at the same proportion of benefit expenditure as at the end of 1987–88 instead of rising from 27 to 33 per cent., the proportion of contributions allocated to the National Health Service remained unchanged, and contribution rates were adjusted accordingly.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services by how much the contribution income of the national insurance fund for 1988–89 would be reduced if the Treasury supplement were not reduced from 7 to 5 per cent. of gross contributions, the balance in the fund were maintained at the same proportion of benefit expenditure as at the end of 1987–88 instead of rising from 27 to 33 per cent., the proportion of contributions allocated to the National Health Service remained unchanged, and contribution rates were adjusted accordingly.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 7 March 1988]: It is estimated that to arrive at a national insurance fund balance at the end of 1988–89 of 27 per cent. of benefit expenditure, whilst maintaining the Treasury supplement at 7 per cent. of gross contributions and the present NHS allocation, the fund's income from contributions would need to be £2,000 million lower than currently estimated for the year.

  Prescription Costs
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to secure a reduction in the costs of drugs prescribed by the National Health Service; what information he has about the methods by which the Hallwood health centre, Runcorn, Cheshire, has achieved savings in its prescribing costs and about the scale of the
  193
  savings; what assessment he has made of the scope for applying similar methods throughout the National Health Service; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  Through the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme control is kept on the costs of branded medicines. The reimbursement prices to community pharmacists and dispensing doctors of high usage generic medicines are negotiated directly with the generic manufacturers.

  The Government are continuing their efforts to encourage general practitioners to prescribe more effectively and economically by measures such as the provision of feedback information about their prescribing to facilitate self-audit, voluntary generic prescribing and the development of practice formularies. In addition, the Department's regional medical service has increased the number of visits it makes to doctors to discuss their prescribing and has recently appointed two specialist prescribing regional medical officers.

  The Hallwood health centre research project is investigating the role of the pharmacist in developing a practice formulary. With the Department's financial support, this project is to be extended in 1988/89 to cover a wider cross-section of practices within the Cheshire family practitioner area. When the information is available from this wider study its possible application on a national basis will be assessed.

  AIDS
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to ensure that nebulised pentamadine in aerosol form becomes available for prophylactic use by AIDS patients in danger of contacting pneumcystis pneumonia.

  Mr. Newton
  There is no product licence for nebulised pentamadine in aerosol form. However, clinicians have the right to prescribe medicines for individual patients even if the product is not licensed for use in the United Kingdom.

  Rating Reform
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many representations he has received about the requirements for those on supplementary benefit to pay 20 per cent. of their rates.

  Mr. Portillo
  A substantial number.

  Disabled People (Trust Fund)
  Mr. Hanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress has been made on the proposed trust fund for very severely disabled people; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  The new fund will be called the independent living fund. Its aim will be to provide extra financial help on top of that already available to those very severely 194
  disabled people who would otherwise need to enter residential or hospital care. It will also be available to help people in such care who wish, and are able, to live independently in their own homes and to people currently living in their own homes who would face difficulties due to a change of circumstances. The fund should enable such people to support themselves and to retain or achieve their independence in the community. For the year 1988–89 up to £5 million has been set aside; the level of funding for subsequent years will be set in the light of experience.

  The trust will be independent of the Department, of the Disablement Income Group and of the Disablement Income Group (Scotland). The trustees will be appointed by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services, and will include individuals nominated by DIG. Decision on the disbursement of the money will be for the trustees, acting under the trust deed which will include criteria for eligibility. The trust deed will be available for public inspection. Both the Department and DIG will be available for consultation with the trustees as appropriate.

  It will be for the trustees to decide how to discharge the requirements of the trust deed but I expect that the sums to be paid will be determined on the basis of individual assessments of need and available resources. Payments are likely to be regular and will be intended to pay for the service of a carer or carers where these cannot otherwise be provided. It will be for the trustees to determine how to deal with cases which have been turned down by the fund and I expect they will wish to consider any representations from or on behalf of such cases very carefully.

  In due course, we shall introduce regulations which will enable any payments from the trust fund to be disregarded for the purpose of income-related benefits.

  We and DIG are currently discussing details of the eligibility criteria which will broadly define the group to be covered by the fund. The criteria will essentially look at the individual's need for care in relation to their resources. The fund will not be solely for people in receipt of income support but will include very severely disabled people with low incomes.

  Commissioned Research
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will detail the circumstances in which his Department forbids the publication of commissioned research.

  Mrs. Currie
  We have not withheld agreement to the publication of any research commissioned under the amended form of contract introduced in February 1987. Without purporting to list all or any circumstances in which agreement might be withheld, we envisage by way of example that they would be where legal advice was that libel, breach of confidentiality or factual error was likely to result. We would normally expect that the matter be resolved with the co-operation of the researcher.

  MOTORWAYS: SPEEDING OFFENCES
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  URANIUM IMPORTS
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  OCEAN DRILLING PROGRAMME
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  SEA-BED MINING
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  "REVIEW OF RESTRICTIVE TRADE PRACTICES POLICY"
  "REVIEW OF RESTRICTIVE TRADE PRACTICES POLICY"
  NUCLEAR REACTORS AND THE IRISH SEA: CONFERENCE
  NUCLEAR REACTORS AND THE IRISH SEA: CONFERENCE
  GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION: INQUIRY REPORT
  GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION: INQUIRY REPORT