§ Mrs. Ann WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give a breakdown by member of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority of the sums identified in its account for 1993–94 as(a) £55,546 for remuneration of authority members and fees paid to members including the chairman and (b) £30,385 paid to members in travel and subsistence. [15438]
§ Mr. SackvillePayments made to members of the authority in 1993–94 are as shown in the table:
Fees £ Prof. Sir C. Campbell (Chairman) 8,214.00 Lady Diana Brittan (Deputy Chairman) 5,304.00 Prof. R. J. Berry 3,682.00 Prof. I. Cooke 1,268.00 Prof. A. Cox 3,036.00 Jane Denton 4,828,00 Liz Forgan 509.00 Mrs. Joan Harbison 2,939.00 Prof. S. Hillier 5,578.00 R. Holloway 1,393.00 Penelope Keith 1,250.00 Mrs. Angela Mays 4,029.00 Dr. Anne McLaren 1,137.00 Dr. Jeannette Naish 1,515.00 Rabbi Julia Neuberger 2,792.00 Prof. R. Shaw 1,003.00 David Shilson 1,905.00 Prof. R. Snowden 1,503.00 Lady Julia Tugendhat 1,408.00 Christine Walby 250.00 Prof. D. Whittingham 2,003.00 Total members fees 55,546.00 Note:
1. Expenses for travelling cost, on average were £1,446.90 per member per year.
§ Mrs. Ann WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the consistency of the impartiality of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority with her Departments target that in the current financial year 70 per cent. of its income should be derived from licence fees. [15440]
§ Mr. SackvilleParliament decided that a proportion of the cost of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authoritys licensing function should be recovered by charging fees to licensed centres. The principle under which the costs of regulation are met by bodies such as the authority is well established. Unlike other similar organisations, the authority does not recover all of its costs through fees; the taxpayer currently meets 30 per cent. of its costs. The licence fees charged are determined by the authority with the approval of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and the Treasury.
§ Mrs. Ann WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the background to the circumstances identified in the foreword to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority account for 1993–94 and which led to(a) the proposal not to renew the licence of one centre and (b) revoke the licence of a linked centre; what was the outcome of those proposals; and what was the legal cost. [15437]
214W
§ Mr. SackvilleLicensing decisions under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act are matters for the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. The authority decided in June 1994 not to renew the licence of one centre and to revoke the licence of a linked centre. The circumstances of this case cannot be disclosed because the authoritys decisions are at present the subject of an appeal. The legal costs of this case are on-going.
§ Mrs. Ann WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give a breakdown of the different professional fees which gave rise to the total expenditure of £89,763 on such fees identified in the annual account 1993–94 of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. [15439]
§ Mr. SackvilleProfessional and administrative fees set out in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authoritys accounts for 1993–94 comprise:
£ Legal costs re licensing problems 72,663.50 Payroll costs 913.18 Accountants 6,979.93 Miscellaneous (computer consultants, surveyors fees for rates appeal, legal fees for new lease, personnel consultants, refund on audit fees) 9,206.63 89,763.24