Casualty Departments (Hansard, 8 July 1996)

§ Mr. Morgan
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the effect of the publication of hospital performance tables on the recruitment of nurses to greet patients within five minutes of arrival in casualty departments. [35886]

§ Mr. Hague
I would be surprised if any hospital had recruited nurses solely to greet patients on arrival at casualty departments. The patients charter for Wales requires casualty departments not only to ease the natural concerns of the nearly 800,000 new patients attending accident and emergency departments each year but to make an immediate clinical assessment of the urgency of the treatment and care required.
Information published in the hospital performance tables for the NHS in Wales demonstrates that casualty departments throughout Wales have greatly improved this important aspect of their emergency care.

Staff employed in Welsh Office Education Department¹ April 1992 September 1993 September 1994 June 1995 June 1996

Director and Secretary 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0

Education Services ⁴21.0 — — — —

Culture and Recreation (including Translation Unit) — 32.0 23.5 23.0 22.6

Further and Higher Education 19.0 13.0 14.0 12.0 12.8

Schools Administration 15.5 30.0 27.0 27.5 28.0

Schools Curriculum³ 16.0 17.0 22.0 18.0 —

Schools Performance³ — — — — 18.0

HM Inspectorate of Schools ²74.0 — — — —

147.5 94.0 88.5 82.5 83.4

¹ Numbers are full-time equivalent.

² HM Inspectorate of Schools staff transferred to the newly created Department of Office of Chief Inspector of Schools in Wales in September 1992.

³ Schools Curriculum Division became Schools Performance Division in 1995.

⁴ Education Services Division became Culture and Recreation Division in 1993.

Mr. Griffiths
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff have been employed in the Industry and Training Department in each of the last four years; and if he will list the number of staff employed to deal with(a) regional selective assistance, (b) the exchange risk guarantee scheme, (c) regional enterprise grants, (d) business development services, (e) training and

Staff employed in Welsh Office Education Department¹	April 1992	September 1993	September 1994	June 1995	June 1996
Director and Secretary	2.0	2.0	2.0	2.0	2.0
Education Services	⁴21.0	—	—	—	—
Culture and Recreation (including Translation Unit)	—	32.0	23.5	23.0	22.6
Further and Higher Education	19.0	13.0	14.0	12.0	12.8
Schools Administration	15.5	30.0	27.0	27.5	28.0
Schools Curriculum³	16.0	17.0	22.0	18.0	—
Schools Performance³	—	—	—	—	18.0
HM Inspectorate of Schools	²74.0	—	—	—	—
	147.5	94.0	88.5	82.5	83.4
¹ Numbers are full-time equivalent.
² HM Inspectorate of Schools staff transferred to the newly created Department of Office of Chief Inspector of Schools in Wales in September 1992.
³ Schools Curriculum Division became Schools Performance Division in 1995.
⁴ Education Services Division became Culture and Recreation Division in 1993.