HC Deb 31 July 1997 vol 299 cc623-4W
21. Mr. Fabricant

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on the impact on the cash flow of small businesses of the Budget changes to ACT tax credit. [10046]

106. Mr. Goggins

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce a programme(a) for the recording of every incidence of (i) Erb's palsy and (ii) brachial plexus injuries and (b) to raise the general awareness about Erb's palsy. [2930]

Ms Jowell

[pursuant to her reply, 12 June 1997, c. 528–29]: I am now able to provide additional information. The full reply is as follows:

We are of course concerned about the damage to babies caused by Erb's palsy and brachial plexus injuries during birth. The safety of the mother and her unborn child are of paramount importance and childbirth is safer now than at any other time. Most cases of Erb's palsy and brachial plexus injuries arise spontaneously, but are also considered to be influenced by misplacement of the shoulders in the birth canal. In recognition of this problem, a working group under the auspices of the confidential inquiry into stillbirths and deaths in infancy, is currently preparing guidance on the management of shoulder dystocia—difficulty in delivering the shoulders during the birth. The guidance will provide advice on the early identification of cases where there may be a risk on coping with cases where shoulders dystocia occurs. The guidance is expected to be available later this year.

Information on the number of finished consultant episodes of those patients admitted to hospital with primary diagnosis Erb's palsy and brachial plexus injuries in NHS hospitals in England up to 1994–95 is available through hospital episode statistics data and is shown in the table. The definition of a consultant episode is the period that a patient spends under the continuous care of a specific consultant in a specific health care provider. A hospital provider spell can comprise one or more consultant episodes. However, episode statistics will therefore pick up cases where the diagnosis was not made at birth and the baby was subsequently readmitted. Information before 1989–90 recorded discharges and deaths and is therefore not directly comparable to hospital episode statistics data. Primary diagnosis—of Erb's palsy (ICD9 code 767.6) and brachial plexus injuries (ICD9 code 953.4) Estimated number of Finished Consultant Episodes (FCEs), Ordinary admissions and day cases combined NHS hospitals, England.

Mrs. Roche

The changes to ACT tax credit are part of a package of measures designed to create a better environment for growth and high-quality, long-term investment. Taking account of the cut in the small companies' corporation tax rate, and of increased first-year plant and machinery allowances for small and medium businesses, the small firms sector as a whole will receive a significant boost from the Chancellor's Budget.