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Waiting Lists (Trent)
Mr. Patchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the latest waiting list figures within the Trent regional health authority for persons (a) waiting more than one month for an urgent operation, (b) waiting more than one year for non-urgent operations and (c) awaiting out- patient consultations.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Following the implementation of the recommendations of the steering group on Health Service information (the Korner committee), starting in April 1987, no distinction is now made between urgent and non-urgent cases since the committee regarded such distinction as unreliable. On 31 March 1989, there were 54,870 patients on surgical specialty waiting lists in the Trent regional health authority of whom 20 per cent. had been waiting more than one year. No information is held centrally on numbers awaiting out-patient appointments.
Mr. Patchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the latest figure for hospital waiting lists in the Trent regional health authority ; and what it was for each of the last five years.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The information requested is given in the table.
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In-patient waiting lists at
31 March-Trent Regional
Health Authority
1984 |67,314
1985 |64,055
1986 |61,877
1987 |57,711
1988 |54,894
1989 |56,918
Source: 1984-86 form
SBH203.
1987-89 forms KH06, KH07,
KH07A.
Note: The numbers exclude
self-deferred cases.
Residential Homes
Mr. Patchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has as to how many local authorities are closing down part III accommodation for the elderly and transferring residents to private homes and as to the number of such local authority homes closed in the last five years.
Mr. Freeman : This information is not collected centrally.
Pay Beds (Trent)
Mr. Patchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the number of private patients using pay beds in the Trent regional health authority ; and what was the corresponding figure for each year since 1980.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The information requested is given in the table.
Private patients treated in NHS hospitals
in Trent Regional health authority.
1980 |5,065
1981 |4,584
1982 |3,834
1983 |3,976
1984 |2,979
1985 |2,837
1986 |3,012
-------
<2>1987-88 |3,503
<1> Discharges and deaths recorded on form
SBH211 for 1980-86.
<2> Finished consultant episodes recorded
on form KP21 for 1987-88.
Care in the Community
Mr. Patchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that local authorities are delivering care in their communities ; and what further measures he is taking to improve co- ordination between all the various agencies involved.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The White Paper "Caring for People", the proposals of which are currently before the House in the NHS and Community Care Bill, made it clear that local authorities will have to draw up and publish plans for community care services. Those plans will have to be open to inspection by the social services inspectorate. Directions and guidance concerning personal social services will be issued to local authorities to help ensure the proper delivery of community care.
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In drawing up their plans for community care, local authorities will be required to consult health authorities and other interested agencies. In the case of services for mentally ill people co-ordination between the local authority and the health authority will be encouraged by the payment of a specific grant for the social care of such people. This grant will be payable through regional health authorities as the agents for the Secretary of State for Health on the basis of plans for the development of social care agreed between social services authorities and the matching district health authorities.Cardiothoracic Surgery
Mr. Jack : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by district and regional health authority the location of each regional specialist unit carrying out cardiothoracic surgery ; what was the number of patients treated in 1987-88 and 1988-89 in each ; and what was the total annual expenditure incurred by each of these units in dealing with their annual patient load for each year.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley [holding answer 6 March 1990] : The number of cases treated by specialists in cardiothoracic surgery for the years requested are shown as follows by district health authority. The hospitals named in the second column are those where a specialist cardiothoracic unit is located. Activity in a district may not be confined to the specialist unit.
Information on expenditure by individual specialities within hospitals is not collected centrally.
Cases treated, cardiothoracic specialty, by DHA, 1987-88 and 1988-89
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ENVIRONMENT
Local Government Finance
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements will be made for inner-city funded posts under the new local government finance arrangement (a) for posts within the first three years' funding and (b) for posts for which funding will end during the next financial year.
Mr. David Hunt : The new local government finance arrangements will have no effect either on posts currently funded by urban programme revenue grant or on the freedom of local authorities to choose to continue funding those posts when grant aid expires.
Mr. Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the increase in the commercial rate for Bournemouth between 1979 and 1989 in real terms.
Mr. Chope : The increase in the commercial rate for Bournemouth between 1979 and 1989, in real terms, was 9.4 per cent.
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to bring forward legislation to ensure that private landlords reduce rate-inclusive rents by an appropriate amount with the introduction of the poll tax on 1 April.
Mr. Chope : I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Taunton (Mr. Nicholson) on 8 February ( Offical Report, Vol. 166 column 756 ).
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are his best estimates of the amount that private landlords will gain when tenants pay rate-inclusive rents with the introduction of the poll tax on 1 April ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Chope : I have made no such estimate. Most tenants paying rates- inclusive rents can ensure that they do not continue to pay the rates element after 1 April.
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration he has given to the position of YTS trainees with special training needs endorsements and their liability for the poll tax.
Mr. David Hunt : The position of YTS trainees with special needs endorsements is similar to that of other YTS trainees. They receive the same allowances and may in addition be paid wages by the employer with whom they are placed. Virtually all non-employed trainees, and a proportion of employed trainees, would be entitled to community charge benefit where their income is low.
Sir John Stanley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will reproduce in the Official Report the mathematical calculation of the assumed personal community charge of £227.69 per head in Tonbridge and Malling for the purpose of the transitional relief scheme.
Mr. David Hunt : The assumed personal community charge of £227.69 in Tonbridge and Malling for the purpose of the transitional relief scheme was calculated in accordance with the formula in paragraph 2.2 of the Community Charge Transitional Relief Report (England). The relevant figures are :
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Sir John Stanley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will state for each charging authority in Kent the percentage amount by which its assumed personal community charge for the purpose of the transitional relief scheme is less than the average assumed community charge of £278 per head.
Mr. David Hunt : The table shows the percentage amount by which the assumed personal community charge for each charging authority in Kent for the purpose of the transitional relief scheme is less than the community charge for standard spending of £278 :
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each London borough (a) the amount levied per head of its adult population for the precept of the Metropolitan police ; (b) the relevant borough community charge ; and (b) as a percentage of (a) .
Mr. Chope [holding answer 14 March 1990] : This information is not available.
Housing Associations
Ms. Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what information he has on the proportions of housing association schemes which are represented by (a) rehabilitation work and (b) purchases of new-build schemes from builders ; and whether there has been any change in each proportion over the past two years ; (2) what is the percentage reduction in rehabilitation work undertaken by the Housing Corporation in 1989-90 in the south-west.
Mr. Chope : Relevant information available to the Secretary of State is set out in the table. It shows housing
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association rehabilitation work as a proportion of the Housing Corporation's programme of new approvals nationally and in its west region.No comparable information is currently available on the number of new-build schemes purchased by housing
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associations direct from builders. However, this was not a normal procurement method for associations in years before 1989-90. The figures relate to Housing Corporation-supported housing association activity only. Housing associations also receive support from local authorities but comparable figures for that sector are not available.Column 393
Notes: <1> Value of schemes approved <2> Value of funds allocated at beginning of 89-90-final scheme approvals will not be known until the end of 89-90 <3> HC West Region includes counties of Avon, Berkshire, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Oxfordshire, Somerset and Wiltshire.
Planning Applications
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether a planning application which concerns land falling within more than one local planning authority's area constitutes one of more than local importance.
Mr. Moynihan : Not necessarily. In any event, a development proposal falling in the area of more than one local planning authority would require more than one planning application.
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether a planning application which gives rise to objections on the ground that an European Community directive or international treaty is likely to be breached constitutes one which raises issues of greater than local importance in the context of criteria for call-in of planning applications under section 35 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 ;
(2) whether a planning application which gives rise to objections on the ground that an European Community directive or international treaty might be breached constitutes one where the interests of foreign Governments are involved.
Mr. Moynihan : Whether to call in a planning application for the Secretary of State's decision is a matter of judgment to be exercised in each case against the criteria to which the hon. Lady refers.
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether a planning application which threatens irreversible damage to all or part of a site of special scientific interest constitutes one which might conflict with national policy on important matters ; (2) whether a planning application which threatens irreversible damage to all or part of a site of special scientific interest constitutes one which raises issues of greater than local importance in the context of criteria for call-in of planning applications under section 35 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971.
Mr. Moynihan : Such a threat might conflict with national policy on an important matter, and would be a material consideration in deciding whether to call in a
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planning application. The scale of the proposal and the extent of its effect on the site would also be relevant considerations.Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether national planning policies relating to the determination of planning applications affecting sites of special scientific interest apply within the geographical area known as the Serplan East Thames Corridor Initiative.
Sites of Special Scientific Interest
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether it remains his policy that it would not, in general, be acceptable for one area of a site of special scientific interest to be traded off in exchange for the protection of the rest ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Moynihan : Planning authorities are advised to consider each case on its merits in accordance with the guidance in departmental circulars and policy guidance notes.
Safety Net Grant (Tameside)
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will review Tameside safety net grant for the community charge and the effect of the housing revenue account contributions being used twice.
Mr. Chope : Before making the Revenue Support Grant Report (England) 1990-91 and the other reports associated with the 1990-91 settlement, which were approved by the House on 18 January, my right hon. Friend considered all the representations he had received including those on Tameside's safety net grant and the effect of the housing revenue account contributions. He is satisfied that his decisions on the 1990-91 settlement are fair and reasonable.
Association of County Councils
Mr. Anthony Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last met the Association of County Councils ; and what matters were discussed.
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Mr. Chope : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State met the Association of County Councils on 26 February. The Association of District Councils and the Association of Metropolitan Authorities were also present. They discussed environmental matters.Departmental Houses (Greater Manchester)
Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many houses are in the ownership of his Department in each district in Greater Manchester ; and what percentage of these are empty.
Mr. Chope : The Department of the Environment does not own any houses in the Manchester area. There are, however, three flats held for the Lord Chancellor's Department, of which one, a caretaker's flat in Manchester Crown court, is vacant. Due to improvements in the Crown court security system there is no longer a need for a caretaker, but as the flat has no separate access it is not possible to offer it on the open market.
Stairlifts
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details of the advice issued by his Department to destrict councils on the awarding of grants under the procedure introdure by the Local Government and Housing Act for the processing of applications for the county council to fit stairlifts.
Mr. Chope : We are considering the final form of our advice to local housing authorities on stairlifts in the light of reponses from organisations consulted on the draft circular, "House Adaptations for Disabled People". We shall issue this before the new disabled facilities grant arrangements come into operation on 1 July.
Local Income Tax
Mr. Jack : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what would be the administrative cost of introducing a system of local income tax in place of the community charge.
Mr. David Hunt : I have no estimate of what the cost would be of introducing a local income tax. However, I believe that the cost of collecting such a tax would be up to twice the cost of collecting the community charge.
Bereavement
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what guidelines his Department issues to local authorities in providing support for widowers of working age with young families in the immediate bereavement period and later.
Mr. Chris Patten [holding answer 5 March 1990] : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State for Social Security on 5 March [Official Report, column 533].
Irish Sea
Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans Her Majesty's Government have to ban raw sewage outflow and sewage sludge from being dumped into the Irish sea.
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Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 12 March 1990] : The announcement my right hon. Friend made on 5 March, set out in his reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Gloucester (Mr. French) (Official Report, Volume 168, column 452 ) on the elimination of all significant discharges of untreated sewage and the termination of sewage sludge dumping by the end of 1998, applies to all UK coastal waters including the Irish sea.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Sunday Trading
Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received on Sunday trading in the past six months.
Mr. Mellor : In the past six months, 111 written representations have been received. Of these, 65 have been broadly in favour and 46 against.
Birmingham Six
Mr. Skinner : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a further statement on his consideration of the new material submitted to him on the Birmingham Six.
Mr. John Patten : My right hon. and learned Friend is still considering very carefully the further material presented to him by a solicitor on behalf of the six men, and will decide as soon as possible whether it justifies any intervention on his part.
Neighbourhood Watch
Mr. Riddick : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many neighbourhood watch schemes now operate in England and Wales.
Mr. John Patten : At the end of December 1989 there were estimated to be over 81,000 neighbourhood watch schemes in England and Wales, covering more than 4 million households.
Remand Prisoners
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the practice of obtaining psychiatric reports on prisoners held on remand.
Mr. Mellor : A court requiring medical advice on a defendant's mental condition may remand that person to prison for a report. The Government encourage the use of other means of obtaining such reports including bail or remand to hospital where custody is not necessary in the public interest.
Victim's Charter"
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what expenditure he has incurred in the production and distribution of the official pamphlet "Victim's Charter".
Mr. John Patten : The cost of the design, printing and distribution of the charter were £26,284.
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Real Estate
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what information he has about the ownership of real estate and other assets in the United Kingdom by members of the former communist Administrations in (a) East Germany, (b) Romania, (c) Bulgaria and (d) Czechoslovakia ;
(2) what information he has about the ownership of real estate and other assets in the United Kingdom by members of the present communist Administrations in (a) Angola, (b) Cuba and (c) China.
Mr. Waddington : Such information is not held by my Department.
Sunset Radio
Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on Sunset Radio and the future of ethnic minority broadcasting in Manchester.
Mr. Mellor : Sunset Radio was the first of the IBA's "incremental" radio contractors to begin broadcasting. It opened on 22 October 1989, six months after being awarded the contract. It broadcasts on 102.0 MHz (VHF/FM) for 24 hours a day, serving a number of ethnic minority communities within the Manchester area. I understand that some internal reorganisation has taken place recently ; this is a matter for the station itself, under overall IBA supervision.
The Broadcasting Bill, which was introduced to Parliament in December 1989, paves the way for further expansion of independent radio. The new Radio Authority will be able to offer licences for many more local stations catering for a range of listeners' tastes and interests, including services for ethnic minorities. The location of the services will depend on demand and the availability of suitable frequencies.
Prisoners
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of prisoners in each prison in England and Wales who were employed in prison workshops or kitchens on 5 March.
Mr. Mellor : Information is not collected in precisely the form requested. The average daily number of inmates employed in prison workshops and kitchens during the week ending 27 January, the most recent period for which complete information is available, was as follows :
Hepatitis B
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the percentage of prison officers and other prison staff who have been vaccinated against hepatitis B.
Mr. Mellor [holding answer 9 March 1990] : No central record detailing this information is maintained. The prison service's present policy is to make available hepatitis B preventive vaccination on request to all staff who routinely come into contact with prisoners.
ENERGY
North Sea Investment
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what was the level of capital investment in the North sea in 1989 ; and what are the prospects for 1990.
Mr. Wakeham : Capital investment in the production of the United Kingdom's oil and gas in 1989 was £2.6 billion (provisional), an increase of well over 20 per cent. on the level achieved in 1988. The industry has indicated that capital investment in 1990 could reach a massive £3.7 billion.
Nuclear Industry (Subsidies)
Mr. Denzil Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has on the total value, in the latest available year, of national subsidies paid to the nuclear industry in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) the Federal Republic of Germany and (c) France.
Mr. Baldry : The Government have paid no subsidies to the electricity industry in the United Kingdom in respect of nuclear generation, nor have they paid any subsidies to British Nuclear Fuels. I have no information on Government subsidies to the nuclear industries in the other countries mentioned.
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Sudbury House and Bankside Power Station
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, what is the estimated value of Sudbury house and Bankside power station.
Mr. Wakeham : The estimated value of these sites is commercially confidential.
Nuclear Electric (Trading)
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what scale of guarantees are needed to prevent Nuclear Electric from trading while insolvent.
Mr. Wakeham : On 6 March I laid before the House a minute which set out my intention to provide a letter of assurance to Nuclear Electric plc.
As my hon. Friend the Member for Banbury (Mr. Baldry) explained in an answer to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks) on 26 February ( Official Report, Column 91 ), work is currently in hand on the financial structure of the company. Decisions on the extent of any support in addition to the letter of assurance cannot yet be taken. They depend on the outcome of the company's review of accounting policies and its financial performance in 1989-90.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether his Department was consulted about the allocation of (a) Sudbury house and (b) Bankside power station to Nuclear Electric plc.
Mr. Wakeham : I took the decision that Sudbury house and Bankside power station should be allocated to Nuclear Electric.
WALES
Cancer
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth of 13 March on information on cancer in Wales, for what reason no figures for the incidence in Wales of (a) leukaemia, (b) lung cancer, (c) colon cancer and (d) stomach cancer are available for any year since 1984 ; and if he will make a statement.
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