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Spastics Society
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she last met representatives from the Spastics Society to discuss (a) the adoption of a disability income scheme and (b) reform of the tort system in dealing with claims of negligence against the medical profession.
Mr. Yeo : We have had no such meetings.
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Drugs and Alcohol
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish details of all the monitoring information held by her Department on the funding of drug and alcohol services after 1 April.
Mr. Yeo : We expect to publish the findings of the monitoring exercise now being undertaken by Goldsmiths' college, including aggregated national data, when the exercise is completed at the end of July.
Limited List
Mr. Batiste : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects the Advisory Committee on NHS Drugs to finish its deliberations on which products in each of the 10 new categories are to be placed on the selected list ; and if she intends to publish their advice.
Dr. Mawhinney : The committee has been asked to complete its work by the end of the year. The committee's advice is confidential and will not be published.
Teenagers (Magazine Advice)
Lady Olga Maitland : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to encourage magazines for teenage girls to include moral as well as practical advice on sexual issues.
Mr. Sackville : It is important that discussion about sexual health matters has proper regard to moral considerations, the value of family life and the responsibilities of parenthood, and this is the approach set out in the Government's White Paper "The Health of the Nation". We hope that those responsible within the media for decisions about the content of magazines read by young people will bear this firmly in mind.
Doctors and Consultants (Suspensions)
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish a table showing (a) how many doctors are currently suspended, (b) the breakdown of (a) in terms of gender and race and (c) the breakdown of (a) in terms of general practitioners and hospital doctors : and if she will make a statement.
Dr. Mawhinney : This information is not available centrally.
Schools Health Service
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what directives she has given to district health authorities on the schools health service ; and if she will make a statement ; (2) what steps she is taking to protect the schools health service, and to ensure a uniform standard of service throughout the country ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Yeo : Health authorities are aware that, in their purchasing of health services for their local populations they must fulfil the duty under section 5 of the National Health Service Act 1977 to provide for the inspection and treatment of children at maintained schools--duties which may be extended to independent schools by arrangement with the school's proprietors. How they do so is a matter
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for local decision. With the increasing involvement of general practitioners and their primary care teams in child health surveillance, many school children receive the bulk of the health care they require from GPs as part of a comprehensive family practitioner service. It is therefore no longer appropriate to insist on a separate school health service responsible for all school children. We foresee a continuing need for some specialised services, particularly for children with special educational needs and for those not adequately covered by primary care. We intend to publish guidance on such provision within a good practice guide to child community health services.Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the funding allocation for the schools health service for each year since 1985.
Mr. Yeo : Funding is provided through the general allocation for community health services. It is not possible to identify specific allocations to health services for school children.
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) school nurses and (b) school medical officers were employed by each district health authority in each year since 1985.
Mr. Yeo : The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Blood Donors
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what categories of person are prevented from donating blood for the national blood transfusion service.
Mr. Sackville : People wishing to donate blood but who consider themselves to be in the following categories are asked not to give blood :
anyone who has AIDS, is HIV positive or thinks they may need an AIDS test
anyone who has ever injected themselves with drugs
any man who has ever had sex with another man
anyone who has ever worked as a prostitute
any man who has had sex with a woman he knows has AIDS or is HIV positive
any woman who has had sex with a man she knows has ever had sex with another man
anyone who has had sex with a man or woman who they know has ever injected themselves with drugs
any woman who has had sex with a man who she knows has haemophilia.
People who consider themselves to be in the following categories are asked not to give blood if in the last two years they have had sex with :
a male or female prostitute
any man or woman of any race living in Africa--but not Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya or Egypt--or any man or woman who has had sex in the last two years with anyone living there.
Others may be deferred from giving blood, either permanently or for a period if
they have had an infectious disease in the last two years, or if they have been in contact with an infectious disease in the last six months
they have visited or lived abroad other than in Europe
they have received any innoculations or vaccinations in the last six months or ever been treated with human growth hormone they have had any of the following : anaemia ; asthma ; brucellosis (undulant fever) ; cancer ; diabetes ; epilepsy (fits) ; glandular fever ; hay fever ; heart disease ; high blood pressure ; hospital admission ; jaundice (including contact with a case during the past six months) ; kidney disease ; malaria ; stroke ; tuberculosis.
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TRANSPORT
Nuclear Fuel (Transport)
Ms Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he takes to monitor the compliance with weight regulations of wagons used for the shipments of spent nuclear fuel sent to Sellafield from Germany ; and which shipments he has checked for their compliance.
Mr. Freeman : I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to her rail freight questions on 12 May, Official Report, column 462.
Scirocco
Sir Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken following the refusal of the Spanish authorities to permit, and the use of gunboats to prevent, the landing at Almeria of the British-registered vessel Scirocco.
Mr. Norris : We are continuing our efforts to resolve the matter. In our view, Cenargo is entitled to operate this service under European Community legislation on shipping liberalisation. We welcome the fact that the Spanish Government have conceded that there is no legal obstacle to Cenargo operating such a service.
Marine Emergencies Organisation
Mr. Dunn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration he has given to the future of the Marine Emergencies Organisation.
Mr. MacGregor : I have decided that the Marine Emergencies Organisation should be a candidate for executive agency status within my Department. I am confident that this will provide the MEO with the incentive and opportunity to enhance the well-regarded service it already provides. The necessary preparatory work is being put in hand for the organisation to become an agency on 1 April 1994.
East London Rail Study
Mr. Austin-Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 16 July 1992, Official Report, columns 861-63, what further work has been undertaken on the options identified in the east London rail study phase 2.
Mr. Norris : I understand that work has focused on a Thames crossing between the royal docks and Woolwich and that a joint London Transport-- London Docklands development corporation study has been looking at the local and more strategic impact of such a link. Improved access to London City airport by the docklands light railway and improved local links between the royal docks and Barking remain possibilities and will be the subject of further studies.
EDUCATION
Oxbridge College Fees
Sir Thomas Arnold : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what formulae are used for calculating the grants for college fees at Oxford and Cambridge ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Boswell : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr (Mr. Rooker) on 22 April, Official Report column 154. The changes in college fees at Oxford and Cambridge each year take account of the change in the average unit of public funding for student places in higher education. Discussions between the Department and representatives of the colleges on fee levels for the 1993-94 academic year are currently in progress.
Testing : The Facts"
Mrs. Roche : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the cost to public funds of the promotional package "Testing : The Facts"; and how widely it was distributed.
Mr. Forth : I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Woolwich (Mr. Austin-Walker) on Wednesday 19 May 1993 Official Report columns 170-71.
PRIME MINISTER
Mr. Alan Clark
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Prime Minister if Mr. Alan Clark was telephone tapped during his period in office as a Minister of the Crown.
The Prime Minister : The policy on the interception of the telephones of Members of Parliament remains as stated in 1966 by the then Prime Minister, the Lord Wilson of Rievaulx, and as applied by successive Governments since. In answer to questions on 17 November 1966, Lord Wilson said that he had given instructions that there was to be no tapping of the telephones of Members of Parliament and that, if there were a development which required such a change of policy, he would at such moment as seemed compatible with the security of the country, on his own initiative make a statement in the House about it. As I said in reply to a similar question by the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Smith) on 29 June 1992 at column 375, the Government regard this undertaking as still applying to both postal and telephone interception.
NATIONAL FINANCE
Currency and Commodity Dealings
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has for requiring a full audit trail in currency and commodity dealings as a protection against fraud and price manipulation.
Mr. Nelson : Institutions regulated by the Bank and under the Financial Services Act must have adequate systems to control the regulated aspects of their business, including an adequate audit trail. Where these controls are inadequate, the regulators will take appropriate action. They will also investigate any evidence of fraud or malpractice. I have no proposals to change the present regulatory arrangements, but will keep the matter under review.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has for requiring the total separation of dealing and fund management in currency and commodity markets.
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Mr. Nelson : Separation in the functions of dealer and fund manager is not a regulatory requirement in these or other financial markets. The necessary safeguards to ensure that banks and financial institutions deal fairly for clients are matters for the Bank of England and the financial services regulators. Their judgment is that this can be achieved by having appropriate controls to satisfy regulatory requirements and by imposing a disclosure requirement, where appropriate. I have no proposals to change the present regulatory arrangements, but will keep the matter under review.
Trade Bank
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what requests the Bank of England has received from Mr. Sadiq Hassan Taha in regard to the establishment of a trade bank in London, since 1985.
Mr. Nelson : The Bank of England has sole responsibility for authorisation under the Banking Act 1987, and it is for the Bank to determine what information relating to possible applications for authorisation may be disclosed. Its ability to disclose any such information is constrained by the confidentiality provisions of the Act.
Exchange Rates
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing for each year since 1970 and for each month since August 1992 the sterling effective exchange rate, as shown in table F1 of the "Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics" and currently, distinguishing the effective exchange rate for Organisation of European Economic Co-operation countries and the corresponding rate for non-OEEC countries together with the imports and exports of manufactures in each case as a percentage of money gross domestic product.
Mr. Nelson : The sterling effective exchange rate index which formerly appeared in table F1 of the Central Statistical Office's "Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics" can still be found in up-to-date form in table 13.1 of "Financial Statistics", copies of which are available in the House of Commons Library. Indices of the effective exchange rate for sterling relative to specific groups of countries are not available.
Information on trade in manufactures with individual countries and major groupings of countries is published in the CSO's business monitor MA20, available in the Library, and information on the gross domestic product is on the CSO database which can be accessed by the Library.
Manufactures
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the effect of the increase in the terms of trade for manufactures since the second half of 1973 on the balance of payments for (i) semi- manufactures and (ii) finished manufactures in terms of 1992 prices and as a percentage of money gross domestic product ; and if he will publish a table showing the relevant figures for each year since 1970 and, where relevant, in index form as a percentage of the second half of 1973.
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Mr. Nelson : The terms of trade are only one of several influences on the balance and there is no simple and direct relationship between them. The latest information on the balance of trade in manufactures between 1970 and 1992 at current and constant prices, and on the gross domestic product, is available from the Central Statistical Office database which can be accessed by the House of Commons Library.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he expects the figures for import and export prices of manufactures on trade with other EC countries to follow the same path (a) this year to date and (b) for the rest of the year as on trade with non-EC countries ; what is his estimate of the effect that has had on the balance of payments this year to date ; and what is his forecast for the rest of 1993.
Mr. Nelson : While there has been a correlation between movements in EC and non-EC trade prices over the past, prices for our non-EC trade are not necessarily an exact guide to prices for our trade with other EC countries. Figures for prices of our trade with other EC countries will be available in mid-June. The latest forecast of the balance of payments was published in the Financial Statement and Budget Report.
Rents
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what percentage rents to consumers have increased since January 1987, measured by the retail prices index ; and if he will publish a table (a) giving separate figures for the increase in public and private rents and their corresponding weights in the index in 1978, 1979, 1987 and to date and (b) showing the effect of rent increases on the real disposable incomes of council tenants not in receipt of housing subsidies or national assistance.
Mr. Nelson : Between January 1987 and March 1993, the latest date for which information is available, the "rents" section of the retail prices index rose by 70.9 per cent. Information on public and private sector rents is not available in the form requested.
In 1987, local authority tenants not in receipt of rent rebates, supplementary benefit, rates rebate and housing benefit supplement, had an average disposable income of £180 per week. In 1991, local authority tenants not in receipt of rent rebates, income support and rates rebate, had an average disposable income of £218 per week. The information was obtained from the 1987 and 1991 family expenditure surveys. Information on rent excluding rates is not available from the 1987 family expenditure survey.
Monthly Digest of Statistics"
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the aggregate increase in prices in non-food items since 13 January 1987 for (a) the groups in table 18.2 of the April edition of the "Monthly Digest of Statistics" and (b) table 18.1 for March ; what is the reason for the difference between the two figures ; what account was taken of foreign holidays in (i) the weights in both tables 18.1 and 18.2 and (ii) the averaging in table 18.2 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Nelson : The aggregate increase in prices in non-food items within the retail prices index since 13
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January 1987 was 39.7 per cent. by 12 January 1993 and 40.8 per cent. by 16 March 1993. The difference between the two figures simply reflects changes in prices between January and March.Foreign holidays were introduced into the RPI with effect from February 1993, following a recommendation of the RPI Advisory Committee, Cm 2142. Thus, while March 1993 edition of the "Monthly Digest of Statistics" contains indices up to and including January 1993, with no foreign holidays component, the April 1993 edition contains indices up to March 1993, including the new foreign holidays component showing the movement compared to January 1993.
The foreign holidays component in the all-items RPI for 1993 has a weight of 30 parts per 1,000.
Changes in prices for the RPI are measured by comparing them to their levels in the previous January and then weighting them together using the latest weights for the current year to produce an overall average price change for each month. These average price changes are then linked with the figures for earlier years.
By "chain-linking" the calculations in this way, the index can both take account of changes in the make-up of household spending from year to year and provide comparisons between different years. This procedure ensures that if something is dropped from the index or introduced, the index is not distorted. Thus, the introduction of foreign holidays has not resulted in a discontinuity in the level of the index.
Forestry Commission
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any officials of his Department have met third parties to discuss matters relating to the possible privatisation of the Forestry Commission.
Mr. Dorrell : From time to time, my officials meet bodies and organisations with interests in forestry.
Drugs
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many registered drug addicts there were in Wales in each year since 1987 ; and how many (a) registered heroin addicts, (b) new heroin addicts in each year, (c) cocaine addicts and (d) new cocaine addicts there were in each year.
Mr. Jack : The information requested is given in the table.
Drug addicts notified in Wales to the Home Office
during the year
1987-91
Number of persons
|1987|1988|1989|1990|1991
---------------------------------------------------
All notified addicts |230 |253 |299 |366 |528
All heroin addicts |154 |186 |196 |231 |208
New heroin addicts |53 |66 |70 |77 |106
All cocaine addicts |8 |13 |20 |17 |12
New cocaine addicts |2 |10 |10 |8 |10
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has on (a) the real street price after accounting for inflation and (b) the purity of hard drugs in the United Kingdom since 1987.
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Mr. Jack : As drug dealing is an illegal and clandestine activity, it is not possible to obtain more than a very general indication of the street prices of drugs. Information obtained by the National Criminal Intelligence Service and set out in the table suggests that over the period 1987-92, the street prices of drugs such as heroin, cocaine and amphetamines have remained relatively steady.
Price per gramme
|Heroin |Cocaine |Amphetamine
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1987 |£75-90 |£60.90 |£10.20
|(£102-122)<1>|(£81-122)<1> |(£14-27)<1>
1988 |£80-100 |£60-80 |£10-15
1989 |£70-90 |£60-80 |£10-15
1990 |£60-90 |£50-100 |£12-15
1991 |£50-100 |£50-100 |£12-15
1992 |£50-100 |£50-100 |£10-15
<1> Expressed in 1992 prices.
The purity level of drugs as ascertained by scientific analysis will depend on at what point the sample is intercepted in the chain between dealers and misusers. Average street level purities for the period in question are contained in the table.
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Percentages |Heroin |Cocaine ------------------------------------------------------------ 1987 |33 |56 |11 1988 |36 |61 |10 1989 |39 |48 |7 1990 |38 |45 |6 1991 |48 |51 |5 1992 |42 |48 |6
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask ththe United Kingdom and its waters and (ii) Wales in each year since 1987.
Mr. Jack : The information relating to the proportion of heroin and cocaine seizures by weight in the United Kingdom made by Her Majesty's Customs and other agencies is given in the table. Information regarding amounts seized in Wales is not held separately.
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