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Mr. William Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he has taken to ensure that diseased potatoes from elsewhere in the European Community are not imported into Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [13448]
Mr. Ancram: Council directive 77/93/EEC, implemented in Northern Ireland by the Plant Health Order (Northern Ireland) 1993, sets out the plant health requirements which have to be met before potatoes can be moved into Northern Ireland.
Commission directive 93/17/EEC, implemented in Northern Ireland by the Seed Potatoes (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1994, provides a series of measures which set high-quality standards for seed potatoes being imported into Northern Ireland.
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More recently, as a result of outbreaks of the potato disease brown rot in the Netherlands, the EU has laid down requirements to be met by the Dutch authorities to prevent the spread of the disease, Commission decision 95/506/EC. The Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland used enabling powers provided by this Commission decision to require the pre-notification of all Dutch potatoes being imported into Northern Ireland. Should any Dutch potatoes be imported they will be subject to detention, inspection and testing.
Mr. Ross:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish in the Official Report the tonnage of seed potatoes exported from Northern Ireland to (a) Great Britain and (b) elsewhere from the (i) 1994 crop, (ii) 1995 crop, or his estimate of the 1995 crop, (iii) 1985 crop and (iv) the 1975 crop. [13449]
| Tonnage shipped to: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Crop year | Great Britain | Elsewhere | |
| 1975 | 10,884 | 39,358 | |
| 1985 | 7,453 | 42,348 | |
| 1994 | 4,167 | 21,163 | |
| 1995 | (37)4,000 | (37)20,000 | |
(37) Estimated.
Mr. Barnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list for his Department and each of the agencies for which he is responsible if it uses the Employment Services's positive about disabled people symbol for (a) external recruitment and (b) internal recruitment and promotion. [11911]
Mr. Michael Forsyth: None of my departments or agencies currently use the Employment Services's positive about disabled people symbol. However, my Department and agencies are giving further consideration to becoming symbol users.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the cost to public funds to his Department of each meeting of the Scottish Grand Committee in the current Session, and what estimate he has made of the cost of each meeting which is due to take place; and if he will itemise the costs. [12016]
Mr. Michael Forsyth: The cost of hiring venues, catering, security and use of equipment and so on, is borne by the House authorities. Scottish Office officials supporting Ministers in connection with Committee meetings do so as part of their normal duties and no additional staff costs are incurred.
Mr. Dafis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many full-time members of staff are currently employed by the Scottish Office Agriculture Department in Edinburgh; and at what grades are they employed. [12306]
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Mr. Michael Forsyth:
The numbers and grades of staff employed on a full-time basis in the agricultural divisions of the Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department who are based in Edinburgh are shown in the table. The table reflects the position as at 1 January 1996.
| Grade | Permanent | Casual | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional and Technical Staff | |||
| Grade 4: Chief Agricultural Officer | 1 | -- | 1 |
| Grade 5: Deputy Chief Agricultural Officer | 1 | -- | 1 |
| Grade 6: Assistant Chief Agricultural Officer | 4 | -- | 4 |
| Grade 7: Surveyor | 2 | -- | 2 |
| Principal Agricultural/Horticultural Officer | 3 | -- | 3 |
| Senior Agricultural/Horticultural Officer | 10 | -- | 10 |
| Higher Agricultural/Horticultural Officer | 5 | -- | 5 |
| Higher Marketing Officer | 2 | -- | 2 |
| Agricultural/Horticultural Officer | 4 | -- | 4 |
| Marketing Officer | 4 | -- | 4 |
| Food and Dairy Officer | 2 | -- | 2 |
| Senior Professional and Technical Officer | 2 | -- | 2 |
| Higher Professional and Technical Officer | 1 | -- | 1 |
| Professional and Technical Officer | 6 | -- | 6 |
| TG2--Tracer | 2 | -- | 2 |
| Administrative Staff | |||
| Grade 3: Under Secretary | 1 | -- | 1 |
| Grade 5: Assistant Secretary | 5 | -- | 5 |
| Grade 7: Principal | 18 | -- | 18 |
| Senior Executive Officer | 5 | -- | 5 |
| Higher Executive Officer | 32 | -- | 32 |
| Executive Officer | 37 | -- | 37 |
| Administrative Officer | 51 | -- | 51 |
| Administrative Assistant | 33 | 8 | 41 |
| Personal Secretary | 14 | -- | 14 |
| Typist | 8 | -- | 8 |
| Industrial Staff | 1 | -- | 1 |
| Totals | 254 | 8 | 262 |
Mr. Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the electorates of the new parliamentary constituencies in Scotland as at 16 February 1995. [12730]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton:
The electorates of the new parliamentary constituencies as at 16 February 1995 are not known, as the Parliamentary Constituencies (Scotland) Order 1995 was not made until 11 April 1995.
5 Feb 1996 : Column: 83
Information was collected as at 2 June 1995, however, for the purposes of the European Parliamentary constituencies review, as follows:
5 Feb 1996 : Column: 84
Mr. McAllion: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to vet private health companies which tender for contracts to run NHS services under the Government's private finance initiative. [12611]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: All private sector organisations wishing to become involved in NHS schemes must, under European procurement legislation, pass through a prequalification stage under which their financial position, legal status and competence to carry out the task are explored. All companies which succeed in reaching tender stage of a project will have demonstrated their soundness in all these areas. It is the responsibility of NHS trusts and health boards to establish the suitability of prospective partners.
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been spent on the management allowances of general practitioner fundholding practices; and how much this represented for each GP fundholder practice in operation in each financial year since the introduction of GP fundholding for each health board area in Scotland. [12505]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton:
Expenditure on management allowances for general practitioner fundholding practices in Scotland in the period 1990-91 to 1994-95 is set out in the table. Details of management allowances for individual GP fundholding practices are not held centrally.
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(38) Provisional.
5 Feb 1996 : Column: 85
5 Feb 1996 : Column: 85
Mr. Donohoe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what have been at the end of each financial year since the introduction of general practitioner fundholding for each health board area in Scotland the amounts retained by general practitioner fundholding practices. [12507]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton:
The information in the table sets out GP fundholder savings which are retained by the health board on the fundholder's behalf to be used for the benefit of patients.
| Health board | 1991-92 | 1992-93 | 1993-94 | 1994-95 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argyll and Clyde | 56 | nil | 55 | 214 |
| Ayrshire and Arran | -- | -- | 330 | 214 |
| Borders | -- | -- | 65 | 291 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | -- | -- | -- | 76 |
| Fife | -- | -- | 96 | 150 |
| Forth Valley | -- | -- | 23 | 101 |
| Grampian | 103 | 95 | 551 | 1,207 |
| Greater Glasgow | -- | 13 | 185 | 888 |
| Highland | -- | -- | 87 | -- |
| Lanarkshire | -- | -- | 458 | 1,360 |
| Lothian | 29 | 39 | 354 | 868 |
| Orkney | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Shetland | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Tayside | -- | 12 | 278 | 363 |
| Western Isles | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Scotland | 188 | 159 | 2,482 | 5,732 |
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what financial support is available to general practitioner fundholding practices from (a) Scottish health boards, (b) his Department and (c) the NHS Management Executive in addition to management allowances paid to general practitioner fundholding practices. [12509]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: In addition to the management allowance, GP fundholders can receive reimbursement for the purchase of computer systems required for fundholding purposes. This provision allows for GP fundholders to receive 75 per cent. of the cost of computer hardware and 100 per cent. of the cost of the software.
Mr. Donohoe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the maximum level of the management allowances payable to general practitioner fundholding practices has been set at in each financial year since the introduction of fundholding; and what additional expenditure incurred by general practitioner fundholders the management allowances is supposed to cover. [12513]
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Lord James Douglas-Hamilton:
The information requested is set out in the table.
| Year | Maximum amount of management allowance £ |
|---|---|
| 1990-91 | 16,000 |
| 1991-92 | 33,000 |
| 1992-93 | 34,500 |
| 1993-94 | 35,000 |
| 1994-95 | 35,000 |
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Fixed standard fundholding allowance (per fund) | 27,258 |
| List size allowance per patient | |
| for the first 0-6,999 | 1.88 |
| then 7,000-10,999 | 1.61 |
| 11,000-14,999 | 1.52 |
| 15,000-20,999 | 1.17 |
| 21,000+ | 1.02 |
| Site allowance (for each major branch surgery) | 650 |
| Standard fundholding group allowance (for each practice in excess of one in a single fund) | 1,400 |
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Fixed primary care purchasing allowance (per fund) | 14,135 |
| Site allowance (for each major branch surgery) | 650 |
| Standard primary care purchasing group allowance (for each practice in excess of one in a single fund) | 1,250 |
5 Feb 1996 : Column: 87
Management expenses are defined in the National Health Service (Fund-Holding Practices) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 1995 as:
(a) the cost of employing staff in connection with the management of the allotted sum;
(b) the cost of training members of the practice or their staff in connection with the management of the allotted sum;
(c) the cost of either--
(i) employing or engaging (as an assistant or deputy) a registered medical practitioner to provide general medical services to the patients of a member of the practice who is engaged in the management of the allotted sum, or
(ii) paying a member of the practice for his time in connection with the management of the allotted sum;
(d) the cost of acquiring office equipment (excluding computers) required for the purposes of the management of the allotted sum;
(e) the upkeep and running costs of office equipment required for the purposes of the management of the allotted sum, including computer hardware and software running costs;
Mr. Donohoe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been retained out of surplus in their budgets by each general practitioner fundholding practice in Scotland at the end of each financial year. [12508]
(f) the cost of specialist advice required in connection with the management of the allotted sum; and
(g) the cost of minor internal modifications to any premises from which the members of the practice carry on their practice which are required to provide office accommodation for staff employed in connection with the management of the allotted sum.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The information requested is not available centrally.
Mr. Donohoe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what responsibility health boards and the NHS Management Executive have in respect of monitoring the
5 Feb 1996 : Column: 88
use made of general practitioner fundholding practices of any surpluses retained by their practices at the end of the financial year. [12510]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton:
Under the National Health Service (Fundholding Practices) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 1995, it is the responsibility of health boards to be satisfied that expenditure by GP fundholders on audited savings is for the benefit of the patients of the members of practice and represents value for money.
Mr. Donohoe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many general practitioner fundholding practices have been in operation, giving the number of patients covered by general practitioner fundholding practices; and what percentage this represented of the health board's total population for each financial year since the introduction of general practitioner fundholding for each health board area in Scotland. [12506]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton:
The information requested is set out in the table:
5 Feb 1996 : Column: 87
| 1991-92 | 1992-93 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practices(39) | Patients(40) | Percentage of all patients(41) | Total(39) | Patients(40) | Percentage of all patients(41) | |||
| Argyll and Clyde | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 9,017 | 2.0 | ||
| Ayrshire and Arran | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| Borders | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| Dumfries and Galloway | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| Fife | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| Forth Valley | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| Grampian | 6 | 65,656 | 12.5 | 6 | 66,355 | 12.5 | ||
| Greater Glasgow | -- | -- | -- | 2 | 20,054 | 2.0 | ||
| Highland | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| Lanarkshire | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| Lothian | 2 | 10,649 | 1.3 | 2 | 10,587 | 1.3 | ||
| Orkney | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| Shetland | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| Tayside | 3 | 19,195 | 4.7 | 3 | 19,432 | 4.7 | ||
| Western Isles | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
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(39) GP practices which were 'live' fundholders for all or part of the financial year, ie excludes practices in the preparatory stage of fundholding. There were none in the year ended 31 March 1991.
(40) All patients on the lists of practices, as defined above, including those living outwith the health board area, as at 1 April immediately following the end of the financial year.
(41) Patients, as defined above, as a percentage of all patients of all principals contracted to the health board, as at 1 April immediately following the end of the financial year. Includes patients living outwith the health board area and excludes patients who reside in the health board area but are on the lists of principals contracted to other health boards.
5 Feb 1996 : Column: 87
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