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Free Eye Tests (Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pensioners have benefited from free eye tests in Shrewsbury and Atcham since 1 May 1997; and if he will make a statement. [154656]
Mr. Denham: Eligibility for National Health Service sight tests was extended to all those aged 60 and over from 1 April 1999. Figures for the number of over-60s who have received free eye tests in particular areas are not collected centrally.
However, there was an increase of around 40,000 in the total number of sight tests paid for by Shropshire health authority in the 18 months following April 1999 compared to the 18 months before April 1999. It is fair to assume that the majority of this increase was due to newly eligible people aged over 60 obtaining NHS sight tests.
- Source:
- Department of Health--General Ophthalmic Services Activity Statistics
Hospital Building Costs
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost of building a new district general hospital is. [154172]
Mr. Denham [holding answer 21 March 2001]: Each hospital development is unique, reflecting local requirements and circumstances. We are therefore unable to give an overall average cost. The capital value would be dependent on many factors, such as location, with the land and construction costs varying considerably, with inner London prices at over 25 per cent. higher than in many other parts of the country. Other factors include the geography and nature of the site chosen, and whether it is new build on an existing hospital site, a greenfield site or a major refurbishment project.
Hepatitis C
Ms Church: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how he plans to build on the strategic approach to hepatitis C. [155540]
Yvette Cooper: The Department of Health is setting up a steering group with the following terms of reference:
- To oversee development of the Department's strategic approach to hepatitis C by bringing together issues relating to prevention, control and treatment and to produce a document within the year, for consultation with the NHS, professional bodies and the voluntary and community sectors.
- Steering group membership
- Chairman
- Professor Howard Thomas, Imperial College School of Medicine, London and Chairman, Advisory Group on Hepatitis
- Members
- Jim Camp, Needle Exchange Forum
- Ms Hannah Cinamon, Health Promotion England
- Professor Chris Day, Medical School, Newcastle University
- Ms Jo Guy, Hepatology Nurse Specialist, Southampton General Hospital
- Dr. Paul Hatton, Consultant in Communicable Disease Control, Leeds Health Authority and member, Advisory Group on Hepatitis
22 Mar 2001 : Column: 356W
- Ms Lorraine Hewitt, Action on Hepatitis C and member, Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs
- Nigel Hughes, British Liver Trust
- Dr. Will Irving, Department of Microbiology, University of Nottingham and member, Advisory Group on Hepatitis
- Grant McNally, National Drug Users Development Agency
- Dr. Mary Ramsay, Public Health Laboratory Service Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre
- Professor Gerry Stimson, Centre for Research on Drugs and Medicine, Imperial College School of Medicine, London
- Professor John Strang, Director of the National Addiction Centre, Maudsley Hospital, London and member of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs
- Ms Monique Tomlinson, Mainliners
- Dr. Martyn Wake, General Practitioner, south west London.
TREASURY
Children (Northern Region)
Mr. Kemp: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many children there are in the Northern Region. [155046]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Fraser Kemp, dated 22 March 2001:
- As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question concerning the number of children resident in the Northern Region (155046).
- ONS produce statistics for Government Office Regions. In 1999 the estimated number of children (0-15 years) in the North East Government Office Region was 519,000.
Population Statistics (Wales)
Mr. Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people aged over 65 years were resident in Wales in 1997; and how many are resident today. [154817]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Nigel Evans, dated 22 March 2001:
- As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question on the number of persons aged 65 and over in the resident population of Wales in 1997 and today (154817).
- Below is a table showing the information requested for mid-1997 and mid-1999 which is the most recent year for which a population estimate is available.
| Thousand | |
|---|---|
| Number | |
| Mid-1997 | 478.5 |
| Mid-1999 | 479.1 |
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Pensions (Annuities)
Sir Robert Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to public funds of removing the requirement for people to purchase an annuity with their retirement pension fund. [154419]
Miss Melanie Johnson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs (Mr. Flight) on 21 March 2001, Official Report, column 236W.
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will review the rules on the conversion of tax supported money purchase pension funds into annuities and publish his conclusions. [154777]
Miss Melanie Johnson: I refer my hon. Friend to Sections 5.66 to 5.69 of our Economic and Fiscal Strategy Report published on Budget Day which sets out our views on annuities.
Mr. Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reason the rate of tax on the pension fund of a person who dies before purchasing an annuity is set at its present rate; and if he will make a statement. [148738]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Contributions to, and the investment build up of, pension funds benefit from deferred taxation to encourage people to save for a secure retirement income that will last for life. Where, following the death of a personal pension scheme member during income drawdown, the remaining pension fund capital is paid to a beneficiary, it is subject to a tax charge of 35 per cent. This charge broadly recovers the pension scheme tax reliefs given earlier on fund contributions and investment growth.
With-profit Bonds
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance his Department has issued to insurance enterprises on the potential effect on reserves of with-profits bonds. [154804]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The reserving requirements for with-profits bonds are set out in the Insurance Companies Act 1982 and in subsequent regulations, and in the equivalent legislation for friendly societies.
Financial Services
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to take steps to allow financial services company representatives to sell the products of other companies; and if he will make a statement. [155067]
Miss Melanie Johnson: I welcome yesterday's announcement by the Financial Services Authority of their conclusions on the work they had undertaken in their Consultation Paper 80, "Reforming Polarisation: First Steps".
That Consultation Paper was issued following the exchange of letters with the FSA Chairman, Sir Howard Davies, at the time of the pre-Budget report, when I welcomed their proposals for polarisation reform.
22 Mar 2001 : Column: 358W
The FSA will seek views later this year to inform its continuing wider review of polarisation.
Insurance Providers (Solvency)
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many times in each year since 1992 his Department issued advice to insurance providers on possible breaches of solvency requirements. [154806]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Solvency requirements for insurance companies are set out in the Insurance Companies Act 1982 and in subsequent regulations, and in the equivalent legislation for friendly societies.
Foot and Mouth
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to freeze national insurance and income tax payments for zoos closed due to the foot and mouth outbreak. [154069]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 16 March 2001]: There are currently no such plans, but the Government keep all taxes under review.
In his statement to the House, the Minister for the Environment announced a preliminary package of measures to alleviate the immediate financial hardship of small businesses in rural areas which have been badly hit by the sudden decrease in visitors and other knock-on effects of the foot and mouth outbreak.
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the estimated annual cost to the UK economy would be if foot and mouth disease became endemic; [154083]
- (2) what estimate he has made of the total cost to the UK economy to date of the outbreak of foot and mouth disease. [154081]
Mr. Andrew Smith [holding answer 20 March 2001]: Government policy is to eradicate foot and mouth disease from the UK. All efforts are being made to achieve this. It is not possible at this stage to make a robust assessment of the economic impact.
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