asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many special care baby units there are in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, respectively; and how this number has increased or decreased in each of the past 20 years.
Numbers of special care baby units for the past 20 years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Numbers of special care baby units and of special care cots for the years 1974 and 1978 are as follows:and what percentage of, hospitals with maternity units do not have special baby care units and incubators, respectively;(2) how many incubators there are in maternity units in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, respectively; and how this number has increased or decreased in each of the past 20 years.
Detailed information of this kind is not collected centrally. I would, however, expect that incubators would be provided in all special care baby units and that these units would be associated with all consultant maternity units.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what his proposals are for the increase in special care baby units and for the installation of incubators, respectively; and how these proposals will be affected by the Government's cut in public spending.
The Department has issued guidance on the provision of special care for babies in the report of the expert group which was published in 1971 and in circular HC(76)40 which enclosed the report of the working party on the prevention of early neonatal mortality and morbidity. I expect health authorities—whose responsibility this is—to continue to provide facilities according to local needs, priorities and resources.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what account has been taken of the rising birth rate in the United Kingdom generally,
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||||
| New claims(1) | Disqualifications imposed(2) | Column 3 as a percentage of column 2 | ||||||
| Year ending— | ||||||||
| 30 June 1977 | … | … | … | … | … | 4,660,000 | 11,600 | 0·25 |
| 30 June 1978 | … | … | … | … | … | 4,551,000 | 11,800 | 0·26 |
| 30 June 1979(3) | … | … | … | … | 4,280,000 | 14,400 | 0·34 | |
| Source: 100 per cent. count of new claims and Insurance Officers' decisions. | ||||||||
| (1) Column 2 includes a proportion of cases where there was no entitlement to benefit or credits. | ||||||||
| (2) The disqualifications were imposed because the claimant either: | ||||||||
| (a) placed unreasonable restrictions on the nature of the employment he would accept; or | ||||||||
| (b) refused to accept or apply for suitable employment; or | ||||||||
| (c) neglected to avail himself of a reasonable opportunity of suitable employment; or | ||||||||
| (d) failed to carry out official recommendations given to him with a view to assisting him to find suitable employment. | ||||||||
| (3) The latest available date. | ||||||||