To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on his responsibilities in respect of the maintenance of the integrity and probity of the judicial system; and what role his Department plays in relation to allegations of bribery involving judges.

The Lord Chancellor regards integrity and probity as essential qualities for all those working in the judicial system. The investigation of allegations of bribery involving judges is a matter for the police. Consideration will also be given by the Lord Chancellor to any further action that may be required in the light of the results flowing from any such investigation.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) what steps he is taking to help victims of industrial deafness who are deterred from pursuing claims against their employers by the new regulations governing legal aid;(2) what steps he is taking to help victims of industrial deafness to pursue their claims for compensation against their employers.

No separate assessment has been made of the effect of the legal aid eligibility changes on litigants with specific categories of case. However, the financial limits for personal injury actions remain higher than those for other categories of civil proceedings. The disposable income limit for personal injury cases is £7,500 (£6,800 for other proceedings) and the disposable capital limit is £8,560 (£6,750 for other proceedings).No specific steps are proposed for the handling of industrial deafness cases, but they will benefit from a number of jurisdictional and procedural changes introduced for personal injury cases generally over the past two years. In the coming months the Lord Chancellor intends to issue a public consultation document setting out proposals for a less formal method than trial in open court for handling smaller personal injury claims. Depending on the financial limit set, a number of industrial deafness cases may benefit.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department in how many cases defence counsel have objected to the use of video-link television equipment for the purpose of interviewing child witnesses and other vulnerable witnesses in each of the past three years; of these objections, how many were accepted by the court; and if he will make a statement.

The information sought by the hon. Member is not collected, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department in how many cases and in which courts video link television equipment has been used for the purpose of interviewing child witnesses and other vulnerable witnesses outwith the actual court room in each of the past four years; and if he will make a statement.

The number of cases in which child witnesses has given evidence via live television links at suitably equipped Crown court centres is set out in the table provided in answer to the hon. Member's previous question.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department in how many court cases a screen has been used in order to shield child witnesses from those being proceeded against in each of the past three years; and if he will make a statement.

The hon. Member asked a similar question on 16 November last year, to which I gave an answer that the information was not collected. I am pleased to be able to report that from 1 January 1993 my Department introduced a mechanism for collecting this information in the Crown court. Since that date there have been 18 reported cases in which a screen has been used to shield a child witness in court.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many courts have video-link television equipment installed for the purpose of interviewing child witnesses and other vulnerable persons; where such courts are located; and if he will make a statement.

Live television link equipment, for the purpose of children giving evidence under the provisions of section 32 Criminal Justice Act 1988, has been installed at the 47 Crown court centres listed in the table, which also provides the answer to the hon. Member's further question.

TV links statistics
Court	1989 Used	1990 Used	1991 Used	1992 Used
Birmingham	10	26	16	18
Bradford	—	—	—	0
Bristol	—	—	4	4
Caernarfon	—	—	—	0
Cardiff	—	—	12	10
Carlisle	—	—	—	0
Central Criminal Court	4	4	3	2
Chelmsford	11	4	16	7
Chester	—	—	0	0
Croydon	—	—	—	1
Derby*	—	—	—	—
Exeter	2	7	4	1
Gloucester	—	—	—	2
Grimsby	—	—	—	1
Guildford	7	5	7	3
Harrow	—	—	—	0
Hull	—	—	—	0
Ipswich*	—	—	—	—
Kingston upon Thames*	—	—	—	—
Leeds	3	8	17	13
Leicester	—	—	6	0
Lewes	—	—	—	0
Lincoln	—	—	—	0

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Benefits Agency business plan for the current year was laid before Parliament.

It is expected that the Social Security Agency's 1993–94 business plan will be published in August 1993. The agency's service and financial targets for the year have, however, already been set and are as follows. They are in line with the Government's policy of improving the service provided to customers and fully support the standards established in the Northern Ireland citizens charter. I am satisfied that the targets present a demanding challenge for the agency.

1. BENEFIT CLEARANCE TIMES (a)
	Per cent.	In days
Social fund crisis loans—on the day the need arises
Social fund community care grants	65	7
	95	20
Income support	71	5
	90	13
Sickness/invalidity benefit	65	10
	95	30
Child benefit	73	10
	95	30
Family credit	60	13
	95	42
Disability living allowance	65	30
	85	55
Retirement pension	65	20
	95	60
Unemployment benefit		7·5

2. BENEFIT ACCURACYIncome support: to pay the correct amount in at least 92 per cent. of cases. Sickness/invalidity benefit: to pay the correct amount in at least 97 per cent. of cases.Family credit: to pay the correct amount in at least 92 per cent. of cases.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what guidelines are given to health and social services boards for keeping and collating statistics in hospital ophthalmic departments; and what data from hospital ophthalmic departments boards are required to collate.

The same data are collected for the specialty of ophthalmology as for all other hospital specialties. Details of the forms and how to complete them are given in the guidance manual for Korner central requirements for hospital services. This is supported by a data dictionary which lists the standard definitions to be used throughout Northern Ireland. In addition, anonymised records of patients' diagnoses and any operative procedures carried out are also collected for analysis centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the average cost of a visit to a hospital ophthalmic out-patient department.

This information is not available at present.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many referrals from general practitioners and optometrists to hospital ophthalmology out-patients clinics there have been since 1985.

This information is not available in the form requested. The total number of referrals to hospital ophthalmology out-patient clinics in Northern Ireland since 1985 is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if the Eastern Health and social services board intends to re-advertise the post of director of public health;(2) when the Eastern health and social services board expects a permanent director of public health to take up the post.

The vacant post of director of public health, Eastern health and social services board, was advertised in March 1993. A number of candidates were shortlisted for the post, but following interviews the board did not make an appointment.The board intends to readvertise the post and, in the meantime, an effective acting-up arrangement is in place.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans there are to sell the health centre in Armagh; what plans he has for the property to be advertised for sale to the public; and if he will make a statement on the procedures which apply to the sale of publicly owned properties.

The general medical practitioners working in Armagh health centre have expressed an interest in buying the premises. The proposal is being considered by the Southern health and social services board and is subject to approval by the Department of Health and Social Services. If the proposal is approved the premises would be sold at a price advised by the district valuer.A sale in these circumstances would result in a change of ownership but a continuation of the general medical services currently provided from the health centre. The sale would not therefore be advertised on the open market, nor would it be subject to the normal policy and procedural guidelines for dealing with the disposal of surplus Government land which are contained in DOE (NI) lands service circular No. LSC/1/91. A copy of the said circular has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the achievements of (a) his policies and (b) his Department in helping small businesses over the last 12 months as against the previous 12 months; and if he will publish the performance indicators by which his Department monitors those achievements and the statistical results of such monitoring.

The Government continue to place a high priority on helping small businesses in Northern Ireland, through improvements to the business climate, through deregulation and through specific programmes of support and assistance. Economic development strategy focuses on assisting companies to develop their growth potential and competitiveness and is implemented through the Industrial Development Board (IDB) and the Local Enterprise Development Unit (LEDU)Each year, IDB and LEDU set challenging targets and measure performance against both these and performance in the previous year.LEDU had a successful year in 1992–93 with a significant rise in activity levels across its range of programmes, including 3,716 individuals receiving enterprise training against a target of 3,000, and 1,429 new business start-ups against a target of 1,215.During 1992–93 there was a net increase of employment of 1,020 in LEDU client companies; this represents a significant reversal of the previous years results which showed a net decrease in employment of 650.Overall, 1992–93 was also a year of substantial achievement for the IDB when viewed against a background of recession at home and overseas. It was a successful year for inward investment, with 10 projects offering almost 2,000 new jobs having been attracted to Northern Ireland. Companies already based in Northern Ireland, many of them employing fewer than 200 people, have been winning business in the highly competitive international marketplace. Achieving and maintaining international competitiveness is promoted by the IDB as the most important objective which companies should strive towards if they are to survive and grow.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps the IDB has taken following the report by the Comptroller and Auditor General for Northern Ireland into the selective financial assistance criteria employed by the IDB to improve the assessment of the employment potential of projects.

The Comptroller and Auditor General for Northern Ireland reported to the House of Commons earlier this year on the application by the Industrial Development Board of its selective financial assistance criteria. This report was the basis of an examination by the Committee of Public Accounts which published its report, containing a number of recommendations, on 22 July 1993. A formal memorandum of reply to the Committee's report will be issued by the Department of Finance and Personnel in early autumn.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the implementation of the Industrial Development Board's forward strategy for 1991 to 1993; and if he will make a statement.

The Industrial Development Board has reported on the implementation of forward strategy in its annual reports for 1990–91 and 1991–92. A further update will be given in the report of 1992–93 to appear in the autumn. IDB officials report to me on their activities and I have regular meetings with the board's chairman. The board's activities are subject to regular policy evaluation and review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what comparative assessments have been made between housing associations and the Housing Executive with regard to the value for money in the administration, management and development costs of the different organisations.

It is not possible to draw meaningful comparisons of relative value for money between the Housing Executive and housing associations because of the differences in the scale of their operations, in the housing needs which they seek to meet and in age and type of their housing stock. However, work is continuing to develop valid comparisons of management, maintenance and capital costs. A recent assessment of the value for money in new housing schemes confirms that in general both the Housing Executive and housing associations provide value for money.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what provision for move-on accommodation has been made by the Housing Executive for the years 1993–94, 1994–95 and 1995–96.

I have been advised by the chairman of the Housing Executive that it does not make specific provision for move-on accommodation.

Selective financial assistance offers
£000
	Industrial Development Board		Local Enterprise Development Unit
Year	South Down	Northern Ireland	Down, Banbridge and Newry and Mourne	Northern Ireland
1981–82	n.a.	n.a.	1,024	5,545
1982–83	162	144,000	1,178	9,027
1983–84	2,985	80,000	1,375	13,549
1984–85	6,625	133,000	1,534	18,027
1985–86	4,307	72,000	2,197	21,759
1986–87	1,522	109,000	2,241	18,890
1987–88	811	97,000	2,563	18,200
1988–89	4,870	107,000	3,080	26,004
1989–90	610	93,000	887	21,668
1990–91	1,415	82,000	2,498	22,936
1991–92	300	64,000	1,520	20,014
1From 1 September 1982.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list all those services or functions contracted out in his Department and agencies, since November 1991, in which the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 were not applied.

Whether or not the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations apply in any particular case will depend on the nature of the work awarded and the contractors' own proposals for carrying it out. The services or functions which have been contracted out in Northern Ireland Departments and the Northern Ireland Office and their agencies, since November 1991, and in which the regulations were not applied, are as follows:

• Building maintenance
• Catering
• Cleaning

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what amounts of selective financial assistance were allocated to industrial enterprises in the constituency of South Down from 1 April 1981 to 31 March 1992; and what were the total amounts of selective financial assistance allocated in each year in Northern Ireland.

Information on selective financial assistance offers made by the Industrial Development Board to companies in the South Down constituency is available only from 1 September 1982, when the board was set up. Information on selective financial assistance offers made by the Local Enterprise Development Unit is available only by district council area.The table sets out the information available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if he will publish details of activity in Northern Ireland designed to promote renewable energy sources;

A study, jointly commissioned by Northern Ireland Electricity plc (NIE) and the Department of Economic Development, into the potential for renewable energy has concluded that there are a number of promising renewable technologies for commercial development in Northern Ireland.On the basis of the study's findings, and having regard to the Government's commitment to the promotion of commercially viable renewable technologies, I intend to make a non-fossil fuel obligation order next year under article 35 of the Electricity (Northern Ireland) Order 1992, requiring NIE to secure the availability of up to 15 MW of power from renewable sources. The size of the order and the technologies included within it, will be determined by the bids received by NIE, having regard to the need for diversity of technologies and the impact on costs to electricity consumers.Accordingly, NIE will today be inviting bids from developers and will be announcing details of the arrangements for the processing of such bids.I envisage further non-fossil fuel obligation orders being made in future years with the aim of achieving a target of about 45 MW of renewable plant in Northern Ireland by the year 2005.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many women who qualify for severe disablement allowance and invalid care allowance will receive their full entitlement following the decision of the European Court of Justice on 30 March in case C328/91; when they will receive payments; if the payment of arrears will extend beyond 12 months from the date of claim; and if he will make a statement.

Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Social Security Agency under its chief executive, Mr. Alec Wylie. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many vacant posts of consultant paediatricians and senior registrars specializing in paediatrics have been notified in each of the past five years; on average how long it takes to fill such posts; and if he will make a statement.

The information is as follows, at September in each year:

Vacant posts
	Consultant paediatricians	Senior registrars
1988	3	1
1989	3	1
1990	3	0
1991	0	0
1992	1	2

On average, from notification of vacancies, it takes three months to advertise and select successful candidates.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many consultant paediatricians and senior registrars are currently in post.

There are currently 26 consultant paediatricians and 11 senior registrars employed in the health and personal social services in Northern Ireland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) consultant paediatricians and (b) senior registrars currently employed were trained in (i) Northern Ireland, (ii) elsewhere in the United Kingdom, (iii) other European Community countries and (iv) countries outwith the EC.

The information sought is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information he has concerning the denial of concessionary travel privileges and related concessions to those persons aged 60 years or more who are in receipt of invalidity benefit; and if he will make a statement.

The concessionary fare scheme, which is administered by the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland, is not linked to the receipt of invalidity benefit.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many recorded visits were made by industrialists in connection with potential inward investment to each district council area in Northern Ireland from 1 April 1992 to 31 March 1993; and of these how many were repeat visits.

Details of recorded first and repeat visits by industrialists to each district council area in Northern Ireland are set out in the table.

1992–93 Visits by District Council Area
District Council	First visits	Repeat visits
Antrim	17	21
Ards	2	3
Armagh	2	1

To ask the Attorney-General, (1) pursuant to his oral statement of 30 June, Official Report, column 967, when he concluded that there was no credible evidence implicating the judge in the case of Regina v. Nadir and Turner in a conspiracy;(2) when he expects the police investigation under the direction of the Director of Public Prosecutions into the alleged conspiracy to bribe Mr. Justice Tucker to be completed; and if he will make a statement;(3) when he first learned of the allegation that the judge in the case of Regina v. Nadir and Turner was involved in a conspiracy to pervert the course of justice;(4) when he reviewed the evidence relating to allegations of involvement by the judges in the case of Regina

The director of the Serious Fraud Office was informed on 1 October 1992 that the Metropolitan police had commenced an investigation into an alleged plot to bribe the trial judge in the Polly Peck case. I was informed of the position during the week commencing 5 October. The investigation continues and its management is an operational matter for the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis. I cannot say when it will be completed.The evidence gathered during the investigation will be submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service at its conclusion. The information that no credible evidence had been revealed implicating the judge was confirmed in response to a specific inquiry initiated by me to the Director of Public Prosecutions in the light of speculation and concern caused by the statement made by the hon. Member himself on 29 June.

To ask the Attorney-General if he will list the previous convictions of Paul Smith, a prosecution witness in the case of Jason Georgiou; and in how many other cases he has been a prosecution witness.

No. Background information of this nature relating to prosecution witnesses is provided to the Crown Prosecution Service solely for use in the course of criminal proceedings.

To ask the Attorney-General if he will outline the evidence which led the Crown Prosecution Service to charge Jason Georgiou with conspiracy to murder; and why the case was dropped.

No. It is my practice not to give detailed reasons in relation to decisions to prosecute. The Crown Prosecution Service was satisfied that the evidence available at the outset of proceedings was sufficient to provide a realistic prospect of conviction.The case against Jason Georgiou and three of his co-defendants was dropped because the principal prosecution witness proved unwilling to give evidence at the trial.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of the British contribution to the World Bank group is used (a) for projects that directly benefit the poorest people in developing countries and (b) to help to meet the goals established at the world summit for children.

United Kingdom contributions are used to support the overall operations of the World bank. The proportion which can be attributed to projects of this kind cannot readily be estimated.World bank lending for human resources development has increased almost fivefold since the early 1980s to 14 per cent. of total lending in fiscal years 1990–92, and in particular is focusing on basic social services, including primary health care and education. In fiscal year 1992, the bank estimates that 14 per cent. of new lending was for projects targeted at the poor. A second, equally important, component of the bank's poverty reduction strategy is the promotion of broadly-based economic growth which generates income-earning opportunities for the poor.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what opinions have been expressed by the Government to senior officials of the European bank for reconstruction and development on the bank's financial problems.

In discussion with the EBRD senior officials and fellow members, we have consistently emphasised that the bank—like any other public sector organization—has a duty to use the tax payer's resources as cost effectively as possible. We have welcomed the findings of the recently published report of the bank's audit committee, which makes a number of proposals to strengthen financial procedures and controls. The bank's financial position remains strong—it made a small operating profit in 1992.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 1 March, Official Report, column 23, what is the proportion of total United Kingdom aid which goes to each of the countries which are currently implementing a World bank or International Monetary Fund structural adjustment programme.

The information requested for the countries listed in my earlier answer is contained in the table.

United Kingdom bilateral aid in 1991–92 to countries implementing IMF/ World Bank—supported adustment programmes.
Country	Aid in £'000	Percentage of total gross bilateral aid
Algeria	336	0·03
Bangladesh	57,731	5·35
Bolivia	3,951	0·37
Brazil	2,710	0·25
Colombia	3,789	0·35
Cote d' Ivoire	5,358	0·50
Egypt	13,406	1·24
Ethiopia	19,099	1·77
Gambia, The	5,812	0·54
Ghana	44,716	4·14
Guyana	5,811	0·54
Honduras	1,468	0·14
India	136,386	12·63
Jamaica	7,511	0·70
Jordan	3,122	0·29
Kenya	37,987	3·52
Lesotho	6,453	0·60
Malawi	23,153	2·14
Morocco	2,029	0·19
Mozambique	18,087	1·68
Nepal	16,664	1·54
Nicaragua	206	0·02
Pakistan	37,239	3·45
Philippines	7,357	0·68
Senegal	1,560	0·14
Sierra Leone	2,275	0·21
Sri Lanka	11,249	1·04
Tanzania	32,454	3·01
Uganda	26,960	2·50
Zambia	34,425	3·19
Zimbabwe	47,671	4·42
Total: Developing countries	616,975	57·14

United Kingdom contributions to multilateral institutions 1982–1991
(£'000)
	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991
IBRD	—	1,600	28,146	3,764	26,888	20,168	6,561	12,646	10,255	11,782
IDA	153,481	203,860	169,218	124,438	118,557	133,000	207,000	169,500	173,000	188,866
IFC	—	—	—	—	8,177	4,129	3,558	3,728	250	430
MIGA	—	—	—	—	—	—	3,098	—	—	—
IMF	230	—	10	—	59	22	8,626	17,060	46	3,189
AfDB	—	2,204	2,204	2,204	2,313	2,310	329	1,706	1,839	1,936
AfDF	3,750	2,452	8,442	2,955	8,096	7,217	6,374	5,341	11,232	10,265
AsDB	—	1,394	1,424	1,334	1,524	775	1,172	703	703	706
AsDF	4,399	4,321	7,882	14,190	12,384	10,729	13,045	19,775	16,504	19,054

To ask the Secretary of State For Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of aid to Russia goes in the form of British manufactured goods and how much in direct cash payments; and if he will make a statement.

We make no direct cash payments to Russia under the British bilateral aid programme; nor do we deliver aid in the form of British manufactured goods. The know-how fund transfers key British skills through technical co-operation projects.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will provide a table setting out, for each year since 1982, the total contribution made by Her Majesty's Government to each of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Development Association, the International Finance Corporation, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, the International Monetary Fund, the Inter-American Development bank, the African Development bank and the Asian Development bank; and, in each case, what Her Majesty's Government's contribution represents as a percentage of the annual income and expenditure of each institution.

The table sets out United Kingdom contributions to each of the institutions. United Kingdom shareholdings in most of the institutions are determined at the time of periodic capital increases or of replenishments of concessional funds. In the case of the International Monetary Fund, the United Kingdom's stakeholding is determined by its quota, which is effectively a loan remunerated at a market-related interest rate. Multilateral development bank operations are funded mainly by borrowings on the international capital markets. Expressing contributions as a percentage of annual income and expenditure is of marginal utility, therefore, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the names and occupations of the chairs and non-executive directors of each national health service trust in each regional health authority other than the Wessex and Northern regions.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Knowsley, North (Mr. Howarth) on 20 July at column 121.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will estimate the savings obtainable if all drugs were prescribed generically.

Formal admissions to NHS facilities, Private Nursing Homes (authorised to detain patients under the Registered Homes Act 1984) and Special Hospitals of patients detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 and other legislation, by legal status England 1985–1989–90
England	Numbers
Legal status	Numbers (a)
	1985		1986		1987–88		1988–89		1989–90
	Males	Females	Males	Females	Males	Females	Males	Females	Males	Females
Total formal admissions (d)	8,153	9,134	7,904	8,792	8,004	8,773	8,247	8,993	8,614	8,698
Under Mental Health Act 1983: Non-offenders
2 (assessment, with or without treatment)	3,121	4,780	3,416	4,971	3,716	5,151	4,047	5,468	4,301	5,233
3 (to hospital for treatment)	943	1,161	902	1,075	1,193	1,349	1,322	1,535	1,437	1,580
4 (for assessment in emergency)	1,525	1,939	1,205	1,581	945	1,251	885	1,145	826	1,042
5(2) (power to hold informal patient already in hospital)	130	137	129	148	..	..	..	..	..	..
Mentally disordered offenders
35 (remanded to hospital for report)	114	32	158	43	188	46	240	59	230	54
36 (remanded to hospital for treatment)	28	5	26	7	31	7	28	1	33	5
37(4)(convicted person detained in a place of safety pending admission to hospital)	..	..	..	..	62	18	59	25	68	18
37 (convicted person sent to hospital for treatment with S.41 restrictions) (b)	157	22	150	20	230	45	175	41	194	41

An estimate, based on prescribing statistics for 1992 in England, suggests that savings of up to £80 million could have been achieved if all drugs which could have been dispensed in the generic form had been prescribed generically.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) woman, (b) men and (c) people from an ethnic minority were sectioned by section, under the mental Health Acts; and how many admissions there have been in each of the last five years.

This information is not available centrally. Information on the number of admissions by gender and sections of the 1983 Mental Health Acts and other Acts is shown in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she now expects to publish the Reed committee report on high security psychiatric care.

Later in the year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to complete the review of funding for those people needing psychiatric care; and if she will make a statement.

Conclusions following our review of legal powers on the care of mentally ill people in the community will be announced shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the number of operating theatre sessions held and cancelled in the Wandsworth health authority in each of the last three years.

The information is shown in the table.

Scheduled sessions—all specialties
Year	Number
Held
1990	7,842
1991	7,057

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what account will be taken in the budget of the NHS central research and development committee standing group on health technology of its new function in reviewing and regulating novel surgical procedures.

Following the Advisory Council on Science and Technology report on medical research and health, the central research and development committee standing group on health technology has been asked to advise on a strategy to achieve appropriate control and monitoring of new surgical procedures, taking account of the roles and responsibilities of health professionals, their professional bodies, and local and central management in the reformed national health service. Until a mechanism is identified and agreed, it is not possible to estimate the resources that may be required to support the work of the steering group and its advisory panels or to fund the research it recommends.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what powers the NHS central research and development committee standing group on health technology will have to control the introduction and dissemination of novel surgical procedures.

The standing group on health technology will advise on new technologies where, because of their potential risk, cost, ethical implications or other relevant factors, there is a particular need to control diffusion until more information is available. The management executive of the national health service is currently considering how diffusion of such technologies can best be controlled. Following the Advisory Council on Science and Technology report on medical research and health, the central research and development committee standing group on health technology has been asked to advise on a strategy to achieve appropriate control and monitoring of new surgical procedures, taking account of the roles and responsibilities of health professionals, their professional bodies, and local and central management in the reformed NHS.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give the number of midwifery staff whole-time equivalents in each of the last five years.

The information is shown in the table.

Year	Midwifery staff
1987	23,300
1988	23,310
1989	22,940
1990	23,770
1991	23,040

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the allocations for staff premises and computing for each family health services authority in the area covered by the London implementation group for 1992–93 and 1993–94.

The information is not available centrally. Allocations for staff, premises and computing for individual family health services authorities within the London initiative zone are determined by the relevant regional health authority in accordance with its assessment of local needs and priorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the total development moneys allocated for 1992 and 1993–94 to each FHSA covered by the London implementation group and provided for in "Making London Better".

Allocations of development monies to family health services authorities are determined by the regional health authorities in accordance with their assessment of priorities for the improvement of primary health care services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if her Department was consulted by West Midlands regional health authority in 1989 on (a) the content of the Wraith and Casey market research report into the potential west midlands customer base for Qa Business Services and (b) the West Midlands regional health authority's own estimates of potential redundancies in the management services division consequent upon its privatisation.

We are not aware that any such consultation took place.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what further consideration her Department will give to making available financial assistance to the ex-employees of Qa Business Services on the lines of those given to civil servants transferred to TICC Ltd. on the privatisation of the Skills Training Agency;(2) what representations her Department has received regarding the announcement by West Midlands regional health authority on 15 July that it had no legal or moral responsibility to provide financial compensation to the ex-employees of Qa Business Services; and if she will make a statement.

We regret that individuals have experienced financial loss following the collapse of Qa Business Services Ltd. in 1991. West Midlands regional health authority has examined the issue carefully; they have met with a group of former Qa employees on several occasions and invited them to submit any information they held which could substantiate a claim for compensation. After a full and exhaustive review of this evidence, West Midlands regional health authority concluded on the 15 July 1993 that, on present evidence, there was insufficient grounds for the regional health authority to accept responsibility for making compensatory payments. We have been kept fully informed on this issue and on the basis of the evidence available to us at this time we have accepted the region's conclusion. We have recieved no representations on this issue since 15 July.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information her Department held on the future commercial viability of Qa Business Services when it announced that Qa Business Services had been given the waiting list initiative contract on 27 February 1991.

This contract was awarded to Qa Business Services on the basis of its previous work for the Department on the management of waiting lists.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations her Department received from the legal department of West Midlands regional health authority in November 1991 concerning the sale of the regional health authority's management services division.

We are not aware that the Department received any such representations in November 1991.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information her Department has on whether the actions and decisions taken by West Midlands regional health authority officers in pursuit of the privatisation of the regional health authority's management services division were fully documented; and whether proper reporting procedures were fully adhered to.

Information of this nature is provided through the statutory audit process. The management buy-out of the region's management information services division was covered in the district auditor's report of 15 April 1993. A copy of this report was sent to the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy that all diabetics are screened annually for diabetic eye disease.

Since 1 July this year general practitioners will receive separate fixed payments for organising a programme of chronic disease management either for diabetes or asthma. Practices choosing to participate are required to ensure that on initial diagnosis and at least annually a full review of the patient's health is carried out including checks for potential complications. A joint Department of Health/British Diabetic Association task force on diabetes has been established to consider all aspects of the St. Vincent recommendations and will be considering what, if any, further advice should be offered on screening for diabetic retinopathy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what specific guidance her Department issues to regional and district health authorities on the protection of pension rights of staff transferred to employment in the private sector; and whether such guidance includes reference to the consideration of the consequences upon newly founded company pension schemes of the early collapse of companies.

Advice has been issued to all national health service employers about overall terms and conditions of employment, including pensions, when an undertaking is transferred. NHS employers are also asked to issue to all staff leaving the NHS pension scheme, a leaflet which explains the pensions options open to them. This leaflet advises staff to think carefully before making any decision affecting their pension rights and, if unsure, to seek independent financial advice. A copy of "NHS Pension Scheme—Leaving the Scheme" will be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to publish new guidelines concerning the management of difficult children in residential care homes.

On 28 April 1993 the Department published guidance on permissible forms of control in children's residential care, which is available in the Library. In addition, we have commissioned the Open university to produce a catalogue of training material for staff who have to deal with difficult adolescents.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hearing aids were supplied (a) by the NHS and (b) privately in each year for the past 10 years (i) in total and (ii) to people aged over 64 years.

The number of hearing aids issued to national health service hearing aid centres since 1984 is shown in the table. No data are available prior to 1984 or on private provision.

Number of hearing aids issued to NHS hearing aid centres 1984–93
	Number
1984–85	601,203
1985–86	595,676
1986–87	640,949
1987–88	694,731
1988–89	628,470
1989–90	626,065
1990–91	591,468
1991–92	591,049
1992–93	591,228

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information her Department has concerning (a) the current state of progress of the proposed EC directive on the distance selling of medicines and (b) the extent of the trade in the United Kingdom and the EC in counterfeit and reimported medicines.

A European Commission proposal for a directive on distance selling is under discussion in Brussels. A first reading of the Commission's proposal has been completed. The European Parliament has recently submitted its opinion on the proposal. The Commission is now revising the text of the proposal to take account of that opinion and of the views of member states. It is expected the discussions of the revised text will begin in Brussels in September.There has been one instance of a fake medicinal product in the last 12 months in the United Kingdom which was intercepted before it reached the public. Records are not maintained of medicinal products legitimately reimported.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health where the counterfeit medicines discovered in the United Kingdom during the last three years were produced.

Three instances of fake medicines have been discovered in the last three years. Production sources were never proven but investigators believed that the products came from a variety of sources.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures her Department is taking to ensure that counterfeit and copycat versions of British medicines illicitly produced in Northern Cyprus are not reaching the NHS market.

Any report of alleged counterfeit or copycat version of British medicines illicitly produced in northern Cyprus reaching the national health service market would be immediately investigated by the Medicines Control Agency. In addition, the agency undertakes regular inspections of wholesale distribution and independently samples a range of products available to the public. Both inspection and sampling procedures include mechanisms to identify possible suspect products.

The ask the Secretary of State for Health what support the United Kingdom Government have given to the World Health Organisation campaign against counterfeit medicines.

The United Kingdom Government are in regular contact with World Health Organisation (WHO) and actively support its campaign against counterfeit medicines. The United Kingdom has been at the forefront in assisting WHO with the development of a unified scheme for the certification of medicinal products which are traded internationally. The Medicines Control Agency shares with WHO its own experiences and strategies gained from investigations into counterfeit medicines.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the numbers of staff by grade that are employed in her Department and agencies in the automatic data processing functional specialism.

The information at 24 May is as follows:

	Number
Administrative Assistants	6
Administrative Officers	17
Executive Officers	81
Higher Executive Officers	58
Senior Executive Officers	30
Senior Principal Technical Officers	2
Unified Grade 7s	29
TOTAL	223

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list all those services or functions contracted out in her Department and agencies, since November 1991, in which the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 were not applied.

Whether or not the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE) applies in any particular case will depend on the specification for the work to be carried out and the contractor's own proposals for meeting the specification. Since November 1991, the following services and functions have been contracted out as a result of market testing, and have not been affected by TUPE:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the number of long-stay geriatric beds in England in total and by health authority each year from 1985; and if she will make a statement.

Information collected by the Department on numbers of geriatric beds does not separately identify those used for continuing care.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS employees or applicants for employment have won actions or had their actions settled in their favour for racial discrimination in selection or dismissal in the NHS in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

This information is not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money the NHS Trusts Federation receives (a) from her Department and (b) from NHS trusts.

The National Health Service Trusts Federation does not receive funding from the Department. Subscriptions from NHS trusts are a matter for the NHS Trusts Federation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what studies she has commissioned into the health consequences for families of having their water supplies disconnected; and if she will make a statement.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of surgical operations were carried out outside normal working hours in each of the last five years.

The number of surgical operations carried out outside normal working hours is not available centrally. The table shows the percentage of operations performed outside scheduled sessions—ie notional half days, usually within the working day, Monday to Friday.

Year	Percentage of operations outside scheduled sessions
1987–88	16·3
1988–89	16·2
1989–90	16·2
1990–91	16·7
1991–92	16·0

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints have been made by or on behalf of children and young people under the provision of the National Health Service (Service Committees and Tribunals) Regulations 1974 in each year since 1985.

This information is not available centrally.