| Gerry Steinberg MP | In the House... |
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Recent speeches and parliamentary questions in the House of CommonsWhile speaking in the chamber of the House is a high profile activity for an MP, much other work is done elsewhere, such as Gerry's work on the Public Accounts Committee and others, as well as a large casework load for constituents. |
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Beverley Hughes: I will write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of my letter in the Library.
Paul Goggins: The latest information available for reconviction rates for prisoners discharged from establishments in England and Wales is for 1999. Of the 7,148 males and 820 female prisoners discharged in 1999 and originally sentenced for a drugs offence, 348 (5 per cent) and 28 (3 per cent) respectively were re-convicted and re-incarcerated for a further drugs related offence within two years of discharge.
Mr. Hain: Indeed.
Mr. Steinberg: As one of the nobblers who voted against the Government, I promise the Leader of the House that I will not vote against the Government. [Hon. Members: "Groveller!"] Yes, I always grovel, especially to you lot. I shall certainly not vote against the Government, because it is quite outrageous that this has become party political. Even though I disagree wholeheartedly with the Government's policy on foundation hospitals, the will on this side of the House is that it should become law. Although I shall not vote for that, I shall certainly not oppose the Government on the issue any more.
Mr. Hain: I am grateful to my hon. Friend, because he and colleagues on the Government Back Benches have sincerely held differences of opinion. However, the issue is not about sincerely held differences of opinion any more - it is about an unelected House of Lords defying the will of the elected House of Commons to take these matters forward.
Paul Goggins: The information on the number of prisoners in open and closed prisons in each of the last five years, broken down by sex, is given in the table.
| Total open | Total closed | |
| Male prison population as at 30 June | ||
| 1999 | 3,801 | 57,521 |
| 2000 | 3,719 | 58,120 |
| 2001 | 3,490 | 59,200 |
| 2002 | 4,026 | 62,798 |
| 2003 | 4,496 | 64,566 |
| Female prison population as at 30 June | ||
| 1999 | 418 | 2,789 |
| 2000 | 345 | 3,010 |
| 2001 | 449 | 3,264 |
| 2002 | 506 | 3,888 |
| 2003 | 524 | 4,071 |
Paul Goggins: There is no information held centrally by the Home Office.
Hilary Benn: I refer the hon. Member for the City of Durham to the answers I gave the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) on 3 November 2003, Official Report, columns 486W and 490W.
Miss Melanie Johnson: Information is not available in the form requested. The Health Education Authority 1998 report, "The UK Smoking Epidemic: Deaths in 1995", estimated that in the United Kingdom in 1995 smoking caused more than 120,000 deaths of people aged 35 years or more. A copy of this report is available in the Library.
The independent Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health concluded in its 1998 report that, "exposure to environmental smoke is a cause of lung cancer and, in those with long-term exposure, the increased risk is in the order of 20 to 30 per cent.". The committee repeated the explanation of this risk set out earlier in its fourth report that "a 20 to 30 per cent. increased risk in exposed non-smokers would be a rate of 12 to 13 per 100,000 per year. Thus we would expect an additional 2 to 3 lung cancer cases a year per 100,000 non-smokers regularly exposed to environmental tobacco smoke. The numbers of people so exposed are not known precisely". A copy of this report is also available in the Library.
Paul Goggins: The number of drug treatment and testing orders (DTTOs) commenced in each year since the order was rolled-out to courts in England and Wales in October 2000 is as follows:
| Period | Number |
| 2000-01 (six months) | 1,256 |
| 2001-0 | 24,854 |
| 2002-0 | 36,140 |
It is too soon for validated information about re-offending since roll-out. It is currently impossible to differentiate between offences committed prior to the commencement of the order and those committed after the order was made.
Paul Goggins: It is too soon for validated information about re-offending since national roll-out of the order in October 2000. It is currently impossible to differentiate between offences committed prior to the commencement of the order and those committed after the order was made.
A one-year re-conviction study of offenders in the pilot areas will be published shortly and I will send the hon. Member a copy as soon as it is available.
Paul Goggins: This information is not held centrally for the period since national roll-out of the order in October 2000. An evaluation of three pilot projects found that the average amount spent on drugs by offenders subject to Drug Treatment and Testing Orders (DTTOs) fell from £400 per week in the four weeks before arrest to £25 per week in the first four to six weeks of the Order. These reductions were largely maintained over time, with 87 per cent. of those who had completed the Order by the end of the pilot phase reporting that, except for their use of cannabis, they were drug free.
Dawn Primarolo: I refer my hon. Friend to Chart 5.1 in the Economic and Fiscal Strategy Report (Budget 2003). It illustrates that a small number of families with children in the top 10 per cent. of the income scale will receive a smaller award of child tax credit than of the tax credits it has replaced. However, it also shows that even these families are on average around £5 a week better off due to the extra support this Government have given to families with children since 1997.
Mr. Hutton: The figures of reported violent or abusive incidents involving staff in National Health Service trust and health authorities, in England for 2000-01 were 1 101,000 and for 2001-02 were 112,000. These are the only national figures collected by the Department using a common definition of violence for reporting purposes.
Information on the level of assaults by type of incident and individual staff groups is not collected centrally, but may be held at a local level of NHS employers.
Data on prosecution brought against individuals who assault NHS staff is not currently collected by NHS employing organisations. From 1 April 2003, the new Counter Fraud and Security Management Service (CFSMS) special health authority took over lead responsibility for tackling violence against NHS staff. The programme of work they will be taking forward includes introducing a strengthened national reporting system to record incident of violence and aggression against staff using a common definition with the ability to track cases through to conclusion. This is intended to give the NHS hard and accurate information around incidents and outcomes, particularly where a criminal or civil sanction is pursed to deal with offenders.
A snapshot survey undertaken in March 2003 found that 51 prosecutions had been brought directly by NHS trusts since updated guidance was issued to NHS employing organisations in June 2002. The guidance states that NHS trusts should consider with their lawyers the need, where appropriate, to support a prosecution against an individual in cases where the Crown Prosecution Service decides not to do so.
1 The 20001-01 and 2001-02 totals have been estimated to include organisations which did not provide figures and the results are based on surveys by the Department of Health and the National Audit Office.
Ms Blears: Information is not collected centrally on the number of police vehicles involved in traffic violations.
Caroline Flint: Seventy-four local authorities have so far notified the Home Office that they have made designation orders under section 13 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 to restrict anti-social public drinking in areas that have experienced alcohol-related disorder or nuisance. These are listed in the table. This represents around 18 per cent. of the total number of local authorities (county, metropolitan, unitary, borough and district councils) in England and Wales. The new arrangements introduced by the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 replaced the previous Home Office public drinking by-law. Any such by-law will lapse after five years from the commencement of the relevant provisions on 1 September 2001, unless replaced by a section 13 designation order.
We have included a proposal in the Licensing Bill, currently before Parliament, that will increase police powers to confiscate alcohol in sealed alcohol containers, in addition to opened containers, from people who are drinking and causing a nuisance in designated public areas.
Local Authorities: designation orders under section 13 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001
Brighton & Hove City Council, Bristol City Council, Breckland Council, Bromley Borough Council, Burnley Borough Council, Chelmsford District Council, Cherwell District Council, Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council, Dacorum Borough Council, Daventry District Council, Denbighshire County Council, Derby City Council,18 Jun 2003 : Column 258W, Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, Eastbourne Borough Council, Eastleigh Borough Council, East Riding Borough Council, East Staffordshire Borough Council, Enfield Borough Council, Great Yarmouth Borough Council, Haringey Borough Council, Harrogate Borough Council, Herefordshire District Council, Hyndburn Borough Council, Kingston upon Hull City Council, Leicester City Council, Mendip District Council, Macclesfield Borough Council, Manchester City Council, Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, Middlesbrough Council, Milton Keynes Council, Newcastle City Council, Northampton Borough Council, North Cornwall District Council, North Devon District Council, North East Lincolnshire Council, North Norfolk District Council, North Somerset Council, North West Leicestershire District Council, Oadby and Wigston Borough Council, Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council, Oxford City Council, Preston City Council, Reading Borough Council, Redditch Borough Council, Ribble Valley Borough Council, Royal Kingston Borough Council, Salisbury District Council, Sefton Council, Shepway District Council, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, South Bedfordshire District Council, Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, South Somerset District Council, South Staffordshire Council, Stafford Borough Council, Stratford on Avon District Council, Stroud District Council, Sutton Borough Council, Swindon Borough Council, Taunton Deane Borough Council, Thanet District Council, Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council, Warrington Borough Council, Watford Council, Westminster (City of), Weymouth & Portland Borough Council, Wigan Council, Windsor & Maidenhead, Wolverhampton City Council, Worthing Borough, Wrexham County Borough, Wycombe District Council, York City Council.
Mr. Milburn: I shall do so in a moment, but let me make a little bit of progress, if I may.
Mr. Steinberg: That is one more vote you have lost.
Mr. Milburn: I give way. [Laughter.]
Mr. Steinberg: It is still not certain that my right hon. Friend will get that vote, to be quite honest.
One of the problems that I have encountered over the years is that the consultants and surgeons have far too much power and determine the success of a hospital. In my constituency, when consultants and surgeons see somebody in their hospital and tell them that there is a nine-month waiting list, they often also tell them that they can see them three weeks later in a private hospital. Is it not about time that we took away some power from such consultants? How will foundation hospitals achieve that? It seems to me that they will give consultants more power, not less.
Mr. Milburn rose -
Mr. John Bercow (Buckingham): The right hon. Gentleman should not have bothered.
Mr. Milburn: I shall reserve judgement on that matter.
I know that my hon. Friend has a close working relationship with Dryburn hospital in Durham city and that, like me, he is full of admiration for the work of its consultants. Overwhelmingly - this is not true of everybody in any walk of life - consultants do a very good job of work for the national health service and NHS patients. However, if this is a public service, it must be right that the public receiving it have a greater opportunity to have a say about how it is run. Services should not be run only by professionals. I agree with him. I think that the professionals should have a say and that we have should some humility about that. I do not treat a single patient; thank heavens for them as well for me! I do not manage a hospital or a health centre. The people out there do that, and it seems to me that they should have some more power and control. Equally, surely the communities that receive these public services must have a greater opportunity to have a say. That is precisely what the NHS foundation trusts are all about.
Maria Eagle: £7 million was provided nationally to develop and extend maintained nursery schools in 2000-01. £5 million per year has been provided nationally since 2001-02, and a further £5 million will be provided in 2003-04.
Details of how the funding has been allocated and guidance on the use of the funding has been issued to LEAs.
Maria Eagle: Sure Start local programmes deliver a wide range of services including health, family support, and childcare. Programme managers are recruited from a range of relevant backgrounds but above all must have strong leadership and management skills.
The new Children's centres which we are introducing from this year will provide integrated care and education for young children, health services, family support, and a base for childminders. As with Sure Start local programmes, it will be more important for the managers of these centres to have the leadership and other skills to manage a multi-disciplinary team than to have a qualification in any specific professional area.
Children's centres will be required to have strong support for the teaching and learning offered. The initial guidance issued in February says that this should be secured through either the employment of qualified teachers or developed from a base of significant input from teachers in an advisory role. Full guidance will be published in June 2003.
Maria Eagle: The Department is now consulting on proposals for guidance to School Organisation Committees (SOCs). The guidance will include a presumption against closure of Maintained Nursery Schools. The new guidance is expected to come into force in June 2003.
We are actively encouraging Maintained Nursery Schools to develop and extend their services. The nursery school development grant and the forum for Maintained Nursery Schools are key drivers for supporting this. Some Local Authorities will be considering how Maintained Nursery Schools might be involved with the children's centres programme.
Statutory governance for Maintained Nursery Schools which comes into force in September 2003 will put them on an equivalent footing to schools and grant them similar discretion. The devolved budgets which Maintained Nursery Schools will have from April 2004 will also afford increased autonomy and opportunity.
Mr. Wilson: The market value of the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme fund as at 30 September for each year since 1993, is as follows:
| £million | |
|---|---|
| Year | Market Value of Fund |
| 1993 | 7,528 |
| 1994 | 7,763 |
| 1995 | 8,582 |
| 1996 | 9,389 |
| 1997 | 10,988 |
| 1998 | 10,394 |
| 1999 | 12,423 |
| 2000 | 14,220 |
| 2001 | 11,521 |
| 2002 | 9,774 |
Bonuses under the arrangements introduced at privatisation first became payable in 1997 and are as follows:
| £million | |
|---|---|
| Year | Bonus Payments made |
| 1997 | 23 |
| 1998 | 69 |
| 1999 | 76 |
| 2000 | 82 |
| 2001 | 119 |
| 2002 | 127 |
The Minister for Local Government and the Regions (Mr. Nick Raynsford): I have to tell my hon. Friend that he is incorrect. There is no loss. Durham county council has received a 6.8 per cent. increase in its grant, and most people would regard that as a very good settlement by any standards. I shall deal with individual issues in due course, but I should like to make a little progress and to talk about the principles behind the settlement.
Mr. Morley: Direct subsidies paid to farmers in the United Kingdom in the financial year 2000-01 totalled £2,348 million. The Farm Business Survey provides an estimate of average subsidy receipts by full-time farm businesses in England. The table shows average direct subsidies received by farm businesses of different types in 2001-02. Payments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland were the responsibility of the devolved authorities in this period.
These figures include all production related payments, together with agri-environment and rural development payments. They do not include payments made to farmers during the FMD crisis for reasons of disease control or animal welfare. Farmers may also have benefited from payments of market support, though these are also available to traders.
| Average direct payments for full-time farm businesses, England, 2001-02 | |
|---|---|
| £ per farm, Direct subsidies | |
| Livestock | 14,300 |
| Arable | 36,800 |
Notes:
1. Average account year end February.
2. Full-time businesses are defined as those greater than eight European Size Units, an economic measure of size.
3. 'Livestock' farms cover the following farm type categories used in the Farm Business Survey: cattle and sheep (hill and lowland), dairy and pig and poultry.
4. 'Arable' farms cover the farm types: specialist cereals and general cropping.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth [holding answer 20 January 2003]: Information on the persons charged is not collected centrally. Available information taken from the Home Office Court Proceedings Database on total number of proceedings for offences where a motorist caused death is shown in table 1. Figures for the number of people killed in these cases are not collected. Data for 2001 will be available in February.
The numbers of fatalities in road accidents in England and Wales for 1998 to 2001 are given in table 2.
| Table 1: Total proceedings at magistrates' courts by offence type England and Wales 1995 to 2000 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of offences | ||||||
| Offence type | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 |
| Causing death by dangerous driving | 305 | 333 | 376 | 335 | 329 | 359 |
| Causing death by careless driving under influence of drink or drugs | 51 | 63 | 78 | 80 | 63 | 72 |
| Causing death by aggravated vehicle taking | 13 | 27 | 28 | 35 | 25 | 34 |
| Total | 369 | 423 | 482 | 450 | 417 | 465 |
| Table 2: Road fatalities in accidents involving at least one car England and Wales | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | |
| Number of casualties | 2,630 | 2,674 | 2,666 | 2,492 | 2,552 | 2,458 | 2,484 |
Source: Department for Transport
Mr. Bob Ainsworth [holding answer 20 January 2003]: The numbers of persons killed by firearms during the act of a crime are not collected centrally. Available published data on the number of recorded homicide offences by shooting in England and Wales are given in the table.
| Number of homicide offences by shooting1 | |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 58 |
| 1997-98 | 52 |
| 1998-99 | 46 |
| 1999-2000 | 61 |
| 2000-01 | 73 |
| 2001-02 | 96 |
1 Homicide figures include shooting by crossbows, and take into account the results of police and court decisions. Therefore, they may not necessarily match the number of firearm homicides initially recorded. Data are as at 8 October 2002; figures are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts, or as further information becomes available.
These homicide offences were recorded on a calendar year basis up to 1997, and on a financial year basis thereafter.
Mr. Ingram: We have not sold any of our Mark 2 Chinook helicopters to the USA Government. However, we have received an approach from US Department of Defence officials to purchase their new MH47'G' model Chinook in return for our UK Mark 3 model. However, no formal proposal has yet been made, and no decision will be made until such a proposal is presented and has been given full consideration.
Mr. Morley: The information for farmers is not available. Figures from the agricultural census on the number of holdings by tenure in England 1991-2000 indicate the following.
| Holdings wholly owned/ 50 per cent. or more owned | Holdings wholly rented/ 50 per cent. or more rented | |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 112,383 | 38,583 |
| 1992 | 113,698 | 38,020 |
| 1993 | 115,956 | 37,466 |
| 1994 | 117,086 | 36,340 |
| 1995 | 111,877 | 34,235 |
| 1996 | 112,164 | 33,474 |
| 1997 | 111,594 | 33,183 |
| 1998 | 112,369 | 32,724 |
| 1999 | 115,148 | 32,072 |
| 2000 | 114,841 | 31,506 |
Notes:
1. Data refers to main holdings only.
2. It is not possible to show the number of farmers, only the number of holdings. Some farmers may have more than one holding.
3. The figures show only the number of holdings on the census day in June each year. They therefore do not reflect gains or losses during the year.
Source:
June Agricultural and Horticultural Census
Alun Michael: About 90 per cent. of Defra's administration budget in 2002-03 is allocated to matters formerly within the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
Mr. Milburn: I am amazed that confusion is reigning in Durham. That sounds a very unlikely state of affairs. The Minister of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Redditch (Jacqui Smith), who has responsibility for social services and community care, is looking into the matter. Two things are necessary. First, the local community bodies concerned - PCTs, social services and the acute hospitals - must come together and agree a course of action. That has not always happened. Secondly, if we can be helpful nationally, we will be. If our investigation or our involvement can help, we will be glad to provide such help.
The situation described by my hon. Friend the Member for City of Durham (Mr. Steinberg) is the nub of the problem. When partnership works, it is great; when it does not work, it is a disaster. The problem is that it relies purely on voluntary endeavour. If relationships are good, they are good; if they are bad, they are bad. We do not have an incentive in the system that allows each part of the partnership - health services on the one hand and social services on the other - to accept their responsibilities. That, fundamentally, is what the Bill is about.
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Mr. Steinberg rose -
Dr. Fox: I will give way in a moment.
It is typical of the Government to believe that they know better than those on the front line who are already responsible for these services, and so like them to produce yet another one-size-fits-all blueprint designed in Whitehall against all the advice of those with hands-on experience.
Mr. Steinberg: I have some sympathy with what the hon. Gentleman says, although I do not necessarily agree with all his comments. What would he do to a social services department that receives money to use to unblock beds in hospitals but does not use that money accordingly? What sanctions would he use against authorities that do not use the money for the purpose for which it is given?
Dr. Fox: When we in the House talk about sanctions, I think we are in danger of believing that Whitehall always knows best about resolving these problems....
Mr. Miliband: I am sure that the young man on the Back Benches agrees that high-level teaching assistants such as language specialists, laboratory technicians and music specialists who come into classes can make a genuine contribution to the learning of young people. It is important to point out that all classroom assistants work under the direction of qualified teachers. Teaching remains a graduate profession, but those graduates will be in charge of a wider range of support staff, from secretaries right up to high-level teaching assistants. That reinforces teacher professionalism, and is certainly not a threat to it.
Mr. Morley: This information is not available. The local food sector is highly diverse and any attempt to assess its size and impact is very difficult. In addition, as the Policy Commission on the Future of Food and Farming has recognised, there is no commonly accepted definition of locally produced food.
Mr. Stringer: I bow to my hon. Friend's knowledge of the north-east, but I have heard my hon. Friend Member for Middlesbrough (Mr. Bell) give a completely different view of the nature of the north-east from that of my hon. Friend.
Alun Michael: There are approximately 5,170 employees (excluding casuals) that work in policy areas formerly within the responsibility of MAFF. This figure excludes staff that work in central service areas that support the entire Department.
In addition, there are approximately 5,760 employees in the Department's executive agencies which were sponsored by the former MAFF
Mr. Martlew: I understand my hon. Friend's frustration, but we should not prejudge the Government. They have not come forward with a Bill at all yet. Perhaps they will surprise us - although perhaps not.
Reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO
