TNAG-2708-FCO40-3914-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-and-Par-1993 — Page 51

Written Answers

5 MARCH 1993

a general practitioner can seek treatment from the Community dental service, who would then be responsible for arranging any necessary out-of-hours treatment.

District Health Funding

Mr. Channon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what progress has been made towards providing a greater allocation of resources for health care in Southend. as announced on 12 May 1992, Official Report, column 482:

(2) if she will give a general direction to regional health authorities to ensure that no underfunded district receives less in real terms in 1993-94 than in 1992-93;

(3) what measures she is making to ensure that underfunded health districts receive extra funds annually until the discrepancy is removed.

Dr. Mawhinney [holding answer 2 March 1993]: Regional health authorities are responsible for managing the movement of their districts towards weighted capitation funding. The following guidance was issued to all RHAS on 4 December 1992:

"Regions will therefore be asked to report on their planned deployment of the 1993-94 allocation and in particular to demonstrate clear progress towards equalisation. The pace of such progress and whether it should be achieved by reducing resources allocated to districts above their capitation share is a matter for individual regions to judge in the light of local circumstances."

Comprehensive national information on sub-regional allocations for 1993-94 is not yet available, but the guidance above gives clear direction on the policy to be followed.

North East Thames regional health authority gave Southend district health authority £2-7 million real growth in 1992-93 and a further £1.6 million real growth is planned for 1993-94. This growth has occurred over a period when the district's weighted capitation entitlement has also been increasing due to population changes and to changes in the allocation of formula. These changes mean that despite the additional growth, Southend DHA will remain per cent. below its new weighted capitation entitlement in 1993-94. The new DHA into which it will merge in April 1993 will receive further growth in future years with the aim of bringing it to its capitation share.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Decision-making

Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in what circumstan- ces, where cases are raised with the Minister, decisions are made at ministerial level; in what circumstances cases are referred to officials at the high commission or embassy; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd: In all entry clearance cases where a Member corresponds with the Minister, the migration and visa correspondence unit is asked to assess, on information supplied by the post, whether there is any evidence of illogicality or procedural error, or whether there are any compassionate circumstances that have not been taken into account. Should the inquiry raise such matters, the Minister will consider the case.

Mongolia

Mr. Soley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to have British Council representation in Mongolia.

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Mr. Lennox-Boyd: There are no plans at present for British Council representation in Mongolia.

Cyprus

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to meet the President of Cyprus; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Garel-Jones: We have congratulated Mr. Clerides on his recent election success and welcome his commitment to attend continuing negotiations on the intercommunal dispute to be held by the United Nations in New York. No firm date has yet been set for a meeting with President Clerides, but we hope a mutually convenient opportunity may be found in advance of those talks.

Hong Kong

Sir Ivan Lawrence: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals he has for improving relations with China over Hong Kong.

Mr. Goodlad: Diplomatic contacts with China have taken place in recent weeks in Peking. Our aim has been to explore whether a firm and productive basis could be found for the two sides to enter formal talks on the arrangements for the 1994-95 elections. In announcing last week that the Bill embodying those arrangements would not be published on 26 February, the Hong Kong Government promised to set out the reasons for the delay. The Governor made a statement to the Legislative Council on 5 March to this end.

Since the Governor's policy address to the Legislative Council last October, we have made clear that we are ready to talk at any time and without pre-conditions in an effort to reach an understanding with the Chinese side on these electoral arrangements. The Legislative Council is already examining the boundaries and Election Commission Bill. The Executive Council endorsed on 2 February draft legislation embodying the remainder of the Governor's constitutional proposals. So there is no mystery about what the draft legislation contains. We passed a copy of it to the Chinese side on 6 February. At the same time we repeated formally our willingness to talk at any time without pre-conditions; and we explained to the Chinese side that the Bill was ready for gazetting.

We received a positive response on the principle of talks from the Chinese side. To help ensure that talks got off to the best possible start, we and the Governor, with the advice of the Executive Council, decided to postpone our original plan for gazettal on 12 February, while making clear to the Chinese side that there could not be an indefinite delay, given the practical need to press ahead with legislation. We proposed an early starting date for the talks and told the Chinese side of the composition of our negotiating team.

In the absence of a Chinese response, we and the Governor decided, again with the advice of the Executive Council, to delay gazettal for a second time on 19 February and for a third time on 26 February. We wished to give every possible opportunity for the Chinese side to respond.

At the beginning of March, we did receive a reply. But despite further diplomatic contacts, in which we have continued to press for early talks, we have not yet been able to announce a starting date for them. We have made