Parliament
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854 Parliament 1. H.M. Stationery Offlce, 1959. Pp. 24. 1s. 9d. Deficit in N.H.S. Pension Scheme IN a written answer Mr. DEREK WALKER-SMITH, the Minister of Health, made the following statement on the Government Actuary’s report on the National Health Service superannuation scheme 1948-55 1: The Government Actuary found that on March 31, 1955, there was a deficiency in the scheme of E79’5 million. Of this, E34 million was an initial deficiency attributable to decisions at the inception of the scheme to give recognition to the existing rights and expectations of those transferred to the National Health Service when it was set up, and to the entry into the scheme at that time of persons at ages above the normal ages of entry to the health service. About f,40 million is attributable to rises in wages and salaries since 1948. It is proposed that the deficiency should be dealt with as follows. The superannuation account will be credited with E34 million, representing the " initial deficiency ". An account- ing adjustment will be made retrospectively from 1948 in order to meet the whole of the deficiency of E4-1 million arising from payments in respect of practitioners who maintain individual policies. Employees’ contributions will not be increased, but in future interest will not be paid on contributions returned to employees who voluntarily leave the health service before becoming entitled to any superannuation benefit. It is estimated that this will produce a saving of about f,0’9 million. The balance of the deficiency, namely, E40-5 million, will be liquidated over a period of approximately twenty years by adding to the present employer’s contribution a special supple- ment of 11 /2% of salary. The staff interests concerned are being informed and their observations invited prior to the laying of the necessary draft regulations before Parliament. New Bills New Bills introduced this session include the Population (Statistics) Bill, which was read for the first time in the House of Lords on Nov. 3. It amends and makes permanent the Act of 1938 and amends the particulars required for the registration of stillbirths. Private members who have been successful in the ballot are to introduce the following Bills: a Bill to provide compensation for the victims of crimes of violence (Mr. Reginald Prentice); a noise abatement Bill (Mr. Rubert Speir); a Bill to implement the recommendations of the Gowers Committee for the improvement of conditions of work in offices (Mr. Richard Marsh); a Bill to abolish the earnings rule for widowed pen- sioners who have children to support (Mr. William Griffiths). QUESTION TIME Suicide While on Remand Mr. CHARLES ROYLE asked the Home Secretary if his attention had been called to the suicide of a young man while on remand in prison; and what steps he proposed to take to ensure that a repetition of such a case shall be avoided.-Mr. DENNIS VOSPER, the parliamentary secretary, replied: The boy had been for six days in a room in Durham prison hospital because of an earlier attack of hysteria. He appeared to have completely recovered and, on the morning of his death, had asked to be discharged from the hospital. He ate well when the midday meal was served just before noon. He was found to be dead during a routine check at 12.35 P.M. The Minister is satisfied that no other steps could have been taken to prevent the suicide. Mr. RoYLE: Will the Home Office go into the question of the great need for remand centres, which would save young people from being sent to prison on remand ?-Mr. VOSPER: The Minister agrees about the great need for remand centres. Accommodation in Prisons Mr. HENRY HYND asked the Home Secretary how many prisoners were now sleeping three to a cell; and what progress was being made towards ending such overcrowding.-Mr. V OSPER replied: On Oct. 20 there were 6642 men housed three to a cell. So long as committals remain at their present level, the only method of reducing this overcrowding is to provide extra accommodation, which the Minister is making every effort to do. Tenders have been accepted for one new security prison and planning clearance has been obtained for the building of a second, but it is to open prisons that we must look for speedy relief. Two of these have been opened in the past eighteen months and a further four are under construction. Hospital Building The following 6 new hospitals have been partially built and are in use: Balderton Hall, near Newark (mental deficiency); Good Hope, Sutton Coldfield (general); Greaves Hall, Southport (mental deficiency); Princess Margaret, Swindon (general); Oakwood Park, near Conway (mental deficiency); and West Wales, Glangwili (general). Work is in progress on the following 9 new hospitals: Cambridge (teaching); Crawley (general); Harlow (general); Hensingham, W. Cumberland (general); Huddersfield (general); Sheffield (teaching); Welwyn-Hatfield (general); Llanfrechfa Grange, Newport (mental deficiency); Singleton Park, Swansea (general). Work is expected to start on the following new hospitals in 1960-61: Branch of Royal Marsden Hospital (teaching) at Sutton; Slough (general); St. Thomas’s, London (teaching); and Truro (general). Public Health British Student Tuberculosis Foundation THE several units of this Foundation have now been brought together to form a permanent centre at Pinewood Hospital, Wokingham, Berkshire, for the treatment and rehabilitation of students with tuberculosis. Both men and women are admitted to the centre, which has 32 beds. Students may receive treatment there under the National Health Service while they continue their studies. The library has over 3000 books, including works of reference, and for convalescent patients there are even separate studies for private work. Tutors visit the students regularly and direct their work. Medical treatment is under the supervision of Dr. J. J. McCann, physician-superinten- dent of the hospital. Inquiries about admission should be sent to the secretary/administrator of the Foundation, Pinewood Hospital, Wokingham, Berkshire. Infectious Diseases in England and Wales
Transcript of Parliament
854
Parliament
1. H.M. Stationery Offlce, 1959. Pp. 24. 1s. 9d.
Deficit in N.H.S. Pension Scheme
IN a written answer Mr. DEREK WALKER-SMITH, theMinister of Health, made the following statement on theGovernment Actuary’s report on the National HealthService superannuation scheme 1948-55 1:The Government Actuary found that on March 31, 1955,
there was a deficiency in the scheme of E79’5 million. Of this,E34 million was an initial deficiency attributable to decisions atthe inception of the scheme to give recognition to the existingrights and expectations of those transferred to the NationalHealth Service when it was set up, and to the entry into thescheme at that time of persons at ages above the normal agesof entry to the health service. About f,40 million is attributableto rises in wages and salaries since 1948.
It is proposed that the deficiency should be dealt with asfollows. The superannuation account will be credited withE34 million, representing the " initial deficiency ". An account-ing adjustment will be made retrospectively from 1948 in orderto meet the whole of the deficiency of E4-1 million arising frompayments in respect of practitioners who maintain individualpolicies. Employees’ contributions will not be increased, butin future interest will not be paid on contributions returned toemployees who voluntarily leave the health service before
becoming entitled to any superannuation benefit. It is estimatedthat this will produce a saving of about f,0’9 million. Thebalance of the deficiency, namely, E40-5 million, will be
liquidated over a period of approximately twenty years byadding to the present employer’s contribution a special supple-ment of 11 /2% of salary.The staff interests concerned are being informed and their
observations invited prior to the laying of the necessary draftregulations before Parliament.
New Bills
New Bills introduced this session include the Population(Statistics) Bill, which was read for the first time in the Houseof Lords on Nov. 3. It amends and makes permanent the Actof 1938 and amends the particulars required for the registrationof stillbirths.
Private members who have been successful in the ballot areto introduce the following Bills: a Bill to provide compensationfor the victims of crimes of violence (Mr. Reginald Prentice);a noise abatement Bill (Mr. Rubert Speir); a Bill to implementthe recommendations of the Gowers Committee for the
improvement of conditions of work in offices (Mr. RichardMarsh); a Bill to abolish the earnings rule for widowed pen-sioners who have children to support (Mr. William Griffiths).
QUESTION TIMESuicide While on Remand
Mr. CHARLES ROYLE asked the Home Secretary if hisattention had been called to the suicide of a young man whileon remand in prison; and what steps he proposed to take toensure that a repetition of such a case shall be avoided.-Mr.DENNIS VOSPER, the parliamentary secretary, replied: The boyhad been for six days in a room in Durham prison hospitalbecause of an earlier attack of hysteria. He appeared to havecompletely recovered and, on the morning of his death, hadasked to be discharged from the hospital. He ate well when themidday meal was served just before noon. He was found tobe dead during a routine check at 12.35 P.M. The Minister issatisfied that no other steps could have been taken to preventthe suicide.
Mr. RoYLE: Will the Home Office go into the question ofthe great need for remand centres, which would save youngpeople from being sent to prison on remand ?-Mr. VOSPER:The Minister agrees about the great need for remand centres.
Accommodation in Prisons
Mr. HENRY HYND asked the Home Secretary how manyprisoners were now sleeping three to a cell; and what progresswas being made towards ending such overcrowding.-Mr.V OSPER replied: On Oct. 20 there were 6642 men housedthree to a cell. So long as committals remain at their presentlevel, the only method of reducing this overcrowding is to
provide extra accommodation, which the Minister is makingevery effort to do. Tenders have been accepted for one newsecurity prison and planning clearance has been obtained forthe building of a second, but it is to open prisons that we mustlook for speedy relief. Two of these have been opened in thepast eighteen months and a further four are under construction.
Hospital BuildingThe following 6 new hospitals have been partially built and
are in use:Balderton Hall, near Newark (mental deficiency); Good Hope,
Sutton Coldfield (general); Greaves Hall, Southport (mentaldeficiency); Princess Margaret, Swindon (general); Oakwood Park,near Conway (mental deficiency); and West Wales, Glangwili(general).Work is in progress on the following 9 new hospitals:Cambridge (teaching); Crawley (general); Harlow (general);
Hensingham, W. Cumberland (general); Huddersfield (general);Sheffield (teaching); Welwyn-Hatfield (general); Llanfrechfa Grange,Newport (mental deficiency); Singleton Park, Swansea (general).Work is expected to start on the following new hospitals in
1960-61:Branch of Royal Marsden Hospital (teaching) at Sutton; Slough
(general); St. Thomas’s, London (teaching); and Truro (general).
Public Health
British Student Tuberculosis Foundation
THE several units of this Foundation have now been broughttogether to form a permanent centre at Pinewood Hospital,Wokingham, Berkshire, for the treatment and rehabilitation ofstudents with tuberculosis.
Both men and women are admitted to the centre, which has 32beds. Students may receive treatment there under the NationalHealth Service while they continue their studies. The library hasover 3000 books, including works of reference, and for convalescentpatients there are even separate studies for private work. Tutorsvisit the students regularly and direct their work. Medical treatmentis under the supervision of Dr. J. J. McCann, physician-superinten-dent of the hospital. Inquiries about admission should be sent tothe secretary/administrator of the Foundation, Pinewood Hospital,Wokingham, Berkshire.
Infectious Diseases in England and Wales
