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HEALTH
Accountancy Firms
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many outside accountancy firms are employed by his Department ; whether such employment is subject to any guidelines ; and whether he takes steps before employing an accountancy firm to discover whether that firm has been censured by Department of Trade and Industry inspectors in their inquiries under the Companies Act.
Mr. Freeman : The number of accountancy firms currently employed by the Department of Health is five. Accountancy firms are invited to tender for the provision of advisory services to Departments on the basis of their suitability to provide the relevant advice. In making such appointments, consultations are carried out as necessary and where appropriate in the light of advice given by the Treasury on consultancy appointments.
Contracts
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many contracts over £92,500 have been let by his Department in the 1988-89 financial year and the current financial year to date ; and how many of these were (a) automatically renewed and (b) advertised throughout the European Community.
Mr. Freeman : The figures for 1988-89 relate to the Department of Health and Social Security. It is not possible to apportion expenditure to each Department separately.
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The number of contracts awarded by the then Department of Health and Social Security and covered by the provisions of the EC Supplies Directive, for which the current threshold is £92,000, was 40 in the 1988-89 financial year. Of these, 37 were awarded following advertisement in the EC Journal and one was considered to be exempt from advertising and may have been awarded to the previous supplier. The number of contracts awarded by the Department of Health, and covered by the provisions of the EC Supplies Directive, for which the current threshold is £92,000, was four in the current financial year to date. All of these were awarded following advertisement in the EC Journal. None was considered to be exempt from advertising.National Physiotherapy Week
Dr. Twinn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department has considered an application for an exhibition relating to national physiotherapy week to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : I understand that, under procedures agreed by the Services Committee, arrangements have been made with the authorities of the House for the exhibition to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall from 19 to 23 March 1990.
Medicines
Mr. Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about the proposed increase in fees relating to the Medicinal Products for Human Use Regulations 1989 (S.I., 1989, No. 418) by the Medicines Control Agency.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : On 24 November 1989 the Medicines Control Agency, in accordance with Section 129(6) of the Medicines Act 1968, wrote to all licence holders and interested organisations to consult them about proposed amendments to the Medicines (Fees Relating to Medicinal Products for Human Use) Regulations 1989 (SI 1989 No 418). The letter contains a statement by the joint consultative group comprising senior representatives of the Department of Health (including the Medicines Control Agency) and of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) and the Pharmaceutical Association of Great Britain (PAGB). In that statement the group recognise that the deficit in the agency's fee income for 1989-90 will need to be carried forward into the calculation of fees for 1990-91. Also in 1990-91 the agency may require additional resources to improve its performance further and to eliminate the substantial backlog of applications. The group has concluded that, subject to statutory consultation, fee levels will have to be increased by 70 per cent. from 1 February. They go on to say that this may not be enough to put the agency into a sound financial position in 1990-91 to enable it to carry out its function effectively. They will, therefore, consider the matter further in the new year in the light of additional information which will become available. This will include better information on the likely volume of different types of licence applications and more precise costing information. It is hoped that this information will enable
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the group to consider a fee structure that will provide stable funding and will place the agency on a sound financial basis. Subject to the results of the consultation exercise amending regulations will be laid before the House in January.A copy of the consultation letter (MLX 178) has been placed in the Library. The letter contains examples of the fee increases and explains the reasons behind these. Comments on the fee proposals have been requested by 22 December 1989.
Sir Hector Monro : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if the new formularies set up under the new proposals will be established on a local and voluntary basis ; and whether new medicines will be included ;
(2) if there will be any disincentive on the use of new medicines by general practitioners and hospitals under the reorganisation proposals.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The aim of indicative prescribing budgets which will apply to general medical practitioners and not to hospitals, is to encourage more cost-effective prescribing to the advantage of patients individually and the NHS overall. General practioners will remain free to prescribe the medicines which are clinically necessary for their patients including of course new medicines.
The development of formularies at local level represents a further initiative to improve the quality of prescribing. It will be for each formulary's authors to decide which drugs to include. There should be no disincentive to the adoption of new medicines which have therapeutic advantages over existing drugs. It will be for individuals GPs to decide whether they wish to adopt a formulary. The fact that a new drug does not appear on a particular practice's formulary would not prevent a GP from prescribing it, since the use of formularies is voluntary.
Dental Services
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) complete and (b) partial sets of dentures were supplied by the National Health Service (i) in 1988 and (ii) in 1989 ; how many (i) fillings, (ii) teeth capped and (iii) extractions were completed in (x) 1988 and (y) 1989 ; and if he will make a statement concerning the future of dentistry in the National Health Service.
Mr. Freeman : The National Health Service has made a considerable contribution to the marked improvement over recent years in the dental health of both adults and children. The Government are confident that this contribution will continue, strengthened by the proposals for a new contract for general dental practitioners. The detailed information requested on treatment is set out in the table for the general dental service and for the community dental service. No comparable figures are available for dental treatment provided within the hospital service.
Numbers of treatments (England) by financial year:
Type of treatment |1987-88 |1988-89
|000's |000's
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
General dental service
Synthetic resin dentures
full |1,083 |1,109
partial |664 |691
Metal dentures
full and partial |199 |207
Fillings |23,957 |22,728
Teeth capped |2,318 |2,436
Teeth extracted |4,237 |4,392
Community dental service
Dentures-total supplied (no
breakdown by type available) |13 |13
Fillings |1,110 |939
Teeth capped |9 |9
Teeth extracted |434 |398
Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale DHA
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have had eye tests since April in Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale district health authority area; and what was the figure for the comparable period in 1988.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Statistics relating to Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale district health authority are collected by Lancashire family practitioner committee and are not separately available. Information on the number of general ophthalmic services sight tests carried out since April 1989 is not yet available centrally.
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average time for patients waiting to receive radiotherapy from the time of results of breast screen tests and treatment in the Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale district health authority area.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Breast screening is performed on "well women" aged 50 and over to allow early detection of cancer. Fewer than 10 per cent. of women screened are expected to be recalled either to have a repeat mammogram performed for technical reasons or to have a screen- detected abnormality further investigated. Only 1.5 per cent. of women screened should require further referral for biopsy and of these fewer than 1 in 3 are expected to have breast cancer. The decision on whether or not to use radiotherapy in the treatment of these women and, if so, at what stage in their treatment is a matter for clinical judgement. Information on the waiting time for radiotherapy is not collected centrally.
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average waiting time from testing and screening of women for (a) cervical cancer and (b) breast cancer until the results are notified in the Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale district health authority area.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : As I explained in my reply to the hon. Member for Easington (Mr. Cummings) on 12 December at columns 619-20, information on the processing of cervical screening tests is not available in the form requested. Our guidance to health authorities states that laboratories should aim to send results to the doctor who submitted a smear within one month of receiving it. Laboratory processing times are monitored by the Department on a quarterly basis. The information collected relates only to those district health authorities (DHAs) which are failing to meet this one month target time. As at September 1989 (the latest data available) over 75 per cent. of DHAs were meeting this target. No backlogs were reported in respect of the laboratories in the Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale DHA.
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Information on the average time taken to notify women of the result of their screening test under the breast screening programme is not collected centrally.Mammogram Screening, North-West
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for Health which health authorities in the North West regional health authority area provide a full scale mass mammogram screening service.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The national breast screening programme for women aged 50 years and over is being set up over the three years to 1990. As at 13 November 1989 North Western RHA had three breast screening programmes operational : Manchester, Bolton and Wigan, which provide a screening service to the districts of North Manchester, Central Manchester and South Manchester ; and Bolton and Wigan. Plans to extend these programmes to cover the districts of Stockport, Tameside and Glossop, Oldham, Salford and Trafford (Manchester) ; Bury and Rochdale (Bolton) ; and West Lancashire, Chorley and South Ribble (Wigan) are well advanced. Mobile units will be used to deliver the screening service in some areas. The RHA plans to establish two further programmes to cover the Lancashire districts of Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley ; Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale ; Preston ; Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde ; and Lancaster.
Schizophrenia
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people suffering from schizophrenia have been convicted by the courts and sentenced to prison for offences committed when released from mental institutions (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) in the Greater Manchester area, during each of the last five years.
Mr. Freeman : The information requested is not centrally collected.
Airports (Public Health)
Mr. Wilshire : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what examination he has undertaken of the proposals to upgrade the port health control unit at Heathrow airport into a health information centre for travellers.
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Mr. Freeman : The port health control units at Heathrow airport are sited to deal with incoming passengers and are not accessible to those taking outgoing flights. Proposals for a health information centre for travellers at Heathrow will however, be discussed early in the new year at a meeting between officials from the Department and the London borough of Hillingdon which is responsible for the provision of port health at the airport.
Mr. Wilshire : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what tropical insects have been found on incoming aircraft at or near British international airports ; and if he will make a statement about the health risks to the public.
Mr. Freeman : This information is not collected centrally. Local authorities in whose areas airports are situated are responsible for enforcing the Public Health (Aircraft) Regulations. Under these the environmental health department of the local authority concerned has the power to check that disinsection has been carried out and, if not, to ensure that it is done. There has been only one instance in the United Kingdom in the last 20 years in which someone living close to an airport has been bitten by a malarious mosquito. The temperate climate of the United Kingdom makes it most unlikely that tropical insects released from incoming aircraft will survive for more than a few hours.
Service Increment for Teaching
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the sums expended in each National Health Service region and in total on the service increment for teaching in each year since 1980 ; and if he will express those figures in current and standard April 1989 prices.
Mr. Freeman : Allocations to regional health authorities for the service increment for teaching between 1980-81 to 1990-91, are shown in the tables, at current cash levels and at 1989-90 cash levels using GDP deflator.
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Service increment for teaching from 1980-81 to 1989-90
£000s at 1989-90 cash levels
|1980-81 |1981-82 |1982-83 |1983-84 |1984-85 |1985-86 |1986-87 |1987-88 |1988-89 |1989-90 |1990-91
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern |13,542 |15,127 |17,242 |16,578 |16,362 |16,324 |16,661 |16,565 |16,140 |15,838 |18,920
Yorkshire |13,237 |15,701 |15,845 |16,343 |16,035 |15,558 |15,924 |15,833 |15,427 |15,527 |18,812
Trent |30,991 |36,556 |38,548 |40,188 |40,062 |39,013 |41,129 |41,705 |40,574 |40,175 |41,737
East Anglian |5,938 |5,438 |5,482 |6,734 |6,799 |7,167 |7,329 |7,287 |7,101 |8,971 |9,148
North West
Thames |48,939 |56,592 |47,077 |46,595 |35,714 |34,393 |35,067 |34,863 |33,404 |32,714 |33,279
North East
Thames |43,245 |48,864 |49,351 |54,764 |63,333 |60,284 |59,882 |59,421 |58,123 |57,135 |58,365
South East
Thames |30,416 |34,856 |34,849 |40,078 |39,444 |38,950 |39,133 |38,749 |37,712 |37,050 |38,193
South West
Thames |10,332 |11,229 |10,905 |14,141 |14,924 |16,196 |16,665 |16,568 |16,143 |15,841 |16,152
Wessex |9,872 |10,993 |11,080 |11,669 |11,579 |11,474 |11,734 |11,665 |11,367 |11,154 |11,373
Oxford |7,613 |8,725 |8,794 |9,311 |9,190 |9,228 |9,438 |9,383 |9,142 |8,971 |9,148
South Western |11,024 |12,714 |12,758 |13,458 |13,508 |12,691 |12,466 |12,385 |12,086 |12,159 |12,808
West Midlands |14,851 |16,493 |16,829 |17,569 |17,341 |17,395 |17,807 |17,654 |17,202 |16,880 |17,946
Mersey |14,497 |16,642 |16,774 |18,088 |18,098 |18,077 |19,079 |18,443 |17,779 |17,039 |18,287
North
Western |22,665 |26,004 |26,211 |27,750 |27,387 |27,812 |28,368 |28,205 |27,481 |26,967 |29,598
|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------
Total |277,162 |315,934 |311,745 |333,266 |329,776 |324,562 |330,682 |328,726 |319,681 |316,421 |333,766
Service increment for teaching from 1980-81 to 1989-90
£000s at 1989-90 cash levels
|1980-81 |1981-82 |1982-83 |1983-84 |1984-85 |1985-86 |1986-87 |1987-88 |1988-89 |1989-90 |1990-91
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern |13,542 |15,127 |17,242 |16,578 |16,362 |16,324 |16,661 |16,565 |16,140 |15,838 |18,920
Yorkshire |13,237 |15,701 |15,845 |16,343 |16,035 |15,558 |15,924 |15,833 |15,427 |15,527 |18,812
Trent |30,991 |36,556 |38,548 |40,188 |40,062 |39,013 |41,129 |41,705 |40,574 |40,175 |41,737
East Anglian |5,938 |5,438 |5,482 |6,734 |6,799 |7,167 |7,329 |7,287 |7,101 |8,971 |9,148
North West
Thames |48,939 |56,592 |47,077 |46,595 |35,714 |34,393 |35,067 |34,863 |33,404 |32,714 |33,279
North East
Thames |43,245 |48,864 |49,351 |54,764 |63,333 |60,284 |59,882 |59,421 |58,123 |57,135 |58,365
South East
Thames |30,416 |34,856 |34,849 |40,078 |39,444 |38,950 |39,133 |38,749 |37,712 |37,050 |38,193
South West
Thames |10,332 |11,229 |10,905 |14,141 |14,924 |16,196 |16,665 |16,568 |16,143 |15,841 |16,152
Wessex |9,872 |10,993 |11,080 |11,669 |11,579 |11,474 |11,734 |11,665 |11,367 |11,154 |11,373
Oxford |7,613 |8,725 |8,794 |9,311 |9,190 |9,228 |9,438 |9,383 |9,142 |8,971 |9,148
South Western |11,024 |12,714 |12,758 |13,458 |13,508 |12,691 |12,466 |12,385 |12,086 |12,159 |12,808
West Midlands |14,851 |16,493 |16,829 |17,569 |17,341 |17,395 |17,807 |17,654 |17,202 |16,880 |17,946
Mersey |14,497 |16,642 |16,774 |18,088 |18,098 |18,077 |19,079 |18,443 |17,779 |17,039 |18,287
North
Western |22,665 |26,004 |26,211 |27,750 |27,387 |27,812 |28,368 |28,205 |27,481 |26,967 |29,598
|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------
Total |277,162 |315,934 |311,745 |333,266 |329,776 |324,562 |330,682 |328,726 |319,681 |316,421 |333,766
Service increment for teaching from 1980-81 to 1989-90
£000s at 1989-90 cash levels
|1980-81 |1981-82 |1982-83 |1983-84 |1984-85 |1985-86 |1986-87 |1987-88 |1988-89 |1989-90 |1990-91
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern |13,542 |15,127 |17,242 |16,578 |16,362 |16,324 |16,661 |16,565 |16,140 |15,838 |18,920
Yorkshire |13,237 |15,701 |15,845 |16,343 |16,035 |15,558 |15,924 |15,833 |15,427 |15,527 |18,812
Trent |30,991 |36,556 |38,548 |40,188 |40,062 |39,013 |41,129 |41,705 |40,574 |40,175 |41,737
East Anglian |5,938 |5,438 |5,482 |6,734 |6,799 |7,167 |7,329 |7,287 |7,101 |8,971 |9,148
North West
Thames |48,939 |56,592 |47,077 |46,595 |35,714 |34,393 |35,067 |34,863 |33,404 |32,714 |33,279
North East
Thames |43,245 |48,864 |49,351 |54,764 |63,333 |60,284 |59,882 |59,421 |58,123 |57,135 |58,365
South East
Thames |30,416 |34,856 |34,849 |40,078 |39,444 |38,950 |39,133 |38,749 |37,712 |37,050 |38,193
South West
Thames |10,332 |11,229 |10,905 |14,141 |14,924 |16,196 |16,665 |16,568 |16,143 |15,841 |16,152
Wessex |9,872 |10,993 |11,080 |11,669 |11,579 |11,474 |11,734 |11,665 |11,367 |11,154 |11,373
Oxford |7,613 |8,725 |8,794 |9,311 |9,190 |9,228 |9,438 |9,383 |9,142 |8,971 |9,148
South Western |11,024 |12,714 |12,758 |13,458 |13,508 |12,691 |12,466 |12,385 |12,086 |12,159 |12,808
West Midlands |14,851 |16,493 |16,829 |17,569 |17,341 |17,395 |17,807 |17,654 |17,202 |16,880 |17,946
Mersey |14,497 |16,642 |16,774 |18,088 |18,098 |18,077 |19,079 |18,443 |17,779 |17,039 |18,287
North
Western |22,665 |26,004 |26,211 |27,750 |27,387 |27,812 |28,368 |28,205 |27,481 |26,967 |29,598
|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------
Total |277,162 |315,934 |311,745 |333,266 |329,776 |324,562 |330,682 |328,726 |319,681 |316,421 |333,766
Disabled People
Mr. Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to promote and encourage independent case management schemes for disabled people.
Mr. Freeman : I refer my hon. Friend to paragraphs 3.3.2 to 3.3.6 of our recent White Paper "Caring for People" (Cm. 849) which sets out our views on the value of case management in targetting resources and planning services to meet specific needs of individual clients.
Embryo Research and Abortion
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many representations he has received for each of the past 10 years concerning (a) embryo research and (b) abortion ; of each of these categories how many representations where (i) for and (ii) against ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The Department has received a very large volume of correspondence representing a wide range of views on these subjects during this period. I regret that the information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Porton Down
Dr. Bray : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the consultants' reports from PA and Shearman Lehman and Hutton on the future for the centre for applied biology and research at Porton Down ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : It is not our normal practice to publish reports by consultants. I also refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Salisbury (Mr. Key) on 12 December at column 632.
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Dr. Bray : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what agreement was made in 1985 between the Secretary of State and Porton International regarding the construction by the latter of a fermentation plant at the centre for applied microbiology and research at Porton Down ; and when he expects it to be built.
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Health by what date the Government's contract with Porton International stipulates the fermentation unit at the centre for applied microbiology and research should be built.
Mr. Freeman : The construction by the Porton International Group of a fermentation plant at the centre for applied microbiology and research was one of the provisions of an agreement between the company and the Public Health Laboratory Service Board in 1985. Construction of the plant will be conditional upon the completion of a lease the terms of which are still under discussion.
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the future of the centre for applied microbiology and research ; and if he will list the companies he is considering as possible purchasers.
Mr. Freeman : I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Salisbury (Mr. Key) on 12 December at column 632.
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what payments have been made to the Government by Porton International under its contract to commercialise inventions from the centre for applied microbiology and research.
Mr. Freeman : There is no contract between the Government and Porton International Group in respect of
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the centre for applied microbiology and research ; the contents of the agreements between the group and the Public Health Laboratory Service Board, and any associated transactions, are commercially confidential.Long-Stay Mental Hospitals
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give by region for each of the last five years the amount of money paid to regions for resettlement of discharged patients from long-say mental hospitals.
Mr. Freeman : These sums are not identified separately by the Department in the resource allocation process. Regional health authorities make provision for the resettlement of patients discharged from long stay mental hospitals from within their main allocations, together with any resources which are made available from the planned rundown and closure of these hospitals.
Clinical Grading
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has with regard to clinical grading on the cost of subsequent appeals to district health authorities in the north-west ; and what money has been provided to health authorities towards this cost.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The extra funds which the Government made available in 1988 to meet the costs of the nurses' and midwives' 1988 pay award were intended to cover the full costs of the clinical regrading exercise. Information on appeals to district health authorities is not collected centrally.
Professional Association of Nursery Nurses
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will now recognise the Professional Association of Nursery Nurses.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : NHS management is free to extend local recognition to organisations such as the Professional Associaton of Nursery Nurses when they have a significant level of membership locally. Membership of the staff side of the Nursing and Midwifery Staffs Negotiating Council is for the staff side to determine.
West Lambeth Health Authority
Miss Hoey : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will establish a full independent inquiry into allegations of financial mismanagement in West Lambeth health authority.
Mr. Freeman : No. The South East Thames regional health authority is already taking appropriate action with the district health authority, and Ministers have asked the chief executive to keep Ministers informed of the outcome.
Helios Programme
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his policy towards the increase proposed by the European Parliament in Budget line 6450, the Helios programme ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : I understand that several proposals to increase the budget for the Helios programme relating to
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disabled people, were put forward in the European Parliament but that none of them was adopted by the Budgets Committee.Erythropoietin
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department has now completed its assessment of the likely need for erythropoietin and its expenditure implications, on the basis of information supplied by health authorities ; if he has now determined the best way forward as referred to in the Official Report, column 316-17, of 23 October ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Erythropoietin has still not received a product licence. Information from health authorities has revealed significant variations in assumptions about the usage of the product after licensing. Discussions are taking place with the medical profession on the clinical indications for the prescription of the product.
Cochlear Implants
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects his review of future national funding for a cochlear implant programme to be completed ; when he will make an announcement ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : We hope to complete the review shortly.
Unit General Managers
Ms. Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many National Health Service unit general managers are (a) men and (b) women.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : This information is not held centrally.
Nurse Prescribing
Mr. Malins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends publishing the report of the advisory group on nurse prescribing ; and when he intends to implement it.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : As we have made clear on many occasions, we support the idea of prescribing by certain community nursing staff. Various issues need to be sorted out before a scheme can be introduced. The advisory group on nurse prescribing was set up last year to look at these issues, and the group has now submitted its report. We welcome the report, which is being published today and are grateful to the advisory group for its excellent work.
The group's major recommendation is that nurses with a district nurse or health visitor qualification should be allowed to prescribe items necessary for the care of those conditions for which they take independent clinical responsibility.
The report will be sent to interested bodies for their comments. In the meantime, officials are carrying forward work on some of the outstanding issues. A copy of the report will be placed in the Library.
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First European Conference on Environment and Health
Mr. Malins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the first European conference on environment and health.
Mr. Freeman : I attended the first European Conference on Environment and Health, held in Frankfurt on 7-8 December 1989, on behalf of Her Majesty's Government. The conference, which was organised by the European Region of the World Health Organisation and attended by Ministers and representatives of 29 of the 32 states in the region, endorsed a charter on environment and health. In my address to the conference I drew attention to the United Kingdom's positive record both in relation to global environmental issues and to the protection of its citizens against environmental health risks, and to its commitment to provide a healthy environment for its population. I made it clear that the United Kingdom accepts the charter as a statement of general principles on environmental health protection but without prejudice to the development of international law in this area. I have placed copies of the charter and of my address in the Library.
NHS Reform
Mr. Steel : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether, under his proposals for National Health Service hospitals, he anticipates that general practitioners will be able to obtain without charge telephone advice from such hospitals outside their own catchment area concerning the treatment of patients not being considered for hospital admission.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley [holding answer 18 December 1989] : Yes. We have no reason to believe that the present informal arrangements between individual GPs and hospital doctors will not continue.
Benzodiazepines
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the cost to the National Health Service of the prescriptions for benzodiazepines issued by community pharmacists during 1988.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley [holding answer 19 December 1989] : The total basic price (net ingredient cost) of the prescriptions for benzodiazepines dispensed by community pharamacists in Great Britain during 1988 was £23.6 million.
ARGICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Aggregate Dredging
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will carry out a full survey, to be paid for by the aggregate dredging industry, of inshore fishing resources in any area scheduled for possible aggregate dredging, before the issuing of licences is considered.
Mr. Curry : The revised procedures for consideration of applications to dredge marine aggregate make provision for an environmental assessment where effects on the environment are likely to be significant. In deciding
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whether to require such an assessment, the Crown estate and the Department of the Environment must consider certain criteria including whether a commercial fishery, nursery area or spawning ground is involved. My Department will also make its own assessment of the potential effects, if any, of any dredging application on fishing and fisheries.Mr. Colvin : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will undertake to consult the inshore fishing industry before he discusses the granting of licences for aggregate dredging with, and by, the Crown Conmissioners.
Mr. Curry : Under new arrangements recently agreed between the Crown Estate Commission and Government Departments, informal consultation between the Crown Estate Commission and the fishing industry is the first step in consideration of application for licences to extract aggregate from the seabed. Subsequently, formal consultation is held with all interested parties, including the fishing industry. This is a continuation of arrangements which have existed for many years.
Fish Producers
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met representatives of the fish producers' organisations ; and what items were discussed.
Mr. Curry : I have visited a number of fishing ports recently and on each occasion met representatives of the local fish producers organisations. I met representatives of the Fleetwood FPO on 21 September 1989, the Grimsby FPO on 5 October, the Yorkshire and Anglia FPO on 2 November, the Fish Producers Organisation (Hull) on 17 November and the Cornish FPO and the South Western FPO on 22-23 November.
A wide range of fisheries issues were discussed including fleet rationalisation, vessel licensing and quota management, and the forthcoming Community measures on fish hygiene.
Beer and Bakery Products (Safety)
Mr. Favell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what initiatives he has taken in the last three months to improve the quality of beer and bakery products.
Mr. Maclean : I announced on 8 November ( Offical Report, ) column 676 my acceptance of the Food Advisory Committee's recommendation that approval for potassium bromate as a flour improver should be withdrawn. On the same day, draft regulations which would prohibit this use from 1 April 1990 were circulated for public comment. The brewing industry has also been asked as a matter of priority to carry out the studies requested by the Committee in order to confirm the absence of residues of bromate in malt and beer and I understand the results of this work will be available shortly.
Milk Production
Mr. French : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has any plans to pay compensation to farmers whose milk production was made subject to restriction orders but was subsequently found to have been safe.
Column 343
Mr. Curry : No.Food Safety Directorate
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food pursuant to his answer of 4 December, Official Report, column 108 to the hon. Member for Billericay if he will list the names of the organisations and individuals whose views he took into account when deciding to establish the food safety directorate.
Mr. Maclean : The views expressed to me to which I referred in my reply of 4 December were put to me on an informal basis and it would not therefore be appropriate to list the individuals and organisations concerned. In coming to my conclusions about the establishment of the Food Safety Directorate I did, however, take particular note of the Report dated June 1989 of the National Consumer Council entitled "The Future of Food Regulations--a discussion document."
Antibiotics
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list those antibiotics approved by his Department for prophylactic use, indicating the appropriate animal specimen in each case ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : The following antibiotic substances are approved for prophylactic use in acordance with product licences issued under the Medicines Act :
Name of substance and animal species
Amoxycillin
Cats, cattle, dogs, pigs, sheep
Ampicillin
Cats, cattle, dogs, horses, pigs, poultry, sheep
Apramycin
Pigs
Aureomycin
Cattle, horses, pigs, poultry
Cloxacillin
Cattle, sheep
Framycetin
Cattle, pigs, poultry
Fumagillin
Honey bees
Lincomycin
Pigs, poultry
Maduramicin
Chickens
Monensin
Chickens, turkeys
Neomycin
Cattle, chickens, pigs, turkeys
Novobiocin
Cattle
Penicillin
Cats, cattle, dogs, goats, horses, pigs, poultry, sheep Salinomycin
Cattle, chickens
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