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Speech and Language Therapy
Mrs. Ray Michie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the level of expenditure by each health authority in England and Wales for speech and language therapy services for (a) children with a record of needs and (b) children without a record of needs in (i) 1992, (ii) 1993 and (iii) 1994. [11589]
Mr. Bowis: This information is not available centrally.
Childhood Cancer Study
Ms Lynne:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the United Kingdom childhood cancer study organised by the United Kingdom Co-ordinating Committee for Cancer Research is expected to be completed; when the research project was first started; if
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his Department will ensure that the findings of the report are widely disseminated; and what is the total amount that his Department is contributing to the project. [10662]
Mr. Horam:
The United Kingdom childhood cancer study organised by the United Kingdom Co-ordinating Committee on Cancer Research commenced in April 1992, following preliminary studies from 1 January 1992 to 31 March 1992.
Field work and the collection of data are expected to be completed by the end of 1997 with subsequent analysis of the data.
The findings of the whole report will be submitted for publication in peer reviewed scientific journals. The UKCCCR will also disseminate the results more widely after publication.
The total amount that the Department of Health is contributing to the project is currently £635,853.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many responses to the "Employment of Children" consultation document have so far been received; if he will publish them, what action he will take after the close of consultations; and if he will make a statement. [11544]
Mr. Bowis:
To date, some 40 responses have been received. I have no plans to publish them. Future action will take into account the views expressed in response to the consultation.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of absenteeism rates in days per annum for staff in his Department for each of the years (a) 1979-80, (b) 1989-90, (c) 1991-92, (d) 1993-94, (e) 1994-95 and (f) 1995-96. [11337]
Mr. Horam:
The available absenteeism rates for the Department of Health in the years 1992, 1993 and 1994 are shown in the table.
| Year | Number of days sickness absence per staff year |
|---|---|
| 1992 | 9.4 |
| 1993 | 9.7 |
| 1994 | 8.9 |
Information is not available for 1995 nor for the years prior to 1992.
Departmental Expenditure
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the annual telephone costs to (a) his Department, (b) his Department's agencies and (c) his Department's non-departmental public bodies staff for each of the years (i) 1979-80, (ii) 1989-90, (iii) 1991-92, (iv) 1993-94, (v) 1994-95, (vi) 1995-96 and (vii) 1996-97; and if internal telephone directories are available to staff in all areas of (a) to (c). [11338]
Mr. Horam: Annual telephone costs incurred by the Department and its agencies are as follows:
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- 1990-91: £4,739,561
1991-92: £3,017,000
1992-93: £3,490,000
1993-94: £3,419,000
1994-95: £2,951,740
1995-96: £2,914,000 Estimated outturn
1996-97: £3,734,000 Forecast
Separate figures for the Department of Health are not available before 1990-91 since such costs were incurred by the combined Departments of Health and of Social Security.
No central records are available for the telephone costs of non-departmental public bodies.
Internal telephone directors are available to all staff in the Department, its agencies, and non-departmental public bodies.
Mr. Austin-Walker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice he has given to health authorities and trusts in the light of the recent case of Mr. Peter Sumners; if he will conduct an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the kidney transplant to Mr. Peter Sumners; what steps he has taken to minimise the risk to transplant patients in the light of the experience of Mr. Peter Sumners; and if he will make a statement. [11832]
Mr. Horam:
The question of whether to conduct an investigation into this case, which was as a result of transplant which took place in 1986, is for the local trust. The decision about the suitability of a donor organ for transplant is a clinical one; however, we are confident that the stringent protocols that are now in place will exclude the possibility of such an incident in the future.
Mr. Austin-Walker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice he has evaluated regarding the possible causes of MRSA; and what advice he has issued to doctors regarding prescribing practice in the light of increases in the incidence of MRSA outbreaks. [11834]
Mr. Horam:
Methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus is the term used for strains on the bacterium staphylococcus aureus which have become resistant, principally to methicillin, but also to other antibiotics. Clinicians are expected to consider a number of factors, including resistance to infection, before prescribing antibiotics for a patient.
Mr. Austin-Walker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the number of (a) beds and (b) wards closed and i) admissions and (ii) operations postponed or cancelled as a result of outbreaks of MRSA. [11833]
Mr. Horam:
This information is not available centrally.
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Mr. Austin-Walker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the financial cost of MRSA in terms of isolating and treating patients; and what action he is taking to reduce or control the incidence of MRSA outbreaks. [11835]
Mr. Horam:
Information on the costs of methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus is not available centrally. I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Carmarthen (Mr. Williams) on 22 January, Official Report,columns 16-17 for information on the action the Department is taking to reduce or control the incidence of outbreaks of MRSA.
Mr. Pickthall:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures his Department is taking to ensure early diagnosis of and fast treatment for bacterial meningitis. [11726]
Mr. Horam:
Guidance on the early management and treatment of cases and contacts of meningitis has been issued by the Department of Health, the Public Health Laboratory Service and the National Meningitis Trust, which receive funding from the Department of Health. In October 1995, the chief medical officer wrote to all doctors and health authorities alerting them to the expected winter rise in cases of meningococcal infection and reminding doctors of the benefits of early administration of benzylpenicillin. Directors of public health were reminded in November of the need for local plans to respond to outbreaks of meningococcal infection, especially those involving schools. Since issuing its guidelines on control of meningococcal infection in 1989, the PHLS has issued regular updates. The guidelines are sent to all DPHs and local consultants in communicable disease control, the most recent being published in the communicable disease report of 8 December 1995.
The Department and the National Meningitis Trust have collaborated in providing an information leaflet for parents of small children and for teenagers. The leaflet is included in the college bag for students, a group where there is a higher risk of meningitis than for other adults.
Mr. Pickthall:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to make available vaccination against bacterial meningitis for all children. [11727]
Mr. Horam:
There is no vaccine available against the most common form of meningococcal infection, meningitis group B. Vaccine is available against group C meningitis but this vaccine is not appropriate for use on a routine basis. The vaccine is not effective in children under age two, the group at highest risk of group C meningitis, and in older individuals the protection it provides is only short lived. Because the available vaccine is not very effective, the independent expert committee, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which advises the United Kingdom Health Departments, does not recommend the meningitis C vaccine for general immunisation. The vaccine may be used in clearly identified target groups, such as school contacts, whenever local circumstances indicate. No country in the world uses this vaccine for all children.
The Department of Health has invested considerable resources in trials of new meningococcal vaccines.
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