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Pet Dogs and Cats (Illegal Imports)

Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the number of pet dogs and cats illegally imported in each year since 1986; and how many cases of such imports have been discovered. [22070]

Mrs. Browning: No estimates are made of the number of people who smuggle animals into the country undetected. However, figures are available for the number of animals reported as illegally landed since 1988.

	Dogs	Cats
1988	93	16
1989	38	28
1990	59	40
1991	72	39
1992	60	33
1993	50	39
1994	70	39
1995	59	44

Live Animal Transport

Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what action he is taking to implement the EU directive on the welfare of live animals in transit in a way that ensures the future viability of livestock markets, including those in Wales, and if he will make a statement on the impact of these measures on farmers dependent on livestock markets; [21824]

(2) when he expects to be able to set out the terms on which the EU directive on the welfare of live animals in transit is to be implemented with particular reference to (a) rest periods and (b) the conditions for allowing time at markets to be discounted from time in transit; and if he will make a statement. [21825]

Mrs. Browning: We are developing our plans to implement this directive in the light of responses to our consultation paper and in full discussion with all those with an interest. We attach particular importance to developing provisions on journey time and rest, for example, which meet the requirements of the directive in a way that recognises the reality of livestock marketing practice in Great Britain. We shall set our detailed plans out in a further consultation document before finally deciding what approach to adopt.

21 Mar 1996 : Column: 316

Quarantine

Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 14 March, Official Report, column 727, what were the main recorded causes of death of dogs and cats held in quarantine in the United Kingdom in each year since 1986. [22071]

Mrs. Browning: No information is available on the causes of death of dogs and cats held in quarantine prior to 1995, other than those which died from rabies. The information collected from 1995 onwards shows that the causes of death were varied and no different from those that could be expected in a population of similar animals. Tumours/cancer accounted for around 25 per cent. of deaths. About a further 10 per cent. of the deaths in quarantine were where animals were euthanased at the owners request.

Mr. Morley: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many imported (a) dogs and (b) cats have passed through United Kingdom quarantine in each year since 1986. [22069]

Mrs. Browning: It is possible to provide information only on the number of animals for which licences have been issued permitting their import. Information on the number of animals actually imported into the United Kingdom is not available for this period.

	Dogs	Cats
1986	4,738	2,329
1987	5,249	2,927
1988	5,132	3,095
1989	5,915	3,220
1990	5,999	3,687
1991	5,290	3,289
1992	5,175	3,190
1993	5,738	3,633
1994	5,554	3,863
1995	5,394	4,126

HEALTH

Factor 8

Mr. Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the quantity of (i) recombinant factor 8 and (ii) plasma-derived factor 8, (a) produced and (b) used annually in the national health service. [19567]

Mr. Horam: This information is not collected by the Department of Health. Figures collected by the United Kingdom haemophilia centre directors, which may be incomplete, show that some 158 million units of factor 8 were used in the UK in 1994. Of the total, 4 per cent. were recombinant, 64 per cent. plasma-based products produced by the national health service and 32 per cent. plasma-based imported products.

Oral Contraceptives

Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people died from thrombo-embolic complications arising form the use of the contraceptive pill in each of the last five years. [21013]

21 Mar 1996 : Column: 317

Mr. Horam: Mortality statistics are based on the cause of death as stated by the doctor or coroner. It may not be possible for the certifier to link definitely the thrombo-embolic episode to oral contraceptives and consequently oral contraceptives may not be mentioned on the certificate.

The table shows the number of deaths in England and Wales from thrombo-embolic complications, ICD ¹ E932.2, stated to be associated with the use of the contraceptive pill in each of the last five years.

Year	Number of deaths
1990	7
1991	7
1992	2
1993	6
1994	3

(6) International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision.

Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what external legal advice he sought on the implications of issuing the "Dear Doctor" letter of 18 October 1995 prior to the issuing of that letter. [20500]

Mr. Malone: None.

Mr. Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to (a) withdraw or (b) amend the advice to prescribers issued in the "Dear Doctor" letter of 18 October 1995. [20501]

Mr. Malone: None.

Mr. Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those members of the Spritzer team of investigators for the trans-national study of oral contraceptives employed to advise (a) the Medicines Control Agency and (b) the Licensing Authority since 18 October 1995 on safety concerns relating to third generation oral contraceptives; on what date they were recruited; what are their emoluments and if they were required to sign the Official Secrets Act. [20502]

Mr. Malone: None were employed.

Mr. Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment the Licensing Authority has made of the dangers of third generation oral contraceptives; and if the authority proposes to license these products. [20511]

Mr. Malone: I refer the hon. Member to the statement that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health made in the House on 23 October 1995, Official Report, columns 701-11. A number of third generation oral contraceptives are currently licensed; applications for subsequent licences will be considered under normal procedures.

Safety of Medicines

Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many yellow cards have been received by the Medicines Control Agency for each month since January 1994. [20499]

Mr. Malone: The information is shown in the table. A report of a suspected adverse drug reaction does not necessarily mean that the condition was caused by the medicine.

21 Mar 1996 : Column: 318

Month and year of receipt	Number of yellow cards received
1994
January	1,171
February	1,262
March	1,464
April	1,133
May	1,277
June	1,619
July	1,309
August	1,412
September	1,543
October	1,352
November	2,072
December	1,950
1995
January	1,741
February	1,484
March	1,720
April	1,210
May	1,517
June	1,472
July	1,579
August	1,347
September	1,437
October	1,381
November	1,559
December	1,289
1996
January	1,487
February	1,660

Mr. Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions and on what date or dates since the coming into effect of the Medicines Act 1968 the powers under section 3 (2) (c) of the Act have been used by Ministers to request the Medicines Commission to review the section 4 committees; and if he will not invoke those powers. [20503]

Mr. Malone: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who is the chairman of the Committee on Safety of Medicines for the period 1 January 1996 to 31 December 1998. [20504]

Mr. Malone: Professor Michael Rawlins.

Amphetamines

Mrs. Mahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to make an announcement on the use of amphetamines for sliming purposes. [21053]

Mr. Malone: An announcement is expected to be made shortly concerning the availability for sliming purposes of a range of medicinal products known as anorectic agents.

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