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Anti-smoking Publications

Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many Government-funded publications produced by (a) the Health Education Authority and (b) other bodies, that warn of the dangers of smoking or that encourage smokers to quit, have been translated into other languages; [23236]

(2) if he will list each anti-smoking publication publicly funded in the last five years with (a) its circulation, (b) its principal messages, (c) its target audience and (d) the languages it has been translated into and how many copies made per language. [23166]

Mr. Horam: The available information will be placed in the Library.

Organophosphate Information Network

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions his Department has had with the organophosphate information network; and if he will make a statement. [23176]

Mr. Horam: There have been no recent approaches to the Department from the network.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he was first advised of a possible new strain of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; and if he was informed of any change in the assessment of health risks associated with bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle, arising out of this discovery. [23171]

Mr. Horam: My right hon. Friend was informed of a previously unrecognised form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease on 8 March 1996. The Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee advised him on 20 March that, if the existing and newly recommended control measures were carried out, the risk to humans from eating beef was now likely to be extremely small.

1 Apr 1996 : Column: 46

Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many confirmed cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease have been notified for people aged (a) under 20 years, (b) 20 to 30 years, (c) 31 to 40 years, (d) 41 to 50 years, (e) 51 to 60 years and (f) 60 years and over; and how many were (i) male and (ii) female in each year for which records are available. [23218]

Mr. Horam: Information showing the number of definite and probable cases of CJD by the age groups requested and by sex for the period 1970 to 1984--England and Wales--and 1985 to March 1996--United Kingdom--will be placed in the Library.

Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) which organisations will receive funding for the proposed additional research into CJD; and if he will make a statement; [24021]

(2) if future CJD research funded out of the NHS research budget will include transmission studies; and if he will make a statement. [24022]

Mr. Horam: As announced by my right hon. Friend to the House on 25 March, Official Report, columns 710-12, we have in preparation a directed programme of research in the BSE-CJD sector involving the Department of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Medical Research Council and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Council. The programme will include strain typing and transmission studies. Further details, including the organisations involved, will be announced as soon as possible.

Mr. Frank Cook: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will investigate the possibility of CJD carriers passing on the disease as blood donors; and if he will make a statement. [24092]

Mr. Horam: The safety of blood is kept under regular review by the expert Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Blood and Tissues for Transplantation. There is no evidence of any risk of transmission of CJD through blood or blood products. However, as a precautionary measure, individuals with central nervous system diseases or risk factors for CJD, including a family history, are excluded from giving blood.

Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money his Department spent on research into CJD in each of the last five financial years.[24023]

Mr. Horam: The information requested is as follows:
1991-92: £181,000
1992-93: £148,000
1993-94: £225,000
1994-95: £387,000
1995-96: £502,000.

This includes the costs of the national Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease surveillance unit in Edinburgh.

Total Government spending on bovine spongiform encephalopathy and CJD research is about £9 million this year, and, as my right hon. Friend announced on 20 March, Official Report, columns 375-86, the Department is making an additional £4.5 million available for further research.

1 Apr 1996 : Column: 47

NHS Patients

Mr. Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were admitted in the past year to NHS (a) intensive care and (b) other beds from independent sector (i) acute hospitals or clinics and (ii) long-stay hospitals or homes. [23298]

Mr. Horam: The information which is available centrally is the estimated number of admissions to NHS hospitals in England from non-NHS hospitals, nursing homes, health care or residential institutions. In 1993-94, the latest year for which data are available, there were estimated to be 28,940 such admissions.

Organophosphate Poisoning

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken by his Department to educate doctors about organophosphate poisoning; and if he will make a statement. [23177]

Mr. Horam: Medical education is principally a matter for the medical profession. However, the Department is drawing the attention of the profession to the concerns over training of doctors in the recognition of organophosphate poisoning.

The Department has published a book, "Pesticide Poisoning Notes for the Guidance of Medical Practitioners", which was sent to all general practitioners. A revised and enlarged edition is about to be published. It gives guidance on the clinical symptoms, first aid treatment, indications for referral to hospital, hospital management, and sources of further advice relevant to poisoning by pesticides and related veterinary medicines including those containing organophosphates. In addition, the chief medical officer wrote in 1991 and 1993 to all doctors in England to alert them to the possibility of exposure to pesticides and certain veterinary medicines and to remind them of the reporting schemes for cases of suspected poisoning. They were further reminded that advice on poisoning was available from the employment medical advisory service and the Department of Health book "Pesticide poisoning notes for the guidance of medical practitioners". Also, an article in the October 1995 edition of the chief medical officer's update which is sent to all doctors dealt with the problems related to the use of organophosphate sheep dips.

Doctors (Educational Exchanges)

Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors from outside the European Economic Area visited the United Kingdom in each of the last five years as part of educational exchanges with British GPs. [23394]

Mr. Malone: This information is not available centrally.

Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received regarding the difficulties experienced by British GPs arranging educational exchanges with GPs from outside the European Economic Area. [23395]

Mr. Malone: Representations have been received from the Royal College of General Practitioners, the Joint Committee on Postgraduate Training for General Practice,

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the General Medical Services Committee of the British Medical Association, "Doctor" magazine and a number of individual GPs.

Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health to what extent the proposal for a special licence for international exchanges that would permit a doctor from abroad to practice in the United Kingdom for a specific period, at a specific location, under the supervision of a named mentor, is compatible with a single standard of entry into general practice in the United Kingdom. [23396]

Mr. Malone: The standard of experience which a doctor requires for entry to general practice is set for the United Kingdom by the Joint Committee on Postgraduate Training for General Practice, which is the UK's competent authority in this area. Either a doctor meets this standard, and may practise in the UK, or he does not, and may not practise. We do not propose to introduce a special licence to allow doctors who do not meet the joint committee's standards to work in general practice.

Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he has taken to facilitate exchanges between British GPs and those from outside the European Economic Area. [23397]

Mr. Malone: Nothing in United Kingdom legislation prevents such exchanges taking place. We encourage exchanges between United Kingdom general practitioners and general practitioners from other countries. The incoming doctor must meet the standard for working in general practice in the United Kingdom which is set by the Joint Committee on Postgraduate Training for General Practice.

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