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General Practitioners (Computers)

Mr. Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money was paid to (a) fundholding and (b) non-fundholding general practitioner practices for computer hardware and software in 1990-91 and in each year since then; and how many (i) fundholding and (ii) non-fundholding practices and general practitioners there were at the end of each of those years. [23299]

2 Apr 1996 : Column: 176

Mr. Malone: Reimbursement of the costs of computerisation in general practice are shown in the list. The amount reimbursed in 1990-91, when the scheme was introduced, includes claims for the financial years 1989-90 and 1990-92. The apportionment of these costs between fundholders and other GPs is not available centrally .

1990-91: £17 million
1991-92: £34 million
1992-93: £40 million
1993-94: £39 million
1994-95: £47 million.

The related figures for the number of fundholding and non-fundholding practices and general practitioners are as follows:

	Number of fundholding:		Number of non-fundholding:
Year	Practices	GPs	Practices	GPs
1990-91	0	0	9,354	25,622
1991-92	306	1,715	8,822	23,749
1992-93	587	3,159	8,578	22,664
1993-94	1,249	6,140	7,869	19,976
1994-95	2,066	8,889	7,045	17,498

Source:

Information prior to 1993-94 is a mixture of enhanced GP census data (about all GPs) and regional health authority data (about GP fundholders);

All information on 1993-94 and 1994-95 is from the enhanced GP census.

Alzheimer's Disease

Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of Alzheimer's disease there have been in each year since 1990. [23405]

Mr. Bowis: Information on the number of cases of Alzheimer's disease is not available centrally.

Nurses and Midwives

Ms Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total number of staff on each spine point of the senior nurses and midwives pay spine; and what is the number of female staff on each spine point. [23730]

Mr. Malone: The information is shown in the table.

NHS Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS) staff on senior nursing and midwifery pay scales (excluding agency) by spine pointEngland at September 1994Whole-time equivalents

Spine point	All senior nurses and midwives	Female senior nurses and midwives
1	(12)--	(12)--
2	(13)--	(12)--
3	(13)--	(13)--
4	(13)--	(13)--
5	10	(13)--
6	10	(13)--
7	(13)--	(13)--
8	10	(13)--
9	10	10
10	20	10
11	20	10
12	100	80
13	30	20
14	50	40
15	100	70
16	120	80
17	160	120
18	200	150
19	190	140
20	120	90
21	100	80
22	100	70
23	40	30
24	30	20
25	10	10
26	30	20
27	10	10
28	(13)--	(13)--
29	20	10
30	50	40
Others(14)	350	250
Total	1,880	1,380

Notes:

(12) Denotes zero.

(13) Denotes 5 or fewer.

(14) 'Others' are those on senior nursing and midwifery pay scales who cannot be apportioned to spine points.

Figures are rounded to the nearest 100.

Totals may not equal sum of components due to rounding.

Source:

Department of Health non-medical work force census.

2 Apr 1996 : Column: 177

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy

Mr. Thurnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the establishments assessed by his Department to be leading centres of scientific excellence worldwide on bovine spongiform encephalopathy and Creutzfeldt-Jakob-type diseases; what contact the Government have had with these centres in the past; and what use the Government propose to make of them in the future. [23393]

Mr. Horam: The Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee regularly reviews international research into spongiform encephalopathies. The director of the national Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease surveillance unit co-ordinates a European Community-funded project which brings together those working on this disease throughout Europe. We recognise the need to make full use of knowledge and expertise from a wide range of sources to extend our understanding of spongiform encephalopathies.

Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has evaluated on the nature of the infective agent in BSE and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; and if he will make a statement. [24175]

Mr. Horam: The Government receive expert advice on bovine spongiform encephalopathy and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease from the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee--SEAC--the advice of which takes account of the results of all relevant research and surveillance. In February 1995, SEAC published "Transmissible

2 Apr 1996 : Column: 178

Spongiform Encephalopathies: A Summary of Present Knowledge and Research", copies of which have been placed in the Library.

Vaccinations

Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the annual cost of universal vaccination of children for (a) measles-rubella, (b) bacille-Calmette-Guerin, (c) polio, (d) HIB, (e) diphtheria, (f) tetanus and (g) pertussis. [23400]

Mr. Horam: The cost to the Department of Health's vaccine supply budget of purchasing vaccines for the childhood immunisation programme for 1995-96 was £39 million, whilst £1.74 million was allocated to the Health Education Authority for promotion and publicity. In 1994-95, the last year for which figures are available, £53.6 million was paid out to general practitioners in immunisation target payments. Figures on the cost of health care workers administering vaccines and delivery of school based immunisation programmes such as bacille-Calmette-Guerin are not available centrally.

Bovine Serum

Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of health risks involved in the use of bovine serum for the production of vaccines for (a) human and (b) animal use. [23518]

Mr. Horam: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Woolwich (Mr. Austin-Walker) on 26 March, Official Report, column 517. United Kingdom licensed vaccines comply fully with European guidelines produced by the European Committee on Proprietary Medicinal Products, "Minimising the risk of transmission of agents causing spongiform encephalopathies via medicinal products", copies of which are available in the Library. Currently, licensed vaccines do not contain any bovine material sourced from the United Kingdom. Matters regarding the production for vaccines for animals are the responsibility of my right hon. and learned Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

Dr. Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if serum of bovine origin is used in the production of vaccines for (a) human and (b) animal use. [23516]

Mr. Horam: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Woolwich (Mr. Austin-Walker on 26 March, Official Report, column 517. The manufacture of vaccines can involve the use of foetal calf serum, but this is reduced to minute levels in the finished vaccine in line with the European Union-World Health Organisation guidelines. Foetal calf serum used in the manufacture of United Kingdom licensed vaccines is sourced from outside the UK and no bovine spongiform encephalopathy infectivity has been detected in foetal calf serum. Matters regarding the production of vaccines for animals are the responsibility of my right hon. and learned Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

2 Apr 1996 : Column: 179

Dr. Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what controls are in place in respect of the country of origin of serum of bovine origin used in the production of vaccines for (a) human and (b) animal use. [23517]

Mr. Horam: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Woolwich (Mr. Austin-Walker) on 26 March, Official Report, column 517. Manufacturers of vaccines are bound, by the conditions of their product licence, to comply with the European Committee on Proprietary Medicinal Products guidelines on "Minimising the risk of transmission of agents causing spongiform encephalopathies via medicinal products", copies of which are available in the Library. Matters regarding the production of vaccines for animals are the responsibility of my right hon. and learned Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

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