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Medicines Act 1968
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 8 February, Official Report, columns 345-46, if he will list the occasions during 1995 on which (a) the Licensing Authority, (b) the Medicines Control Agency and (c) the Committee on Safety of Medicines have taken legal action with respect to matters relating to the Medicines Act 1968; and how many injunctions have been sought relating to material relating to the efficacy or safety of medicines. [23276]
Mr. Malone: The Medicines Control Agency, acting on behalf of the Licensing Authority, instigated legal proceedings in the criminal courts in respect of 35 cases in 1995 relating to enforcement of the Medicines Act 1968. No injunctions in respect of material relating to the efficacy or safety of medicines were sought during this period.
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Adoption
Mr. Spearing: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the principal legislative provisions he expects to change in his proposals for re-casting the law relating to adoption; and what means he expects to use. [24449]
Mr. Bowis: My Department published a consultative document "Adoption--A Service for Children" on 28 March; copies are available in the Library. The document includes a draft Adoption Bill and identifies some important changes to adoption law; changes will be effected through primary legislation, regulations and guidance.
Smoking
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of (a) the proportion of people from ethnic minorities who smoke and (b) the proportion of all smokers who are from ethnic minorities. [23265]
Mr. Horam: Estimates of cigarette smoking prevalence in 1992 among those aged 16 and over are shown in the table. Estimates of smoking prevalence among other ethnic minority populations are not available and it is not therefore possible to produce an estimate of the proportion of all smokers who are from ethnic minorities.
| Men | Women | |
|---|---|---|
| African-Caribbean | 28 | 18 |
| Indian | 19 | 1 |
| Pakistani | 28 | 2 |
| Bangladeshi | 40 | 4 |
| England-general population | 29 | 27 |
Source:
Health Education Authority "Black and Minority Ethnic Groups in England".
Office of Population Censuses and Surveys general household survey.
Mr. Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he is taking to alert members of ethnic minorities to the dangers of smoking and to encourage them to stop. [23266]
Mr. Horam: In addition to the provision of translations of anti-smoking literature, the Health Education Authority works closely with local health promotion agencies to develop resources best suited to the needs of particular communities.
Mr. Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of women who restart smoking after pregnancy; and what measures he is taking to encourage them not to. [23274]
Mr. Horam: No such estimate has been made.
The Health Education Authority is continuing its campaign aimed at pregnant women and, in conjunction with doctors, nurses and health visitors, a new educational leaflet will be available later in the spring. In addition, the national smoking education campaign is designed to motivate and assist those in socio-economic groups C2DE, in particular parents and pregnant women, to quit.
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Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of mental health patients in accommodation (a) directly provided or run by a local authority and (b) approved by but not directly provided or run by a local authority in (i) 1980, (ii) 1985, (iii) 1990 and (iv) 1995. [23267]
Mr. Bowis:
The available information on the number of people in residential care homes is shown in the table. Information is not available centrally for 1980 and 1985 in this form.
| 1990 | 1995 | |
|---|---|---|
| Local authority homes(18) | ||
| Residents in homes for mentally ill people | 4,885 | 4,070 |
| Percentage(19) in homes for mentally ill people | 4.6 | 6.1 |
| Independent sector homes(20) | ||
| Residents in homes for mentally ill people | 10,620 | 16,265 |
| Percentage(19) in homes for mentally ill people | 6.0 | 7.3 |
Notes:
(17) Includes homes for elderly people who are mentally infirm.
(18) Local authority staffed homes. At 31 March 1995 there were also 1,400 people with mental illness accommodated in local authority unstaffed homes.
(19) Calculated as the percentage of all residents in local authority and independent sector homes respectively.
(20) Residential care homes registered under the Registered Homes Act 1984. Excludes small homes registered under the Registered Homes (Amendment) Act 1991.
Source:
Department of Health annual statistical returns.
Medicines Commission
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 8 February, Official Report, column 345 (1) on what basis Professor W. Butterfield was appointed as chairman of Medicines Commission for the period 1 January 1978 to 31 December 1981; [23271]
- (2) on what basis Professor Rosalind Hurley was appointed as chairman of the Medicines Commission for the period 1 January 1986 to 31 December 1993. [23272]
Mr. Malone: All members of the Medicines Commission, including chairmen, are appointed for their wide and recent experience in one of the following activities;
- (a) the practice of human or veterinary medicine;
(b) the practice of pharmacy;
(c) chemistry other than pharmaceutical chemistry;
(d) the pharmaceutical industry.
Children's Hospital Services, Manchester
Mr. Alfred Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has had from the leader of Manchester city council in relation to
2 Apr 1996 : Column: 189
children's hospital services in Greater Manchester; what reply he is sending; what action he is taking; and if he will make a statement. [23436]
Mr. Horam: We received a letter on 26 March, to which I shall be replying shortly. Children's services are a matter for the six district health authorities in Greater Manchester and the right hon. Member may wish to approach their respective chairmen for more information.
Regulations
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which of he 1,000 regulations identified for repeal or amendment by the Prime Minister are the responsibility of his Department; of those which (a) have been repealed or amended and (b) are planned to have been repealed or amended by the end of the 1995-96 parliamentary Session; and if he will list those whose repeal has saved business more than £1 million per annum. [23650]
Mr. Horam: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster gave him today.
Hepatitis C
Mr. Alfred Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what further representations he has had from the Haemophilia Society in regard to people with haemophilia who were infected with hepatitis C by contaminated blood products supplied to them by the NHS; what reply he gave; what action he is taking; and if he will make a statement. [23803]
Mr. Horam: I met representatives of the Haemophilia Society on 26 March to discuss its report on haemophilia and hepatitis C which was published in February. The meeting covered a range of issues concerning haemophiliacs infected with hepatitis C and I outlined the action that the Government are taking, including research and support for voluntary organisations working in this field.
Transfers of Undertakings
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what duties (a) health authorities, (b) NHS trusts and (c) private investors have to consult with trade unions or worker representatives where a private finance initiative within the NHS will result in a transfer of undertakings; what time scale applies; what action he will take to ensure changes in the management of national health services falling within the acquired rights directive are negotiated to fulfil transfer of undertakings protection of employment requirements; and if he will make a statement. [24119]
Mr. Malone: The private finance initiative does not affect the obligation of national health service employers to comply with the provisions of employment law.
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