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Medical Research
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what measures he currently takes to safeguard against fraud involving medical research studies for which he is responsible; [24486]
- (2) what measures he is taking to safeguard against fraud involving medical research studies for which he is responsible. [24485]
Mr. Horam: It is the responsibility of the whole medical research community and its sponsors--which includes research councils, medical charities, Government Departments and industry--to ensure good practice in the conduct of research. This operates largely on a self-regulating basis through the principles of peer review and through guidelines on good practice which are issued by a number of bodies.
This Department has had a code of practice since 1993 which sets out the principles and practices for the commissioning and management of all departmentally funded research and development.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set up a review body to address (a) the investigation of fraud and (b) the review of complaints involving medical research. [24482]
Mr. Horam:
It is the responsibility of the whole medical research community and its sponsors--which includes research councils, medical charities, Government Departments and industry--to ensure good practice in the conduct of research.
This Department is committed to maintaining high standards in the commissioning and management of the research that it funds and maintains open dialogue with the wider research community on all aspects of research.
There is no intention, at present, for this Department to set up a review body for the investigation of fraud.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the formal career structure for research staff involved in medical research studies. [24483]
3 Apr 1996 : Column: 327
Mr. Horam:
In February, the Department issued a first statement of a research capacity strategy for the Department and the national health service. This statement is out for consultation in the research community and the NHS until the middle of April, copies are available in the Library. This exercise--which covers a range of medical and health care professionals--will be supplemented by meetings with relevant organisations. It will also be considered by the national forum of medical research funders, prior to the publication of a further statement.
This consultation exercise recognises that responsibility for developing and maintaining a workforce capable of delivering high-quality research rests with a number of organisations, and the Department is committed to working with others to achieve that end.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received concerning fraud involving medical research studies; and if he will make a statement. [24484]
Mr. Horam:
My Department met with the president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to discuss the issue of scientific fraud. My Department also maintains close contact with the Medical Research Council, which receives its grant in aid from the office of my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade, which has set up a working group to re-examine the issue of good research practice.
Mr. Gapes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to monitor the impact on the health of children of contact orders under section 8 of the Children Act 1989. [24791]
Mr. Gapes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to carry out research on the impact of contact orders under section 8 of the Children Act 1989, on regular attendance by children at places of religious worship. [24790]
Mr. Whittingdale:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many designated receiving unit accident and emergency departments do not have an associated 24-hour observation ward; and what proportion of the total this represents. [24708]
Mr. Horam:
This information is not available centrally.
Mr. Pike:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many representations he has received about the future of accident and emergency units in Lancashire hospitals following publication of the Audit Commission report; and if he will make a statement. [24123]
Mr. Horam:
We have received three letters on this subject. Accident and emergency services in Lancashire are a matter for the county's four district health authorities. The hon. Member may wish to contact the chairmen of these authorities for more details.
3 Apr 1996 : Column: 328
Mr. Llwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds there are in each intensive care unit in England; and if he will make a statement. [24637]
Mr. Horam:
"Bed availability for England", a copy of which is available in the Library, contains the available information by individual national health service trusts, directly managed units and the special health authorities with summary tables for England.
Mr. David Atkinson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the problem of non-recognition by computers of the year 2000 with regard to his Department's computers and those for which it is responsible. [24407]
Mr. Horam:
Preliminary analysis of the Department of Health's own mainframe computer systems has already been undertaken to assess the likely impact of the change of millennium. A further detailed analysis is to be carried out during 1996-97 to fully assess the impact of the change.
National health service systems users and suppliers have been alerted to the problem by a series of articles published over the last year in the British Journal of Healthcare Computing and Information Management by the information management centre. The IMC will later this month be deciding what further action is necessary.
The NHS central register is in the process of installing a new computer system as part of the new NHS number programme. The specification for the system includes provision for the year 2000.
This issue is common to many organisations and the Department will be collaborating with other government and non-governmental agencies to ensure that intelligence is shared.
Ms Ruddock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress in establishing an office waste minimisation strategy for his Department, indicating the targets set. [24516]
Mr. Horam:
In common with other Departments, we will set targets for minimisation of office waste by the end of 1996.
We are currently in the process of establishing reliable baseline data on which these targets will be based.
Mr. John D. Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if amendments can be made to the consultation paper, "Ground Rules for Substantive All-party Negotiations", following consultations with Northern Ireland political parties. [22443]
Mr. Ancram:
As the hon. Member acknowledges, the paper issued on 15 March was a consultation paper. There needs to be widespread agreement on the issues covered
3 Apr 1996 : Column: 329
in the paper and I am grateful for the detailed comments which have now been received from most of the recipients.
Dr. Hendron:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list all terrorist activity having taken place in the constituency of West Belfast since 10 April 1992. [23547]
Sir John Wheeler:
The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Details of incidents are not recorded on a constituency basis, however, I can give the hon. Member an indication of the number of incidents which may be considered to be terrorist-related which occurred in the general area of West Belfast.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Deaths | 42 |
| Shooting incidents | 386 |
| Bombing incidents | 153 |
| Incendiaries | 11 |
| Casualties as a result of 'punishment' shootings | 147 |
| Casualties as a result of 'punishment' assaults | 116 |
| Armed robberies | 389 |
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
Dr. Hendron: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many cases of Creutzfeldt- Jakob disease have occurred in each of the Northern Ireland parliamentary constituencies in each of the last 10 years; [23411]
- (2) how many Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease-related deaths have occurred in Northern Ireland in the last 10 years. [23412]
Mr. Moss: There have been six cases, all fatal, resulting in one death in each of the years 1986, 1992, 1993 and 1995 and two deaths in 1989. Information is not available by parliamentary constituency.
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