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Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
Mr. Alan W. Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of the possible new strain of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease are currently under investigation by the CJD surveillance unit at Edinburgh. [32171]
Mr. Horam: All cases of suspected Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease referred to the CJD surveillance unit are investigated. It is impossible to differentiate between new variant and other cases while they are still under investigation.
17 Jun 1996 : Column: 344
Mr. Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people under 42 years have died of CJD in the last five years; and of those how many had growth hormone treatment. [33181]
Mr. Horam: From 1991 to date the Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease surveillance unit in Edinburgh have confirmed 20 deaths from CJD of people aged under 42 years, of which 10 had had human growth hormone treatment.
17 Jun 1996 : Column: 345
Medicines Control Agency
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to examine the efficiency and quality of the operation of the Medicines Control Agency. [31839]
Mr. Horam: Key tasks and targets for the Medicines Control Agency, including efficiency and quality targets, are agreed each year by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and placed in the Library. Performance against these targets is monitored throughout the year and a record of the agency's performance is published in "Next Steps Review".
A review of the agency, covering its performance since it was established in 1991 and options for its future, was completed last year. A summary of the results of that review were placed in the Library.
AIDS Conference, Vancouver
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people working in community-based organisations in the United Kingdom are being sponsored to attend the eleventh international conference on AIDS in Vancouver in July. [32350]
Mr. Chris Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people living with HIV/AIDS in the United Kingdom are being sponsored to attend the eleventh international conference on AIDS in Vancouver in July 1996. [32003]
Mr. Horam: The Department is not directly sponsoring anyone from community-based organisations nor anyone living with HIV/AIDS to attend the conference.
The Department is providing £1.6 million to HIV/AIDS voluntary organisations this year and it is for them to decide if they wish to send anyone to the conference.
General Practitioners
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) general practitioners and (b) whole-time equivalent general practitioners there were in each of the last three years. [32560]
Mr. Malone: The available information is shown in the table.
| 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of unrestricted principles | 26,289 | 26,567 | 26,702 |
| Number by contractual commitments | 25,327.5 | 25,430.25 | 25,429.25 |
Data collected on 1 October each year for England.
Data shown for contractual commitments does not equate to whole time equivalents since general practitioners may work longer hours than those they are contracted to undertake.
Ms Harman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the latest figures for shortages of general practitioners by (a) region, (b) health authority and (c) county. [32562]
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Mr. Malone:
The recent Medical Practices Committee survey confirmed that overall there are enough good applicants to enable appointments to be made and we have no information which suggests that general practitioner shortages exist.
Ms Harman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to extend NHS pension schemes to all employees in primary care. [32564]
Mr. Malone:
Opening up the national health service pension scheme to practice staff employed by general practices is under consideration.
Mr. Redmond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the advantages of enabling pensioners who go into permanent care to hand over their homes to their children free from charges from local authorities relating to their parents' care; and if he will make a statement. [32753]
Mr. Bowis:
We recognise that elderly people want independence, choice and dignity. They do not want to be a burden on their families or the state, and many want to help their children by passing on some of their savings or other assets. The proposals in the Government's consultation paper "A New Partnership for Care in Old Age" are intended to help people make better provision for their own long-term care, so that they can both meet their own care costs and bequeath assets to their children.
Mr. Spearing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health which contracts of the London ambulance service for accident and emergency services with the health authorities in the London area will include performance requirements for activation and response that are at least equal to the national Orcon standards. [32704]
Mr. Horam:
The information is not available centrally. Each health authority is responsible for ensuring that appropriate services, including accident and emergency, are provided for its residents. The hon. Member may wish to contact health authority chairmen for specific information about their contracts.
Mr. Chris Davies:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the value of high street pharmacies to the health of local communities; and if he will make a statement. [32943]
Mr. Malone:
Community pharmacists have a very important role to play in a primary care led national health service. Community pharmacy's position in the high street offers a readily accessible NHS dispensing service to the community and an opportunity to provide other services which use pharmacists' professional skills for the benefit of patients.
Mr. Davies:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the number of pharmacies in England by year since 1979. [33082]
17 Jun 1996 : Column: 347
Mr. Malone:
The table shows the number of pharmacies in England by year since 1979. Figures for 1995-96 are not yet available.
| Year | Number of community pharmacies in England in contract to supply NHS prescriptions | |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 8,698 | |
| 1980 | 8,704 | |
| 1981 | 8,790 | |
| 1982 | 8,935 | |
| 1983 | 9,052 | |
| 1984 | 9,203 | |
| 1985 | 9,490 | |
| 1986 | 9,741 | |
| 1987 | 9,905 | |
| 1988 | 9,753 | |
| 1989 | 9,694 | |
| The figures then change to a financial year basis: | ||
| 1990-91 | 9,714 | |
| 1991-92 | 9,765 | |
| 1992-93 | 9,763 | |
| 1993-94 | 9,766 | |
| 1994-95 | 9,771 | |
Nursing Homes
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which local authority social services departments pass on to their registered rest home and nursing home owners the annual cost of living increase. [32904]
Mr. Bowis: This information is not available centrally.
GPs (Patient Lists)
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the size of the average general practitioner's patient list in England and Wales. [33103]
Mr. Malone: The available information is contained in "General Medical Services Statistics for England and Wales (October 1995)," copies of which are available in the Library.
GP Fundholders, Wandsworth
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many fundholders are currently in general practice in the London borough of Wandsworth. [33106]
Mr. Malone: Health service information is not collected on a local authority basis.
NHS Managers
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) contracts managers, (b) other contract staff, (c) public relations managers, (d) other public relations staff, (e) risk managers, (f) other risk management staff and (g) business managers work in national health service trusts; and what is the cost of employing each category of manager. [33119]
Mr. Malone: This information is not available centrally.
17 Jun 1996 : Column: 348
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the current (a) M1 management costs, (b) M2 management costs and (c) management consultancy costs (i) in total and (ii) as a percentage of income for each NHS trust. [33120]
Mr. Malone: Individual trusts' out-turn 1994-95 M1 management costs and spending as a proportion of income were published on 5 December 1995 in "Management Costs in NHS Trusts Financial Year 1994-95" copies of which are available in the Library. Trusts' out-turn 1994-95 M2 management costs are not available centrally. Trusts will be publishing their out-turn 1995-96 M1 and M2 costs in their annual accounts later in the year.
Information on trusts' spending on management consultancy is not available centrally.
Ms Harman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general and senior managers there were in the national health service (a) in 1989-90 and (b) at the latest available date. [32921]
Mr. Malone:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the right hon. Member for Derby, South (Mrs. Beckett) on 6 November 1995 at columns 624-25.
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