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Mortality Rates
Mr. Shore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths in England and Wales were due to (a) cancers of the (i) lung, (ii) bronchus and (iii) trachea, (b) motor vehicle accidents, (c) HIV-AIDS infection, (d) tuberculosis and (e) Creutzfeld-Jakob disease in each year since 1986. [34869]
8 Jul 1996 : Column: 16
Mr. Horam: The available information on numbers of deaths in England and Wales from cancer of the lung, bronchus and trachea, and from motor vehicle traffic accidents is published:
for 1986-92 in "Mortality statistic: cause England and Wales", OPCS Series DH2 nos. 13-19;
for 1993-94, in "ONS Monitor DH2 96/1"; and
for 1995, in "ONS Monitor DH2 96/2".
The figures on deaths in England and Wales from HIV and AIDS are shown in the table.
| Year | HIV | AIDS |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 24 | 262 |
| 1987 | 34 | 334 |
| 1988 | 42 | 393 |
| 1989 | 51 | 628 |
| 1990 | 65 | 736 |
| 1991 | 62 | 891 |
| 1992 | 85 | 1,009 |
| 1993 | 104 | 1,174 |
| 1994 | 110 | 1,216 |
| 1995 | 95 | 1,088 |
| 1993 | 1994 | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuberculosis (ICD9(1) 010-018) | 423 | 418 |
| Late effects of tuberculosis (ICD9(1) 137) | 84 | 79 |
| Total | 507 | 497 |
(1) International Classification of Disease, 9th Revision.Figures for 1995 are published in ONS Monitor DH2 96/2; copies of which are available in the Library.
| Year | Referrals | Deaths of definite and probable cases | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sporadic | Iatrogenic | Familial | GSS | NVCJD | Total | ||
| 1985 | -- | 26 | 1 | 1 | 0 | -- | 28 |
| 1986 | -- | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | 26 |
| 1987 | -- | 23 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -- | 24 |
| 1988 | -- | 21 | 1 | 1 | 0 | -- | 23 |
| 1989 | -- | 28 | 2 | 1 | 0 | -- | 31 |
| 1990 | [52] | 26 | 5 | 0 | 0 | -- | 31 |
| 1991 | 75 | 32 | 1 | 3 | 0 | -- | 36 |
| 1992 | 96 | 44 | 2 | 4 | 1 | -- | 51 |
| 1993 | 78 | 37 | 4 | 2 | 2 | -- | 45 |
| 1994 | 115 | 53 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -- | 59 |
| 1995 | 79 | 33 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 43 |
| 1996 end May | 46 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 19 |
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Asthma
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the mortality rate for asthma for each of the last five years (a) among the whole population and (b) among under-16-year-olds. [35087]
Mr. Horam: The table shows asthma mortality rates per 100,000 population for the last five years in England, for all ages and for children aged under 15. Data are not available centrally for the under-16 age group.
| All ages | Under 15 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 3.6 | 0.3 |
| 1992 | 3.4 | 0.2 |
| 1993 | 3.2 | 0.2 |
| 1994 | 2.9 | 0.3 |
| 1995 | 2.7 | 0.2 |
Rates for 1995 are provisional, based on 1994 population estiamtes.
Ms Lynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what proportion of NHS expenditure in 1995 was spent on treatment of asthma; [35374]
- (2) if he will provide a breakdown of NHS expenditure on treatment for asthma in 1995; and what proportion of this expenditure was spent on prescription medicines alone. [35376]
Mr. Horam: The net ingredient cost of national health service prescriptions for asthma medication in 1995 was £410.9 million--provisional figure. That represents just over 11 per cent. of the net ingredient cost of all NHS prescriptions in 1995. The net ingredient cost is the basic price of a drug before discounts and the addition of dispensing costs or fees.
Information on the cost of other NHS services is not available centrally for individual conditions.
Dame Jill Knight:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to make asthma a key area in "The Health of the Nation"; and if he will make a statement. [36445]
Mr. Horam:
We have considered very carefully the case for asthma to be given key area status, but decided against it. However, we have announced today consultation on the creation of an environment key area, covering both outdoor and indoor air quality and the possible respiratory effects of air pollution, including asthma. This in part reflects the report of the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants--COMEAP--"Asthma and outdoor air pollution" which found that, although air pollution did not seem to cause asthma, it did aggravate the condition in a small proportion of existing sufferers.
We are also announcing today the projects commissioned as the Department's contribution to the joint research initiative with the Department of the Environment and the Medical Research Council on air pollution and respiratory disease. We have already agreed to fund projects worth £2.5 million. In addition, we shall shortly be issuing a call for research proposals for further work on the surveillance of respiratory disease, including asthma.
"The Health of the Nation" strategy is concerned with the prevention of ill health, rather than its management, and provides a focus for cross-Government working. We
8 Jul 1996 : Column: 18
have concluded that improving the management of asthma remains the responsibility of the national health service working in partnership with organisations outside Government, and there is limited scope for additional cross-Government working. For these reasons we do not consider that an asthma key area would be appropriate or beneficial.
Nevertheless, improving services for people with asthma has a high priority within the Department of Health, and we are committed to an extensive research programme. The National Asthma Campaign is managing a research strategy on behalf of the Department looking at asthma management in the national health service. It will commission research on the effectiveness of treatments and services for asthma sufferers. That programme will soon be issuing its first call for proposals.
Other important work includes the current consultation on the future of primary care, and within this context we shall be critically examining comments made concerning the chronic disease management programme.
The Department values very highly its productive working partnership with the National Asthma Campaign, which has done much to bring about improvements in the management of asthma and to foster research into this important condition affecting more than 2 million people in England. This partnership has provided the means for joint campaigns which have been all the more effective as a direct result of the National Asthma Campaign's participation. I look forward to the further development of this partnership following today's announcements on the latest research initiatives and the consultation on an environment key area in "The Health of the Nation" strategy.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients or their agents requested NHS trusts to supply a more expensive wheelchair than the standard type from NHS trusts in each year since 1990. [35314]
Mr. Bowis:
This information is not available centrally.
Mr. Rooker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many extra electric indoor/outdoor wheelchairs have been provided since 1 April under the scheme announced in February; and if he will give a regional breakdown of the figures. [35904]
Mr. Bowis:
This information is not yet available.
Mr. Sheerman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received in the past two months regarding the proposed closure of St. Bartholomew's hospital. [35475]
Mr. Malone:
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health has received a number of representations, both from individuals and interested groups, about the future of St. Bartholomew's.
8 Jul 1996 : Column: 19
Mr. Sheerman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the level of expenditure in real terms on paediatric care in (a) 1970, (b) 1979 and (c) 1996. [35477]
Mr. Horam:
This information is not available centrally.
Mr. Nigel Evans:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action the Government are taking to eradicate CFCs from metered dosage inhalers. [35506]
Mr. Malone:
The Medicines Control Agency is complying with European regulations and the Montreal protocol concerning the removal of chlorofluorocarbon propellants from the environment which undertake to remove CFCs from all medicinal products by the end of 1999.
Mr. Nigel Evans:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department issues to doctors in respect of prescribing non-CFC inhalant medication. [35505]
Mr. Malone:
No guidance has been issued to doctors regarding non-CFC inhalant medication, although factual material was included in a bulletin on such devices from the medicines resource centre in September 1995. Copies of this article are available in the Library. However, the Government are committed to the removal of CFCs from all medicinal products by the end of 1999.
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