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Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 26 March, Official Report, column 515, about parliamentary questions, what method would be used by his Department in collating the information requested. [37528]
Mr. Horam: The examination of more than 24,000 files dating back to 1989-90.
Intensive Care Patients
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has commissioned into the psychological reactions of intensive care unit patients; and if he will make a statement. [37184]
Mr. Horam: None. The report of the working group on guidelines on admission to and discharge from intensive care and high dependency units published in March this year drew attention to the potential for psychological distress for the patient undergoing intensive care.
17 Jul 1996 : Column: 559
Epilepsy
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he is funding into factors associated with depression in epilepsy; and if he will make a statement. [37186]
Mr. Bowis: Information on research commissioned by the Department of Health is contained in "Centrally Commissioned Research Programme" and "Centrally Commissioned Research Programme: Commissions 1994-95", copies of which are available in the Library.
The main agency through which the Government support biomedical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council.
Homelessness (Doncaster)
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will fund research into the utilisation of health care services by homeless people in Doncaster; and if he will make a statement. [37187]
Mr. Bowis: This is a matter for Doncaster health authority. The hon. Member may wish to contact the chairman of the authority for details.
Hepatitis B
Mrs. Mahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the infectivity of hepatitis B. [37189]
Mr. Horam: The Department has commissioned some owrk on hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid assays and on their use as a possible marker of transmissibility of hepatitis B infection.
Mrs. Mahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his Department's estimate of the proportion of babies born to mothers infected with hepatitis B who will also become chronically infected. [37192]
Mr. Horam: The risk that a baby born to a mother infected with hepatitis B will become infected depends upon the relative infectivity of the mother. Studies indicate that transmission rates of around 10 to 20 per cent. or less may occur with mothers of low infectivity but these may rise to 70 to 90 per cent. with highly infectious carrier mothers. About 90 per cent. of babies infected perinatally by a highly infectious mother will become chronic carriers of hepatitis B virus; those infected by mothers of low infectivity have a much lower risk of becoming carriers. These figures are in the absence of immune prophylaxis.
Mrs. Mahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hepatitis B carriers there are in the United Kingdom. [37194]
Mr. Horam: The number of chronic carriers of hepatitis B in the United Kingdom is not known precisely. Available data indicate that the UK, in common with other north-western European countries, has one of the lowest prevalence rates of hepatitis B carriers in the world, being around 0.1 to 0.2 per cent. The carriage rate in the UK will vary with geographical location, being low in some rural areas and higher in some inner cities where there are aggregations of high-risk groups.
17 Jul 1996 : Column: 560
Mental Health Services
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which health authorities have put out to tender (a) the arrangement of mental health services and (b) the provision of mental health services. [37330]
Mr. Bowis: This information is not available centrally.
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the level of spending on mental health services in each health authority and as a percentage of total expenditure in each health authority in each of the last three years. [37329]
Mr. Bowis: The information will be placed in the Library.
Dementia
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has commissioned into interventions in early dementia; and if he will make a statement. [37182]
Mr. Bowis: Information on research commissioned by the Department of Health is contained in "The Centrally Commissioned Research Programme: Commissions in 1994-95", copies of which are available in the Library.
Pregnancy (Advice)
Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what guidance his Department issues to general practitioners on best practice on how to advise newly pregnant women on health and dietary matters; [37223]
- (2) what advice is available from his Department to assist women in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy. [3722]
Mr. Horam: In the early weeks of pregnancy, advice and information are available to women from a range of health professionals, including midwives and general practitioners. It is important for women to book for antenatal care as soon as they think they might be pregnant. The report "Changing Childbirth", published in 1993, sets out the principles of woman-centred maternity care and emphasises the critical importance of good communication skills in enabling health professionals to present clear and unbiased information to women that allows them to make informed choices and take an active part in decisions about their care. Local maternity units have also been encouraged, as part of the implementation process of "Changing Childbirth", to produce their own information for women.
An important and comprehensive source of information to women and health professionals on health and dietary needs during pregnancy is contained in the Health Education Authority's pregnancy book, given free to all first-time mothers. A Department of Health leaflet, "While You Are Pregnant," provides guidance on safe eating and how to avoid infection from food and animals. The Department has also commissioned the HEA to undertake a programme of education about the importance of an increased intake of folic acid in the prevention of neural tube defects, such as spina bifida. To achieve its full effect this needs to be increased before conception and in the very early stages of pregnancy.
17 Jul 1996 : Column: 561
Mr. Livingstone:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will undertake an investigation into the provision of services to expectant mothers and young children by Brent and Harrow health authority and Parkside community trust, with particular reference to services provided by health visitors and district nurses. [37174]
Mr. Horam:
We have no plans to do so.
Mr. Rowe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to ensure that major publications from his Department are accompanied by a simultaneous electronic release of the text on the Internet. [37233]
Mr. Horam:
The decision as to what media to use for a departmental publication is generally taken on a case-by-case basis. Major departmental publications are accompanied by simultaneous release on the Internet only when it is felt that the Internet is an equally appropriate and accessible medium for the target audience. The cost of preparing publications for the Internet and copyright issues are also taken into consideration when assessing publications' suitability for mounting on the world wide web. A number of publications have been published on the Department of Health Internet site, most recently the "National Health Service Performance Guide 1995-96". The DH site also includes bibliographic details about major departmental publications as they are issued, including availability, and this information is among the most heavily accessed on its home pages.
Mr. Gale:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals he has in respect of the future management and control of slimming clinics and the drugs that they prescribe; and if he will make a statement. [37735]
Mr. Malone:
The Medicines Commission has considered a proposal to ban anorectic agents under section 62 of the Medicines Act 1968. I have exceptionally decided to make the commission's report public and have today placed copies in the Library.
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