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Victoria Hospital, Lichfield
15. Mr. Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will visit the Victoria hospital, Lichfield; and if he will make a statement. [624]
Mr. Horam: I have no plans to visit the Victoria hospital in the foreseeable future. However, my hon. Friend the Minister for Health visited the Victoria hospital, Lichfield on 2 June 1995, where he was most impressed with the improved and new facilities.
Fireworks Injuries
16. Mr. Skinner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the cost to the NHS of injuries by fireworks in the last year for which figures are available. [625]
Mr. Horam: This information is not available. However, information requirements are kept under continuous review.
5 Nov 1996 : Column: 494
Asthma
17. Mr. Tredinnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research his Department has carried out into possible links between diesel exhaust emissions and asthma; and if he will make a statement. [626]
Mr. Horam: The Government have evaluated a range of research related to possible health effects of air pollution, including diesel emissions. The reports of the expert advisory committee on the medical effects of air pollutants, "Asthma and Outdoor Air Pollution" and "Non-biological Particles and Health", were published in autumn 1995. Copies are available in the Library.
Health Care (Manchester)
Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the Manchester health authority and family practitioners committee about health care in Manchester. [629]
Mr. Horam: I met representatives of the former Manchester Health Commission and community health councils in January to discuss the difficult challenges that Manchester faces.
Breast Cancer
Mr. Austin-Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action his Department is taking to reduce the mortality rate from breast cancer. [630]
Mr. Horam: The Government are fully committed to reducing deaths from breast cancer, which is why we have made the reduction in breast cancer mortality a "Health of the Nation" target. We have a national breast screening programme and continue to fund research in this area. In 1995 we published the "Policy Framework for Commissioning Cancer Services" to help improve the quality of cancer services and issued further guidance to purchasers in July 1996 with the specific aim of making further progress on breast cancer outcomes.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase breast cancer services; [1234]
- (2) what plans he has to increase the provision of mobile breast cancer services. [1239]
Mr. Horam: The provision of breast cancer services is a matter for individual health authorities in the light of local priorities and available resources.
Mr. Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much was spent by his Department on breast cancer services in each of the last six years; and how much is planned to be spent in (a) 1996 and (b) 1997; [1235]
- (2) what was the average expenditure, in the last financial year, on detecting and treating each case of breast cancer. [1242]
Mr. Horam: This information is not held centrally.
Mr. Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to improve awareness of breast cancer among young people at school. [1236]
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Mr. Horam: We have no plans at present. Higher priority is given to health messages more relevant to young people at school, since there are no appropriate behavioural changes for young people that would reduce their risk.
Mr. Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to provide assistance to general practitioners to deal with the medical, emotional and practical problems caused by breast cancer. [1237]
Mr. Horam: "Guidelines for referral of patients with breast problems", produced jointly by the national health service breast screening programme and the Cancer Research Campaign on behalf of the Department of Health's advisory committee on breast cancer screening was issued to general practitioners in January 1996. A summary of "Improving Outcomes in Breast Cancer: Guidance for Purchasers", published by the NHS executive in July 1996, was sent to all general practitioners in October. Both these publications will be placed in the Library.
Mr. Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated regarding the detection and treatment of breast cancer. [1238]
Mr. Horam: The United Kingdom Health Departments, along with the Medical Research Council and the two major cancer research charities--the Cancer Research Campaign and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund--are currently funding four studies into breast cancer screening costing at least £5 million over five years. The trials are being co-ordinated by the United Kingdom Co-ordinating Committee on Cancer Research, UKCCCR. The Department of Health's contribution is expected to be some £2.4 million.
The Department's policy research programme also funds the cancer screening evaluation unit--CSEU--at the Institute of Cancer Research by some £420,000 per year. The CSEU is undertaking work into two of the above UKCCCR trials. These are a trial of breast screening of women from age 40 and a trial of the early detection of breast cancer. The CSEU is also undertaking work on the national breast cancer screening record, and is evaluating the results of two pilot studies into breast screening for women aged 65 to 69. When the current CSEU contract comes to an end in December 2000, the Department will have invested some £7.3 million in the unit.
In addition, the NHS research and development programme is currently undertaking 12 studies into breast cancer at a cost of some £1.2 million.
Mr. Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on breast cancer services by (i) France, (ii) Germany and (iii) the Netherlands in the most recent year for which figures are available. [1240]
Mr. Horam:
This information is not collected routinely.
21. Mr. Spearing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to ascertain the likely financial deficits of district health authorities for each financial year until 1999-2000. [631]
5 Nov 1996 : Column: 496
Mr. Horam:
The current year forecast outturn positions of health authorities are the subject of regular monitoring by the national health service executive. The forecast positions for each health authority, as at quarter one 1996-97, were recently placed in the Library. Future year projections are not routinely collected.
27. Ms Lynne:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of current health authority deficits in the present financial year. [637]
Mr. Horam:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Newham, South (Mr. Spearing) on 17 October 1996, Official Report, columns 1104-105.
22. Mr. Gapes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the chairman of North Thames region and with the Redbridge and Waltham Forest health authority and Redbridge and Forest NHS trusts about their performance as published in league tables [632]
Mr. Horam:
The Secretary of State regularly meets regional chairman to discuss the performance of the national health service in their region. Redbridge Healthcare NHS Trust and Forest Healthcare NHS Trust are working with Redbridge and Waltham Forest health authority to improve their performance.
23. Mr. O'Hara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what will be the full cost to the NHS in the current financial year of the removal of zero rating from incontinence products. [633]
Mr. Burns:
Under the Value Added Tax Act 1994, schedule 8, group 12, item 2(g), incontinence products are zero rated only when supplied directly to a disabled person or to a charity which makes them available to disabled persons. As the national health service falls into neither of these categories, supplies of these products are, and always have been, standard rated. Since there is no change, there will be no associated increased cost for the NHS. It is only through a temporary relaxation in the interpretation of the VAT regulations by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise that the NHS has been able temporarily to claim a VAT reimbursement on these products.
25. Mr. Robert Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the level of the prescription charge in 1979 at current prices. [635]
Mr. Malone:
At 1996-97 prices, the prescription charge at 1 January 1979 would have been £0.52, actual charge £0.20, until 16 July, when it increased to £1.18, actual charge £0.45.
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