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Smoking
Mr. Chris Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the figures for smoking prevalence among 11 to 15-year-olds in those years for which figures are available between 1989 and 1994. [12058]
Mr. Horam: The figures in the table are extracted from "Smoking Amongst Secondary Children in 1990, 1992, 1993 and 1994" published by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys. Copies of these reports are available in the Library.
| Percentage | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular smokers (at least one cigarette a week) | 11 years | 12 years | 13 years | 14 years | 15 years | Total |
| 1990 | -- | 2 | 8 | 13 | 25 | 10 |
| 1992 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 15 | 23 | 10 |
| 1993 | -- | 3 | 4 | 16 | 22 | 10 |
| 1994 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 17 | 28 | 12 |
Life Expectancy
Mr. Chris Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (i) if he will list the average expectation of life at birth (a) nationally and (b) regionally for (i) men and (ii) women in (y) 1994 and (z) 1995; [12033]
- (2) if he will list the average life expectancy by region for (a) men and (b) women. [12032]
23 Jan 1997 : Column: 704
Mr. Burns: The average expectation of life at birth, according to the mortality rates experienced in 1992, the latest year for which individual figures are available for the regional health authorities of England and Wales, are shown in the following table. Figures for England and Wales as a whole for 1994 and 1995 are also shown:
| Health authority | 1992 | 1994 | 1995 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males | Females | Males | Females | Males | Females | |
| England and Wales | 73.8 | 79.2 | 74.4 | 79.7 | 74.3 | 79.5 |
| Northern | 72.4 | 77.7 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Yorkshire | 73.6 | 78.8 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Trent | 73.6 | 78.9 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| East Anglia | 75.4 | 80.3 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| North West | ||||||
| Thames | 74.5 | 80.1 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| North East | ||||||
| Thames | 73.8 | 79.5 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| South East | ||||||
| Thames | 74.0 | 79.6 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| South West | ||||||
| Thames | 75.2 | 80.3 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Wessex | 75.0 | 80.3 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Oxford | 74.9 | 79.6 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| South Western | 74.9 | 80.3 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| West Midlands | 73.4 | 78.7 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Mersey | 72.9 | 78.2 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| North Western | 72.3 | 77.6 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Wales | 73.5 | 78.9 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Mr. Chris Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those EU countries with greater life expectancy than the United Kingdom. [12034]
Mr. Horam: Average life expectancy in the United Kingdom in 1994 was 74.2 years among males and 79.6 years among females. The most recent data from other EU countries that was collected on a comparable basis--though not necessarily in precisely the same year--is shown in the table.
| Country | Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 1995 | 73.67 | 80.27 |
| Belgium | 1991 | 72.96 | 79.77 |
| Denmark | 1993 | 72.78 | 77.95 |
| Germany | 1994 | 73.16 | 79.71 |
| Finland | 1994 | 72.95 | 80.41 |
| France | 1994 | 74.42 | 82.83 |
| Greece | 1994 | 75.34 | 80.35 |
| Ireland | 1992 | 72.68 | 78.24 |
| Italy | 1992 | 74.20 | 80.91 |
| Luxembourg | 1994 | 73.43 | 80.51 |
| Netherlands | 1994 | 74.67 | 80.53 |
| Portugal | 1994 | 71.66 | 78.72 |
| Spain | 1992 | 73.86 | 81.36 |
| Sweden | 1993 | 75.63 | 81.02 |
| United Kingdom | 1994 | 74.18 | 79.61 |
Source:
World Health Organisation HFA (provisional).
23 Jan 1997 : Column: 705
Organophosphates
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) Official Report, 6 December, column 822, if he will place in the Library (a) a list of the dates of the meetings held by the expert committee on organophosphates during the past 10 years, (b) copies of the minutes of daily meeting and (c) copies of all reports and recommendations drawn up by the committee; and what peer reviews of the committee's recommendation have been conducted. [11910]
Mr. Horam: The Veterinary Products Committee was established in 1970 under section 4 of the Medicines Act 1968. It meets generally every month except August. During the past 10 years, the committee has considered issues concerning OP veterinary medicinal products on a number of occasions, including the assessment of applications for authorisation for new products. As the committee considers these and other such matters which are commercially confidential, the minutes of its meetings are not published. An annual report for each advisory body established under the Medicines Act 1968, including the VPC, is, however, published in one volume each year and copies of this have been placed in the Library.
In March 1993, the VPC considered a request from my right hon. Friend the then Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for advice as to whether a moratorium on OP sheep dips would be appropriate. The Government's acceptance of the advice then given, and the details of that advice, were announced in reply to the hon. Member for West Dorset (Sir J. Spicer) on 1 April 1993, at columns 328-30. A MAFF news release No. 112/93, gave full details of the advice and a list of all the papers considered by the VPC. Copies of all the published and publicly available papers were placed in the Library at that time.
At its meeting in October 1993, the VPC again undertook a thorough examination of all the issues surrounding the use of OP sheep dips. The details of the committee's advice and the Government's response were then announced in reply to the hon. Member for Wellingborough (Sir Fry) on 1 December 1993, at columns 588-90. MAFF news release No. 424/93 gave full details, including a list of all the papers considered by the committee.
The Advisory Committee on Pesticides meets regularly--at least five times a year since 1987. Evaluation documents, which detail the findings of the committee on individual active substances, including OPs, are published and copies are placed in the Library. Copies of the ACP's annual reports are also placed in the Library. As the committee considers matters which are commercially confidential, the minutes of its meetings are not published.
Since the purpose of the VPC and the ACP is to provide scientific advice to Ministers and the committees do not publish papers, peer review of their work would not be appropriate.
Mr. Meacher:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will evaluate the article in the British Medical
23 Jan 1997 : Column: 706
Journal of the 11 January relating to leukaemia occurrence to assess its implications for the populations in the vicinity of (a) Sellafield and (b) Dounreay. [11911]
Mr. Horam:
The Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment--COMARE--has investigated the increase of cancer and leukaemia in young people around Dounreay and Sellafield and concluded that on current knowledge environmental radiation exposure from the sites could not account for the excesses.
COMARE has made various recommendations for further research, much of which has already been carried out, and further work is under way. COMARE will continue to keep this matter under review and will consider whether there is a need for any further advice. The results of the study, published in the British Medical Journal, "Case-control study of leukaemia in young people near La Hague nuclear reprocessing plant: the environmental hypothesis revisited", together with other evidence as it becomes available, will be considered by the committee.
Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his letter of 23 October, what evidence he has evaluated relating to the encryption trials; and when he plans to make an announcement. [10857]
Mr. Horam:
We will begin to evaluate the results of the encryption pilots when they become available in March. Once this process has been completed, we will then be able to make an announcement.
Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital beds there were in each health authority in each of the last seven years; and if he will indicate for each authority and year the numbers for (a) acute, (b) geriatric, (c) maternity and (d) mental illness or disability cases. [11625]
Mr. Horam:
The information requested is not available centrally. Information on the average daily number of available beds for national health service providers in each financial year is continued in "Bed Availability for England", copies of which are available in the Library.
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