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Food Safety Council
Mr. Chris Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health where the new food safety council will be located.[14328]
Mr. Horam: A decision will be announced in due course.
Trust Chairmen
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many chairmen of NHS trusts in Cheshire were previously employed by ICI. [14482]
Mr. Malone: The chairman of Mid-Cheshire Hospitals NHS trust, Mr. Robin Farmer, was previously employed by ICI Ltd. None of the other chairmen of NHS trusts in Cheshire have been employed by ICI.
Neuroleptic Drugs
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what guidance his Department issues to the medical profession for prescribing neuroleptic drugs; and if he will make a statement; [14654]
- (2) if he will list the neuroleptic drugs currently available on prescription; [14655]
(3) if he will estimate (a) how many and (b) what percentage of people suffering from (i) Alzheimer's disease, (ii) schizophrenia and (iii) other psychotic diseases are currently prescribed neuroleptic drugs; and if he will make a statement. [14660]
7 Feb 1997 : Column: 762
Mr. Malone: Guidance on prescribing issues, including on neuroleptics, is available to general practitioners from a variety of sources. Publications funded by the Department include the British National Formulary, which is regularly updated and provides advice for all doctors on the choice of suitable drugs, and the "MeReC Bulletin", which provides prescribing advice to all general practitioners. Copies of both documents are available in the Library.
The neuroleptic drugs--antipsychotic and antipsychotic depot injections--currently licensed and available on prescription in the United Kingdom are listed in sections 4.2.1 and 4.2.2 in the BNF. However, information on the number of patients being prescribed these drugs is not available centrally.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what warnings his Department currently requires on the packaging of neuroleptic drugs; and if he will make a statement. [14656]
Mr. Malone:
All medicines are labelled to show any appropriate warnings. There are no statutory warnings relating specifically to neuroleptic drugs. Products information for doctors and patients produced by the manufacturer and authorised by the Medicines Control Agency includes extensive information on precautions in use, contraindications and side effects. The British National Formulary recommends that all such medicines, when dispensed against a doctor's prescription carry the standard warning:
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what research his Department has evaluated into the side effects of neuroleptic drugs on patients with (a) Alzheimer's disease, (b) schizophrenia and (c) other psychotic diseases; and if he will make a statement;[14658]
"WARNING: May Cause Drowsiness. If affected do not drive or operate machinery. Avoid alcoholic drink".
- (2) what research his Department has evaluated into the link between neuroleptic drugs and (a) the speed at which sufferers from dementia lose their cognitive abilities, (b) aggressive tendencies, (c) sleeping difficulty and (d) paranoia; and if he will make a statement. [14659]
Mr. Malone: As for all marked medicines, the available research into the side effects of neuroleptics was assessed at the time of granting the marketing authorisations and continues to be evaluated by the Medicines Control Agency whenever new information emerges. Recognised side effects for neuroleptics are included in the authorised product information and the British National Formulary.
Information regarding the sensitivity of patients with dementia, particularly those with Lewy-body-type, to neuroleptics has previously been given to doctors in an article in the bulletin of the Medicines Control Agency and the Committee on Safety of Medicines in "Current Problems in Pharmacovigilance, May 1994".
7 Feb 1997 : Column: 763
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate how many people were registered sufferers of (a) Alzheimer's disease, (b) schizophrenia and (c) other psychotic diseases in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [14661]
Mr. Burns:
Information on the number of mentally ill people with a particular diagnosis is not collected centrally. We estimate that there were around 600,000 people in the United Kingdom with a diagnosis of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, in 1994.
Mr. Winnick:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to evaluate the treatment for heart attacks proposed by Professor Noble, of Charing Cross and Westminster hospital medical school. [14905]
Mr. Jon Owen Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if a same-strain link has to be established between two cases of meningitis before his Department describes them as a cluster. [13017]
Mr. Horam
[holding answer 27 January 1997]: No, the definition of a cluster does not require any microbiological link.
When laboratory confirmation of meningococcal disease is not available for one or more cases in a potential cluster, a very common situation, management guidance varies from case to case. Consultants in communicable disease control are advised to seek expert advice from the Public Health Laboratory Service. Advice is always available and additional guidance on the management of clusters of meningococcal disease was included in a letter sent to all doctors from the chief medical officer on 3 January and in the PHLS's communicable disease report review of 10 January. Copies are available in the Library.
7 Feb 1997 : Column: 764
Mr. Clifton-Brown:
To ask the Attorney-General what plans he has to review the handling by the Crown Prosecution Service of allegations of criminal conduct made against police officers by members of the public which are reportable to the Director of Public Prosecutions under the provisions of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. [15265]
The Attorney General:
The Crown Prosecution Service from its inception until 31 January 1997 handled such cases in accordance with the arrangements set out in paragraph 12 of the White Paper (Cmnd 9411) published in December 1984. With the exception of cases involving allegations of non-fatal motoring offences, they were dealt with by specialist teams comprising part of the CPS central casework in order to avoid any suggestion that decisions might be influenced by the working relationship between the public and local Crown prosecutors. However, an internal review concluded that central handling is no longer necessary to achieve this nor is it desirable for any other reason. Following consultations with interested parties, new arrangements have been agreed with police forces for the majority of cases involving allegations of criminal conduct by police officers to be considered by the CPS at local level. To guard against local influence, these cases will be assigned to CPS lawyers with suitable experience who have no working relationship or other connection with the officer concerned. Wherever possible, cases will be handled in a CPS branch which covers a different police force from the one in which the officer serves.
A list of those cases which will continue to be dealt with by CPS central casework has been placed in the Libraries of the House. They are the more serious or complex cases and include allegations involving interference with the administration of justice, corruption, offences alleged to have been committed by officers of the rank of superintendent and above and cases involving deaths in police custody.
The new arrangements came into effect in most police areas on 3 February 1997.