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Disability Appeal Tribunals
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many medical members of disability appeal tribunals are involved in examining claimants for the purpose of the all-work test. [11087]
Mr. Roger Evans
[pursuant to his reply, 23 January 1997, c. 719]: A comparison of Benefits Agency medical services and independent tribunal service records indicates that 88 doctors who perform work for Benefits Agency medical services on a fee-paid sessional basis involving incapacity benefit are also members of disability appeal tribunals.
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Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in what circumstances medical members of disability appeal tribunals are involved in examining claimants for the purpose of the all-work test. [13327]
Mr. Evans
[pursuant to his reply, 30 January 1997, c. 362-63]: Medical members of disability appeal tribunals may be involved in examing claimants for the purposes of the all-work test if they are qualified and contracted to do so by Benefits Agency medical services on whose behalf such examinations are carried out.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many (a) medical members of disability appeal tribunals and (b) doctors appointed to sit as medical assessors in appeals involving the all work test are employed by the Benefits Agency; and in what capacity. [11086]
Mr. Evans
[pursuant to the reply, 27 January, 1997c. 107]: No doctor who is currently employed by the Benefits Agency medical services, in a salaried capacity, may be appointed as a medical member of a disability appeal tribunal or as a medical assessor.
A comparison of Benefits Agency medical services and independent tribunal service records indicates that 241 doctors who perform work for Benefits Agency medical services on a fee-paid sessional basis are also members of disability appeal tribunals. These doctors do not sit as a members of the tribunals which are considering cases in which they have been involved in connection with their work for Benefits Agency medical services.
Information on the number of doctors who perform work for Benefits Agency medical services on a fee-paid sessional basis who also act as medical assessors to Social Security Appeals tribunals is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, a doctor who performs work for Benefits Agency medical services on a fee-paid sessional basis which involves incapacity benefit is not eligible for appointment as a medical assessor. On appointment as a medical assessor, it is emphasised that an individual cannot undertake sessional work for Benefits Agency medical services in connection with incapacity benefit because of the possible conflict of interest.
Mr. Lamont:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been Her Majesty's Government's policy towards proposals for an EU anti-smoking campaign; and what is the current status of these proposals. [18088]
Mr. Horam:
The Government acknowledge the European Commission's work in putting together a paper on the present and proposed future Community role in combating tobacco consumption.
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However, we consider that tobacco control measures are primarily a matter for individual member states, taking account of their differing social and economic contexts.
Mr. David Atkinson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into fibromyalgia; what treatment is available for it under the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [18100]
Mr. Horam:
The Department of Health has not commissioned or evaluated any research into fibromyalgia. The main agency through which the Government support biomedical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council, which receives its grant in aid from the Department of Trade and Industry. The MRC is an independent body deciding what research to support on its own expert judgment. The council is always willing to consider soundly based scientific proposals in competition with other applications.
Decisions about the treatment of individual patients with fibromyalgia are the responsibility of the doctors concerned who are required to exercise their clinical judgment, in consultation with their patients, informed by the patient's medical history.
The organisation of health services and the manner in which they are delivered are matters for health authorities in their role as purchasers of services for their populations. They enter into arrangements with hospital and community units--trusts--to ensure that the entire range of services is available, taking account of the needs of the local population and the priorities set for the use of the available resources.
Ms Eagle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the cost to his Department to date of the litigation in respect of human growth hormone. [18086]
Mr. Horam:
The legal costs to date are estimated at £500,000. In addition, numerous staff at various levels and for various periods of time have been involved in matters related to the litigation and their costs cannot be separately identified.
Mr. Allen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his Department's policy in respect of third-party accreditation of dental laboratories. [18465]
Mr. Malone:
The Government support the principles of third-party accreditation of dental laboratories, highlighted in their response to the fourth report from the Health Select Committee, Session 1992-93.
Mr. Allen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what measures his Department has taken to control the levels of laboratory prices charged by dentists; [18446]
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(3) what role his Department has, and what consultations it has had, in determining how and where the annual expenditure on laboratory treatment is spent. [18447]
Mr. Malone:
None. Dentists are paid a fee for each item of service which covers both remuneration and the expenses met by a dentist in providing treatment. These expenses include any laboratory expenses. Dentists decide for themselves which laboratories they use and they then make entirely private transactions with those laboratories. The control of the level of laboratory prices is, therefore, a matter for individual dentists.
Mr. Allen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons statistics are not available on the (a) levels of dental laboratory work and (b) cost of dental laboratory items. [18444]
Mr. Malone:
These statistics are not collected centrally. They are a matter for laboratories and their customers.
Mr. Allen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures his Department has taken to safeguard the quality of dental appliances for which dentists are paid a fixed fee; and if he will issue guidelines containing indicative costs for laboratory work. [18443]
Mr. Malone:
National health service dentists are required by law to employ a proper degree of skill and attention and to use only materials which are suitable for the purposes for which they are used. The work of dentists is monitored by the dental reference service. There are no plans to issue guidelines containing indicative costs of laboratory work.
Mr. Hain:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment will make a further statement about the safety of vitamin B6 supplements. [18384]
Mr. Horam:
The Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment has yet to complete its further consideration of the safety of vitamin B6.
Mr. Hain:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what scientific studies of vitamin B6 the secretariat of the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment based its assertions, in respect of (a) peripheral neuropathy in humans at 50 mg and above over a prolonged period and (b) corroborating evidence from reports of animal toxicity. [18383]
Mr. Horam:
The secretariat of the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment reflects the views of the committee. As concerns a list of the scientific studies first considered by the committee, I refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food gave him on 21 January 1997, columns 548-49. A list of the additional studies being considered by the Committee will be placed in the Library shortly.
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Sources:
Independent Tribunal Service.
Benefits Agency Medical Services.
Note:
Data are provisional and subject to change.
Sources:
Independent Tribunal Service. Benefits Agency Medical Services.
Sources:
Independant Tribunal Service. Benefits Agency Medical Services.
Note
Data are provisional and subject to change.
(2) what measures he has taken to ensure the laboratory expense element of dentists' NHS work is properly accounted for; [18466]
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