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HEALTH
Minimum Wage
Mr. Tom King: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been commissioned, what estimates have been made by his department and what information presented to him, regarding the costs per annum to the national health service of the introduction of a minimum wage at (a) £3.50 an hour, (b) £4 an hour and (c) £4.40 an hour; and if he will make a statement. [2104]
Mr. Milburn: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade on 9 June 1997, Official Report, column 310.
Eye Tests (Changes)
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what representations he has received concerning the effect of eye test charges on the incidence of eye disease; [2390]
- (2) if he will abolish charges for eye tests; and if he will make a statement. [2389]
Mr. Milburn: The Royal National Institute for the Blind has sent us a report of a survey which suggests that, since 1988. people have been having their eyes tested at less frequent intervals.
Since 1989 the availability of free National Health Service sight tests has been restricted to children, people on low incomes and people at particular risk of eye disease. We will be reviewing these arrangements.
Paramedics (Voluntary Work)
Mrs. Ballard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will issue guidance to national health service ambulance trusts in respect of paramedics carrying out voluntary work with the British Red Cross in their spare time. [2359]
Mr. Milburn: We have no plans to issue such guidance. Matters of this kind are between the trust concerned and its employees at a local level.
High Dependency Beds
Mr. Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many high dependency unit beds there are in (a) Hartlepool General Hospital, (b) Dryburn Hospital and (c) Sunderland Royal Hospital. [2459]
Mr. Milburn:
The "Bed availability for England" book, copies of which are available in the Library, contains information by individual National Health Service providers, i.e., trusts, directly managed units and the special health authorities with summary tables for England. Data are collected by broad ward classification rather than by clinical specialty. Although the broad ward classification--"General Patients--Other
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ages--intensive" may include high dependency unit beds it is not possible to identify these separately. Returns are made on a financial year basis and the latest year for which data are available is 1995-96.
Following a review of central requirements, the return was changed for 1996-97 to collect information on the number of beds (a) available and (b) occupied. Figures from this new return will be published for the first time later this year.
Mr. Letwin:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the reasons for continuing to allow the fluoridation of water in some parts of the United Kingdom. [2365]
Mr. Milburn:
The overwhelming weight of medical, dental and scientific opinion throughout the world considers water fluoridation, at the optimum level of 1 part per million in temperate climates, to be a safe and effective means of reducing dental decay, particularly among children.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment his Department has made of the potential health risks posed by mobile phone usage; and if he will make a statement; [2723]
Ms Jowell:
The Department obtains advice from the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) on the risks to health of exposure to electromagnetic fields.
The NRPB's advice is based on its own careful assessment of published scientific studies and those carried out by the World Health Organisation, by the NRPB Advisory Group on Non-ionising Radiation, under the chairmanship of Professor Sir Richard Doll, and by the International Commission on Non-ionising Radiation.
The NRPB's advice is that there is no convincing scientific evidence that exposure to microwave radiation associated with mobile phone and electric blanket usage is harmful to human health.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) which 10 developing countries received the greatest quantities of medicinal drug donations from United Kingdom companies and charities for (a) emergency relief and (b) general medicinal use in 1996-97; and if he will make a statement; [2728]
(3) what estimate he has made of the total numbers of charitable organisations and commercial bodies which donate medicinal drugs to (a) the Baltic states, (b) Haiti, (c) Africa and (d) Romania. [2756]
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Ms Jowell:
We do not hold information on the numbers of charities and companies who make drug donations nor on the types or volume of drugs donated.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals he has to meet United States representatives to discuss the provision of tax incentives for firms donating medicinal drugs to developing countries; and if he will make a statement. [2691]
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the World Health Organisations's guidelines on drug donations; and what proposals he has to improve them;[2757]
Ms Jowell:
The Government supports the World Health Organisations's Guidelines for drug donations, which were published in May 1996. These give advice to both donating and recipient member states on safety, quality, and labelling. The United Kingdom pharmaceutical industry is aware of the WHO guidelines. The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain also provides similar guidance to its members on redirection of medicines overseas.
The UK currently holds the chair of the WHO's Drugs Action Programme Management Advisory Committee which regularly reviews progress on implementation of the guidelines and assess the need for improvements.
Mr. Barnes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he had made of the numbers of dental patients who have not used their dentist for two years or more and have subsequently (a) been deregistered by their local dental board and (b) been charged a £30 emergency fee before any new treatment and reregistration; and by what method patients are informed of the imposition of that charge. [2307]
Mr. Milburn:
In 1996-97 4.1 million adult registrations lapsed automatically after a period of two years during which the patient had not attended a dentist. There is no National Health Service charge for registering or re-registering with a dentist.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals he has to allow trials of cannabis sativa in the treatment of multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, cerebral palsy and nausea caused by chemotherapy. [2263]
Ms Jowell:
Misuse of drugs legislation allows for research involving cannabis under Home Office licence. Any proposed clinical trial would have to be submitted to the Medicines Control Agency for approval on exemption in accordance with the Medicines Act 1968. Any application for a licence or a certificate, or both, would be carefully considered.
Ms Roseanna Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of
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State for Health (1) what additional funding for HIV/AIDS therapy has been allocated in light of the increased availability of more effective HIV/AIDS drug treatments; and if he will make a statement; [2432]
Ms Jowell:
The Department has allocated a total of £199.6 million for HIV/AIDS treatment and care in 1997-98. This represents a seven per cent. increase over the allocation for 1996-97 as a contribution towards new combination therapies and the Department is keeping in close touch with health authorities, clinicians and others on developments in this area and the costs and benefits associated with them.
(Health Risks)
(2) what assessment he has made of the possible health risks connected to the use of electric blankets; and if he will make a statement. [2710]
(2) what estimate she has made of the number of tonnes of medicinal drugs donated to developing countries (a) directly by pharmaceutical companies and (b) via charities each year for (i) emergency relief and (ii) general medicinal use; and if he will make a statement; [2727]
(2) what plans he has to implement the World Health Organisation's guidelines on drug donations to third world and former eastern bloc countries. [2758]
(2) what steps he is taking to ensure full availability of combination therapies, counselling services, dietetic treatments, in-patient services, psychiatric support in the community and district nurse services and other necessary services for HIV/AIDS patients; and if he will make a statement. [2436]
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