| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Skin Cancer
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was his Department's total expenditure on publishing the links between exposure to the sun and skin cancer in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [11022]
Mr. Boateng: We are able to give figures for total expenditure on skin cancer publicity, including public education, since 1994. Prior to that date, any spending on skin cancer would have been included in general cancer prevention figures and cannot be separately identified.
- 1994-95: £673,000
- 1995-96: £783,000
- 1996-97: £930,000 (including public education campaign)
The Government are aware of the dramatic increase in the incidence of skin cancer during the 1970s and 1980s and are continuing work in raising public awareness of the dangers of excessive exposure to the sun. Our target is to halt the year-on-year increase in the incidence of skin cancer by 2005.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was his Department's expenditure on research into skin cancer in each of the last five years. [11021]
Mr. Boateng:
The following amounts were spent on research into skin cancer in the last five years. The table also includes estimated figures for the years 1997-98 to 2000-01.
| £000 | |
|---|---|
| 1992-93 | 10 |
| 1993-94 | 31 |
| 1994-95 | 85 |
| 1995-96 | 75 |
| 1996-97 | 331 |
| 1997-98 | (21)634 |
| 1998-99 | (21)784 |
| 1999-00 | (21)421 |
| 2000-01 | (21)50 |
(21) Estimates for future years.
In addition, the Department has commissioned surveys on behaviour and attitudes to the sun from the Office for National Statistics to facilitate subsequent targeting of action--£25,000 per year for the last three years.
28 Jul 1997 : Column: 94
Drugs (Genetic Defects)
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the links between possible genetic defects and the poor metabolising of certain drugs; and if he will make a statement. [11012]
Mr. Milburn: A link between genetically inherited enzyme status and the metabolism of certain drugs is well known and is documented in medical literature and, for relevant drugs, in the manufacturers' product information, which is authorised by the Licensing Authority. Such an effect on drug metabolism is taken into account in the development of new drugs and in post-marketing safety monitoring by the Medicines Control Agency. Also, the Medical Research Council has on-going programmes of research in this area.
Breast Cancer (Screening)
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women have been screened for breast cancer for each year since 1979. [10911]
Mr. Boateng: The breast screening programme was introduced into the national health service in 1988. The target age group is women aged 50 to 64 and the information available for this age group is shown in the table. National data have been collected only since the introduction of the national screening programme. Data for the years from 1988 to 1991 were not of sufficient quality to be published.
| Year | Number of Women screened (aged 50 to 64) |
|---|---|
| 1991-92 | 923,000 |
| 1992-93 | 945,000 |
| 1993-94 | 961,000 |
| 1994-95 | 976,000 |
| 1995-96 | 976,000 |
Source:
KC62
Young People (Independent Living)
Mr. Dawson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many young people left local authority care for independent living in the year 1996-97 broken down by age and local authority. [10818]
Mr. Boateng:
Information on the number of children who ceased to be looked after by each local authority in England at 31 March 1995 in table 13 of the publication "Children Looked After by Local Authorities, year ending 31 March 1995, England", copies of which are available in the Library. The corresponding figures for the year
28 Jul 1997 : Column: 95
ending 31 March 1996 are due to be published in August 1997. Data for the year ending 31 March 1997 are currently being processed by the Department of Health and will be published in 1998.
Information on the accommodation of young people subsequent to them leaving local authority care is not collected centrally.
Mr. John M. Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 22 July, Official Report, column 560, on accident and emergency facilities in Solihull, when the trust changed its name to Birmingham Heartlands NHS trust; what assessment he has made of the implications of this change for the provision of local 24-hour accident and emergency facilities in Solihull; and if he will make a statement. [10822]
Mr. Milburn:
The reference to Birmingham Heartlands NHS trust in my previous reply was an error. The full title of the trust is Birmingham Heartlands and Solihull NHS trust (Teaching). There are therefore no implications for Solihull.
Mr. Gibb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS building or modernisation schemes costing over £1 million have been completed since 1979, broken down by (a) health authority, (b) cost, (c) time of completion and (d) nature of scheme. [10897]
Mr. Milburn:
Some 944 capital schemes, each with a works cost of £1 million or over, have been completed since 1 January 1980. Details of schemes illustrated nationally and regionally will be placed in the Library. Information broken down by health authority is not available centrally.
Mr. Gibb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the average income of nurses in cash and real terms for each year since 1979. [10905]
Mr. Milburn:
Nurses receive a wide range of earnings, dependent on factors such as grade and length of service. "New Earnings Survey" information for the period is, however, shown in the table.
1. Information from "New Earnings Survey" analyses by collective agreements.
2. Gross weekly earnings include overtime, shift etc. premium payments and allowances.
3. Prior to 1983, adults related to men aged 21 and over or women aged 18 and over. Data prior to 1983 have been adjusted.
28 Jul 1997 : Column: 96
NORTHERN IRELAND
Press Releases
Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much her Department spends on biking press releases to (a) hon. Members and (b) other individuals or groups, each time her Department issues a press release; how many such press releases were issued by her Department (i) in the period 1 May to 1 July and (ii) in the period 1 January to 1 March; and if she will review her Department's use of couriers to deliver press releases and investigate the possibility of using fax or e-mail. [8817]
(b) It is not possible to identify costs per release; the total cost for delivery of releases in 1997-98 is estimated at £15,909.
The use of couriers to deliver press releases is regularly reviewed and has been substantially reduced in recent years. Fax and e-mail are now used extensively and their use is currently under review. All press releases are also available on the Internet www.nio.gov.uk/press.
Mr. John D. Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from how many sources application forms for employment with Northern Ireland Railways have been available in each of the past five years; and what measures are in place to ensure easy access to application forms for all sections of the Northern Ireland community. [9972]
Mr. Paul Murphy:
This is a matter for Northern Ireland Railways. However, I understand from the managing director of the company that in each of the past five years application forms for employment with Northern Ireland Railways have been available from the human resources department at Northern Ireland Railways following advertisements in the press or through the Training and Employment Agency network which has offices based throughout Northern Ireland. Taken
28 Jul 1997 : Column: 97
together, these two measures have ensured easy access to application forms for all sections of the Northern Ireland community.
(i) 204
(ii) 142
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |