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Incapacity Benefit
Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if, under the proposed reforms to Incapacity Benefit, persons who have their entitlement reduced to zero by their level of pension will continue to receive national insurance credits. [83721]
Mr. Bayley: People who have their entitlement to Incapacity Benefit reduced to nil under the proposed reforms will qualify for national insurance credits for each week they remain incapable of work.
Fraud
Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security for what reason the Green Paper, "Beating Fraud is Everyone's Business: Securing the Future", is no longer available on his Department's website. [84042]
Mr. Timms: Following the wide endorsement of the proposals in the Green Paper, we have set out how we are putting our plans into action in "A New Contract for Welfare: Safeguarding Social Security" which is available on the website.
Housing Benefit
Mr. Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of housing benefit claimants are unemployed. [84048]
Angela Eagle: About 12 per cent. of Housing Benefit recipients are unemployed and claiming Jobseeker's Allowance.
Notes:
1. Data used to calculate the answer is provisional.
2. The data refers to benefit units and has been rounded to the nearest whole percent.
3. The data is for those Housing Benefit claimants who are unemployed and claim Jobseeker's Allowance.
Source:
Housing Benefit Management Information System Annual 1 per cent. sample taken May 1998.
HEALTH
Testicular Cancer
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for improving public awareness amongst men of the benefits of self-testing for testicular cancer, with particular reference to the highest-risk age group; and if he will make a statement. [83597]
Ms Jowell:
The Department encourages men to consult their doctor as soon as they notice any unusual changes in their testicles.
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Leaflets produced by the Department and by the Health Education Authority draw attention to testicular cancer, particularly for men in the 20 to 35 year age group who are potentially most at risk, provide advice on self-examination and re-emphasise the importance of early reporting of possible signs of cancer to a general practitioner. GPs are bound by their terms of service to carry out all appropriate health promotion and prevention activities and are generally well aware of this risk to health in young men.
The "Our Healthier Nation" health strategy is designed to improve the health of the whole population, including men. The strategy highlights cancer prevention as one of the main areas for action.
Mr. Love:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made with plans to hold an international conference for the Harmonisation of Technical Standards for the Registration of Medicinal Products. [83789]
Ms Jowell:
The International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for the Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) was established in 1990 as a joint regulatory/industry project. The aim of the project is to improve, through harmonisation of the regulatory requirements, the efficiency of the process for developing and registering new medicinal products in Europe, Japan and the United States, in order to make these products available to patients with a minimum of delay.
The Fourth International Conference on Harmonisation (ICH 4) was held in Brussels, 16-18 July 1997. Plans for a fifth phase are currently under discussion.
Mr. Love:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he is taking to ensure that the issue of establishing a proper licensing system for medicines used in the treatment of children is given the highest priority at a European level; [83788]
(3) what steps he is taking to press the European Commission to monitor the implementation of EU guidance on the licensing of medicines used in the treatment of children. [83787]
Mr. Hutton:
The United Kingdom took the lead in revising the European guideline and is committed to working closely with the European Commission and other Member States to monitor the effectiveness of its operation. The Government are committed to ensuring that the regulatory system within Europe effectively addresses the licensing of medicines for use in children. We will work with other Member States to press the Commission to take further action should this prove necessary.
We intend to monitor closely the combination of financial incentives and legislation which has now been introduced in the United States. We will keep the
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Commission informed of the effectiveness of the US initiative, and its suitability or otherwise for replication within the European Union.
Fiona Mactaggart:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much iophendalyte was purchased by the National Health Service in each financial year from 1969-70 until 1987-88. [83793]
Ms Jowell:
As with other pharmaceutical products purchased by National Health Service trusts this information is not available centrally.
Mrs. Gordon:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the forthcoming White Paper, Our Healthier Nation, will include measures aimed at preventing injury from accidents caused by unsafe cigarette lighters; and if he will make a statement. [83814]
Ms Jowell:
Accidental injury was one of the four national priority areas in the "Our Healthier Nation" Green Paper, published last year. It set out the framework for a range of measures to be carried out by the many Departments and agencies with a role to play in reducing death and injury from accidents. Although product safety and fire safety issues are integral to this overall effort, the White Paper, to be published later this month, will not include an exhaustive list of measures relating to the safety of specific product types, such as cigarette lighters.
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Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will issue new guidelines on the use of beta interferon in the NHS. [80174]
Dr. Cable:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to make beta interferon universally available on the NHS. [78995]
Mr. Denham
[pursuant to his reply, 11 May 1999, c. 131]: I regret that the reply I gave was misleading. It should read:
The Department will shortly be consulting interested parties on a draft health service circular on the prescribing of beta-interferon for people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many times Ministers in his Department have met their counterparts in the US Government since 1 June 1998; and if he will list the dates and locations of each meeting, the Ministers involved on each occasion and the name of the US counterpart at each meeting. [82266]
Mr. Kilfoyle:
Ministers have had the following meetings with members of the US Government:
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(2) what steps he plans to take to examine the experience of the United States in the licensing and regulation of medicines used on children; and if he will make a statement; [83790]
| Minister | Date | Location | Counterpart |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minister for the Cabinet Office | 14 January 1999 | Washington | Al Gore: Vice President |
| Minister for the Cabinet Office | 28 November- 2 December 1998 | Washington | Al Gore: Vice President |
| Janet Reno: Attorney General | |||
| plus senior officials including General Barry McCaffrey: Director, Office National Drug Control Policy | |||
| Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster | 21-24 June 1998 | Washington | Senior officials only |
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WALES
New Deal
Mr. Rowlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his latest estimate of the number of 18 to 24-year-olds who have entered (a) further education, (b) training and (c) employment programmes under the New Deal in Wales. [83767]
Mr. Hain: The latest information from the Department for Education and Employment indicates that, by the end of February 1999:
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just under 2,200 young people had entered the Full-time Education and Training Option of the New Deal for 18-24s in Wales (separate totals are not available to show the numbers entering Education or Training);
almost 1,500 young people had entered subsidised jobs under the Employer Option of the New Deal for 18-24s in Wales.
A further 1,900 young people had entered a period of work experience with either the Environment Task Force or the Voluntary Sector.
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