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Pension Schemes
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the existing pension schemes with charges at or below one per cent. to which he referred in his press statement of 2 June; and if he will make a statement on whether these schemes meet the other proposed requirements of stakeholder pensions. [86459]
Mr. Darling: I have written to the hon. Member today in response to his question. A copy of the letter has been placed in the Library.
Poverty Audit Index
Dr. Gibson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to establish and publish the Poverty Audit Index. [87087]
24 Jun 1999 : Column: 434
Angela Eagle:
We will publish the first annual report on tackling poverty and social exclusion later this year.
Mr. Berry:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many (a) men and (b) women have claimed (i) invalidity benefit and (ii) incapacity benefit in each year since 1991. [87589]
| Men | Women | |
|---|---|---|
| 1991-92 | 233,000 | 90,000 |
| 1992-93 | 239,000 | 98,000 |
| 1993-94 | 242,000 | 106,000 |
| 1994-95 | 232,000 | 109,000 |
| 1995-96 | 174,000 | 97,000 |
| 1996-97 | 179,000 | 104,800 |
| 1997-98 | 182,000 | 104,000 |
(2) Invalidity Benefit from 1991-92 to 1994-95.
(3) Incapacity Benefit at the short-term higher and long-term rates (the equivalent of Invalidity Benefit) from 1995-96 to 1997-98.
Notes:
1. It is possible for a person to have more than one spell of benefit during a year.
2. Figures are from a 1 per cent. sample of claimants.
HEALTH
Yellow Card Scheme
Mr. Etherington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he proposes to take to increase the awareness of the yellow card scheme among medical and dental practitioners. [86157]
Ms Jowell: The Medicines Control Agency (MCA) and the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) continue to investigate methods to increase the awareness of the yellow card scheme among medical and dental practitioners.
A survey of general practitioners was recently undertaken and consideration is currently being given to the findings. Steps that have already been taken or are planned include:
Making yellow cards more widely available and easier to use and introducing alternative reporting methods eg fax, phone and electronic.
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An electronic yellow card that automatically populates the fields of a pre-formatted yellow card and allows the GP to send the report directly to the MCA via a modem is already in use by a number of GPs.
Improving feedback on the scheme, including changing the format and content of the bulletin "Current Problems in Pharmacovigilance" and the MCA and CSM internet homepages.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what maintenance checks are made on refurbished NHS wheelchairs before they are despatched to disabled people; and if he will make a statement. [87571]
Mr. Hutton:
National Health Service Supplies arranges contracts on behalf of NHS trusts for the repair, modification and maintenance of wheelchairs.
Rehabilitation engineers are employed by NHS trusts and among their duties carry out checks on a representative batch of the work completed by the repairers. If the batch inspected fails to meet the standard required, the whole consignment is rejected and has to be reprocessed by the repairer.
Mr. Opik:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is the average daily cost to the NHS of employing nursing staff through private employment agencies, at each grade; and if he will make a statement; [87425]
Mr. Denham:
The information requested is not available centrally.
Mr. Cummings:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects pen needles used by insulin-dependent diabetics to be available free of charge; and if he will make a statement. [87641]
Mr. Sanders:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to make an announcement concerning the prescribing of insulin pen needles; and if he will make a statement. [87644]
Mr. Denham:
We have received representations from most of the organisations consulted. We are considering them, and are seeking clarification on certain points before we make our final decisions.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress made by the working group on ME. [87872]
Mr. Hutton:
The chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis working group, supported by a sub group looking at children's issues and a wider reference group, is making good progress and remains on target to report to the Chief Medical Officer by the end of next year.
24 Jun 1999 : Column: 436
Shona McIsaac:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the Government response to the Joint Human Genetics Advisory Commission and Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority report, "Cloning Issues in Reproduction, Science and Medicine", to be published. [88432]
Ms Jowell:
The Government's response to the joint Human Genetics Advisory Commission (HGAC) and Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) report, "Cloning Issues in Reproduction, Science and Medicine" has today been placed in the Library.
Following public consultation, the joint HFEA/HGAC report's recommendations included the proposal that consideration be given to regulations under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 to allow research for therapeutic purposes which involved cloning techniques.
The Government reaffirm their policy that human reproductive cloning is ethically unacceptable and cannot take place in this country. Also, more evidence is needed of the potential benefits to human health before the use of cloning for therapeutic purposes is allowed in research. We recognise that regulations to allow therapeutic research should be very carefully considered. We believe, however, that more evidence is required of the need for such research, its potential benefits and risks and that account should be taken of alternative approaches that might achieve the same ends.
That is why we have asked the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Liam Donaldson, to set up and chair an independent expert advisory group to seek the views of a range of experts, both here and abroad, so that we have a clearer idea of the potential benefits of such research for human health.
We expect it will begin work during the summer and report its findings to Ministers early next year.
We welcome the HGAC/HFEA report's recognition that the safeguards currently in place are wholly adequate to prevent human reproductive cloning in the United Kingdom, and that the Government's policy of forbidding this practice received support during the public consultation.
The Government accept the report's recommendations that the adequacy of the safeguards and related issues should be kept under review in order to address public concerns about the rapidity of development in these areas at the cutting edge of science and medicine.
Mr. Grogan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to modernise NHS procurement. [88643]
Mr. Denham:
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health is today publishing the report of a Cabinet Office Review of NHS Procurement which sets out a range of recommendations to develop NHS procurement.
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Copies have been placed in the Library. We have accepted the broad thrust of these recommendations and the Department of Health, NHS Trusts, and the NHS Supplies Authority will now start to put in place the new arrangements to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of purchasing and supply in the NHS.
Education:
A forthcoming edition of "Current Problems in Pharmacovigilance" will include a special feature on what happens to reports of suspected adverse reactions and how they help to protect public health.
The MCA and CSM representation and presentations at conferences attended by doctors and pharmacists.
Encouraging Medical Schools to include adverse drug reactions and promote an understanding of the methods of drug safety monitoring as core parts of the curriculum.
Publication of articles in medical and pharmaceutical journals.
(2) what is the average daily cost of nursing staff employed directly by the NHS, at each grade; and if he will make a statement. [87426]
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