| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Sutherland Commission
Mr. Hammond: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Member for Montgomeryshire (Mr. Opik) of 21 July 1999, Official Report, column 1184, when he expects his Government to complete its consideration of the majority and minority reports of the Sutherland Commission; and if the Government will then make a formal response to the Commission's recommendations in respect of funding of nursing and personal care. [93030]
The Prime Minister:
We are considering the Royal Commission's proposals and the reactions to the Commission's report. We will announce our decisions in due course.
26 Jul 1999 : Column: 31
Ministerial Travel
Mr. Baker: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, on what date he last used a train in the course of his official duties. [92653]
Mr. Stuart Bell: To attend the Church of England General Synod in York in July 1998.
SCOTLAND
European Communities Working Groups
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the European Communities working groups which met over the last 12 months with a representative from his Department in attendance; if he will list the number of times each met; if he will indicate the nature of the Government's representation; and if he will make a statement. [88472]
Dr. Reid: Officials from my Department regularly attended European Communities working groups when matters of importance to Scotland--in particular, fisheries, agriculture and structural funds issues--were being discussed. Occasionally, my Department was represented by officials from the United Kingdom's Permanent Representation to the European Union.
Oncologists
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the number of clinical and medical oncologists per 100,000 population for each health authority in Scotland. [90806]
Dr. Reid: I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 28 June 1999, Official Report, column 30. Clinical and medical oncologists are not based throughout Scotland, but are employed in Cancer Centres in five locations--Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness. They provide services at the centres and on an outreach basis according to need, to cover all health authorities. There is not a specific number of oncologists or proportion of oncologists' time assigned to each NHS Trust or Health Board.
From 1 July, this is a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Scottish Adjacent Water Boundaries
Order 1999
Mr. Alasdair Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland for what reasons, prior to laying the Scottish Adjacent Waters Boundaries Order 1999 (S.I., 1999, No. 1126), his Department did not invite observations from the Scottish Parliament. [91074]
Dr. Reid: Observations were not invited from the Scottish Parliament because it did not exist when the Draft Order was laid before this Parliament on 8 March and debated by both Houses on 23 March.
Genetically Modified Fish
Joan Ruddock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 21 July 1999, Official
26 Jul 1999 : Column: 32
Report
Dr. Reid: The work involved the production of genetically modified Atlantic Salmon. Copies of a growth hormone gene taken from Chinook Salmon were introduced into 10,000 Atlantic Salmon eggs by micro-injection. The fish were grown in a land-based containment facility for up to one year. A high level of containment was maintained throughout the project. A small number of fish were identified as transgenic, based on accelerated growth. Approximately 50 of the fish grew at four times the normal rate, with no sign of abnormalities. The project was terminated after approximately a year, and all the fish were destroyed.
Departmental Nomenclature
Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make an announcement on the name by which his Department is to be known. [93604]
Dr. Reid: With the agreement of the Prime Minister, my Department will be known as the Scotland Office.
HEALTH
Millennium Compliance
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those NHS Trusts in England which are not millennium compliant. [90104]
Mr. Denham [holding answer 7 July 1999]: At 31 May 1999, there were four out of 477 National Health Service organisations considered by the NHS Executive to be making 'unsatisfactory' progress in their preparations for Year 2000. They were: Rochdale Healthcare NHS Trust; Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust; Oxfordshire Ambulance NHS Trust; Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS Trust. In each case action is being taken by the NHS Trusts concerned with the support of the NHS Executive to ensure they will be fully prepared with compliant systems and equipment or effective contingency plans in place by 30 September 1999, the deadline set for all NHS organisations.
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action is being taken to ensure Mid Essex Hospital Trust is millennium compliant. [90003]
Mr. Denham
[holding answer 7 July 1999]: Mid Essex Hospital Services National Health Service Trust is working towards the 30 September deadline to ensure that all systems are compliant or that effective contingency plans are in place if full compliance cannot be achieved. The NHS Trust has appointed its Director of Nursing as the new project manager in charge of its response to the year 2000 issue and the Chief Executive of the NHS Trust is personally involved in the process. The NHS Executive Eastern Regional Office year 2000 team and the NHS Trust are working closely to ensure that appropriate plans
26 Jul 1999 : Column: 33
are in place and that all deadlines are met. Work is being undertaken in the following areas, which were assessed as "unsatisfactory" in the 31 May returns:
Mr. Viggers:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date the drug Myodil was granted a product licence of right under the terms of the Medicines Act 1968. [90764]
Ms Jowell:
Documentation held by the Medicines Control Agency indicates that a product licence of right for Myodil was granted in September 1972, although the MCA cannot categorically verify that date. An entry on the MCA's computerised Produce Licence database gives the date of authorisation as 19 November 1973. This may be the date on which the formal notification was sent to the company. There were over 39,000 applications for product licences of right and it is reasonable to assume that there would have been some delay in processing those applications.
Mr. Todd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will review the legal framework regulating the fluoridation of water supplies; and if he will make a statement. [91552]
Ms Jowell:
The White Paper "Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation" acknowledged that present legislation on fluoridation is not working. We have commissioned a scientific review of the evidence on fluoride and health, which is due to be complete by the end of February 2000. If the review confirms that there are benefits to dental health from fluoridation and that there are no significant risks, we intend to introduce a legal obligation on water companies to fluoridate where there is strong local support for doing so.
Mr. Crausby:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost of fluoridating all drinking water in the north-west. [92699]
Ms Jowell:
Assuming the review of scientific evidence shows benefits from fluoridation and no significant risks, decisions on schemes will be taken by local authority area and costs will be assessed for each individual scheme.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list the members of the Cancer Care Action Group and the organisations for which they work; [91983]
26 Jul 1999 : Column: 34
Mr. Hutton:
We recognise the importance of voluntary sector organisations in the care and support of patients with cancer. The Cancer Care Action Group has been established to promote more effective involvement of these organisations in the development and implementation of policy on cancer care. The Group includes representatives of cancer-related voluntary sector organisations and the National Health Service Executive. The organisations represented are:
The production and regular updating of inventories for information technology systems.
The identification of proposals to fix or replace information technology systems which are not year 2000 compliant.
The assessment of legal liabilities arising from year 2000 non-compliance.
The identification of key areas of risk, which would result in year 2000 compliance not being addressed by 30 September 1999.
It is the NHS Trust's intention that it will meet the deadline of 30 September.
(2) if he will report on the progress made by the Cancer Care Action Group in identifying and implementing improvements to the quality of care for patients and their relatives; and if he will make a statement. [91984]
Breakthrough Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer Care
Cancer Black Care
CancerBacup
Cancerlink
Colon Cancer Concern
Crocus Trust
Help the Hospices
Leukaemia Care Society
Macmillan Cancer Relief
Marie Curie Cancer Care
National Cancer Alliance
National Conference of Cancer Self Help Groups
The Group is chaired by the Chief Nursing Officer and representatives of the NHS Executive and members of the National Cancer Forum also attend.
National Council for Hospices and Specialist Palliative Care Services
The Prostate Cancer Charity
St. Christopher's Hospice
Sargent Cancer Care for Children
Sue Ryder Foundation
Women's Nationwide Cancer Control Campaign.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |