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Montserrat
Ms Kelly: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many Montserratians have been admitted to the United Kingdom as evacuees; how many still remain in the United Kingdom; and how many have returned to Montserrat. [93627]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: I have been asked to reply.
I will write to my hon. Friend shortly.
Asbestos
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of extent of the multiplied risk which occurs when smokers are exposed to asbestos in relation to contraction of (a) lung cancer and (b) asbestosis; and if he will make a statement. [93024]
Mr. Meale: I have been asked to reply.
Workers exposed to asbestos have been found to have up to ten times the risk of lung cancer compared with other workers. A typical smoker, not exposed to asbestos, has about fifteen times the risk of contracting lung cancer compared with non-smokers. When both exposures are present the risks can be--approximately--multiplied together. The total risk of lung cancer faced by smokers exposed to asbestos will depend on the type of fibre to which they are exposed, on the amount to which they are exposed and for how long, but it will be much higher than for non-smokers. The development of asbestosis is unaffected by smoking.
Private Finance Initiative
Mr. Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which existing private finance initiative contracts in the National Health Service provide for the automatic transfer of assets back to his Department after the expiry of the contract or for his Department to have first right of refusal to buy back the units after the expiry of the contract; and if he will make a statement. [89873]
Mr. Denham [holding answer 5 July 1999]: For all the first wave of prioritised major private finance initiative schemes any leasehold interest held by the private sector partner will either "fall away" at the end of the contract period or the National Health Service trust can exercise an option to take back the leasehold interest, in both cases returning full ownership of the asset to the NHS trust. This principle is set out in NHS Executive guidance on the PFI and will be followed by all subsequent schemes.
Acute NHS Trusts
Mr. Hammond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what sums have been appropriated from the Primary Care Modernisation Fund to support acute NHS trusts in London. [91724]
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Mr. Denham:
In 1999-2000, London health authorities received modernisation funds of £13.1 million for improving primary care as part of their unified allocations. It is for health authorities, in partnership with National Health Service trusts, primary care groups, local authorities and local stakeholders to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health and modernisation services. In doing so they must however deliver at least the guaranteed floor level of expenditure on general practitioner practice infrastructure costs.
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pensioners living in the Tooting parliamentary constituency are able to obtain free eye tests; and if he will make a statement. [92238]
Mr. Denham:
From 1 April, everyone aged 60 or over became eligible for free National Health Service sight tests. We made access to eye care easier for older people because they are most at risk of sight threatening disease.
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) since May 1997, how much money has been allocated to Barnet Health Authority to tackle (a) waiting lists and (b) winter pressures; [92369]
(3) how much funding in addition to original expenditure plans has been allocated to Barnet Health Authority since May 1997 for its core work; [92417]
(4) how much funding in addition to original expenditure plans has been allocated to mental health services in the Barnet Health Authority area since May 1997; and on what the money has been (a) spent and (b) allocated; [92418]
(5) how much has been allocated to Barnet Health Authority from the modernisation fund; and on what the money has been spent; [92366]
(6) how much funding, in addition to original expenditure plans, has been given to (a) Barnet Health Authority and (b) Barnet Council to improve continuing and community care since May 1997; and for what purposes the money has been allocated. [92419]
Mr. Denham:
The information available is provided in the following tables. Table 1 shows the additional resources allocated to Barnet Health Authority since May 1997. Table 2 shows Barnet Health Authority's Modernisation Fund allocations announced to date. Table 3 shows the additional grants provided this year to Barnet Council specifically for community care.
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(2) since May 1997, how much funding in addition to original expenditure plans has been allocated to Barnet Health Authority for additional cancer treatments; and on what the money has been (a) spent and (b) allocated; [92415]
| £000 | |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Amount |
| Breast cancer services | 66 |
| Winter pressures | 1,057 |
| GMS cash limited--salaried doctors scheme | 26 |
| Special assistance for health authorities undergoing strategic change | 4,200 |
| Emergency pressure | 50 |
| 1997-98 Total | 5,399 |
| Cash uplift for 1998-99 revenue allocations | 6,176 |
| Total cash increase in 1998-99 special allocations | 940 |
| Special assistance for health authorities undergoing strategic change | 1,500 |
| Waiting list addition | 1,955 |
| Waiting list performance fund | 217 |
| Whole systems support for waiting lists | 441 |
| Winter pressures | 1,080 |
| Winter pressure contingency | 110 |
| Colorectal cancer | 63 |
| 1998-99 Total | 12,482 |
| Cash uplift for 1999-2000 revenue allocations (including Modernisation Fund) | 12,899 |
| Increase in drugs misuse special allocation | 93 |
| Recruitment and Retention Allowance | 671 |
| 1999-2000 Total | 13,663 |
| Total extra cash since May 1997 | 31,544 |
| Modernisation Fund included in main allocations | £000 |
|---|---|
| Waiting lists | 1,706 |
| PCG Management Costs | 886 |
| Improving Primary Care | 501 |
| Mental Health | 440 |
| Recruitment and Retention | 671 |
| Primary Care Groups IT | 80 |
| Nurse Prescribing | 41 |
| Connections to GP Net | 323 |
| Calman Lung Cancer | 68 |
| Primary Care | 108 |
| Grants | £000 |
|---|---|
| Partnership Grant | 1,775 |
| Prevention Grant | 140 |
| Carers Grant | 138 |
| Increase in Mental Health Grant | 251 |
Nurse Training
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of the number of male and female nurses in training. [92435]
Mr. Hutton: Data from the English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting are that at 31 March 1999 there were 6,319 male and 44,740 female nurses and midwives in training in England.
Arachnoiditis
Dr. Lynne Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were given myelography with Myodil between 1971 and 1987; and of those how many subsequently developed arachnoiditis. [92472]
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Mr. Hutton:
Available information does not separately identify patients undergoing myelography with Myodil or the occurrence of arachnoiditis associated with myelography.
Mr. Norman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many acute care hospitals in the NHS have (a) dual sex wards and (b) shared toilet facilities. [92370]
Mr. Denham:
The data collected by the National Health Service Executive on mixed sex hospital accommodation are at health authority level and do not at present contain detailed information about the position in NHS trusts. We are, however, looking to collect trust level information from health authorities in collections from September 1999 onwards.
Mr. Pond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the health implications of the siting of mobile phone transmitter masts. [92361]
Ms Jowell:
The Government obtain advice from the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) on the risks to health from exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs), including those emitted by mobile phone masts. At locations accessible to the public the exposure to EMFs emitted by mobile phone transmitters are well below the maximum exposure levels recommended by NRPB in their guidelines. (Restrictions on human exposure to static and time varying electromagnetic fields and radiation. Documents of the NRPB, 4, No 5,7-63 (1993)). These guidelines are intended to prevent acute adverse responses to increased heat load and elevated body temperature. Copies of the guidelines have been placed in the Library.
Concerns have been expressed that there may be other, non-established, health effects of exposure to EMFs, particularly cancer. The question of possible long-term health effects, and specifically cancer-related issues, associated with exposures to electromagnetic fields and radiation has been addressed by the NRPB Advisory Group on Non-Ionising Radiation (chaired by Professor Sir Richard Doll). The Group has concluded that there is no firm evidence for the existence of a carcinogenic hazard from exposure to electromagnetic fields but there is a need for further good quality research to be carried out. This view is supported by international bodies, including the World Health Organisation.
Research into the possible long term health effects of electromagnetic fields in general is being undertaken on a worldwide basis. The Department is currently contributing to the World Health Organisation International Electromagnetic Fields Project which includes health effects of electromagnetic fields and is funding studies investigating possible biological effects from EMF generally. A three year study in the UK of occupational exposure to radiofrequency fields, including those from TV and radio transmitters, was launched in November 1998. The Department is supporting this study.
We recently announced a working group, chaired by Sir William Stewart FRS FRSE, to assess the current state of research into the health implications of mobile telephones usage. Further details of the group will be announced shortly.
27 Jul 1999 : Column: 238
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