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Smoking
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to publish the figures on the incidence of smoking between 1996 and 1998. [96646]
Yvette Cooper: Figures on adult smoking prevalence in 1996 were published in "Living in Britain--results from the 1996 General Household Survey", in March 1998. Key figures from the 1998 General Household Survey, including smoking prevalence among adults aged 16 and over, are due to be published on 1 December 1999 by the Office for National Statistics.
Figures on regular smoking by young people aged 11 to 15 years in England in 1998 were published by ONS on 14 October 1999 in "Smoking, drinking and drug use among young teenagers in 1998". This report also contained data from earlier surveys in the series, including the survey carried out in 1996.
Copies of these reports are available in the Library.
Mr. Jim Murphy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with his Scottish counterparts about CJD victims. [96627]
Yvette Cooper:
None. We remain committed to ensuring that all patients who are suffering from CJD are provided with appropriate and timely health and social care.
Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list all performance targets set for his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies since May 1997, other than those listed in Public Service Agreements 1999-2002 [Cm 4181], stating in each case (a) the target to be reached and (b) the date by which it was to be reached. [94986]
Yvette Cooper
[holding answer 1 November 1999]: The Department has set out the key performance targets on which it will be judged in its PSA, and the measures of success it will use in the Output and Performance Analyses published in March this year. A full list of the targets and target dates for Agencies can be found annually in the "Next Steps Report", and for executive
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NDPBs in the "Executive Non-Departmental Public Bodies Report", or in the appropriate annual report and accounts. The Departmental Annual Report contains further details of the Department's objectives and targets.
These high-level targets are supported at operational level by numerous targets to ensure delivery by individual units. Listing these operational targets would be inappropriate and disproportionate in terms of resources.
Mr. Hilary Benn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department will issue guidance on the withholding or withdrawal of tube feeding and hydration from patients who are not terminally ill, following the BMA's own guidance on this issue. [97251]
Ms Stuart:
We have no plans to publish specific guidance on withholding or withdrawing medical treatment from patients.
Mr. Peter Bottomley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the action he proposes to take to cut the delays in providing NHS hearing tests to the over-85s in Worthing; and what the average delay is in non-emergency cases. [97222]
Mr. Hutton:
Worthing and Southlands Hospitals National Health Service Trust has recently reviewed the skill mix within the Audiology Department to enable increased clinic availability and have recruited two additional qualified audiologists.
These measures, plus £6,000 of additional funding, will enable the Trust to operate weekend clinics and bring down waiting times for all patients.
Mrs. Shephard:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many copies of the report of the Centre for Policy on Aging Standards for Care Homes he has made available to consultees; and if he will make a statement. [97155]
Mr. Hutton
[holding answer 4 November 1999]: 5,000 copies of the Department's consultation document "Fit for the Future?" were printed. About 1,500 were sent to a wide range of organisations and individuals, representing users, carers, regulators and providers and other interested bodies, for consultation nationally. The others were available for anyone who wished to have a copy. I understand that about 600 copies are still in stock. "Fit for the Future?" is available on the internet to anyone who wishes to see it.
We will carefully consider all the comments we receive before finalising the standards and the timetable for their implementation.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his plans for the School Nursing Service. [97437]
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Mr. Hutton:
School nurses are often ideally placed to help children, young people and their parents find the support and services they need to make the most of their time at school. This role is more fully described in "Saving Lives--Our Healthier Nation" and "Making a Difference: strengthening the nursing, midwifery and health visiting contribution to health and health care"--copies are available in the Library.
Mr. Arbuthnot:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will give a substantive reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for North-East Hampshire dated 5 July regarding the outcome of his Department's review of direct payments for care. [97292]
Mr. Hutton:
I replied to the right hon. Member on 3 November.
Mr. Boswell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on delays in the payment of grants to student nurses. [97492]
Mr. Denham:
We accept that there have been delays in the payment of bursaries to some National Health Service funded student nurses and are aware that a minority of students have not yet received bursaries to which they are entitled.
Around 24,000 bursary applications have now been processed and all students who are entitled will have received a payment by 10 November.
Mrs. Ellman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the (a) actual and (b) percentage increase in the price of generic drugs to the NHS over the last 12 months. [97293]
Mr. Denham:
An index of Drug Tariff prices for the top 100 generic drugs dispensed in 1998 (by net ingredient cost) for this year is as follows:
| Month | Index |
|---|---|
| January | 100.0 |
| April | 103.4 |
| May | 106.5 |
| June | 112.0 |
| July | 117.0 |
| August | 124.4 |
| September | 126.2 |
| October | 130.7 |
| November | 132.9 |
It has been possible to provide only 11 months' data.
Thyroxin
Mrs. Ellman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the change in the drug tariff to the NHS for 1,000 thyroxin 100 mcg in actual and percentage terms between November 1998 and November 1999. [97291]
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Mr. Denham:
The price in the November 1998 Drug Tariff for a 1,000 pack of thyroxine 100 microgramme tablets was £8.85; the November 1999 Drug Tariff price was £60.16. This is an increase of £51.31 or 580 per cent.
Mr. Oaten:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to reduce deaths from prostate cancer. [97669]
Ms Stuart:
The White Paper "Saving Lives--Our Healthier Nation"--published in July--proposed a target to reduce the death rate from cancer in those under 75 by 20 per cent. by 2010. The Government encourage early detection of prostate cancer and have already announced that, by December 2000, all urgent general practitioner referrals of suspected cases should be seen by a consultant within two weeks of referral. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence will commission outcomes guidance on prostate cancer within the next two years.
Milk Prices
Mr. Robertson: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what financial help he is giving to dairy farmers to compensate for the low price of milk; and if he will make a statement. [96608]
Ms Quin [holding answer 1 November 1999]: The EU dairy regime provides substantial support to UK dairy farmers but EU rules do not allow member states to provide support to compensate for the low price of milk. However, as part of the aid package announced by my right hon. Friend the Minister on 20 September, the deferral of the proposed £7 per animal cattle passport charges until April 2002, at the earliest, will help dairy farmers.
Quarantine
Mr. Amess: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which recommendations of the Kennedy report on quarantine the Government have not accepted. [97051]
Ms Quin: The Pet Travel Scheme pilot is essentially the scheme recommended by Professor Kennedy, except that cats and dogs originating in rabies-free islands (other than assistance dogs from Australasia) will only be allowed to enter the UK once the full scheme is in operation.
The Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens considered Professor Kennedy's recommendations on exotic diseases other than rabies. The Committee agreed that treatment should be given to all imported pet cats and dogs for a tapeworm (Echinococcus multilocularis) and ticks. The ACDP advised that treatment be given not less than 24 hours and not more than 48 hours before embarkation to the UK. Professor Kennedy recommended that treatment be given no more than 24 hours before embarkation. This would represent a modification of Professor Kennedy's Recommendations 1, 2, 35 and 36.
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As regards microchips, animals will be allowed to enter the UK with any microchip fitted. Where a microchip is fitted that does not comply with the ISO standards recommended by Professor Kennedy, the owner of the animal will have to provide a reader. Thus Recommendations 11 and 22 have been accepted but with modification.
In the Pet Travel Scheme, authorised transport operators will carry out pre-entry checks on pets. Thus, Professor Kennedy's Recommendations 16-18 and 28 will be implemented in a different way from that proposed.
Professor Kennedy recommended that the Minister examine further the need for a database of health certificates (Recommendations 13 and 14). It has been concluded that a database is not necessary for the operation of the pilot scheme.
The recommendations that Professor Kennedy made in respect of species other than pet cats and dogs will be considered later (Recommendations 30 to 33 inclusive). Consideration of Recommendations 9 and 38 (research projects) will also be taken forward in due course.
Mr. Amess:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what date has been selected for the operation of the pilot scheme of quarantine reform. [97052]
Ms Quin:
An announcement will be made as soon as possible.
Dr. Cable:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which countries are currently deemed rabies-free by his Department in respect of quarantine regulations. [95636]
Ms Quin:
The present quarantine regulations apply to animals from all countries entering the UK, except those from the Irish Republic, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
By April 2000, the Pet Travel Scheme pilot scheme will be introduced. Eligibility will be confined to cats and dogs entering the UK from western European countries (including UK and Irish animals returning from these countries) that meet the Scheme conditions. Assistance dogs from Australia and New Zealand that meet the Scheme conditions will also be eligible.
Not all countries in western Europe are considered rabies free, but Professor Kennedy found that provided dogs and cats were microchipped, vaccinated and blood tested, the risk of importing rabies in animals from these countries was comparable to that under the existing policy of quarantine.
The Office International des Epizooties (OIE), the international veterinary organisation sets down criteria for countries to be regarded as rabies free, but it does not publish a list of those countries.
My Department is currently considering the status of other islands, whose authorities claim to meet the OIE criteria for rabies freedom, for participation in the full Pet Travel Scheme which will come into effect by April 2001. Australia and New Zealand are known to meet these criteria.
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