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Income Support (Scotland)
Mr. Alasdair Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people aged under 18 years in Scotland have received Income Support with a care premium in each year since 1991. [103758]
Mr. Bayley: Insufficient data are available in each of the years since 1991 reliably to estimate the number of people aged under 18 years who received the carer premium with their Income Support.
Child Support Agency
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many cases are being dealt with by the Child Support Agency in England and Wales. [103727]
Angela Eagle: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mrs. Faith Boardman. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Mrs. Faith Boardman to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 11 January 2000:
I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary for Social Security about the Child Support Agency.
The most current statistical information available shows:
The number of live and assessed cases being dealt with by the Agency where the Parent with Care lives in Wales was 65,700.
The number of live and assessed cases being dealt with by the Agency where the Parent with Care lives in England was 818,420.
I hope that this is helpful.
Mortgage Payments
Mr. Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to raise the standard interest rate applicable to benefits in relation to mortgage payments. [104070]
Mr. Bayley: The Standard Interest Rate is based on the weighted average of basic rates charged by the main building societies. It currently stands at 6.66 per cent. and will change only if there is an increase or decrease in this figure of 0.25 per cent. or more. The average figure is calculated by The Building Societies Commission and notified to the Department of Social Security by the Office for National Statistics.
Employment Statistics
Mrs. Ann Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many (a) men and (b) women in each of the standard age groups were employed in his Department in (i) 1979 and (ii) 1999. [104022]
Mr. Rooker: The information is in the table.
Notes:
1. The 1979 figures relate to the Department of Health and Social Security at April 1979.
2. The 1999 figures relate to the Department of Social Security at April 1999 and exclude the Contributions Agency which transferred to the Inland Revenue in April 1999.
Sources:
Cabinet Office Mandate data
DSS FAMIS Payroll
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HEALTH
Medicines (Licences)
Mr. Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many licence applications there were for medicines in each year since 1990; [100816]
- (2) what was the total number of licence applications for medicines intended solely for the treatment of children in each year since 1995; [100818]
(3) what action the Medicines Control Agency is taking to (a) monitor and (b) implement the EU guidance on the licensing of medicines used in the treatment of children; [100817]
(4) how many pharmaceutical companies in the United Kingdom comply with EU guidance on the licensing of medicines used in the treatment of children; [100815]
(5) what was the total number of licence applications for medicines used in the treatment of children and adults in each year since 1995. [100819]
Yvette Cooper: Information on how many pharmaceutical companies are complying with European Union guidance on the licensing of medicines used in the treatment of children is not held centrally.
The Medicines Control Agency assesses all applications for Marketing Authorisation (licences) in accordance with current EU legislation and guidance. This includes the guidance on the licensing of medicines used in the treatment of children. This guidance is not legally binding on companies. Applicants are asked to provide details of paediatric development plans if these are relevant and have been omitted from the application. Where appropriate, the MCA will indicate to the applicant that they should consider developing formulations which are suitable for children.
The total number of marketing authorisation applications for medicines in each year since 1990,
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excluding applications from homoeopathic products and applications to import licensed medicinal products from other member states of the EU were:
| Year | Number |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 939 |
| 1991 | 762 |
| 1992 | 1,055 |
| 1993 | 1,316 |
| 1994 | 1,277 |
| 1995 | 1,345 |
| 1996 | 1,349 |
| 1997 | 1,847 |
| 1999 | 1,290 |
| Year | Number |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 40 |
| 1996 | 28 |
| 1997 | 54 |
| 1998 | 28 |
| Year | Number |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 555 |
| 1996 | 513 |
| 1997 | 681 |
| 1998 | 504 |
Fluoridation
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received about the constitutional and civil liberties implications of compulsory fluoridation of the water supply. [101131]
Yvette Cooper: We regularly receive representations about the ethical aspects of fluoridation. We recognise the sincerity of people's concern and this is one of the reasons why we are proposing that decisions on fluoridation be taken locally. No new fluoridation scheme would be implemented unless there had been wide-ranging consultations, in which both opponents and supporters of fluoridation had had the opportunity to publicise their views and it had been demonstrated, through an objective assessment of public opinion, that a significant majority of people were in favour.
Mobile Telephone Masts
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to publish the conclusions of research into the possible harmful effects of transmissions from mobile telephone masts. [100897]
Yvette Cooper:
The Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones, chaired by Sir William Stewart FRS FRSE, is currently considering the possible health
12 Jan 2000 : Column: 188W
effects from the use of mobile phones, base stations and transmitters and is conducting a comprehensive assessment of existing research. The group is expected to report in spring 2000.
Mr. Crausby:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the estimated cost of accidents caused by fireworks to the National Health Service in each of the last five years. [100922]
Yvette Cooper:
Figures for the cost to the National Health Service resulting from accidents caused by fireworks are not available. The number of attendances at accident and emergency departments due to firework injuries is collected annually, over a four week period covering Bonfire Night, by the Department of Trade and Industry through accident and emergency departments across England, Scotland and Wales. Figures for England in respect of the latest five years available are as follows:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 725 |
| 1997 | 803 |
| 1996 | 1,091 |
| 1995 | 1,359 |
| 1994 | 1,408 |
(8) Firework Injuries Data, Consumer Affairs Directorate, Department of Trade and Industry
School Diets
Mr. Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to introduce a national school fruit and vegetable scheme; and if he will make a statement. [100920]
Yvette Cooper: The White Paper "Saving Lives--Our Healthier Nation" recognised the importance of increasing fruit and vegetable consumption and we are currently considering a range of options on how to achieve this. It is one of the aims of the draft Regulations on National Nutritional Standards for School Lunches. A consultation document on these Regulations and accompanying guidance was published by the Department for Education and Employment last month, copies of which are available in the Library.
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