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Teenage Pregnancy
Ms McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to reduce the number of unplanned teenage pregnancies; and if he will make a statement. [119186]
Yvette Cooper: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 14 June 1999, Official Report, column 17W.
The Social Exclusion Unit's report on teenage pregnancy, published on 14 June 1999, sets out a thirty point action plan working across Government. It highlights two main goals:
- Reducing the number of teenage conceptions, with the specific aim of halving the rate of conceptions among under-18s by 2010; and
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Getting more teenage parents into education, training or employment to reduce their risk of long term social exclusion.
BCG Vaccine
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the size of his Department's stock of BCG vaccine. [119107]
Yvette Cooper: As at the end of March 2000, stocks of BCG vaccine in its various presentations available to the National Health Service were as follows:
- Intradermal 10 dose (without diluent)--zero
- Intradermal 10 dose (with diluent)--17,729 packs X 5 vials
- Intradermal 50 dose--1,079 packs X 5 vials
- Percutaneous--zero.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the future of BCG vaccination programmes in schools. [119106]
Yvette Cooper: We are advised on all matters concerning immunisation by the independent expert committee, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. The committee keeps all immunisation policies under review. Recommendations on the use of BCG vaccine were last reviewed by the committee during 1996 and they advised that the schools immunisation programme should continue. This recommendation remains unchanged although, due to problems with supply of BCG vaccine, the schools part of the BCG programme is currently in suspension.
Tuberculosis
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the number of reported cases of TB in (a) 1970, (b) 1980, (c) 1990 and (d) each of the last five years for which figures are available. [119105]
Yvette Cooper: The information requested is given in the table:
| Year | Number |
|---|---|
| 1970 | 11,901 |
| 1980 | 9,142 |
| 1990 | 5,402 |
| 1995 | 5,606 |
| 1996 | 5,654 |
| 1997 | 5,859 |
| 1998 | 6,087 |
| 1999 | 6,144 |
Source:
Public Health Laboratory Service data
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the average cost to the NHS of treating a patient with TB in the last financial year for which figures are available. [119155]
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Yvette Cooper: The average cost to the National Health Service of treating a patient with tuberculosis is not available. However, information on the national average cost for the inpatient treatment of an individual patient with tuberculosis for the 1998-99 financial year is available from the National Schedule of Reference Costs and is as follows:
| £ | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Elective inpatient | Non elective inpatient | Day case | |
| Pulmonary or pleural tuberculosis | 1,770 | 1,676 | 295 |
| Other tuberculosis | 1,400 | 1,800 | 293 |
Note:
Costs are the national average for inpatient treatment for patients with tuberculosis calculated from the individual NHS trust figures provided on an annual basis.
The length of inpatient stay for patients with tuberculosis varies. It should be noted that treatment for tuberculosis can last for six months or more and for most of this time the patient will not be hospitalised.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which health authorities have abandoned the school immunisation programme for TB. [119108]
Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for New Forest, West (Mr. Swayne) on 11 January 2000, Official Report, column 144W.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which health authorities have reported cases of TB in each of the last five years. [119103]
Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for the Vale of Clwyd (Mr. Ruane) on 28 February 2000, Official Report, columns 70-71W.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people died from TB in the (a) 1970s, (b) 1980s and (c) 1990s. [119109]
Yvette Cooper: Information provided by the Office for National Statistics shows that, between 1970 and 1979, there were 8,781 reported deaths from tuberculosis in England and Wales; between 1980 and 1989 there were 5,028 reported deaths from tuberculosis; and, between 1990 and 1998 (the latest available date for which data are available) there were 3,621 reported deaths from tuberculosis.
Notes:
Data are for England and Wales.
Tuberculosis is defined by ICD(8) and (9) 010-018.
Data from 1970 to 1992 are by date of registration; those from 1993 to 1998 are by date of occurrence.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to review the programme of immunisation against TB among school age children. [119104]
Yvette Cooper: We are advised on all matters concerning immunisation by the independent expert committee, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. The committee keeps all immunisation policies under review.
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Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason there was a shortage of tuberculosis vaccinations between October 1999 and April 2000; and what steps his Department has taken to improve the supply of vaccinations. [120401]
Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the replies given to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) on 11 January 2000, Official Report, columns 143-44W and on 13 April 2000, Official Report, column 282W.
Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions have taken place between Ministers in his Department and the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency regarding the restoration of tuberculosis testing within secondary schools. [120370]
Yvette Cooper: The National Health Service Purchasing and Supply Agency (formally NHS Supplies) provides a procurement service for the Department and does not make recommendations on the use of the vaccines.
The programme to test for tuberculosis and to immunise with BCG vaccine continues for people in higher risk groups, whatever their age. Only the routine BCG immunisation programme in schools is in suspension at present.
Fibreglass Insulation
Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence his Department has assessed concerning the dangers to health from fibreglass used for insulation purposes; and if he will make a statement. [118950]
Yvette Cooper: The Committee on Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment have considered the carcinogenicity of those man made mineral fibres (glass, rock and slag wool) used for insulation purposes on a number of occasions since 1984. Their advice is that domestic exposures arising from infrequent or short-term do-it-yourself installation do not pose a carcinogenic risk. It was their view that these materials do not meet the European Union's criteria for classification of compounds as carcinogens. However there was limited evidence that occupational exposure was associated with lung cancer, although no definite conclusions could be drawn because there was a lack of information about confounding factors, such as tobacco smoking. It would be prudent, however, to act on the basis that sufficient occupational exposure may increase the risk of lung cancer.
National Vaccination Programme
Mr. Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how clinicians, general practitioners and primary care staff are kept updated on vaccine availability; and what plans he has to improve the arrangements. [119258]
Yvette Cooper: Vaccine Update is a monthly newsletter produced by the National Health Service Purchasing and Supply Agency (formally NHS Supplies). It is the primary source of advice for health professionals on vaccine availability. About 7,000 copies are centrally distributed each month and further copying occurs locally.
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There is a contact name and telephone number on this newsletter for inquiries. The central distributor, Farillon, also answers inquiries.
Plans are in hand to alter the format of this newsletter to allow it to be available via the Internet. Any urgent communications can also be made to health professionals via the Public Health Link system, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) letters and the CMO Update.
Mr. Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received concerning the distribution arrangements for the national vaccination programme and the performance of Farillon. [119257]
Yvette Cooper: The contract to provide centralised storage and distribution of vaccine to support the childhood immunisation campaign is currently held by Farillon Ltd.
The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (formally NHS Supplies) monitors all aspects of this contract as an agency of the Department.
Any representations from those involved in the vaccine programme are directed to Farillon and brought to the attention of NHS PSA. A monthly meeting is held between the Department, the National Health Service Purchasing and Supply Agency and Farillon to review performance. Any concerns are dealt with at such times.
Mr. Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for improving the distribution system for the national vaccination programme. [119259]
Yvette Cooper: Farillon Ltd. currently provides the storage and distribution of vaccine to support the childhood immunisation programme.
A recent example of a new initiative in distribution has been the allocation model used to supply the new Meningococcal C conjugate vaccine. This has enabled over 10 million doses to date of this vaccine to be distributed equitably across the country in line with the roll-out of the campaign. No other country in the world currently has the facility to provide such a service with direct delivery to general practitioners on a weekly basis through a guaranteed cold chain computerised service. GPs are now able to review their future supplies through Internet access. The distribution arrangements are kept under continual review.
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