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HEALTH

Folic Acid

Mrs. Brinton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will issue the consultation document on the conclusions and recommendations of the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy in relation to folic acid and the prevention of disease. [120985]

Yvette Cooper: A joint consultation document will be issued shortly by the UK Health Departments and the Food Standards Agency.

Skin Cancer

Ms Kingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with manufacturers of sun protection products, as part of the campaign to prevent skin cancer, on the prices charged for these products. [121520]

Yvette Cooper: The pricing of sunscreens is a matter for manufacturers to decide and the Government have no direct influence in the price setting process for these items, which are a commercial product. We would encourage manufacturers and retailers to ensure that sunscreens are affordable for all. In May 1998, my hon. Friend the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Competition and Consumer Affairs (Mr. Griffiths) wrote to the Perfumery and Toiletries Association pointing out that sunscreens should not be regarded as a fashion product. We recommend the use of sunscreens as a back-up measure to other sun protection measures such as wearing protective clothing and staying in the shade in the midday sun.

Breast Cancer

Ms Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate (1) how many additional patients per month could benefit from taxanes for the treatment of breast cancer in the NHS; [122470]

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(2) how many additional lives would be saved per month through use of taxanes to treat all breast cancer patients in the NHS who could benefit from it. [122471]

Yvette Cooper: About 35,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year and of these between 6,000 and 9,000 will progress to advanced cancer. The National Institute of Clinical Excellence has been asked to review the evidence for the clinical and cost effectiveness of the two taxane drugs (Taxol and Taxotere) in advanced breast cancer, and it would be wrong to pre-empt its advice.

Vaccination

Mr. Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to monitor safety of childhood vaccinations; and if he will make a statement. [122158]

Yvette Cooper [holding answer 15 May 2000]: The Post-Licensing Division of the Medicines Control Agency (MCA) is responsible for monitoring the safety of all marketed medicines, including vaccines, licensed in the United Kingdom. Prior to licensing, all vaccines are thoroughly tested for safety, efficacy and quality. A manufacturer must demonstrate that the vaccine is safe and effective in preventing disease and that it is manufactured to appropriate standards before a Product Licence is given.

Suspected adverse reactions to vaccines, and other medicines, can be reported through the yellow card (YC) scheme by doctors, dentists, coroners, and pharmacists. In addition, vaccine manufacturers must submit details of all reports of suspected adverse drug reactions that are of a serious nature to the MCA. Reports received through the YC scheme and from companies are entered onto a specialised computer system called ADROIT (Adverse Drug Reactions On-line Information Tracking). This system allows rapid processing and detailed analysis of reports. Information collected through this system provides additional information on recognised reactions and can act as an early warning system for the identification of previously unrecognised reactions.

The YC scheme is well established and has been shown to be effective in identifying previously unrecognised adverse reactions. It is the key system for nation-wide surveillance in all age groups and can provide signals for very rare adverse events. The number and pattern of reports are regularly reviewed, and appropriate action initiated if there is indication of a problem.

Information from the YC scheme, together with information from other sources including published papers, large controlled trials, epidemiological studies, record linkage studies and screening of general practitioners and hospital databases provides comprehensive monitoring of the safety of childhood vaccines.

The question of vaccine safety is one that we take very seriously and is of the utmost importance. The benefits and risks of vaccination are always carefully considered and kept under constant review. Serious adverse reactions to vaccines are very rare. Reported suspected adverse reactions are carefully monitored both by the Committee on Safety of Medicines and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, independent expert groups which advise the UK health departments. Information on

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safety issues is considered in detail by the MCA and the Department and by its independent expert advisers on a regular basis.

The National Institute for Biological Standards and Control tests each batch of vaccine for potency, safety and purity before it is issued for use. Only batches that reach the required standard are released for use. No vaccine is issued in the UK unless it passes the highest standards for quality. As a result, the childhood immunisation programme remains the safest way for parents to protect their children against disease.

Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice parents are given about the side-effects of the Meningitis C vaccine; whether the vaccine carries a risk of brain-damage or death; and whether all risks are made clear before parental consent is requested. [122913]

Yvette Cooper [holding answer 19 May 2000]: A leaflet for parents--"Meningitis C. Reduce the risk. Your guide to the new meningitis C vaccine"--provides information on the possible side effects of the meningococcal Group C conjugate vaccine. The consent form for the meningococcal Group C immunisation tells parents to "Make sure you have read and understood the leaflet". It goes on to advise "Before you fill in the rest of the form, please make sure you have read this leaflet carefully" and then explicitly draws attention to "the possible side effects of the immunisation (read page 6)". Brain damage and death are not recognised risks.

About 26 million copies of the parents' leaflet have been printed and it has been mailed to general practitioners' surgeries, pharmacies and schools for every parent to receive and also made widely available though high street pharmacies and post offices. Copies of the leaflet and the consent form are available in the Library.

Breast Implants

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress the Government have made in the introduction of compulsory registration of the details of each breast implant and removal operation on a National Breast Implant Registry. [122553]

Yvette Cooper: Registration of each implant and explant operation on the National Breast Implant Registry cannot be compulsory as the entry of information on the registry requires consent of the patient.

However a number of actions are being taken to increase compliance with registration. These include promoting awareness of the National Breast Implant Registry; guidance to be issued by the Royal College of Surgeons on clinical practice for breast surgery, and the Care Standards Bill.

Human Papilloma Virus

Mrs. Brinton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the members of the expert advisory group which will oversee the commissioning and running of the pilot sites for human papilloma virus testing. [122786]

Yvette Cooper: The membership of the expert advisory group on the pilot for human papilloma virus testing has not yet been agreed. Prospective members will be approached shortly and will include representatives from colposcopy, cyto-pathology, virology, primary care, epidemiology and

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consumer groups. When the membership is finalised, details will be posted on the United Kingdom National Screening Committee's website at http://www.nsc.nhs.uk/

Beta Interferon

Mr. Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the National Institute for Clinical Excellence to publish its report on the use of beta interferon. [122930]

Mr. Denham: The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has been asked to provide authoritative guidance on a range of health topics, of which the appraisal of the drug beta interferon was one. The timetabling of this work is a matter for NICE, although I understand that NICE is intending to disseminate its guidance to the National Health Service during August.

Race Equality

Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to establish NHS race equality units outside London. [123087]

Ms Stuart: We have no plans to establish National Health Service race equality units outside London.

Accommodation (South-East)

Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what schemes he plans to introduce to increase accommodation provision for public health care staff in the south-east of England. [123062]

Ms Stuart: A national housing co-ordinator for the National Health Service has been appointed from 1 April 2000 with responsibilities for addressing the provision of adequate and affordable residential accommodation for nursing and other key National Health Service personnel.

Any shortfalls are currently being identified in the south-east region of the National Health Service as well as other areas of the country to target improvement strategies.

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