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BUPA
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many discussions his Department has had in the last year with BUPA about future partnerships; and what topics were discussed. [131646]
Ms Stuart: The Department has had no direct discussions with BUPA in the last year.
Internet (Drugs)
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what procedures have been operated to close websites selling drugs via the Internet. [132122]
Ms Stuart: The procedures are identical to those used in any investigation into alleged breaches of medicines regulations. The investigation has to be conducted in accordance with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and its Codes of Practice.
Those websites which have been closed have either been closed voluntarily after advice from the Medicines Control Agency or closed following a warning by the Agency that a failure to close may result in a prosecution.
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what drugs (a) licensed and (b) unlicensed by the Medicines Control Agency on sale via the Internet have led to (i) investigations and (ii) prosecutions. [132121]
Ms Stuart: Full information could only be put together at a disproportionate cost. (180 investigations are involved, each of which could cover any number of different medicines). However, investigations by the Medicines Control Agency into the alleged sale of medicines purporting to be licensed on the internet suggest that these medicines are likely to be those indicated for, or believed to possess memory enhancing capabilities (often referred to as "smart" drugs), or impotence (such as Viagra) or the capability to cause a loss of weight ("slimming pills"), or remedy hair loss.
Investigations by the Medicines Control Agency into the alleged sale of unlicensed medicines on the Internet indicate that such medicines are likely to be those
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claiming the qualities stated in the preceding paragraph, for example, Gamma Hydroxyl Butyrate (GHB), Dehydroepiandrosterone (a steroid type drug).
The medicine involved in the only prosecution to date was GHB, being sole over the Internet.
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what investigations he has made of websites selling drugs (a) nationally and (b) internationally. [132123]
Ms Stuart: The Medicines Control Agency (MCA) has conducted approximately 180 investigations into cases of national Websites allegedly offering medicines for sale. The MCA has no jurisdiction outside United Kingdom territory, although it works with enforcement and regulatory authorities in other countries, particularly the United States of America Food and Drug Administration, to investigate international websites.
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many employees are engaged in the Special Inquiry Unit of the Medicines Control Agency investigating drug sales through the Internet. [132118]
Ms Stuart: Three enforcement offices of the Special Enquiry Unit of the Medicines Control Agency are specifically engaged in investigating alleged illegal sales of medicines on the Internet. In addition investigating officers in other units of the Medicines Control Agency's Enforcement Group undertake investigations into alleged breaches of medicines regulations in which activities on the Internet can be a major or contributory part. All this work may also be done in partnership with other national and international enforcement agencies and the Police Service.
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what training is undergone by employees of the Special Inquiry Unit of the Medicines Control Agency investigating drug sales through the internet. [132119]
Ms Stuart: All enforcement officers in the Medicines Control Agency receive basic training in the use of the internet. Enforcement officers in the Special Inquiry Unit also receive specialist training in advanced search techniques. In addition, some enforcement officers are intelligence analysts, trained to police standards in the analysis and validation of data and information.
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The MCA is committed to providing any training found necessary in this area to ensure it continues to effectively discharge its responsibility to enforce medicines legislation.
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to seek to amend the law relating to sales of drugs over the internet; and if he will make a statement. [132120]
Ms Stuart: We have no immediate plans to amend the law.
Alcohol and Drugs (Hospitals)
Mr. Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) admissions to NHS hospitals and (b) persons were treated in NHS accident and emergency units were related to (i) alcohol and (ii) drugs in 1999. [132343]
Ms Stuart: In 1998-99 there were (i) 39,600 hospital admissions to National Health Service hospitals of NHS and private patients with primary diagnosis related to alcohol (based on international classification of diseases codes F10, K70, T51), and (ii) 9,300 for diagnoses mentioning drugs (based on ICD10 codes F11-F16 and F18-F19). Data on the number of persons that were treated in NHS accident and emergency units for these diagnoses are not collected centrally.
Tranquilliser Addiction
Ms Kelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the successful applicants, and amount of grant aid issued, under the Section 64 Grants Scheme that directly address tranquilliser addiction. [132035]
Mr. Hutton: No grants under the Section 64 scheme are currently being made to organisations directly addressing tranquilliser addiction.
Health Action Zones
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those Health Action Zones that underspent on their 1999-2000 budgets, indicating in (a) percentage and (b) real terms the degree of underspend. [131067]
Mr. Hutton: The table shows that all Health Action Zones underspent against the 1999-2000 allocations. Information on how much of this is committed to projects in 2000-01 is not held centrally.
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(1) HAZ funding comes from a number of sources as follows:
(a) The HAZ central budget comprising three elements:
(i) programme funding for joint projects with other agencies;
(ii) innovations funding;
(iii) central and other innovations;
(b) Funding for smoking cessation services.
(c) Funding for drugs prevention services for First Wave HAZs.
(d) Targeted funds for deprived areas allocated to HAs which include HAZs within their boundaries.
(1) Figures reported by HAZs at the end of 1999-2000.
Note:
Figures are in £000s.
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Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions he has deposited papers in the Library in response to parliamentary questions tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April. [132127]
Ms Stuart: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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