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Primary Care Trusts (Appointments)
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many councillors have been appointed as (a) chairmen and (b) non-executive directors of primary care trusts; and how many declared a political affiliation to (a) the Labour Party, (b) the Liberal Democrat Party, (c) the Conservative Party and (d) other parties. [138625]
Ms Stuart: We do not collect information about political affiliation. Information about political activity as required to be collected by the Commissioner for Public Appointments is set out in the table.
| Appointed councillors | ||
|---|---|---|
| Non-Executives | ||
| Labour | 9 | |
| Conservative | 5 | |
| Liberal Democrat | 4 | |
| Other | 1 | |
| Chairs | ||
| Labour | 5 | |
| Conservative | 2 | |
| Liberal Democrat | 2 | |
| Other | 1 | |
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many appointees to (a) chairmanships and (b) non-executive directorships of primary care trusts have declared a political affiliation to (i) the Labour Party, (ii) the Liberal Democrat Party, (iii) the Conservative Party and (iv) other parties. [138624]
20 Nov 2000 : Column: 49W
Ms Stuart: We do not collect information about political affiliation. Information about political activity as required to be collected by the Commissioner for Public Appointments is set out in the table.
| Appointed | ||
|---|---|---|
| Non-Executives | ||
| None declared | 112 | |
| Labour | 36 | |
| Conservative | 9 | |
| Liberal Democrat | 6 | |
| Other | 3 | |
| Chairs | ||
| None declared | 24 | |
| Labour | 11 | |
| Conservative | 3 | |
| Liberal Democrat | 3 | |
| Other | 2 | |
North Cumbria Health Authority
Mr. Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements North Cumbria health authority has made with West Cumbria Health Care Trust to have patients treated in the private ward of West Cumbria Hospital; and if he will make a statement. [138617]
Mr. Hutton: The North Cumbria health authority has negotiated a contract with West Cumbria Health Care National Health Service Trust whereby NHS patients, who would otherwise face a long wait for hernia, varicose vein or laparoscopic cholecystectomy treatment in the Carlisle Hospitals NHS Trust, are treated in the Cumbria Clinic at the West Cumberland Hospital, Whitehaven.
The health authority and primary care groups consider this to be an appropriate and effective use of NHS resources to bring waiting times to within more acceptable levels and is entirely in line with the Government's recently announced "Concordat" with the private sector.
Fertilisation and Embryology
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what ethical considerations the Government will take into account in deciding its policy on embryonic stem cell research; and if he will make a statement. [138668]
Yvette Cooper [holding answer 16 November 2000]: All research on human embryos is strictly regulated by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990. This Act was introduced following detailed consideration by the Warnock Committee in the early 1980s of the issues raised by developing technologies in this area. The provisions in the Act were subject to considerable debate in both Houses.
Following the recommendations in the Chief Medical Officer's expert group report: "Stem Cell Research: Medical Progress with Responsibility", the Government announced their intention to introduce regulations to extend the purposes for which human embryos may be used in research. These Regulations will be decided on a free vote. The expert group included members with a wide range of interests, including ethics.
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We also took account of the joint Report by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and Human Genetics Advisory Commission: "Cloning Issues in Reproduction, Science and Medicine" (December 1998) and reports from other bodies such as the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, as well as views in Europe and elsewhere.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the clinical data recording errors contained in the HFEA February 2000 update. [138671]
Yvette Cooper [holding answer 16 November 2000]: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority operates a systems and data audit programme. This is used to monitor the standard of IVF and donor insemination treatment records and provide assurances for the National Audit Office regarding the collection of licence fee income. The HFEA audit is in the fourth year of its five-year programme and has identified areas where errors could be avoided by licensed clinics. It has also provided information and guidance to clinics on improvements in the quality of their information.
The authority's February 2000 Update reports a number of discrepancies found as part of the audit, such as inaccurate reporting of patients' and partners' full name, patient reference and treatment date.
The audit programme and publication of the Update series demonstrates the HFEA's commitment to reducing errors and improving the way that information is recorded.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the granting of a licence by the HFEA in 1996 to the Centre for Genome Research, University of Edinburgh for the culture of multipotential human embryos. [138672]
Yvette Cooper [holding answer 16 November 2000]: In February 1996 the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority issued a two-year research licence for a project entitled "Culture of Multipotential Human Embryo Cells" at the Centre for Genome Research, University of Edinburgh. The objective of the proposed research was to establish cell lines from human embryos with a view to analysing the factors that affect the development of embryos fertilised and grown "in vitro" and to assess their development potential. An application was made for renewal in February 1998 and a licence was granted in May 1998 for a further two years.
The objectives of this research are (i) to promote advances in the treatment of infertility; (ii) to increase knowledge about the causes of congenital disease; and (iii) to develop methods for detecting the presence of gene or chromosome abnormalities in embryos before implantation.
The centre is required to provide reports on the progress of the research and is subject to inspection by the authority.
20 Nov 2000 : Column: 51W
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on (a) the use of adult stem cells and (b) therapeutic cloning. [138670]
Yvette Cooper [holding answer 16 November 2000]: The issues of stem cell research and therapeutic cloning were comprehensively discussed in the report of the Chief Medical Officer's Expert Group--"Stem Cell research: Medical progress with responsibility" published in August of this year, copies of which are available in the Library.
The report concluded that research on stem cells from all sources provides the possibility of exciting prospects for future therapies for a range of debilitating diseases including Parkinson's, Diabetes, spinal injuries and liver disease. However a great deal of research will be needed to realise such potential.
We have accepted the recommendations of the report and will introduce Regulations to extend the permitted research purposes under the 1990 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act to allow for research on embryonic stem cells. The Regulations will be decided by a free vote. Research involving adult stem cells is not subject to legal restrictions.
NHS (Disciplinary Action)
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many staff were dismissed in the last year from the NHS following disciplinary action, in the last year for which figures are available; [139090]
- (2) how many staff were (a) demoted and (b) suspended, pending investigation, in the last year for which figures are available in the NHS; [139091]
(3) how many NHS staff were given (a) a first written warning and (b) a final written warning in the last week for which figures are available; [139092]
(4) how many disciplinary panels were convened in the NHS in the last year for which figures are available; [139093]
(5) how many employees of the NHS are currently suspended; [139095]
(6) how many working days were missed as a result of suspension of staff within the NHS over the last year; [139096]
(7) how many appeals against disciplinary action were made by NHS staff in the last year; and what percentage of those appeals were upheld. [139097]
Mr. Denham: The Department does not routinely collect information regarding the disciplinary proceedings carried out in National Health Service organisations. However, it does collect information regarding the suspension of hospital doctors and community dentists which have lasted longer than six months.
The most recent information collected shows that in the period 1 July to 30 September the total number of hospital doctors and community dentists who had been suspended for longer than six months was 26.
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