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Tolcapone
Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his policy on the drug Tolcapone. [139279]
Ms Stuart: Tolcapone, a treatment for Parkinson's Disease, is not currently available in the United Kingdom or in any other European member state. The marketing authorisation for Tolcapone, issued under the European centralised system, was suspended in 1998 following reports of serious side effects affecting the liver.
NHS Direct
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when NHS Direct will be available throughout England. [139574]
Ms Stuart: NHS Direct has been available to callers throughout England since the end of October this year. The period since NHS Direct's launch has been invaluable in shaping the service. NHS Direct is no longer a stand-alone telephone helpline. Independent evaluation highlights a service that is safe and popular, and increases access to advice and information without increasing demands on other parts of the NHS.
On 20 November we published a guide to NHS Direct called "NHS Direct, A gateway to healthcare", copies of which are available in the Library.
North Yorkshire Health Authority
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the percentage of the increased expenditure recently announced for North Yorkshire Health Authority that will go towards administering (a) primary care groups and (b) primary care trusts; and if he will make a statement. [139482]
Mr. Denham: The North Yorkshire Health Authority intends to create primary care trusts by using existing resources invested in primary care group management costs, together with management costs transferred from trusts and the health authority resulting from the movement of services/responsibilities to the primary care trusts. The authority plans to remain recurrently within the given management cost envelope.
Foetal Abnormality Syndrome
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has made an assessment of the research conducted worldwide into foetal abnormality syndrome and its connection with the consumption of alcohol during pregnancy. [139404]
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Ms Stuart [holding answer 21 November 2000]: I understand research indicates that although maternal age, parity, and health as well as specific foetal susceptibility may contribute to the outcome for an infant whose mother drinks alcohol while pregnant, the potential for harm to the foetus is much stronger with large amounts of maternal alcohol consumption than with smaller amounts. My Department's advice therefore centres on it being better not to drink alcohol during pregnancy, suggests strategies to avoid alcohol consumption and advises that if alcohol is consumed that it be restricted to no more than two units (equivalent to one pint of ordinary beer) once or twice a week.
Patient Advocate and Liaison Service
Mr. Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what measures he proposes to ensure that the patient advocates employed by the Patient Advocate and Liaison Service will be independent of the trusts employing them; [139965]
- (2) what plans he has to involve voluntary organisations in the proposals for advocacy in the Patient Advocate and Liaison Service. [139966]
Ms Stuart: The National Health Service Plan announced the creation of a Patient Advocacy Liaison Service to be established within every NHS trust.
Over the last few months we have held a series of national stakeholder seminars to develop the detail of the new arrangements for public and patient involvement, including the development of PALS and mechanisms for ensuring independence where appropriate. The output from the seminars will be taken into account when developing the guidance for the new arrangements, which we expect to launch in the new year.
Small Practices Association
Mr. Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to hold discussions with the Small Practices Association in respect of the proposals referred to in the NHS Plan. [139938]
Mr. Denham: I have agreed with the Small Practices Association that we should meet to discuss our proposals, and the concerns that some people have about them, when detailed proposals are more fully developed.
In the meantime, and at my instruction, senior officials maintain regular contact and an ongoing dialogue with the Small Practices Association on all matters affecting small and single-handed general practice.
Correspondence
Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason he has not answered the question tabled for answer on 13 November, by the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to correspondence concerning Mr. D. Garnett. [139679]
Ms Stuart: There was an administrative delay in replying to my right hon. Friend's letter about Mr. Garnett which meant that my right hon. Friend's question of 13 November could not be answered substantively.
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Vaccines
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, (1) pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Bethnal Green and Bow (Ms King) of 23 October 2000, Official Report, columns 78-80W, when Ministers discovered that the 1989 guidelines applied only to injectable medicines, and to those applied to the eyes or open wounds; and what steps he is taking in respect of the Medicines Control Agency, following the incorrect advice proffered to Ministers; [138992]
- (2) to what extent vaccines cleared for general use may contain material of bovine origin used as ingredients in the process of production; [138929]
(3) what procedures his Department (a) has in place and (b) has had in place since 1989 to ensure that vaccines comply with the 1989 regulations relating to the use of bovine material in the production of vaccines; [138931]
(4) if he will set out the ways in which the polio vaccine manufactured in the Medeva plant in Speke which was recently withdrawn used bovine material in the manufacturing process. [138923]
Yvette Cooper [holding answer 21 November 2000]: I have asked the Chief Medical Officer to review all the advice given to Ministers on vaccines in relation to public health and vCJD. This review will include the circumstances leading to the withdrawal of the Medeva manufactured oral polio vaccine and advice to Ministers on withdrawal or recall of vaccines more generally.
When the report of the CMO is available, I will respond to the specific points raised.
ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS
Waste
Mr. Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to increase the effectiveness of the monitoring of emissions from waste disposal incinerators. [138188]
Mr. Hill: Authorisations issued by the Environment Agency to operators of the waste incinerators that it regulates already require rigorous emissions monitoring to demonstrate compliance with its authorisation conditions. The Agency carries out independent check monitoring. The forthcoming EU Waste Incineration Directive will impose stringent emission standards (including a dioxin limit of 0.1ng/m 3 , which means one ten thousand of a gramme in each cubic meter of air) and associated comprehensive monitoring.
Motorway Lighting
Mr. Fearn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress has been made on installing lighting on those sections of the M1 and M6 which have none in place. [139067]
Mr. Hill: The decision on whether to provide lighting is based on an assessment carried out in accordance with the DETR "New Approach to Appraisal". This covers an economic assessment of the capital, maintenance and
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energy costs together with the potential savings as a result of a reduction in night-time personal injury accidents and the environmental impacts.
The work, which commenced recently, to install lighting on a 6 km section of the M1 between J26 and J27, is scheduled to finish in the spring of next year. At this time there are no proposals to install lighting on other sections of the M1 and M6 motorways.
Street Lighting
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his reply of 9 November 2000, Official Report, column 343W, on street lighting, when he expects the national condition survey for street lighting to be completed. [138900]
Mr. Hill: The survey will depend upon current research into non-destructive methods of assessing the structural condition of lighting columns. We estimate that the results could be available within a year, and we would then hope to be able to carry out the survey within the following two years.
Freight Access Charges
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what alternatives to the freight access charges to the rail network he has assessed. [139246]
Mr. Hill: The structure and level of freight access charges is a matter for the Rail Regulator as part of his approval of access contracts between Railtrack and freight operating companies. The Rail Regulator is currently carrying out a review of freight charging policy.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had with Railtrack about the level of freight access charges. [139247]
Mr. Hill: Ministers and officials in my Department meet regularly with Railtrack about a wide range of issues. The level of freight access charges is primarily a matter for the Rail Regulator to consider in exercising his function to approve access contracts between Railtrack and the freight operating companies.
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