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Accidental Injuries
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent annually by his Department on (a) research into the prevention of accidental injuries and (b) public awareness campaigns to prevent accidental injuries in each of the last five years; and what the costs to the NHS were of treating accidental injuries in the same period. [140666]
Ms Stuart: The main Government agency for health related research is the Medical Research Council (MRC) which receives its funding via the Department for Trade and Industry. The Department of Health funds research to support policy and the delivery of effective practice in the National Health Service. For the last five years the combined funding by these bodies into the prevention of accidental injuries was as follows.
| Date | £ |
|---|---|
| 1996-97 | (15)17,305 |
| 1997-98 | 366,068 |
| 1998-99 | 702,412 |
| 1999-2000 | 682,954 |
| 2000-01 | (15)46,302 |
(15) Department of Health only
Over the last five years the Department has run several campaigns to prevent accidental injuries. Spending in those years when campaigns were run was as follows:
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| Date | £ |
|---|---|
| 1997-98 | 108,000 |
| 1998-99 | 78,494 |
| 1999-2000 | (16)212,530 |
| 2000-01 | 123,000 |
(16) budget
The annual cost to the NHS of treating accidental injuries has been estimated at about £1.6 billion each year (Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation 1999).
Medical Research
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health by what means his Department (a) monitors and (b) evaluates medical research undertaken elsewhere in the world. [140543]
Ms Stuart: The Department has established mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating medical research undertaken elsewhere in the world. In general, this is an ongoing activity and is part of the day-to-day work of many officials particularly in-house scientists and doctors who are sometimes national and international experts themselves. It is also part of the remit of many of the Department's advisory committees to advise on new scientific discoveries and to present recommendations for further research. The Department is able to call on advice from the Medical Research Council which itself maintains close contact with the progress and implications of medical research around the world. In addition, there are four specific mechanisms.
The National Horizon Scanning Centre (NHSC) at the University of Birmingham provides advance notice to the Department of new and emerging health technologies that might require urgent evaluation, consideration of clinical and cost impact or modification of clinical guidance. Health technologies include pharmaceuticals, medical devices, diagnostic tests and procedures, surgery, rehabilitation and health promotion activities. The NHSC hosts the Secretariat for EuroScan, the European Information Network on New and Changing Health Technologies. EuroScan was developed to explore the potential for and benefits of sharing information on selected emerging health technologies or new applications of existing ones.
The United Kingdom Cochrane Centre has the overall purpose of facilitating and co-ordinating reviews primarily in the specialised area of randomised controlled trials of health care. Cochrane Reviews place an emphasis on completeness and continuous updating. They are extremely thorough and put a lot of work into identifying relevant research from around the world. The UK Cochrane Centre helped establish the Cochrane Collaboration, which is an independent, international organisation that aims to help people make well informed decisions about health care by preparing, maintaining and promoting the accessibility of systematic reviews of the effects of healthcare interventions. The Cochrane Reviews are undertaken by Collaborative Review Groups (CRGs) comprising experts in particular fields from all over the world.
The Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (CRD) commissions and supports experts to undertake specific systematic reviews in areas of priority to the National Health Service. In conducting reviews, the UK Cochrane
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Centre and CRD work closely together and take account of all work relevant to their area, including work funded in this country by organisations other than the NHS, and work undertaken overseas. The CRD also maintains the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness (DARE) which contains approximately 500 abstracts of systematic reviews.
The NHS Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme is a national programme of research funded by the Department's research and development programme. The purpose of the programme is to ensure that high quality research information on the cost, effectiveness and broader impact of health technologies available to those who use, manage and provide care in the NHS. The National Co-ordinating Centre for HTA (NCCHTA), which is part of the Wessex Institute for Health Research and Development at the University of Southampton, co-ordinates the HTA programme on behalf of the research and development programme. Much of the work of the programme comprises systematic reviews of the worldwide literature on particular topics. The HTA Programme maintains links with international HTA organisations such as the International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment and the International Society of Technology Assessment in Health Care. There is also close collaboration between the NCCHTA and other international agencies. In particular, NCCHTA works closely with the UK Cochrane Centre, the Cochrane Collaboration and the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination to ensure co-ordination between these related activities.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Advanta Seeds
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice Ministers or officials in his Department gave Advanta UK or companies associated with Advanta UK, about disclosure of information that rapeseed sold to British farmers was contaminated with genetically modified rapeseed. [126865]
Mr. Nick Brown [holding answer 19 June 2000]: No advice was given other than to inform Advanta of the Government's intention to make a public announcement.
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will publish the written records of meetings held by his officials with Advanta Seeds between 17 April and 17 May; [128365]
- (2) pursuant to his oral statement of 8 June 2000, Official Report, column 501, if he will list the (a) dates on which meetings took place between Advanta Seeds and officials from his Department between 17 April and 17 May, (b) names and functions of the officials attending those meetings, (c) subjects discussed, (d) conclusions reached and (e) advice given by his officials to Advanta Seeds. [128466]
Mr. Nick Brown: A note of the meeting on 17 April has been published. No other meetings with Advanta took place in the period specified.
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GM Crops
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish the location of each of the genetically modified maize trials taking place in the United Kingdom. [128363]
Mr. Nick Brown: All the genetically modified (GM) maize under trial in the UK has a Part C marketing consent under EU Directive 90/220. This means it has undergone a detailed safety assessment and been approved for commercial release across the EU. The Directive does not require the disclosure of GM plantings with Part C approval, but the locations of Farm Scale Evaluation (FSE) trials of GM maize are available on the DETR website www.environment.detr.gov.uk, and the locations of National List trials of GM maize have been made available at civil parish level as follows:
| Variety/county | Parish |
|---|---|
| Sheridan | |
| Oxfordshire | Stoke Talmage |
| Somerset | Brockley |
| Yorkshire | Bramham cum Oglethorpe |
| Cambridgeshire | Histon |
| Shropshire | Ercall Magna |
The locations of other trails of GM maize do not need to be notified to the Government. However, we understand that only four such trails have been undertaken this year, and that these have been very small in scale, mainly co-located with other publicised trials, and subject to the same guidelines for GM cropping as in the FSE trials, including the application of separation distances between the GM plants and equivalent non-GM plants. The industry has agreed there will be no commercial growing of GM crops until the FSE trials has been completed and evaluated.
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the total acreage of GM crops planted in the UK under (a) Part B consents and (b) Part C consents. [136491]
Mr. Nick Brown [holding answer 6 November 2000]: Part B consents for GM plants under Directive 90/220 stipulate a maximum growing area. For plantings this year a total maximum area of about 650 hectares has been permitted, but it is expected that in practice the area actually sown will have been smaller. Plantings this year under a Part C consent are thought to total approximately 60 hectares. This includes Farm Scale Evaluation trials, National List trials and other small-scale trials.
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on gene stacking in herbicide resistant GM crops; and what investigations the Government have made on the potential impact of this phenomenon on British agriculture. [136739]
Mr. Nick Brown [holding answer 6 November 2000]: Gene stacking refers to plants with multiple GM traits, which may be developed intentionally or created unintentionally through cross-pollination. When considering proposed GM releases the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) evaluates the potential for, and implications of, stacked genes. If a proposed release poses an unacceptable risk to human health, animal health or the environment ACRE does not recommend approval. Other
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authorities in Europe have also considered this issue and it was the subject of a workshop held by the European Commission in 1998. ACRE has been kept informed of developments in this area.
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what crop trials have been carried out exclusively in other countries to provide an adequate research basis for Government decisions on GM crop commercialisation; and, in particular, the inclusion of GM seed varieties on the national seed list. [139640]
Mr. Nick Brown [holding answer 21 November 2000]: The only GM crop trials, for the purposes of National List applications, that have been conducted in other countries are tests for varietal distinctness, uniformity and stability (DUS). Such DUS tests have been conducted only in France, by the French authorities, for the GM forage maize varieties Chardon LL and Sheridan. The tests and trials for all other GM varieties which are the subject of UK National List applications are conducted in the UK.
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which Minister is responsible for the issuing of Part C consents for GM crop trials. [136685]
Mr. Nick Brown [holding answer 6 November 2000]: In respect of England it is the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions and the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, acting jointly; for Scotland it is the Minister for Rural Development; for Wales it is the Secretary for Rural Affairs; and for Northern Ireland it is the Minister of the Environment.
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a full list of all GM crop trials currently licensed in this country, broken down by crop trial programme. [136723]
Mr. Nick Brown [holding answer 6 November 2000]: Details of all GM trials under Part B of Directive 90/220 are already published in a public register held by DETR. The locations of these trials are also given on the DETR website www.environment.detr.gov.uk as are, separately, the locations of the farm scale evaluation trials. The locations of National List trials of GM varieties are available on the MAFF website www.maff.gov.uk. Other small-scale trials of GM plants with Part C consent do not need to be notified to the Government. For further background on this matter I would refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Minister of State gave to the hon. Member for Taunton (Jackie Ballard) on 25 October 2000, Official Report, column 141W.
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