| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Nurses (HIV)
Mr. Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if the NHS employs nurses who are HIV positive; [146842]
- (2) what health checks are carried out on prospective recruits into the NHS before they are employed as nurses. [146843]
Mr. Denham: HIV infection alone is not considered a bar to employment in the National Health Service as procedures in nurse training and general nursing do not pose a risk of infection to patients, provided routine infection control precautions are followed.
All students on pre-registration nursing and midwifery programmes are required to have undergone occupational health screening as outlined in standards set by the English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting.
Guidance on pre-employment health checks for National Health Service staff was sent to all NHS trusts and health authorities in 1998 (Health Service Circular 1998/064--"Management of Health, Safety and Welfare Issues for NHS Staff"), copies of which are available in the Library. The guidance makes clear that all NHS staff should have a pre-employment health assessment on taking up their first post in the NHS, on subsequent appointment with new NHS employers and on job change,
25 Jan 2001 : Column: 692W
where this involves a significant change of duties. The purpose of the pre-employment health assessment is to ensure that:
- prospective staff are physically and psychologically capable of carrying out the proposed work, taking into account any current or previous illnesses; and
- any work related diseases from "hazardous agents" likely to develop can be identified.
Male Breast Cancer
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the mortality rate for male breast cancer in each of the last 10 years. [146912]
Miss Melanie Johnson: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Eric Pickles, dated 25 January 2001:
- As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question on the mortality rate for male breast cancer in each of the last ten years (146812).
- The information requested is provided in the attached table.
| Number of deaths | Age-standardised mortality rate (20) (per 100,000 population) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 107 | 0.4 |
| 1991 | 82 | 0.3 |
| 1992 | 92 | 0.4 |
| 1993 | 87 | 0.3 |
| 1994 | 87 | 0.3 |
| 1995 | 80 | 0.3 |
| 1996 | 67 | 0.2 |
| 1997 | 67 | 0.2 |
| 1998 | 75 | 0.3 |
| 1999 | 65 | 0.2 |
(19) Breast cancer deaths are classified according to the International Classification of disease, ninth edition, and are selected using ICD9 code 175
(20) The rate is calculated using the European standard population
PRIME MINISTER
Counter Terrorism
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Prime Minister (1) what recent representations have been made by other states concerning provision of counter terrorism check clearance; what states have agreed to co-operate or have entered reciprocal arrangements; and what states have refused to co-operate or expressed reservations; [147006]
- (2) if he will list those Departments and list X companies experiencing difficulties with counter terrorism check processing arising at governmental level in the Republic of Ireland; and what the nature of these difficulties are; [147002]
(3) how many posts are subject to counter terrorism check clearances; how many candidates in each Department have been rejected as a result of a failure to obtain CTC clearance in the last five years; what time
25 Jan 2001 : Column: 693W
- delay is built into the recruitment process to allow for CTC clearance; and what the ethnic and national breakdown is of those rejected candidates. [147003]
The Prime Minister [holding answer 23 January 2001]: Security vetting is carried out in accordance with the policy set out by the then Prime Minister in reply to a question from Sir Anthony Durant (then the hon. Member for Reading, West) on 15 December 1994, Official Report, columns 764-66W. Where an individual being vetted has overseas connections, for example if he or she has lived abroad, it is possible in certain circumstances for inquiries to be made with overseas agencies. In such cases there can be delays in obtaining information, and thus in Departments being able to make decisions on clearance. It is not Government policy to provide details of security matters, including relationships with other countries; but there are currently no particular difficulties in respect of vetting checks.
The length of the vetting process can vary according to individual circumstances, and it is for Departments and agencies to take this into account in their recruitment and personnel procedures. It is not Government policy to comment on the total numbers subject to security vetting, but in the year 1999-2000, 926 people were refused a CTC, or had such a clearance withdrawn. Information concerning the ethnic and national background of these individuals is not held centrally.
NHS
Mr. Hammond: To ask the Prime Minister if it is his policy that, provided the economy continues to perform well, UK health spending expressed as a percentage of GDP will reach the level of the European Union average by the end of 2004-05. [146959]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Erdington (Mr. Corbett) on 28 March 2000, Official Report, column 104W.
The public spending plans for 2004-05 have not yet been announced. It is not therefore possible to provide a figure for total health care in 2004-05.
Meetings
Mr. Amess: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the meetings he has held in the past three years with pharmaceutical and biotechnology (a) interests and (b) companies. [146863]
The Prime Minister: I have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals. As with previous Administrations it is not my practice to provide details of all such meetings.
Irish Prime Minister (Meetings)
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Prime Minister how many times he has met the Irish Prime Minister since 1 July 2000; and what the (a) date and (b) location of each meeting was. [146647]
25 Jan 2001 : Column: 694W
The Prime Minister: I have met the Taoiseach on the following occasions since July 2000:
| Date | Location/Event |
|---|---|
| 31 July | Working lunch at No. 10 |
| 6 September | UN Summit, New York |
| 10 October | Talks at No. 10 |
| 12 October | Bilateral talks during Information European Council, Biarritz |
| 20 October | Asia/Europe Business Forum in Seoul |
| 23 November | Bilateral talks on flight to EU/Balkans Summit in Zagreb |
| 7 December | Nice European Council |
Depleted Uranium
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Prime Minister if he will discuss with President Putin statements by senior Russian generals about the environmental consequences of the use by NATO of depleted uranium warheads. [146603]
The Prime Minister [holding answer 22 January 2001]: I have no plans to raise this issue with President Putin.
Holocaust Memorial Day
Mr. Stephen Twigg: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his plans for a national ceremony commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day in 2002. [147040]
The Prime Minister: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Altrincham and Sale, West (Mr. Brady) on 15 January 2001, Official Report, columns 1-2W.
Special Advisers
Mr. Baker: To ask the Prime Minister what the nature is of the work undertaken by the research and information Special Advisers employed in his Office. [147056]
The Prime Minister [holding answer 24 January 2001]: Special Advisers in the Research and Information Office work in accordance with the terms and conditions set out in the Model Contract for Special Advisers.
Mr. Baker: To ask the Prime Minister what salaries are paid to each of the research and information Special Advisers employed in the Prime Minister's Office. [147055]
The Prime Minister [holding answer 24 January 2001]: In line with established practice, details of individual Special Adviser salaries within individual Departments are not given in order to protect the privacy of the individual concerned.
Iraq
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Prime Minister if he will discuss with the Secretary General of the United Nations the policy of (a) creating no-fly zones and (b) continuing sanctions against Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [145545]
The Prime Minister [holding answer 24 January 2001]: We regularly discuss all aspects of our Iraq policy with the United Nations Secretariat, including the Secretary General.
25 Jan 2001 : Column: 695W
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |