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Leukaemia (Oldbury Nuclear Power Station)
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will evaluate the research by Dr. Chris Binky on the possible links between childhood leukaemia and adult cases to proximity to Oldbury nuclear power station. [160283]
Yvette Cooper [holding answer 8 May 2001]: The independent Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE), which advises Government on such matters had already recommended an investigation of the geographical distribution of childhood cancer and leukaemia in Great Britain and how the pattern of cases around nuclear installations compares with the national pattern. This study is nearing completion and my Department has asked COMARE to advise on which, if any, nuclear installations have incidences of childhood cancer and leukaemia in their vicinity which are statistically outside the distribution seen nationally. COMARE are hoping to report this year. In addition the health authority will examine any research sent to them around the Oldbury nuclear power station.
Strokes (Women)
Mrs. Brinton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he is taking to combat the incidence of stroke in women. [160541]
Yvette Cooper [holding answer 9 May 2001]: Key risk factors for stroke include poor diet, smoking, obesity, alcohol misuse and physical inactivity. The Department is taking action to address the incidence of stroke through the National Service Frameworks (NSFs) for Coronary Heart Disease and Older People. Action is being taken forward to:
- improve access to healthy food through the five-a-day programme and work with industry to reduce salt in food.
- provide National Health Service smoking cessation services including dedicated services for pregnant smokers who want to give up.
- address alcohol misuse through the National Strategy to Tackle Alcohol Misuse
increase opportunities to exercise through the provision of services locally such as Exercise Referral schemes.
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Cancer (Severn Estuary)
Mr. Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what incidence of cancer there has been, on a postcode basis, for the Severn Estuary region for the most recent three year period for which figures are available. [160788]
Yvette Cooper: The Department does not collect the information in the form requested. For detailed information the hon. Member should contact Dr. Jennifer Smith, Director of the South and West Cancer Intelligence Service at Highcroft, Romsey Road, Winchester, Hampshire, SO22 5DH.
Mental Health
Mr. Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of health spending was allocated to treatment and research into mental health in the last financial year. [160784]
Mr. Hutton: Information on mental health expenditure for 2000-01 is not yet available.
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will rank each health authority in England and Wales by incidence of (a) psychiatric morbidity and (b) schizophrenia. [160973]
Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not available centrally.
In 1993, the Department commissioned surveys by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) into the prevalence of psychiatric disorders among adults aged 16-64 living in private households and other institutions in Great Britain. It is estimated that about one adult in six in the United Kingdom aged between 16 and 64 suffers from some form of mental illness. This includes psychosis, (a prevalence of 44 per 1000 population) of which schizophrenia makes up less than one per cent. The results of the surveys were presented in a series of reports covering prevalence of psychiatric problems among adults as well as their associated social disabilities and uses of services.
It is also estimated that one child in ten between the ages of 5 and 15 suffers from a mental disorder in Great Britain. The source for the prevalence of mental disorder in children is a survey on mental health of children and adolescents in private households carried out by the ONS in 1999.
The information at health authority level is not reliable because of the sample size used in the surveys.
Professor Dick Van Velzen
Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will (1) require the Medicines Control Agency to re-examine research findings by Professor Dick Van Velzen into medicines used in the treatment of cystic fibrosis; [160707]
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- (2) meet Professor John Dodge of the University of Wales, to discuss his concerns about research undertaken by Professor Dick Van Velzen into the treatment of cystic fibrosis. [160706]
Mr. Denham: In 1994-95 Professor Van Velzen undertook research into bowel strictures (fibrosing colonopathy) reported in children with cystic fibrosis, as one of several pathologists, paediatricians and epidemiologists. The study report, together with other information, led to warnings from the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) on the use of high-strength pancreatic enzymes. There have been no new confirmed cases of fibrosing colonopathy reported to the CSM since their advice was issued in 1995. The study to which Professors Van Velzen and Dodge contributed was published in The Lancet, and I refer my hon. Friend to correspondence on this issue published in The Lancet dated 12 May 2001. We do not consider a meeting with Professor Dodge to be necessary.
Doctors and Nurses (Greater Manchester)
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) doctors and (b) nurses there are per 1,000 patients in each NHS trust in Greater Manchester. [159782]
Mr. Denham [holding answer 9 May 2001]: Population figures are available only on a health authority basis. These figures are not directly comparable to National Health Service trusts as patients can often cross health authority boundaries for their treatment.
Maternity Services
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the Government's policy towards midwife-led maternity units; and how much of the recently announced extra expenditure for maternity services will be allocated to them. [160719]
Yvette Cooper [holding answer sent 10 May 2001]: Every single maternity unit in the country will benefit from the extra investment of £100 million which was announced recently. All maternity units, including midwife-led units, will have the opportunity to submit a bid to their regional heath authority to help modernise and improve services. No decisions have yet been made on the allocations to individual regions.
We believe that women must have more choices over the maternity care they receive. The National Heath Service provides a variety of types of care for women during pregnancy and childbirth including care in midwife led units. We would expect to see this variety continue, offering individual choice whenever possible.
The Maternity and Neonatal Workforce Working Group that has recently been set up by the Department will advise the Department on models of care, working practices and standards for maternity and neonatal care, to ensure the best outcomes for women and their babies.
Walsall (Funding)
Mr. Bruce George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding has been made available to the Borough of Walsall by his Department since June 1997. [160995]
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Yvette Cooper: Detailed information on the impact of Department of Health policies nationally is set out in the Department of Health Annual reports. A copy of the most recent report "Department of Health--Government Expenditure Plans 2000-01" is available in the Library and on the Department of Health website at www.doh.gov.uk/dhreport.
My hon. Friend's question relates to the geographical area covered by Walsall health authority and Walsall social services authority.
Walsall health authority general allocations on behalf of its resident population for 2001-02 compared with 1997-98 is set out in the table.
| Increase | |
|---|---|
| £ million (cash) | 53.6 |
| £ million (real terms) | 35.0 |
| Percentage (cash) | 40.7 |
| Percentage (real terms) | 24.6 |
Note:
Not directly comparable from 1999-2000 onwards due to introduction of unified budgets for HA and primary care services
Walsall health authority has also received additional funding for certain policies. This includes: £0.7 million for accident and emergency modernisation; £0.37 million allocated since 1997 for specific cancer services (breast, colorectal and lung cancer services and cancer outpatient services) as well as £0.11 million allocated for cancer equipment; £3.43 million to deliver improvements in inpatient waiting lists and outpatient waiting times; £0.67 million for Booked Admissions Projects; £0.71 million to expand critical care services in 2000-01; £0.75 million winter pressures in 2000-01; £0.11 million for heart disease services 2000-01; £0.03 million from Investing in Dentistry; £0.18 million Health Action Zone moneys for smoking cessation.
Walsall is the lead health authority for the proposed £43 million "5th wave" scheme at Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust and Walsall Community Health NHS Trust--work to develop this scheme is due to begin in 2002.
Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust has also received £0.5 million from the Local Capital Modernisation Fund for new hospital equipment and other projects proposed by clinical teams.
Walsall local authority's personal social services standard spending assessment for 2001-02 compared with 1996-97 is set out in the table.
| Percentage increase | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| £ million | Real | Cash | |
| 1996-97 | 39.4 | -- | -- |
| 2001-02 | 52.7 | 18.5 | 33.8 |
In addition to the SSAs referred to, Walsall local authority received additional funding in the form of a number of special and specific grants as set out in the table.
(9) The special transitional grant ended in 1998-99
(10) The partnership and prevention grants have been combined in 2001-02 and called the promoting independence grant
(11) The carers' and children's grants were introduced in 1999-2000
(12) Indicative allocation
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