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PRIME MINISTER
Iraq
Angus Robertson: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with US President George W. Bush about seeking a new and specific United Nations Security Council mandate for any international offensive military action against Iraq. [44315]
The Prime Minister: I regularly discuss all aspects of Iraq policy with President Bush and the US Administration. My most recent discussions were with US Vice President Cheney in London on 11 March. I will have another opportunity to do so during my visit to the US next month.
Engineers
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Prime Minister (1) how many chartered engineers there are in the performance and innovation unit; and how many worked on the energy study published in February; [43463]
- (2) how many people are employed in the performance and innovation unit; and how many have engineering and science qualifications at first degree level and above. [43464]
The Prime Minister: On 1 March 2002 there were 84 people working in the performance and innovation unit (PIU) based in the Cabinet Office. The PIU works on a range of projects at any one time, and the number of staff and their educational qualifications vary accordingly.
Five people worked full-time on the energy review from beginning to end. Four people transferred to the energy review from the separate resource productivity and renewable energy project halfway through the energy review. A further eight people provided part-time, advisory or administrative support as required by the main team.
None of the full-time members of the project team were chartered engineers. The team had access to scientific and engineering expertise through supporting consultants, members of the advisory group and from the organisations consulted during the course of the project. Full details are given in Annexes 2 and 3 of the Energy Review.
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HEALTH
Departmental Staff
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff left the service of his Department and its agencies in the year ended 31 March 2001; how many left before attaining the formal retirement age of 60 years; and in respect of how many his Department and its agencies assumed responsibilities for making payments until retirement age. [37550]
Ms Blears: I refer the right hon. Member to the central answer provided by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister, on 13 March 2002.
Information in respect of how many staff in the Department and its agencies assumed responsibility for making payments until retirement age is shown in the table.
| Departures between April 2000 and March 2001 | |
|---|---|
| Health (excluding agencies) | (26)17 |
| Medical Devices Agency | 0 |
| Medical Controls Agency | 0 |
| NHS Estates | 1 |
| NHS Purchasing and Supplies Agency | 0 |
| NHS Purchasing and Supplies Agency | 0 |
| Total | 18 |
(26) Early retirement departures as a result of the closure the Glenthorne Youth Treatment Centre, Birmingham (GYTC) are not included
Source:
Paymaster billing sheet March 2001
Glivec
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) which health authorities are providing the cancer drug Glivec; how many people are receiving the drug, broken down by health authority; at what cost; and if he will make a statement; [38233]
- (2) whether there is a mechanism for patients unable to receive the cancer drug Glivec from their own health authority to have the treatment in another health authority; and if he will make a statement; [38232]
(3) when he expects the NICE report on the drug Glivec for chronic myeloid leukaemia to be published; and if he will make a statement; [38410]
(4) which health authorities provide patients with the drug Glivec for chronic myeloid leukaemia; and if he will make a statement. [38412]
Yvette Cooper: Information on the provision and cost of Glivec by individual health authority is not available. The funding of treatment for patients is the responsibility of the health authority where the patient lives.
Once a drug is licensed in the United Kingdom it can be prescribed for use in the NHS for patients who meet the licensed criteria. As with all newly licensed treatments awaiting a NICE appraisal, the Department's advice is that funding authorities should consider the clinical evidence available for a specific treatment before making any decision.
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Glivec received its UK licence last November and so can be prescribed for use in the NHS for patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia who meet the licensed criteria.
It is anticipated that NICE will issue guidance on the use of Glivec for chronic myeloid leukaemia in August 2002.
Nursing Care Payments
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) on what basis the Minister decided not to follow the recommendations of the Steering Group set up to look at the way free nursing care payments should be paid; [38057]
- (2) what representations he has received since 1 October 2001 in favour of free nursing care payments being paid direct to nursing home owners; [38056]
(3) if he will offer care homes the option of clients being paid the free nursing care payments; [38227]
(4) if he will offer care homes the option of the free nursing care payments being paid directly to the clients as well as the nursing home; and if he will make a statement. [38058]
Jacqui Smith: I have received no such representations since 1 October.
The stakeholder group set up to oversee implementation of free nursing care did not recommend that payments should be made to individuals rather than to care homes.
The national health service traditionally provides services to patients or arranges for others, in this case independent care providers, to provide services to them.
Medicine Safety
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many appeals made against definitive decisions by the Committee on Safety of Medicines were heard by the (a) full committee of the Committee on Safety of Medicines and (b) Medicines Commission in each year since 1996. [37650]
Ms Blears: The number of appeals heard by the Committee on Safety of Medicines and the Medicines Commission between 1996 and December 2001 are shown in the following table:
| CSM | Medicines Commission | |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 14 | 3 |
| 1997 | 14 | 1 |
| 1998 | 11 | 3 |
| 1999 | 11 | 0 |
| 2000 | 12 | 3 |
| 2001 | 11 | 4 |
This information is published annually in the reports of the Medicines Act Advisory Bodies, copies of which are available in the Library. The report relating to the work undertaken by these committees during 2001 will be published later this year. The information can also be found on the website of the Medicines Control Agency at www.mca.gov.uk.
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Catering Services
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was of (a) in-house canteen and (b) other catering services provided by his Department in each of the last four years. [38920]
Ms Blears: The direct cost to the Department of (a) in-house canteen and (b) other catering services provided is shown in the table.
| (a) | (b) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 66,590 | 706,057 |
| 1998–99 | 63,760 | 1,002,184 |
| 1999–2000 | 73,737 | 1,063,325 |
| 2000–01 | 83,349 | 900,532 |
Civil Servants
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out for each Civil Service grade within his (a) Department and (b) Department's executive agencies the (i) total number of staff employed, (ii) number aged (A) 16 to 25, (B) 26 to 35, (C) 36 to 45, (D) 46 to 60 and (E) over the age of 60 years, (iii) number of registered disabled and (iv) number of ethnic minorities. [39149]
Ms Blears: I refer the hon. Member to the central answer provided by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister, on 13 March 2002.
Unlicensed Medicines
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the annual budget is for (a) 2000, (b) 2001, (c) 2002 and (d) 2003 for the Special Unit to investigate possible breaches of regulations on the internet set up within the Medicines Control Agency's Enforcement Group. [39019]
Ms Blears: The Special Enquiry Unit forms part of the Enforcement Group within the Medicines Control Agency. The budget for the Group is set at approximately £1,600,000 per annum.
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time members are in the Medicines Control Agency's Enforcement Group Special Unit to investigate possible breaches of regulations on the internet. [39020]
Ms Blears: Following the absorption of the Special Enquiry Unit into the main investigation area in 2001 the number of officers assigned to internet investigations, has varied according to the assessed public health risk.
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) supporting and (b) co-ordinating activities have been undertaken by the Medicines Control Agency for the International Forum on Pharmaceutical Crime established in Ottawa in 1999 that relate to the sale of licensed and unlicensed medicines via the internet. [38819]
Ms Blears: There have been four meetings of the International Forum on Pharmaceutical Crime since its foundation in 1998 at Sunningdale, with subsequent conferences in Ottawa 1999, Holland 2000 and Washington 2001.
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Medicines Control Agency (MCA) was the co-ordinator for the initial conference and provided the main co-ordination facility for the subsequent conferences.
Internet crime has been discussed by the Forum.
One of the last initiatives undertaken was an international internet sweep, for which the Office of Fair Trading was the United Kingdom's co-ordinator in February 2002. MCA was directly involved.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission are co-ordinating the global results. Relevant cases in breach of UK legislation will be forwarded to the MCA for further investigations.
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Special Unit to investigate possible breaches of regulations on the internet was set up within the Medicines Control Agency's Enforcement Group. [39021]
Ms Blears: The Special Enquiry Unit of the Medicines Control Agency Enforcement Group, was originally set up in 1998 to investigate offences involving the sale and supply of Viagra. The unit then developed the necessary competence to investigate internet crime. After this initial phase the unit was absorbed into the main investigation area in October 2001. However, investigation of internet offences remains a high priority.
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