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Registered GP Patients

Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of (a) people over 18, (b) people under 18 and (c) the total population were registered with a general practitioner in (i) England and (ii) each NHS region in each year since 1996. [83799]

Mr. Hutton: This information is contained respectively in the primary care trusts' lists of populations registered with a general practitioner and in the national Office of National Statistics census resident population. These two data sources are different and do not allow the requested comparison to be made.

Reservists

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of (a) general practitioners, (b) consultants, (c) nurses and (d) other NHS staff who will be required to serve overseas in the event of a conflict with Iraq (i) from the West Midlands (South) Strategic Health Authority area and (ii) from the NHS. [90347]

Mr. Lammy: At this stage, we do not know how many national health service staff in the Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire Strategic Health Authority area or in the NHS as a whole might be required to serve overseas in any possible action against Iraq.

Roaccutane

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when the Medical Control Agency will complete the review of the safety of Roaccutane; and what independent sources of information have been used by the Medical Control Agency in the assessment of the side effects of Roaccutane; [90766]

(2) what research has been undertaken into those suffering the most serious side effects of Roaccutane to identify those who may be vulnerable; and if he will review advice given to doctors and patients regarding the side effects of Roaccutane; [90767]

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(3) how many reported cases of patients suffering side effects of Roaccutane there have been in each year since it was first prescribed. [90768]

Mr. Lammy: Roaccutane (isotretinoin), a vitamin A derivative for the treatment of severe acne, was launched on the United Kingdom market in 1983. The table provides a breakdown of the number of reports of suspected adverse reactions received each year through the Yellow Card Scheme for oral isotretinoin.

Year reaction occurred	Number of reports
1983	10
1984	36
1985	59
1986	89
1987	75
1988	64
1989	36
1990	56
1991	44
1992	60
1993	57
1994	75
1995	56
1996	57
1997	64
1998	100
1999	82
2000	97
2001	65
2002	43

A report of a suspected adverse reaction does not necessarily mean that it was caused by the medicine. The number of reports received should not be used as a basis for determining the incidence of a reaction as neither the total number of reactions occurring, nor the number of patients using the drug is known.

The safety of all medicines on the UK market is continuously monitored by the Medicines Control Agency (MCA) with independent expert advice from the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM). The sources of information used in this process include UK and foreign reports of suspected adverse reactions, published literature and unpublished studies, information on the level of drug prescribing, information received from other regulatory authorities throughout the world as well as information received from the marketing authorisation holder. There is a substantial body of published research on the safety of isotretinoin and a list of relevant publications has been placed in the House Library.

Warnings about risk factors are included in the summary of product characteristics (SPC) for prescribers and the patient information leaflet (PIL). The product information for oral isotretjnoin products states that it should not be used in patients with the following risk factors for side effects: known hypersensitivity (allergy) to the product, liver and kidney disease and in patients taking certain antibiotics

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(tetracyclines). In addition, isotretinoin should not be used during pregnancy because of the risk of major foetal abnormalities and should not be given to breast feeding women. Warnings are also present about a possible increase in the risk of side effects in patients with a history of depression, patients with diabetes, obesity, alcoholism or lipid metabolism disorders and asthmatic patients.

Advice about the side effects associated with the use of isotretinoin and the risk of teratogenicity (birth defects) has been issued to all doctors and pharmacists in the MCA/GSM bulletin "Current Problems in Pharmacovigilance" in October 1983, December 1997 and August 1998 as well as in the British National Formulary which is issued to health professionals twice a year.

The MCA is currently leading a European-wide review of the product information of isotretinoin products including Roaccutane, with the aim to ensure that up-to-date and consistent information is provided to health professionals and patients to optimise its safe use. This review is likely to take some months to complete. Any new advice will be communicated to health professionals and patients.

Romford (New Hospital)

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with the

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NHS Trust in Havering regarding the building of a new hospital in Romford; and if he will make a statement. [90299]

Mr. Hutton: I have had no discussions with the national health service trust in Havering regarding the building of a new hospital in Romford.

Barking Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust is making good progress with the development of the private finance initiative solution for the new hospital. It has selected a preferred bidder and the full business case (FBC) is now with the Department of Health. Subject to approval of the FBC, it is anticipated that contracts will be signed by March 2003.

Section 56 Grants

Mr. Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of organisations applying for section 56 grants have been successful in each of the past 10 years; and what the average grant given was in each of those years. [88995]

Mr. Lammy [holding answer 7 January 2003]: The Department's Section 64 General Scheme of grants is its main support of national voluntary organisations working in the health and social care fields. Grants may be awarded for up to three financial years. In each application round, on average, only one in three or one in four applications for new/renewal grants are successful.

During 1996–97, a new database was set up to control records and the table shows the data held.

Financial year	Applications received	Total grants paid	Voluntary organisations receiving grants	Total amount of grants paid £ million	Average grant £000
1995–96	—(20)	595	416	19.9	33.4
1996–97	629	581	450	20.8	35.8
1997–98	627	612	440	21.4	35.0
1998–99	784	643	469	21.1	32.8
1999–2000	717	643	410	22.2	34.5
2000–01	713	579	373	22.6	39.0
2001–02	764	583	397	21.5	36.9

⁽²⁰⁾ Not available.

Note:

Column 2 shows the total number of applications for separate grants received for each financial year. Records are not kept, however, of the number of voluntary organisations applying. Variations in the total amount of grants paid in column 5 reflect in-year transfers of funds for particular grants or initiatives.

Sterile Service Facilities

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultations his Department has had (a) within and (b) outside the NHS about the (i) provision of sterilisation services and (ii) proposals for a new network of centralised sterile service facilities for the NHS in England. [90618]

Mr. Lammy: The Department has not organised any formal consultation exercise about the provision of decontamination services. We did, however, organise a series of roadshows on decontamination for the national health service in 2001. Officials have also had numerous discussions with individual NHS trusts and other NHS organisations.

The Department is actively seeking to develop the market in sterile services and is encouraging new entrants as well as existing suppliers to participate in procurements. To that end, officials have met existing and potential suppliers on over 100 occasions: in specially arranged conferences and workshops, private meetings with individual companies, visits to reference sites and meetings with trade associations.

Student Nurses

Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average value is of the bursary for students of nursing degrees in terms of pounds per hour. [88659]

Mr. Hutton: Nursing degree students are required to complete a minimum number of training hours over the whole of any course. The number of actual hours of study in an academic year will vary considerably. There

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are also significant variations in the levels of bursary degree students receive to take account of individual circumstances.

For these reasons it is not possible to provide an average value of nursing students' bursaries in terms of pounds per hour.

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