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27 Jan 2003 : Column 687W—continued
Roaccutane
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many people in the UK have been prescribed roaccutane in each of the past five years; and what proportion of those people have reported symptoms of depression or psychiatric disorders; [91831]
- (2) what assessment he has made of the European Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products' review of safety information for roaccutane. [91832]
Ms Blears: It is not possible to estimate the precise number of patients who have received Roaccutane (isotretinoin) in the United Kingdom in the last five years. However, it has been estimated that approximately 375,000 treatment courses of isotretinoin have been prescribed between 1983 and May 2002.
The table provides the total number of suspected psychiatric disorders reported during each of the past five years through the Yellow Card Scheme for Roaccutane. It also shows the number of reports of symptoms of depression, which forms part of the total psychiatric disorders.
| 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psychiatric disorders | 48 | 44 | 50 | 26 | 25 |
| Depression | 23 | 17 | 17 | 11 | 11 |
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.
With expert advice from the Committee on Safety of Medicines, the Medicines Control Agency is currently leading a European-wide review of the product
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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.
Single-sex Wards
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has met in full its three objectives regarding single sex wards. [92584]
Mr. Hutton: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement made on 14 January 2003, Official Report, column 24WS.
West Midlands Hospitals (Red Alert)
Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many hospitals within the West Midlands (South) Strategic Health Authority area were on red alert on each day since 1 December 2002; and if he will make a statement; [90348]
- (2) on how many days since 1st December 2002 hospitals within the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust were on red alert; and if he will make a statement. [90349]
Mr. Lammy: The term "red alert" is used by a few National Health trusts. It does not have a standard definition.
Since 1 December 2002, a total of seven red alerts on seven separate days were issued by the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. No other hospital trusts within the West Midlands South Strategic Health Authority (StHA) area have issued red alerts in the period.
During this period, the trust experienced a significant amount of pressure, largely due to diarrhoea and vomiting outbreaks, in addition to an increase in thelevels of emergency admissions. Each health community within the StHA has an agreed escalation policy described in winter plans. Each phase of escalation policy is triggered by specific operational difficulties. When the circumstances deteriorate to such a level, patients are diverted to a nearby, alternative hospital, often within the same trust.
It is the StHA's view that the steps that were taken by the Worcestershire health economy were acceptable within the local guidelines and in line with the escalation policy.
Worcestershire Acute Hospital NHS Trust
Dr. Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was to the Worcestershire Acute Hospital, NHS Trust of their preparations for the recent inspection by the Commission for Health Improvement. [91504]
Mr. Lammy: The Worcestershire Acute Hospitals National Health Service Trust did not collect this information at the time of the inspection, nor is it collected centrally.
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Dr. Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what costs have been incurred by the Worcestershire Acute Hospital NHS Trust since September 2000 as a consequence of suspension of consultants. [91505]
Mr. Lammy: The Worcestershire Acute Hospitals National Health Service Trust has had one consultant suspension during the period. During that suspension, a locum consultant was employed by trust at NHS locum rates. In this particular case the costs amounted to approximately £30,000.
- Source:
- Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Speeding (Motorways)
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were convicted of motorway speeding offences, broken down into speed bands, in each of the last five years. [92712]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Information held centrally on the number of convictions for speeding offences does not distinguish the classification of road on which the offence took place nor the speedband registered.
Anti-social Behaviour Orders
Mr. Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many anti-social behaviour orders have been made in the Easington constituency; and if he will make a statement. [91608]
Mr. Denham: The number of notifications received by the Home Office of anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued, from 1 April 1999 up to 30 September 2002 (latest available), within the Easington district council area, (in which the Easington constituency is situated), are four.
We are aware that the numbers of ASBOs made nationally have been consistently under reported in returns made by magistrates courts and are considering how reporting can be improved.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he is taking to ensure that it is easier for the police to issue behaviour orders. [92018]
Mr. Denham: Changes under the Police Reform Act 2002 make it easier for all relevant authorities to obtain anti-social behaviour orders (ASBO). Interim orders are now available, as are orders on conviction in the criminal courts. From April orders will also be available in the county courts. In addition, the British Transport Police can now apply directly for orders. The Home Office has issued guidance on these changes to assist practitioners in their implementation.
Measures to further improve ASBOs are being introduced under the forthcoming anti-social behaviour bill.
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Asylum Seekers (EU Fingerprinting)
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the launch of the EU's centralised fingerprinting system aimed at asylum seekers. [92100]
Beverley Hughes: The Government welcome the implementation on 15 January of the centralised EURODAC fingerprint database. Fingerprint technology is an important tool to cut fraud and prevent abuse of national immigration and asylum systems. Co-operation with our European partners through the EURODAC system builds on this and EURODAC will provide a valuable resource to tackle multiple asylum applications. As it becomes established EURODAC will help speed up the processing of asylum cases under the Dublin Convention and its replacement, the Dublin II Regulation, by improving the detection of multiple asylum applications made within the EU or Norway and Iceland.
Asylum Seekers (Infant Formula Milk)
Mr. Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether vouchers for infant formula milk are provided for asylum seekers with young children; and if he will make a statement. [91828]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 22 January 2003]: Asylum seekers and their dependants are not eligible to obtain milk tokens under the Welfare Food Scheme Regulations 1996. On 5 November my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced that the asylum support regulations 2000 would be amended to allow for additional payments to be made to supported pregnant women and children under the age of three. Supported pregnant women and children aged one to three will each receive £3 per week. Babies under the age of one will receive £5 per week.
Asylum Seeking Children
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many unaccompanied children applied for asylum within the UK in each year since 1997, broken down by country of origin. [91992]
Beverley Hughes: Reliable information on the entry routes of unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC), including when UASCs first enter the UK, is not available. However, information on the nationality of UASC applicants who applied at port and in-country between 1997 and 2001, inclusive, is given in the table. Annual figures for 2002 are not yet available.
Information on asylum applications from unaccompanied children is published annually. The next annual publication will be available later this year.
Information on asylum applications and initial decisions is published quarterly. The next publication will present data for the final quarter of 2002, and will be available from 28 February 2003 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
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| 1997 | 1998 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationality | Total | Applied at port | Applied in country | Total | Applied at port | Applied in country |
| Albania | 39 | 15 | 24 | 49 | 33 | 16 |
| Czech Republic | 2 | 2 | — | 6 | 6 | — |
| FRY | 119 | — | 119 | 1,529 | 259 | 1,270 |
| Macedonia | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — |
| Poland | 18 | 18 | — | 44 | 44 | — |
| Romania | 32 | 3 | 29 | 68 | 5 | 63 |
| Russia | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Turkey | 48 | 47 | 1 | 107 | 100 | 7 |
| Ukraine | — | — | — | 2 | — | 2 |
| Other Former USSR | 27 | 9 | 18 | 36 | 15 | 21 |
| Other Former Yugo. | 107 | 66 | 41 | 23 | 2 | 21 |
| Europe other | 15 | 15 | — | 9 | 9 | — |
| Europe total | 409 | 175 | 234 | 1,876 | 475 | 1,401 |
| Colombia | 26 | 25 | 1 | 9 | 9 | — |
| Ecuador | 4 | 4 | — | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| Jamaica | 1 | 1 | — | 4 | 4 | — |
| Americas other | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Americas total | 33 | 32 | 1 | 20 | 18 | 2 |
| Algeria | 21 | 7 | 14 | 50 | 10 | 40 |
| Angola | 12 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 9 | 1 |
| Burundi | 3 | — | 3 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| Congo | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 |
| Dem. Rep. Congo | 27 | 16 | 11 | 19 | 9 | 10 |
| Eritrea | 45 | 20 | 25 | 91 | 33 | 58 |
| Ethiopia | 23 | 9 | 14 | 66 | 38 | 28 |
| Gambia | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ghana | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 2 | — |
| Ivory Coast | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 |
| Kenya | 9 | 7 | 2 | 23 | 17 | 6 |
| Nigeria | 18 | 8 | 10 | 53 | 34 | 19 |
| Rwanda | 7 | 2 | 5 | 13 | 7 | 6 |
| Sierra Leone | 14 | 8 | 6 | 23 | 11 | 12 |
| Somalia | 158 | 122 | 36 | 153 | 88 | 65 |
| Sudan | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | — |
| Tanzania | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Uganda | 5 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 5 |
| Zimbabwe | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| Africa other | 18 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 5 |
| Africa total | 368 | 226 | 142 | 535 | 275 | 260 |
| Iran | 7 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 2 |
| Iraq | 20 | 17 | 3 | 30 | 26 | 4 |
| Middle East other | 12 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 2 |
| Middle East total | 39 | 30 | 9 | 45 | 37 | 8 |
| Afghanistan | 109 | 101 | 8 | 124 | 108 | 16 |
| Bangladesh | 3 | — | 3 | 2 | — | 2 |
| China | 78 | 49 | 29 | 301 | 69 | 232 |
| India | 6 | 6 | — | 9 | 9 | — |
| Nepal | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Pakistan | 4 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 11 | 1 |
| Sri Lanka | 40 | 36 | 4 | 91 | 69 | 22 |
| Asia other | 4 | 4 | — | 10 | — | 10 |
| Asia total | 244 | 199 | 45 | 549 | 266 | 283 |
| Nationality not known | 9 | 9 | — | 12 | 12 | — |
| Grand total | 1,102 | 671 | 431 | 3,037 | 1,083 | 1,954 |
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(42) Unaccompanied at the point of their arrival, and not known to be joining a close relative in the United Kingdom.
(43) May exclude some cases lodged at Local Enforcement Offices between January 1999 and March 2001.
(44) Figures exclude disputed age cases.
(45) Provisional figures.
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