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Motor Neurone Disease

Jane Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what level of support his Department provides for research into and treatment of motor neurone disease; and if he will make a statement. [93948]

Jacqui Smith: The main Government agency for research into the causes of and treatments for disease is the Medical Research Council (MRC). The Department of Health also funds research to support policy and the delivery of effective practice in the national health service.

The MRC spent £1.4 million in 2001–02 on research relevant to motor neurone disease (MND) and on basic work on the function of motor neurones. The MRC also supports a large portfolio of basic research into the biology of the brain and the nervous system in both normal and diseased states. Such studies may well have relevance to the treatment of MND and related conditions in the future.

The Department of Health has also supported work in this area. Recent research projects include "The Clinical Effectiveness and Cost Effectiveness of Riluzole for the Treatment of Motor Neurone Disease" that completed in December 2001. There is an on-going project on speech recognition for people with severe dysarthria that is due for completion in July 2003. Dysarthria is the inability to articulate speech and is common in MND patients.

Also, a project entitled "Health and Independence through Education: a controlled evaluation" ended last year. It assessed the value of education in promoting health and independence for people with progressive neurological disorders.

The national service framework (NSF) for long-term conditions will have a particular focus on the needs of people with neurological disease, brain and spinal injury, as well as some of the common issues, such as access to services, faced by people with a long-term condition. The NSF will include services for people with Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, MND

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and other similar conditions. Publication of the NSF is currently planned for 2004, with implementation starting in 2005.

Mr. Reginald Crew

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the implications of the case of Mr.Reginald Crew; and what plans he has to review policy on euthanasia in the United Kingdom. [93687]

Mr. Lammy: The Government has followed the case of Mr Crew and understands the suffering of many who have a terminal illness and those who care for them. It is right that dying patients should be relieved of suffering through the provision of adequate care and support. However, euthanasia, the intentional taking of life at the patient's request or for a merciful motive, is unlawful in the United Kingdom. Similarly, assisted suicide is unlawful under the Suicide Act 1 961.

The Government has no plans to change the law in this area.

NHS Direct

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of CAS calls at NHS Direct (Midland Shires) have ended with a nurse giving advice. [93507]

Mr. Lammy: 38 per cent. of all calls to NHS Direct Midland Shires are completed with advice or information.

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what contingency plans are in place for NHS Direct to cope with surges in activity due to flu-like illness. [93514]

Mr. Lammy: In addition to its own historic data NHS Direct draws on a numbers of external sources, including reports produced by the Public Health Laboratory Service, in order to forecast and plan for seasonal increases in demand, including flu like illness. NHS Direct has well rehearsed local and national plans to deal with increases in demand to ensure service resilience.

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of NHS Direct nurses were recruited from (a) secondary care specialities and (b) primary care. [93519]

Mr. Lammy: On the basis of the information available, 27 per cent. of NHS Direct nurses were recruited from secondary care specialities and 33 per cent. from primary care.

NICE

Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the total cost to the NHS of guidance issued to date by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence since the Department announced that guidance would be mandatory. [89652]

Ms Blears: The Directions which place on National Health Service funding bodies the obligation to provide funding within three months for all recommendations in Technology Appraisal Guidance from the National

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Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), except where ministers explicitly direct otherwise, were published on 14 December 2001.

The estimated annual cost to the NHS in England of all NICE technology appraisals published since that date is approximately £350 million per annum. The Directions apply to all NICE technology appraisals, including those completed before 14 December 2001.

Nurses

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 25 November 2002, Official Report, column 136W, on ethical foreign nurse recruitment, what action he has taken on the reported cases of breaches in the code of conduct. [90121]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 15 January2003]: Reported breaches of the code of practice have been taken up with the relevant agency, and the agency has had the opportunity to respond to the allegations. In each of the reported cases, officials have been satisfied that the organisation in question is operating in line with the code of practice.

Nursing Agencies

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 17 December 2002, Official Report, ref 86806, how many nursing agencies his Department has investigated (a) this year and (b) last year because the nursing agencies' behaviour appeared to be inconsistent with the code of practice. [89359]

Mr. Hutton: No evidence of non-compliance with the code of practice has been brought to the attention of the Department of Health and no investigations have been undertaken to date.

The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency is working with the national health service through a procurement programme for the provision of temporary staffing by commercial agencies across the NHS in England. As the framework agreements are awarded, the agencies will be contractually bound to comply with detailed quality standards, including compliance with the code of practice. The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency will ensure that all successful agencies are complying with their contractual obligations. A full range of national audits into compliance will begin in summer 2003.

Paediatric Pathology

Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his Department's strategy on the development of paediatric pathology. [92544]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 23 January 2003]: The Department of Health is aware of the challenges facing the national health service paediatric pathology services, highlighted in the recent report by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, "The Future of Paediatric Pathology Services". We are committed to working closely with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and the Royal College of Pathologists to improve long-term staffing levels in this speciality. The establishment of three histopathology training schools and of International Fellowships to attract

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experienced histopathologists to work in the NHS will both increase the pool from which paediatric pathologists can be recruited. The children's care group work force team is also considering this issue.

Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will answer the parliamentary questions numbered (a) 82781, (b) 84772, (c) 87547, (d) 88559, (e) 88564, (f) 89789, (g) 91130, (h) 91129 and (i) 91126. [93829]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 29 January 2003]: I refer the hon. Member to the replies that I gave on 20 January 2003, Official Report, columns 118W and 130W, to the reply that I gave on 23 January 2003, Official Report, column 480W, to the reply that the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Tottenham, gave on 22 January 2003, Official Report, column 393W, and to the reply that the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Salford, gave on 22 January 2003, Official Report, columns 392–93. The other replies were sent on Tuesday 28 January and Wednesday 29 January. The question numbered 89789 was tabled for the Ministry of Defence.

PHLS Laboratories

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what additional resources NHS trusts are receiving to finance the running costs of the transferred PHLS laboratories. [90073]

Ms Blears: Currently, Public Health Laboratory Service central funding in laboratories, which will transfer to National Health Service trusts, supports both routine diagnostic as well as specialist public health work.

That funding which supports routine diagnostic work will be provided to the NHS Trusts via a host primary care trust (PCT) for one year. It will then be subsumed into PCT baseline funding in time for the trusts to agree contract prices for the following year.

That part of the central funding which supports specialist public health work will be provided to the NHS trust via the Health Protection Agency, under a service level agreement and will remain at the 2002–03 level for at least the first two years.

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