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26 Feb 2003 : Column 621W—continued
HPA
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the post of chief executive for the Health Protection Agency will be readvertised. [90079]
Ms Blears: The original timetable for appointing the Health Protection Agency (HPA) shadow Chief Executive Officer (CEO) had been for the end of October 2002, to enable the incoming shadow Chair of the HPA to participate in the appointment procedure. Following advertisements in the national press and professional journals, it was felt that the field of responses could be strengthened and that, given the importance of the role of the new HPA, the assistance of executive search consultants should be sought to advise on and co-ordinate the appointment. This was undertaken during November and December 2002, enabling competitive interviews to be held in early January. The result of that process has been the announcement of the CEO appointment (Dr. Pat Troop) on 27 January 2003 and there is therefore no need for this post to be re-advertised.
Ill Health (Contributory Factors)
Andy King: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimates have been made of the costs to the NHS of (a) the potential lifetime ill health of a low birthweight baby, (b) obesity and (c) indoor winter temperatures below 15 degrees centigrade. [96288]
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Ms Blears: The National Audit Office report, 'Tackling Obesity in England', puts the cost of obesity to the National Health Service at £0.5 billion a year. Information is not collected on the other costs.
- Source:
- Tackling Obesity in England
- Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General
- HC220 Session 2000–2001: 15 February 2001
In-Patient Waiting Lists
Mr. Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were waiting in England for in-patient treatment at the latest date for which figures are available. [97837]
Mr. Hutton: The number of patients waiting for elective inpatient admission at National Health Service trusts and primary care trusts in England at 31 December 2002 was 1,056,600.
Influenza
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pensioners in England received immunisation against influenza in (a) the last 12 months for which figures are available, (b) the previous 12 months to that and (c) 1996. [97826]
Ms Blears: From data collected by the Public Health Laboratory Service on behalf of the Department, we know that as at 31 December 2002, 5,487,645 people aged 65 years and over were immunised against influenza. This compares to 5,135,760 people in 2001–02.
Prior to 2000, the policy on flu immunisation was to offer vaccine to people aged 75 years and over, and not to people aged 65–74. At this time, there was no systematic collection of uptake data for this age-target group of people.
International Fellowship Scheme
Mr. Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the cost of the NHS International Fellowship Scheme. [94050]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 29 January 2003]: Expenditure on the national health service international fellowship scheme up to the present is £1,171,847.30.
The Fellowship Scheme is designed to attract experienced, senior consultants from abroad in specialties in high demand worldwide to practise in the NHS for two year fellowships. The number of offers accepted so far is 40 and the overall target is 450 fellows over the lifetime of the scheme.
International Nurses (Code of Practice)
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether agencies which have not signed the code of practice on international nurses have been contracted by the Department. [98916]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer Tuesday 25 February]: The Department has not contracted with any agency involved in the international recruitment of nurses and therefore subject to the code of practice for National Health Service employers.
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Irwell Mill, Bacup
Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost is of the proposed development by the Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale primary care trust on the site of Irwell Mill, Rochdale Road, Bacup; who will be responsible for the demolition and at what cost; and what payments in connection with the purchase of this site will be made to Stylegleam Ltd. [91935]
Jacqui Smith [pursuant to her reply, 28 January 2003, Official Report, c. 811W]: I regret my previous response was incorrect. The firs sentence of the second paragraph should read as follows.
"Most of the mill will be demolished, with the Rossendale Borough Council acting as the agents."
IVF
Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate he has made of the percentage of children born through IVF born with a recognised disability; and if he will make a statement; [97934]
- (2) what research is being conducted into the possible links between intracytoplasmic sperm injection and Angelman syndrome; and if he will make a statement. [97935]
Ms Blears: A number of international studies have raised questions about some in vitro fertilisation (IVF) techniques such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection. The studies show a small increase in the number of babies with health problems. The Medical Research Council and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority have established a working group that is reviewing current research and will provide advice on any further research needed in assisted conception. Information is not routinely collected on children conceived using an assisted conception technique that are born with a disability or other medical condition.
Kava-kava
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what criteria the Medicines Control Agency set for the Committee on Safety of Medicines and the Medicines Commission in their investigation into kava-kava; [96047]
- (2) in what form the conclusions of the Committee on Safety of Medicines and the Medicines Commission into the safety of kava-kava were presented. [96048]
Ms Blears: The Medicines Control Agency (MCA) consulted the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) on the safety of kava-kava, as this falls within its statutory terms of reference which are: "to give advice with respect to safety, quality and efficacy in relation to human use of any substance or article (not being an instrument, apparatus or appliance) to which any provision of the Medicines Act 1968 is applicable; to promote the collection and investigation of information relating to adverse reactions for the purpose of enabling such advice to be given."
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The CSM convened an expert working group with the following remit.
- To consider the currently available evidence on the issue of hepatotoxicity suspected to be associated with the use of the herbal remedy kava-kava (piper methysticum).
To assess the risks to public health and whether these can be quantified or prevented and to advise on the risk/benefit balance.
To consider the possible regulatory actions and provide advice on a recommended course of action including how the information should be distributed to healthcare professionals and consumers.
Following preliminary advice from CSM the MCA undertook a public consultation on the prohibition of kava-kava. The MCA sought advice on the responses to the consultation both from the CSM and the Medicines Commission, whose terms of reference are broadly to advise Health Ministers on matters relating to the execution of the Medicines Act 1968. Both bodies were asked to advise on the regulatory options in light of the latest scientific evidence and the responses to public consultation. Both advised that kava-kava should be prohibited in unlicensed medicines and that the marketing authorisations for the licensed products should be revoked.
The advice of the CSM and Medicines Commission on the safety of kava-kava is contained within the minutes of the meetings, which are available in the Library, together with copies of the assessment reports.
In the light of this advice and having considered all the evidence the Minister considered that the sale, supply and importation of kava-kava should be prohibited.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what case reports of liver damage suspected to be associated with the consumption of Kava-Kava he has received from countries other than Switzerland, Germany, Australia, Canada, France, USA and the UK; and whether evidence of such cases was sought; [96502]
- (2) if he will list member states of the EEA in which products containing Kava-Kava are not prohibited; [96501]
(3) when the 70 case reports of liver damage suspected to be associated with the consumption of Kava-Kava received by the MCA occurred; and of the 70 cases, how many included a biopsy taken from the patient's liver. [96503]
Ms Blears: The regulatory position of kava-kava in Europe has continually changed over the last 12 months as member states completed their regulatory action. The Medicines Control Agency (MCA) has requested this
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information from all European Economic Area member states. A report has been placed in the Library. It is known that when the various national expert committees considered this issue, kava-kava has been prohibited, suspended or had never been marketed in the following member states: Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Greece, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.
The MCA has received no case reports of hepatotoxicity associated with kava-kava from countries other than the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, France, Australia, Canada and the USA. The MCA has requested this information from all EEA member states as well as Australia, Canada and the USA.
The following table provides a breakdown of the number of cases of suspected liver damage associated with kava-kava submitted to regulatory authorities with information relating to the onset date of the hepatic reactions. Information relating to the date of onset of the hepatic adverse reactions suspected to be associated with the use of kava-kava has not been provided in 20 of the 70 cases. Three of the case reports state that a liver biopsy was completed.
| Year reaction occurred | Number of cases of hepatotoxicity |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 1 |
| 1991 | 0 |
| 1992 | 1 |
| 1993 | 1 |
| 1994 | 2 |
| 1995 | 1 |
| 1996 | 0 |
| 1997 | 1 |
| 1998 | 4 |
| 1999 | 4 |
| 2000 | 8 |
| 2001 | 23 |
| 2002 | 4 |
A report of a suspected adverse reaction does not necessarily mean that it was caused by the medicine and the number of reports received cannot 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 herbal medicine is known.
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