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Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the sale of surplus NHS properties and Inventures to the Miller/Bank of Scotland Partnership. [169122]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 27 April 2004]: Following a decision by the Department not to pursue a real estate partnership with Miller /Halifax Bank of Scotland, an agreement in principle was given to transfer the surplus land to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM). It was considered that a transfer of the property portfolio to ODPM would enable a greater emphasis to be given to addressing Government policy priorities for sustainable communities.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) transfer value and (b) size by hectare is of each of the surplus NHS properties to be transferred to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister outlined in his news release of 7 April. [169123]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 27 April 2004]: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Department have agreed in principle to the transfer of the portfolio but the details of the transaction and the price to be paid have still to be settled. The land is currently being independently valued.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what valuations were used in determining the value of surplus NHS sites to be transferred to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and from what date. [169124]
Mr. Hutton
[holding answer 27 April 2004]: The terms of the transfer will be informed by the market value of the sites involved. An independent valuation is
5 May 2004 : Column 1626W
underway to determine an overall value for the portfolio of sites. Sites will be physically transferred as and when they become vacant.
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what vaccines used in the UK contain Thimerosal; [162711]
(2) when the use of Thimerosal as a preservative in vaccines was discontinued in the UK. [162712]
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when the Government gave a commitment to phase out the use of thimerosal in whooping cough vaccine; [162205]
(2) for what reason whooping cough vaccine containing thimerosal is still being used in the United Kingdom; [162206]
(3) whether his Department has consulted (a) the US, (b) Japan, (c) Sweden, (d) Australia and (e) Spain as to the reasons why they have ceased using whooping cough vaccines containing thimerosal; [162207]
(4) when the Government plan to phase out thimerosal in whooping cough vaccine. [162208]
Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 18 March 2004]: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has written to manufacturers of vaccines used in the United Kingdom to alert them to the need to phase out the use of thiomersal in vaccines where possible. This follows advice from the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA), endorsed by the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM), to phase out use of thiomersal, wherever possible, as a precautionary recommendation aimed at limiting avoidable exposure to mercury compounds.
Manufacturers are actively developing research programmes to eliminate, substitute or reduce thiomersal in vaccines, and to develop new thiomersal-free vaccines. This may take time, because manufacturers need to ensure that thiomersal-free vaccines are safe and effective.
The UK currently uses a wholecell containing whooping cough vaccine (which contains thiomersal) because this vaccine offers the best protection against the disease. Whooping cough is a serious disease in young babies that can lead to death. Also, there is strong evidence that thiomersal in vaccines does not cause neurological damage to children and the CSM continues to advise that the balance of benefits and risks of thiomersal-containing vaccines is overwhelmingly positive. The UK will move to thiomersal-free vaccines when an equally effective alternative becomes available.
Other countries have moved to acellular whooping cough vaccines because they cause lower levels of adverse reactions, such as a sore arm, in older infants than wholecell vaccines. In the UK, this is not an issue, as babies receive the vaccine when they are young.
Thiomersal (also known as thimerosal) is present in the following childhood vaccines: the combined diptheria-tetanus-wholecell pertussis and Haemophilus Influenzae vaccine for
5 May 2004 : Column 1627W
primary immunisation and the combined diptheria/tetanus vaccine used for boosting teenagers. Details of the vaccines used in the childhood immunisation programme can be found in the national health service Factsheet, Thiomersal and vaccines.
Other vaccines that contain thiomersal are: Anthrax vaccine, some hepatitis A vaccines, some hepatitis B vaccines, some influenza vaccines and the diptheria-tetanus-wholecell pertussis vaccine.
The use of thiomersal in vaccines has not been discontinued in the United Kingdom. The European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA) recommended in 1999 that vaccine manufacturers phase out use of thiomersal wherever possible. This was a purely precautionary recommendation aimed at limiting avoidable exposure to mercury compounds. EMEA acknowledged that there was no evidence of harm caused by thiomersal in vaccines. The Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) endorsed this recommendation in 1999 and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation also supports the EMEA statement. There is strong evidence that thiomersal in vaccines does not cause neurological damage to children and the CSM continues to advise that the balance of benefits and risks of thiomersal-containing vaccines is overwhelmingly positive.
In line with the EMEA recommendation, manufacturers are actively developing research programmes to eliminate, substitute or reduce thiomersal in vaccines. This may take time because manufacturers are required to ensure that the replacement or elimination of thiomersal does not affect the safety or efficacy of the final vaccine.
Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many rapid access chest pain clinics there are in Manchester, Gorton. [167390]
Miss Melanie Johnson: A rapid access chest clinic is located at Manchester Royal Infirmary, part of the Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospitals National Health Service Trust.
Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there is a diagnostic and treatment centre in Manchester, Gorton. [167391]
Miss Melanie Johnson: There is no treatment centre in Gorton. A treatment centre is located at Withington Hospital, part of South Manchester University Hospitals National Health Service Trust.
Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in Manchester Gorton are receiving drug treatment. [167465]
Miss Melanie Johnson: In 200001, there were 3,652 people receiving drug treatment in Manchester. This is the latest available data. Data broken down by drug action team for 200102 and 200203 are currently being finalised.
Dr. Murrison:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 12 February 2004, Official
5 May 2004 : Column 1628W
Report, column 1700W, on tuberculosis, when the review of imported infections and immigration will be published. [169138]
Miss Melanie Johnson: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Lynne Jones) on 8 March 2004, Official Report, column 1334W.
Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of women in Heywood and Middleton with suspected breast cancer saw a specialist within two weeks in each of the last five years. [168490]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The information is not available in the format requested. The following table shows how many and the percentage of suspected breast cancer patients, seen within two weeks of urgent referral by a general practitioner, at the Pennine Acute Hospitals National Health Service Trust and its predecessor organisations for each quarter since the first quarter of 19992000. Earlier figures are not available.
Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of women in Warrington South with suspected breast cancer saw a specialist within two weeks in the last year. [168688]
Miss Melanie Johnson:
The information is not available in the format requested. The table shows the number and percentage of suspected cancer patients, seen within two weeks of urgent referral by a general
5 May 2004 : Column 1630W
practitioner, at the North Cheshire Hospital national health service trust and its predecessor organisations for each quarter since 19992000. Earlier figures are not available.
Quarter | NHS trust | Percentage | Number |
---|---|---|---|
19992000 | |||
1 | Halton general hospital | 89.3 | 25 |
1 | Warrington hospital | 96.3 | 105 |
2 | Halton general hospital | 80.0 | 8 |
2 | Warrington hospital | 91.2 | 103 |
3 | Halton general hospital | 97.4 | 37 |
3 | Warrington hospital | 86.2 | 81 |
4 | Halton general hospital | 100.0 | 30 |
4 | Warrington hospital | 96.9 | 94 |
200101 | |||
1 | Halton general hospital | 100.0 | 30 |
1 | Warrington hospital | 92.8 | 77 |
2 | Halton general hospital | 100.0 | 26 |
2 | Warrington hospital | 93.3 | 98 |
3 | Halton general hospital | 100.0 | 25 |
3 | Warrington hospital | 94.7 | 126 |
4 | Halton general hospital | 100.0 | 37 |
4 | Warrington hospital | 100.0 | 113 |
200102 | |||
1 | North Cheshire hospital | 95.2 | 159 |
2 | North Cheshire hospital | 89.0 | 195 |
3 | North Cheshire hospital | 95.8 | 137 |
4 | North Cheshire hospital | 92.6 | 162 |
200203 | |||
1 | North Cheshire hospital | 74.7 | 145 |
2 | North Cheshire hospital | 90.0 | 243 |
3 | North Cheshire hospital | 100.0 | 181 |
4 | North Cheshire hospital | 100.0 | 155 |
200304 | |||
1 | North Cheshire hospital | 100.0 | 184 |
2 | North Cheshire hospital | 100.0 | 141 |
3 | North Cheshire hospital | 100.0 | 169 |
Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what changes there have been to NHS waiting list times in the last seven years for the residents of Manchester, Gorton. [167385]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested is shown in the table.
Mr. Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many residents in Manchester, Gorton awaiting heart surgery have had the option of choosing an alternative hospital for quicker treatment in the last 12 months. [167388]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The information is not collected centrally.
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