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Weapons of Mass Destruction

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which international treaty
 
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to which the United Kingdom is party (a) gives legal underpinning to the possession of nuclear weapons by the United Kingdom and (b) permits the modernisation of the United Kingdom's nuclear weapons of mass destruction. [178728]

Mr. MacShane: The United Kingdom is recognised as a Nuclear Weapons State in accordance with the definition in Article IX(3) of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The UK is satisfied that its possession and maintenance of its minimum nuclear deterrent is in compliance with international law.

HEALTH

Accident and Emergency (Merseyside)

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many consultants there were on average in accident and emergency departments in each hospital in Merseyside in each of the last three years. [177856]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Administration Budget

Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made towards the 5 per cent. reduction in real terms in his Department's administration budget by 2008 announced by the Chancellor in the House on 17 March 2004, Official Report, column 331. [176507]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The real terms reduction of 5 per cent. or more will be a central feature of the public spending settlements for 2006–08, to be announced in detail later this year.

Air Fresheners

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research has been conducted into the impact upon (a) indoor air quality and (b) human health of the use of air fresheners; what advice has been given to the public relating to their use; and if he will make a statement. [177478]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The Department has not undertaken any studies on the effects of the use of air fresheners on health or on indoor air quality.

Aneurisms

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the position regarding screening for aneurisms. [178314]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The United Kingdom national screening committee (NSC) makes recommendations to Ministers on all aspects of screening programmes. It is currently considering the feasibility of implementing a screening programme for abdominal aortic aneurysms, including resource costs of screening and of surgery. This follows a multi-centre study funded by the Medical Research Council. The NSC is expected to advise the Government later in the year.
 
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Anti-depressant Drugs

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set a date by which the current Review of SSRI and related anti-depressant drugs will be completed and published; and what the reasons are for the delay in completing it. [178235]

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when the review of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and related anti-depressant drugs will be (a) completed and (b) published; [178458]

(2) what the reasons are for delays in completing the review of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and related anti-depressants; [178468]

Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 15 June 2004]: The review of the safety of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors by the Committee on Safety of Medicines' expert working group has taken longer than expected because of the need to examine a large amount of data from a wide variety of new and existing sources. The expert working group expects to publish its report later this year.

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the best estimate of (a) the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency and (b) the Committee on the Safety of Medicines of the incidence of withdrawal reactions to Seroxat was in (i) July 1997 and (ii) July 2003; and if he will make a statement on the figures. [178236]

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the reasons were for the differences in the best estimate of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency and the Committee on Safety of Medicines of the incidence of withdrawal reactions to Seroxat in July 1997 and July 2003. [178339]

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate was made by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency of the incidence of withdrawal reactions to Seroxat in (a) July 1997 and (b) July 2003. [178522]

Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 15 June 2004]: Data were not available in July 1997 to allow a good estimation of the incidence of withdrawal reactions with paroxetine by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) or the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM). In July 2003, the best estimate of the incidence of withdrawal reactions by the MHRA and CSM, based on analyses of clinical trials was that 25 per cent. of patients had experienced symptoms on withdrawal of paroxetine. Information about the potential for paroxetine to cause withdrawal reactions has been included in the product information since the time of licensing and has been updated to take account of the new data on incidence.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the current review of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and related
 
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anti-depressant drugs to be completed and published; and for what reasons this review has not been published earlier. [178721]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The review of the safety of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors by the Committee on Safety of Medicines' expert working group has taken longer than expected because of the need to examine a large amount of data from a wide variety of new and existing sources. The expert working group expects to publish its report later this year.

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has issued in relation to the prescription of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. [178960]

Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 15 June 2004]: Guidance on how to use selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) safely and effectively is provided in the product information for prescribers, the summary of product characteristics, and in the patient information leaflet which accompanies the medicine. These documents are authorised by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) at the time of licensing and updated through the life of the product as new information on risks and benefits emerges. Information on prescribing is also provided in the British National Formulary, which is sent to all doctors in the national health service.

As with all medicines, the safety of SSRIs is continually monitored by the MHRA with independent expert advice from the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM). Articles have been published in the MHRA/CSM drug safety bulletin, "Current Problems in Pharmacovigilance in 1993, 2000 and 2003". These articles alerted prescribers to safety issues with SSRIs, in particular the risk of withdrawal reactions and the need to monitor carefully patients at risk of suicidal behaviour. The September 2003 edition of "Current Problems in Pharmacovigilance" contained a fact sheet for patients to aid discussions with their doctor about the appropriate use and possible side effects of their medicine.

The safety of SSRIs is currently undergoing intensive review by an expert working group of the CSM. Advice has been communicated to doctors and patients as each stage of the review has been completed. In December 2003, the CSM issued advice on the use of SSRIs in children and adolescents and published summaries of the clinical trial data on which this advice was based on the CSM website. In March 2004, the CSM issued a reminder to doctors on the recommended dose of paroxetine (Seroxat) in the treatment of depressive illness.

Autistic Spectrum Disorder

Mrs. Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the long-term effects of neuroleptic drugs given to people who have been misdiagnosed as schizophrenic. [178956]

 
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Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 15 June 2004]:The Department has not made an assessment of the long-term effects of neuroleptic drugs given to people who have been misdiagnosed as schizophrenic.

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