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Ulster Canal

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made with regard to the establishment of the Ulster Canal. [178621]

Angela Smith: The updated Economic Appraisal on re-opening the Ulster Canal in its entirety is currently with both Governments for consideration. As re-opening is not viable in purely monetary terms, it will be difficult to secure Government funding for this significant capital project. I welcome the supporting efforts of organisations such as the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland whose application for INTERREG III(A) funding to re-open a south-western section of the Ulster Canal is proceeding through the assessment system.

HEALTH

Food Research

Mrs. Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the Government spent on research and development relating to food, with particular reference to (a) agriculture, (b) fishing, (c) processing, (d) nutrition, (e) safety and (f) economic and social studies, in each of the most recent 10 years for which figures are available, broken down by (i) Government departments, (ii) research councils, (iii) higher education, (iv) business enterprises and (v) private non-profit organisations. [179026]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested is not held centrally.

The figures available for Food Standards Agency expenditure on research and development related to food safety and nutrition in the four financial years since it came into being are shown in the table.
£ million

Financial year	Food safety	Nutrition
2000–01	15.7	6.3
2001–02	15.4	3.8
2002–03	15.2	3.9
2003–04(68)	15.7	4.8

Note:
⁽⁶⁸⁾ Figures for 2003–04 are provisional

Acupuncture

Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether general practitioners who are members of the British Medical Acupuncture Society will be subject to dual registration when the new statutory regulator is in place; whether medical acupuncturists
 
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will be recognised in the education and training requirements of the new acupuncture regulator; and if he will make a statement. [178454]

Miss Melanie Johnson: On 2 March, the Department published proposals for the statutory regulation of herbal medicine and acupuncture practitioners. The consultation period closed on 7 June. We are aware of the interests of medical acupuncturists and will consider their representations very carefully.

Alzheimer's

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people suffer from Alzheimer's in (a) the North West, (b) Lancashire and (c) Chorley; and what help and support is given to Alzheimer's (i) patients and (ii) carers in (A) Lancashire Teaching Hospital and (B) Chorley South Ribble Primary Care Trust. [177152]

Dr. Ladyman: Information on the numbers of people suffering from Alzheimer's disease on a regional basis is not held centrally.

Dementia services across Lancashire Teaching Hospitals national health service trust is provided by the Lancashire Care Trust, which provides the following services:

consultant psychiatrist led outpatient clinics, with a memory assessment service, including the prescribing and monitoring of anti dementia drug therapy;

nine in patient assessment beds on Hazelwood Ward, Chorley and South Ribble hospital;

day hospital service at the Chorley and South Ribble hospital, where there are 25 places available for two days per week, including memory support;

28 continuing care beds at Meadowbank Nursing Home;

psychology services; and

community mental health teams which are staffed by five community psychiatric nurses and four support workers. These include dementia services within their workload.

Within the Chorley and South Ribble Primary Care Trust (PCT), the following help and support is available:

10 intermediate care rehabilitation beds at Charnley Fold, Bamber Bridge for people with dementia, provided jointly by Chorley and South Ribble PCT, Preston PCT and Lancashire county council social services. This service opened in April 2004. Following completion of refurbishment this service will move to Broadfield, Leyland.

Chorley and South Ribble PCT funds a service by Crossroads, which was introduced in 2003 and based in the Beechurst Unit at Chorley district hospital, for people with early onset dementia and their carers.

Anti-depressant Drugs

Dr. Naysmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescription items of (a) individual benzodiazepine drugs and (b) individual antidepressants were dispensed in the community in England in 2003. [178679]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Information on the numbers of prescription items of benzodiazepines and anti-depressants that were dispensed in the community in England in 2003 has been placed in the Library.
 
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Clinical Trials

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to increase the participation of surgeons in clinical trials. [176866]

Mr. Hutton: The Medical Research Council (MRC) has reviewed the conduct of trials of surgical interventions and has published guidance to surgeons and triallists on the subject. The guidance can be found on the MRC website at www.mrc.ac.uk/pdf-health tech assess.pdf

In order to encourage more surgeons to enter research training, the MRC runs a joint fellowship scheme with the royal colleges of surgeons of England and Edinburgh and of obstetrics and gynaecology. Details are at www.mrc.ac.uk/doc-crtf2notes.doc

Depression (Under-18s)

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has commissioned into the causes of depression in those aged under 18. [178940]

Dr. Ladyman [holding answer 15 June 2004]: There is wide ranging research being undertaken on depression among the under 18 age group, including research on the causes of depression. Examples of this work include the study by Professor Jean Golding at Bristol University on conduct disorder and depression in early adolescence and the work of Professor Ian Goodyear, Lifespan Health National Health Service Trust, with his longitudinal family study in childhood depression and his investigation into the aetiology and outcome of a first major depression in childhood and adolescence.

Foundation Trusts

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what audit and performance evaluation of first wave foundation trusts and their impact on local health services, including neighbouring trusts, will be conducted before (a) foundation status is reaffirmed and (b) the rolling out of further foundation trusts. [179116]

Mr. Hutton: An independent review of national health service foundation trusts (NHSFTs) is to be undertaken by the Healthcare Commission. The terms of reference for the review are currently being developed.

We expect to make an announcement about the timing of the review and its terms of reference and about the timing of the next wave of NHSFT authorisations, wave 2, shortly.

Genito-urinary Care

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting times were in genito-urinary medicine clinics for patients referred by general practitioners in the latest period for which figures are available. [179155]

Mr. Hutton: In England, at the end of March 2004, the average estimated provider based waiting time following a general practitioner referral for a first outpatient appointment in specialty genito-urinary medicine is 2.02 weeks.
 
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Hospital Capacity

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the capacity of (a) the Worcestershire Royal Hospital and (b) the Alexandra Hospital, Redditch to respond to an increase in demand for in-patient treatment. [178439]

Dr. Ladyman: This is a matter for the local health community. West Midlands South Strategic Health Authority reports that capacity at both hospitals is regularly reviewed.

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