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Health Food Supplements

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to meet members of the health food supplements industry; what recent progress has been made with European Union directives which affect this industry; and if he will make a statement. [184297]

Miss Melanie Johnson: I met with representatives of the health food supplements industry on 20 and 21 July.

European Directive 2002/46/EC came into force on 12 July 2002. It has been implemented by The Food Supplements (England) Regulations 2003 and similar legislation in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which come into force on 1 August 2005.

HIB Vaccine

Dr. Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce a booster dose of HIB vaccine for young children; and if he will make a statement. [184986]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Following the recent "Haemophilus influenzae" (Hib) booster campaign, the rate of Hib disease in children aged one to four has fallen by 87 per cent.
 
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Before we can consider whether a booster dose of Hib should be offered routinely as part of the routine immunisation programme, an evaluation of the impact of the recent Hib campaign will need to be assessed and advice sought from the joint committee on vaccination and immunisation.

Intermediate Care

Mr. Horam: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS hospital trusts provide intermediate care facilities. [185003]

Dr. Ladyman [holding answer 20 July 2004]: This information is not collected centrally.

Manchester, Central

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much public money has been spent on health in Manchester, Central in each of the last seven years. [184171]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The information is not available in the format requested. Expenditure per weighted head in the Greater Manchester Strategic Health Authority (SHA) area, which includes the constituency of Central Manchester, has increased from £582.33 in 1997–98 to £992.61 in 2002–03 (the latest year
 
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available). This does not represent the total expenditure per head, as an element of health expenditure cannot be identified by SHA area.

Mental Health

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the financial position of the Manchester Mental Health Trust. [184738]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested on the financial situation of the Manchester Mental Health Care Trust is not available in-year.

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of the total number of NHS in-patients is comprised of mental health in-patients who have been in hospital for more than a year. [185558]

Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 20 July]: There were 7,440 ¹ inpatients under the care of a mental illness consultant with a length of stay of a year or longer on 31 March 2003. On the same day, the estimated number of unfinished episodes in National Health Service hospitals for all specialties was 117,550 1,2.

Therefore, the estimated percentage of the total number of all national health service inpatients on 31 March 2003 comprised of by mental health inpatients who had been in hospital for more than a year is 6.3 per cent.

¹ The information is from Hospital Episode Statistics.

Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

² Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many in-patients have been in NHS hospitals under the care of mental health consultants for more than a year, excluding those with (a) dementia and (b) learning difficulties. [185559]

Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 20 July 2004]: This information is not available, as centrally held data on unfinished hospital episodes cannot be broken down by diagnosis.

Myasthenia Gravis

Mrs. Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on myasthenia gravis; and what support is available for sufferers of the disease in Blackpool north and Fleetwood constituency. [184115]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Myasthenia gravis is a neurological condition characterised by fluctuating levels of muscle weakness. There is no cure but treatment includes medication, surgery and palliation.

The national service framework (NSF) for long term conditions will focus on improving services for people with neurological conditions. While the NSF will not cover myasthenia gravis specifically, it will recommend improvements in standards, care and support that will benefit everyone with a neurological condition. We are committed to publishing the NSF as soon as possible.

Primary care trusts, in partnership with other local stakeholders, determine how best to use their funds to provide health services for their populations, including those with myasthenia gravis.
 
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Neuro Disability Centre (Newcastle)

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the business case for a new neuro disability centre in Newcastle upon Tyne has been approved; and when he expects Hunters Moor hospital to close. [185560]

Miss Melanie Johnson: An outline business case for a new neuro disability centre in Newcastle upon Tyne was agreed by Northumberland Tyne & Wear Strategic Health Authority in September 2003. Work is now taking place on the full business case. This is expected to be completed in the autumn of this year.

It is expected that Hunters Moor hospital will close in late 2006.

Personal Care Charges

Andy King: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list examples he has collated of best practice in councils income from charging for personal care to improve services for (a) disabled people and (b) older people. [183820]

Dr. Ladyman: We plan in due course to monitor and evaluate the impact of the guidance, Fairer Charging Policies for Home Care. Information on councils' use of income from charging is not held centrally.

Pesticides

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for which Pesticides Safety Directorate and Health and Safety Executive approved pesticides and biocides there are no assays for biological samples in human poisoning cases held by the NHS. [184451]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD) does hold analysis methods for many of the active ingredients contained in the products licensed by them as pesticides.

There are currently no biocides approved by the Health and Safety Executive under the biocidal products directive.

Pesticide assays for biological samples are not offered routinely by most national health service laboratories. Assays for paraquat are available from a selected group of NHS laboratories. In exceptional circumstances, NHS laboratories are able to test for other compounds.

Schizophrenia

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of (a) research linking the regular consumption of cannabis with schizophrenia and (b) the effects of cannabis use on schizophrenia sufferers; and if he will make a statement; [184428]

(2) if his Department will commission further research into (a) the possible link between the regular smoking of cannabis with schizophrenia and (b) the effects of cannabis on schizophrenia sufferers; and if he will make a statement. [184429]

 
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Miss Melanie Johnson: A number of recent Department funded policy research projects have been completed that have contributed to informing the Department's assessment on the scale and impact of the use of cannabis in those with mental health problems.

The Department has kept under review the national and international epidemiological and other research on these topics and has obtained expert advice on interpreting the research base.

The Department has no plans at present to commission further research into the possible link between the regular smoking of cannabis with schizophrenia. The Department has recently commissioned, jointly with the Medical Research Council, a multi-site, randomised controlled trial, "Evaluating a Psychological Intervention for clients with Schizophrenia and Co-morbid Substance Abuse". The Department is also currently considering commissioning additional work in this area.

The Department also monitors national and international research and has a range of expert advisers to inform policy.

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