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28 Jun 2005 : Column 1499W—continued
Forget Me Not" Report
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made against the priorities for action set out in the Audit Commission's Forget Me Not report in 2002. [6401]
Mr. Byrne: The recommendations in the Forget Me Not" report were principally addressed to local health and social care agencies. It is for these local agencies to decide on their priorities in the light of local circumstances.
Autism
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what support services are provided for people who suffer from autism; and if she will make a statement. [7741]
Mr. Byrne: It is for local authorities and health service providers to determine how best to provide services to meet the needs of individuals with autism, including those with autistic spectrum disorder.
British Pregnancy Advisory Service
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 June 2005, Official Report, column 302W on the British Pregnancy Advisory Service; when she expects to complete her consideration of the Chief Medical Officer's report on the BPAS. [6915]
Caroline Flint: As my reply of 14 June stated, it would be inappropriate to comment any further at this stage.
Broomfield Tip (Fire)
Mr. Neil Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research her Department has undertaken into the effect of benzen particulates and gases emanating from the fire at Broomfield Tip, Standish, on the health of residents in the vicinity. [7289]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 27 June 2005]: This is a matter for the Director of Public Health at the Ashton, Wigan Primary Care Trust and the Health Protection Agency.
Bt 10 Maize
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what quantities of Bt 10 maize have been imported into the UK; over what period; and what quantities she estimates have been consumed by (a) animals and (b) humans. [5880]
Caroline Flint:
The exact quantity of Bt 10 maize imported into the United Kingdom is not known. It is estimated that up to 0.025 per cent., of the 2001–04 United States of America maize harvests may have contained Bt 10 maize and imports into the EU during this period may have contained Bt 10 maize at this level. The European food industry has stated to the commission that it only uses US maize products that are from protected non-genetically modified sources. The quantities of Bt 10 maize imported to the UK for food use should therefore be nil. Maize in the form of corn
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gluten feed and brewers' grains is imported from the US for animal feed. However, the amount of Bt 10 maize potentially consumed by animals is not known.
Burns Units (London)
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many specialist burns services units there are in the Greater London region. [6698]
Jane Kennedy: Chelsea and Westminster Hospital is the only specialist burns service unit within Greater London.
Cancer (Waiting Times)
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the mean waiting time in days from the time of diagnosis by consultant to hospital admission for treatment was for (a) cancer of the brain, (b) cancer of the prostate, (c) cancer of the ovary and (d) cancer of the liver in (i) 1997–98 and (ii) 2003–04. [4938]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The data are not collected centrally in the format requested.
Cancer Treatment
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS trusts have contracts with private companies for the examination of cervical cancer smear tests; which companies are involved; and whether any send smear tests outside the UK for screening. [6584]
Ms Rosie Winterton: We do not centrally collect data on the use of independent sector providers of cervical screening services, and we are not aware that any cervical screening slides are sent outside of the United Kingdom to be interpreted. Primary care trusts (PCTs) are responsible for commissioning cervical screening services for their local populations to explicit national quality standards. It is a matter for individual PCTs to decide on who provides their local service, whether in the national health service or the independent sector.
The advisory committee on cervical screening has agreed a set of standards for laboratories reporting cervical screening slides outside of the NHS, including overseas.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will make a statement on the availability of antibody treatment for cancer in the NHS; [7713]
(2) what research she has evaluated on antibody treatment for cancer. [7714]
Ms Rosie Winterton: There are several monoclonal antibodies that are licensed for the treatment of cancer and can be prescribed to patients on the national health service. These are cetuximab for the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer; trastuzumab for the treatment of advanced breast cancer, alemtuzumab for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and rituximab for the treatment of follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has appraised two of these drugs—trastuzumab for advanced breast cancer and rituximab for the treatment
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of follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. These appraisals included an evaluation of the available research evidence. NICE is now in the process of appraising cetuximab for advanced colorectal cancer. This guidance is expected to be published in November 2006.
Care Homes
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the Office of Fair Trading's report on care homes for older people. [6029]
Mr. Byrne: The Office of Fair Trading published a report on care homes for older people on 18 May 2005. The report made a number of recommendations to the Government, which are currently under consideration.
Care Provision Funding
Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what contribution to the cost of care provision came from (a) equity release and (b) other property based loans in (i) absolute and (ii) percentage terms, in the last period for which figures are available; and what plans she has to bring forward proposals to change this proportion. [5953]
Mr. Byrne: This information is not collected centrally.
We made a manifesto commitment to provide the right framework to make staying at home an attractive option for people in need of long-term care for schemes, through schemes such as equity release. We are considering how to take forward this commitment.
Clinical Negligence Claims
David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many clinical negligence claims were made against NHS bodies in each year since 1996. [1353]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 6 June 2005]: Centrally collected data from the NHS Litigation Authority is shown in the following table:
Notes:
1.Clinical negligence scheme for trusts (CNST) claims are those in respect of liabilities occurring on or after 1 April 1995. Existing liability scheme (ELS) claims are those open at 1 April 1996, where the incident pre dates 1 April 1995. Former Regional health authority (RHA) claims are pre-April 1996 and are cases against the former RHAs, fully funded by the NHSLA.
2.The year a claim is notified to the NHSLA has no relevance to the year the incident giving rise to a claim occurred.
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