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Prostate Cancer

Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will ensure that revisions to the prostate cancer risk management programme are discussed by the prostate cancer advisory group; [28001]

(2) when she will publish her Department's evaluation of the prostate cancer risk management programme; [28002]

(3) what estimate she has made of the proportion of general practitioners who are aware of the prostate cancer risk management programme. [28003]

Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 11 November 2005]: The Department is committed to evaluating the prostate cancer risk management programmes (PCRMP). The primary care resource packs, issued to all general practitioners (GPs) in England in September 2002, were developed by the Cancer Research UK primary care education research group, Oxford, in collaboration with NHS cancer screening programmes and the Department.
 
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The Cancer Research UK primary care education research group is now in the process of evaluating the use of the packs. This evaluation includes:

a national survey of 400 GPs to describe their current practice and attitudes regarding public service agreement (PSA) testing for prostate cancer, as well as their views of the PCRMP policy and information pack;

a population survey of 900 men aged 40 to 75 designed to look at the impact of the PCRMP patient information sheet on men's knowledge and attitudes regarding prostate cancer and the PSA test, their future intentions regarding having a PSA test, and what factors influence these intentions;

a series of focus groups and interviews are being conducted with a sample of men from the population survey to gather more in-depth information on their views on PSA testing, and to explore how best to assist informed decision-making on this topic.

The evaluation is being jointly funded by the Department via NHS cancer screening programmes and Cancer Research UK, and results are expected to be published in peer reviewed journals in spring 2006. The results of the evaluation will inform the revision of the pack, which will be relaunched next summer, and will be discussed by the prostate cancer advisory group.

Public Service Agreement

Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether 2004 public service agreement target6 refers to problem drug users who have been through treatment programmes in a specific year. [29891]

Caroline Flint: The 2004 public service agreement target six refers to problem drug users who have been through treatment programmes in a specific financial year.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of babies who will be affected by the revised recommendations from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation on preventative treatment for respiratory syncytial virus. [30163]

Caroline Flint: It has been estimated by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation that the revised recommendations would mean that around 2,000 babies would receive treatment. The Department will review these estimates.

Skin Cancer

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps her Department is taking to increase public awareness of the danger of skin cancer caused by excess exposure to sunlight. [16084]

Ms Rosie Winterton: SunSmart, run by Cancer Research UK, was launched in 2003 as the national skin cancer prevention and sun protection campaign. It was commissioned by the Department and the other United Kingdom health departments to highlight the risks and dangers associated with exposure to sunlight and to offer information and advice. SunSmart's activities include raising public and professional awareness of the dangers of skin cancer and excess sunlight through media briefings, support for health promotion activities, and through the SunSmart website. This year,
 
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SunSmart has particularly campaigned on raising awareness of the dangers of skin cancer amongst children and young people and has helped schools in developing their own sun protection policies through school guidelines produced by SunSmart.

Smoking

Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department has made of the proportion of the population who want a complete ban on smoking in work places and all enclosed public spaces. [30874]

Caroline Flint [holding answer 22 November 2005]: The results of the consultation on the smoke-free elements of the Health Bill were published on 24 November 2005, and are available on the Department's website at: www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/12/36/21/04123621.pdf.

Copies are also available in the Library.

Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will publish the (a) minutes of the meetings of the (i) Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health and (ii) its Technical Advisory Group on the effects of second-hand smoke and (b) the conclusions reached at each meeting. [32946]

Caroline Flint [holding answer 29 November 2005]: We have received a Freedom of Information request from the Tobacco Manufacturers' Association for the minutes of these meetings and departmental Officials are currently working on this.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Serious Fraud Office

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Solicitor-General pursuant to the answer of 22 November 2005, Official Report, column 1885W, on the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), if he will place in the Library briefing provided to the Attorney-General by the SFO relating to difficulties it has faced in (a) investigating and (b) prosecuting overseas corruption offences in such cases where legal proceedings are (i) not commenced and (ii) completed. [33543]

The Solicitor-General: I will not provide such case briefing material but earlier this year the Attorney-General commissioned a paper from the SFO setting out the policy and legislative changes that they thought would most assist them in the investigation and prosecution of overseas corruption offences. Work is continuing on the options identified and it is hoped that it will be possible to place some of the proposals in the public domain in the near future.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much money has been committed to the Afghan drug-control strategy in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [32791]

 
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Dr. Howells: The UK has spent the following amounts on the Afghan counter narcotics (CN) strategy over the last four years:

Financial year	Amount spent (£)
2001–02	31,000
2002–03	1,599,036
2003–04	16,500,931
2004–05	24,442,350

In this financial year, the UK is spending in the region of £100 million on all CN activity, £50 million of which is for Alternative Livelihoods.

On 5 September, I announced new UK funding for Afghan CN activity in a joint press conference with Afghan CN Minister Qaderi. In total, we will provide more than £270 million over the next three financial years. This is a funding increase of £115 million. £130 million of this funding will be provided by the Department for International Development with the rest coming from other Government Departments including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Ministry of Defence and the Home Office.

The funding will be spent on CN activity supporting the Government of Afghanistan in delivering their National Drugs Control Strategy. In the next three years we will focus on the following three key priorities, which we judge will make the greatest impact on tackling the drugs trade. First, targeting the trafficker and the top end of the drugs trade. Second, strengthening and diversifying legal rural livelihood opportunities. And third, developing strong and effective CN institutions. In line with these priorities, we will spend over 50 per cent. of the £270 million budget on law enforcement, interdiction and criminal justice activity.

Bribery

Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many complaints of bribery have been made against British-based companies since the OECD convention on bribery came into force; how many investigations have been undertaken; and how many prosecutions have been undertaken. [32570]

Ian Pearson: Part 12 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 extended the jurisdiction of the UK judicial system to acts of bribery committed wholly overseas by UK nationals or companies incorporated in the UK. Since the Act came into force in February 2002 approximately 60 allegations of foreign bribery have been reported to UK law enforcement agencies. Of these about 20 are under consideration for formal investigation. So far no charges have yet been brought under the provisions of the Act.

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