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16 Jan 2006 : Column 1054W—continued
Voting Systems
Mr. Laws: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will make a statement on the outcome of the Government review of the proportional voting systems used for the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and European Parliament elections. [41390]
Ms Harman: The Government review of the experiences of the new UK voting systems introduced for the devolved Administrations, the European Parliament and London assembly elections being conducted by officials within my Department is under way, and any decisions on any next steps, if necessary, will be taken in due course.
HEALTH
Abortion
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when her Department last undertook an evidence review into the long-term consequences of abortion on women, with particular reference to (a) depression, (b) drug misuse, (c) anxiety, (d) attempted suicide and (e) alcoholism, that drew on (i) UK and (ii) international research; and if she will make a statement; [41635]
(2) if she will commission an independent study of the long-term effects of abortion on the health of women, with particular reference to (a) depression, (b) drug misuse, (c) anxiety, (d) attempted suicide and (e) alcoholism; and if she will make a statement. [41704]
Caroline Flint: The safety and psychological effects of abortion were considered by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) in its updated evidence-based guideline, The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion" (2004). In updating the guidance, the RCOG took account of the most recent national and international evidence. This is taken into account in the recommendations concerning information for women and abortion aftercare.
The Department has no current plans to commission an independent study of the long-term effects of abortion on the health of women, but keeps all new and emerging evidence under review.
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Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what methodology was used by her Department to make the estimate of 25,000 in paragraph 4.10.5 of the partial regulatory impact assessment on the Prohibition of Abortion (England and Wales) Bill; and if she will make a statement; [41752]
(2) what methodology her Department used to make the conclusion in paragraph 4.10.4 of the partial regulatory impact assessment on the Prohibition of Abortion (England and Wales) Bill that 15,000 illegal abortions would take place in the United Kingdom if the Bill were passed; and if she will make a statement. [41753]
Caroline Flint: When developing the partial regulatory impact assessment (PRIA) on the Prohibition of Abortion (England and Wales) Bill officials contacted a diverse range of stakeholders to get the best possible understanding of the Bill. The number of possible illegal abortions, and abortions granted under risk to life clause of the Bill, shown in the PRIA was a best estimate based on the information provided by those stakeholders responding to the consultation and from examining what happened in other countries where access to abortion is restricted or illegal. The PRIA highlights that any outcomes would evolve over time, requiring around five years to become established.
Alcohol Misuse
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to provide (a) screening, (b) education and (c) early intervention for children and young people at risk of alcohol misuse. [39430]
Caroline Flint: The Department for Education and Skills have lead responsibility for ensuring that school pupils are educated about the effects of drinking. Alcohol education must be addressed at key stages two, three and four within the science curriculum.
Alcohol education is a statutory part of the national curriculum, which requires all children to learn about the risks of alcohol. This sits within a broader programme of drug education since many of the attitudes and skills to enable young people to make informed choices will be the same.
The guidance requires schools to emphasise alcohol education within their drug education programmes. It makes clear that the message should be about promoting sensible drinking and reducing the harm related to alcohol misuse. The guidance encourages schools to look at the influence of the media on attitudes towards alcohol.
The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) has developed drug, alcohol and tobacco education schemes of work as part of the education training package for teachers. We are now working with QCA on end of key stage assessment materials that would help teachers assess progress in personal social and health education including alcohol education.
Blueprint is the largest research programme ever run in this country to evaluate the effectiveness of a multi-component approach to school-based drug education. The programme covered illegal drugs, legal drugs such as alcohol and tobacco, and medicines.
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The programme was delivered in spring term 2004 and 2005 to 4,500 young people in 23 schools. Full results of the research will be available in 2008 although the intention is to use the experience of the programme to inform practice in the interim.
The Department plans to commission a programme of trailblazer pilots for alcohol screening and brief interventions mainly aimed at adults but including young adults. Although the contract has still to be finalised, we have selected a consortium led by St.George's Medical School (University of London) and Newcastle University to operate these pilots and extract the learning from them to apply to a larger roll-out programme planned for the future.
These trailblazer pilots will operate in three settings; primary care, accident and emergency (A&E) and criminal justice settings. This gives the best spread of settings to offer screening and brief interventions across the whole adult population. Young adults, particularly young men, are less likely to attend their general practice than their older counterparts but their drinking behaviour is more likely to bring a number of them into contact with A&E and the criminal justice system.
Alzheimer's Disease
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State forHealth (1) what assessment she has made of the implications for neuroleptic prescribing of a withdrawal of Alzheimer's disease drugs; [39553]
(2) whether concerns raised by the Department about National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence draft guidance on drug treatments for Alzheimer's disease have been addressed. [39554]
Jane Kennedy: I have not made such an assessment. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is currently reviewing its guidance on drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease. The institute plans to publish its revised guidance on 23 January 2006. Information about NICE'S current work programme is available on the NICE'S website at www.nice.org.uk.
Aylesbury Vale PCT
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the difference between the rate of change in death rates for men and women in Aylesbury Vale between 1995 and 2004. [39676]
Caroline Flint: The information requested on the number of death rates for men and women in Aylesbury Vale is shown in the table.
Source:
Compendium of clinical and health indicators, Department of Health/National Centre for Health Outcomes Development. Based on death registrations and population estimates from the Office for National Statistics.
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Death rates are subject to random fluctuation from year to year, but the underlying trend is for an improvement in death rates for both males and females.
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Analysis of the underlying trend shows a slightly larger annual decrease in the death rate for males than for females, from a higher starting point.
The overall death rates for men and women combined is 7 per cent. lower than the national average.
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