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14 Mar 2006 : Column 2153W—continued

Osteoporosis

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the Answer of 27 February 2006, Official Report, column 378W, on osteoporosis, how much has been spent on osteoporosis in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years; which are the most common forms of intervention used in Northern Ireland; what assessment he has made of their effectiveness; how many people are waiting to be treated for osteoporosis in Northern Ireland; and whether all interventions available in England are not available in Northern Ireland. [57630]

Mr. Woodward: The amount spent on osteoporosis in each of the last ten years is not known; the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis is included as part of the work of a wide range of health and social services professionals and it is not possible to distinguish separately the amount spent by them on the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.

The forms of intervention used in connection with osteoporosis depend on a number of factors, including whether the intervention is to prevent or treat osteoporosis, the risk factors involved, the age and gender of the individual patient, the propensity to fracture and the extent of co-existing disease. Typical interventions include case finding approaches, lifestyle advice, prevention of falls and the use of medicines both to treat osteoporosis or to prevent it, especially for those people at risk of fracture or who have multiple risk factors.
 
14 Mar 2006 : Column 2154W
 

The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety has made no specific assessment of the multiple interventions which can be used to prevent and/or treat osteoporosis. However, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Effectiveness (NICE) has produced guidance on certain drugs and is currently assessing other drug treatments for both primary and secondary prevention of osteoporosis. NICE also intends to produce a comprehensive clinical guideline on the assessment of fracture risk and the prevention of osteoporotic fractures in individuals at high risk. My Department is currently putting in place arrangements to link with NICE, and will conduct a local process to determine applicability of NICE guidance to Northern Ireland. It is intended that future assessments of the clinical and cost effectiveness of interventions, once published by NICE, will be part of this process. In this context, the Department will then consider whether there is a need to revise the previously published local guidance produced by the Clinical Resource Efficiency Support Team (CREST) in 2001 on the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.

The number of people waiting to be treated for osteoporosis is not known. Official waiting list statistics are collected at specialty level and it is not possible to identify from these figures how many patients are waiting to be treated for a specific condition such as osteoporosis.

Finally, the Department does not hold details of the availability of interventions for osteoporosis in England. Within Northern Ireland, the specialist drug teriparatide, which is licensed for use in the treatment of established osteoporosis in post-menopausal women, is not currently funded by Health and Social Services Boards due to competing pressures for funding. I shall be announcing shortly details of additional funding for specialist drugs in 2006–07 and 2007–08 and I would expect Boards to utilise a proportion of this funding to introduce new specialist drugs such as teriparatide.

Police Ombudsman

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Police Ombudsman investigates complaints of (a) criminal and (b) disciplinary wrongdoing by MI5 officers in Northern Ireland. [56351]

Mr. Woodward: No. Complaints of alleged criminal wrongdoing by Security Service personnel whether in NI or GB are a matter for the police. The Security Service has disciplinary procedures in place that aim to ensure that all members of staff achieve and maintain appropriate standards of conduct and to provide a clear and fair framework for dealing with alleged failures to observe such standards.

Regeneration

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been allocated through the Local Community Fund to encourage regeneration in pockets of deprivation in Northern Ireland for 2006–07, broken down by area. [57052]

 
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Mr. Hanson: The Local Community Fund Programme started in 2003 and is due to end on 31 March 2006. The Department for Social Development is currently considering options on the future delivery of the fund; therefore no funding allocations have been made for 2006–07.

The following tables set out the allocation to the relevant targeted areas for 2005–06.
LCF Allocations 2005–06— by District Council Area Ards

Area	Allocation (£)
Bowtown Estate	52,340
Total	52,340

Belfast

Area	Allocation (£)
Lower Shankill	61,920
Brown Square	6,990
Pottinger (Inner East) including Avoniel, The Mount, Willowfield and Ravenhill	456,240
Clonard	89,810
Beechmount/Cavendish	89,000
Village	152,310
Glencairn	93,210
Highfield	55,780
Finaghy	71,115
Total	1,076,375

Carrickfergus

Area	Allocation (£)
Sunny lands	79,495
Greenisland/Gortalee	92,555
Total	172,050

Castlereagh

Area	Allocation (£)
Tullycarnet	69,260
Total	69,260

Coleraine

Area	Allocation (£)
Ballysally	73,935
The Heights	50,640
Total	124,575

Cookstown

Area	Allocation (£)
Stewartstown	42,530
Total	42,530

Craigavon

Area	Allocation (£)
Parkmore	19,315
Total	19,315

 
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Derry

Area	Allocation (£)
Foylehill/Creggan	39,250
Top of Hill /Gobnascale	47,900
Shantallow	108,430
Glen Estate	38,360
Curryneirin and Tullally	60,380
Clooney	43,420
Irish Street	27,620
Lettershandoney	21,900
Ballymagroaty/Hazel bank	131,145
Total	518,405

Down

Area	Allocation (£)
Model Farm Estate	25,960
Flying Horse Estate	28,200
Newcastle	64,430
Total	118,590

Dungannon

Area	Allocation (£)
Ballysaggart	106,110
Total	106,110

Larne

Area	Allocation (£)
Riverdale	22,370
Total	22,370

Limavady

Area	Allocation (£)
Glen Estate & Hospital Lane	63,120
Total	63,120

Moyle

Area	Allocation (£)
Ballycastle Town	39,090
Total	39,090

Newry and Mourne

Area	Allocation (£)
Carnagat	5,950
Newtownhamilton Village	15,450
Derrybeg	27,080
Total	48,480

Newtownabbey

Area	Allocation (£)
Glengormley-Queen's Park/Glenvarna	60,915
Total	60,915

 
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North Down

Area	Allocation (£)
Rathgill	36,620
Harbour Ward	92,555
Total	129,175

Omagh

Area	Allocation (£)
Carrickmore	29,860
Fintona	37,700
Total	67,560

Strabane

Area	Allocation (£)
Glenderg Ward	95,530
Lisnafin	59,370
Ballycolman	114,840
Total	269,740

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