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Obesity

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much has been spent by her Department on campaigns to raise awareness of the health effects of obesity in the last three years; [48611]

(2) how much has been spent by her Department on campaigns to raise awareness of the health effects of lack of exercise in the last three years. [48612]

Caroline Flint [holding answer 7 February 2006]: As committed in Choosing Health", a project team is currently working with stakeholders to develop an obesity social marketing programme for launch in early 2007. The objective will be to prevent unhealthy weight gain in children aged two to 10, by influencing their parents and carers to make healthier choices on food and physical activity.

More broadly, the 5 A DAY programme, the Food Standards Agency's salt campaign, and Sport England's Everyday Sport programme have helped to raise awareness of healthy nutrition and physical activity. £2 million was spent on the 5 A day programme by the Department in 2005–06.

PCT Efficiency Savings

Mr. Kenneth Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health by whom and on what basis certain primary care trusts have been instructed to bank their target of efficiency savings in the next financial year with the relevant strategic health authority; and for what purposes strategic health authorities are being authorised to extend the funds collected in this way. [58532]

Jane Kennedy: The requirement for National Health Service organisations to bank reserves with their strategic health authority (SHA) was announced by the Department in The NHS in England: the operating framework for 2006/07".

The amount of reserve to be banked and the terms of the agreement will be agreed with their SHA. SHAs are responsible for the financial management of the organisations within their area and for delivering financial planning targets agreed with the Department. Holding financial reserves is a prudent approach to financial management, so the Department is encouraging SHAs to hold reserves because it will help them deliver their financial targets.

PFI Contracts

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria are used when deciding whether the NHS should indemnify a liability in the negotiation of private finance initiative contracts; and if she will make a statement. [54832]

Jane Kennedy: Most of the terms of a national health service private finance (PFI) contract are determined by the NHS standard form PFI contract. This is based on HM Treasury guidance and sound commercial principles.

There are clauses in the NHS standard form where indemnities are given by the NHS to the private sector contractor. For example, if the NHS causes deliberate
 
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damage to the contractor's property, it must indemnify the contractor against the costs. There is a similar indemnity provided by contractors if they cause damage to NHS property. Such terms are commonplace in any commercial contract.

Occasionally there are circumstances specific to individual schemes in which the NHS provides an indemnity to its contractor. An example would be where there are problems with NHS land. If it is difficult to quantify the risk, but the problem has been created by the NHS, it is often better value for money to offer an indemnity than to ask the private sector to price for the risk. These cases are rare and the NHS does not offer such indemnities without following HM Treasury guidance or taking professional advice. The terms of the contract would also need to be approved by the Department.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans her Department have to introduce specific funding to raise sexual health awareness in areas where rates of diagnosis for sexually transmitted diseases and infections are high. [57044]

Caroline Flint: Specifically funded, locally focused awareness raising on sexual transmitted infections is a matter for each primary care trust. The Department already funds the Terrence Higgins Trust and the African HIV policy network to deliver HIV awareness raising campaigns for gay men and African communities, and the Family Planning Association for information resources on sexual health for the general population.

Soft Drinks (Benzene)

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with the Food Standards Agency regarding levels of benzene in soft drinks; whether she plans to introduce a maximum permissible limit for the quantity of benzene found in soft drinks; whether such a limit has existed in the past 30 years; and if she will make a statement. [57724]

Caroline Flint: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has informed me that the levels of benzene reported were not a concern for public health. On average people breath in 220 micrograms of benzene each day, which is the equivalent of drinking more than 27 litres of soft drinks containing the highest level of benzene reported. Nevertheless, the FSA is carrying out its own survey of benzene in soft drinks and will consider what action may be needed to further reduce benzene levels. Limits on the amount of sodium benzoate, a food preservative from which the benzene is considered to have been derived, have existed for many years, the most recent limit was introduced in 1996.

Temozolomide

Mr. Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients in England have been prescribed the brain tumour drug temozolomide on the NHS. [57683]

Jane Kennedy: Information on the number of patients that have been prescribed temozolomide on the national health service is not available.
 
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Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when Ministers last met stakeholders to discuss costs associated with the implementation of the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive; and when the next meeting is planned to take place; [57502]

(2) what estimate the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has made of the likely number of applications for registrations under the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Regulation it will need to process prior to the legislation coming into force; and what steps it is taking to minimise the cost burdens for small and medium-sized enterprises involved in this process; [57504]

(3) how many businesses the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has met to discuss the implementation of the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Regulation; what issues were raised; and what steps the Agency is taking to address them. [57505]

Jane Kennedy: Ministers met stakeholders on a number of occasions during the negotiations on the directive on traditional herbal medicinal products, but have not subsequently had a meeting on the costs associated with implementing the directive. The need for a further meeting will be kept under review in the light of experience of operating the new regulatory arrangements.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has held around 65 meetings with individual companies. The main issue discussed at most of these meetings has been how companies can most effectively target their preparations to register products. The MHRA has also regularly met the industry's herbal forum. In these discussions, subjects covered have included the technical requirements set out in European guidelines as well as a wide range of other specific issues relating to the directive on traditional herbal medicinal products. The focus has been on containing regulatory impact to the minimum necessary to protect public health and to comply with the legislation. Outcomes have included workshops, updates to MHRA's website guidance and advice on how interested parties can raise issues with the relevant European scientific and regulatory committee, the committee on herbal medicinal products.

The registration scheme for traditional herbal medicines was launched in October 2005. The MHRA has made no estimates of the likely number of applications as many companies have indicated they intend to decide how many products to register in the light of early experience of the scheme. Illustrative figures were given in the final regulatory impact assessment.

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what level of fees the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency plans to set in relation to the submission of dossiers for Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Registrations by small and medium-sized enterprises; and if she will make a statement. [57503]

 
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Jane Kennedy: The fees for registering traditional herbal medicines are set out in the Medicines for Human Use (Fees Amendments) (No. 2) Regulations 2005. The fees were set following a public consultation.

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