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Temozolomide

Mr. Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will instruct the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence urgently to re-examine the efficacy of the brain tumour drug temozolomide. [57684]

 
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Jane Kennedy: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is currently appraising temozolomide for the treatment of high grade gliomas. NICE expects to publish final guidance to the national health service in August 2006. Further information is available from NICE'S website at www.nice.org.uk.

Mr. Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average cost of a course of the brain tumour drug temozolomide; and what assessment has been made of the drug's efficacy. [57729]

Jane Kennedy: As stated in the September 2005 edition of the British National Formulary, the cost of temozolomide is as follows: £17.50 for five 5mg tablets, £69.20 for five 20mg tablets. £346 for five l00mg tablets and £865 for five 250mg tablets, excluding VAT.

We are unable to provide an average cost of a course of the brain tumour drug temozolomide. Treatment costs will vary depending on individual circumstances and in different settings because of negotiated procurement discounts.

I understand that temozolomide was assessed for quality, safety and efficacy within a Europe-wide authorisation procedure.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Penalty Notices (Alcohol)

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fixed penalty notices have been issued for (a) consumption of alcohol by and (b) selling alcohol to under age people by (i) Middlesbrough council and (ii) Redcar and Cleveland council in the last 12 months. [59739]

Paul Goggins: It is not possible to identify the number of penalty notices for disorder issued in Middlesbrough council and Redcar and Cleveland council areas because centrally available data are for police force areas and are not broken down to that level of detail.

Antisocial Behaviour

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what steps he (a) is taking to and (b) plans to take to tackle anti-social behaviour outside nightclubs and public houses in West Lancashire; and if he will make a statement; [58515]

(2) how much was provided to West Lancashire District Council to tackle antisocial behaviour in the last year for which figures are available. [58516]

Hazel Blears: Tackling antisocial behaviour is a cross-departmental issue and many Government Departments contribute to this agenda. A wide range of funding streams across Government have a positive impact on tackling anti-social behaviour. For example, Neighbourhood Renewal programmes which focus on the most deprived areas give practitioners and local communities a real opportunity to turn their neighbourhoods around; DFES through their work on schools and parenting contribute to preventing problems escalating and ensuring families get the support
 
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they need; DEFRA and their work in tackling litter and fly tipping which can often blight neighbourhoods where antisocial behaviour and crime can take hold; and DCMS who provide the opportunity to divert young people from destructive and damaging involvement in antisocial behaviour. The DCA also contributes to ensure a swift and effective criminal justice system for dealing with the perpetrators of antisocial behaviour.

In 2005–06 the Home Office has allocated25,000 to every Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) in both England and Wales, including West Lancashire to tackle antisocial behaviour. This amounts to £9.4 million per annum and forms part of the Safer, Stronger Communities Fund.

The Government are determined to target those individuals involved in alcohol related disorder in our towns and cities. We have recently undertaken our third Alcohol Misuse Enforcement Campaign (AMEC) to crack down on such behaviour. Southern Lancashire Basic Command Unit which covers West Lancashire received an extra £10,000 of Home Office funding as part of this campaign. Overall during the campaign police and trading standard officers carried out over 6,000 test purchase operations, dealt with more than 30,000 offences and made over 25,000 arrests. The police work that led to the success of AMEC will now continue on a daily basis as part of everyday mainstream police activities. We have also introduced a range of new powers through the Licensing Act 2003 to deal with the problems of alcohol misuse. In addition, the Violent Crime Reduction Bill will introduce a new civil order- a Drinking Banning Order, which will allow for the exclusion from the area concerned of individuals aged 16 or over who are responsible for alcohol-related disorder.

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what percentage of the total number of antisocial behaviour orders granted in England have been issued to (a) men, (b) women, (c) people aged under 21 and (d) people aged under 18; [59016]

(2) how many people in Swindon have been found to be in breach of antisocial behaviour orders; and how many were given custodial sentences as a result. [59017]

Hazel Blears: Antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) have been available to the courts since one April 1999. From commencement up to 31 May 2000 data were collected on aggregate numbers only. Since 1 June 2000, from copies of orders received, we are able to determine the sex and age of ASBO recipients. In England, of the total number of ASBOs issued from 1 June 2000 to 30 June 2005 (latest available), 87 per cent. have been issued to men, 13 per cent. to women, 59 per cent. to people aged under 21 and 44 per cent. to those aged under 18.

ASBO breach data are currently available from one June 2000 to 31 December 2003 for ASBOs issued since 1 June 2000. The data are available at Criminal Justice System area level only. During this period three people in Wiltshire breached their ASBO on one or more occasions, two of whom received a custodial sentence.
 
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Cannabis

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Government policy on cannabis is informed by the view that cannabis is a gateway to harder drugs; and if he will make a statement. [54068]

Paul Goggins: Government policy on the classification of cannabis is informed by the work of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, and their two comprehensive reports on the subject in 2002 and 2005. While their most recent report (2005) does not address specifically the issue of cannabis being a gateway to harder" drugs, they fully considered this issue in their earlier report.

They concluded that proving a causal link between cannabis use and the use of other drugs was extremely difficult. They advised that other important factors, such as the personality of the user and their social environment, were extremely important. They highlighted the fact that the evidence shows that the majority of cannabis users never in fact move on to Class A drugs.

The ACMD continue to monitor the situation closely. If new evidence was produced to change their view they would, of course, advise the Government accordingly.

Charities Bill

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his latest estimate is of the number of exempt charities of each class which would cease to be exempt under the proposals in the Charities Bill; and how many of each class would become exempted. [54867]

Paul Goggins: We estimate that around 10,000 exempt charities in England and Wales would be affected by the current proposals. Of these, we estimate that around 7,800 would have to register with the Charity Commission and around 1,000 would become excepted from the requirement to register as their annual income would be below 100,000. The remaining group of around 1,200 would retain exempt status but be regulated by a separate Principal Regulator.

We do not have detailed estimates by class of charity. However we believe that approximately 7,000 Voluntary Schools and 800 charitable Industrial and Provident Societies and Registered Friendly Societies would account for the vast majority of those charities that would lose exempt status under the proposals in the Charities Bill, and be required to register with the Charity Commission.

Chapter 4 of the Regulatory Impact Assessment accompanying the Charities Bill provides more information about the proposals relating to exempt charities.

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