You are here: Parliament home page > Parliamentary business > Publications and Records > Hansard > Commons Debates > Commons Debates by date > Commons Debates - previous sessions > Bound Volume Hansard - Written Answers
Previous Section Index Home Page

6 Jun 2006 : Column 577W—continued

Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent representations she has received about the Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill [Lords]; and if she will make a statement; [70368]

(2) if she will make it her policy to remain neutral on the Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill [Lords]; and if she will make a statement; [70369]

(3) if she will list the (a) individuals, (b) Ministers and (c) organisations she has consulted whilst developing her current policy towards the Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill [Lords]; if she will place in the Library responses received by her Department; and if she will make a statement; [72036]


6 Jun 2006 : Column 578W

(4) what (a) representations she has received from and (b) discussions her Department has had with the organisation Care Not Killing; and if she will make a statement. [72048]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill involves issues of conscience and the Government's stance is to remain neutral and to listen to the debate. It is appropriate that Parliament should lead on debates of this nature and allow all shades of opinion to be heard. As with all legislation, the Government's position has been agreed with the legislative programme committee.

The Department has received around 1,380 letters, emails and postcards about the Bill from the public and organisations since the beginning of March 2006 expressing a range of views and opinions. The petition that the Care Not Killing alliance submitted to the Prime Minister has been passed to the Department and officials have been provided with a list of the alliance's member organisations.

Boron

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps she proposes to take to ensure that boron is included on the list of ingredients permitted for use under the provisions of the Food Supplements Directive; and if she will make a statement; [75164]

(2) when she next expects the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health to discuss the inclusion of boron on the list of ingredients permitted for use under the provisions of the Food Supplements Directive; who will represent the United Kingdom at that meeting; and what her objectives are for the outcome of those discussions. [75191]

Caroline Flint: Representations have already been made to the European Commission and the German authorities regarding the addition of the mineral boron to the positive lists of the annexes to the Food Supplements Directive 2002/46/EC.

The European Commission has not set a date for the next meeting of the standing committee on the food chain and animal health to discuss the inclusion of boron on the list of ingredients permitted for use under the provisions of the food supplements directive. Officials of the Food Standards Agency will represent the United Kingdom at the meeting when announced. The objective for the meeting would be to support the addition of boron to the annexes of the food supplements directive to ensure the continued availability of this mineral in food supplements.

Cheltenham General Hospital

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was of building and opening the St. Paul's Maternity Unit in Cheltenham General hospital; and if she will make a statement on its future. [74257]

Caroline Flint: The St. Paul's Wing was officially opened in 1997 at a cost of £6 million.


6 Jun 2006 : Column 579W

Coeliac Disease

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what action her Department is taking to ensure that general practitioners are aware of coeliac disease and are able to diagnose it; [75175]

(2) what steps her Department is taking to increase awareness of coeliac disease. [75203]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: Patients are able to access a health encyclopaedia on the NHS Direct online website (www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk) which contains detailed information on a range of health conditions, including coeliac disease. The Prodigy website (www.prodigy.nhs.uk), used by health professionals, also contains specific information on this disease.

Diagnosis of coeliac disease can be difficult for general practitioners as the symptoms are common to many other conditions. However, a blood test and gut biopsy can be used to confirm coeliac disease.

Continuing Care

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether individuals who are receiving NHS continuing care, and whose primary need is a health need under the current criteria, will continue to receive continuing care if they are not eligible under the new criteria. [75026]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 11 May 2006, Official Report, column 550W.

Dentistry

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions her Department has had with (a) dentists and (b) dental laboratories on the impact of the new dental contract on the number of custom-made dental appliances being ordered for NHS patients; and if she will make a statement. [72411]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department has established an implementation review group, which includes representatives of dentists and dental laboratories, to monitor the impact of the dental reforms introduced on 1 April. The group will be able to review information on the number of courses of treatment that include the fitting of an appliance.

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the operation of illegal dentistry in England. [73301]

Ms Rosie Winterton: All dentists, dental hygienists and dental therapists have to be registered with the General Dental Council (GDC) to practise dentistry in the United Kingdom.

The Dentists Act 1984 (Amendment) Order 2005 empowered the GDC to permit additional classes of dental care professionals to undertake the practice of dentistry. At its meeting on 7 December 2005, the GDC agreed that appropriately qualified clinical dental technicians (CDTs) should be registered and allowed to
6 Jun 2006 : Column 580W
see edentulous patients, without prior review by a dentist, for the purpose of supplying and maintaining complete dentures. The Department welcomes this initiative since it will improve patient choice by legitimising the aspirations of CDTs, or denturists as they are also known, to fit and supply full dentures.

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dental laboratories there were in England (a) on 31 March 2006 and (b) at the latest date for which figures are available. [73302]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The information available centrally is for the United Kingdom. Between 31 March and 26 May 2006 the number of dental laboratories registered under the medical devices directive increased from 3,148 to 3,150. Proprietors of laboratories do not always tell the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulation Agency when they cease trading.

Departmental Bills (Amendments)

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the occasions when an amendment has been moved by (a) a Labour backbencher, (b) an Opposition backbencher and (c) an Opposition front bench spokesman to a Bill sponsored by her Department that has been accepted by her Department during the current session; and if she will make a statement. [72114]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department has sponsored the following Bills during the current session:

Information on amendments moved and accepted during the committee and report stages on these Bills is published in the Official Report.

Departmental Expenditure

Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the 10 non-public sector entities that have received the largest total sum of payments from the Department in each of the last 5 years. [71761]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The 10 non-public sector entities that have received the largest total sum of payments from the Department are shown in the following table.

2002-03


6 Jun 2006 : Column 581W

2003-04

2004-05

2005-06

The information for 2001-02 is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the discontinuation of the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin on the ability of doctors to access independent information about the clinical effectiveness of various treatments; and if she will make a statement. [74863]

Andy Burnham: Doctors and other prescribers have access to a wide variety of information resources to support their prescribing. These include the British National Formularies, advice and training from the National Prescribing Centre, guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, the National Electronic Library for Health, the various on-line databases and reference resources, such as Medline, and various academic and professional journals.


6 Jun 2006 : Column 582W

Elderly Care

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was allocated to services for the elderly in the South West region in 2005-06. [72779]

Caroline Flint: Revenue allocations are made to primary care trusts (PCTs) on the basis of the relative needs of their populations. Allocations are made on a fair funding formula that directs funding to those in greatest need.

A principal cause in the variation in the level of demand for health services is the age structure of the population. The very young and the elderly, whose populations are not evenly distributed throughout the country, tend to make more use of health services than the rest of the population. The funding formula is age weighted to take account of the varying elements of the health need associated with the age structure of local populations.

Once allocations have been made, it is for PCTs to commission services based on their local populations.

Council funding for adult social services is derived from a number of sources: a share of overall formula grant allocated by the Department for Communication and Local Government, specific grants distributed by the Department, revenue from council tax, income from fees and charges and local decision making.

The greater part of Government funding for adult social care is allocated to councils without conditions. Local authorities have a significant degree of flexibility to manage and direct their resources in accordance with local priorities, and the needs of the communities to which they are accountable. It is not therefore possible to identify the proportion of allocated funding that is directly attributable to services for the elderly in the South West region.

Enzyme Disorders

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what services are available to those suffering from enzyme disorders. [74701]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: Local health bodies are able to provide a wide range of health and social care services specifically tailored to the individual needs of those living with enzyme disorders. These services include:

Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Avon Strategic Health Authority

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost has been of running the Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Avon strategic health authority in each year of its existence. [74258]


6 Jun 2006 : Column 583W

Caroline Flint: Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire strategic health authority has received allocations for its running costs of £4.7 million in 2003-04, £5.1 million in 2004-05, £5.3 million in 2005-06 and £5.3 million in 2006-07.

Next Section Index Home Page