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Lymphoma
Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment she has made of regional variations in availability of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence-approved treatments for lymphoma; and if she will make a statement. [87740]
Ms Rosie Winterton: In June 2004, the National Cancer Director published a report into variations in usage of cancer drugs approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) including Rituximab (Mabthera) for lymphoma. This showed a 2.6 fold variation in the use of rituximab across the 34 cancer networks—this was the narrowest variation of all the NICE approved drugs considered.
An update of Professor Richards’s report will be published later this year and a copy will be placed in the Library.
Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the Government have spent on research into (a) prevention and (b) treatment of lymphoma in each year from 1997. [87741]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Lymphoma is the most common type of haematological cancer and includes Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The latter includes a wide range of conditions. Treatment depends on the type of lymphoma and staging of the disease.
Treatment ranges from low dose chemotherapy to high dose chemotherapy with stem cell rescue (similar to a bone marrow transplant). Patients may also require supportive treatments such as blood transfusions and plasma exchanges.
We do not routinely track our research spend on specific tumour sites and cannot provide a figure for the amount spent on research into lymphoma prevention or treatment, but the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) strategic analysis of cancer research in the United Kingdom directly funded by NCRI partner organisation in 2004 revealed that approximately 7 per cent. of research spend, approximately £21.5 million, was in lymphoma.
McTimoney Chiropractic Course (University of Wales)
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the regulation of chiropractic, with particular reference to the proposals of the General Chiropractic Council to withdraw accreditation from the McTimoney Chiropractic course at the University of Wales. [53085]
Andy Burnham: I understand that agreement has been reached for those students currently in years three, four and five to graduate and be eligible for registration as chiropractors. The General Chiropractic Council and McTimoney College are continuing to work together to achieve a positive outcome for students currently in years one and two. However, the matter remains subjudice whilst discussions continue about the position of these students.
Medical Devices Directive
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she plans to make representations to the European Commission on revising the Medical Devices Directive. [86282]
Andy Burnham: The Commission published a proposed directive revising the medical devices directive in December 2005 which is currently being negotiated in the Council of Ministers working group. Given that these negotiations are ongoing there are no plans to request the Commission to undertake another revision exercise.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent advice she has received from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency with regards to the revision of the Medical Devices Directive. [85929]
Andy Burnham: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has the responsibility for negotiating the proposal to revise the Medical Devices Directive in the Council of Ministers working group. The United Kingdom’s negotiating position has been agreed by Ministers.
Mental Health Bill
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many service users from black and minority ethnic backgrounds attended each of the consultation events relating to the Race Equality Impact Assessment on the Mental Health Bill. [81978]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Care services improvement partnership and the National Assembly for Wales organised a series of seven consultation events to gather views on the proposed amendments to the Mental Health Act 1983, as part of the race equality impact assessment. The events, held in Cardiff, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Leicester and London, attracted approximately 430 people from a variety of backgrounds and organisations. Delegates were not asked to record their ethnicity, so we do not have a specific record of how many service users from black and minority ethnic backgrounds attended the events. However, of the organisations that registered their attendance there were representatives of service users groups from a range of black and minority ethnic backgrounds: Black, African, Afro-Caribbean, Somali, United Kingdom Asian, South Asian, Indian, Pakistani, Chinese and Irish.
Midwives
Ann Keen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many midwives were practising in the National Health Service in (a) London and (b) England in each year since 1992, expressed as a (i) headcount and (ii) whole-time equivalent figure. [84431]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Information on the number of midwives in London and England in each year since 1992 is shown in the table.
| National Health Service Hospital and Community Health Services: Qualified Midwifery Staff in England and the London Strategic Health Authority (SHA) Area as at 30 September each specified year | ||
| Headcount | ||
| England | Of which: London SHA total( 1) | |
| Full-time equivalent | ||
| England | Of which: London SHA total( 1) | |
| (1)
London SHA figures 1996-2001 are estimated based on the 2005
organisational structure. Full-time equivalent figures are rounded to
the nearest whole
number. (2) A new system of occupation coding for NHS non-medical staff was introduced in 1995. The new codes classify staff according to what they do rather than the terms and conditions under which they are employed i.e. national pay scales. Figures based on new occupation codes are not directly comparable with those based on the old pay scale classification, therefore figures since 1995 are not comparable with earlier years. (3) Not available. Source: The Information Centre for health and social care non-medical workforce census. | ||
Ministerial Meetings
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 27 June 2006, Official Report, column 330W, on ministerial meetings, which two dates were cancelled for a meeting between the hon. Member for Chorley and the Minister of State for Health. [84145]
Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 10 July 2006]: A meeting was scheduled to take place between the hon. Member for Chorley and the Minister of State for Health on Monday 5 June at 8 p.m. in Interview Room 1, Portcullis House. The meeting was postponed. The Minister of State for Health had hoped to offerthe hon. Member further dates for this meeting on the evenings of 12 and 19 June but was prevented from doing so by parliamentary business.
A meeting did subsequently take place between the hon. Member for Chorley and the Minister of State for Health on Mon 26 June at 8.30pm at the above venue.
Another meeting was arranged on 22 June. Representatives of the hon. Member attended.
Ministerial Visits
Mr. Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS establishments Ministers in her Department have visited in North East Cambridgeshire constituency in the last 12 months. [85981]
Andy Burnham: Departmental Ministers have not visited any national health service establishments in the North East Cambridgeshire constituency in the last 12 months. However, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health visited Hinchingbrooke Hospital, Huntingdon on 26 May 2005 and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mental Health Partnership Trust in Fulborne on 26 June 2006.
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS establishments Ministers in her Department have visited in East Yorkshire constituency in the last 12 months. [85324]
Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 17 July 2006]: My hon. Friend, Ms Caroline Flint, Minister of State for Public Health visited health trainers from East and West Hull primary care trusts on 23 March 2006.
My hon. Friend, Ms Rosie Winterton, Minister of State for Health Services visited the Greentrees facility, a nurse consultant-led service in Willerby, Hull on4 April 2006.
MMR
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make an assessment of recent research by the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina on a possible link between the MMR triple vaccine and autism and bowel disease in children; and if she will make a statement. [84799]
Caroline
Flint: The recent study by the Wake Forest University
School of Medicine into a possible link between the triple vaccine and
autism and bowel
disease in children (the Krigsman study) cannot be given credibility
since it did not include any control groups. The same investigation in
Dr Wakefield’s own laboratories showed no evidence of measles
virus in bowel tissue from autistic children. Several properly
conducted studies that include control groups, have failed to find
measles virus persisting in the blood cells of autistic children and
therefore we believe that there remains no convincing epidemiological
or virological evidence for measles, mumps and rubella playing a part
in causing autism.
National Blood Service
Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how often her Department reviews medical evidence which forms the basis for blood donation rules that (a) permanently exclude men who have had sex with men and (b) temporarily exclude female sexual partners of those men; when the last review of the medical evidence was carried out; and when the next review is scheduled to take place. [76928]
Caroline Flint: Donor selection criteria are set by the Joint UK Blood Transfusion Services and National Institute of Biological Standards and Control Professional Advisory Committee (JPAC). The rules regarding blood donation are guided by epidemiological data relating to the United Kingdom and are regularly subject to review.
The donor selection criterion which excludes men who have sex with men is kept under review by the expert advisory committee on the microbiological safety of blood, tissues and organs for transplantation (MSBTO). MSBTO discussed a recent review of the epidemiological data relating to this issue at a meeting held on 20 June. The Committee considered an evaluation of the effects of changes in the donor selection criterion for men who have had sex with men on the risk of transfusion-transmitted infections in England and Wales, 2002 to 2004. The Committee is expected to discuss this issue again at its next meeting in October.
The current Donor Selection Guidelines (202, November 2005) state that female partners of a man who has had sex with another man must not donate, even if a condom or other protection has been used. There is discretionary provision to accept such an individual if at least 12 months have elapsed since the last sexual contact with a male partner who has sex with another man. This policy is currently under review by the UK Blood Services.
National Procurement
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when her Department will invite primary care trusts to take part in the national procurement process. [84462]
Andy Burnham: An advert was submitted to the Official Journal of the European Union on 13 July which notified of a national procurement of management and support services to help deliver primary care trusts’ (PCT) commissioning obligations.
Applicants
will be assessed on quality and financial grounds. Once providers have
been accredited and a framework agreement established they will be made
available to the national health service locally to support PCTs in
their commissioning functions, should they need such expertise or
support.
PCTs are and will remain public, statutory bodies accountable and responsible for using their growing budgets to commission the best possible services for local people.
NHS Bursaries
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her Department's press release of 29 June, on NHS bursaries, what size bursary uplift (a) nursing, (b) midwifery, (c) medical, (d) dental and (e) allied health professional students received in each year since 1997. [84020]
Ms
Rosie Winterton: The table shows the national health
service bursary rates for the basic awards, not including additional
allowances, for the period 1997 to
2007 and the annual percentage increases. The majority of nurses and
midwives receive the non-means tested bursary. Medical and dental
students and the majority of allied health professional students
receive the means-tested NHS bursary. The NHS bursary scheme has
supported allied health professional students since 1998 and medical
and dental undergraduate students since September 2002 from their fifth
and subsequent years of study. During the first four years’ of
study medical and dental students receive support under the Department
for Education and Skills
regulations.
In addition to the basic NHS bursary awards there are a number of other allowances. These include allowances for students aged 26 and over and dependents’ allowances. Since 1999, we have also provided better support for student travel costs in respect of practice placements. In 2004, we introduced the childcare allowance and in 2005 continuing payments for students on maternity leave.
| Basic NHS bursary rates for academic years 1997-98 to 2006-07 | |||||||||||||
| 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | ||||
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