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3 Dec 2007 : Column 1004W—continued
Health Services: Public Participation
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what further steps he proposes to take to ensure that the views of public and patient groups are taken into account in the conclusions of the Enhancing Confidence in Professional Healthcare Regulation sub-group; and if he will make a statement. [170083]
Mr. Bradshaw: The report will be made available on the Department of Health's website, which includes mechanisms for people to directly feed in their views to the working groups.
Wider feedback will be invited as part of the National Advisory Group Meeting planned for spring 2008.
We are proposing to hold an event specifically for patient and public representatives in new year 2008. The purpose of this event would be to ensure that the views of patient and public representatives are invited across the range of issues raised in the programme set out in the White Paper, “Trust, Assurance and Safety”.
Health Services: Regulation
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what account will be taken of the report from the Enhancing Confidence in Professional Healthcare Regulation sub-group during the drafting of (a) existing and (b) future section 60 orders under the Health Act 1999. [170082]
Mr. Bradshaw: The report of the Enhancing Confidence in the Professional Regulators Working Group will be taken into account when preparing Section 60 Orders planned for the second half of 2008. We will also consider the implications of the report alongside other responses to the consultation on the Health Care and Associated Professions (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2008, and to the forthcoming consultation on a further, similar Order covering professions where the regulation is devolved.
Hospitals: Construction
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new hospital schemes have been (a) given the go-ahead by his Department, (b) opened and (c) cancelled in each financial year since 1997-98 for which figures are available. [162236]
Mr. Bradshaw: The information has been placed in the Library.
In preparing the answer to this parliamentary question, officials have discovered that the answer given on 9 March 2007, Official Report, column 2288W, contained an error. The £250 million private finance initiative scheme at East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust which was cancelled in 2003 was mistakenly omitted from the answer.
Human Embryo Experiments
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many human embryos were created specifically for the purposes of research in each year since the passage of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990. [169603]
Dawn Primarolo: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has informed me that data on the number of embryos created specifically for research purposes were not collected before 1999. Since then, the HFEA’s register indicates that only two embryos were created specifically for research purposes.
Human Papilloma Virus: Vaccination
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to include women between the ages of 18 and 26 years in the human papilloma
virus vaccination programme; and if he will make a statement. [169364]
Dawn Primarolo: We are currently considering the advice received from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation on the effectiveness of a national vaccination programme for all women over the age of 18. However women not covered by the vaccination programme will still be invited to be screened routinely as part of the national cervical screening programme.
Labelling: Alcoholic Drinks
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent discussions he has had with the brewery industry on alcohol warning labels required by different European Union states; and if he will make a statement; [166023]
(2) what plans his Department has to seek uniformity in alcohol warning labels across the European Union. [166021]
Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
We do not exclude the possibility of greater commonality of approach in future. It is unlikely that a consensus exists at present across the European Union (EU) on the content of consumer information related to health on alcohol labels. The United Kingdom prefers an approach which provides information to consumers on alcohol unit content and sensible daily consumption.
The Department’s officials have discussed with the Wine and Spirits Trade Association formal notifications by Finland and Poland to the European Commission seeking to introduce legislation in each country requiring alcohol warning labels. The UK has proposed that common approaches to providing consumer information should be explored through the EU Alcohol and Health Forum, since that is part of the Forum’s agreed remit.
Liver Diseases: Alcoholic Drinks
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many diagnoses there were of alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver in those of (a) 18 to 25, (b) 26 to 35, (c) 36 to 45 and (d) over 45 years of age in (i) England and (ii) Devon Primary Care Trust area in each of the last five years. [168294]
Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is shown in the following table:
Lung Cancer: Tarceva
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effects of different entitlements to Tarceva of patients in different parts of the UK on levels of care of patients in England and costs associated with that care; and if he will make a statement. [169521]
Ann Keen [holding answer 29 November 2007]: Tarceva is licensed for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer whose cancer has continued to grow despite having chemotherapy. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is currently appraising Tarceva for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. Final guidance is expected to be published April 2008. In the meantime, it will be for primary care trusts to decide whether to fund Tarceva for individual patients, taking into account the available evidence.
No assessment has been made of the effects of different entitlements to Tarceva of patients in different parts of the United Kingdom on levels of care of patients in England and costs associated with that care.
Maternity Services
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 20 November 2007, Official Report, column 830W, on maternity services, how many midwife-led units were (a) situated alongside consultant-led units and (b) stand-alone units. [170002]
Ann Keen: The information requested is as follows:
| SHA | Number midwife-led units situated alongside consultant-led units | Number of stand-alone midwife-led units |
I regret that the information given in my answer on 20 November 2007, Official Report, column 830W, was incorrect. The correct information is in the following table.
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