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2 Jun 2008 : Column 583W—continued
Health
Abortion
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many abortions took place in each year since 1978; [205994]
(2) how many requests for abortions were not approved by doctors in each year since 1978; and if he will make a statement. [205995]
Ann Keen: The information is shown in the following table. Data are not held centrally on the number of requests for an abortion that are turned down.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he (a) is taking and (b) plans to take in the next 12 months to provide patients seeking an abortion with access to the information they need to make an informed decision about their abortion, with particular reference to psychological problems associated with abortion; and if he will make a statement. [207181]
Dawn Primarolo: The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) in its evidence-based guideline ‘The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion’ (2004) states that professionals involved in abortion services should be equipped to provide women with the information they need, including accurate knowledge about possible complications and sequelae of abortion, in order to give genuinely informed consent.
We have commissioned the RCOG to review its guideline. In addition, we are working with the Royal College of Psychiatrists to discuss whether further work needs to be undertaken in this area.
Alcoholic Drinks: Health Education
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on public awareness campaigns about the health implications of excessive alcohol consumption in each of last 10 years. [207028]
Dawn Primarolo: We have financial information on Government alcohol expenditure from 2002-03. Figures for previous years were held on a financial system, which is no longer accessible.
| Alcohol expenditure from 2002-03 | |||||||||
| £ million | |||||||||
| 2000-01 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09( 1) | |
| (1) Planned | |||||||||
Anti-depressants
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research (a) his Department and (b) the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has evaluated on the effect of anti-depressant selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors on immune systems. [206370]
Dawn Primarolo: The Department has not commissioned research on the effect of anti-depressant selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors on immune systems.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued a clinical guideline for the national health service on the management of depression in primary and secondary care. This guideline, along with the evidence NICE considered in developing it can be found at:
Clinical trials submitted at the time of licensing have examined the safety and efficacy of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). These data are carefully evaluated by the independent scientific advisory committee, the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM), and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) prior to licensing to ensure that the products work and are acceptably safe. The longer term safety of the use of SSRIs in routine clinical practice is closely monitored by MHRA including reports of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) submitted by health professionals through the ‘Yellow Card’ Scheme. All new data, including data relating to the effects of SSRIs on immune system disorders, are carefully evaluated. Where appropriate, product information for prescribers and patients is updated and advice issued.
As with all effective medicines, SSRIs may cause side effects in some individuals and it is recognised that SSRIs can rarely cause hypersensitivity reactions including rashes, angioedema (swelling of the eyelids, face, lips, mouth or tongue) and anaphylaxis (a severe hypersensivity reaction that can cause difficulty with breathing). This is reflected in the product information for both prescribers and patients and their use is contra-indicated in patients that are known to be hypersensitive to the drug substance.
Bone Diseases: Medical Treatments
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance on anti-tumour necrosis factor treatments for ankylosing spondylitis to be issued; and what the reasons are for the time taken to issue that guidance. [207642]
Dawn Primarolo: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published final guidance on anti-tumour necrosis factor treatments for ankylosing spondylitis on 28 May 2008. Full information about this appraisal, including a timeline for its development, is on NICE'S website at:
Cancer
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the statement made by Baroness Thornton on 30 April 2008, House of Lords Official Report, column GC70, on the Health and Social Care Bill, for what reasons the National Institute for Heath and Clinical Excellence's (NICE) interventional procedures guidance is included in the consultation document; for what reasons NICE's cancer guidance service is not included; and if he will make a statement. [206405]
Mr. Bradshaw: On 25 March the Department launched a consultation seeking views on the future framework for the registration of health and social care providers. The consultation runs until 17 June.
In the consultation document, the reference to National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance issued through its interventional procedure programme is an example of the evidence the new Care Quality Commission will use assess compliance with registration requirements. The examples put forward in the document are not intended to be comprehensive.
Subject to the passage of the Health and Social Care Bill through Parliament, once it is established, the Care Quality Commission will develop and consult on guidance on a new methodology and compliance criteria to assess whether providers meet and continue to achieve the requirements for registration.
Cancer: Research
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much Government funding was provided for medical and health research into cancer in each of the last five years; and what percentage of the health and medical research budget this represented in each year. [206520]
Ann Keen [holding answer 19 May 2008]: The information requested in respect of the Department's research and development (R and D) expenditure is shown in the following table.
| Expenditure as a percentage of total departmental R and D budget | £ million | |
The Medical Research Council and other research councils funded by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills also invest significantly in cancer research.
Cannabis: Rehabilitation
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many (a) males and (b) females sought medical help for cannabis addiction in each of the last three years, broken down by (i) age group and (ii) health authority area; [207137]
(2) what programmes for treating cannabis addiction his Department funds; what plans he has to revise the range of programmes funded; and if he will make a statement; [207138]
(3) what drugs are available on the NHS to treat cannabis addiction; which drugs were available in each of the last five years; when these drugs were last reviewed by his Department; how much was spent by his Department on these drugs in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [207180]
Dawn Primarolo: Data on those being treated for cannabis misuse is not available in the format requested. The National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA) publish information from the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) on the numbers of people in structured drug treatment; however, this information is not broken down by sex or by health authority.
NDTMS data shows that in 2003-04 10,096 people received structured drug treatment for cannabis misuse and in 2004-05 13,408 people received structured drug treatment for cannabis misuse. The NTA will be publishing data for 2005-06 and 2006-07 this summer. Prior to 2003-04 the numbers of clients receiving drug treatment were based on estimates.
The majority of drug treatment services are not specific to any one type of drug, responding to the needs of the individual client regardless of the type of drug they are addicted to. As with current drug treatment services, the introduction of any new service or programme must be based on clinical evidence; this includes any new services or programmes to treat cannabis addiction.
It is the responsibility of drug action teams (DATs) to commission drug treatment services in their areas in line with local needs. DATs are local partnerships, combining representatives from local authorities, health, probation, prison service and the voluntary sector, and are responsible for delivering the Government's drug strategy at a local level. DATs have the best understanding of the local needs and priorities of their populations and ensure that the work of local agencies is brought together effectively and that cross-agency projects are co-ordinated successfully.
While figures for the proportion of clients in treatment whose primary drug of dependence is cannabis are not available the number of drug users receiving treatment have increased from 85,000 in 1998 to 195,000 in 2006-07 and the numbers of drug users remaining in treatment has also risen. Drug treatment services have had a real impact, positively benefiting both drug users and the wider community; drug related deaths have decreased and the level of crime associated with drug misuse has fallen substantially.
Since 2001-02, the Department of Health and the Home Office have provided specific resources for drug treatment in the form of the pooled drug treatment budget (PTB). This is allocated to the 149 DATs across the country to use alongside local mainstream funding, to provide treatment and services according to specific local needs. The level of Government investment for substance misuse treatment within the pooled treatment budget is £398 million for 2008-09, which is also the indicative figure for 2009-10 and 2010-11. The Department does not intend the funding made available through the PTB to represent the totality of funding for any area. Rather, it is designed to supplement mainstream funds and to encourage investment in improving treatment capacity and effectiveness.
The latest evidence-based approaches to treating problematic cannabis use, in both adults and young people, are outlined in the joint departmental and National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse publication, Drug Misuse and Dependence: UK Guidelines on Clinical Management, published in September 2007, and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence
clinical guideline 51—Drug Misuse: Psychosodal Interventions. Treatment for cannabis addiction is expected to be in line with these guidelines.
There are no specific substitute medicines available for treatment of cannabis dependence, although medication may be used to treat various related symptoms. The Drug Misuse and Dependence: UK Guidelines on Clinical Management guideline states that
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