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1 Sep 2008 : Column 1648W—continued
| Table 3: Number of deaths with an alcohol-related underlying cause( 1) , persons aged 17-to-18 years, strategic health authorities( 2) , England, 1997 to 2006( 3) | ||||||||||
| Deaths (persons) | ||||||||||
| Strategic health authority | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 |
| (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) for the years 1997 to 2000, and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) for 2001 onwards. The specific causes of death categorised as alcohol-related, and their corresponding ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes, are shown in the boxes below. (2) Based on boundaries as of 2008. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. | ||||||||||
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were treated for alcohol-only misuse in each of the last three years, broken down by region. [220551]
Dawn Primarolo: Prior to 1 April 2008 there was no routine collection of data on numbers receiving alcohol treatment in England. The Department commissioned an Alcohol Needs Assessment Review Project, which reported in 2005 that approximately 63,000 alcohol dependent individuals access treatment each year.
On 1 April 2008, a National Alcohol Treatment Monitoring System begun operation to collect and report local and national information on the provision of alcohol treatment services in England. The first year's data will be reported in October 2009.
Ambulance Services: Standards
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average journey time was for ambulances in (a) each region and (b) England in each of the last two years; and on how many times in each case this time was exceeded by more than 50 per cent. [220522]
Mr. Bradshaw: The information requested is not collected centrally.
The ambulance response data that is collected centrally, and which reports on numbers of calls received and the degree to which each ambulance trust in England met the national response time targets, is contained in the annual statistical bulletin, “Ambulance Services, England”. The latest version, covering data for 2008-09, was published in June 2008. Copies have been placed in the Library, and are also available on the Information Centre for Health And Social Care's website at
The health service in Wales is a matter for the Welsh Assembly Government.
Arthritis: Drugs
Mrs. Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of anti-TNF drugs for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis; [220036]
(2) what plans are in place to make anti-TNF drugs more widely available for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. [220037]
Dawn Primarolo: The Department has not made any such assessment. In October 2007, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published final guidance on the anti-TNF drugs adalimumab, etanercept and infliximab for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in which it gave a restrictive recommendation. NICE is currently undertaking an appraisal of the clinical and cost effectiveness of the sequential use of anti-TNF drugs for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. NICE issued its final appraisal determination on 21 July 2008. Published NICE guidance is underpinned by a statutory three month funding direction.
Breast Cancer: Screening
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many breast screening units there are in England; and how many of them had at least one full-field digital mammography set in the latest period for which figures are available. [220941]
Ann Keen: There are 83 breast screening units in England. Latest figures show that, as at July 2008, 11 units are using full-field direct radiography for digital mammography.
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in which areas breast cancer screening has been extended to women aged between (a) 47 and 50 and (b) 70 and 73 years since April 2008, as referred to in paragraph 3.21 of his Department's Cancer Reform Strategy. [220942]
Ann Keen:
Detailed planning for the expansion of the breast screening programme began in April 2008, and a stakeholder conference, including front line staff, was held at the Royal College of Physicians on 8 May 2008. The Cancer Reform Strategy stated that the necessary phasing of this expansion will be carefully considered to ensure that the most useful epidemiological data can be gathered to inform future decisions about the
programme. No consensus on the best way to achieve this was reached at the conference, so we hope to begin pilots in five breast screening sites in the autumn.
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of eligible women were seen within the 36 month standard for breast cancer screening (a) in England and (b) by each breast screening unit in each quarter since June 2005. [220943]
Ann Keen: Information on breast screening coverage across England, broken down by breast screening unit for each quarter since June 2005, has been placed in the Library.
Coverage is the percentage of eligible women who have had a recorded screening result at least once in the previous three years.
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 June 2008, Official Report, column 987W, on breast cancer: screening, whether figures on the number of national interval cancers have been published. [221128]
Ann Keen: We expect the first national interval cancer figures to be published by the end of 2008.
Dr. Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made towards achieving the target that each mammography screening unit has a full field digital mammography capability by 2010; what plans he has for local breast screening units to have access to such facilities; and if he will make a statement. [221722]
Ann Keen: I refer the hon. Member to the response I gave the hon. Member for Gateshead, East and Washington, West (Mrs. Hodgson) on 17 June 2008, Official Report, column 874W.
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