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12 Nov 2008 : Column 1194W—continued
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of new cases of diabetes identified in the last 12 months his Department estimates were due to (a) better diagnosis of existing diabetes and (b) more people developing diabetes. [235023]
Ann Keen: In 2007-08, there were 2,088,335 people recorded as having diabetes on general practitioner practice registers. This is an increase of 126,359 on the previous year. It is not possible to identify how much of this increase is through improved diagnosis of the condition, and how much is through an increase in the number of people developing diabetes.
East of England Strategic Health Authority: Operating Costs
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost of running and administering the East of England Strategic Health Authority was in each year for which figures are available. [232624]
Mr. Bradshaw: The operating costs of the East of England strategic health authority, for each full year since its incorporation are given in the following table.
| Net operating cost (£000) | |
| (1) Forecast Outturn. | |
Health Living Alliance
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to identify a champion in his Department to take advantage of the experience and skills developed by members of the Health Living Alliance; and if he will make a statement. [233105]
Dawn Primarolo: The Department has supported the Healthy Living Alliance (HLA) with initial set up funding and other help to ensure it has a place alongside other national public health non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The HLA is a member of the Department’s NGO Forum which was set up and funded by the Department to facilitate dialogue between them, and with the Department and other government Departments, and to enable them to contribute to the development of public health policy drawing on their expertise. The Department also has a seat on the forum to facilitate engagement with the NGO sector. There are, however, no plans to provide each NGO with a dedicated champion or contact point.
Health: Olympic Games 2012
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what discussions he has had with the Minister for the Olympics on any legacy of health improvements from the 2012 Olympic Games; [233383]
(2) what discussions he has had with the Minister for the Olympics on budgetary allocations for health improvement measures intended as a legacy of the London 2012 Olympic Games. [233436]
Dawn Primarolo: The Legacy Action Plan (LAP) was published in June 2008 which set out the target for two million people to be more active by 2012 as the principal health legacy from the 2012 Olympic Games. Officials meet regularly to monitor progress of the LAP including those aspects related to the health legacy, which will set new standards in improving health. Governance arrangements to monitor the progress of the health legacy are being put in place.
The London 2012 Olympic Games have added strength and impetus to the Government's plans for health-enhancing spend and physical activity and have inspired a cross-Government investment of £140 million in the national scheme to offer free swimming to those aged 16 and under and 60 and over.
Health: Research
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to assure the quality of academic research commissioned by his Department that relates to health improvement. [234267]
Dawn Primarolo:
The Department invests in research concerned with health improvement through National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) funding streams,
including the public health research programme launched in May this year, and via the Policy Research Programme. The research commissioned or supported in this way and the outputs from it are subject to rigorous independent peer review.
The Government's health research strategy Best Research for Best Health aims to ensure that national health service research funding is used to support the highest quality research, and to provide the facilities and systems needed to enable that research to take place. A copy has been placed in the Library. Further details are available on the NIHR website at: www.nihr.ac.uk. The Department's research governance framework for health and social care defines the broad principles of good research governance and is designed to ensure that all health and social care research is conducted to high scientific and ethical standards. The framework has been placed in the Library and is published on the Department's website at:
Heart Diseases
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what percentage of patients with coronary heart disease had a record of total cholesterol of 5mmol/1 or less (Indicator CHD08) in each primary care trust on the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement; [234153]
(2) if he will publish a table showing for each primary care trust in England the percentage of (a) exception reporting on indicator CHD08 and (b) patients with coronary heart disease whose last measured total cholesterol is 5mmol/1 or less in 2007-08. [234390]
Ann Keen: The information requested has been placed in the Library.
HIV Infection
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of new HIV infections were acquired outside the UK in each year since 2001. [234984]
Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is shown in the following table.
| Individuals diagnosed with HIV in the United Kingdom (UK) where probable country of infection was outside the UK by year of first UK diagnoses, 2001-07 | |
| Persons for whom probable country of infection was reported, the proportion who acquired their infection outside the UK (percentage) | |
| Notes: 1. Figures may include some records of the same individuals, which are unmatched because of difference in the information supplied. 2. Figures for recent years may rise as further reports and/or additional information are received. 3. Data is to end of June 2008. Source: Health Protection Agency | |
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of people who have HIV but are unaware that they have the virus. [234986]
Dawn Primarolo: The Department is addressing reducing undiagnosed HIV infection in a number of ways, including increased investment in targeted HIV health promotion work to improve HIV testing uptake for those most at risk, namely gay men and people from African communities. This has resulted in an increased uptake of HIV testing in Genito-Urinary Medicine clinics from 61 per cent. in 2001 to 85 per cent. in 2006 for gay men and from 41 per cent. to 72 per cent. in heterosexuals.
In addition, the offering and recommending of an HIV test to all pregnant women has resulted in an estimated 90 per cent. uptake in 2006 and a dramatic fall in the proportion of women giving birth to HIV positive babies.
Also, through funding the publication of HIV for non-HIV specialists: ‘Diagnosing the Undiagnosed’, we are providing detailed guidance to support improved detection and diagnosis of HIV in the UK. A copy has been placed in the Library.
We are also inviting proposals for new pilots on action to reduce undiagnosed HIV following publication in June of ‘Health Inequalities: Progress and Next Steps’. A copy of this has been placed in the Library. Funding of £400,000 is available to support the pilots this year. This will support implementation of the UK ‘Guidelines for HIV testing 2008’, prepared by the British HIV Association, the British Association of Sexual Health and HIV and the British Infection Society, and published in September 2008.
HIV Infection: Research
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding his Department is providing for research into HIV and AIDS in 2008-09. [234269]
Dawn Primarolo: The Department and the Medical Research Council (MRC) have made a sustained investment in HIV/AIDS research over the last 20 years and will continue to do so.
Implementation of the Department's research strategy Best Research for Best Health has resulted in an expansion of our research programmes and in significant new funding opportunities for research in all areas of human health. A copy has already been placed in the Library. The MRC spent some £29 million on research related to HIV/AIDS in 2007-08 and the Department £2.2 million.
Joint MRC and Department for International Development initiatives supporting and encouraging research on HIV include the DART trial, one of the largest trials in Africa to evaluate two strategic approaches for the management of antiretroviral therapies; the antiretorviral research for Watoto trial (the largest paediatric HIV trial worldwide); and the microbicides development programme, a partnership between the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa to develop vaginal microbicides for the prevention of transmission of HIV infection.
The European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership, which involves 16 European countries and 46 sub-Saharan African countries, and of which the MRC is a key member, aims to develop new clinical interventions to fight HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.
Human Rights
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the medical profession on the content of paragraphs 25.3 and 25.4 of the Eighteenth Report from the Joint Committee on Human Rights of Session 2004-05; what representations he has received on these paragraphs since January 2007; and if he will make a statement. [233901]
Phil Hope: The section of the report referred to relates to the provisions of a draft private Member’s Bill about assisted dying and so is not a matter for the Department. Since January 2007, the Department has received more than 200 letters on issues relating to assisted dying. Records are not kept on how many of these support or oppose the Bill in general or any particular aspect of the Bill.
Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency: Income
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what fees have been paid by each organisation to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency in the last 12 months. [233804]
Dawn Primarolo: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) charges fees to many organisations for its various activities relating to the regulation of medicines and medical devices. The total sum paid by 3,388 organisations through fees in relation to medicines regulation over the last 12 months is £99 million. It is not possible to give information about the actual amount paid by each organisation without the risk of breaching commercial confidentiality.
Multiple Sclerosis
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who in his Department was responsible for the approval of the evaluation methodology used in the risk sharing scheme for the provision of multiple sclerosis disease modifying drugs. [234842]
Ann Keen: Health Service Circular 2002/004 “Cost effective provision of disease modifying therapies for people with multiple sclerosis” was approved by Ministers and issued on 4 February 2002. A copy has been placed in the Library and is also available on the Department’s website at:
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to issue a direction to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to publish the models it uses in each appraisal. [233448]
Dawn Primarolo: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) already publishes on its website information used by its appraisal committees in formulating their recommendations as part of each technology appraisal. We have no plans to issue a direction to NICE on this issue.
NHS: Drugs
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to end the prohibition on the purchase of additional private drugs to complement NHS treatment; and if he will make a statement. [232939]
Ann Keen: I refer the right hon. Member to the oral statement that was made by the Secretary of State for Health on 4 November 2008, Official Journal, column 131.
The statement was in response to the report, “Improving access to medicines for NHS patients”, published by Professor Mike Richards, the National Clinical Director for Cancer, which recommends a package of measures to widen access to drugs on the NHS, thereby reducing the need for patients to purchase additional, private treatment. However, when patients still choose to do so, revised guidance, issued in draft by the Department of Health, makes it clear that no patient should lose his or her entitlement to NHS care. A copy of the full report has been placed in the Library and can be found at:
Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the NHS of unused prescribed drugs was in 2007-08. [235173]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave to the hon. Member for North Norfolk, (Norman Lamb) on 2 June 2008, Official Report, column 598-99W.
NHS: Grayling Political Strategy
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what payments NHS Hubs (a) has made and (b) is contracted to make to Grayling Political Strategy; and for what purposes. [233649]
Mr. Bradshaw: As of 5 November 2008, Grayling Political Strategy has sent one invoice to NHS Innovations Centres. The total amount is £2,843.50.
NHS Innovations comprise nine Innovation Centres, seven of which are companies limited by guarantee, two of which are unincorporated associations. They have retained Grayling Political Strategy for a stakeholder engagement programme. Each Innovation Centre will pay approximately £5,000 for the work.
NHS: Information and Communications Technology
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on which occasions (a) each local service provider and (b) BT have breached the terms of their contract with Connecting for Health. [233773]
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