| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Business without Debate
Sittings of The House
That, at the sitting on Tuesday 21 July, the Speaker shall not adjourn the House until any message from the Lords has been received, any Committee to draw up Reasons which has been appointed at that sitting has reported, and he has notified the Royal Assent to Acts agreed upon by both Houses.- (Mr. McAvoy.)
Regional Select Committee (west midlands)
That Dr. Richard Taylor be a member of the West Midlands Regional Select Committee. - (Mr. McAvoy.)
Regional Select Committee (Yorkshire and The humber)
That Mary Creagh be discharged from the Yorkshire and the Humber Regional Select Committee and Mr. Austin Mitchell be added. - (Mr. McAvoy.)
Regional Select Committee (south west)
That Linda Gilroy be discharged from the South West Regional Select Committee and Roger Berry be added. - (Mr. McAvoy.)
human rights (joint committee)
That Mr. John Austin be discharged from the Joint Committee on Human Rights and Fiona Mactaggart be added. - (Mr. McAvoy , on behalf of the Committee of Selection. )
Petitions
Travel Passes (Lancashire)
11.55 pm
Rosie Cooper (West Lancashire) (Lab): Despite West Lancashire borough council being a net gainer in the Government's concessionary transport scheme, older people and the disabled in my constituency are forced to choose between free bus travel and a discounted rail card, while their neighbours in Liverpool and Manchester have free bus and rail travel. To that end, I bring a petition to the House of Commons from the residents of West Lancashire and others. It states:
The Petition of residents of West Lancashire, and others,
Declares that the current arrangements of West Lancashire District Council force disabled people and those over sixty years of age to choose between a national off-peak bus pass and a discounted rail card; further declares that asking people to make a choice between these two items is not acceptable; and believes that local passholders should get a better deal, like their neighbours in Wigan and Southport.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Secretary of State for Transport to do all in his power to ensure that West Lancashire District Council changes its arrangements so that disabled people and those of sixty years of age are entitled to both a national off-peak bus pass and a discounted national rail card.
And the Petitioners remain, etc.
Public Transport (Lancashire)
11.57 pm
Janet Anderson (Rossendale and Darwen) (Lab):
Rossendale Transport is the local authority-owned bus company that serves the Rossendale valley in my constituency and many of the surrounding areas. The local authority, Rossendale borough council, is now
considering whether to sell off the company. This has met widespread opposition in the local area, and particularly in my constituency, from all those who rely on the services of Rossendale Transport. I am therefore pleased to have this opportunity to present the petition of the customers of Rossendale Transport in my constituency. It states:
The Petition of the customers of Rossendale Transport,
Declares that the announcement by Rossendale Borough Council, that they plan "to test the market to ascertain the interest in Rossendale Transport Ltd" with a view to a possible sale of the company, is against the wishes of the thousands of people who have signed this Petition; notes that Rossendale Transport is one of the few local authority-owned bus companies which makes a profit; believes that if such a sale were to proceed, it could seriously jeopardise public transport services in the Rossendale Valley which are essential to those without access to a car, particularly the young and the elderly; and further declares that up to 200 jobs could be put at risk.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to take any necessary action to prevent Rossendale Borough Council from selling off Rossendale Transport.
And the Petitioners remain, etc.
Swine Flu
Motion made, and Question proposed, That this House do now adjourn. -(Mrs. Hodgson.)
11.59 pm
Christopher Fraser (South-West Norfolk) (Con): I am pleased to have secured this debate on what is an extremely pressing issue-even at this late hour. I have been trying to secure a debate for some weeks in order to raise concerns about our preparedness for swine flu. I had hoped to secure a more general debate so that colleagues could also contribute. I believe that the Government should have arranged for a debate in their own time, as these are very important issues, so it is pity that they were unable to do so.
Despite today's statement, there are still some issues that I would like to put to the Minister, reflecting comments made to me since the Secretary of State's update. We are experiencing the first global flu pandemic for 40 years. I commend front-line NHS staff and others in the health care sector. The UK death toll currently stands at 29, but the number is increasing. Each death has been a tragedy for friends and family, so I am sure that the Minister will join me in sending condolences to them all at what is an extremely difficult time.
I did not call this debate to whip up public anxiety or panic. All I want to do is try to get reassurance on a number of key issues, not least because of the extra pressures and costs placed on the NHS and the predicted drop in economic output as factories, offices and businesses cope with a reduced work force. The public, I believe, have a right to be as well informed as possible and I fear that conflicting advice and information from various sources have become a big problem.
The Secretary of State clarified advice for expectant mothers this afternoon, which was welcome. However, confusion still remains in other areas. To what extent are the Government liaising with the medical profession, charities and the media to ensure a consistent message?
Despite the fact that the UK initially adopted a containment strategy, it has the fifth highest number of cases of swine flu in the world. Does the Minister accept that this is because our containment strategy was not as effective as it could have been? Many of those who should have been given antiviral drugs-because they were infected or had come into close contact with someone who was infected-did not receive this treatment.
At the start of July, the number of confirmed cases of swine flu exceeded the number of doses of antivirals administered by more than 1,000. Does the Minister agree that if a proper containment strategy had been in place, the number of people receiving antivirals would have been far higher? Why were those with "suspected" swine flu not targeted alongside those "confirmed" with the illness? The Government also indicated that they would contain the virus by giving antiviral drugs to those who had been in contact with a swine flu victim. Yet figures from the start of this month show that antivirals had been given out to fewer than two confirmed contacts of each victim. Can the Minister explain how this demonstrates a rigorous containment strategy?
The Minister might argue that this strategy could have been pursued only for a limited period of time, and it is now necessary to move towards a strategy of
"treatment", as the Government have done, but the World Health Organisation in a briefing note published only seven days ago states that all countries should, as part of their pandemic vaccination strategy,
"reduce transmission of the pandemic virus within communities."
Does the Minister believe the Government are heeding that advice?
I want to move on to discuss the concept of a national pandemic flu line. The Secretary of State said today that a flu line has become necessary only very recently. In their "A national framework for responding to an influenza pandemic", the Government said a flu line should be ready when the World Health Organisation raised its alert to level 5:
"During Phase 5, response plans must be ready for instant implementation and activated when required... the national flu line will be established".
When the WHO raised its alert to level 5 at the end of April, the then Health Secretary stated that a flu line would not be up and running until October. Will the Minister explain why the Government decided to ignore their own national framework? Does she accept that that has hampered the health care sector's ability to distribute antiviral drugs and information efficiently?
We are now told that a national pandemic flu service will be established by the end of this week. The service will include a website and call centres, but will only be an interim service. When will a full service be rolled out and how will it be different? The Secretary of State confirmed today that all Members would be given details about antiviral collection points in their constituencies this week. Will the Minister answer the question posed by my hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr. Lansley) about whether maximum distances to collection points will be agreed? That is hugely important in rural constituencies such as South-West Norfolk, and other constituencies across the country where vast distances must be travelled to attend hospital or a clinic, or even to visit a doctor. Will the Minister reassure me that the distribution strategy will not put unnecessary pressure on hard-pressed pharmaceutical wholesalers?
I also want to mention criticisms from health care professionals. GPs have made it clear that delays to the flu line have resulted in those with symptoms turning up at their local surgery instead of remaining at home, thus going against public health advice. They also say that the pressure put on surgeries by the "worried well" results in patients with serious health conditions finding it difficult to get appointments. Does the Minister recognise those extra pressures on local GPs' surgeries and community health centres?
A company specialising in respiratory medicines has also highlighted the likelihood of swine flu aggravating underlying health conditions, such as asthma. What contingency plans are in place to take account of increased demands for medical devices such as inhalers? What extra resources are being made available to NHS staff, who might face increased demands from patients suffering from other existing health conditions?
The Royal College of General Practitioners has accused the Government of giving conflicting advice to doctors and patients. GPs say that there has been a lot of confusion over prescribing Tamiflu, and there is a lack
of clarity about how long a patient should be advised to remain at home after contracting the virus. Does the Minister agree that it is vital that the Government and the health care sector share a common approach?
On the vaccination programme, the Secretary of State suggested today that we could begin receiving supplies from August, yet the WHO has said that a fully licensed vaccine might not be available until the end of the year. Will the Minister confirm that the first doses of vaccine will have been fully tested? It is vital that we start a debate about what criteria will be applied for prioritising certain vulnerable groups for early vaccination. That debate needs to start now, in a sensitive and considered manner, well before vaccination is made available, so that the public are clear about who will receive initial doses. How will decisions on priority groups be reached? Who will be consulted, and does the Minister accept that time might be running out for such consideration?
I now turn to forward planning. Sadly, experts agree that we have not seen the worst of swine flu. More people are expected to become infected. The death toll, alas, is expected to rise, and we should not underestimate the threat of a more virulent strain developing as the virus possibly mutates. The onset of autumn and winter will bring conditions that are far more conducive to the spread of the virus. Some experts have suggested that we should have sent more people to Mexico or the United States earlier, to gain vital information about the virulence and impact of swine flu. Does the Minister accept that point? Will we be sending people to, for example, Australia-which is in the midst of its flu season-to gain a better understanding of the way the virus may affect the United Kingdom during our winter?
There are other countries with lower death rates than the UK from which we can learn. In the context of the global nature of swine flu, I understand that some airlines have called for GPs to "certify" people swine flu-free before they fly. The British Medical Association is anxious for GPs not to have to bear any further burden, and to be able to spend time treating people rather than form filling. Can the Minister confirm that the latter will not become a requirement for them?
The chief medical officer for England has issued figures relating to a "worst-case scenario", which suggest that if 30 per cent. of the population contracted swine flu it could lead to some 65,000 deaths. He has stressed that those figures relate to a worst-case scenario, but even the Health Secretary's figure of 100,000 new cases a day by the end of August are cause for much concern throughout the House and our constituencies, and hence throughout the country. That number of cases could lead to around 1,500 hospitalisations a day, yet the Society of Critical Care Medicine says that the UK has the lowest number of critical care beds per 100,000 people in western Europe and north America. Although the matter was raised today by my hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire, he received no specific answers to his queries. What is being done to offset the potential pressures? What criteria are the Government applying to the cancellation of elective operations? Will hospital trusts be allowed to make their own decisions on the basis of local conditions?
I am aware that biocides have been developed to kill the swine flu virus through hand gels, sprays, diffusers and wipes, and that many other countries across the world are using those products in their fight to contain
the pandemic. I understand that some can be effective for up to a fortnight on treated surfaces, and that a hand gel will still be effective after two hours. Organisations could be required to use biocides. To combat MRSA we have all been required on occasion to use handwashes and wipes when visiting hospitals, and when there is an outbreak of foot and mouth disease we are required to put our boots and vehicles through anti-bacterial washes. What consideration has been given to the establishment of a campaign for public awareness of such products, or to ensuring that they are used in public areas such as schools and the transport network? In his advice to expectant mothers this afternoon, the Secretary of State cited good hand hygiene first. In the light of that, does the Minister accept the points that I have made about the wider use of licensed biocides?
We are in uncertain territory. The Home Secretary has said that the threat from swine flu could be worse than that from terrorism in terms of its impact on communities. As I emphasised at the start of my speech, I do not intend to cause undue panic, but the Government must be clearer about their plans. Delays to vital measures such as the national flu line have only served to reinforce the view that they may be under-prepared. People's lives depend on a robust and carefully thought-out strategy to deal with this pandemic, and I hope that the Minister can give me the assurances that my constituents and the public demand.
I know the Minister well, and I know that she will respond to me in good faith. If there are points that I have made tonight to which she cannot respond in the limited time available, I ask her-in good faith-to respond to them in writing before the House adjourns for the summer recess tomorrow. If she will do that, I shall at least be able to pass her responses to colleagues so that they can return to their constituencies in the knowledge that the Government have addressed these serious issues.
12.14 am
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Gillian Merron): I congratulate the hon. Member for South-West Norfolk (Christopher Fraser) on securing the debate on what is an important matter. I certainly undertake to answer any questions that I am unable to answer in the limited time I have available. I will endeavour to do as much as possible before the House rises. I am sure that he will understand that it might be difficult to meet his request, but I will get the answers to him as quickly as possible.
I agree with the hon. Gentleman about the need to reassure the general public. They are understandably concerned as cases of swine flu increase. I hope that he therefore welcomes the statement made today by the Secretary of State for Health, which dealt with a large number of the issues about which we have just heard. While recent weeks have seen a considerable acceleration in the rate of spread, it is important that I take the opportunity to stress that the basic nature of the virus has not changed. Swine flu has not become more dangerous. To give some perspective-I know that the hon. Gentleman agrees with me about the need to give perspective-as with seasonal flu, it remains a mild and self-limiting illness for the overwhelming majority of people, although it can be severe in a few cases. Of course, I again offer my condolences to the families and friends of those who have lost loved ones.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |