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22 Feb 2010 : Column 110W—continued
It is important to note that although recent meta-analyses showed that alcohol consumption was found to have protective effects on the risk of four conditions: ischaemic heart disease (IHD); ischaemic stroke, type II diabetes; and cholelithiasis, the health benefits for heart disease mostly accrue at low levels of consumption (no more than one-two units daily is needed for the main protective effect) and the benefits are mainly only seen in men over 40 years old and in postmenopausal women. Drinking above the recommended lower-risk levels, of not regularly drinking more than three-four units per day for men and not regularly drinking more than two-three units per day for women, however, does increase the risk of both ischaemic heart disease and ischaemic stroke compared to non-drinkers.
In 2008-09, there were 84,926 hospital admissions due to stroke. As there is no AAF for stroke we cannot say how many of these admissions were due to alcohol, but we can provide the number of hospital admissions for alcohol-related haemorrhagic stroke and alcohol-related ischaemic stroke as a proxy. In 2008-09, there were 2,445 admissions for alcohol-related haemorrhagic stroke and 1,197 admissions for alcohol-related ischaemic stroke.
Alzheimer's Disease: Research
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding his Department has allocated for research into the causes of Alzheimer's disease in each of the last three years. [317778]
Mr. Lammy: I have been asked to reply.
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills does not allocate funding for specific research directly but provides funding through the research councils.
The Medical Research Council (MRC) currently funds studies into the causes, prevention and treatment of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. These include studying drug treatment for managing symptoms, supporting tissue banks, and research into 'biomarkers' that might improve diagnosis. Other teams are investigating ways to diagnose and measure the progression of dementia and studying genes that may increase risk.
MRC expenditure on dementia research, including Alzheimer's, in the last three years was as follows:
| MRC expenditure (£ million) | |
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) supports basic biological research in neuroscience and psychology. This includes basic underpinning research that may increase understanding of the causes of Alzheimer's. Funding on this research in the last three years was as follows:
| Funding (£ million) | |
Additionally, the BBSRC funds research of relevance to amyloids, which are implicated in Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases. Funding on this research in the last three years was as follows:
| Funding (£ million) | |
Autism
Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made by his Department in producing a national autism strategy. [317349]
Phil Hope: The legislation mandates a time frame for the publication of the strategy by 1 April 2010.
The autism strategy will be published shortly, in advance of that date.
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made by his Department in producing a national autism strategy; and when he expects to issue guidance to local authorities and strategic health authorities. [317883]
Phil Hope: The Autism Act 2009 commits the Government to publishing a strategy for adults with autism no later than 1 April 2010. The autism strategy will be published shortly, in advance of that date.
The Department will consult on the content of guidance for health and social care bodies over the summer and will publish that guidance before the end of December.
Breast Cancer
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths from breast cancer there were in the last year for which figures are available. [316289]
Angela E. Smith: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 9 February 2010:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths from breast cancer there were in the last year for which figures are available. (316289)
The table attached provides the number of deaths where breast cancer was the underlying cause of death, in England and Wales, in 2008 (the latest year available).
| Table 1: Number of deaths where breast cancer was the underlying cause of death, England and Wales, 2008( 1,2,3) | |
| Cause of death | Deaths (persons) |
| (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code C50. (2) Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. | |
Breast Cancer: Hemsworth
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of women resident in Hemsworth constituency with suspected breast cancer saw a specialist within two weeks of referral in each year since 1997. [316628]
Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested. The following table shows the number of people seen and the percentage seen within two weeks, following an urgent referral for suspected breast cancer for Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Mid-Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust.
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