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Pharmacy: Standards

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment his Department has made of the number of patients who had to wait more than 48 hours to be dispensed medicines after presenting prescriptions to a pharmacy or dispensing doctor in the latest period for which figures are available; [4585]

(2) what assessment his Department has made of the effect on the wholesale and retail pharmaceutical sector of manufacturers' quotas for the supply of medicines and drugs in England. [4700]

Mr Simon Burns: We are aware of various issues that are causing supply difficulties and delays to the dispensing of some medicines and manufacturers. Wholesalers and pharmacists are making additional efforts to ensure patients get their medicines when they need them. While no assessment has been made of the number of patients affected by these issues, the Department continues to work collaboratively with supply chain organisations to explore further measures to help alleviate the situation.

Stomach Cancer

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent estimate he has made of the proportion of newly-diagnosed patients with stomach cancer who are recommended for treatment; and if he will make a statement; [5131]

(2) how many people were diagnosed with stomach cancer in the last year for which figures are available; and of those how many people were (a) tested for HER2 positive status and (b) found to be HER2 positive. [5132]

Mr Burstow: The latest available figures for newly diagnosed cases of stomach cancer are for the year 2007, in which 6,330 people were diagnosed. In 2008-09, the number of finished admission episodes (FAEs) where the primary diagnosis was stomach cancer was 22,251.

An FAE is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. FAEs are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.

It is for individual clinicians to recommend appropriate treatments for patients based on the available evidence. To assist clinicians, in 2001 the Department published "Improving Outcomes in Upper Gastro-intestinal Cancers", which set out recommendations on how services for
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patients with upper gastro-intestinal cancers, including stomach cancer, should be organised in order to ensure the best outcomes.

The information is not held in the format requested. Information concerning the proportion of newly diagnosed stomach cancer patients who are recommended for treatment is not collected centrally, and neither is information concerning how many people diagnosed with stomach cancer in the latest year for which figures are available were tested for HER2 positive status and were found to be HER2 positive.

Strokes: Health Services

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much funding his Department has allocated for the implementation of the National Stroke Strategy in 2010-11; [5149]

(2) whether he expects changes to be made to the level of funding for the implementation of the National Stroke Strategy in 2010-11. [5150]

Mr Simon Burns: Funding of the stroke strategy has largely been provided through primary care trust baseline allocations which were increased to take account of the demands of implementation. It is for the national health service locally to decide how best to invest resources to meet the strategy's objectives. When the strategy was published, additional central funding was also made available. Of this, £34 million is earmarked for 2010-11 and currently there are no plans to increase or decrease this.

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department plans to publish an evaluation of the progress made on implementing the National Stroke Strategy. [5151]

Mr Simon Burns: Progress with implementation of the stroke strategy is kept under review. In February, the National Audit Office published a comprehensive report on the progress in improving stroke care following the 2007 stroke strategy and this gives the information we need at this point in time. Options for a longer evaluation will be considered in due course.

Business, Innovation and Skills

Business Services Association

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which (a) Ministers and (b) officials within his Department have met the Business Services Association since his appointment. [5258]

Mr Prisk: I have not met the Business Services Association since I took office; Ceri Smith, Director of this Department's Business Environment and Growth Directorate, met the Association on 26 May.

Colleges Renewal Grant

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) with reference to the letter to hon. Members from the Minister of State for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning dated 21 June 2010, which colleges will receive a share of the renewal grant; [5019]


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(2) with reference to the letter to hon. Members from the Minister of State for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning dated 21 June 2010, which colleges will be entitled to apply for a share of the enhanced renewal grant. [5020]

Mr Hayes: There are 158 colleges eligible to receive a share of the renewal grant. These colleges are listed as follows. These very same colleges are also eligible to apply for a share of the enhanced renewal grant.

Eligible colleges


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