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Medicines: Safety
Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether companies who want their drugs to be approved by the Medicines Control Agency have
to disclose all information about their products, including evidence relating to safety; and, if not, on what grounds are they entitled to withhold information.[HL3807]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Companies who want to obtain a marketing authorisation for their new medicinal product must disclose all known information on that product, including all evidence related to safety, to the Medicines Control Agency for evaluation. There are no grounds on which companies are entitled to withhold such information from the Medicines Control Agency.
Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they consider that all the information involving public health related to the drug paroxetine is in the public domain.[HL3808]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: As with all medicines, the safety of paroxetine is continually monitored by the Medicines Control Agency (MCA) and the independent expert advisory body, the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM). Issues that arise which have a possible impact on public health are communicated to health professionals and the public.
The MCA/CSM carried out a major review of the safety profile of paroxetine and other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which was completed in 2000 and resulted in product information being updated and an article being published in the drug safety bulletin Current Problems in Pharmacovigilance which is available on the CSM website.
Also in 2000, the European scientific advisory committee, the Committee on Proprietary Medicinal Products, carried out a detailed review of the issue of withdrawal reactions and possible dependence with paroxetine and other SSRIs. The results of this review are available on the European Medicines Evaluation Agency website.
All licensed medicines have an approved summary of product characteristics (SPC), a document which is in the public domain and is provided to doctors and pharmacists. In addition the patient information leaflet reflects the information that is in the SPC.
Nelson, Lancashire: Community Dental Service
Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When the funding was agreed for a new community dental service in Nelson, Lancashire; what amount of funding was agreed for running the new service and from what date; who was responsible for the delays in providing accommodation; when the equipment was bought and how much it cost; how long the equipment has been in storage; and when the service is due to start.[HL3823]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: A personal dental service has been operating from community dental service (CDS) premises at Nelson Clinic since June 2001. It is planned to move to Market Street shortly. This third wave scheme was approved in July 2000. Initial capital funding of £66,000 to cover start-up costs and equipment was followed by annual revenue funding of £64,500 in year one and £130,000 in both years two and three. The original start date of October 2000 was delayed by difficulties recruiting a dentist. New equipment was purchased at a cost of £51,805 in March 2002 in preparation for the proposed move to Market Street; until now the service has relied on existing CDS equipment at Nelson Clinic.
Medical Care: Patients Sent Abroad
Baroness Uddin asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they intend to send patients to Turkey for medical care.[HL3825]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: There are no plans to send patients to Turkey for medical care.
Public Sector Broadcasting
Lord Patten asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they are examining ways by which they can support public sector broadcasting other than through the BBC.[HL3717]
The Minister of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Baroness Blackstone): In addition to the BBC, the public sector broadcasters are Channel 4 and S4C (the Welsh fourth channel). The communications White Paper made clear the Government's commitment to a plurality of public service broadcasting encompassing both public sector and commercial channels. The White Paper included an undertaking to review Channel 4's remit to ensure that the service continues to provide distinctive and innovative programming. It also confirmed the continuing importance of S4C in providing a distinctive public service for Welsh speakers. The Communications Bill, to be published in draft shortly, will contain detailed proposals to give effect to the White Paper policies.
Government Advertising
The Earl of Northesk asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What was the cost of government advertising for each of the years 1998–99, 1999–2000 and 2000–01; and what is the estimated cost for the current year.[HL3038]
The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Lord Macdonald of Tradeston): The cost of advertising undertaken by COI on behalf of its government clients for the years concerned was (£m):
- 1998–99 105.5
- 1999–2000 113.5
- 2000–01 192.4
Information for current year spend is not yet available.
Ministerial Cars: GLA Tolls
Lord Tebbit asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the cost of tolls imposed by the Greater London Authority will change the pattern of use of ministerial cars.[HL3768]
Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated under the terms of the framework document to the Government Car and Despatch Agency. I have asked its Chief Executive, Mr Nick Matheson, to write to the noble Lord.
Letter from Nick Matheson, Chief Executive of the Government Car and Despatch Agency, dated 23 April 2002.
Lord Macdonald of Tradeston, Minister for the Cabinet Office, has asked me in my capacity as the
Chief Executive responsible for the Government Car and Despatch Agency to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the cost of tolls imposed by the Greater London Authority.I am currently assessing the likely impact of congestion charging upon the work of the Government Car Service. My initial conclusions are that the introduction of the charge will not lead to a significant change in the use of ministerial cars because all Ministers and their private offices are located within the congestion charge zone.
Cars and drivers are allocated for the use of Ministers and their private offices. In addition to ministerial duties, they are also used for several other purposes such as the movement of documents and for use by officials as directed by the ministerial private office.
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