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Christie Hospital, Manchester
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What action is being taken to save Manchester's Christie Hospital from having to introduce waiting lists for life-saving chemotherapy; and what estimate has been made of the number of cancer patients whose lives will be put at risk if chemotherapy is delayed.[HL2956]
Baroness Andrews: A major review of cancer services in Greater Manchester is to be carried out in the wake of the potential increased waiting times for chemotherapy at the Christie Hospital.
The review will look at the totality of cancer care in the conurbation both at the Christie Hospital and at local general hospitals. It will cover service management and clinical practice.
In the mean time, it has been agreed by the Greater Manchester Strategic Health Authority, that chemotherapy at the Christie Hospital will continue to operate as it does at present. Waiting lists will not be introduced at the hospital and money is being redirected from other National Health Service budgets to support the hospital in this.
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How many representations they have received about the threat posed to cancer patients by the cash shortfall faced by Manchester's Christie Hospital; and what replies have been sent.[HL2957]
Baroness Andrews: According to our records there have been no representations on this issue.
Accidental Injury Surveillance
Earl Howe asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How injury surveillance is to be continued by the National Health Service following the closure of the Home Accident Surveillance System; and what information the public health observatories are collecting on consumer product involvement in accidental injuries.[HL2964]
Baroness Andrews: The report of the Accidental Injury Task Force identified a need to strengthen the surveillance of accidental injury at regional and local levels. The Home Accident Surveillance System data were not sufficiently complete to serve as the main tool for local National Health Service surveillance because they were based on a sample of 18 hospitals across the United Kingdom, and did not include injuries on the roads. We are taking forward local surveillance in discussions on the future roles of directors of public health and public health observatories. It is too soon to say whether public health observatories will collect data on product involvement in accidental injuries.
Earl Howe asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How they will monitor the progress on accidental injury reduction targets in Our Healthier Nation without the Home Accident Surveillance System.[HL2965]
Baroness Andrews: Progress on the Our Healthier Nation target to reduce the death rate from accidents is monitored using data on registered deaths collected by the Office for National Statistics, and population estimates based on the 2001 census. Progress on the target to reduce serious injury from accidents is monitored using hospital inpatient data collected by the Department of Health, and population estimates. The Home Accident Surveillance System does not provide the information required for monitoring progress on the accidental injury targets and is not used for this purpose.
Domiciliary Oxygen Services
Baroness Greengross asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When they will announce the results of the review on domiciliary oxygen services initiated in March 2000; and [HL2966]
What conclusions they have reached concerning the provision of ambulatory oxygen for domiciliary use; and [HL2967]
Whether the provision of liquid oxygen fitted with a conservation device will become a National Health Service prescribed product; and [HL2968]
How much was spent on domiciliary oxygen services in each of the past five years. [HL2969]
Baroness Andrews: The review of the domiciliary oxygen service is at an advanced stage. It has considered the provision of ambulatory oxygen for
domiciliary use, the availability of different forms of oxygen, and the use of technologies such as conserving devices. We expect to announce our conclusions shortly.The following table gives the information requested on the costs of the domiciliary oxygen service in England to 31 March 2002. These costs, rounded to the nearest £100,000, comprise the costs of oxygen and the equipment to use it, the fees and rental payments to pharmacists and payments to oxygen concentrator contractors. Full information is not yet available for the year to 31 March 2003.
| Year ending 31 March | Costs (£ million) |
| 1998 | 32.3 |
| 1999 | 34.9 |
| 2000 | 36.3 |
| 2001 | 38.3 |
| 2002 | 42.0 |
Physiotherapy: Patient Self-referral
Baroness Finlay of Llandaff asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether patients' self-referral to physiotherapy in primary care has proved cost-effective; and whether such schemes will be available across the United Kingdom. [HL3006]
Baroness Andrews: We understand patient self-referral to physiotherapy is already available in some localities in England and there is nothing to prevent its wider availability if those responsible for services at local level wish. The Department of Health has not initiated any formal pilot schemes.
Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide
Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Andrews on 12 May (WA 13), whether they will support any proposal to legalise assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia. [HL3070]
Baroness Andrews: The Government currently have no plans to change the law on euthanasia and assisted suicide.
North/South Ministerial Council
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What decisions have been taken by the North/South Ministerial Council since the suspension of the devolved administration in Northern Ireland.[HL2581]
The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Williams of Mostyn): The exchanges of notes between the British and Irish Governments on 19 November 2002 provides for
decisions on policies and actions relating to the implementation bodies and Tourism Ireland Limited or their respective functions to be taken by the two Governments. A list of decisions that have been taken under the exchange of notes up until 28 March was placed in the Library on 7 April. The Government will publish shortly details of further decisions taken since then.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal (WA 103) concerning set up costs for the North/South Ministerial Council, what are the details of the £7,257 spent on carpets and the £13,271 spent on other items.[HL2717]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The North/South Ministerial Council Joint Secretariat accommodation was carpeted in line with Construction Service Supplies Branch guidelines at a total cost of £7,257.
The £13,271 spent on other items consists of expenditure on a fax machine, photocopier rental, telephone apparatus, catering equipment, a franking machine, shredders and miscellaneous office stationery/equipment.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- On what date consultations took place with the Northern Ireland political parties before the exchange of letters with the Irish Government of 19 November 2002, which replaced the North/South Ministerial Council arrangements.[HL2738]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: There were no consultations with Northern Ireland political parties on the content of the exchanges of notes between the British and Irish Governments on 19 November 2002.
Cross-Border Implementation Bodies
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the exchange of notes with the Government of the Republic of Ireland (Treaty Series No 54 (2002 19 November 2002) allows changes of policy by the implementation bodies such as that caused by a reduction of a body's budget.[HL2582]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The exchange of notes between the British and Irish Governments on 19 November 2002 provides for decisions on policies and actions relating to the implementation bodies and Tourism Ireland Limited or their respective functions to be taken by the two Governments.
Lord Laird asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Who set the proportionality funding between Her Majesty's Government and the Government of the Irish Republic for the Cross-Border Implementation Service; and on what basis.[HL2661]
Lord Williams of Mostyn: The proportionality of funding between the UK Government and the Irish
Government for each of the North/South implementation bodies is determined on the basis of the assessed benefit to each jurisdiction from their activities. For calendar years 2000, 2001 and 2002 the proportionality was agreed by the Finance Ministers North and South and approved by the North/South Ministerial Council in the context of the annual budget cycle. The proportionality of funding for 2003 was agreed by the Finance Ministers North and South and approved by the British and Irish Governments under the agreement made by the exchange of notes between the two Governments dated 19 November 2002.
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