I have a particular interest in health, so sometimes a health charity or organisation will ask me to put a question to a Minister. Sometimes the questions I ask arise from problems experienced by my constituents. On other occasions, I just want to get a matter clarified and have the Minister’s position put on the record.
Below are some of the questions I have asked recently, together with the answers. There is a certain format which has to be followed and we cannot just turn up say “What are you going to do about THIS, then?” We have to submit our oral questions a few days in advance, which has the advantage of allowing the Minister time to find out any relevant information we may need but the disadvantage that we cannot ask something very topical. There is no guarantee that there will be time for a particular question but, if there is and once the Minister has replied, the MP who asked the question can follow up with other questions and other MPs can come in too. For that reason, I have put the link to Hansard, so, if you are interested, you can see how the debate developed.
Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQ) are a bit different. There is a ballot which determines who can ask a question and in which order. Only those who draw a high number will have much chance that their question will be reached and, once they have had an answer, they cannot come back to press for more information. We do not have to tell the Prime Minister what we will ask and so questions can be (and are) about anything even if it has only just happened. If you have watched PMQ you will have seen MPs bobbing up and down. These are MPs who have not been listed to ask a question and are trying to catch the Speaker’s eye so that they can ask a supplementary. When an announcement was made about Airbus, I “caught the Speaker’s eye” and got to ask a question. I had a word with the Speaker before PMQ and told him how important Airbus was in Bristol North West, so he was looking out for me: it is not just a matter of chance.
ORAL QUESTIONS
13th December 2007
Coronary heart Disease
Doug Naysmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects that cardiac rehabilitation will be offered to at least 85 per cent. of heart attack and re-vascularisation patients in accordance with the National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease 2000.
26th July 2007
Science and Innovation
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Doug Naysmith: What actions have the Government taken to improve and generate new business links with my local university, the university of the West of England, and my neighbouring university, the university of Bristol?
Ian Pearson: Both the University of the West of England and Bristol University have benefited from the higher education innovation fund, which is one of the initiatives that the Government have introduced to promote innovation and university business links. There has been a massive change in our universities from 10 years ago in terms of technology transfer, the number of people working in the area and the number of academics who are working closely with business. That is one of our key strengths, and I believe that the Government can do more to encourage university business links not only in universities in my hon. Friend’s area, but more broadly. That must be part of our mission as a new Department.
24th April 2007
Mental Health Patients (Children)
Doug Naysmith: As my right hon. Friend is aware, during recent consideration of the Lords amendments to the Mental Health Bill, a number of interesting suggestions and proposals were made. Will she give me a guarantee that she will consider them very carefully?
Rosie Winterton: My hon. Friend is right to say that this is an extremely important issue. I know that he is concerned about it, and he has raised the matter with me separately. As I have said, the problem with the House of Lords amendments is that they would create a clinical and legal straitjacket, but that is not to say that important issues have not been raised, and I am sure that we shall discuss them in Committee.
WRITTEN QUESTIONS
14th January 2008
The provision of co-trimoxazole for HIV-exposed children
Doug Naysmith To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps he is taking to support national governments to encourage the provision of co-trimoxazole to all HIV-exposed children (a) as a prophylaxis and (b) for the treatment of opportunistic infections; and if he will make a statement.
Shahid Malik: Preventing and treating opportunistic infections are vital components of caring for and treating people, including children, living with HIV. A UK-supported trial in Zambia has shown that providing cotrimoxazole to children with HIV reduced mortality by as much as 43 per cent.DFID is in the forefront of strengthening health systems and improving access to essential drugs. Cotrimoxazole is on the World Health Organisation's essential drugs list and interventions that improve availability of essential drugs will improve access to it. Essential drugs are intended to be available within the context of functioning health systems at all times in adequate amounts, in the appropriate dosage forms, with assured quality and at a price the individual and the community can afford.DFID is also working with governments to strengthen their distribution systems for essential drugs. In Zambia we are working with the World Bank to develop a pilot for innovative ways to improve delivery in the public distribution system.
18th December 2007
Cardiac Rehabilitation
Doug Naysmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects that cardiac rehabilitation will be offered to at least 85 per cent. of heart attack and re-vascularisation patients in accordance with the National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease 2000.
Anne Keen: Chapter Seven of the National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease issued appropriate guidance to the national health services regarding the provision of cardiac rehabilitation services. Implementation of this guidance is a matter for the local NHS, working in partnership with stakeholders and the local community. It is for NHS organisations to plan and develop services based on their specific local knowledge and expertise.
26th July 2007
Cardiovascular System: Screening
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Doug Naysmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the reasons are for the delay in his Department’s Vascular Programme and guidance on vascular assessment; and when he expects this to be published;
Anne Keen: The Department has made no commitment to publish guidance on vascular risk assessment. There has been no delay in the publication of such guidance. The Department’s Vascular Programme Board has been giving careful consideration to the potential benefits of a more integrated approach to vascular risk assessment and management. This is a complex area, which requires further study particularly in the light of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence’s recently published draft guidance on lipid modification, which covers cardiovascular risk assessment.
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Doug Naysmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (2) what steps he is taking to ensure that the guidance on vascular risk assessment being prepared by his Department will be implemented successfully at primary care level.
Anne Keen: The Department has made no commitment to publish guidance on vascular risk assessment. There has been no delay in the publication of such guidance. The Department’s Vascular Programme Board has been giving careful consideration to the potential benefits of a more integrated approach to vascular risk assessment and management. This is a complex area, which requires further study particularly in the light of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence’s recently published draft guidance on lipid modification, which covers cardiovascular risk assessment.
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Doug Naysmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in identifying a suitable risk assessment engine to calculate cardiovascular risk in patients in England and Wales; and what consideration has been given to the importance of including waist circumference for assessment by such a tool.
Anne Keen: Recent publications by the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network and by the QResearch group, the latter in the British Medical Journal, have outlined new approaches to cardiovascular risk assessment. These publications offer significant contribution to the debate that will now take place as a result of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence’s recent publication of draft clinical guidelines on lipid modification, which covers cardiovascular risk assessment. The Department is monitoring this debate with interest.
25th June 2007
Benzodiazepines
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Doug Naysmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions of (a) benzodiazepine drugs and (b) antidepressants were dispensed in the community in England in 2006.
Caroline Flint: In 2006, 10.769 million prescription items were dispensed for benzodiazepines in the community in England. Benzodiazepines are defined in section 4.1.1 and 4.1.2 of the British National Formulary (BNF). Benzodiazepines defined in section 4.8.1 of the BNF for the treatment for epilepsy are not included. In the same period, 31.038 million prescription items were dispensed for antidepressants in the community in England, as defined in section 4.3 of the BNF. Prescription information is taken from the Prescription Cost Analysis system, supplied by the Prescription Pricing Division of the Business Services Authority.
