Asked by: Jim Dobbin (Labour (Co-op) - Heywood and Middleton)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to ensure that her Department's vaccination programmes reach children with disabilities.
Answered by Baroness Featherstone
The UK is a leading advocate for vaccination coverage that ensures that the poorest and most vulnerable groups, including those with disability, have access to essential vaccines. The UK funds the GAVI Alliance, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and the Measles and Rubella Initiative to conduct supplemental immunisation activities, specifically targeting children who are outside the routine immunisation service delivery system.
The UK's goal on immunisations is that every child is fully immunised with equitable coverage of core vaccines. In 2011, the UK committed over four years to vaccinate over 80 million children against preventable diseases, including diseases which can lead to disability, through the GAVI Alliance. DFID's 2014 Annual Report shows we are on track to meet this commitment.
Asked by: Jim Dobbin (Labour (Co-op) - Heywood and Middleton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to ensure that the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists acts to accommodate doctors and nurses who have a conscientious objection to supplying contraceptive drugs or devices which act after fertilisation receive a diploma in sexual and reproductive health.
Answered by Jane Ellison
The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare are responsible for decisions on the syllabus of their Diploma, the requirements for entry to the Diploma course, and the award of a Diploma qualification.
The Department understands that their guidelines on the syllabus and on possible conscientious objection have not changed.
Asked by: Jim Dobbin (Labour (Co-op) - Heywood and Middleton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is on allowing doctors and nurses who have a conscientious objection to supplying contraceptive drugs or devices which act after fertilisation to receive diplomas in sexual and reproductive health.
Answered by Jane Ellison
The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare are responsible for decisions on the syllabus of their Diploma, the requirements for entry to the Diploma course, and the award of a Diploma qualification.
The Department understands that their guidelines on the syllabus and on possible conscientious objection have not changed.
Asked by: Jim Dobbin (Labour (Co-op) - Heywood and Middleton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Drinking Water Inspectorate has conducted any research into the level of psychotropic drugs in UK drinking water.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
The Drinking Water Inspectorate has published the results of a study looking at the risk of pharmaceuticals and health care products in drinking water. This included consideration of commonly used compounds that might be considered to be "psychotropic".
These include carbamezapine (an antiepileptic and mood stabilising medicine) and fluoxetine (antidepressant). Additionally, the study considered the illegal drug cocaine and its metabolite benzoylecgonine (sold as a topical analgaesic). Cocaine and fluoxetine were not detected in any samples. Only minute traces of benzoylecgonine and carbamezapine at levels several orders of magnitude below therapeutic doses were found in a few samples. This study has informed water supply monitoring and risk management by water companies.
The results of the study can be found on the Drinking Water Inspectorate's website.
Asked by: Jim Dobbin (Labour (Co-op) - Heywood and Middleton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 16 July 2013, Official Report, column 1667W, on drugs: poisoning, how many (a) men, (b) women and (c) children were admitted to hospital for drug poisoning, showing ICD10 codes T36-T50 separately at a four character level in 2013.
Answered by Jane Ellison
The information requested has been placed in the Library. It provides a count of the number of finished admission episodes with a primary diagnosis of T36-T50 for male and female adults and children for the year 2012-13. Explanatory footnotes have also been provided.
It should be noted that this is not a count of patients as the same patient may have been admitted more than once in a year.
Asked by: Jim Dobbin (Labour (Co-op) - Heywood and Middleton)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of potential correlation between relative deprivation and the prescribing rates of benzodiazepines at GP practices.
Answered by Norman Lamb
The Department has undertaken no such assessment.
Asked by: Jim Dobbin (Labour (Co-op) - Heywood and Middleton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to tackle the street trade in prescription tranquilisers.
Answered by Norman Baker
We are fully aware of the dangers of the misuse of prescription drugs such as tranquilisers, and law enforcement authorities have a robust range of powers available to deal with those who engage in the diversion and illicit trade of such drugs, particularly where those drugs are controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Police forces use these powers to tackle the trade of such substances in their area, and action is also being taken to tackle illicit online sales. For instance, the Medicines Healthcare and Regulatory Products Agency works closely with Internet Service Providers to close down websites that are illicitly selling prescription drugs to UK consumers. In June 2013, the Agency and Border Force collaborated on Operation Pangea, an annual international initiative which in the UK led to the seizure of 3.7 million doses of unlicensed medicine worth approximately £12.2 million.
As well as cracking down on the illicit supply of prescription drugs, we are taking steps to increase our understanding of the problem. This is why in September 2013 the Home Secretary asked the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to explore the potential for medical and social harms arising from the diversion and illicit supply of prescription drugs. I have asked that this work includes consideration of the prevalence of misuse, user demographics, and the most common drugs being misused. The Advisory Council is likely to report later in the year.