HL Deb 05 June 1985 vol 464 cc742-3

2.47 p.m.

Lord Rodney

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many "Plasmaquad" mass spectrometers are in use with, or on order for, the National Health Service.

The Earl of Caithness

One, my Lords, recently installed at the Supra-Regional Assay Service Laboratory at Southampton General Hospital.

Lord Rodney

My Lords, I should like to thank my noble friend for that Answer. Can he tell the House what is the export potential for this unique, all-British product?

The Earl of Caithness

My Lords, I am not too certain about the export potential for this product as the Question on the Order Paper relates to its use with, or on order for, the National Health Service. I can perhaps help my noble friend a little by saying that we will study the results of the work at present being carried out at Southampton to see if there is beneficial use for the machine. If there is, then I am sure that it has export potential.

Lord Ennals

My Lords, may I congratulate the noble Earl on knowing what is a "Plasmaquad" mass spectrometer? Perhaps I may ask him whether it is purely for research, and whether he can confirm that the cost of the one which he said was available to the National Health Service was £150,000. Would he not be wary of expending too much on expensive capital equipment when there is a desperate need for funds to be used for patient care?

The Earl of Caithness

My Lords, I am pleased to hear that the noble Lord, Lord Ennals, knows quite a lot about this machine. He spoke to my officials, I know, recently about it; and I hope that I shall give the same answers to him as they did. With regard to research, the "Plasmaquad" is a research-orientated machine. Its cost varies between about £130,000 and £150,000, as the noble Lord rightly says. As to whether we should be spending this money on it, the "Plasmaquad" was acquired by Southampton University with grant support from the Department of the Environment for the purposes of isotopic lead studies. Therefore there has been no cost to date. If there is beneficial use in the National Health Service then, as the noble Lord will be aware, it will be up to the district health authorities to order it.

Lord Elwyn-Jones

My Lords, would the noble Earl enlighten the House as to what a "Plasmaquad" mass spectrometer is and what it does, and not keep it a secret between himself and my noble friend?

The Earl of Caithness

My Lords, I have no wish to keep such an important machine a secret. One of the great benefits of this House is its number of experts, and there are many in the House who are more expert on this subject that I am. I can briefly say that it is a machine that measures not only the quantity of lead in the blood but also where the lead came from. This could be very useful for environmental purposes.