§ Mr. PendryTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish a table setting out for the period since 9 April(a) each tender issued by her Department for projects requiring the supply of (i) computer hardware and (ii) computer software, (b) a description of the services required, (c) the number of companies which were invited to tender, (d) the number of companies which submitted a bid without prior invitation by her Department, (e) which company was awarded the contract, (f) the value of each contract and (g) the length of period over which the contract will run.
§ Dr. MawhinneyThe information requested, from 9 April 1992, is shown in the table:
§ Mr. MacleanI have been asked to reply.
There are two different categories of procedure involved covering, namely:
(a) administration of radiopharmaceuticals to patients who then return to the exempted hospital, after treatment at another hospital, and who therefore pass a proportion of the administered activity to drain at the exempted hospital; and
(b) the preparation of radiopharmaceuticals, and other "in vitro" laboratory uses of radioactive materials on the exempted hospital premises.
From a radioactive waste management point of view, the significance of (b) can be greater than that of (a), per unit of activity discharged to drain. This is because (b) involves the manipulation of radioactive materials, and because some of the radionuclides used in a pathology laboratory, especially iodine-125, have both a relatively long half-live and a relatively high radiotoxicity compared with most diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals administered to patients.
The order thus aims to ensure that there is adequate provision for patients who return to an exempted hospital, but that any hospital which undertakes radiotherapy work or diagnostic scanning on its premises, or which has substantial pathology laboratories, will not be exempt and will require an authorisation under S.6 of RSA60.