§ Mrs. BeckettTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what her Department's plans are for research into contraception and contraceptive methods. [20631]
§ Mr. BowisNone. Research in this field is a matter for the Medical Research Council, which is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
§ Mrs. BeckettTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what initiatives, other than educational, her Department has undertaken within the last 12 months in order to meet "The Health of the Nation" target for teenage conceptions. [20632]
§ Mr. BowisPriorities set by the national health service chief executive for 1994–95 required authorities to ensure the provision, within available resources, of the full range of NHS family planning services which are appropriate, accessible and comprehensive and that emergency contraception and services for teenagers, including counselling, are publicised and readily available. This requirement was reaffirmed in the priorities set for 1995–96.
Over £136 million per year has been spent on NHS family planning services in England. In addition, in 1994–95, more than £340,000 was allocated to key voluntary bodies working towards "The Health of the Nation target on teenage conceptions".
In March 1995 the Department sponsored a Family Planning Association radio and magazine advertising campaign in London and Manchester to launch the Sexwise phoneline—a free, confidential service offering teenagers the opportunity to receive advice from a trained counsellor. There have been more than 45,000 calls to the line during its first six weeks of operation.
The Family Planning Association and the Health Education Authority, in collaboration with Brook Advisory Centres and the Birth Control Trust, have also recently launched a national radio and magazine advertising campaign to raise awareness of emergency contraception. This campaign is supported by a telephone helpline.
§ Mrs. BeckettTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women in the United Kingdom use hormonal contraception. [20633]
§ Mr. BowisAccording to the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys 1993 general household survey, 25 per cent. of women in Great Britain aged 16 to 49 use oral contraceptives.
§ Mrs. BeckettTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average cost to the NHS of one year's course of hormonal contraception. [20634]
§ Mr. BowisAssuming that recommended doses were followed in all cases, the average net ingredient cost of one year's supply of hormonal contraceptives, including722W implants and injections, dispensed in the family health services authorities in England in 1994 was £18.39 per woman.
This figure excludes dispensing costs or fees. Preparations for short-term and emergency hormonal contraception have also been excluded from the calculation.
§ Mrs. BeckettTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what figures her Department has as to the cost to the NHS of(a) terminations and (b) maternities and births, resulting from (i) all pregnancies and (ii) unplanned pregnancies. [20635]
§ Mr. BowisThe costs to the national health service of terminations and of maternities and births resulting from planned or unplanned pregnancies are not separately identifiable.
§ Mrs. BeckettTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what data her Department has on the increased likelihood of pregnancy when a woman changes the type of contraceptive pill she uses for family planning. [20636]
§ Mr. BowisNone. The "Handbook on Contraceptive Practice", published by the Health Departments in England, Scotland and Wales and issued to doctors and nurses working in the family planning field, provides advice on avoiding the risk of pregnancy when patients need to change their pill formulation.
§ Mrs. BeckettTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimates her Department makes as to what proportion of pregnancies are(a) unplanned and (b) unwanted. [20637]
§ Mr. BowisThe chief medical officer's report for 1990 estimated that almost half of all conceptions to women in England were in some sense unwanted or unintended.
§ Mrs. BeckettTo ask the Secretary of State for Health whether hormonal contraceptives are distinguished by her Department from other pharmaceutical products in any way. [20645]
§ Mr. MaloneHormonal contraceptives are treated in the same way as other pharmaceutical products under the Medicines Act and the relevant European legislation. Unlike other products, people receiving hormonal contraceptives on NHS prescription do not pay a prescription charge in any circumstances.
§ Mrs. Ann WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many calls seeking post-coital contraception have to date been received by the helpline funded by the Health Education Authority and the Family Planning Association; and what specific advice is given to callers; [21733]
(2) what public funds have been used by the Health Education Authority and the Family Planning Association to finance their national advertising campaign and telephone advice service promoting the uptake of the morning-after pill; what was the total cost of those campaigns; and by whom were they approved. [21732]
§ Mr. MaloneThe campaign budget for 1994–95 was £300,000. It is funded by the Health Education Authority through the Family Planning Association. All expenditure 723W has been approved in the normal way. The helpline has received 30,000 calls to date relating to all aspects of use of emergency contraception.