§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many brain tumours have been diagnosed in children aged(a) five years or under, (b) between five and 10 years and (c) aged between 10 and 15 years within each of the health board areas in Scotland during each of the last 10 years;
(2) what research has been undertaken by (a) the Scottish Office and (b) the Ayrshire and Arran health board or the Scottish Office into the incidence of brain tumours or the incidence of cancers within the Ayrshire and Arran, and Dumfries and Galloway health board areas.
§ Mr. StewartThe tables show the numbers of malignant tumours of the brain and the central nervous system diagnosed in each of the Scottish health board areas during each of the 10 years from 1983 to 1992 for(a) children aged under five years at diagnosis (b) children aged five to nine years and (c) children aged 10 to 14 years.
The Scottish Office has not undertaken any research on the incidence of brain tumours either in Scotland as a whole or in the Ayrshire and Arran and Dumfries and Galloway health board areas. The cancer registration system provides comprehensive information on the incidence of all types of cancer throughout Scotland, and that information is monitored constantly by the Scottish Office.
The Ayrshire and Arran health board undertook a study on the incidence of brain tumours in 1992. For monitoring of cancer incidence generally, within and outwith its area, it too relies on the cancer registration system.
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Age 0–4 years 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 Argyll and Clyde 2 0 0 0 0 3 1 1 1 1 Ayrshire and Arran 0 1 2 1 0 2 0 1 0 1 Borders 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 Dumfries and Galloway 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 Fife 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 0 0 0 Forth Valley 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 Grampian 0 1 2 2 0 0 2 2 2 1 Greater Glasgow 3 3 3 1 3 0 0 3 0 0 Highland 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 Lanarkshire 3 1 0 1 0 0 1 2 2 0 Lothian 0 4 3 1 3 4 1 2 0 3 Orkney 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Shetland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Tayside 1 2 0 0 3 1 1 0 3 0 Western Isles 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 All Health Boards 14 17 12 8 13 11 9 12 10 7
Age 5 to 9 years 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 Argyll and Clyde 2 2 1 1 0 1 0 1 3 1 Ayrshire and Arran 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 Borders 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 Dumfries and Galloway 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 Fife 1 0 1 4 2 1 1 2 1 1 Forth Valley 2 4 2 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 Grampian 2 1 0 1 2 1 1 3 0 1 Greater Glasgow 0 3 1 1 2 2 2 3 2 2 Highland 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Lanarkshire 1 2 0 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 Lothian 5 3 2 1 1 1 0 1 1 2 Orkney 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 Shetland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Tayside 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 Western Isles 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 All health boards 15 15 7 12 12 8 7 13 11 9
1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 Age 10–14 years Argyll and Clyde 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Ayrshire and Arran 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 Borders 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 Dumfries and Galloway 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Fife 1 0 0 2 0 2 1 2 0 0 Forth Valley 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 Grampian 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 2 Greater Glasgow 2 2 5 1 4 1 1 1 3 1 Highland 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Lanarkshire 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 2 0 2 Lothian 2 2 2 1 0 1 2 3 1 1 Orkney 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 Shetland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Tayside 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 Western Isles 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 All health boards 10 6 11 10 5 7 10 13 6 10
§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what expansion there has been in the facilities during the last three years at the Southern General hospital unit national health service trust for treating children with brain tumours and other cancers.
§ Mr. StewartImprovements related specifically to the treatment of children with brain tumours are: replacement and upgrading of magnetic resonance imaging equipment;1064W acquisition of a neurosurgical laser, an ultrasound cavitron and a flexible ventricular endoscope; and upgrading of the paediatric neurosurgery ward. The trust does not treat paediatric cancer patients.