§ Mr. PatersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of total funds available for cancer treatment was given to endoscopy services in(a) England, (b) the West Midlands and (c) Shropshire in the last year for which figures are available. [113863]
§ Dr. CableTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of total funds available for cancer treatment was given to endoscopy services in 2002–03, broken down by NHS trust; and if he will make a statement. [114956]
§ Ms BlearsData on expenditure on endoscopy services is not collected centrally. There has been some central funding of endoscopy training. The NHS Cancer Plan made available £2.5 million over three years to address the shortage of trained personnel able to undertake endoscopic procedures and the variation in the existing education and training for both medical and non-medical endoscopists. We are also working with the north-east London workforce development364W confederation to commission national training to develop national health service capacity for the diagnostic tests needed to tackle bowel cancer.