§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 8 December 2003,Official Report, column 310W, on diabetes, what bodies were specifically advised of the 2002 Diabetes Consultation Exercise; what the duration was of the exercise; how it was researched; how many responses the Department received; what its terms of reference were; how the replies were evaluated: and what steps were taken to publish the findings. [147743]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonA general public consultation on the broad future research agenda for diabetes was undertaken to support the joint Department of Health and Medical Research Council review of current and future research in diabetes. The remit of the research advisory committee that conducted the review was to consider all research on diabetes in the United Kingdom in the international context, with a view to identifying opportunities for new research, options for strengthening research, and areas where research could support clinical practice, public health and the national service framework for diabetes.
Consultation was conducted mainly electronically and continued for three months. A total of 108 submissions were received and evaluated. The review was published in October 2002. A copy is available in the Library. Full details of the process of consultation and the results are set out in Annex 4 of the Review.
§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health on what basis the Department decided during the joint Department of Health and Medical Research Council's review in 2002 of current and future research on diabetes not to make a comparison of clinical outcomes, mortality and complications between the use of animal insulin and human insulin. [148049]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThe Department of Health and the Medical Research Council's review of current and future research on diabetes identified the principal opportunities for research across the whole field from molecular biology to health services research, including clinical research. The complications of diabetes which give rise to morbidity and to premature mortality were the subject of particular consideration by the members of the advisory committee and of a specific sub-group. A major determinant of the development of these complications in Type 1 diabetes is the control of the blood glucose by self-injection of insulin. The review identified research into the most effective use of existing and new insulin's, better insulin delivery systems, and training in self-management as fundamental to good control in these patients. Much research is being done in these areas. The Committee members did not consider, nor was it suggested to them, that the minor differences in the effects on humans of insulin from different species might contribute to differential rates of development of the complications of diabetes.