§ Mrs. Iris RobinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the number of rheumatoid arthritis sufferers in Northern Ireland who will commence(a) Enbrel and (b) Remicade treatment in 2004; and what the figures were in 2003. [148843]
§ Angela SmithIn 2003, nine patients commenced treatment on Enbrel and 16 patients commenced treatment on Remicade. I announced on 13 January that we would provide additional resources for such anti-TNF drugs for 2004–05. Decisions have yet to be1410W taken on detailed funding allocations so it is not possible to estimate the number of patients who may benefit from these therapies in 2004.