§ Dr. MurrisonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on the Dental Practice Board in the last financial year for which figures are available; how many times the Board has met; and when it last met. [175265]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThe net cost of the Dental Practice Board (DPB) in the financial year 2003–04 was £23.8million. The cost is shared proportionally between the Department and the National Assembly for Wales as the DPB provides a dental payment and information service for England and Wales.
The DPB board meets four times a year and last met on 21 April 2004.
§ Dr. MurrisonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the(a)actual and (b)predicted funding of (i) community health councils, (ii) the Commission for Public Patient Involvement in Health, (iii) the Independent Complaint and Advocacy Service and (iv) patients' forums was in each year since 1997. [175271]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThe information requested is shown in the table. The data relating to the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health (CPPIH) and patients' forums are shown as a single amount because the there is no separate budget for patients' forums and the CPPIH is responsible for allocating funds to them. The data relating to expenditure up to 2004–05 is actual spend—figures for 2004–05 are predicted spend.
£ Community health councils
CPPIH and patients' forums
Independent complaints
advocacy
services
1997–98 22.561 n/a n/a 1998–99 22.561 n/a n/a 1999–2000 23 n/a n/a 2000–01 23 n/a n/a 2001–02 23 n/a n/a 2002–03 23 3.27 n/a 2003–04 15 30.192 4.4 2004–05 n/a 33.3 6.8
§ Dr. MurrisonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times a year the Board of the Health Development Agency is scheduled to meet; and on what dates. [175344]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe Board of the Health Development Agency meets six times per year alternately in London and in regional locations. The remaining dates for 2004 are 14 July in the north-west region, 7 October in London and 1 December in the south-east region.
§ Mr. LansleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the relationship between the work of the National Biological Standards Board and the Health Protection Agency; and what plans he has to merge the two bodies. [175318]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe National Biological Standards Board (NBSB) and the Health Protection Agency (HPA) work closely together on areas of172W common interest and the Department has actively encouraged them to do so. The NBSB's executive body, the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, also acts as the official testing and release body for some of the HPA's vaccine products. We have no plans at present to merge these two bodies.
Both bodies are part of the ongoing review of the Department's arms length bodies, which was the subject of my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State's announcement on 20 May.
§ Mr. LansleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when the(a)Administration of Radioactive Substances Advisory Committee and (b)the Advisory Board on Registration of Homoeopathic Products last met. [175319]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe administration of adioactive substances advisory committee last met on 21 January 2004.
The advisory board on registration of homeopathic medicines last met on 23 March 2004.
§ Mr. LansleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how often the Committees on(a)medical aspects of radiation in the environment, (b)the safety of devices, (c)the safety of medicines and (d)carcinogenicity of chemicals in food, consumer products and the environment are scheduled to convene; and on what date each last met. [175338]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE) currently meets four times a year. It last met on 18 March 2004.
The Committee on the Safety of Devices was set up in April 2001 and meets up to three times a year. The last meeting was held on 20 November 2003.
The Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) meets twice a month and once in December. No meetings are held in August. The CSM last met on 5 May 2004.
The Committee on Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COC) meets three times a year. The COC last met on 1 April 2004.
§ Mr. LansleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how often the Advisory Committees on(a)dangerous pathogens, (b)distinction awards, (c)hepatitis and (d)borderline substances are scheduled to convene; and on what date each last met. [175340]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonMeetings of the Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens are convened quarterly; the last meeting was on 22 March 2004. The last meeting of the Advisory Committee on distinction awards was on 7 October 2003. It has since been succeeded by the Advisory Committee on Clinical Excellence Awards, which convenes annually. Meetings of the Advisory Committee on Hepatitis are convened two to three times per year; the last meeting was on 18 February 2004. Meetings of the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances are convened three times a year; the last meeting was on 23 March 2004.