Written question asked by Mike Hancock (Liberal Democrat) on Monday, 1 September 2003, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 15 September 2003. It was answered by Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (Labour) on Monday, 15 September 2003 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Dept of Health

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funding has been made available for silicone cosmesis for prosthetics users in each of the last three years; how much was made available to each of the prosthetics centres in each of the last three years; how many patients were treated; what plans he has for the future funding of this service; and if he will make a statement. - Inc figures.

Answer: Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding has been made available for silicone cosmesis for prosthetics users in each of the last three years; how much was made available to each of the prosthetics centres in each of the last three years; how many patients were treated; what plans he has for the future funding of this service; and if he will make a statement. [128322] Ms Rosie Winterton: Baseline allocations of £0.5 million in 2001-02, £1.5 million in 2002-03 and £2.0 million in 2003-04 were expected to be used for the provision of silicone cosmesis for artificial limbs. Spending on silicone cosmesis through the National Health Service Purchasing and Supply Agency, which probably represents most if not all spending on silicone cosmesis, was £81,858 for 2001-02, £410,479 for 2002-03, and £137,502 in the first quarter of 2003-04. Information is not held centrally on the sums made available to individual prosthetics centres, nor on numbers of patients treated with silicone cosmesis. In future years primary care trusts will remain free to determine what amounts from their baseline allocations to use for the provision of silicone cosmesis.

Secondary information