Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Ageing) Share this | Hansard source

I am not at liberty at this stage to advise on the rest of the committee. That really is a matter for the Minister for Health and Ageing to announce as he chooses to do so, or the parliamentary secretary for health. I am sure that that will be done in the fullness of time and when that is appropriate to do so.

I am mindful of the time, so I will try to answer some of these other questions. The member for Shortland asked me about positron emission tomography machines—PET machines. I am advised that the minister for health is currently awaiting advice from the Medical Services Advisory Committee on new clinical applications for PET machines and the department is also preparing advice for the minister regarding funding for PET machines. I am sure that all of the applications for PET machines and MRI licences will be considered appropriately. I could not, as you would imagine, make a commitment to provide a PET machine in the Hunter, no sooner could I do so for an MRI licence in Wollongong. But I am sure that when those applications are appropriately made, they will be appropriately considered.

The good news, Member for Gellibrand, is that I do have an answer now on Strattera. The appropriate departmental people have been able to be found. Strattera has been fully evaluated recently by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee and the TGA—the Therapeutic Goods Administration. The TGA and the Australian Drug Evaluation Committee carefully considered the safety and efficacy of Strattera in the treatment of ADHD and recommended its use. The TGA has required a boxed warning statement. I am sure the member for Gellibrand would be familiar with what that means. I used to be responsible for the TGA and it is obviously significant. A boxed warning statement will be included in the consumer information for Strattera alerting people to the potential for suicide issues. The TGA will monitor the safety of Strattera once it becomes available on the PBS on 1 July. Of course, we would welcome reports from prescribers of any concerns about side effects.

I really answered the question about MRI licences when I answered the question about the PET machines. The minister has not yet made a decision as to what process will be used to allocate the new MRI licences. I would like to comment on the Ageing portfolio, so some of the other questions on breastfeeding and workforce issues we will take on notice and get responses to the members who have asked those questions.

I would now like to turn to ageing, which is actually my portfolio, for a few minutes. I was asked specific questions and they generally revolved around so-called phantom beds or a shortage of beds. I can advise the House that, in the last 11 years, we have increased the number of allocated beds by 48 per cent, which is a massive increase. Our record on the number of beds being available is, quite frankly, exemplary. We now have 208,000—

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