HC Deb 13 February 1967 vol 741 c82
10. Dr. John Dunwoody

asked the Minister of Health if he will seek to amend the list of diseases notifiable to medical officers of health under the Public Health Act.

Mr. K. Robinson

I propose to do so when the next opportunity occurs for the necessary legislation.

Dr. Dunwoody

Does not my right hon. Friend agree that the notification of some diseases—for example, measles and pneumonia—is so inaccurate that the information provided is quite meaningless and pointless, and that even if it were accurate the information that it provided would not be of clinical value? Is it not illogical that local authorities should have to spend so much time and money in collecting this information when diseases like infectious hepatitis and brucellosis are not notifiable?

Mr. Robinson

Without necessarily accepting all that my hon. Friend says, 1 can tell him that after consultation with the interested bodies I have provisionally concluded that a change should be made in the list of notifiable diseases. This will have the effect of subtracting eight and adding four.