§ 14. Mr. MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what changes he proposes to make to "The Health of the Nation" strategy. [7957]
§ Mr. DobsonThe previous Government's health strategy had some merits, but focused far too much on personal life style issues. We shall shift the balance in order to tackle the root causes of ill health, such as air pollution, poor housing, unemployment and low wages.
§ Mr. MitchellI am delighted to hear that there will be changes to "The Health of the Nation" strategy, because it did not make sufficient allowances for the consequences of poverty and bad social conditions—both of which increased so much under the last Government—for health. However, will my right hon. Friend assure me that we will not throw out the baby with the bath water? A strategy of targeting is useful in bringing resources to crucial areas—particularly in primary care—and it is a valuable instrument in popular health education and in strengthening personal responsibility for attaining those targets.
§ Mr. DobsonI agree entirely with my hon. Friend. It is true that national targets tend to obscure what goes on locally, so we need local targets as well. It is true also that we are dealing with some of the major sources of ill health among the most deprived people in England by improving and building new houses through the release of capital receipts from the sale of council housing, by creating jobs that will be funded from the windfall tax and by tackling the health problems that result from dependency on low wages through our proposal to introduce a national minimum wage—which is always readily condemned by Conservative Members, who do not give a damn about the health of those who are worse off.