HC Deb 12 February 1980 vol 978 cc631-3W
Mr. Carter-Jones

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the members and terms of reference of the Child Accident Prevention Committee; what is the committee's programme of work; and if he will make a statement.

Sir George Young

The Child Accident Prevention Committee—formerly the Joint Committee on Childhood Accident Prevention—is not my right hon. Friend's responsibility although several officials of the Department of Health and Social Security are members and the Department gives it a small financial grant. The committee was established in September 1979 under the auspices of the Medical Commission on Accident Prevention, which is a registered charity.

The chairman of the committee is Dr. Howard Baderman, consultant, accident and emergency department at University College hospital, London, who represents the Casualty Surgeons Association; its medical secretary is Dr. R. H. Jackson, consultant paediatrician, Royal Victoria infirmary, Newcastle, who represents the British Paediatric Association.

The members of the Committee on 1 January 1980 were:

O. P. Alexander, H.M.I.

Dept of Education and Science.

Dr. H. Baderman, B.Sc., F.R.C.P.

Casualty Surgeons Association.

Dr. J. Bainbridge

Senior Medical Officer, DHSS.

Mrs. P. Belson, M.B.E., B.A..

National Association of Welfare for Children in Hospital.

W. G. Cannon, M.A.., F.H.A..

Director, King Fund's Centre.

Dr. W. D. Clarke, B.Sc., M.Ed., Ph.D., F.R.S.H.

British Life Assurance Trust for Health and Medical Education.

Dr. G. Cust, D.P.H., M.F.C.M.

Health Education Council.

G. A. W. France

Head of Safety Research Section, Consumer Safety Unit, Department of Trade.

Dr. H. Francis, D.P.H., F.F.C.M.

Medical Commission Accident Prevention.

Mrs. M. Glen Haig, C.B.E.

Chairman CCPR.

Dr. G. B. Grayson

Transport and Road Research Laboratory.

Professor A.. J. Harding Rains, F.R.C.S.

Medical Commission Accident Prevention.

Dr. J. D. Havard, M.D., LL.B.

British Medical Association.

Professor C. I. Howarth, M.A.., D.Phil.

University of Nottingham (Psychology).

Miss Sheila Jack, B.A.., H.V.Tut., R.N.T.

Principal Lecturer, South Bank Polytechnic.

Dr. J. T. Jones

Senior Medical Officer DHSS.

Professor N. S. Kirk, B.A., Ph.D.

Institute for Consumer Ergonomics, Loughborough University.

Professor E. G. Knox, F.R.C.P., F.F.C.M.

Birmingham University (Social Medical).

Mrs. J. Littlewood

Principal Research Officer, Social Research Division, DOE.

The Countess of Limerick, M.A..

Vice-President UNICEF (U.K.).

Professor I. McColl, F.R.C.S.F.

Guy's Hospital.

Dr. A.. M. Nelson, D.P.H., F.F.C. M.

Medical Commission Accident Prevention.

Dr. M. Kellmer Pringle, C.B.E. D.Sc.

Director National Children's Bureau.

J. Robins

Department of Transport.

Lt. Col. R. G. Satterthwaite, O.B.E.

National Playing Fields Association.

Dr. Mary Tate

Senior Principal Medical Officer, DHSS.

Professor A.. W. Wilkinson, F.R.C.S.E.

Institute Child Health, Great Ormond Street.

J. Wilson, B.Sc., M.Sc.

Institute for Consumer Ergonomics, Loughborough University.

The terms of reference are:

to encourage investigation and research into the pattern of accidents in childhood, their causes, their relationship to child development and to the social and environmental background in which they occur

to promote a better understanding of the importance of a child's need for a safer but stimulating environment

to spread information on childhood accidents and on the different types of risks and ways of preventing them.

The aims and objectives are:

to act as a reference centre for all matters relating to accidents in childhood

to collect and co-ordinate information on work undertaken in this field

to initiate and support research into the causes and types of childhood accidents and their social and psychological causes and effects

to ascertain what factors in these accidents are modifiable and by what means they may be altered

to pass information to appropriate national and local bodies or to groups of individuals with a view to action being taken

to evaluate the effectiveness of accident prevention programmes

to liaise with and support—not supplant—statutory and voluntary bodies working in this field

to arrange seminars and scientific meetings and publish proceedings.

I am informed that the committee's programme of work is under discussion.