§ Mr. SimsTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if the Government are now in a position to announce their response to the report "Public Health in England", Cm. 289.
§ Mr. MooreThe report "Public Health in England" (Cm. 289) was published on 14 January 1988. Its recommendations affect central Government, health and local authorities and other statutory and voluntary bodies.
The Government have accepted the principle the report advances of a greater commitment to improving the public health. The following steps are being taken at this stage to the report's recommendations.
New guidance is being given to health authorities based on the report's conclusions about their responsibilities to improve the health of the population, including the prevention, surveillance and control of communicable disease. This guidance will also ask authorities to arrange for the publication of an annual report on the health of the public to be prepared by their director of public health.
The capacity of the public health laboratory service and the communicable disease surveillance centre to provide specialist help to health authorities is being strengthened. My Department is also taking forward the report's recommendations to review the present system for the notification of communicable diseases and the scope for bringing public health legislation up to date.
Thirdly, a small multi-disciplinary unit within the Department of Health and Social Security is being set up to monitor and analyse information about the health of the population and to provide an improved epidemiological input at the centre.
In the longer term, the implementation of this strategy will depend on an adequate supply of appropriate trained manpower. The main professional bodies concerned are being asked to consider and act on those of the report's recommendations which relate to education and training in the public health field.
The application of the report outside England is a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales and Northern Ireland.