§ Mr. KeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about the future of the centre for applied microbiology and research at Porton Down near Salisbury.
§ Mr. FreemanThe centre for applied microbiology and research (CAM R) is a public body managed by the public health laboratory service (PHLS). As with any body spending public funds, reviews are carried out from time to time on how effectively those funds are being used and whether they are being spent on activities which properly 203W belong within the public sector. The Department and the PHLS are currently carrying out such a review of the arrangements for the management of CAM R. No decisions have yet been made, but we will ensure that the centre's essential public health work continues.