§ 58. Mr. David EvansTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent initiatives have been taken by his Department to assist with health promotion and disease prevention.
§ Mr. FreemanWe recognise the essential role of health promotion and disease prevention in sustaining and improving people's health. Recent major initiatives include:
- (a) changes to the system of paying family doctors, which will be introduced from 1 April to encourage them to provide a wide range of health promotion and preventive activities. Examples include incentive payments for achieving specified levels of vaccination and immunisation and screening for cancer of the cervix; new payments for approved health promotion clinics; and a requirement on general practitioners to give advice on matters such as diet, exercise, alcohol, smoking and drugs;
- (b) the holding of an expert symposium, jointly organised with the Health Education Authority (HEA), to assess the current and future spread of HIV and AIDS in the United Kingdom and to inform future development of the AIDS public education campaign. The proceedings of this symposium will be published shortly;
- (c) the launch in December of the teenage smoking campaign, costing £2 million a year over the next five years and intended to dissuade young people from starting to smoke. National advertising is currently aimed at 11-15-year-olds;
- (d) also in December, the making of a regulation under the Consumer Protection Act 1987 banning the manufacture and supply of oral snuff. The ban takes effect from 13 March 1990;
- (e) further "Look After Your Heart" campaign national television and press advertising as part of LAYH's endeavours to encourage the adoption of healthier lifestyles;
- (f) the preparation, with the HEA, of a further phase of a major information and education campaign on vaccination and immunisation for later this year.
§ 112. Mr. Menzies CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will increase the level of investment in health promotion and health education programmes.
§ Mr. FreemanI refer the hon. and learned Member to the reply that I gave the hon. Member for Brecon and Radnor (Mr. Livsey) on 12 December at column600.