Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research (Hansard, 5 July 1990)

§ Mr. Cousins
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list all the meetings involving his Department and Porton International Ltd., and the attendance at each;
(2) if he will list the dates and attendance list of meetings between the Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research and Porton International Ltd.

§ Mr. Dorrell
A list of the liaison meetings between officers of the Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research (CAMR), the public health laboratory service (PHLS) and Porton Products Ltd. (PP), a member of the Porton International group, is at table A; and a list of meetings of the CAMR committee, a sub-committee of the PHLS board including representatives from the Department of Health and PP, is at table B. In addition, there have been a number of other meetings between the Department and Porton International since 1983.
Table A
Liaison meetings between the centre for applied microbiology and research and Porton international/Porton products

4 November 1985

18 December 1985

13 January 1986

3 March 1986

21 April 1986

10 June 1986

14 July 1986

4 September 1986

17 November 1986

15 December 1986

16 February 1987

25 March 1987

8 May 1987

13 July 1987

22 September 1987

6 November 1987

15 January 1988

21 March 1988

29 April 1988

23 June 1988

22 July 1988

22 September 1988

9 November 1988

9 December 1988
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23 January 1989

27 February 1989

12 May 1989

4 September 1989

16 October 1989

29 November 1989

17 January 1990

21 March 1990

23 April 1990

5 June 1990

Table B
Meetings of the CAMR sub-committee of the public health laboratory service board

29 April 1987

9 July 1987

9 September 1987

12 November 1987

4 February 1988

12 May 1988

28 July 1988

3 November 1988

1 February 1989

10 May 1989

3 August 1989

2 November 1989

31 January 1990

16 May 1990

§ Mr. Cousins
To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether a valuation has been carried out of the cancer cell culture collection at the Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research.

§ Mr. Dorrell
No separate valuation has been carried out of the European collection of animal cell cultures.

§ Mr. Cousins
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the internal and external audit responsibilities are exercised at the Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research; and who has the responsibility for carrying out these audits.

§ Mr. Dorrell
The Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research is part of the public health laboratory service (PHLS). The external audit of the PHLS' annual accounts is the responsibility of the Comptroller and Auditor General. The advances and receipts of the PHLS also form part of the Department's appropriation account for the hospital and community health service, the family practitioner service and other services, England—class XIV, vote I. Internal audit arrangements are the responsibility of the PHLS board.

§ Mr. Cousins
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the agreement between his Department and Porton International Ltd involving the Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research terminates.

§ Mr. Dorrell
There are no agreements between the Department and Porton International plc but there are various agreements between the public health laboratory service board and companies in the Porton International group concerning the Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research. The agreement concerning distributorship and marketing of certain products may be terminated on or after 13 October 1998.

§ Mr. Cousins
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the date on which the agreement was made between his Department and Porton International Ltd. giving that company exclusive rights over the commercial work of the Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research.
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§ Mr. Dorrell
No such agreement exists. However, an agreement between the public health laboratory service board and Porton Products Ltd., a company in the Porton International group, concerning the distributorship and marketing of certain products of the Centre for Appliied Microbiology and Research was signed on 22 March 1985.

§ Mr. Cousins
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the patents and exclusive licences held by the Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research.

§ Mr. Dorrell
The public health laboratory board holds some 57 current licences and patents on behalf of the Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research. Details are commercially sensitive.

§ Mr. Cousins
To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether any(a) internal review or (b) value-for-money evaluation of the agreement between his Department and Porton International Ltd. involving the Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research has been carried out.

§ Mr. Dorrell
The operation of the agreements between companies in the Porton International group and the public health laboratory service board, involving the Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research, is kept under continuous review by the board.