HC Deb 20 May 1994 vol 243 cc589-90W
Ms Primarolo

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to investigate the relationship between poverty and ill health.

Mr. Sackville

"The Health of the Nation" White Paper noted that variations in health exist between different groups of the population and that these are associated with a wide range of factors—socio-economic, geographical, age, gender and others. The Chief Medical Officer has recently established a sub-group of his "Health of the Nation" working group to consider health variations in relation to the five key areas in the health strategy. I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside (Mr. Blunkett) on 12 May, Official Report, columns 217–18, which gives the terms of reference of the sub-group.