§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons he did not include targets for oral health in his Green Paper, "Our Healthier Nation". [40306]
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§ Ms JowellThe Green Paper, "Our Healthier Nation", proposes national targets for improving health in those four areas responsible for the most significant incidence of premature death and avoidable ill health. The proposed targets are:
to reduce the death rate from heart disease and stroke and related diseases (i.e. all circulatory diseases combined) among people aged under 65 by at least one third (33 per cent.) by the year 2010 from a baseline at 1996;to reduce the death rate from all cancers combined among people aged under 65 by at least one fifth (20 per cent.) by the year 2010 from a baseline at 1996;to reduce the rate of suicide and undetermined injury deaths for all ages by at least one sixth (17 per cent.) by the year 2010 from a baseline at 1996;to reduce the rate of occurrence of accidents (defined as those accidents requiring medical attention at a hospital or by a family doctor) for all people aged 2 and above by at least one fifth (20 per cent.) by the year 2010 from a baseline at 1996.Local targets will be set to meet particular local needs, which could include oral health. In addition, the Minister of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn), announced to the British Dental Association on 24 April 1998 that oral health would feature in every health improvement programme.
The public consultation on "Our Healthier Nation" ran until 30 April and will be followed with a White Paper later this year.