§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultations he has had with(a) the Chancellor of the Exchequer and (b) the Secretary of State for Social Security on Part 2 (1) of the report of the independent inquiry into inequalities in health chaired by Sir Donald Acheson. [64814]
§ Ms JowellMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I have had consultations about the report of the Independent Inquiry into Inequalities in Health (the Acheson report) with a number of our Ministerial colleagues, including my right hon. Friends the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and the Secretary of State for Social Security.
The Acheson report was considered in Cabinet sub-committee prior to its publication. Since then our officials have been in close touch with their counterparts across Whitehall about the report's recommendations. We made it clear at the time of publication that the whole Government were committed to reducing health inequalities and that the Acheson report was an important contribution to that process.