§ Chris GraylingTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff the HPA Steering Group has who are dedicated exclusively to setting up the new organisation. [90062]
§ Ms BlearsThe implementation team co-ordinating the arrangements for the establishment of the Health Protection Agency has eight full-time staff. They are680W joined on particular issues by a number of part-time team members and others drawn from the current organisations and the Department of Health.
§ Chris GraylingTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements have been made for liaison between the National Radiological Protection Board and the HPA whilst the latter remains constituted as a Special Health Authority. [90089]
§ Ms BlearsI wrote to the chairs of the bodies most affected by our proposals for creating a Health Protection Agency on 15 November 2002, setting out the decisions we had taken following consultation on the Agency. Copies of the letters are available in the Library. In doing so, I made clear that it is important that the Health Protection Agency and the National Radiological Protect Board should work closely and effectively together from April 2003 to help achieve improvements in services to users. In the first instance, and subject to the legislation establishing the Agency being put in place, it will be for the Agency and the Board to decide how to achieve this. We shall hold them to account for doing so.