§ Dr. Evan HarrisTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what action his Department intends to take to implement the recommendations in the 1988 Public Health in England report by the Chief Medical Officer on revising the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984. [110922]
§ Ms BlearsPublic Health in England was commissioned by a previous Government. Its recommendation, that the then Department of Health and Social Security
should revise the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 with a view to producing a more up to date and relevant legislative backing to control of communicable disease and infection,was taken forward by publication of a consultation document Review of Law on Infectious Disease Control in 1989. However, the then Government did not subsequently put before Parliament proposals for changes to the 1984 Act.We made clear in Getting Ahead of the Curve, the strategy for health protection published by the Chief Medical Officer in January 2002, that we intend to carry out a review of the infectious disease law. This review will take account not only of changes to local government and the National Health Service since 1988, including, most recently, the creation of the Health Protection Agency, but also of the new emergency powers which it is planned to provide through the Civil Contingencies Bill.
§ Stephen HesfordTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce a consolidating piece of legislation which defines citizens rights to access to public health services. [109974]