§ Mr. Cartwrightasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in order to reduce the demands on the National Health Service, she will give additional support to the promotion of better health education.
§ Dr. OwenI attach considerable importance to health education and to the preventive services generally, and I am anxious to stimulate greater awareness of these matters among national health service and other authorities. The Department issued a comprehensive circular in March 1974 about the promotion of health education services in the reorganised National Health Service.
I have already announced my intention to publish a consultative document on preventive medicine early in the new year. This document, which will stress the importance of health education, among other preventive measures, will be 549W widely circulated among the health professions and members of the public interested in health matters including hon. Members, members of National Health Service and local authorities, and community health councils. Its aim will be broadly to inform and to provoke dis-National Health Service authorities to cussion. I hope that this will encourage give preventive medicine, including health education, greater priority when considering their future plans and in allocating resources.
In the meantime the Department will continue to give full support to the work of the Health Education Council.