§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what medical bodies he intends to consult 385W while considering his proposal to transfer the public health laboratory service's 52 regional and area laboratories to the administration of health authorities.
§ Mr. John Patten[pursuant to his reply, 15 March 1985, c. 330]: It is our intention to consult a wide range of professional bodies and organisations on the report of the review of the public health laboratory service (PHLS). All major medical bodies and others with an interest in the work of the PHLS will be included in this consultation. The list of these bodies is not finalised.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what resources he will make available to health authorities to enable them to continue recruitment of well-trained consultants to the laboratories of the public health laboratory service and to maintain a clinical microbiological service, a public health microbiological service and co-ordination for national epidemiological work in the 52 laboratories if they are to administer them in the future.
§ Mr. John Patten[pursuant to his reply, 15 March 1985, c. 330]: I refer the hon. Member to my reply to her on 4 March at column 414. No decision on whether to implement any of the recommendations contained in the report of the review of the public health laboratory service will be taken until the consultation exercise referred to in my earlier reply has been completed.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services in which spheres of research the public health laboratory service and the Department of Health and Social Security are currently working jointly.
§ Mr. John Patten[pursuant to his reply, 15 March 1985, c. 330]: The public health laboratory service board carries out a wide range of research on behalf of the National Health Service and the Department. The major projects currently in progress are:
- Inactivation of haemorrhagic fever viruses by beta-propiolactone;
- Human Growth Hormone production;
- Use of microbial enzymes as diagnostic reagents for the determination of drug levels in blood;
- Production of anthrax vaccine;
- Studies on heat inactivation of hepatitis A virus with special reference to shellfish;
- Initial evaluation work of AIDS screening tests to assess which will be most suitable for use in the National Health Service;
- A study of human hydatid disease;
- A study of the malthus conductivity monitoring system for routine blood cultures in a clinical microbiology laboratory;
- A pilot study for monitoring the DHSS rubella immunisation campaign;
- An epidemiological study of the relationships of AIDS in patients with disorders of blood coagulation to its possible acquisition through treatment with blood products.