§ Mr. BurnsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in implementing the recommendation of the chief medical officer's report "Public Health in England" that the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 should be reviewed.
§ Mr. FreemanAs a first step in the review process a consultation document inviting comments on an extensive range of options and proposals to amend the law on infectious disease control is today being issued to a wide variety of health and local authority bodies. Copies have been placed in the Library. The closing date for replies will be 31 January 1990.
This is the first full review of infectious disease control since before the second world war. Many of the provisions in the current legislation date back to the late 19th and early 20th century. Our aim is to bring up to date the law relating to infectious diseases so that it reflects our current modern situation.