HC Deb 29 April 1994 vol 242 cc367-9W
Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for City of Chester (Mr. Brandreth) of 18 April,Official Report, column 396, regarding her plans for the work of her Department, how she intends to strengthen the arrangements for controlling communicable diseases and other health hazards;

(2) pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for City of Chester (Mr. Brandreth) of 18 April, Official Report, column 396, regarding her plans for the work of her Department, what new information she will be providing on communicable diseases and other health hazards.

Mr. Sackville

The Government remain committed to preventing communicable diseases and reducing health hazards.

Joint guidance from the Departments of Health and Environment, HSG(93)56 "Public Health Responsibilities of the NHS Roles of Others", was issued on 24 November 1993 to provide firm guidance on communicable disease control arrangements. Copies of the guidance are available in the Library.

A joint Department of Health/Public Health Laboratory Service working group is currently reviewing and extending the guidance issued to the national health service in 1988 about hospital infection control, with the aim of issuing revised guidelines to the NHS in the autumn.

Childhood immunisation uptake rates are now at record levels and the incidence of childhood diseases are at their lowest ever levels. The memorandum "Immunisation against Infectious Disease", which provides guidance on all matters concerning immunisation, is currently being updated and a new edition will be sent to all doctors and other health care professionals involved in immunisation. Details of the plans to introduce the new tetanus/diphtheria booster dose for teenagers will be announced shortly. We recently issued guidance to the health service on "Aids/HIV—Infected Health Care Workers" and "Protecting Health Care Workers and Patients from Hepatitis B Infection". Copies of these publications are available in the Library. We are aware of the concerns about the recent small increase in cases of tuberculosis. We are currently funding a survey by the Public Health Laboratory Service into notification of tuberculosis and recently my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health established an inter-departmental working group to consider all aspects of tuberculosis.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for City of Chester (Mr. Brandreth) of 18 April,Official Report, column 396, regarding her plans for the work of her Department, how she plans to implement the open government code of practice throughout her Department.

Mr. Sackville

Two documents on how the code of practice will operate for the Department of Health have been produced: one is a guide to the public, the other is guidance issued to all staff in the Department. Copies of each will be placed in the Library.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for City of Chester (Mr. Brandreth) of 18 April,Official Report, column 396, regarding her plans for the work of her Department, what further developments in the internal market she intends to secure.

Dr. Mawhinney

We propose to secure continued improvements in national health service patient care and choice by strengthening purchasing. We are preparing legislation to enable district health authorities and family health services authorities to merge, completing the move to trust status of providers, promoting fundholding so that all general practitioners who are able and wish to can become fundholders and ensuring that the internal market operates to increase competition between providers for the benefit of patients.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for City of Chester (Mr. Brandreth) of 18 April,Official Report, column 396, regarding her plans for the work of her Department, what plans she is making to ensure that amendments are made to the Mental Health Act 1983.

Mr. Bowis

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 2 March at column264, with regard to supervised discharge and extended leave. We have also announced our intention to amend the provisions of the Mental Health Act 1983 relating to the return of detained patients who go absent without leave, and are now considering the responses to our consultation paper on this subject.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for City of Chester (Mr. Brandreth) of 18 April,Official Report, column 396, regarding her plans for the work of her Department, what timetable she envisages for the establishment of the Medical Devices Directorate as a "next steps" agency.

Mr. Sackville

The matter is currently under consideration. We hope to be able to make an announcement shortly.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for City of Chester (Mr. Brandreth) of 18 April,Official Report, column 396, regarding her plans for the work of her Department, what communication strategies she intends to implement; and what budget she has given this priority.

Mr. Sackville

Communications with national health service staff and with other agencies involved in the planning and provision of health and social services is an important and ongoing part of the work of the NHS executive.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for City of Chester (Mr. Brandreth) of 18 April,Official Report, column 396, regarding her plans for the work of her Department, what steps she is taking to introduce new adoption legislation.

Mr. Bowis

As stated in the White Paper "Adoption: The Future" the Government will bring forward new adoption legislation as, soon as the legislative programme allows.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for City of Chester (Mr. Brandreth) of 18 April,Official Report, column, 396, regarding her plans for the work of her Department, what steps she is taking to ensure joint working between health and local authorities.

Mr. Bowis

Health authorities and local authorities have a statutory duty to co-operate to secure and advance the health and welfare of the people of England and Wales. An important aspect of this is the joint commissioning of community care services by health and local authorities. Work is in hand to develop practical guidance to encourage this.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for City of Chester (Mr. Brandreth) of 18 April,Official Report, column 396, regarding her plans for the work of her Department, what new safeguards she will be introducing to ensure that medicines and medical devices sold or in use in the United Kingdom meet standards of safety.

Mr. Sackville

A range of controls to ensure the safety, quality and efficacy of medicines already exists under powers set out in the Medicines Act 1968. These will be developed further with the coming into force of new European Community procedures—"Future Systems"—from 1 January 1995, which provide for high standards of pre- and post-licensing control across the European Community.

With respect to medical devices, from 1 January 1993 a series of three medical devices directives regulating the safety and marketing of medical devices throughout the European Community started to come into effect in the United Kingdom. The directives will eventually cover all medical devices on sale or in use in the United Kingdom. They are designed to ensure safety and performance and to prohibit the marketing of any devices which compromise the health and safety of patients, users, and where appropriate, any other persons.