§ Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the World Health Organisation report on macroeconomics and health, published on 20 December 2001, in respect of its implications for his Department's policies. [54803]
§ Yvette CooperThe World Health Organisation's report of the commission on macroeconomics and health focuses mainly on low-income countries and on the poor in middle-income countries. Its key conclusions on the important linkage of health to poverty reduction, the importance of investment in health care systems and the impact of other sectors on health status are reflected in our own policy of investing in the National Health Service, and in our cross-sectoral work on tackling health inequalities.