Devolution (Hansard, 14 October 2002)

§ Angus Robertson
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the EU Advisory Committee on cancer prevention is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive(a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if he will make a statement. [70574]

§ Ms Blears
I refer the hon. Member to the response I gave him on Thursday 19 September 2002,Official Report, vol. 390, col. 361–62W.

§ Angus Robertson
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the EU Committee on the action programme on rare diseases in the framework of the action plan for public health is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive(a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if he will make a statement. [70595]

§ Ms Blears
The next meeting of the EU Committee for the Community Action Programme on Rare Diseases is expected to take place in the autumn of 2002. The Department has lead responsibility for representing the United Kingdom at meetings of this Committee. It consults the Devolved Administrations to ensure that points made represent all parts of the United Kingdom, including the Scottish Executive.
490W

§ Angus Robertson
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the EU Pharmaceutical Committee is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive(a) have been and (b) are members of it: and if he will make a statement. [70601]

§ Mr. Lammy
The Pharmaceutical Committee usually meets in plenary at least twice a year and is next due to meet on 13 November 2002. Anad hoc "Information to Patients" stakeholders meeting took place on 24 September 2002 and a special meeting of the Pharmaceutical Committee was convened for 2 October to discuss the derogation clauses for parallel imports in the future Accession Treaties. The United Kingdom is represented jointly on the European Pharmaceutical Committee by two senior public health officials from the Medicines Control Agency and from the Department. Medicines control, with the exception of responsibility for enforcement of the Medicines Act 1968 and related legislation. has not been devolved. The UK members of the Pharmaceutical Committee represent UK-wide interests on the Committee and work in co-operation with the Scottish Executive and other Devolved Administrations as required.