HC Deb 20 January 2003 vol 398 c131W
Chris Grayling

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on the organisational structure of the HPA after 1 April 2003;[90050]

(2) what proportion of senior management positions in the HPA have been filled;[90085]

(3) when he expects to announce the location of the headquarters of the Health Protection Agency. [90080]

Ms Blears

We aim to establish the Health Protection Agency as a special health authority from 1 April 2003. The HPA Board will be responsible for agreeing the organisational structure and other organisational issues such as the location of the headquarters. Until a Board is established and is in a position to take these decisions, there will be interim organisational arrangements. These were publicised in a newsletter to the staff and organisations affected by the HPA changes on 13 January 2003. A copy of the newsletter has been placed in the Library. These interim arrangements do not pre-empt either the Board's consideration of permanent structures or the filling of substantive posts under equal opportunities policies or the change management protocol agreed between management and trades unions which govern the changes.

Chris Grayling

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there is a register of the outputs and capabilities provided by the component organisations of the HPA. [90066]

Ms Blears

Our plans for establishing the Health Protection Agency (HPA) were set out in my reply of 7 January 2003 to the hon. Member,Official Report, column 190W.

The outputs and capabilities of the Public Health Laboratory Service, the Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research and the National Radiological Protection Board are described in their business and corporate plans and in their annual accounts, which are placed in the Libraries of the House. Information for other elements intended for transfer to the HPA, which are currently part of broader national health service organisations or other bodies, are not held in a similar form.

Chris Grayling

To ask the Secretary of State for Health which individual on the HPA Executive will be responsible for the Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research. [90068]

Ms Blears

Under the interim arrangements set out in my answer to the hon. Member today, Dr. Roger Gilmour, the current chief executive, will continue to be responsible for the Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research.