HC Deb 23 July 2004 vol 424 cc896-7W
Mr. Hancock

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what formal relationship his Department has with the Health Protection Agency. [184299]

Miss Melanie Johnson

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) is a special health authority (SHA), created by the Health Protection Agency (Yr Asiantaeth Diogelu lechyd) Establishment Order 2003 (SI 2003/505), with further provision made in the Health Protection Agency (Yr Asiantaeth Diogelu lechyd) Regulations (SI 2003/506). Further material relevant to the Secretary of State's relationship with the SHA is in the Secretary of State's directions to the HPA conferring functions and directing how they should be exercised (dated 1 April 2003) and in the management statement agreed with the authority, copies of which are available in the Library.

The Health Protection Agency Act received Royal Assent on 22 July 2004. This makes provision for establishing the HPA as a non-departmental public body, which will take up the functions of both the HPA SHA and the National Radiological Protection Board, both of which will be wound up. Our intention is that this should happen on 1 April 2005.