Written question asked by Annette Brooke (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 26 November 2002, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 3 December 2002. It was answered by Hazel Blears (Labour) on Tuesday, 3 December 2002 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Dept of Health

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reason the transfer of management of Public Health Laboratories has been excluded from his regulatory reform proposals. - Inc ref to Health Protection consultation paper (Dep 02/1251).

Answer: Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason the transfer of management of Public Health Laboratories has been excluded from his regulatory reform proposals. [84254] Ms Blears:: The consultation paper "Health Protection: A Consultation Document on creating a health protection agency" made proposals for changes to primary legislation. Responses showed widespread support for creating the agency, and we aim to establish it as a non-departmental public body from 1 April 2004, subject to legislative time being available. At that stage, we intend that it will take responsibility for functions currently performed by the National Radiological Protection Board. As an interim step towards this, we intend to establish a special health authority, also to be called the Health Protection Agency, from 1 April 2003. The intention is that this special health authority will be responsible for the functions proposed for the agency under the NHS Act. The transfer of laboratories from the Public Health Laboratory Service to the national health service does not require change to primary legislation. A discussion paper on the transfer process was published in June 2002, and the intention is to complete the transfers by the end of March 2003.

Secondary information