DEPARTMENT
OF HEALTH
Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens (ACDP)
Chairman:
Dr M J Crumpton CBE FRS.
Terms of Reference:
The ACDP is an advisory committee to Health
and Agriculture Ministers, the Health and Safety Commission and
the Health and Safety Executive. It was set up in 1981 with detailed
terms of reference relating largely to laboratory safety which
were substantially revised in 1991 to allow the Committee to address
a wider range of issues and not be concerned soley with laboratory
safety. The current terms of reference are:
— to advise the HSC, the HSE and the
Health and Agriculture Ministers as required on all aspects of
hazards and risks to workers and others from exposure to pathogens.
Advisory Commitee on Genetic Testing (ACGT)
Chairman:
Rev Dr John Polkinghorne.
Terms of Reference:
To provide advice to Ministers on developments
in genetic testing; to advise on genetic tests taking account
of ethical, social and scientific aspects; to establish requirements,
especially in respect of efficacy and product information, to
be met by manufacturers and suppliers of genetic tests.
Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety
& Food (ACMSF)
Chairman:
Professor Douglas Georgala CBE.
Terms of Reference:
To assess the risk to humans of micro-organisms
which are used, or occur, in or on food, and to advise Ministers
on the exercise of powers in the Food Safety Act relating to the
microbiological safety of food.
CMO'S Expert Advisory Group on chlamydia trachomatis
Chairman:
Dr J S Metters CB.
Terms of Reference:
To advise the CMO and Ministers on the issues
associated with screening programmes for Chlamydia for
different population groups (both male and female) and in different
settings. The Group will take particular account of the review
commissioned by the Department at CDSC and NHS funded research
projects on diagnostic tests and prevalence of Chlamydia
infection. The Group will ensure effective liaison with the Population
Screening Panel of the Standing Group on Health Assessment and
via CMO advice CMO's National Screening Committee.
Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition
Policy (COMA)
Chairman:
Currently under review.
Terms of Reference:
To consider and advise the CMO and through the
CMO the Government on the medical and scientific aspects of nutrition
and health in relation to policy. At the request of, or in association
with, appropriate Advisory Committees, the medical and nutritional
aspects of developments in the agricultural and food industries
including the production and processing of food. At the request
of the Department of Health or OGD, matters falling within these
terms.
Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the
Environment (COMARE)
Chairman:
Professor Bryn Bridges.
Terms of Reference:
To assess and advise Government on the health
effects of natural and man-made radiation in the environment and
to assess the adequacy of the available data and the need for
further research.
Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants
(COMEAP)
Chairman:
Professor Stephen Holgate.
Terms of Reference:
To assess and advise Government on the effects
upon health of air pollutants, both outdoor and indoor, and to
assess the adequacy of the available data and the need for further
research, and to co-ordinate, with other bodies concerned with
the assessment of the effects of exposure to air pollutants and
their associated risks to health, and to advise on new scientific
discoveries relevant to the effects of air pollutants upon health.
Committee on Toxicity (Carcinogenicity and Mutagenicity)
of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT,
COC and COM)
Chairmen:
COT: Professor H F Woods;
COC: Professor Peter G Blain; and
COM: Professor J M Parry.
Terms of Reference:
These three committees have similar terms of
reference to advise at the request of numerous UK Departments
and agencies on the toxic (carcinogenic and mutagenic) risk to
man of substances which are:
(a) used or proposed to be used as food additives,
or used in such a way that they might contaminate food through
their use or natural occurrence in agriculture, including horticulture
and veterinary practice or in the distribution, storage, preparation,
processing or packaging of food;
(b) used or proposed to be used or manufactured
or produced in industry, agriculture, food storage or any other
workplace;
(c) used or proposed to be used as household
goods or toilet goods and preparations;
(d) used or proposed to be used as drugs,
when advice is requested by the MCA, Section 4 Committee or the
LA;
(e) used or proposed to be used or disposed
of in such a way as to result in pollution of the environment.
Also to advise on important general principles
or new scientific discoveries in connection with toxic risks (carcinogenic
or mutagenic risks), to co-ordinate with other bodies concerned
with the assessment of toxic risks and to present recommendations
for toxicity testing.
Expert Advisory Group on AIDS (EAGA)
Chairman:
Dr J S Metters CB.
Terms of Reference:
To provide advice on such matters relating to
AIDS as may be referred to it by the Chief Medical Officers of
the Health Departments of the UK.
Gene Therapy Advisory Committee (GTAC)
Chairman:
Professor Norman Nevin.
Terms of Reference:
To consider and advise on the acceptability
of proposals for gene therapy research on human subjects, on ethical
grounds, taking account of the scientific merits of the proposals
and the potential benefits and risks. To work with other agencies
which have responsibilities in this field, including local research
ethics committees, and agencies with statutory responsibilities—the
Medicines Control Agency, the Health and Safety Executive and
the Department of the Environment. To provide advice to the UK
Health Ministers on developments in gene therapy research and
their implications.
Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health (SCOTH)*
Chairman:
Professor David Poswillo CBE.
Terms of Reference:
The Committee is appointed to provide advice
to the Chief Medical Officer on scientific matters concerning
tobacco and health, in particular to review scientific and medical
evidence on such areas relating to tobacco and health, including
behavioural aspects of tobacco use, as may be agreed between the
Committee and the UK Health Departments and in the light of these
reviews:
— to advise on research priorities
on tobacco and health, including behavioural aspects of tobacco
use; to provide advice to the Department of Health, acting on
behalf of the UK Health Departments, about the constituents of
tobacco products and their smoke;
— to review existing controls on additives
and the emission of toxic substances from cigarettes and to provide
advice on controls.
Technical Advisory Group (TAG)*
Chairman:
Dr Dawn Milner.
Terms of Reference:
The TAG is appointed to provide advice to CMO
through the Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health, on technical
aspects relating to tobacco and its effects on health, in particular:
— to review information on the composition
of tobacco and tobacco smoke and to consider proposals for further
analytical work;
— to follow findings from the routine
monitoring of smoke components and to advise on any changes in
procedure that may be required;
— to review existing controls on additives
and the emission of toxic substances from cigarettes and provide
advice on controls;
— to study information on innovative
tobacco products and possible impacts on health effects.
*SCOTH and TAG are to be merged—their
terms of reference are under review.
Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC)
Chairman:
Professor John Pattison.
Terms of Reference:
To provide scientifically-based advice to the
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Department of
Health and territorial departments on matters relating to spongiform
encephalopathies, taking account of the remits of other bodies
with related responsibilities.
UK Xenotransplantation Interim Regulatory Authority
(UKXIRA)
Terms of Reference:
To advise the Secretaries of State of the UK
Health Departments on the action necessary to regulate xenotransplantation,
taking into account the principles outlined in "Animal Tissues
into Humans", and world-wide developments in xenotransplantation.
In particular to advise on the safety, efficacy and considerations
of animal welfare and any other pre-conditions for xenotransplantation
for human use and whether these have been met; research required
to assess safety and efficacy; the acceptability of specific applications
to proceed with xenotransplantations in humans and to provide
a focal point on issues within Government.
