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Written Answers
Tuesday, 13th January 1998.
Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work: Review
Baroness Lockwood asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What was the outcome of the fundamental review of the functions of the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work.[HL 67]
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Baroness Jay of Paddington): We are today publishing the report of the review on behalf of the United Kingdom Ministers responsible for sponsoring the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work (CCETSW). Copies of the report have been placed in the Library.
We will be considering in detail the conclusions and recommendations in the report, which is the result of an extensive consultation exercise, and we intend to act on the recommendations in the report designed to secure efficiency and good value for money in the way the functions are carried out.
My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health announced in another place on 3 July, Official Report, col. 231-232, our intention to establish a General Social Services Council. This was one of the matters to which the review of CCETSW was to have regard. We will be giving further thought to how best to build effective UK links on the regulation of the workforce consistent with the Government's plans for devolution. The report of the review paves the way for the establishment of a General Social Care Council (GSCC), as we now intend to call it, and makes clear the vital importance of drawing a close relationship between the regulation of training and of the workforce.
The Government have now decided that it is unnecessary to issue a further consultation document on their proposals to establish the GSCC. We intend to publish our legislative proposals in a White Paper in the spring after further discussion of the detailed issues within government and with all the key stakeholders. These will include service users, employers in all sectors, staff interests and professional bodies. In preparation for and to the benefit of the GSCC, we will carry out a formal stage two of the review based on appropriate recommendations in the report to examine issues of effectiveness and value for money.
CCETSW continues to play its vital role in ensuring an appropriately qualified and trained workforce. Achieving that objective remains central to our approach, but we do not see the need for a separate body for the regulation of training in the aftermath of the establishment of the GSCC.
EU Public Health Issues
Baroness Turner of Camden asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they have plans for taking forward European Union public health issues during the forthcoming United Kingdom Presidency of the EU. [HL 68]
Baroness Jay of Paddington: The Government's main priority in the public health sphere during the United Kingdom Presidency of the European Union will be to demonstrate the practical relevance of the EU in promoting better health.
There is already a substantial agenda for the Health Council, which will meet on 30 April 1998 and which the Minister for Public Health will chair. The main topics for the Health Council during the UK Presidency will be: Communicable diseases
The European Parliament is due to adopt in January its opinion on the Council's common position on the proposal to establish a Community network for the surveillance of communicable diseases. The UK Presidency will seek to reach agreement on a final version of the decision. We will also arrange for the Council to review progress by the European Union-United States task force which is considering how to establish a global network for communicable disease surveillance. Tobacco
The UK Presidency will take forward as appropriate any new proposals for the Community action which the Commission may bring forward to follow up its communication on combating tobacco consumption. The European Parliament will be considering the Council's common position on the proposal for a directive banning tobacco advertising and the UK Presidency will stand ready to facilitate adoption of a final version of the directive. Rare diseases, pollution-related diseases and injury prevention
The UK Presidency hopes that the European Parliament will deliver its opinion on these three proposals for new public health programmes in time for the Council to adopt common positions at the Health Council meeting on 30 April. Screening of blood donors and donations
We will take forward consideration of the Commission's proposal for a Council recommendation on the screening of blood donors and donations. Although a recommendation is not binding on member states, its adoption will signal their commitment to co-ordinate measures across the EU to secure blood safety.
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs)The UK Presidency will ensure the Council keeps under review developments in understanding of the causes and routes of transmission of the agent responsible for new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. Discussion on the future of public health in the EU
The UK Presidency hopes to hold a discussion on Community action in the field of public health after 2001 taking into account the new European Treaty agreed in Amsterdam in June, should this be ratified, and the forthcoming enlargement of the Union.
The discussion could also focus on how Health Ministers of the 15 EU member states might establish effective working relationships with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and Cyprus to ensure that public health policy matters are properly considered in their plans to join the European Union so that an enlarged Union is able to continue to provide a high level of health protection for its citizens. In this context, the Council would clearly need to take account of the work already being done in the field of public health by the World Health Organisation and in particular its European Region and by the Council of Europe.
The Government also intend using opportunities outside the formal EU institutional framework to raise the profile of the EU public health agenda and to consider how it can contribute in practical ways to better public health across the Union. The Department of Health is discussing with, among others, the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Nursing conferences planned for the UK Presidency to build on the discussions started in the Health Council about the future of public health in the EU in the next century. These events will provide further evidence of the Government's determination to demonstrate how the EU public health machinery can be made to work towards achieving a better quality of life for the people of Europe.
Advisory Committees: Members' Interests
Earl Baldwin of Bewdley asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will identify those members of the following bodies who have declared financial or other links with industries related to their spheres of activity
(a) Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances;
(b) Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food;
(c) Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes;
(d) Advisory Committee on Pesticides;
(e) Committee on Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment;
(f) Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Nutrition Policy;
(g) Committee on the Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment;
(h) Committee on Medical Effects of Air Pollutants;
(i) Committee on Mutagenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment;
(j) Committee on the Safety of Medicines;
(k) Food Advisory Committee;
(l) Medical Research Council;
(m) Medicines Commission;
(n) Veterinary Products Committee.
Baroness Jay of Paddington: Financial or other links with industries related to their spheres of activity have been declared by members of the following bodies:
(a) The Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances
The following members of this body have declared financial or other interests, either personal or non-personal, in the industries related to their sphere of activity:
A complete list of the financial interests declared by members of the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP) is published each year in the Committee's annual report. Copies of these reports are available in the Library and are available free of charge from the ACNFP Secretariat.
(d) Advisory Committee on Pesticides
Members of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides are required to declare interests for publication in the Committee's annual report. Copies of this report are available in the Library.
(e), (h) and (i) Committee on Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment; Committee on Medical Effects of Air Pollutants; and Committee on Mutagenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment
Declarations of interests by members are published in the Annual Reports of these bodies, copies of which are available in the Library.
(f) Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy
Register of members' commercial interests is published in the annual report of this body; copies will be placed in the Library.
Dr. Gerald Draper has a non-personal interest, providing collaborative assistance to the National Grid.
(j), (m) and (n) Committee on the Safety of Medicines; Medicines Commission; and Veterinary Products Committee
All members of these bodies are required to declare any interests in the pharmaceutical industry. Declarations of interest are published in the Medicines Act 1968 Advisory Bodies annual reports. A copy of the 1996 annual report is available in the Library.
(k) Food Advisory Committee
The Food Advisory Committee (FAC) publishes details of members' interests, including financial or other links with industry, in its annual report. This publication is available free of charge from the FAC Secretariat, and copies are placed in the Library.
(l) Medical Research Council
Of the Medical Research Council's (MRC) 16 members for the 1997-98 session, the following have declared current financial or other links with industries related to their sphere of activity:
Dr. Simon Allison;
This body publishes an annual report which includes details of the members' declarations of interests. A copy of the 1996 report is in the Library.
(c) Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes
Professor Ian Booth;
Dr. Ann Kobza Black;
Mrs. Anita MacDonald;
Professor Alan Shenkin; and
Mr. Andrew Taylor.
(b) The Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food
Professor J. I. Bell: member of Scientific Advisory Board for Oxford Molecular; Director of Powderject UK; Director of Oxagen; Director of Isis Innovation;
All this information is included in the MRC's register of council and board members' declared interests, which is regularly updated by the individuals concerned.
Professor L. K. Borysiewicz: consultant to Cantab Pharmaceuticals plc; consultant to SmithKline Beecham RIT (Belgium);
Professor A. Haines: member of the Medical Advisory Committee of World Care;
Professor E. Johnstone: consultant to SmithKline Beecham;
Professor G. K. Radda (Chief Executive): Director of UK Medical Ventures LP (note: UK Medical Ventures is a seed investment fund set up as a limited partnership to foster exploitation activities, and particularly the creation of 'spin-out' companies based on MRC-owned intellectual property);
Professor T. Robbins: consultant to Cenes plc; occasional consultant to Zeneca SmithKline Beecham, Pfizer and Unilever;
Dr. B. C. Ross: Director Group Research Strategy & Alliances, Glaxo Wellcome R & D: Board member, Affymetrix Inc (USA);
Dr. I. P. Sword: Director in Inveresk Research International Ltd.; Inveresk Clinical Research Ltd.; Caledonian Research Foundation Ltd.; Inveresk Property Services Ltd.; SGS (Holding) UK Ltd.; SGS (New Zealand) Ltd.; SGS (Australia) Ltd.; SGS-ICS Australia Pty; SGS Vietnam; Technology Project Services Ltd.; Lothian & Edinburgh Enterprise Ltd.; MRC Collaborative Centre; and MRC Collaborative Centre, Scotland Ltd.
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