HEALTH THREATS AT EU LEVEL (15561/06)
Letter from the Chairman to Rt Hon Rosie
Winterton MP, Minister of State for Health Services, Department
of Health
Thank you for your Explanatory Memorandum of
4 December relating to Council Communication 15561/06—which
proposes an extension of the mandate for the Health Security Committee
(HSC). This was considered by Sub-Committee G at their meeting
on 11 January.
We note that the proposed extended mandate for
the HSC is of an interim nature, and that the position will be
reviewed as part of the Commission's overall review of the EU's
arrangements for health threats. We understand also that the UK
is already collaborating with the HSC on work areas covered by
the new mandate.
Against this background, we are content to release
this document from scrutiny.
For our future background information it would
be helpful please if you let us know who are the members of the
HSC and the dates of their meetings during the past two years.
11 January 2007
Letter from Rt Hon Rosie Winterton MP
to the Chairman
Thank you for your letter of 11 January confirming
the release from scrutiny of the above Communication. You asked
for details on the membership of the HSC and the dates of their
meetings over the past two years.
As you may be aware, the HSC is comprised of
high-level representatives of the Health Ministers of EU Member
States authorised to take decisions and commitments with respect
to preparedness planning and response in case of emergency. Given
the sensitive and security-based nature of their work, it has
not been possible to obtain agreement to the public disclosure
of the names of the various Committee members.
Over the past two years, the Committee has met on
the following dates:
I am sorry that it has not been possible to
provide you with a comprehensive response to your query, but I
trust you will understand and appreciate the reasons for not doing
so.
6 March 2007
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