Clause 2 - Health functions
Health Protection Agency Bill [Lords]
3:45 pm
Dr Andrew Murrison (Shadow Minister, Public Services, Health & Education; Westbury, Conservative)
Would the Minister accept that we are talking about emergencies? In such situations, somebody has to have primacy; otherwise one ends up with a dog's breakfast, arguably of the sort that occurred in relation to the BSE crisis. Although we accept that organisations should co-operate, it will not do not to have somebody who is obviously in charge. I hope that the Minister agrees, and will give further thought to which of the agencies would have primacy in the circumstances that have been described.