Committee questions Minister on pandemic influenza
2 July 2009 (updated on 22 April 2010)
Gillian Merron MP, Minister of State for Public Health, at the Department for Health, is among the witnesses appearing before the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee, as part of its inquiry into pandemic influenza, at 9.40 am
- Video and Audio: Pandemic Influenze evidence session
- House of Lords Science and Technology Committee - Pandemic Influenza Inquiry
- House of Lords Science and Technology Committee
The full list of witnesses giving evidence is:
- Gillian Merron, Minister of State for Public Health, Department of Health
- Professor Lindsey Davies CBE, National Director of Pandemic Influenza Preparedness
- Ian Dalton, National Director for NHS Flu Resilience
- Dr Becky Kirby, Head of Human Health, Civil Contingencies Secretariat, Cabinet Office
- Professor Sir Gordon Duff, Chair of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Advisory Committee
This evidence session is a follow-up to the Committee's previous report on pandemic influenza, published in 2005, to see what progress has been made in the implementation of the Committee's earlier recommendations.
In its earlier report, the Committee made a number of recommendations. For example, it called for the Government to increase their support for the work of international agencies in South East Asia to improve effective surveillance and control of outbreaks of avian influenza; for clarification of Government policy on the use of prophylactic and early use of antiviral drugs; and for stronger cross-departmental leadership within Government.