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WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES BY THE DEPUTY OF ST. JOHN
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 18th JANUARY 2011
Question
"Following the statement by the Chief Minister on 6th December 2010, that the reciprocal health agreement with the United Kingdom "should be signed and completed before the end of this year", would the Minister advise why this has not happened and when she now expects it to be signed?"
Answer
The previous Reciprocal Health Agreement between the UK and the Channel Islands ended on 31st March 2009. I took up post as Minister for Health and Social Services at the end of April 2009 and have been working since that time to reintroduce a new agreement between Jersey and the UK.
I can confirm that our officials are continuing positive discussions with officials from the UK Department of Health. From our side, these discussions are being taken forward by our Director of International Affairs from the Chief Minister's Department and the Deputy Chief Officer from the Health and Social Services Department. From the UK side, the discussions are being led by the Overseas Healthcare Team at the UK Department of Health (who also dealt with the new Isle of Man Reciprocal Health Agreement).
More recently, I wrote to Anne Milton MP, Parliamentary under Secretary of State, Department of Health on the 4th November 2010 regarding the reintroduction of a reciprocal health agreement between the UK and Jersey. I received a reply on the 13th January 2011 to which I have already responded. In her letter Anne Milton MP stated that she is happy to give her in principle support for the reintroduction of a bilateral health agreement. She informs me that she will write again shortly with a formal proposal for my consideration.
The next steps are for the Department of Health to consult with the devolved administrations regarding the agreement whilst officers from my Department and the Chief Ministers Department liaise with their UK counterparts with a view to having an agreement identical to that which the UK recently signed with the Isle of Man.
I am hopeful that a new agreement will be in place as soon as possible.