Chlamydia: Screening

Mr. Lansley
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration his Department has given to the merits of developing a tariff for chlamydia screening in the system of payment by results, as recommended on page three of the Health Protection Agency's Annual Report of the National Chlamydia Screening Programme for 2006-07.

Mr. Bradshaw
The Department of Health consulted on how the payment by results system impacts on access to sexual health services as part of the Options for the Future of Payment by Results: 2008-09—2010-11 consultation document published on 15 March 2007.

There were a number of responses from stakeholders with an interest in sexual health and we will be considering their views in establishing our development priorities for sexual health payment by results. We will also take into account newly emerging recommendations such as that by the Health Protection Agency.