To develop and maintain databases of health data, environmental exposures as required to meet a specific need, and social confounding factors at the small-area level;
To carry out substantive research studies on environment and health issues including studies of the relationship between socio-economic factors and health, in collaboration with other scientific groups as necessary;
To respond rapidly, with expert advice, to ad hoc queries from the funding departments about unusual clusters of disease, particularly in the neighbourhood of industrial installations;
In collaboration with other scientific groups, to build up reliable background information on the distribution of environmental exposure, socio-economic data and disease amongst small areas;
To develop the methodology for analysing and interpreting statistics relating to small areas;
To act as a centre of expertise, disseminating information on developments in spatial epidemiological methods to national and regional groups.
