Last year, Dr Jewell warned in his annual report of stark health inequalities across Wales.
But the new Labour government has now taken up the issue of health inequalities again.
This week the government has announced that it will publish the first ever health inequalities targets for England.
And it indicated that health inequalities have continued to worsen, with premature deaths becoming geographically concentrated in low-income areas.
The committee heard that many health initiatives were under way, with plans to deal with health inequalities and smoking prioritised.
Other topics raised during the questions included children's cardiac services, health inequalities, NHS hospitals in debt, dental services, and NHS waiting times.
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Furthermore, despite Sweden's system of charges, studies have shown that health inequalities between rich and poor are smaller there than in Britain.
In an open letter to Health Secretary Alan Milburn, Phil Johnson the editor of Doctor called for an end to health inequalities.
He has also served as the head of the Division of Social Medicine and Health Inequalities at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.
"The strategy has been targeted at low income households in an attempt to reduce the health inequalities that exist between richer and poorer families".
Yve Buckland, chair of the Health Development Agency (HDA) and a member of the Inequalities Taskforce said they were pleased health inequalities are being tackled.
Soon after Margaret Thatcher came to power in 1979, her government suppressed the report of a working group into health inequalities under Sir Douglas Black.
Nor is Britain alone in seeing a widening of health inequalities.
Such trends mean that Britain will almost certainly fail to meet the target agreed with the World Health Organisation of reducing health inequalities by 25% by 2000.
The Scottish Executive said it aims to reduce the nation's health inequalities through a 15% improvement in key areas of health for the most deprived communities by 2008.
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It called on a report on the differences in the cost of pension provisions arising from health inequalities to come before the assembly within a year of the act receiving Royal Assent.
He was supported by the Conservative MP for Ilford North, Lee Scott, as well as his constituency neighbour Margaret Hodge, the MP for Barking, who warned that the move could increase health inequalities.
"It is an important function of GP's to iron out health inequalities - we are committed to promoting excellent care for all patients what ever their needs, " said Royal College chairman Mayur Lakhani.
And watch out for the Health Committee's new inquiry into Public Health - with a session on the Marmot Review of Health inequalities, and then a look at the proposal by drinks giant Diagio to fund nurses to warn pregnant women about the dangers of foetal alcohol poisoning.
During the talk, Ms Abbott will highlight research by the Men's Health Forum, a charity which aims to tackle male health inequalities, which suggests that men are more likely to take their own lives than women, have lower educational attainment at all levels of the education system, are more likely to be homeless, and are less likely to access NHS services.
All these investments will help reduce the inequalities in health that mar our society - inequalities the Tories denied even existed.
The report said that people in Northern Ireland are healthier overall, but that "compared to other European countries our health could be much improved and within Northern Ireland there are significant inequalities in health".
The European Health Report also reveals big inequalities in average life expectancy between different countries.
The two dental schools will focus their research on inequalities in dental health and access to dental services.
That's why this new Labour Government has made a start on a 20 year programme of action to reduce inequalities and improve health.
It has set up a review headed by Sir Donald Acheson, a former chief medical officer of health, to examine evidence on inequalities and make recommendations for action.
"He has worked tirelessly to reduce inequalities that can affect good health, such as child poverty, " he said.
Social protection often aggravated inequalities, because pensions and health care flowed to affluent urban workers but not the really poor.
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