HC Deb 03 June 1957 vol 571 cc883-4
32. Mr. Hastings

asked the Minister of Health what advice he has received from the Standing Medical Advisory Committee of the Central Health Services Council regarding the relationship between smoking and lung cancer during 1956; and what action he proposes to take upon it.

Mr. Vosper

I would refer the hon. Member to paragraph 13 of the Report of the Council for 1956 and to the penultimate paragraph of my statement published with it.

Mr. Hastings

Do not all these statements point to the need for something definite to be done? Is it not clear that the public want a statement from the Minister telling them, as far as our present knowledge goes, exactly how they stand in relation to this very important question?

Mr. Vosper

I did say in answer to a Question last week that the Report of the Medical Research Council would be available within a very few weeks. I would ask the hon. Member to await that Report.

Mr. Lipton

Could we have an assurance that, after having ignored the recommendations or the advice of the Standing Medical Advisory Committee and the Central Health Services Council, the Minister will not now ignore the advice of the Medical Research Council, which is going to confirm everything said by bodies which previously considered the subject?

Mr. Vosper

I have certainly not ignored the advice given me by my own Council. What my predecessor and I have done has been to bring it to the notice of this House and of the public, and I have already asked the hon. Member not to anticipate what may be in the Report of the Medical Research Council.