HC Deb 29 November 1965 vol 721 cc984-5
11. Miss Quennell

asked the Minister of Health how many cases of venereal disease were reported among school children in the past school year; and how many have been reported in the current school year.

Mr. Loughlin

In 1963 in England and Wales 1,319 new cases of gonorrhoea and 39 cases of syphilis (other than congenital syphilis) were reported in persons under the age of 18, including 233 and 2 respectively in persons under the age of 16. The corresponding figures for 1964 were 1,441, 32, 233 and 6. Figures for school children by school years are not available.

Miss Quennell

Does the hon. Gentleman realise that, although the figure of 1,400 represents a minor increase in 1964 over the figure for 1963, it is still far too high a figure? Secondly, could he tell the House what special steps his Department is taking to halt this rise, since it is obviously continuing over a period of years and clearly must be tackled as a matter of seriousness and urgency for our young people?

Mr. Loughlin

I agree that there has been a very disturbing rise: any rise in these figures is very disturbing. However, it is a very difficult problem, as the hon. Lady will know. It is a question of getting people to enter into treatment voluntarily. We pursue normal health education and normal advertising as far as we can, but this is one of those subjects in which there is some difficulty in knowing precisely how to get people to register and be treated, rather than merely acquainting people with the dangers.

Mr. Scott-Hopkins

Is it not clear that the presents figures indicate that there is an increasing trend towards venereal disease in schools? Would the hon. Gentleman take some much more dramatic steps to deal with this in the cases when it occurs in schools among children of school age? Is it not possible that some method of checking could be introduced for children at school between the ages of 15 and 19?

Mr. Loughlin

It is very easy to talk about taking dramatic action on an issue of this kind. It is doubtful if it would be right to make compulsory the medical examination of school children between 16 and 19 over a small number of days, because the incubation period is so short. It is very difficult to start introducing procedures of this kind without interfering too much with the treatment of the individual.