§ 1. Mr. David Steelasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make it his policy to report to the General Medical Council each case where a medical practitioner is found guilty of an offence under the Abortion Act, 1967, for failure to notify an operation to his Chief Medical Officer.
§ The Secretary of State for Social Services (Sir Keith Joseph)My Chief Medical Officer will inform the General Medical Council of any conviction of a medical practitioner for an offence under the Abortion Act of which he becomes aware.
§ Mr. SteelIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that that answer will be generally welcomed but that there was a particular case to which I drew his attention in which this happened? Is he saying that his Chief Medical Officer was unaware of this? If so, will he have words with his right hon. Friend the Home Secretary about co-ordination so that his Department is aware of cases in which doctors are convicted?
§ Sir K. JosephIt was as a result of a special check made by my Chief Medical Officer that the particular case to which the hon. Member refers came to light, and it is as a result of that that my Chief Medical Officer and I have evolved the new procedure to which I have referred.