§ 21. Mr. William Priceasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many abortion clinics have had their licence withdrawn in the past 12 months.
§ Sir K. JosephFour, Sir.
§ Mr. PriceIs the Minister aware that the decision to close the Langham Street Clinic will be widely welcomed on the ground that he is putting out of business some of the biggest crooks ever to set foot inside the medical profession? Is it not strange that a clinic which claimed a net profit of only £32,000 a year should be on sale for £1½ million? Will the Minister ask the Inland Revenue to investigate what has clearly been a case of massive taxation fiddling?
§ Sir K. JosephI am not at all sure that it is right for the hon. Gentleman to use the privilege of the House to repeat what has appeared in the newspapers, but what appeared in the newspapers must obviously have been read by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeWill my right hon. Friend reconsider the representations that have been made to him that 289 no new licences for private clinics should be issued until the Lane Committee has completed its work? If he is unable to go as far as that, will he apply strict and rigorous criteria to the approval of new clinics until that report is to hand?
§ Sir K. JosephI gladly give the assurance asked for in the last part of my hon. Friend's supplementary question.
§ Mr. Simon MahonWhen is the Lane Committee likely to report?
§ Sir K. JosephDuring the first half of next year.
§ Mr. Biggs-DavisonIf we must have abortion clinics, would it not be better if they were all brought within the National Health Service?
§ Sir K. JosephThat is quite another question.
§ Mr. David SteelI fully support the Minister's decision in this case, but will he confirm that the behaviour of this and other clinics which he has closed is out of keeping with the standards in the rest of the private sector which are fully approved by his Department?
§ Sir K. JosephObviously the fact that I picked out two clinics and did not renew their licences reflects the broadly satisfactory conditions in the others.