§ 41. Mr. ThurnhamTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received about the fate of Bosnian orphans; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydWe have received a number of representations and share the deep concern felt by many in this country about the fate of children who have been orphaned in the tragic conflict in Bosnia.
§ Mr. ThurnhamWill my hon. Friend bear in mind the concerns of British couples who are prepared to adopt orphans abandoned by mothers who have been raped by Serbian soldiers? Will he confirm that up to 20,000 women were so violated?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI cannot confirm the figures that my hon. Friend cites, but I can say that my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Health has taken a close interest in this particular tragic matter and has made it clear that, in appropriate cases, his Department will help with the adoption of children who have been conceived as a result of rape.
§ Mr. Tony BanksDoes the Minister recall the suggestion of His Holiness the Pope that Bosnian Muslim women who had been raped should bear their children? Given that many of us found that offensive, what steps do the Government propose to take now to counsel those women who decide to take the Pope's advice?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydAs the hon. Gentleman is aware, a report was carried out by Dame Anne Warburton into that dreadful area. The ODA has commissioned Marie Stopes International to examine the practical problems of managing and implementing the recommendations made by the Warburton mission in Bosnia.