§ LORD LEATHERLANDMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what information they can give about experiments that are taking place in connection with the diagnosis of cervical cancer by laser beams.]
§ LORD BESWICKMy Lords, I understand that the results so far obtained are sufficiently encouraging to warrant further research. My right honourable friend the Minister of Health has agreed to support a statistical proving trial.
§ LORD LEATHERLANDMy Lords, may I thank my noble friend for that very encouraging reply? I should like to ask him one other question. While the tests are going on into this new procedure, which may be cheaper and more speedy than the old procedure, will he take care to see that there is no slackening in the training of the technicians who are so urgently needed to carry on the existing procedure?
§ LORD BESWICKMy Lords, my noble friend may be interested to know that is precisely the question which I first asked when I was being provided with the background to this Question. I was assured that there will be no slackening of the training of the technicians essential in the present method of testing; that indeed the number of persons tested over the past year has doubled, and that it is expected this process will be further speeded up. I should also emphasise, however, to my noble friend that a great deal of effort is being made in various other fields involving electronic and biochemistry methods of testing, and that the particular method to which he has called our attention is but one of several alternative methods of screening which I hope will be followed up.