§ BARONESS SUMMERSKILLMy 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 whether they approve the proposal of the Family Planning Association to distribute a pamphlet to schools regarding the availability of contraceptive advice with an added page on secrecy, thus by-passing the children's parents, their most trustworthy counsellors.]
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE (LORD BELSTEAD)My Lords, the Family Planning Association has made it clear that it has no intention of offering this pamphlet to individual children in schools. The Department of Education and Science was not consulted about the contents or distribution of the pamphlet. Decisions about distribution to schools will rest with local education authorities and head teachers.
§ BARONESS SUMMERSKILLMy Lords, while thanking the noble Lord, particularly for the first assurance that he gave me, may I ask him this question? In view of the alarming increase of venereal disease among young people, does he not think that the time has come when the Government should exercise more direction about the distribution of material of this kind?
§ LORD BELSTEADNo, my Lords, the control of the matters which come into the curriculum is vested in the local education authorities and head teachers, and, in the case of aided schools, in the governors and managers. In this particular case, the Family Planning Association is an independent body.
§ BARONESS GAITSKELLMy Lords, it seems that in 1969 there were 22,000 teenagers who had illegitimate children and 10,000 teenagers who had abortions. In these circumstances, would not the noble Lord agree that the Family Planning Association and the Brook Advisory Centre are doing sterling work in dealing with this vast problem?
§ LORD BELSTEADMy Lords, to the best of my knowledge successive Administrations have accepted the independence and value of the Family Planning Association.
§ BARONESS BIRKMy Lords, in view of the fact that my noble friend particularly mentioned venereal disease, would not the noble Lord agree that this leaflet of the Family Planning Association, which the Minister rightly said, is not distributed "ad lib." to school children, will presumably, where head teachers decide to use it, be distributed in consultation with the parents; and that any sort of discussion on sexual behaviour can only be helpful in the fight against this disease?
§ LORD BELSTEADYes, my Lords. I think that the noble Baroness, speaking on behalf of the Health Education Council, is very right in the points she has put in the form of a question.
§ BARONESS SUMMERSKILLMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether he has read the extra leaflet put in with the pamphlet, in which the boys or girls (the pamphlet mentions children) are assured that any information given them will be given in strictest privacy and that their doctors and their parents will not be told?
§ LORD BELSTEADMy Lords, I would entirely agree with the noble Baroness, and it would be my hope, and I think the hope of noble Lords, that boys and girls of school age would normally enjoy a relation of mutual trust with their parents. But there are possibly 645 cases when this is not so. When a young girl has entered into sexual relationship, surely it would be better not to discourage her from receiving proper contraceptive advice.
§ LORD PLATTMy Lords, are Her Majesty's Government aware that I am President of the Family Planning Association; that that body has taken these responsibilities extremely seriously; that it does realise the seriousness of the situation about venereal disease, on the one hand, and the enormous number of illegitimate births, on the other; and that, furthermore, it realises that the teenager who is inclined to this kind of behaviour is the very one who will not go to the family doctor or to Mum and Dad?
§ LORD BELSTEADMy Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Platt, has given me the opportunity to say that Her Majesty's Government clearly realise the worries which the noble Baroness, Lady Summerskill, has in putting her Question. At the same time, they also acknowledge the valuable work which is being done by the Family Planning Association. May I add that this is a question of balance, and I hone that I have answered questions in that light.
§ THE EARL OF LAUDERDALEMy Lords, is there not something to be said in this matter for the Christian teaching of restraint, and might not the right reverend Prelates support those who have families in trying to encourage restraint in this matter?
§ VISCOUNT MONCKTON OF BRENCHLEYMy Lords, is my noble friend aware that this is yet another example of the parents' obligations and duties being by-passed by third parties and that there are many of us who feel with the noble Baroness, Lady Summerskill?
§ LORD BELSTEADMy Lords, there are certain old-fashioned virtues which are inherent in some of the answers I have been giving. If noble Lords would care to look back to 1943, to the Education Pamphlet No. 119 they will see that these words were said:
The really important point is not where the problem is treated, but by whom.
§ BARONESS BIRKMy Lords, in view of the disquiet expressed in my noble friend's Question and the implication that anyone can get advice or help in con- 646 fidence, whatever their age, is it not a fact that under the F.P.A.'s own rules patients under 16 can have a general talk with an F.P.A. doctor, but are not given contraceptives without the consent of a parent or guardian? Would the Minister confirm this, and agree that it is important that this should be made known?
§ LORD BELSTEADMy Lords, I would respectfully refer your Lordships to Section 8 of the Family I aw Reform Act 1969.