Mr. Alan Williamsasked the Minister of Health whether he has considered the evidence concerning the effectiveness of 281W cervical cancer smear tests produced by Professor A. L. Cochrane, details of which have been sent to him; and what conclusions he has reached.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonYes. The evidence concerning the effectiveness of screening for cervical cancer was fully considered by the Standing Medical Advisory Committee before the service was introduced. Their conclusion, with which I agree, was that the evidence for the benefit of cytology, though admittedly incomplete, was sufficiently strong to establish that it would have been wrong to withhold a cytological service until such time as the value of cytology could be finally established. This would have taken a number of years. My Department is supporting research, in which Professor Cochrane is taking part, aimed at establishing the value of cytology yet more firmly.