§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the members of his Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation ; when the committee was set up ; how many times it meets annually ; and whether it has issued any public reports.
§ Mr. AlisonPresent membership of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is as follows:
Professor Sir Charles Stuart-Harris (Chairman).
Dr. F. S. W. Brimblecombe.
Dr. A. B. Christie.
Professor G. W. A. Dick.
Professor J. A. Dudgeon.
Professor J. P. Duguid.
Professor G. Edsall.
Dr. R. W. Elliott.
Professor D. G. Evans.
Professor R. W. Gilliatt.
Professor N. R. Grist.
Dr. H. R. Jolly.
Professor J. Knowelden.
Dr. I. A. G. MacQueen.
Dr. E. L. M. Millar.
Dr. J. S. Noble.
Dr. F. T. Perkins.
Dr. B. C. S. Slater.
Dr. V. H. Springett.
Dr. J. F. Warin.
Dr. W. O. Williams.
Professor R. E. O. Williams.
The committee was set up in 1963 to advise the Health Ministers on all medical aspects of vaccination and immunisation. The main committee meets as required, usually two or three times a year ; its sub-committees meet as necessary. A report of its work is included in the Annual Report of the Central Health Services Council. Recommendations accepted by the Secretary of State are made known to all local health authorities and members of the medical profession.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if his Department sent any participants or advisers to the Conference on Vaccination against Communicable 176W Diseases which was held at Monte Carlo in March 1973.
§ Mr. AlisonNo. The Conference on Vaccination against Communicable Diseases which was held at Monte Carlo on 14th–17th March 1973 was sponsored by the International Association of Biological Standardisation. The president of this association at that time was the Head of the Division of Immunological Products Control at the National Institute for Medical Research, he is also a member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which was appointed in 1963 by the Central and Scottish Health Services Councils to advise the Health Ministers on all the medical aspects of vaccination and immunisation.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if his Department has had any consultations with the appropriate departments in the seven other countries which have insurance schemes to provide compensation for immunisation accidents ;
(2) if his Department has made any estimate of the likely cost of an insurance scheme to provide compensation for immunisation accidents ;
(3) what discussions his Department has had on the need for an insurance scheme in the United Kingdom to provide compensation for immunisation accidents ;
(4) if he will initiate legislation to provide for retrospective compensation for all children damaged by whooping cough vaccine since his Department approved its use.
§ Mr. AlisonA Royal Commission under the chairmanship of Lord Pearson was set up towards the end of 1972 to consider the whole problem of civil liability and compensation for personal injury. Compensation for injury caused by immunisation procedures would be within the commission's terms of reference and insurance, cost and practice in other countries would certainly be relevant to any study of the problem. The terms of any legislation will depend on the commission's report.