§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans she has to issue firm guidelines to doctors on the circumstances in which sterilisation operations may be performed on persons aged 18 years and under.
§ Dr. OwenWe are preparing a discussion paper to use as a basis for wide consultation on the need to issue guidelines not only to doctors but to all professions likely to be involved in decisions on the sterilisation of children. The discussion paper will, however, be confined to cases involving children under the age of 16.
732WSection 1 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1963, is entirely a matter for the discretion of a local authority in the light of individual circumstances, except that it is not intended that any payment made under Section 1 should be an alternative to supplementary benefit.