§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether the children immunised in the Medical Research Council whooping cough trials were randomly selected; whether children who might possibly be at risk were omitted; and if he will make a statement on the method of selection of the children.
§ Mrs. Shirley WilliamsI am informed that the answer to the first and second parts of the question is "Yes" and that different methods of random selection were used for different parts of the trials, as described in reports published in the British Medical Journal of 30th June 1951 and 25th August 1956.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether parents whose children were immunised in the Medical Research Council whooping cough trials were informed, in writing, that their children were taking part in a trial.
§ Mrs. Shirley WilliamsI am informed that the answer is "Yes, before parents completed consent forms."