§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East on 28 November 1979, what further progress has been made with the pre-school scheme under 559W the guidance of the child health computing committee to assist in the health surveillance of children; what procedures have been agreed with the British Medical Association for safeguarding the confidentiality of medical information; if the existing computers in the Department are sufficiently up to date to enable the scheme to proceed with the safeguards proposed, and if not, if he will purchase new equipment; and if he will make a statement.
§ Dr. VaughanPreparatory work leading up to the pre-school system trials is proceeding but the trials have not yet been started.
There has been further correspondence with the British Medical Association on the question of procedures arising out of the three ethical principles commended by the previous Administration in mid-1978 and which I have endorsed. Final agreement has not yet been reached.
National Health Service computers, rather than departmental computers, would be used in the operation of the system and these would permit the safe-
Thousands Mit-year to mid-year … (a) (b) (c)=(a)+(b) (d) (e) (f)=(d)+(e) 1968–69 … 50 +57 107 860 –106 754 1969–70 … 52 +43 95 815 –97 718 1970–71 … 52 +42 94 830 –74 756 1971–72 … 49 + 37 86 783 –69 714 1972–73 … 47 +52 99 731 –44 687 1973–74 … 44 + 29 73 680 –95 585 1974–75 … 44 + 37 81 650 –100 550 1975–76 … 45 +40 85 617 –54 563 1976–77 … 47 + 33 80 583 –49 534 1977–78 … 50 + 30 80 589 –52 537 (a) Birlths of New Commonwealth and Pakistani ethnic origin, including those of mixed origin but excludirig some births to mothers who were themselves born in Great Britain. (b) Net migration (to Great Britain) of New Commonwealth and Pakistani citizens and United Kingdom passport holders subject to immigration control. (d) Births to persons not of New Commonwealth and Pakistani ethnic origin; these include those who are neither of New Commonwealth and Pakistani ethnic origin nor of indigenous origin. (e) Net civilian migration (from Great Britain) other than those included in category (b).