HC Deb 28 June 1988 vol 136 cc201-2W
Mr. Amos

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to the reply of 14 June,Official Report, column 179, what information he has concerning the reasons given by the nursing home which supplied foetal tissue for transplant purposes for its failure to keep any records as to the precise information given to the mothers of the babies involved.

Mr. Newton

There is no requirement for nursing homes to keep this information.

Mr. Amos

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to the reply of 14 June,Official Report, column 179, what percentage of all aborted foetuses from the nursing home to which he refers are subsequently used for transplant purposes or other medical procedures.

Mr. Newton

From inquiries made of the nursing home in question I understand that approximately 6 per cent. of aborted foetuses are supplied for medical research under arrangements approved by the Department.

Mr. Amos

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to the reply of 14 June,Official Report, column 179, what information he has concerning the total number of aborted foetuses which were used for transplant purposes, other medical procedures, for scientific research or otherwise used in the latest year for which figures are available.

Mr. Newton

I regret that this information is not available centrally.

Mr. Amos

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement giving details of any authoritative published work of which he is aware that suggests that benefits might accrue to sufferers of Parkinson's disease by the injection into their brains of foetal tissue, and which was published prior to the performing of the operations to which reference was made in answer of 14 JuneOfficial Report, column 179.

Mr. Newton

I understand that this technique has not been fully written up in this country. However, recent publications in the field are listed in an article entitled "Embryos and Parkinson's Disease",The Lancet, 14 May 1988 and subsequent correspondence.

Mrs. Ann Winterton

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement giving the details of the mechanism by which evidence and comment can be submitted to the committee of inquiry into the use of foetal tissue in transplant operations.

Mr. Newton

This is for the committee to review the guidance on the research use of foetuses and foetal material, which is to have its first meeting shortly, to decide. I will draw the committee's attention to the interest of my hon. Friend.