§ Mr. John EvansTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a further statement on women and the Dalkon shield contraceptive device.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThere are no plans for Government intervention in relation to this matter of litigation in the United States courts. For the initial claims deadline, the court itself directed, and approved, publicity by the Dalkon shield manufacturers. Further extensions of the deadline have received independent media publicity. It is for individual health authorities to decide whether they wish to direct their resources to specific activity on this matter. Our longstanding advice has been that they should be as helpful as possible with regard to the release of information.