§ Mr. MartlewTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library the notes of the discussions which took place during 1987 and 1988 between his Department and the General Medical Council which refers to the issue of forces medical records and confidentiality.
§ Mr. SoamesAlthough my Department and the General Medical Council corresponded and held informal meetings during 1987 and 1988 to discuss matters relating to medical confidentiality, there is no evidence that these meetings were formally minuted. The correspondence and discussions however resulted in the publication of new, jointly agreed, notes of guidance on medical confidentiality for medical officers employed by the armed forces, and the issue of a new medical form to protect the confidentiality of personal medical records during the administrative processing of service medical boards. I am placing copies of these documents in the Library of the House.