§ Mr. GoodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the admission of students to medical schools can be restricted on the grounds of their views on(a) abortion and (b) euthanasia; and if he will make a statement. [115763]
§ Mr. Hutton[holding answer 3 June 2003]Whilst the Government sets the target intake to medical school, all aspects of selection and admission are the responsibility of individual universities and medical schools. The Department of Health supports the Council of Heads of Medical Schools' (CHMS) 1999 statement of nine "Guiding Principles for the Admission of Medical Students", in which it commends to all the United Kingdom's medical schools good practice in equal opportunities. The principles stress that selection procedures for medical students must be transparent and involve procedures that respect obligations under the Race Relations Act and offer equality of opportunity.