HL Deb 09 March 1976 vol 368 cc1265-7WA
Earl FERRERS

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will now answer the questions which were put in the debate on Sex Education on 14th January, about the changed responsibilities of the Family Planning Association clinics, namely:

  1. (a) whether the same personnel and the same methods are to be employed under the aegis of the DHSS as are at present employed by the Family Planning Association; and
  2. (b) whether the views and actions of the Family Planning Association are to become the accepted policy and practices of the Department and, therefore, of the Government.

Lord WELLS-PESTELL

The position is as follows. Question (a) falls into two parts—on personnel and on methods to be employed. As regards personnel the answer is "Yes" for staff of the FPA Agency Clinics; the Department of Health and Social Security has put an obligation on the new Health Authorities to take over the clinic staff when they take over the clinics. For staff of the Headquarters of the FPA the answer is "No"; the position here is that the DHSS has told the FPA what work it wishes the FPA to undertake on behalf of the DHSS and Health Authorities during 1976. The DHSS has agreed the number, names and grades of the staff which the FPA will employ on this work during the year. Much of this work will come to an end in 1976, but if there is a need for some parts of it to continue in 1977, the Department expect a similar detailed agreement to be made for that year.

As regards the methods to be employed, for the staff of the agency clinics of the FPA the answer is "Yes"; the Department expect the FPA Agency clinic staff to be following the methods advised in the Memorandum of Guidance on the Family Planning Service issued by the Department in May 1974 (a copy of which is in the Library of the House). For the Headquarters staff of the FPA (in relation to the work undertaken on behalf of the DHSS and Health Authorities) the answer is "Probably not", This work is reviewed regularly and frequently at meetings between officers of the DHSS and the FPA. For this part of the Headquarters work of the FPA the purpose is determined by the DHSS, and although the methods can only be those of the FPA one of the objects of these meetings is to check that the methods are not at odds with the purpose.

Question (b) concerns the views and actions of the FPA and whether these are to become the accepted policy and practices of the Department and the Government. The answer is, "No". The views of the DHSS and the practices it would wish to see followed are as set out in the Memorandum, which was based on the findings of study and research and of extensive and lengthy consultations. I have written to the noble Earl on these and other matters.