§ Mr. Patrick Jenkinasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether he is considering establishing regulations for codes of safe practice in British medical laboratories rather than relying on recommendations as at present;
(2) what action he proposes to take to improve standards of safety and health care in British medical laboratories, in view of the wide variation in standards.
§ Mr. EnnalsThe Working Party on the Laboratory Use of Dangerous Pathogens, which reported in 1975, recommended among other things that general guidance182W on safety in laboratories should be drawn up. As a result, in August 1975 my Department set up a working party under the chairmanship of Sir James Howie, a former Director of the Public Health Laboratory Service Board, to draw up a code of practice for the prevention of infection in clinical laboratories. The working party is expected to report shortly and its recommendations will then be considered with a view to publication as a code of guidance.