§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what action he is taking to implement the policy outlined in his Eleanor Rathbone Memorial Lecture on 27th January 1978 to cut down the toll of child deaths by discriminating in favour of localities where the needs are greatest;
(2) if he is satisfied that the guidelines issued with local authority Circular (78)6 adequately fulfil the policy outlined in his Eleanor Rathbone Memorial Lecture on 27th January 1978, concerning positive discrimination in areas where perinatal and infant mortality rate are unacceptably high; and if he will make a further statement.
§ Mr. MoyleThe guidelines issued to health and local authorities last month specifically refer to HC(78)5/LAC(78)2, which included the relevant section of the Eleanor Rathbone Memorial Lecture, as giving the most recent planning guidance on services for children; and I shall now be looking to authorities locally to consider the appropriate deployment of resources. More generally, I am seeking to persuade decision makers at all levels to concentrate resources on the disadvantaged. For example, on 4th April my Department held jointly with the Child Poverty Action Group a conference on reaching the consumer in the ante-natal and child health services, attended by some 230 people representing obstetrics, paediatrics and general practice; nursing, including health visitors; community health councils, social services, medical associations, women's and family organisations, and voluntary bodies; together with members of my own and other Government Departments. There was a most helpful exchange of views on the problems of improving the uptake of these services, particularly by disadvantaged families, and the means by which these could be overcome. Improved uptake of antenatal services, in particular, would help further reduce the number of perinatal 283W and infant deaths, and I shall be considering carefully the various ideas put forward at this conference and how they can best be followed up.