HC Deb 30 July 1980 vol 989 cc763-4W
Mr. Buchan

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, in view of the high incidence of neural tube defects in Scotland, if he will take immediate steps to ensure that a full screening programme is initiated by all regional health authorities.

Mr. Fairgrieve

A working party established by the National Medical Consultative Committee produced in September 1979 a report which recommended that a screening service at present available to half the expectant mothers should be universally available. In commending the report's recommendations to the attention of health boards, I suggested that they should have regard to the recom-

ment funded, with numbers of full-time equivalent students and full-time and sandwich students the maximum student capacity of buildings and the number of teaching staff for the 1978–79 session.

Mr. Alexander Fletcher

Most of the information requested is set out in the following table. Information on the maximum student capacity and on the numbers of teaching staff for individual local authority colleges is not held centrally.

mendation in their future planning and development of services.