§ Mrs. Renéee Short asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to issue guidelines concerning the treatment of severely handicapped babies; what discussions he has held on this and with whom; and if he will make a statement, bearing in mind the recommendations of the Social Services Committee in its report on perinatal mortality to his predecessor in office.
§ Dr. Vaughan:We brought out in Cmnd. 8084 that the treatment of severely handicapped babies, about which there has rightly been much public concern, presents problems of a particularly difficult and sensitive nature. I am aware of the professional advice issued by the British Medical Association in its revised "Handbook of Medical Ethics" and the recent statement by the British Paediatric Association, and am keeping the issues involved under careful review.