HC Deb 08 June 1984 vol 61 cc282-3W
Mr. Hargreaves

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish in the Official Report the names of hospitals and research centres that are participating in the Medical Research Council's trials into the use of multi-vitamin treatment to reduce the rate of spina bifida babies born to high-risk mothers.

Sir Bernard Braine

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science why the Medical Research Council will not publish a comprehensive list of medical centres where trials are being carried out involving multi-vitamin pills being given to 2,000 expectant mothers who are considered to be as risk of having a spina bifida child.

Mr. Brooke

[pursuant to his replies, 22 December 1983, c. 335 and 23 January 1984, c. 407]: I am now in a position to provide the Medical Research Council's list of the centres participating in the trial to determine whether or not vitamin supplementation will reduce the incidence of neural tube defects. The centres that now have approval to proceed from their local ethical committees are as follows. I understand that the council considers that the need continues for a controlled trial to determine whether vitamins should be provided to mothers at risk, as there remains considerable uncertainty about whether vitamin supplementation is beneficial.

Centres
United Kingdom
Ashton-under-Lyne Tameside General Hospital
Birmingham East Birmingham Hospital
Bristol Bristol Maternity Hospital
Southmead Hospital
Cardiff Welsh National School of Medicine
Dundee Ninewells Hospital
Edinburgh Western General Hospital
Duncan Guthrie Institute of Medical
Glasgow Genetics
Leicester Leicester General Hospital
London Queen Charlotte's Maternity Hospital
St. Bartholomew's Hospital
University College Hospital
Oxford John Radcliffe Maternity Hospital
Portsmouth St. Mary's Hospital
Sheffield Jessop Hospital for Women
Southampton Princess Anne Hospital
OVERSEAS
Australia
Adelaide Adelaide Children's Hospital
Commonwealth of Health, University of
Sydney Sydney
Canada
Ottawa Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario
Vancouver Grace Hospital
Israel
Tel-Aviv Sheba Medical Centre
Hungary
Budapest National Institute of Hygiene
Debrecen Medical University
Miskolc County Mospital
Pecs County Hospital
Szeqed Medical University
Szombathely Markusovszky Hospital