§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list all health authorities with a backlog of more than one month, two months, and three months, respectively, in the processing of cervical smears through pathology laboratories.
§ Mr. WhitneyI regret that this information is not held centrally.
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what recent information his Department has considered on the recommended interval of five years between cervical smears;
(2) if it remains his policy to support the advice of the Committee on Gynaecological Cytology on the five-year interval between cervical smears.
§ Mr. WhitneyThe Department is advised on all aspects of the cervical screening programme by the independent committee on gynaecological cytology.
615WCurrent policy on age and frequency follows its advice. The committee reviews regularly all the relevant scientific and epidemiological evidence available, including information on the frequency of cervical screening. At its last meeting on 22 November it concluded that it should not amend its previous advice that five years is the appropriate interval between smears.