§ Mr. David Atkinsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to amend guidelines on the prescription of contraceptives for under age children following the House of Lords ruling in the Gillick case; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now make a statement on his Department's policy on the prescribing of contraceptives to girls under 16 years of age.
§ Mr. HayhoeThe House of Lords has decided by three to two that our Department's guidance on contraceptive services for young people under 16 is lawful, and it has now been reinstated. It will be fully reviewed, taking into account the detail of the House of Lords' judgment and the wide range of views expressed on this issue.
The Department's guidance states that special care is needed not to undermine parental responsibility and family stability and stresses the importance of involving parents in decisions about contraception for young people under 16, and the House of Lords' judgment made it clear that it should be exceptional for a doctor to prescribe contraception for a young person under 16 without the knowledge and control of a parent.