§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will arrange for the introduction of a form of notification to be completed by all medical practitioners upon the prescription of contraceptive drugs and devices indicating the age, marital status and geographic location of the patient and requiring the signature of the patient, or their parent or legal guardian if they are under the age of 16 years, to authorise the prescription of such drugs or devices; and if he will arrange that in the case of minors where parental consent is not obtained the practitioner is obliged to give the reasons for the failure to obtain such permission.
§ Mr. HayhoeNo. The effect of the decision of the House of Lords in the Gillick case is that doctors may lawfully prescribe contraceptives for young people under 16 without parental consent in certain exceptional circumstances. The Department's guidance makes it clear that only in exceptional circumstances should doctors prescribe contraceptives for young people under 16 without parental consent, and as I have stated this guidance is being reviewed.