§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those district health authorities in Wales which currently screen all symptomless women aged 50 years and older for breast cancer as a matter of routine; at what cycle of frequency such screening takes place; and what are the future plans for his Department for developing these services.
§ Mr. Mark RobinsonNo district health authorities in Wales routinely screen women for breast cancer at present.
An expert working group on breast cancer screening was appointed in July 1985 under the chairmanship of 557W Professor Sir Patrick Forrest to consider the situation in the United Kingdom. It has produced an interim report, a copy of which has been placed in the Library. The report concluded that there was a clinical case for providing mammographic facilities and screening for symptomless women aged 50 and over, together with the necessary back-up services. This will be considered in detail in the final report, which will set out policy options, their costs and benefits and the overall implications for the NHS. The final report is expected later this year.
Percentage of school leavers aged 18 and over intending to enter full-time further education Type of education 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 Degree and teacher training courses 48 49 44 45 43 Other full-time further and higher education 18 19 21 21 24 All further and higher education 66 68 65 65 66 Comparable information for school leavers in 1984–85 is not yet available.