§ Mr. Ashdownasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) when the Committee on the Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment will consider the preliminary study by the information services division of the Scottish Health Service into the incidence of leukaemia in Scotland in the birth to 24 years age group; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if, in the light of uncertainties about the completion date of the final study and difficulties met with in case control studies recommended by the Black report, he will commission immediately the case control studies recommended in the preliminary study by the information services division of the Scottish Health Service into the incidence of leukaemia in Scotland in the 0–24 year age group; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John MacKayI have been asked to reply.
I expect the full study of the incidence of leukaemia in Scotland in under 25-year-olds undertaken by the information services division of the Common Services Agency of the Scottish Health Service to be published in the autumn. Thereafter the Committee on the Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment will be asked to consider this full report. It is not intended to commission new studies until the committee's guidance on the need for and nature of further investigative work has been obtained.