§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, if he will take steps to seek to ensure that no research is undertaken within the National Health Service on babies, other than straightforward observation and basic examination, with parental knowledge and without obtaining the prior consent of the relevant hospital ethics committee.
§ Mr. WhitneyClinical research is governed by the general law and guided by codes of practice such as those of the World Medical Association (the Declaration of Helsinki 1964 and its Tokyo revision 1975) and of the Medical Research Council of this country.
In 1975, the Department drew health authorities' attention to a report from the Royal College of Physicians and in particular to two recommendations. First, that all proposed clinical research investigations should be referred to a local ethical committee. Second, that clinical research investigation of children, not of direct benefit to them, may be conducted only when the procedures entail negligible risk or discomfort, and subject to the provisions of common and statute law and with the consent of the parent or guardian.
The Department will be considering whether further guidance or a reminder to health authorities is now required.