§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what medical experts he has consulted in the course of his consideration of giving syringes to drug addicts for the purpose of limiting the spread of acquired immune deficiency syndrome.
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§ Mr. HayhoeApart from departmental experts' views, I have received advice from practising clinicians in the field of drug abuse. The issue is currently being considered by the Scottish Committee on HTLV III infection and intravenous drug misuse, which is chaired by the director of the south-east Scotland regional blood transfusion service and by the expert advisory group on AIDS, which is chaired by the Government's Chief Medical Officer. No conclusions have yet been reached. The advisory council on the misuse of drugs will be consulted at its next meeting in May.