HC Deb 02 July 1987 vol 118 cc139-40W
Mr. Pawsey

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what action his Department is taking to alert young people to the risk of AIDS; and what advice is being given about its avoidance.

Mr. Dunn

In June last year my Department published "Children at school and problems related to AIDS". This booklet addressed primarily the care of HIV infected pupils at school.

To help teachers in introducing AIDS education into their teaching programmes and to help them answer pupils' questions authoritatively, "AIDS: Some Questions and Answers" containing factual information about AIDS, was published in March. The BBC has been commissioned to produce a video resource package for use in schools with pupils in the 13 to 16 age range. The package will seek to inform pupils of the facts about AIDS and will encourage them to behave responsibly. Pupils will be warned of the risks of casual or promiscuous sexual behaviour, whether heterosexual or homosexual, and of sharing equipment for intravenous drug misuse.

My right hon. Friend will continue to consider ways of supporting and promoting AIDS education.