§ Sir John Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, pursuant to his answer of 27 February to the hon. Member for Epping Forest, Official Report, column 449, he will require information to be collected concerning cases in which parental consent (a) is and (b) is not obtained for general anaesthetics to be given to minors seeking abortion; and if he will give details of the manner in which the practice in such cases has been monitored hitherto.
§ Mr. NewtonNo information is collected either from the NHS or private sector indicating whether a general anaesthetic or abortion was carried out on the basis of a girl's consent alone or with the involvement of her parents and there are no plans to do so. The General Medical Council has issued guidance to doctors about the626W considerations to which a doctor should have regard before offering advice or treatment to a child below the age of 16 who consults him and is not accompanied by a parent or person in loco parentis. The principles set out in that guidance apply equally to all forms of treatment, including where a general anaesthetic forms part of the treatment. The Department does not routinely monitor the operation of these procedures.