§ Mr. McLoughlinTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) pursuant to his reply of 7 June to the hon. Member for Hexham (Mr. Amos),Official Report, columns 557–58, if he will list the members of the ethical committees which approved the use of human foetal tissue in the transplant operations to which he refers;
(2) pursuant to his reply of 7 June to the hon. Member for Hexham (Mr. Amos), Official Report, columns 557–58,upon what information he based his understanding that the ethical committees to which he refers considered the issues involved in the use of foetal tissue in transplant operations with care and over a long period of time;
538W(3) pursuant to his reply of 7 June to the hon. Member for Hexham (Mr. Amos), Official Report, columns 557–58,upon what date the ethical committees to which he refers first deliberated upon each of the applications for permission to transplant human foetal tissue; on how many separate days such deliberations continued in each case; and on what date a decision finally was minuted in each case.
§ Mrs. Ann WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Hexham (Mr. Amos) of 7 June,Official Report, column 557, he wall now take steps to hold centrally the lists of names of members of ethical committees; and if he will list the members of all the ethical committees which approved the use of foetal tissue in the transplant operations to which he refers.
§ Mr. NewtonI understand, the ethical committee at the midland centre for Neurosurgery and neurology has discussed Professor Hitchcock's work on using transplantation techniques to treat Parkinsonism on a number of occasions since 1982. The specific procedure referred to was first discussed in February last year when further information was called for. A decision to authorise it was taken in December. The members of the ethical committee who considered this procedure were:
- Dr. J. M. Anderson, Consultant neurologist (December 1987 only)
- Mrs. B. J. Baker, Senior Nurse Manager
- Dr. S. W. Chauda, Neuro-radiologist (February 1987 only)
- Dr. J. Milligan, General Practitioner
- Dr. M. V. Salmon, Neuro-pathologist
- Dr. R. J. West, Neuro-radiologist
- Mrs. M. Wilkes, Community Health Council
- Mr. J. Ballantyne, Hospital Administrator and Secretary to the Committee
Professor Hitchcock himself is also a member of the committee, but I understand attended the relevant meetings primarily to speak to his protocol and would have been excluded from any vote.
We have no plans to hold the names of local ethical committee members centrally.
§ Mr. McLoughlinTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his reply of 7 June to the hon. Member for Hexham (Mr. Amos),Official Report, columns 557–58, if he will arrange for the publication in the Official Report of the text of the declaration which was signed by the mothers in the cases to which he refers in which human foetal tissue was used in transplant operations.
§ Mr. NewtonThe text of the declaration referred to was as follows
I have no special wishes concerning the disposal of material arising from my pregnancy.
§ Mr. McLoughlinTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his reply of 7 June to the hon. Member for Hexham (Mr. Amos),Official Report, columns 557–58, whether, during the course of the prolonged and careful deliberation by ethical committees to which he refers, any of those committees sought advice from his Department; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NewtonNo.