§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many nursing homes have his approval to supply foetuses or foetal material to institutions and organisations; and if he will list the purposes for which the foetuses or foetal material are required;
(2) what forms of final disposal of foetuses or foetal material are used by institutions and organisations supplied by nursing homes; and what systems or checks his Department has for ensuring that disposal is done in an approved manner;
(3) how many National Health Service hospitals supply foetuses or foetal material to institutions and organisations; and if he will list the purposes for which the foetuses or foetal material is used;
(4) what forms of final disposal of foetuses or foetal material are used by institutions and organisations supplied by National Health Service hospitals; and what systems or checks his Department has for ensuring that disposal is done in an approved manner;
(5) what fees are charged by National Health Service hospitals or private nursing homes to institutions and organisations for the supply of foetal material and foetuses; and whether such fees are subject to the approval and monitoring of his Department;
(6) what arrangements are in operation for obtaining the consent of parents before the disposal of foetuses or foetal material to institutions and organisations by National Health Service hospitals and private nursing homes; and what steps his Department takes to ensure that such arrangements are followed.
§ Mr. NewtonThe Department approves the arrangements for the supply of foetal material by nursing homes approved under the Abortion Act 1967. Arrangements for the supply of material by NHS hospitals are the responsibility of individual health authorities.
The use and disposal of human foetal material in this country is controlled in accordance with the code of practice recommended in the report of the advisory group on the use of foetuses and foetal material for research (Peel report 1972). The code of practice stipulates amongst other things that a precondition of research should be that there is no objection on the part of the parent and that there is no monetary exchange for foetuses or foetal material. In the private sector the Department satisfies itself that these requirements will be met before approval is granted.
Private sector places currently approved to supply foetal material are as follows:
244W
Approved place and material supplied to Purpose Calthorpe Nursing Home Birmingham Children's Hospital Research on chorionic villus sampling East Birmingham Hospital Birmingham Maternity Hospital Park View Clinic Foetal Tissue Bank, Royal Marsden Hospital Various projects on virology, immunology, oncology, biochemistry and molecular biology Robert Nursing Home Birmingham University Medical School The study of genetics, umbilical vessels, comparative histology, cancer and foetal development The final disposal of material is a matter for the receiving organisations themselves.