§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by year and by regional health authority for the last 10 years the number of cases of babies that have been abducted while in hospital.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyWe do not hold information on such incidents centrally.
The Department has commended to all health authorities a security manual prepared by NAHA. Copies were distributed to the NHS in 1984. The manual includes advice on the issue of personal identification badges to all members of staff.
In the maternity field, the health building note on maternity departments refers specifically to the need to consider the safety of babies temporarily unattended in postnatal areas or neonatal units. The design briefing states that accommodation for babies must be sited so as to be easily visible from the staff base.