§ Lord Cledwyn of Penrhosasked Her Majesty's Government:
What progress health districts have made in improving the detection and prevention of genetic disorders; and what funds have been allocated to this field for 1990–91 compared with 1989–90.
§ Baroness HooperRemarkable advances continue to be made in the means of diagnosing and assessing risk for single gene disorders, chromosome and malformation syndromes and in procedures for fetal diagnosis, for example by more precise ultrasound imaging and the introduction of chorionic villus sampling.
Genetic services are generally co-ordinated through regional clinical genetic centres and are available to all health districts. The co-ordination of clinical, laboratory and support services brings together the key elements of genetic counselling, compilation of family registers, molecular genetics and cytogenetics.
In England regional and district health authorities determine the level of funding to be allocated to genetic services. Details of these allocations are not 23WA collected centrally by the department. The department, however, is aware that every region has a clinical genetics centre and at least one clinical geneticist. Health districts in Wales and health boards in Scotland and Northern Ireland also determine their own allocations to genetic services. In addition central funds have been allocated to the Scottish Molecular Genetics Consortium (£290,954 in 1990–91 and £278,158 in 1989–90) and the Institute of Medical Genetics at the University Hospital of Wales (£291,000 capital and £504,000 revenue in 1990–91 compared with £80,000 capital and £398,000 revenue in 1989–90). In Northern Ireland in 1989–90 an additional £55,000 was allocated to convert research activity into a fully operational routine laboratory service to improve genetic counselling. A further £10,000 was allocated to complete the funding of this aspect of the service in 1990–91.