§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what consideration he is giving to the legal position of job and insurance applications, in relation to DNA sequencing; and what consideration he is giving to laws on codes of practice to prevent misuse of information.
§ Mr. Neil Hamilton[holding answer 8 June 1992]: DNA screening should be carried out only with the consent of the individual concerned. The results of these tests are subject to the same degree of confidentiality as apply to other personal health information. Such information should not be provided for purposes other than those for which the individual has given consent. The Government are aware of the concern about the potential impact of information gained via genetic screening and are keeping a close watch on developments in human genetics.
The United Kingdom insurance industry does not intend to seek mass screening for genetic information within the foreseeable future, but when individuals have had a specific genetic test as part of their medical treatment these tests may fall into the same category as other medical tests and will need to be declared on proposal forms. It is only by obtaining relevant information and by careful judgment by the underwriters that risks can he properly assessed and premiums appropriate to the risk charged.
With regard to job applications, employers are free to attach whatever conditions they consider appropriate to an offer of employment, including conditions relating to health or medical capability, provided that they do not discriminate unlawfully, for example on grounds of sex or race. The terms on which employers offer jobs and on which applicants accept them are in general a matter for the parties concerned, and it would be neither desirable nor practicable for the Government to intervene.