§ 86. Mrs. Jane KennedyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) pursuant to her answer of 22 January,Official Report, column 481, when she expects to complete her discussions with those professional bodies concerned with conducting research studies into retinopathy of prematurity;
(2) pursuant to her answer of 22 January, Official Report, column 481, if she will place in the Library a copy of the guidelines issued by the British Association of Perinatal Medicine and the College of Ophthalmologists on the care of retinopathy of prematurity;
(3) pursuant to her answer of 22 January, Official Report, column 481, if she will estimate her Department's total expenditure since 1980, at constant prices, on research into the cause and treatment of retinopathy of prematurity.
§ Mr. Sackville[holding answer 1 February 1993]: I have today placed in the Library copies of the guidelines on the care of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) drawn up by the British Association of Perinatal Medicine and College of Ophthalmologists.
Discussions between departmental officials, professional bodies and researchers about research studies into ROP, referred to in my earlier reply of 22 January at column 481, will be completed shortly. Funding has currently been earmarked for a suitable research proposal. The Department has not hitherto commissioned any research into ROP over the period in question.