Serious Bowel Disease

HC Deb 11 May 1995 vol 259 cc567-8W

Mr. Campbell-Savours

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) on what date Ministers were first informed of the research project recently reported inThe Lancet, into possible links between immunisation for measles and serious bowel disease; [22624]

(2) on what date Ministers were first informed of the findings of the research project recently reported in The Lancet, into possible links between immunisation for measles and serious bowel disease. [22625]

Mr. Sackville

The chief medical officer was first informed of the scope of the Royal Free hospital school of medicine work which was reported inThe Lancet recently in September 1994. At that point, he sought advice from national and international experts. In January 1995, the Department of Health convened a meeting at which the preliminary results of the Royal Free work were discussed. At that meeting, attended by independent experts, work was also presented on other possible factors in the causation of serious bowel disease including other infectious agents.