§ Lord Puttnamasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will respond to the report published in 1999 by the Human Genetics Advisory Commission, The Implications of Genetic Testing for Employment. [HL3550]
§ The Minister for Science, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville)The Government have given careful consideration to a report onThe Implications of Genetic Testing for Employment, from the Human Genetics Advisory Commission (HGAC). The Government agree with the HGAC that this is an issue which should be kept under close review in future. The Government accept the main findings of the HGAC's report. They have today asked the Human Genetics Commission, which is the successor to the HGAC, to take note of the HGAC's recommendations, have suggested ways of taking them forward and have drawn attention to the measures it has already taken in this area. The Government have also asked the HGC to consider the next steps by including this issue in the Commission's wider study of the uses of genetic information and to provide advice to Ministers in due course. I am placing a copy of the letter in the Libraries of the House.