§ Mr. WattsTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the Royal Liverpool Children's Inquiry. [148395]
§ Mr. Wicks[holding answer 1 February 2001]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment endorses the statement made by the Secretary of State for Health on 30 January about the Royal Liverpool Children's Inquiry. In particular, he adds his sympathy to the parents who are affected by the dreadful events described in the report.
University medical schools will co-operate fully with the NHS Trusts in cataloguing collections of tissue, and will help the NHS Trusts implement the recommendations of the Commission which has been established to oversee the return of tissues and organs in the collections.
The Council of the University of Liverpool has been asked to take prompt and effective disciplinary action against their employees, where this is warranted. In addition, Ministers have asked Sir Brian Follett, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Warwick, to carry out a review of the adequacy of appraisal and disciplinary procedures for senior staff working in both university medical schools and the NHS.