HL Deb 12 March 2001 vol 623 c64WA
The Countess of Mar

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the draft investigation protocol of 22 February 1993, Clinical investigation of symptomatic patients secondary to exposure to organophosphate containing sheep dips, resulted in a programme of medical investigations conducted by the National Poisons Unit; if they did, how many patients received these investigations; whether they were classed as "research" for the purposes of medical ethical control; if they were, whether Ethics Committee approval was obtained and written informed consent was obtained from each patient; and what was the outcome of the studies. [HL1084]

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

The draft investigation protocol of 22 February 1993,Clinical investigation of symptomatic patients secondary to exposure to organophosphate containing sheep dips, was a pilot investigation on patients admitted at the request of their health authorities. The results of the investigations offered no useful evidence on which to base further research, so no formal research programme was developed.