§ Dr. KumarTo ask the Secretary of State for Health who is being consulted and what guidelines are planned to ensure that patients who take advantage of genetic testing to identify and combat hereditary or latent genetic predispositions toward certain conditions do not have such information made available to third parties through doctors and other medical practitioners; and if he will make a statement. [118177]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThe Data Protection Act 1998, the Access to Medical Reports Act 1998 and the common law of confidentiality already provide the 435W foundation for ensuring the confidentiality of such information. Following a public consultation exercise, which finished in January 2003, the Government will also be introducing a Code of Practice on confidentiality for the national health service in summer 2003.