Written question asked by David Drew (Labour) on Tuesday, 10 January 2006, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 12 January 2006. It was answered by Caroline Flint (Labour) on Friday, 20 January 2006 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Family Planning

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice her Department offers to those bodies offering family planning concerning whether there is a minimum age for offering contraception (a) with and (b) without parental consent.

Answer: Health professionals provide contraception to young people under 16 within an established legal framework which involves assessing the young person's competence to understand the choices they are making and encouraging them to talk to their parents. A young person's request for confidentiality is respected unless there are child protection concerns. The Department's guidance ““Best practice guidance for doctors and other health professionals on the provision of advice and treatment to young people under 16 on contraception, sexual and reproductive health””, stresses that duty of confidentiality is not absolute. Where a health professional believes that there is a risk to the health, safety or welfare of a young person which is so serious as to outweigh the young person's right to privacy, they should follow locally agreed child protection protocols as outlined in the Government guidance ““Working Together to Safeguard Children”” (1999).The younger the teenager the greater concern about possible abuse or exploitation, but health professionals will assess risk on the facts of each individual case.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 42224; 441 c1664W
Session: 2005-06
Subjects: Consent to medical treatment Advisory services Contraceptives Family planning Parents Young people
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk