asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will introduce a screening programme to detect children at risk of developing kidney disease.

The decision whether to undertake screening for specific conditions is one for individual health authorities, which would first wish to be satisfied that it was both beneficial and cost-effective. There has been a number of studies on the possible value of screening children for urinary tract infection—a condition which in certain circumstances can cause renal damage. As yet there is no definite evidence that routine screening is cost-effective but I understand that research on this subject is continuing.