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| Michael Gove says he raised concerns over x-rays for young asylum seekers | Michael Gove says he raised concerns over x-rays for young asylum seekers |
| (4 months later) | |
| The education secretary, Michael Gove, and three of his ministers have raised concerns with the Home Office and UK Border Agency over a controversial trial using dental x-rays to establish the age of young asylum seekers. | The education secretary, Michael Gove, and three of his ministers have raised concerns with the Home Office and UK Border Agency over a controversial trial using dental x-rays to establish the age of young asylum seekers. |
| The agency launched the three-month project last month, prompting outrage from the UK's four children's commissioners and immigration lawyers for allegedly breaching children's human rights and possibly being illegal. The UK's chief medical officer, Dame Sally Davies, also demanded reassurance over ethical permission. | The agency launched the three-month project last month, prompting outrage from the UK's four children's commissioners and immigration lawyers for allegedly breaching children's human rights and possibly being illegal. The UK's chief medical officer, Dame Sally Davies, also demanded reassurance over ethical permission. |
| Gove told the Commons education select committee on Tuesday that his department had written to the Home Office on the issue. He had also "asked a series of questions of officials about the wisdom of pursuing this". He appeared to have to stop himself from taking sides in the debate raging inside and outside government until he had received answers. "I have to confess that it did not strike me as perhaps the most … Well, I thought there were causes for concern and so we have raised these causes for concern immediately," he told MPs. | Gove told the Commons education select committee on Tuesday that his department had written to the Home Office on the issue. He had also "asked a series of questions of officials about the wisdom of pursuing this". He appeared to have to stop himself from taking sides in the debate raging inside and outside government until he had received answers. "I have to confess that it did not strike me as perhaps the most … Well, I thought there were causes for concern and so we have raised these causes for concern immediately," he told MPs. |
| "I think we need to be clear that this is a proportionate and wise intervention in order to ensure we can keep our borders safe. I am concerned obviously to ensure that we do not have people exploiting the generosity of this country, but I am also clear we should ensure the dignity of individuals and, particularly, the rights of children are respected." | "I think we need to be clear that this is a proportionate and wise intervention in order to ensure we can keep our borders safe. I am concerned obviously to ensure that we do not have people exploiting the generosity of this country, but I am also clear we should ensure the dignity of individuals and, particularly, the rights of children are respected." |
| Gove however declined to say what concerns he and fellow ministers Sarah Teather, Tim Loughton and Nick Gibb had raised. Lisa Nandy, the Labour MP for Wigan, who asked Gove about the trial, said afterwards: "It is simply unacceptable that Michael Gove doesn't even know whether his own department sanctioned these pilots, which have been widely condemned by children's experts. | Gove however declined to say what concerns he and fellow ministers Sarah Teather, Tim Loughton and Nick Gibb had raised. Lisa Nandy, the Labour MP for Wigan, who asked Gove about the trial, said afterwards: "It is simply unacceptable that Michael Gove doesn't even know whether his own department sanctioned these pilots, which have been widely condemned by children's experts. |
| "How can the secretary of state, who has ultimate responsibility for children, wait a month for answers while children are being exposed to harm?" | "How can the secretary of state, who has ultimate responsibility for children, wait a month for answers while children are being exposed to harm?" |
| The idea for a trial, first proposed and then dropped by the Labour government following the intervention of the previous chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, was outlined in a letter from the Border Agency to interested parties on 28 March, the day before it was due to start. The Guardian has established that it still had not had formal approval from the NHS's ethical watchdog the National Research Ethics Service as late as 13 April, when it told the Guardian: "The start of a study for the purpose of regulation is commonly defined as when the first participant is recruited, and we would expect all approvals to be in place before recruitment. We can confirm from the early discussions that we are satisfied that there has been no activity on the trial that would have required ethics approval." | The idea for a trial, first proposed and then dropped by the Labour government following the intervention of the previous chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, was outlined in a letter from the Border Agency to interested parties on 28 March, the day before it was due to start. The Guardian has established that it still had not had formal approval from the NHS's ethical watchdog the National Research Ethics Service as late as 13 April, when it told the Guardian: "The start of a study for the purpose of regulation is commonly defined as when the first participant is recruited, and we would expect all approvals to be in place before recruitment. We can confirm from the early discussions that we are satisfied that there has been no activity on the trial that would have required ethics approval." |
| The Border Agency wants to see whether such x-rays could help determine whether young asylum seekers are under 18 and thus subject to different treatment from older applicants. But opponents say it is unethical to subject young people to radiation that is not for medical benefit. | The Border Agency wants to see whether such x-rays could help determine whether young asylum seekers are under 18 and thus subject to different treatment from older applicants. But opponents say it is unethical to subject young people to radiation that is not for medical benefit. |
| The Home Office has been cautious in answering Guardian inquiries to date, saying only that further discussions are taking place. The Guardian is awaiting a response to the intervention of the education and children's ministers. | The Home Office has been cautious in answering Guardian inquiries to date, saying only that further discussions are taking place. The Guardian is awaiting a response to the intervention of the education and children's ministers. |
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