Hodge in row over contraceptive jab

Children's Minister Margaret Hodge is at the centre of a storm today after saying teenage girls should be offered contraceptive injections.

She said the jabs should be given to sexually active girls under the age of consent.

Her comments were criticised by family campaigners and opposition MPs.

Mrs Hodge said the injections could cut Britain's rocketing teenage pregnancy rates. "What is really interesting is this contraceptive injection," she added. "If people are having sex you don't want them to have babies at that age.

"You do want children to put off having sex at such a young age, you do want them to have appropriate contraceptive and you want responsibility from such girls and boys."

Recent figures show the number of teenage pregnancies in London has risen by 10 per cent since Labour came to power in 1997. Family planning groups are doubtful about the effectiveness of contraceptive injections in tackling the problem.

The Conservatives said Mrs Hodge's proposal ignored the risk to teenage girls of sexually-transmitted diseases.

Shadow health minister Tim Loughton said: "The number of under-age girls who have received these injections over the last five years has already increased by two and a half times and the teenage pregnancy rate is still rising.

"Most worryingly, however, this has been at the expense of teenagers contracting sexually-transmitted infections, so the minister is swapping one problem for another."

His words were echoed by the Christian Institute, an organisation which promotes Christian values. A spokesman said: "They are effectively saying pregnancy is all you have to worry about, but sexually transmitted diseases are going through the roof, particularly among the teenage population."

A spokeswoman for the Educat ion Department denied it was ignoring the problems of sexually-transmitted diseases.

She said: "The Government does not promote any one form of contraception over another, except to highlight the usefulness of condoms to counter the spread of sexually transmitted infections and HIV.

"Young people who cannot be persuaded to abstain from sexual activity should have access to health professionals to help them make informed decisions about the method of contraception that is most appropriate for them.

"Such young people should also be encouraged to talk to their parents."