Nurses should be able to hand out condoms to young people in a bid to reduce teenage pregnancy, an MP has said.

Keighley MP Ann Cryer fears that, with only 14 per cent of GP practices across England running dedicated sexual health or contraception clinics, more needs to be done to tackle the growing problem.

She believes it is time to accept that young people will have sex and is calling on the Government to provide more resources for practice nurses to deliver sexual health advice.

She said: "I know there is the view that abstinence is the best way, but it is not going to happen so that glib comment is disregarded.

"It is better to be proactive than run the risk of unwanted pregnancies.

"Young people should have access to free condoms.

"Very young girls become pregnant before they are ready and while they are still just children themselves. We have one of the worst records for young teenager pregnancies in Europe and it is unfortunate for both the mother and baby.

"Some are more than capable of being adequate mothers but others are not and often it can cause rifts in families."

Mrs Cryer also fears young people are not aware enough of the dangers of cervical cancer - which some experts link to unprotected sex in early life - and the sexually transmitted disease chlamydia.

Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the UK, with studies suggesting one in eight men and one in ten women carry the infection.

The Labour MP said: "It can be caught and not detected for years until people are trying for a baby. It can manifest itself and then people have to go through IVF and it must be devastating, thinking because you acted a certain way when you were younger you are forced to deal with it now. There is a great deal at stake.

"I would be happier if condoms were given out. Free condoms - it is better to be safe than sorry."

Mrs Cryer is one of more than 50 MPs calling for Government action.

Last year Bradford and Calderdale were singled out for praise in reducing the number of teenage mothers in the area.

Bradford is also on course to meet the target set out by Tony Blair in 1999, which demands halving the teenage conception rate between 1998 and 2010.

Latest teenage pregnancy statistics released last year showed Bradford was winning its battle to cut the number of schoolgirl mums.