AIDS (Control) Bill (Hansard, 13 May 1987)

§ Lord Stallard
My Lords, I understand that no amendments have been set down to this Bill and that no noble Lord has indicated a wish to move a manuscript amendment or to speak in Committee.
663 Therefore, unless any noble Lord objects, I beg to move that the order of commitment be discharged.

§ Lord Stallard
My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill be now read a third time.

§ Lord Kilmarnock
My Lords, I want briefly to ask the noble Baroness a couple of questions of which I have already given her notice. The first relates to my noble friend Lord Young's concern, which he expressed at Second Reading, that mandatory rather than voluntary reporting might undermine the principle of confidentiality, and therefore fewer people might come forward than at present. Will the Government undertake to keep a sharp eye on any evidence that the Bill is having such a counter-productive effect? If it were, we might need to reconsider in the next Parliament the whole question of mandatory reporting.
My second point is that which I made at Second Reading. It is extremely important that no additional costs should fall on health authorities as a result of the Bill. That would be particularly unfortunate at a time when, as reported in the press today, some London hospitals are having to restrict the purchase of the AIDS drug AZT for their AIDS patients because of shortage of funds. That is a matter we must discuss on another occasion. However, there is no doubt that the Secretary of State has made many requests to health authorities in respect of AIDS, but has given no clear indicaton of how he will help them financially.
I should like to be assured that there can be no question of the Bill contributing in any way to the funding difficulties. If any additional expenses are triggered by the duties under the schedule—it seems to me that certain expenses might arise under paragraph 4—I should like to be assured that the Government will make provision for them.

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Security (Baroness Trumpington)
My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Kilmarnock, has provided me with the welcome opportunity to congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Stallard, and the honourable Member for Edinburgh East who, together, have made a little bit of history. The noble Lord's Bill is the first primary legislation solely concerned with AIDS.
I should like to reassure the noble Lord, Lord Kilmarnock, that the existing voluntary confidential reporting system to CDSC will be maintained. Nothing in the Bill should undermine this and it will not therefore affect those arrangements. We shall continue with all the checks that are at present undertaken. It has reassured us of the virtually total completeness of the reporting of AIDS cases to date. As regards confidentiality, I gave the strongest 664 assurances when the Bill was last before us and I gladly repeat them.
As regards the second point raised by the noble Lord, the provisions of the Bill should not produce any significant costs for health authorities. We expect the very small cost in producing their reports to be found from within authorities' existing budgets. The Government fully support the intentions of the Bill and believe that it will provide a useful weapon in the fight against the spread of AIDS.

§ Lord Graham of Edmonton
My Lords, I speak on behalf of my noble friend Lord Prys-Davies, who unfortunately is unable to be present. My noble friend has asked me to pay tribute to the Minister for the strong assurances given at Second Reading and on other occasions regarding the maintenance of confidentiality. My noble friend Lord Prys-Davies was most anxious to make that public declaration of thanks to the Minister.
I join others in expressing gratitude to the Member of another place, and particularly to my noble friend Lord Stallard for all the hard work and research devoted to putting on to the statute book an excellent piece of public health legislation.

§ Lord Stallard
My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill do now pass. In doing so, I should like to congratulate the original sponsor of the Bill in the other place, Dr. Gavin Strang, Member of Parliament for Edinburgh, East. I wish to congratulate also the Minister for Health in the other place, Mr. Newton, who provided great assistance as regards necessary amendments to make the original Bill more acceptable and sensible. I thank, too, all noble Lords who have helped and supported my efforts, the voluntary organisations who have written to express support, and the BMA. In addition, I thank the noble Baroness for her sterling support from the start of the Bill's progress and the members of her staff who have ably assisted in trying to get through this piece of legislation.
It is important legislation. We have said most of what must be said. But we face a menacing threat to the health of the nation. It cannot be stressed enough that we need accurate information and education if we are to begin to fight that threat. Therefore, the compilation and publication at local level of the information that will come to light as a result of the Bill is necessary and valuable in the fight against a new disease of such horrific potentialities. I beg to move.