§ Mr. Kirkwoodasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average cost of caring for those who have acquired immune deficiency syndrome in (a) central London and (b) the rest of the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. HayhoeI regret that information is not held centrally in the form requested. The cost of treating patients who have the acquired immune deficiency syndrome—AIDS—varies considerably between patients depending on the course of the disease and the opportunistic infections involved. The limited information which is available suggests that in most cases the cost to the National Health Service is between £10,000 to £20,000 per patient.
§ Mr. Kirkwoodasked the Secretary of State for Social Services which health authorities have implemented plans for the testing and counselling of HTLV—3 carriers and for supporting those diagnosed as having acquired immune deficiency syndrome.
§ Mr. HayhoeMy Department wrote to health authorities in July of last year asking them to make arrangements for the provision of testing facilities and for counselling before testing and afterwards where a person was found to be infected. The extent and scale of facilities is a matter for health authorities to consider in the light of local needs.