HC Deb 16 February 1988 vol 127 cc557-8W
Mr. Gareth Wardell

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is aware of any research findings which show that infection caused by the AIDS virus cannot pass through the material of an intact condom.

Mr. Newton

I am advised that there are two published studies from San Francisco and Brussels in which various commercially available latex condoms have been demonstrated to be impermeable to human

Patients treated in Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley district health authority for the following specialties
1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986
General medicine
Number of available beds 174.2 187.6 204.9 201.8 200.8 195.3 197.2 177.7
Number of occupied beds 166.1 172.1 174.9 165.3 165.4 158.0 162.6 150.3
Discharges and deaths 5,634 5,854 6,385 6,145 6,563 7,035 7,352 7,064
Total out-patient attendances 15,428 15,341 20,001 21,453 23,382 23,797 25,402 26,708
Day cases 553 553 920 1,154 1,037 1,266 1,365 1,314
Paediatrics
Number of available beds 36.3 37.4 58.3 59.3 58.2 51.6 50.6 53.5
Number of occupied beds 16.2 17.2 25.1 28.6 25.7 24.0 24.7 22.9
Discharges and deaths 1,515 1,501 2,326 2,542 2,699 2,663 2,852 2,669
Total out-patient attendances 4,431 4,459 6,111 6,783 7,397 6,972 6,575 6,075
Day cases 2 9 1 1 5 4 6 3
Geriatrics
Number of available beds 337.2 350.2 352.9 351.6 334.8 282.4 280.9 276.5

immunodeficiency virus (HIV) under laboratory conditions. In addition, I understand that similar results have been obtained by other researchers which have not yet been published.