§ Mr. ButlerTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to revise upwards the official figures for deaths from AIDS in the light of the evidence 33W given to a recent conference on AIDS by Dr. Anna McCormick, senior medical statistician at the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NewtonWe are aware of Dr. McCormick's interesting study and we understand that a full report will be published shortly. The current system of voluntary reporting of cases of AIDS that meet the internationally accepted definition of AIDS is working well. If this system were extended to include other HIV-related deaths, the United Kingdom's system would then not be consistent with that used in other countries. The reporting arrangements for AIDS and other HIV-related deaths are being kept under review.