§ Ms. RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many rubella-handicapped adults are estimated to live in England and Wales.
§ Mr. FreemanThis information is not collected centrally. SENSE, the National Deaf-Blind and Rubella Association, estimates that in 1965, during the last major rubella epidemic and, before rubella vaccine was introduced, about 1,000 babies were born in the United Kingdom with congenital rubella syndrome. Since the introduction of vaccine, numbers of such births have fallen to approximately 20 per year.
§ Ms. RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase funding made available to the National Rubella Council to encourage its work in preventing children being born handicapped by congenital rubella syndrome.
§ Mr. FreemanOfficials will be touch shortly with the council about its section 64 grant for 1989–90 and 1990–91. In addition, there will be further discussions with the council about support for the specific publicity proposals which it has put forward.