HC Deb 06 March 1989 vol 148 cc418-20W
Mr. Vaz

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what sums have been allocated to all aspects of treatment., research and education related to AIDS and HIV for the current and next three financial years.

Mr. Mellor

In the current year, we have made available to health authorities in England £58.6 million as a contribution towards the additional costs of providing treatment and care for people infected with HIV and with AIDS. For 1989–90 a total of almost £130 million is being made available towards those costs. Details of the distribution of resources to regional health authorities were given in health circular HC(88)66.

A number of Government-funded organisations are supporting HIV-related research, on which over £13.2 million is expected to be spent in this financial year. The Medical Research Council is the main agency through which we support biomedical research in relation to HIV and AIDS, and is funded through grant-in-aid from the Department of Education and Science. The MRC plans to spend, through its directed programme on AIDS:

£ million
1988–89 5.0
1989–90 7.0
1990–91 8.0
1991–92 8.5

The Department is providing the MRC with an additional £1,050,000 this year and £1.7 million in 1989–90 principally for epidemiological research on HIV. We are making available separately an estimated £593,000 for HIV-related health and personal social services research projects this year, and will be deciding shortly the Department's budget for such research for 1989–90.

In respect of health education related to HIV and AIDS, the Department has allocated £8.7 million in 1988–89 to the Health Education Authority, and £1.3 million to the national AIDS helpline, which provides a free, confidential telephone advice service. The Department's budget for health education work in 1989–90 has yet to be decided. No decisions have yet been made on the Department's allocations for treatment, research and health education in future years.

Mr. Rost

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what national data exists on which people known to be HIV positive develop AIDS.

Mr. Mellor

No national data are available showing which HIV-positive individuals develop AIDS.

Mr. Rost

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether any people in the United Kingdom have been diagnosed as having AIDS without the presence of HIV.

Mr. Mellor

Of the cases of AIDS reported to the communicable disease surveillance centre and the communicable diseases (Scotland) unit, 88 per cent. have been tested for the presence of antibodies to HIV or for HIV. Of these, results were positive in all but five individuals.

Mr. Rost

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has on whether test for Epstein-Barr, cytomegalo lymphoma hepatitis B, herpes simplex viruses or anti-bodies in people with AIDS are routinely performed.

Mr. Mellor

These tests are not routinely performed. However, if the clinical findings suggest that any of these conditions may be present, the tests would be carried out in accordance with clinical judgment.

Mr. Rost

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has any evidence that virus infections such as leukaemia and lymphoma retroviruses can result in selective damage to specific cells of the immune system, and in particular to white blood cells known as T and B lymphocytes.

Mr. Mellor

I understand that there is a considerable scientific literature on the possible effects of retroviruses on elements of the immune system.

Mr. Rost

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) in what percentage of people with Kaposi's sarcoma has HIV been isolated;

(2) what percentage of people with AIDS are infected with syphilis.

Mr. Mellor

I regret that these data are not available.

Mr. Rost

To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what criteria he authorises spending on research and public education programmes which identify HIV as the sole cause of AIDS.

Mr. Mellor

The overwhelming consensus of expert opinion is that HIV is the causative organism of AIDS.

Sir Michael McNair-Wilson

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer on 10 January,Official Report, columns 605–8 about the AIDS education campaign, if he will state the value of the AIDS advertising budget; and how many times advertisements have been placed in the newspapers and journals set out in his answer.

Mr. Mellor

[holding answer 17 February 1989]: The amounts spent on mass media advertising from the inception of the Government AIDS public education campaign to 31 December 1988 were as follows:

Department of Health (to 31 December 1987)
£
Press 3,196,047
Radio 880,939
Television 3,461,985
Cinema 855,284
Poster 1,865,599
Miscellaneous 94,568
Total 10,354,422

Health Education Authority (to 31 December 1988)
£
Press 1,120,367
Television 2,300,000
Posters 880,694
Total 4,301,061

A list giving the advertising insertions in the national and regional press and magazines for this period has been placed in the Library.

If my hon. Friend would like details of advertising insertions and associated spending from 1 January 1989, he may wish to approach the Health Education Authority for this information.