§ Ms. HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will make a statement on the number of people contracting tuberculosis(a) in each of the last five years and (b) in each of the last six months;
(2) what evidence her Department has of any causal link between poverty, poor housing and tuberculosis;
(3) if she will make a statement about the incidence of tuberculosis in the United Kingdom;
(4) what plans she has to reduce the incidence of tuberculosis.
§ Mr. SackvilleFor notifications of tuberculosis in England and Wales for the last five years I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. and learned Member for Montgomery (Mr. Carlile) on 7 July at column150. The breakdown for the first six months of 1992 is:
911W
Number January 508 February 453 March 460 April 574 May 462 June 494 Notifications of TB fell progressively from 1948 to 1987, since when the numbers have levelled out. Rates are higher in inner cities, to which several factors contribute. Discussions are proceeding between the Department and the national health service on how TB can be reduced in those areas.
The national schools' BCG immunisation programme is to continue at least until 1995–96, when the results will be known of a Public Health Laboratory Service survey of tuberculosis in the general population. Immunisation will continue to be offered also to other high-risk groups as set out in the HMSO publication "Immunisation Against Infectious Diseases". A copy of the 1992 edition will be placed in the Library as soon as it is available.