§ Mr. David AtkinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her estimate of the percentage of the population who are(a) HIV positive (b) suffering from heart disease and (c) suffering from drug abuse related illnesses; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. SackvilleIt is not possible to provide an accurate estimate of the percentage of the population infected with HIV as only those who perceive themselves to be at risk will seek a test. Up to March 1992 there had been 15,424 reports of people infected with HIV in England and Wales 435W to the Public Health Laboratory Service's communicable disease surveillance centre. Anonymised HIV studies began in 1990 to obtain more accurate information about the prevalence of HIV.
Due to their nature, it is not possible to give reliable estimates of the incidence of coronary heart disease and drug abuse related illness within the population.