§ Ms. LynneTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new cases of hepatitis B were reported to public health laboratories in England in each year since 1980.
§ Mr. SackvilleThe total number of laboratory reports of acute hepatitis B infection to the public health laboratory service's communicable disease surveillance centre for England and Wales (by the year in which the specimen was taken) is as follows:
769W
Date Number 1980 1,007 1981 1,197 1982 1,237 1983 1,274
Date Number 1984 1,937 1985 1,771 1986 1,312 1987 774 1988 636 1989 590 1990 564 11991 520 1(Provisional) The availability of immunisation, together with behavioural changes in certain "at risk" groups, are believed to have contributed to this decrease.