§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many cases of Reye's syndrome in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland were reported to the communicable diseases surveillance centre in each year since the voluntary scheme was started.
§ Mr. John PattenThe number of cases of Reye's syndrome notified to the communicable diseases surveillance centre under the voluntary reporting scheme is as follows:
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Number of cases (per calendar year) Northern Ireland England, Wales and Scotland 1982 9 39 1983 13 40 1984 14 57
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many times the Committee on Safety of Medicines has examined the alleged association between Reye's syndrome and aspirin; when were these occasions; what evidence has been considered; whether there has been liasion with the United States Food and Drug Administration; and when it expects to conclude its present consideration of the syndrome.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeI refer the right hon. Member to my replies to him on 13 March and 3 April at columns 168–9 and 637. The committee has been in contact with the office of the United States Surgeon General of the Public Health Service, with the centre for diseases control in Atlanta, and with bodies in the United Kingdom. The committee gave further consideration to this issue at its April 1985 meeting. Their advice is that the available evidence has not established a causal link between aspirin use and Reye's syndrome. The committee intends to keep this issue under review and will consider any new evidence that becomes available.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the figures for each year for which they are available of the number of deaths in the United Kingdom and in Northern Ireland from Reye's syndrome; and if he will give figures for the same year and for the same age group for the deaths from whooping cough.
§ Mr. John PattenThe available figures are given in the table.
The numbers of deaths from Reye's syndrome have been obtained from the communicable diseases surveillance centre, which since August 1981 has run a surveillance scheme jointly with the British Paediatric Association. The deaths are those which meet either the clinical and biochemical or the histological criteria as used in their case definition for Reye's syndrome.
The figures for deaths from whooping cough are among those routinely collected by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys.
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Number of deaths reported to BPA-CDSC Reye's Syndrome Surveillance Scheme and the number of deaths from whooping cough (ICD(9)033) United Kingdom, Northern Ireland 1982 to 1984 Total under 15 Under 1 1–4 5–9 10–14 UNITED KINGDOM 1982 Reye's Syndrome 27 9 9 4 5 Whooping Cough 16 12 3 — 1 1983 Reye's Syndrome *22 8 8 3 2 Whooping Cough 5 3 2 — — 1984 Reye's Syndrome 29 12 10 4 3 Whooping Cough 1 1 — — — NORTHERN IRELAND 1982 Reye's Syndrome 2 2 — — — Whooping Cough — — — — — 1983 Reye's Syndrome 2 2 — — — Whooping Cough — — — — —
Total under 15 Under 1 1–4 5–9 10–14 1984 Reye's Syndrome 1 — 1 — — Whooping Cough — — — — — * One age not known
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his reply Official Report, 3 April, columns 635–6, if his Department has any explanation for the higher incidence of Reye's syndrome in Northern Ireland than in England and Wales.
§ Mr. John PattenIt is too early to draw conclusions about any apparent difference in the estimated incidence; it may be explained in part by a greater diagnostic awareness and readiness to report the condition. The communicable diseases surveillance centre will continue to monitor reported cases.