§ Mr. Ian Lloydasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what information he has on the scale and rate of increase of non-specific genital infection caused by the organism chlamydia trachomatis in the United Kingdom over the past five years;
(2) what information he has on the incidence of pelvic infection and sterility caused by long-term failure to diagnose chlamydial infection in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. HayhoeThe information collected centrally does not identify this information, but there are indications that the incidence of chlamydia has risen in the last few years. My Department is funding research studies on the incidence and prevalence of this infection in defined groups of women at university college hospital, and on the epidemiology of chlamydial infections at the social medicine and health services research unit at the united medical school of Guys and St. Thomas' hospitals.
§ Mr. Ian Lloydasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what funds have been made available within the National Health Service to public health or National 522W Health Service laboratories to control the spread of chlamydia trachomatis by making generally available diagnostic kits for this purpose.
§ Mr. HayhoeI am aware that testing for chlamydia trachomatis is becoming more widely available now that diagnostic tests have been developed. But as it is for health authorities and the public health laboratory service to determine the allocation of their resources in the light of their particular needs and priorities no specific National Health Service funds have been allotted for such tests.