HC Deb 21 October 1986 vol 102 cc861-2W
35. Mr. Sumberg

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what reactions he has so far received to his Department's public information campaign on acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

Mr. Newton

Detailed research is being conducted to measure both the effectiveness and the public acceptability of the campaign. The results so far are generally very encouraging. There is almost unanimous support for the Government's campaign. The advertisements have been widely read and understood and only a very small percentage of people have found them in any way offensive or distasteful.

Sir David Price

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report the monthly figures for the number of acquired immune deficiency syndrome patients and the number of deaths from acquired immune deficiency syndrome notified to his Department over the last three years.

Mr. Newton

Monthly cases and deaths from acquired immune deficiency syndrome by date of reporting to the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre over the last three years are as follows:

United Kingdom
Month Number of cases Number of deaths
1983
October 0 0
November 3 2
December 4 0
1984
January 5 9
February 2 0
March 2 2
April 2 1
May 5 3
June 4 1
July 3 2
August 15 2
September 12 5
October 7 1
November 14 8
December 6 1
1985
January 10 3
February 14 7
March 8 5
April 19 14
May 10 3
June 7 10
July 20 22
August 10 4
September 19 6
October 16 13
November 16 6
December 18 0
1986
January 12 4
February 18 13
March 23 10
April 7 3
May 27 14
June 27 18
July 76 32
August 25 11
September 22 4

In addition there were 24 cases including 11 deaths reported between the introduction of the surveillance system in 1982 and October 1983.