HC Deb 16 February 1987 vol 110 cc512-3W
Mr. Dobson

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will list the 10 health authorities which have experienced the most demand on their services from AIDS patients; and if he will give for each the total revenue expenditure in 1982–83 and 1985–86 and the revenue budget for 1986–87 and 1987–88;

(2) what account has been and will be taken of AIDS in determining the size and distribution of joint finance;

(3) what evidence there is from other countries of AIDS victims developing a dangerously infectious state such as would justify use of the Public Health (Infectious Diseases) Regulations 1985;

(4) how many health authorities have drawn up action plans on AIDS; if he will list them; and if he will place the action plans in the Library;

(5) what is his Department's estimate of the total sums spent (a) by Government and (b) by all sources on AIDS research in: (i) the United Kingdom, (ii) the United States of America and (iii) France;

(6) when he expects to decide whether to extend the practice of handing out free syringes to drug addicts; if he will list the hospitals where the trial is being conducted; and how he will assess the impact of the practice on the spread of AIDS;

(7) on what grounds HIV infection has not been made a notifiable disease;

(8) when his Department first became aware of the threat to haemophiliacs from imported factor VIII in relation to (a) hepatitis and (b) HIV virus;

(9) when heat-treatment of imported factor VIII was initiated; and when all haemophiliacs were first able to obtain access to safe factor VIII;

(10) what financial support has been made available by his Department to the Terrence Higgins trust;

(11) what consultation took place with the Terrence Higgins Trust before its telephone number was put on the AIDS leaflet;

(12) what is his Department's total grant sought by and given to the Terrence Higgins Trust in each year since the Trust's formation;

(13) whether he will now provide extra funding for sexually transmitted diseases clinics in response to AIDS.

Mr. Peter Bruinvels

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what guidelines have been issued to nursing staff regarding the treatment of AIDS sufferers; and if he will make a statement;

(2) if he will make a statement about the circumstances in which two nurses carrying the AIDS virus have been reinstated following their earlier dismissal; what is the general practice with regard to the employment of nurses carrying the AIDS virus; how many such cases are currently known to him; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Newton

I shall let the hon. Member and my hon. Friend have replies as soon as possible.

Mr. Dobson

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether prevalence testing for AIDS has been conducted by the National Health Service in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Newton

I am not aware of any such testing for HIV infection by health authorities.

Mr. Aspinwall

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many haemophiliac patients are being treated for AIDS in (i) the Bristol and Weston district health authority, (ii) Frenchay health authority and (iii) Bath and West Wiltshire health authority.

Mr. Newton

According to the latest reports to the communicable disease surveillance centre, there are only seven live cases of haemophiliac patients with AIDS in the United Kingdom. It would not he right to identify which districts they ae being treated in since this might enable individuals to be identified in breach of medical confidentiality.