§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether he intends to introduce further screening for the AIDS-related virus HTLV I;
(2) whether his Department is monitoring the number of people in Britain with the AIDS-related virus HTLV I; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Simon Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what figures he has for the number of people carrying the HTLV I virus;
(2) what plans he has to test blood supplies for the HTLV I virus;
(3) what plans he has to combat the spread of the HTLV I virus; what facilities he is making available to screen people for the HTLV I virus; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NewtonI shall let the hon. Members have replies as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will estimate the current cost of screening blood donations for the AIDS virus;
(2) whether he has any plans to review the current screening programme for the AIDS virus in blood donations; and if he will make a statement;
(3) if he will make a statement outlining the procedures currently adopted for the screening of blood donations for the AIDS virus;
(4) what efforts are made to trace the donors of blood which is found through the screening process to contain the AIDS virus;
(5) whether he is satisfied with the current level of confidentiality with which the screening of donated blood for the AIDS virus is carried out.
§ Mr. NewtonThere is no need at present to review the current programme for screening blood donations for HIV.
The safety of the blood supply in this country is maintained in two ways. First, all potential donors are given a leaflet which asks those who are at risk of AIDS not to donate blood. Secondly, all blood donations are tested for antibodies to HIV.
72WInitial tests are carried out in the laboratories of the regional transfusion centres and donations are only released for use when all the tests have been completed and found negative.
Where an initial test is positive, it is repeated by the RTC. Samples of repeatedly positive donations are sent to one of the reference laboratories of the Public Health Laboratory Service for confirmation. In the rare event of a confirmed positive test, the donor is informed by a doctor from the RTC and given counselling help.
A donor's test results and medical history are always kept in the strictest confidence.
Of nearly 3.5 million donations tested for antibodies to HIV since screening began, only a tiny number (002 per cent.) have been found positive. The estimated cost of screening all blood donations for antibodies to HIV in 1986–87 is £2.75 million.
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether he has made any estimate of the total cost of introducing a national blood screening programme to identify carriers of the AIDS virus;
(2) what assessment he has made of the feasibility of introducing a national screening programme to identify carriers of the AIDS virus.
§ Mr. NewtonTesting for anti-bodies to AIDS virus is already available nationally on a voluntary basis. The Government are not persuaded that a national screening programme would be a sensible public health measure at the present time, and consequently no detailed assessment of the feasibility and costs have been undertaken.
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what detailed laboratory evidence is available to his Department that the cell-free human immunodeficiency virus which gives rise to AIDS has been identified in human semen; and if he will make a statement;
(2) what detailed laboratory evidence is available to his Department suggesting that a number of cells which contain either AIDS-related viral RNA or pro-viral DNA have been isolated in semen; and if he will make a statement;
(3) whether it remains the view of the Government's Chief Medical Officer that the AIDS virus is present in semen in very high concentrations; and if he will make a statement outlining the published laboratory data from which this conclusion was drawn.
§ Mr. NewtonThere is no evidence to suggest that whether or not HIV in semen is cell-free or cell-associated is relevant to the transmission of infection from semen. Nor are the number of cells in semen containing AIDS-related viral RNA or pro-viral DNA known to be relevant. The quantification of HIV in semen is not an exact science, but the available epidemiological evidence confirms the views of experts worldwide that the virus is present in high enough concentrations in the semen of infected individuals so that transmission of infection can occur if this semen enters another person's rectum or vagina. I also refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Member for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell) on 19 March at column626 and to the references made available there.
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement outlining the published data upon which the Government have based 73W their conclusions that prevention of semen transmission in sexual contact by use of a condom will lower the risk of AIDS transmission.
§ Mr. NewtonIt is well established that the use of condoms protects substantially against sexually transmitted disease. The value of condoms in providing protection against HIV infection in particular was discussed in an editorial in theBritish Medical Journal on 15 November 1986 which quoted the literature available at that time. Further data was published in the Journal of the Americanl Medical Association in Vol. 257 p. 640–44 (1987) and in the New England Journal of Medicine in Vol. 316 p. 345 (1987).
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what research data are available to him about the alleged correlation between the widespread promotion of barrier contraceptives and the level of unprotected sexual activity among the young in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement;
(2) what account was taken in formulating the Government's AIDS advertising programme of the report in British Medicine about Swedish research into the correlation between the availability of contraceptives and the level of sexual activity, a copy of which has been sent to him; and if he will make a statement.
(3) what consideration was given in the formation of the policy underlying the Government's AIDS advertising programme to the statement of Dr. Judith Bury of the Brook Advisory Centres regarding the alleged correlation between the provision of contraceptives and the incidence of unprotected sexual intercourse.
§ Mr. NewtonWe are not aware of any good evidence to suggest that the wider availability or promotion of condoms or other contraceptives leads to higher levels of unprotected sexual activity. Our own surveys amongst young people reveal a high level of understanding that reduction in the number of sexual partners can reduce the risk of catching the AIDS virus and that the use of condoms can also do so.
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he plans any review of his anti-AIDS policy in the light of the views expressed by Dr. John Seale in the British Medical Journal, a copy of which has been sent to him, regarding the effectiveness of the Government's advertising and public education campaign as a contribution to the control of AIDS.
§ Mr. NewtonWe have no such plans.
§ Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what guidance the Chief Medical Officer at his Department has given on the professional position of doctors suffering from AIDS; what information he has as to the number of (a) general practitioners, (b) hospital doctors and (c) other doctors suffering from AIDS; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NewtonI shall let my hon. Friend have a reply as soon as possible.