§ Mr. Frank FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the cost in a full year of a programme of anonymised screening for HIV infection of a proportion of routine blood samples taken for other purposes in hospitals throughout the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. NewtonIf anonymised screening programmes for HIV antibody were carried out, the factors determining the cost would include(a) the size and geographical location of the sample, (b) any preselection of samples from certain age and sex groups and types of patients, (c) the amount of data to be collected and recorded on factors that may be relevant to HIV transmission, (d) whether attempts are made to eliminate duplicate samples, (e) whether patients have an option to take part and (f) the analysis performed with the data so collected.
§ Mr. Frank FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the annual costs of the anonymised blood testing programmes carried out for measuring the prevalence of measles antibody, immunity to poliomyelitis, rubella, diphtheria and tetanus and the levels of antibody to influenza virus; how often such testing programmes are repeated; and what use is made of the statistical and epidemiological data produced.
§ Mr. NewtonNot all the information sought is available, and that which is available could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.