HC Deb 26 May 1988 vol 134 cc264-5W
Mr. Jopling

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the probability of the incidence of AIDS in the United Kingdom at the present time for each adult male and female over 18 years.

Mr. Newton

It is not possible to assess the probability of the incidence of AIDS in the United Kingdom at the present time for each adult male and female over 18 years. The latest published figures, which give the current prevalence of HIV infection at the end of March, show that 7,380 men and 797 women have been reported to the national surveillance centres as being HIV antibody positive. With regard to cases of AIDS, to the end of April 1,412 males and 27 females had been reported. The latest available figures for the population of the United Kingdom aged 18 and over are 20,747,900 males and 22,573,000 females. This represents rates of infection with HIV of 361 per million for males and 35 per million for females and rates of people with AIDS of 68 per million for males and 1.6 per million for females. It is necessary to interpret these figures carefully: some of the cases of AIDS will be included in the HIV figures and these HIV statistics include only those infected people who have presented for testing.

ECT Statistics national and regional summary
1984 1985 1986
Regional Health Authority Treatments1 Average Number of Treatments per course Treatments1 Average Number of Treatments per course Treatments1 Average Number of Treatments per course
Northern 11,127 6.44 12,242 6.71 10,346 6.98
Yorkshire 10,803 4.62 12,503 4.90 12,947 5.57
Trent 14,084 6.40 14,423 6.61 12,609 6.37
East Anglian 6,339 6.58 7,689 5.87 6,879 6.53
North West Thames 6,189 5.37 6,596 5.44 7,083 5.50
North East Thames 7,156 6.67 7,733 7.07 6,867 6.45
South East Thames 7,620 5.91 9,163 6.11 8,647 7.06
South West Thames 7,255 6.31 8,380 6.82 6,799 6.69
Wessex 11,611 6.89 13,031 7.19 12,905 6.96
Oxford 2,390 5.60 3,630 6.55 3,291 5.70
South Western 6,434 6.09 7,624 6.41 6,706 6.07
West Midlands 14,547 6.84 15,128 6.95 13,952 7.23
Mersey 4,852 5.86 5,404 6.39 5,572 6.20
North Western 13,862 5.43 13,653 5.67 14,412 6.74
England 124,269 6.03 137,199 6.26 129,015 6.47
Special Health Authority 826 8.18 565 4.59 524 4.40
England (including Special Health Authorities) 125,095 6.04 137,764 6.25 129,539 6.46
Special Hospitals 262 6.14 176 4.86 218 5.59
Total 125,357 6.04 137,940 6.25 129,757 6.46
1 The number of treatments is not the same as the number of patients treated, as some patients may undergo more than one course of treatment during the year.

Ms. Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what studies his Department has made of the effects of electro-convulsive therapy.

Mrs. Currie

It is not generally the role of the Department to commission basic clinical research. This type of research falls within the remit of other agencies such as the Medical Research Council and individual clinical researchers.