§ Mr. Alfred MorrisTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out in theOfficial Report the terms in which his Chief Medical Officer stated recently that the outcome for HIV carriers is likely to be the same irrespective of cause; and what consideration he has given to its relevance to the claim for financial help for people who acquired the virus from blood transfusions equal to 404W that given to people with haemophilia who contracted the virus after the injection of contaminated blood products under the National Health Service.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThere is no known difference in the proportion of people developing AIDS at any given time interval following infection when comparing the different routes of transmission of sexual intercourse, and receipt of infected blood or blood products. This issue has been explored in a number of scientific articles including the Journal of the American Medical Association (3 February 1989, pp 725–727) and AIDS 1988, 2 (supplement 1, S57–63). Apparent differences may be due to the effect of age on the rate of progression to AIDS. The ex-gratia payments given to provide help for haemophiliacs with HIV and their families recognised their wholly exceptional circumstances. Haemophiliacs were already suffering from a disability which affected their employment prospects, insurance and mortgage status. Also the hereditary nature of haemophilia means that more than one member of the family may be infected with HIV.
§ Mr. Alfred MorrisTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will be replying to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe, of 23 December 1989, on people who have acquired AIDS from blood transfusions under the National Health Service.
§ Mr. FreemanMy right hon. and learned Friend has now written to the right hon. Member.