§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish the report by Professor Nicholas Day on the spread of AIDS; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. SackvilleUpdated projections of HIV and AIDS for England and Wales prepared by a working group258W chaired by Professor Day and convened by the director of the Public Health Laboratory Service will be published shortly. It would be inappropriate to comment on the report before it is published.
§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish a table showing the financial support given by her Department to groups campaigning on the issue of AIDS for the financial years 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94 and the planned amount for 1994–95 expressed both in cash and real terms; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. SackvilleThe table shows the funds made available by the Department under section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968 to voluntary organisations in support of their prevention and care services for people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS and the years 1990–91 to 1993–94. Funding decisions for 1994–95 have not yet been made.
£ million Year Cash Real terms 1990–91 1.726 1.726 1991–92 1.842 1.727 1992–93 1.987 1.800 1993–94 1.927 1.699
§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will outline her Department's proposed strategy to target funding provided for HIV/AIDS prevention work more specifically than hitherto at(a) intravenous drug users and (b) homosexual men; and if she will make a statement;
(2) what policies she is proposing to ensure that narrower targeting of funding for HIV/AIDS prevention work on particularly high-risk groups has no detrimental effect on the impact of the safer sex message directed at the general population.
§ Mr. SackvilleThe Department will ensure that funding for HIV and AIDS prevention work strikes the right balance between maintaining awareness among the wider population, and increasing the emphasis on those whose behaviour might place them at particular risk including men who have sex with men, drug users and their sexual partners.
The work will build upon the success we have had in achieving high public awareness and include education for young people in both formal and informal settings. Health authorities have been encouraged to undertake HIV prevention initiatives for those at greatest risk and provide increased facilities for HIV testing.