§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when he was first advised of a possible new strain of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; and if he was informed of any change in the assessment of health risks associated with bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle, arising out of this discovery. [23171]
§ Mr. HoramMy right hon. Friend was informed of a previously unrecognised form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease on 8 March 1996. The Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee advised him on 20 March that, if the existing and newly recommended control measures were carried out, the risk to humans from eating beef was now likely to be extremely small.
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§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many confirmed cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease have been notified for people aged(a) under 20 years, (b) 20 to 30 years, (c) 31 to 40 years, (d) 41 to 50 years, (e) 51 to 60 years and (f) 60 years and over; and how many were (i) male and (ii) female in each year for which records are available. [23218]
§ Mr. HoramInformation showing the number of definite and probable cases of CJD by the age groups requested and by sex for the period 1970 to 1984—England and Wales—and 1985 to March 1996—United Kingdom—will be placed in the Library.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) which organisations will receive funding for the proposed additional research into CJD; and if he will make a statement; [24021]
(2) if future CJD research funded out of the NHS research budget will include transmission studies; and if he will make a statement. [24022]
§ Mr. HoramAs announced by my right hon. Friend to the House on 25 March,Official Report, columns 710–12, we have in preparation a directed programme of research in the BSE-CJD sector involving the Department of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Medical Research Council and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Council. The programme will include strain typing and transmission studies. Further details, including the organisations involved, will be announced as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Frank CookTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will investigate the possibility of CJD carriers passing on the disease as blood donors; and if he will make a statement. [24092]
§ Mr. HoramThe safety of blood is kept under regular review by the expert Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Blood and Tissues for Transplantation. There is no evidence of any risk of transmission of CJD through blood or blood products. However, as a precautionary measure, individuals with central nervous system diseases or risk factors for CJD, including a family history, are excluded from giving blood.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money his Department spent on research into CJD in each of the last five financial years. [24023]
§ Mr. HoramThe information requested is as follows:
- 1991–92: £181,000
- 1992–93: £148,000
- 1993–94: £225,000
- 1994–95: £387,000
- 1995–96: £502,000.
This includes the costs of the national Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease surveillance unit in Edinburgh.
Total Government spending on bovine spongiform encephalopathy and CJD research is about £million this year, and, as my right hon. Friend announced on 20 March, Official Report, columns 375-86, the Department is making an additional £4.5 million available for further research.