§ Mr. SpellarTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new cases of tuberculosis were identified in each of the last three years; what steps his Department is taking to reduce the incidence; and what evidence his Department has evaluated in respect of the emergence of drug-resistant forms. [22893]
§ Mr. HoramThe numbers of notifications of cases of tuberculosis—excluding chemoprophylaxis—in England in each of the last three years are shown in the table.
Year Number of notifications 1993 5,721 1994 5,409 1995 (provisional) 5,426 Source:
OPCS.
The table lists notifications made during a single year, it does not show when infection occurred.
The United Kingdom has an excellent record of tuberculosis control. This has been achieved and maintained through treatment of identified cases and screening of their close contacts, screening and treatment for immigrants, the BCG immunisation programme and active surveillance of TB.
In response to the small rise in tuberculosis notifications in the early 1990s, the United Kingdom health departments set up an interdepartmental working group on tuberculosis with a remit to consider policies for TB control in the UK and to recommend best practice. The first reports from the working group, which are entitled "Recommendations for the Prevention and Control of Tuberculosis in Districts" and "Tuberculosis and Homeless People", will be published shortly and copies will be placed in the Library.
747WThe public health laboratory service has heightened surveillance of drug-resistant tuberculosis which remains at low levels in the UK. An expert working group has been set up under the interdepartmental working group on tuberculosis to make specific recommendations for the prevention and control of drug-resistant tuberculosis based on all the available evidence.