HC Deb 11 November 1996 vol 285 cc47-8W
Sir Ralph Howell

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what evidence his Department has evaluated connecting cases of BSE with cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; [3069]

(2) what evidence his Department has evaluated indicating the BSE (a) can be and (b) has been transmitted to humans. [3070]

Mr. Horam

The main evidence has been the report of the new variant cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease published inThe Lancet on 6 April 1996, Professor Collinge's work on transgenic mice published in Nature on 21 December 1995 and the report of Professor Collinge's glycoprotein mapping experiments published in Nature on 24 October 1996.

We have sought advice on these and on related work from the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee, which provides independent scientific advice on transmissible spongiform encephalopathies.

Report, columns 403–04, if he will make a statement on the purposes for which each of the three three-year section 64 project grants has been given to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. [3071]

Mr. Horam

The grants were for the following purposesFamily support project (1990–1993): to establish a national network of volunteer family support workers responsible for befriending parents of newly diagnosed children, providing practical help and advice, encouraging the development of home care and providing information about welfare benefits. Family and adult support volunteer network (1993–1996): to devise and provide a programme of mutual support activities for young adults with cystic fibrosis that would enable them to make the difficult transition from childhood to adulthood and support their efforts to obtain employment and live independently of their parents. Cystic fibrosis advocacy project (1996–1999): to demonstrate that the best advocates of the needs of people with chronic illnesses are the patients themselves, by training adults with cystic fibrosis in four areas to become advocates for others.