§ Mr. SwayneTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the cost of treatments for Aids-related conditions over the next financial year. [62529]
§ Mr. GalbraithHealth Boards in Scotland are expected to meet the cost of such treatments from within the general allocations of funds provided to them each year. In order to assist Boards in planning services for HIV/AIDS patients, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State recently set up an expert group to recommend treatment protocols and to estimate the numbers of HIV/AIDS patients likely to be eligible for treatment with the new anti-retroviral drugs in the next few years. The group's report should be available shortly.