§ Mrs. MayTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the United Kingdom suffer from(a) anglusia, (b) anosmia, and (c) both anglusia and anosmia; what research his Department (i) is conducting and (ii) has commissioned into the (A) cause and (B) treatment of these problems; and if loss of these senses is defined by his Department as a disability. [65619]
§ Mr. HuttonThe National Health Service does not collect centrally the numbers of people suffering from anglusia (we believe this is an incorrect name for a disease resulting in loss of smell) and anosmia, and is not currently commissioning any research in this area.
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 defines a disability as
A physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities".The Department would use this definition, which may be applicable to these cases.