| Previous Section | Home Page |
Column 776
Mr. Lawson : I refer the right hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend the Economic Secretary gave on 17 February to my hon. Friend the Member for Southend, East (Mr. Taylor), at column 402.
World Bank and IMF
69. Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when next he will meet the directors of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund ; and what matters will be discussed.
Mr. Lilley : My right hon. Friend expects to see the managing director of the IMF and the president of the World Bank at the interim and development committee meetings in Washington in April, when a wide range of matters will be discussed.
Government Expenditure
71. Mr. Janman : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the path of general Government expenditure over the period 1982-83 to the latest available date.
Mr. Yeo : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the path of general Government expenditure over the period 1982-83 to the latest available date.
Mr. Major : I refer my hon. Friends to the reply I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Wanstead and Woodford (Mr. Arbuthnot).
Labour Statistics
73. Mr. Brandon-Bravo : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total fall in long-term unemployment in the year to October 1988.
78. Mr. Ian Bruce : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total fall in long-term unemployment in the year to October 1988.
101. Mr. Goodlad : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total fall in long-term unemployment in the year to October 1988.
105. Mr. Wilshire : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total fall in long-term unemployment in the year to October 1988.
Mr. Major : In the year to October 1988, long-term unemployment fell by 280,000.
CBI
77. Mr. Gill : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met the director general of the Confederation of British Industry ; and what matters were discussed.
92. Mr. McLoughlin : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met the director general of the Confederation of British Industry ; and what matters were discussed.
96. Mr. Couchman : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met the director general of the Confederation of British Industry ; and what matters were discussed.
Column 777
97. Mr. Charles Wardle : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met the director general of the Confederation of British Industry ; and what matters were discussed.
Mr. Major : My right hon. Friend meets the director general of the CBI from time to time and a wide range of subjects are discussed.
Inflation and Unemployment
79. Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the total number of months in which inflation and unemployment fell simultaneously in the 117 months between May 1979 and January 1989.
Mr. Major : The annual rate of change in the retail prices index has fallen in about half of the months between May 1979 and January 1989 and has averaged less than 5 per cent. over the last five years, compared with an average of about 15 per cent. between 1974 and 1979. Unemployment has fallen for the last 30 months in succession to under 2 million. Inflation and unemployment have fallen simultaneously in five months.
Debt Repayment
86. Mr. Sumberg : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much debt repayment has been made in each of the past two years.
Mr. Major : The public sector debt repayment (PSDR) in 1987-88 was £3.5 billion. In 1988-89, the PSDR now looks likely to be somewhat higher than the £10 billion forecast in the Autumn Statement. This will be the first time that we have seen two successive years of public sector debt repayment since the beginning of the 1950s.
Banking Flows
91. Mr. Rooker : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the amount of banking flows into the United Kingdom in 1987 and 1988.
Mr. Major : Banking flows into the United Kingdom are estimated to have been £54.7 billion in 1987 and £35.3 billion in the first three quarters of 1988.
Mortgage Interest (Tax Relief)
93. Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many individuals are currently receiving mortgage interest tax relief ; what were the comparable figures five, 10, 15 and 30 years ago ; what is the current cost to the Exchequer ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norman Lamont : Estimates of the number of tax units--single persons and married couples--benefiting from mortgage interest tax relief are given in the table. Estimates for years prior to 1983-84 are derived from the survey of personal incomes and exclude option mortgagors and other non-taxpayers with mortgages. As there was no survey for 1958-59, a figure for 1959-60 has been given. Following the introduction of MIRAS in April 1983, option mortgages were subsumed within the MIRAS scheme and the estimates for 1983-84 onwards cover all tax units, including non-taxpayers, with mortgages.
Column 778
|c|Number of tax units
benefiting from mortgage
interest tax relief|c|
|Thousands
------------------------------
1959-60 |<1>1,000
1973-74 |<1>4,400
1978-79 |5,600
1983-84 |7,500
1988-89 |<2>9,100
<1>Building Society mortgage
interest only.
<2>Provisional.
In 1988-89, the total cost of mortgage interest relief is estimated to be about £5,500 million.
Exports and Imports
94. Ms. Mowlam : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish figures on the growth in visible exports and imports for 1988 and provide his latest forecast for 1989.
Mr. Major : Between 1987 and 1988 the volume of visible exports grew by per cent. and the volume of visible imports grew by 13 per cent. The latest forecast for 1989 was published in the Autumn Statement.
VAT
95. Mr. Ashton : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current annual income from value added tax ; and what was the comparable figure for the financial year 1978-79.
Mr. Lilley : The information at current prices, is as follows :
|£ million
------------------------------
1978-79 |4,837.5
1987-88 |24,129.0
Hospital Radio
107. Mr. Amess : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on zero rating value added tax on hospital radio broadcasting equipment.
Mr. Lilley : I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Member for Belfast, South (Rev. Martin Smyth) on 20 February at column 479.
Aviation Gasoline
Mr. Robert Banks : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out the rates of duty on aviation gasoline used by piston engined light aircraft in each of the EEC member states.
Mr. Lilley : The United Kingdom is the only member state to levy a lower rate of duty on aviation gasoline than on motor gasoline. The latest available figures for the rates of duty on aviation gasoline in the EEC are :--
State |Duty (excluding VAT) |Total tax (including VAT)
|Pence per gallon |As a percentage of RSP
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Belgium |79 |66
Denmark |132 |74
France |125 |77
Germany |79 |65
Greece |85 |70
Ireland |113 |71
Italy |161 |78
Luxembourg |66 |58
Netherlands |106 |70
Portugal |124 |69
Spain |90 |60
United Kingdom |46 |33
Banking Services Law
Mr. Allan Stewart (Eastwood) : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to publish the report of the review committee on banking services law ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lilley : The report of the review committee on banking services law under the chairmanship of Professor Robert Jack is being published as a command paper today. I am very grateful to Professor Jack and his colleagues for taking on the challenging task of examining the law and practice relating to banking services. Their report is the result of two years of consultation and study covering the evolution of banking law over more than 100 years.
The terms of reference of the review committee were to examine the statute and common law relating to the provision of banking services within the United Kingdom to personal and business customers, including payment and remittance services ; but excluding taxation, company law and parts of the law whose relevance is to trading or to the provision of services in general, rather than particularly to banking. The objectives of the review were to examine the law and its practical implications from the points of view of banker, customer and the general public interest in the availability, reliability, security and efficient and effective operation of payment, remittance and other banking services. The committe was to have regard to : (
(a) current and prospective developments in banking and payment systems, including developments in electronic data processing and electronic funds transfer technology ;
(b) areas of particular difficulty in, or confusion about, existing law and practice and the rights and obligations of banks and their customers respectively ;
(c) differences in the law and practice of different parts of the United Kingdom and, where relevant, other studies and reviews of United Kingdom law ;
(d) developments in the law of the European Community and in other relevant international laws and conventions ;
Column 780
(e) developments and trends in international payment systems and reviews by international bodies.The committee has made a number of recommendations to banks and building societies providing banking services. These are mostly aimed at improving standards of banking practice. There are also numerous recommendations for changes in legislation addressed to the Government. Many of these are very technical in nature.
The Government welcome the committee's report. In considering their response to the recommendations, they will wish to take account of the views of those who will be affected by the proposals, and will consider carefully the implications for bankers, their customers and the general public interest. The Government will set out their detailed response in due course.
Blind People (Aids)
Mr. Graham : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much value added tax is collected by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise off aids and adaptations for blind people.
Mr. Lilley : There are already extensive reliefs for aids and adaptations for blind people. Estimates for those that bear tax are unavailable.
Fuel Duty
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has as to how much was raised, in each of the last three financial years, by the duty payable on fuel used during research and testing of engines by motor manufacturers ; and how much these amounts represent of the industry's total tax bill and turnover.
Mr. Lilley : I regret that official figures are unavailable.
Civil Service (Dispersal)
Mr. Ingram : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the number and location of Civil Service posts above executive officer level which have been dispersed from London and the south-east of England to other areas of the United Kingdom since 1979 and the percentage this represents of the total number of posts above executive officer level.
Mr. Brooke [holding answer 20 February 1989] : The information is not held centrally in the form requested. The overall numbers for the grades above executive officer level in the home Civil Service at 1 January 1979 and 1 April 1988 were as follows :
Column 779
|1979 |Per cent. of total|1988
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
London and South East |54,304 |52.5 |53,585
Other regions |49,038 |47.5 |60,896
|---- |----
Total |103,342 |114,481
The home Civil Service does not include Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff for whom equivalent information is not available.
Column 780
HEALTH
Pharmacists Review Panel
109. Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has on when the pharmacists review panel last met ; and what was discussed.
Column 781
Mr. Freeman : The most recent matter considered by the pharmacists review panel was the way in which the profit payable to retail pharmacists for their NHS work should be determined, on which the panel reported in February 1988.
Food Poisoning
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the location of preparation of the eggs involved in the 49 cases of salmonella food poisoning this year ; if he will state whether the eggs involved were cooked, eaten raw, or mixed with other foods ; what evidence led the Chief Medical Officer to decide that the food poisoning in the 49 cases was due to eggs rather than inadequate kitchen hygiene ; what was the source of the eggs in the 49 cases ; what was the age of the eggs before they were eaten ; and how long the eggs had been prepared before they were eaten.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : Detailed information on the 46 outbreaks of salmonellosis associated with the consumption of eggs reported to the public health laboratory service to the end of October 1988 is given in the public health laboratory service's memorandum submitted to the Agriculture Select Committee. I will arrange to send a copy to my hon. Friend. Information suggests that while inadequate kitchen hygiene may have been a contributory factor in some outbreaks we have no reason to believe that hygiene practices have shown any significant deterioration in 1988. Inadequate hygiene cannot account for the very marked increase in the total outbreaks of egg-associated salmonellosis reported in 1988.
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase expenditure on measures that would help to limit food poisoning.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : The hon. Member will be aware of many measures to help reduce food poisoning which have recently been announced by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and my Department. We will continue to take any necessary action.
Sir Geoffrey Finsberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of salmonellosis and of campylobacter have been recorded in each of the last five years.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : Laboratory reports of cases of salmonellosis and campylobacter infection submitted to the Public Health Laboratory Service for the years 1983 to 1987 are given in the tables. The number of cases for 1988 are not yet available.
Year |Number
-----------------------------------------------
Cases of salmonellosis
1983 |13,250
1984 |13,093
1985 |11,172
1986 |14,177
1987 |16,991
Cases of campylobacter infection
1983 |17,001
1984 |20,861
1985 |23,463
1986 |24,757
1987 |27,229
In most instances there is no evidence which links individual reported cases of campylobacter infection with a food vehicle.
Basingstoke and North Hampshire Health Authority
Mr. Hunter : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the real term increase or decrease in expenditure by the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority in each year since the formation of that health authority.
Mr. Mellor : Following is information derived from the annual accounts of the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority since its establishment on 1 April 1982.
Per annual accountAt 1987-88 prices Percentage
increase/(decrease ) at
1987-88 prices
|£000 |£000 |On preceding year|On 1982-83
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total revenue expenditure
1982-83 |31,464 |39,630 |- |-
1983-84 |33,587 |40,464 |2.1 |2.1
1984-85 |35,435 |40,634 |0.4 |2.5
1985-86 |37,284 |40,564 |(0.2) |2.4
1986-87 |39,945 |42,054 |3.7 |6.1
1987-88 |43,301 |43,301 |3.0 |9.3
Total capital expenditure
1982-83 |2,427 |3,024 |- |-
1983-84 |2,356 |2,805 |(7.2) |(7.2)
1984-85 |3,081 |3,511 |25.2 |16.1
1985-86 |3,314 |3,564 |1.5 |17.9
1986-87 |3,682 |3,838 |7.7 |26.9
1987-88 |2,476 |2,476 |(35.5) |(18.1)
Notes:
1. The figures for the earlier years have been expressed at 1987-88 prices by the use of the gross domestic
product deflator.
2. The figures for capital expenditure include sums in respect of capital schemes within the district
recorded in the annual accounts of the Wessex regional health authority (RHA) and they reflect changes in
the pattern of investment at sub-regional levels over the period.
3. All expenditure incurred by the Wessex RHA for the region as a whole is excluded.
Royal Hallamshire Hospital
Mr. Patnick : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds currently exist within the Royal Hallamshire hospital, Sheffield ; how many have been withdrawn from service over the past five years as a result of a lack of funds ; and what will be the estimated effect on the utilisation of beds were the hospital to be designated a National Health Service hospital trust.
Mr. Freeman : The total number of beds that currently exist within the Royal Hallamshire hospital, Sheffield is 728.
As regards the number of beds in use in the hospital, it is for local health authorities to determine the best use of resources to meet local needs.
It is too early to assess the effect of the Government's plans for National Health Service hospital trusts.
Hepatitis B
Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has on the incidence of infection of patients by surgeons infected with hepatitis B.
Mr. Mellor : The average annual risk of a patient developing acute hepatitis B as a result of infection by staff
Column 783
during surgical procedures has been estimated as one in a million operations (Polakoff, British Medical Journal 1986 volume 293 pages 33-36).Waiting Lists
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give for each district health authority the waiting time for non-urgent ear, nose and throat consultations in November 1987 and November 1988.
Mr. Mellor : We do not collect information centrally about out- patient waiting times.
Child Abuse
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has received a proposal for research into the sexual abuse of children from the Northhope Hall trust ; and will he make a statement.
Column 784
Mr. Mellor : The Department has received from the Northorpe Hall trust details of a proposal to establish a therapeutic centre for sexually abused children and their families which would also include an element of monitoring and research in relation to those treated. The proposal will be considered along with others of a similar nature which have been received.
Consultants (Trent RHA)
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many consultants are employed by the Trent regional health authority ; if he will give a breakdown by hospital and specialty ; if he will show how many of the consultants by specialty are employed on a full-time or part-time basis ; and if he will give comparable figures for five years and 10 years ago.
Mr. Mellor : The informatin for the Trent region is set out in the table. We do not have information centrally for individual hospitals.
Column 783
|c|Hospital Medical and Dental Consultants<1> analysis by specialty at 30 September each year|c|
|c|Trent Regional Health Authority|c|
1977 1982 1987
|Total |Whole time|Part time |Total |Whole time|Part time |Total |Whole time|Part time
|Number |Number |Number |Number |Number |Number |Number |Number |Number
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All Specialties |906 |455 |451 |1,078 |594 |484 |1,269 |672 |597
All Medical Specialties |872 |439 |433 |1,042 |576 |466 |1,226 |653 |573
General Medicine |69 |17 |52 |80 |27 |53 |92 |41 |51
Cardiology |5 |1 |4 |5 |2 |3 |6 |2 |4
Diabetes and Endocrinology<2> |0 |0 |0 |1 |1 |0 |1 |0 |1
Gastroenterology |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |1 |0 |1
Nephrology |5 |3 |2 |6 |4 |2 |6 |5 |1
Thoracic Medicine |20 |17 |3 |12 |8 |4 |7 |3 |4
Geriatric Medicine |28 |27 |1 |39 |35 |4 |46 |40 |6
Audiological Medicine |0 |0 |0 |1 |0 |1 |2 |0 |2
Clinical Genetics<3> |- |- |- |3 |1 |2 |3 |1 |2
Clinical Neuro Physiology |2 |1 |1 |3 |2 |1 |4 |2 |2
Clinical Pharmacy and Therapy |5 |1 |4 |5 |1 |4 |5 |1 |4
Clinical Physiology |0 |0 |0 |2 |0 |2 |2 |0 |2
Dermatology |14 |4 |10 |15 |7 |8 |20 |7 |13
Genito-Urinary Medicine |10 |10 |0 |11 |10 |1 |16 |16 |0
Medical Oncology |3 |3 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
Infectious Diseases |1 |1 |0 |1 |1 |0 |3 |2 |1
Neurology |7 |3 |4 |9 |5 |4 |11 |6 |5
Occupation Health<4> |- |- |- |0 |0 |0 |3 |3 |0
Rheumatology |14 |12 |2 |17 |11 |6 |19 |7 |12
Other |3 |3 |0 |2 |0 |2 |1 |0 |1
Paediatrics |34 |25 |9 |43 |31 |12 |60 |45 |15
Paediatric Neurology<5> |- |- |- |3 |3 |0 |1 |0 |1
Accident and Emergency |11 |10 |1 |14 |12 |2 |16 |13 |3
General Surgery |70 |5 |65 |73 |13 |60 |81 |21 |60
Cardio-Thoracic Surgery |8 |7 |1 |8 |6 |2 |10 |6 |4
Otolaryngology<6> |26 |7 |19 |31 |10 |21 |34 |7 |27
Neurosurgery |6 |1 |5 |6 |5 |1 |6 |3 |3
Ophthalmology |26 |4 |22 |27 |6 |21 |34 |2 |32
Paediatric Surgery |4 |4 |0 |4 |4 |0 |5 |5 |0
Plastic Surgery |8 |3 |5 |7 |3 |4 |8 |2 |6
Traumatic and Orthopaedic Surgery |48 |5 |43 |57 |5 |52 |62 |8 |54
Urology |7 |4 |3 |11 |6 |5 |16 |6 |10
Obstetrics and Gynaecology |52 |8 |44 |63 |19 |44 |67 |14 |53
Anaesthetics |108 |61 |47 |152 |104 |48 |187 |108 |79
Radiology |57 |36 |21 |71 |49 |22 |86 |56 |30
Nuclear Medicine |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
Radiotherapy |11 |8 |3 |15 |14 |1 |17 |14 |3
General Pathology |0 |0 |0 |1 |0 |1 |0 |0 |0
Blood Transfusion |3 |3 |0 |3 |3 |0 |4 |4 |0
Chemical Pathology |15 |12 |3 |15 |13 |2 |18 |14 |4
Haematology |21 |17 |4 |25 |19 |6 |28 |20 |8
Histopathology |42 |24 |18 |46 |24 |22 |52 |29 |23
Immuno-Pathology |3 |0 |3 |4 |0 |4 |5 |1 |4
Medical Microbiology |22 |9 |13 |23 |9 |14 |27 |13 |14
Neuropathology |2 |2 |0 |2 |2 |0 |2 |1 |1
Mental Illness |72 |53 |19 |87 |65 |22 |104 |84 |20
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry |16 |14 |2 |21 |19 |2 |26 |22 |4
Forensic Psychiatry |0 |0 |0 |1 |1 |0 |2 |1 |1
Mental Handicap |13 |13 |0 |14 |13 |1 |15 |13 |2
Psychotherapy |1 |1 |0 |3 |3 |0 |5 |5 |0
All Dental Specialties |34 |16 |18 |36 |18 |18 |43 |19 |24
Oral Surgery<7> |18 |7 |1 |19 |9 |10 |21 |6 |15
Orthodontics |10 |6 |4 |11 |7 |4 |14 |10 |4
Restorative Dentistry |6 |3 |3 |6 |2 |4 |8 |3 |5
Paediatric Dentistry<8> |- |- |- |- |- |0 |0 |0 |0
<1> Includes Permanent Paid and Honorary Staff. Prior to 1987 SHMOs and SHDOs with allowance are included.
<2> Prior to 1987 this specialty was called Endocrinology.
<3> New specialty introduced in 1979. Figures included with "Other" prior to 1979.
<4> New specialty introduced in 1983. Figures included with "Other" prior to 1983.
<5> Prior to 1981 figures included with "Paediatrics".
<6> Prior to 1985 this specialty was called Ear, Nose and Throat.
<7> Prior to 1982 this specialty was called Dental Surgery.
<8> New specialty introduced in 1983.
Locum Doctors
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Don Valley of 12 December 1988, Official Report, column 449, on locum doctors, if he is now able to give an answer.
Mr. Mellor : I replied to the hon. Member today.
AIDS
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the numbers of HIV/AIDS centres in Britain which he has visited ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Mellor : I have visited the Kobler centre, at St. Stephen's hospital, and London Lighthouse--the two facilities in London purpose-built for people with HIV disease. I have visited some and intend to visit other hospitals and voluntary organisations which are developing treatment and support facilities ; not all of these will be dedicated to people with HIV.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people died as a result of AIDS, from 1980 to 1988 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Mellor : There have been 1,059 known deaths from AIDS from 1980 up to the end of December 1988. Data on the numbers of deaths from AIDS and numbers of AIDS cases are published early each month by our Department.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his Department's support for AIDS education campaigns organised by groups representing homosexual men and women.
Mr. Mellor : We provide financial support to the National AIDS Trust which gives funding to voluntary organisations, and to the Terrence Higgins Trust whose work includes the provision of information and advice to homosexuals. In addition the Health Education Authority has been provided with funds to develop campaigns aimed at the general public and at particular sections of the population, including homosexual and bisexual men. Planning guidelines issued to health authorities in July
Column 786
1988 asked them to encourage preventive initiatives for people in selected target groups, including homosexuals, to encourage them to avoid behaviour that might place them at risk of HIV infection.Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the provision within the National Health Service of aerosolised pentamidine and associated nebolisers for people with AIDS or who are HIV positive.
Mr. Mellor : Pentamidine is available under the NHS in aerosolised form for the treatment of pneumocystis carinii pneumonia--the opportunistic infection to which people with HIV disease are particularly susceptible. Nebulisers are available for the administration of the drug in hospital settings, but are not available under the NHS for use by patients at home.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of (a) current figures and (b) future figures for (i) people who are HIV anti-body positive and (ii) people who have developed AIDS in the United Kingdom for each year from 1989 to 1992 ; and on what basis such estimates have been made.
Mr. Mellor : There have been 2,049 reported AIDS cases up to the end of January 1989. The report of the working group on short-term prediction of HIV infection and AIDS in England and Wales, chaired by Sir David Cox (the Cox report), estimated that there were between 20, 000 and 50,000 persons infected with HIV by the end of 1987. The Cox report also contained estimates of future diagnoses of new AIDS cases up to 1992. The figures in the table are those recommended as a basis for planning, and accepted by the Government as such, for the years 1989 to 1992.
|c|AIDS cases
diagnosed (
estimates)|c|
|Number
---------------------
1989 |1,800
1990 |2,350
1991 |2,950
1992 |3,600
The group did not make forecasts of the level of HIV infection because no satisfactory historical data exists upon which to base any, and because such forecasts would depend on individuals' behaviour patterns which cannot be predicted.
The basis on which the estimates were made, and the possible impact of underreporting, are set out in appendices to the Cox report, a copy of which is in the Library.
Column 788
Sight Tests
Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has on whether the use of an auto-refractor and an auto- optitester provides a suitable and accurate sight test for people with less than perfect vision.
Mr. Mellor : Auto-refractors and auto-optitesters provide reasonably accurate information on the lenses patients may require to correct their sight. These instruments cannot, however, carry out examinations for injury or disease which form an important part of every sight test.
| Next Section
| Home Page |