asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the latest available figure for the number of (a) AIDS sufferers, (b) HIV carriers and (c) hepatitis B carriers among the prison population in Scotland.

There are no AIDS sufferers among the prison population in Scotland at present.No reliable figures for the numbers of carriers of HIV or hepatitis B are available. Blood tests can be taken only with the informed consent of inmates and it is not possible to estimate the numbers of symptomless carriers who may have been received into penal establishments. Figures for reported incidence of infection in penal establishments are collected on an annual basis and published in the annual reports "Prisons in Scotland". In 1985 there were 26 cases of infective jaundice (hepatitis B) reported compared with 55 cases in 1984. Reported figures for 1986 will be published in due course.