To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the incidence of Lyme disease in the highlands of Scotland and in each of the other health board areas in each of the last three years; and what steps are being taken to prevent its spread.

Lyme disease has been a notifiable disease in Scotland since January 1990. Information about its incidence in earlier years is not available. The number of notifications, by health board area, for 1990 and 1991, to 8 November, is as follows:

	1990	11991
Ayrshire and Arran	1	2
Grampian	4	11
Greater Glasgow	2	2
Highland	3	2
Tayside	2	—
1 To 8 November.

Lyme disease is transmitted from animals to man by the bite of the adult female tick. It is not a common condition in Scotland, but the notification requirements which have been introduced will enable careful monitoring of its incidence to be maintained.