Written question asked by Mike Hancock (Liberal Democrat) on Monday, 13 March 2006, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 15 March 2006. It was answered by Lord Touhig (Labour) on Monday, 20 March 2006 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Armed Forces (MRSA)

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces have contracted MRSA in each of the last three years; where the infection is believed to have been contracted in each case; and what the cause is believed to have been in each case.

Answer: The Ministry of Defence does not collate information on how many Service personnel have contracted MRSA. Furthermore, MRSA is not a statutorily notifiable disease, and therefore not all cases of MRSA among Service personnel will necessarily be known about by the Defence Medical Services.I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave on 28 June 2005, Official Report, column 1398W,the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone) to the hon Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone).

Secondary information