Written question asked by Lord Mawhinney (Conservative) on Tuesday, 1 May 2001, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Friday, 11 May 2001. It was answered by Yvette Cooper (Labour) on Friday, 11 May 2001 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Dept of Health

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his estimate is of the number of people diagnosed as suffering from ME in (a) England and (b) the (i) Cambridgeshire/Peterborough, (ii) Lincolnshire and (iii) Northamptonshire health authority areas. - Includes fact that estimates are not collected centrally. (Holding answer 8 May 2001).

Answer: Sir Brian Mawhinney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of the number of people diagnosed as suffering from ME in (a) England and (b) the (i) Cambridgeshire/Peterborough, (ii) Lincolnshire and (iii) Northamptonshire health authority areas. [160330] Yvette Cooper: [holding answer 8 May 2001]: Information about actual numbers of people with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, is very hard to come by because of the problems in producing a precise definition of the illness. Estimates of the number of people diagnosed as suffering from ME in the specific health authority areas mentioned are not collected centrally.

Secondary information