Written question asked by Gordon Prentice (Labour) on Monday, 12 May 2003, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Friday, 13 June 2003. It was answered by Hazel Blears (Labour) on Friday, 13 June 2003 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Dept of Health

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people in the UK have died of CJD since the disease was first identified; and how many have been (a) cremated and (b) buried. - Inc figures and fact the Department does not collect information on how many people with CJD have been either cremated or buried.

Answer: Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the UK have died of CJD since the disease was first identified; and how many have been (a) cremated and (b) buried. [113393] Ms Blears: Since 1970, when comprehensive records were first kept, 1,277 people have died from Creutzfeldt- Jakob disease (CJD) in the United Kingdom. Of this total, 130 deaths have been attributed to definite or probable variant CJD, the form of the disease thought to be linked to BSE. The Department does not collect information on how many people with CJD have been either cremated or buried.

Secondary information