Written question asked by Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton (Conservative) on Thursday, 10 April 2003, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 21 May 2003. It was answered by Lord Hutton of Furness (Labour) on Wednesday, 21 May 2003 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Dept of Health

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many analytical laboratories across the UK have the (a) equipment and (b) expertise to provide a testing service for (i) anthrax, (ii) botulism, (iii) staphylococcus enteroxtoxin B, (iv) ricin, (v) plague and (vi) smallpox.

Answer: Mr. Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many analytical laboratories across the UK have the (a) equipment and (b) expertise to provide a testing service for (i) anthrax, (ii) botulism, (iii) staphylococcus enterotoxin B, (iv) ricin, (v) plague and (vi) smallpox. [109287] Mr. Hutton: Most of the clinical microbiology laboratories within national health service trust hospitals and the Health Protection Agency (HPA) have the equipment and expertise to undertake initial testing for anthrax, botulism and plague. Subsequent confirmation and specialist tests are carried out only by a small number of specialist laboratories. Smallpox is categorised as a Hazard Group 4 pathogen and consequently testing for smallpox can only be undertaken in laboratories that are designated as suitable for handling this Hazard Group. Only two laboratories in the United Kingdom, both within the HPA, are fully equipped to test human specimens for smallpox. Testing for staphylococcus enterotoxin B is carried out at the HPA's Food Hygiene Reference Laboratory. Testing for ricin is carried out by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down.

Secondary information