I am anxious that there should be a detailed investigation into the causal links between the cases in my constituency. Gentleman is right to say that it is a terrifying disease. The national variant CJD surveillance unit does a good job and, where there are outbreaks or clusters, we must try to find out why. If there are other clusters, we shall want to consider background causes. Does my right hon.
Friend makes a good point.
All too often, we perceive health inequalities in terms of the concentration of poverty and deprivation in inner-city or urban areas such as those that my hon. However, as we all know from our constituencies, there are also large concentrations of poverty, deprivation and ill health in rural areas. I therefore give my hon.