Professor Henry Kitchener:

I will deal with one of Senator Colm Burke's questions and refer the other to Dr. Walker. The Senator asked about the policy of disclosure in England. That policy was developed some years ago by policy-makers who felt it was important that there was transparency in the system. That was what it was all about. It was a measure taken to try to increase public confidence in the cervical screening programme. Senator Burke is correct that in a number of countries with high standards of cervical screening that the results of slide audits are not disclosed to individual women. I have recently been in contact with the director of the world-renowned cervical screening programme in British Columbia. He informed me that the programme has not been doing that, but they are examining the resources put in place in England for that purpose. The Senator is correct about other countries with good programmes in Europe. We have this policy of disclosure and we think it is a good policy.

As for the response women have to this situation, a significant proportion when asked do not want to know the result of the slide review because they are content that they have been diagnosed. They may regret and be upset, of course, that cancer intervened, but having been treated they do not necessarily want rake over all of that again. Other women do want to know and when some find out they are prepared to accept the results in the context of the limitations of screening. Some women may also wish to use the results as a basis for pursuing litigation. The policy is there and the interaction women have with that policy of disclosure is a matter of individual preference. I will hand over to Dr. Walker now, if I may, to answer the question concerning the size of the data.