HC Deb 14 April 1969 vol 781 cc778-9
21. Mr. Brooks

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a list of those diseases which, on the basis of data on cause of death, show a statistically significant regional variation in their incidence throughout England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Ennals

Yes, Sir. Detailed figures for England and Wales are published in the Registrar-General's Decennial Supplement, 1961, Area Mortality Tables and Life Tables.

Mr. Brooks

Will not my hon. Friend agree that geographical correlations can be of great value in isolating previously unsuspected possible causes of disease, as was done in the relationship between dental caries and fluoride? Will he indicate whether there is any evidence to show the relationship between radiation levels and the varying forms of cancer in this country?

Mr. Ennals

I should want notice of the second half of my hon. Friend's supplementary question. Apart from the figures in the Supplement, I have additional figures which indicate that there is a very wide range of different causes of mortality—geographical, environmental, industrial, social and economic. The material my hon. Friend will receive provides a good deal of food for thought.

Mr. Dudley Smith

Has the Minister of State seen the interesting reports on the relationship between hard and soft water and coronary disease, and will he encourage extra research into this aspect? Is not this subject rather more important than the fluoridation of water supplies?

Mr. Ennals

I would not agree with the second half of the hon. Gentleman's supplementary question, but I will look at the subject to which he refers.

The information is as follows:

The following is a list of diseases which, on the basis of data on the cause of death, show a statistically significant deviation from the average for the whole country in one or more standard regions of England and Wales in 1967. Certain diseases which show statistically significant regional deviations in one sex only are so qualified.