§ 20. Mr. Gwilym Robertsasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what are the latest figures available for the number of accidents in the home; and if he will break these down according to age and type of accident.
§ The Minister of State, Department of Prices and Consumer Protection (Mr. John Fraser)Statistics provided by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys show that, in 1975, 5,081 persons died as a result of accidents in the home in England and Wales and 1,094 in residential institutions. I will, with permission, circulate details in the Official Report.
17 Fuller statistical information about home accidents will be provided in future by the Accident Surveillance System recently set up by my Department.
§ Mr. RobertsDoes my hon. Friend agree that home safety councils are operating on a shoestring, and that in view of the number of accidents there is an urgent need to provide greater resources here? Will he study the recent issue by the German Government of stamps dealing with home safety interests? Will he look at this proposal with a view to discussing with the Post Office the possbility of something similar in this country?
§ Mr. FraserI shall look at that proposal, of which I have not heard before. We have recently increased the grant to RoSPA, and publicity on home safety is promoted by my Department, by local authorities and by many other bodies.
§ Mr. RathboneCan the hon. Gentleman give statistics of how many accidents have been caused by the linkage of cookery machinery, ovens and fires to North Sea gas? What steps is he taking to minimise these?
§ Mr. FraserI am sorry, but I cannot give those figures because the accident figures so far have been analysed by injury and not by cause of accident. The new Accident Surveillance System will give not only the injury but the causes, and we hope to get meaningful information from the statistics towards the middle of this year.
§ Mr. FreudWill the hon. Gentleman accept that his Department is already broken down by age and accident?
§ Following is the information:
19| ACCIDENTS IN THE HOME AND RESIDENTIAL INSTITUTIONS, DEATH BY CAUSE AND AGE GROUP—ENGLAND AND WALES 1975 | |||||||||||||
| All Ages | 0–14 | 15–64 | 65 and over | ||||||||||
| Home | Residential Institution | Home | Residential Institution | Home | Residential Institution | Home | Residential Institution | ||||||
| Accidental poisoning by drugs and medicaments | … | … | … | 484 | 13 | 14 | 2 | 371 | 10 | 99 | 1 | ||
| Accidental poisoning by other solid and liquid substances | … | … | 68 | 3 | 3 | — | 57 | 3 | 8 | — | |||
| Accidental poisoning by gases and vapours | … | … | … | … | 123 | — | 11 | — | 62 | — | 50 | — | |
| Falls | … | … | … | … | … | 2,530 | 860 | 43 | — | 340 | 51 | 2,147 | 809 |
| Burns | … | … | … | … | … | 593 | 49 | 103 | — | 164 | 7 | 326 | 42 |
| Scalds and accidents caused by corrosive liquids | … | … | … | 32 | 3 | 10 | — | 2 | — | 20 | 3 | ||
| Electrocutions | … | … | … | … | 54 | — | 8 | — | 38 | — | 8 | — | |
| Inhalation and ingestion of food | … | 205 | 99 | 72 | 1 | 92 | 47 | 41 | 51 | ||||
| Injury undetermined whether accidentally or purposely inflicted | … | 536 | 26 | 11 | 1 | 400 | 13 | 125 | 12 | ||||
| Other accidents | … | … | … | 456 | 41 | 153 | 1 | 135 | 25 | 636 | 25 | ||
| Total | … | … | … | … | 5,081 | 1,094 | 438 | 5 | 1,663 | 156 | 2,980 | 933 |