§ 100. Mr. A. Robertsasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many cases of pneumoconiosis have been certified in Yorkshire and East Midlands for each of the years since 1946 until the latest date.
§ Miss PittI am writing to the hon. Member. The following table shows the number of cases of pneumoconiosis 27W diagnosed by the Sheffield Pneumoconiosis Medical Panel under the National Insurance (Industrial Injuries) Act, 1946. The area covered is the East and West Ridings of Yorkshire, the counties of Derby, Nottingham, Lincoln, Leicester, Rutland and Northampton. The figures do not, of course, reflect the incidence of pneumoconiosis. They depend on the number of people coming forward to claim benefit, and an important factor in any rise in the number of claims is an increasing awareness of pneumoconiosis and an appreciation of the importance of early diagnosis.
Year Cases of pneumoconiosis diagnosed 1950* 261† (from 27th March) 1951 401† 1952 480† 1953 498 1954 530 * Comparable figures are not available for the period before 1950. † Does not include a small number of cases diagnosed on re-examination.