§ Mr. Ellis Smithasked the Minister of Health if he will set out in tabular form the national average number per 1,000 population who have died from respiratory diseases during the past ten years;
DEATH RATES PER 1,000 POPULATION ASSIGNED TO DISEASES OF THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM†, 1951 TO 1960 Area 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960* England and Wales … 1.86 1.21 1.43 1.16 1.32 1.36 1.38 1.35 1.51 1.24 Manchester C.B. … 2.55 1.70 1.86 1.73 1.93 1.78 1.94 1.98 2.03 1.72 Salford C.B. … 2.68 2.10 2.69 1.91 2.31 2.38 2.64 2.63 2.38 1.95 Stockport C.B. … 2.30 1.59 1.73 1.44 1.75 1.71 1.68 1.77 1.38 1.55 Warrington C.B. … 2.49 1.75 1.42 1.96 1.59 1.75 1.80 1.62 1.58 1.84 Eccles M.B. … 2.59 2.16 2.38 1.58 2.05 1.73 2.26 2.18 1.88 1.45 Stoke-on-Trent C.B. … 2.37 1.60 1.58 1.47 1.73 1.44 1.77 1.53 1.41 1.58 * Provisional figures. † Not including Tuberculosis and Cancer of the Lung.
§ Mr. Ellis Smithasked the Minister of Health what recent action has been taken, or will be taken, to reduce the suffering in industrial areas through respiratory diseases; for what reason the incidence of this is higher in the United Kingdom that it is in other industrial countries; what information he has as to the action taken in these countries; and to what extent such action will be followed in the United Kingdom.
§ Miss PittAction has been, and is being, taken to reduce atmospheric pollution, prevent the inhalation of dust and fumes in industry and bring to notice the dangers of excessive smoking of cigarettes, which are known factors in aggravating respiratory diseases. Facilities for early diagnosis and treatment are provided under the National Health Service. Useful comparisons of incidence and causation cannot be made with other countries because of differences of nomenclature, standards of diagnosis, and climatic and other local conditions.