§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Crewe and Nantwich (Mrs. Dunwoody) on 31 October, Official Report, c. 294, concerning cervical smears, whether equivalent figures for 1982 are yet available.
§ Mr. Kenneth Clarke[pursuant to his reply, 12 December 1983, c. 356]: As a provisional estimate the total number of cervical smear tests taken in England and Wales in 1982 was 2,955,000. It is no longer possible to give a centrally estimated analysis by source of smear as 285W was given for 1981 and earlier years or to compare our new estimate with those estimates as the system of central recall has been replaced by local schemes. Central recall was replaced because it was ineffective, not for reasons of cost.