§ Mr. Amessasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the incidence of hay fever; how the figures compare with those for each of the last 10 years; what research he is sponsoring into its cause and possible cures; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John PattenThe Department does not collect figures on the incidence of hay fever, but the national
Years ending in April 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 (May-July 1983) Waiting time in days 8 8 10 10 11 Source: local office management returns.
Among the main causes of the increase in waiting time over the past three years are an influx of claims in response to local authority take-up campaigns and a backlog of visits due to industrial action in certain local offices.