§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing, in respect of the most recent annual period, the number of cases in which persons of all ages received hospital treatment in consequence of their throats or digestive tracts being blocked or otherwise impaired by each of the following foreign bodies: (a) bones, (b) money, (c) toys, (d) meat and poultry, (e) nails or screws, (f) fish, (g) marbles, (h) seeds, (i) fruit, (j) jewellery, (k) splinters, (l) pins, (m) sweets, (n) ballbearings, (o) bread, (p) pens, (q) pencils, (r) glass, (s) metal, (t) decorations, (v) false teeth, (w) buttons, (x) bolts, (y) bags, and (z) scented erasers and other items, respectively.
§ Mr. John PattenAn estimated 2,330 inpatient discharges (including deaths) from NHS hospitals in England and Wales during 1981 were of patients suffering from the effect of foreign bodies in their throats and upper respiratory tracts. A further 3,770 discharges were due to foreign bodies in the digestive tract. Information on the nature of these foreign bodies is not available centrally.