HC Deb 16 July 1984 vol 64 c71W
Mr. Ernie Ross

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information or estimates his Department have collected on the number of people suffering from vitamin and mineral deficiencies in England.

Mr. John Patten

The Department has carried out a number of nutritional surveys* of the population including infants, pre-school children and school children, adults and the elderly. * Recent reports:—

  1. 1.DHSS, Report on Health & Social Subjects 16: Nutrition and Health in Old Age: HMSO, 1979.
  2. 2.DHSS, Report on Health & Social Subjects 19: Rickets and Osteomalacia: HMSO, 1980.
  3. 3.DHSS, Report on Health & Social Subjects 21: Sub-Committee on Nutritional Surveillance, Second Report: HMSO, 1981.

More recent findings, including a dietary survey of school children, are at present being analysed and will be published in due course.