HC Deb 11 July 1988 vol 137 cc65-6W
Mr. Alton

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether his departmental medical advisers consider Ehlers Danlos syndrome to be a serious disability;

(2) if he will list the number of abortions conducted for Ehlers Danlos syndrome since the introduction of the Abortion Act 1967;

(3) if he will list the number of people known to have died or been seriously incapacitated as a result of Ehlers Danlos syndrome.

Mr. Newton

Ehlers Danlos syndrome is a rare condition which can have serious manifestations. I regret that the information in the exact format requested is not available.

Ehlers Danlos syndrome is part of the international classification of diseases (ICD) 9th revision code 756.8 Other specified anomalies of muscle, tendon, fascia and connective tissue", which contains a number of other conditions besides Ehlers Danlos syndrome.

Readily available information for the years 1985 and 1986 indicates that in these two years combined, there were fewer than five abortion notifications received which were coded to ICD 756.8.

The table shows the number of deaths registered in England and Wales since 1979 which have had 756.8 assigned as the underlying cause of death. Sufficiently detailed information on serious incapacitation as a result of this syndrome is not available.

Number of death registrations with "other specified anomalies of muscle, tendon, fascia and connective tissue" (ICD 756.8) assigned as underlying cause.
England and Wales, 1979–87
Year Persons
11987 6
1986 3
1985 1

Comparision of old and new benefit systems demonstrating the effect of housing benefit transitional protection (a) Married couple with a child aged 11
Old system:
Earnings head Tax NI FIS CHB Rent Rent rebate Rates Rate rebate Fares to work FSM FWM Net weekly spending power
60.00 .00 3.00 20.90 7.25 17.10 14.27 7.20 5.60 5.85 2.55 .00 77.42
70.00 .00 4.90 15.90 7.25 17.10 13.02 7.20 5.20 5.85 2.55 .00 78.87
80.00 1.90 5.60 10.90 7.25 17.10 11.77 7.20 4.80 5.85 2.55 .00 79.62
90.00 4.60 6.30 5.90 7.25 17.01 10.52 7.20 4.40 5.85 2.55 .00 79.57
100.00 7.30 9.00 .90 7.25 17.10 8.96 7.20 3.81 5.85 2.55 .00 77.02
110.00 10.00 9.90 .00 7.25 17.10 5.95 7.20 2.62 5.85 .00 .00 75.77
120.00 12.70 10.80 .00 7.25 17.10 2.65 7.20 1.32 5.85 .00 .00 77.57
130.00 15.40 11.70 .00 7.25 17.10 .00 7.20 .00 5.85 .00 .00 80.00
140.00 18.10 12.60 .00 7.25 17.10 .00 7.20 .00 5.85 .00 .00 86.40
150.00 20.80 13.50 .00 7.25 17.10 .00 7.20 .00 5.85 .00 .00 92.80

Year Persons
1984 14
1983 3
1982 5
1981 5
1980 2
1979 8
1 Provisional.