§ Mr. SumbergTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people in England and Wales in the latest complete year for which figures are availale were killed or injured by accidents occurring in the home; and what proportion of these is estimated to be as a result of misuse of electrical equipment.
§ Mr. ButcherIn 1984, the most recent year for which complete data are available, there were 4,593 fatal home accidents in England and Wales recorded in the home accident deaths database. 120 (3 per cent.) of these involved mains electrical products, but only for the 26 cases of electrocution was there expert judgment of the extent of misuse. It was noted as a contributory factor in 487W 14 of them. In 1986, from data collected by the home accident surveillance system, there were estimated to have been about 1,990,000 patients treated in hospitals in England and Wales as the result of non-fatal home accidents. About 64,000 (3 per cent.) of these cases involved mains electrically powered products. No information is available on the extent to which misuse was a contributory factor.