§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths there were in 1988 associated with the bacteria listeria; and in how many cases there was a food poisoning report associated with the death.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe provisional number of deaths registered in England and Wales in the first three quarters of 1988 at ages 28 days and over with underlying cause of
492W
Ambulance services: 1979 to 1986/87 Number of patient miles—Emergency, non-emergency and hospital car service cases
Thousands 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984/85 1985/86 1986/87 Northern RHA Cleveland Emergency cases 184.0 219.3 231.8 237.4 269.6 249.5 215.8 227.3 Non-emergency cases 985.5 1,174.9 1,138.0 804.1 1,191.8 1,264.9 1,350.2 1,419.6 Hospital car service cases — — — — — — — — Cumbria Emergency cases 161.0 195.5 131.9 107.2 215.7 245.9 239.8 242.2 death assigned as listeriosis (international classification of diseases 9th revision 027.0) is seven. In addition, the provisional number of neonatal deaths (at ages under 28 days, where no underlying cause of death is assigned) where listeriosis was mentioned as a condition on the death certificate is five for the same period and area. In none of these 12 deaths was there any mention of food poisoning on the death certificate.
From the reported cases of listeria known to the communicable disease surveillance centre of the Public Health Laboratory service who are also known by them to have died, none has been reported, formally or informally, as being confirmed microbiologically to have been associated with food.