§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what statistics are kept by his Department on spinal cord injury; if he will consider ways in which the collection of statistics can be improved; and if he will consider making spinal cord injury a notifiable condition.
§ Mr. DorrellStatistics are produced from anonymised hospital records which contain details of diagnosis and treatment. The collection of these statistics is improving with new computer systems for patient administration statistics. There are no plans to make spinal cord injury a notifiable condition because only communicable diseases are notifiable under public health law.
§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received concerning the Spinal Injuries Association's programme for the prevention of spinal cord injury and on the effectiveness of such a programme; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. DorrellThe Department is aware from discussions with the Spinal Injuries Association that it has obtained funding for a three-year period from the Monument Trust for a programme for the prevention of spinal cord injury. We have received no representations concerning this programme.