HC Deb 24 November 1994 vol 250 cc327-8W
Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list for each year since 1979 the resources that accrued from each individual mental handicap and mental illness hospital; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Bowis

Information is not available centrally on income generated by individual hospitals within or outside the national health service.

Mr. Jamieson

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to restrict the number of paracetamol tablets sold to the general public; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Sackville

There are already controls over the number of paracetamol tablets which may be sold outside a registered pharmacy. Packs containing more than 30 effervescent tablets, more than 25 tablets that are not effervescent and more than 10 sachets of powder of granules may be sold only from registered pharmacies. The Medicines Control Agency is keeping under review the need for any further restriction of the availability of paracetamol to the general public.

Mr. Jamieson

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people died as a direct result of paracetamol overdoses in the last year.

Mr. Sackville

Data for 1993 and 1994 are not yet available.

In England and Wales in 1992, the number of cases of poisoning by aromatic analgesics not elsewhere classified (ICD1965.4) was 220.

Note: In England and Wales most cases coded to ICD 965.4 are due to paracetamol overdose. Exact figures for paracetamol deaths are not readily available. 1 International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision.