HC Deb 28 April 1995 vol 258 c723W
Mr. Llwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the percentage of people over 16 years old who smoke; what are the corresponding estimates for(a) 1965, (b) 1970 and (c) 1980; and if she will make a statement. [20908]

Mr. Bowis

The available data are shown in the table. Differences in the questions in the two surveys means that the data from the two sources are not directly comparable.

Percentage of adults aged 16 and over who smoke cigarettes
Great Britain
percentage
Year Men Women
19651 54 42
19711,2 51 42
19803 43 37
19923,4 29 28

Notes:

1.Source: Tobacco Advisory Council. Percentage of those smoking manufactured cigarettes, excludes those smoking hand-rolled cigarettes only.

2.No survey data are available for 1970

3.Source: OPCS General Household Survey.

4.The 1992 survey figures are the latest available.

Mr. Llwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many were treated for lung cancer in the NHS in(a) 1993 and (b) 1994; what percentage of these were smokers; and if she will make a statement; [20909]

(2) what was the cost of treating people suffering from lung cancer on the NHS in (a) 1993–94 and (b) 1994–95; and if she will make a statement. [20910]

Mr. Bowis

The number of episodes of hospital care in the national health service in England with a main diagnosis of lung cancer is shown in the table:

Finished consultant episodes, ordinary admissions

and day cases Malignant neoplasm—bronchus or lung

(Diagnostic Codes ICD9 162.2–162.9)

Number
1992–93 57,261
1993–94 (provisional) 56,317

Source:

Hospital Episode Statistics, 25 per cent. sample.

Information on the smoking habits of patients is not available centrally, but it is estimated that four out of five cases of lung cancer are attributable to smoking. Information on the costs of treating patients with a diagnosis of lung cancer on the NHS is not available centrally.