HL Deb 18 December 1997 vol 584 cc105-6WA
Lord Stoddart of Swindon

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Jay of Paddington on 3 December (WA 197) concerning the costs to the NHS of lifestyle activities other than smoking, including the effects of alcohol and vehicle accidents and emissions, whether they will introduce a system of gathering the information under the categories requested; and, in the interim, whether they will give the information in any form in which it is at present available.

Baroness Jay of Paddington

Data collected by the National Health Service relate to episodes of care relating to individual illnesses or diseases, and the types of treatment administered to patients. Data are not collected on the cost to the National Health Service of illness, injury or disease (especially respiratory diseases).

The cost to the NHS "from the effects of alcohol" are not identifiable. There are several data series (e.g. Hospital Episode Statistics, mortality statistics from Office for National Statistics, morbidity statistics from general practice) but these do not readily yield information about patient costs. It is very difficult to attribute the cause of any medical condition in any individual directly to alcohol.

We have no plans to introduce a system of gathering the information under the categories requested.