HC Deb 21 January 1997 vol 288 cc591-2W
Mr. Martyn Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the recent Ecoli epidemic; what plans he has to introduce new measures to prevent such epidemics; and if he will make a statement. [10424]

Mr. Horam

An assessment of the outbreak in Scotland is being made by an expert group under the chairmanship of Professor Pennington. I refer the hon. Member to the statement made to the House by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland on 15 January 1997,Official Report, columns 323–26.

Mr. Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the annual number of cases of food poisoning in each year since 1980; and if he will make a statement. [10463]

Mr. Horam

The number of cases of food poisoning notified to the Office for National Statistics is published in "Series MB2 Communicable Disease Statistics", copies of which are available in the Library.