§ Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the increase in the incidence of leukaemia amongst young children.
§ Dr. John DunwoodyThe most reliable estimates of incidence are yielded by the rates of mortality.
Following are the figures:
308W
DEATH RATE PER 100,000 CHILDREN AT RISK BY SINGLE YEARS AND BY 3-YEAR GROUPING. PERSONS. 1945–1968 AGED 0–4 AND 5–14 England and Wales 0–4 5–14 1945 … 4.00 1.95 1946 … 3.52 2.22 1947 … 4.29 2.36 1945–47 … 3.95 2.18 1948 … 4.22 2.22 1949 … 4.78 2.19 1950 … 4.19 2.39 1948–50 … 4.40 2.27 1951 … 4.64 2.63 1952 … 5.11 2.79 1953 … 5.11 2.67 1951–53 … 4.94 2.70 1954 … 4.39 2.46 1955 … 4.45 2.43 1956 … 4.41 2.91 1954–56 … 4.41 2.60 1957 … 4.33 2.48 1958 … 4.17 2.76 1959 … 4.40 3.16 1957–59 … 4.30 2.80 1960 … 4.29 3.01 1961 … 4.51 2.71 1962 … 3.99 2.51 1960–62 … 4.26 2.75 1963 … 4.05 3.06 1964 … 3.62 2.74 1965 … 3.77 3.02 1963–65 … 3.81 2.94 1966 … 3.58 2.60 1967 … 3.33 2.66 1968 … 3.99 2.94 1966–68 … 3.63 2.74 An increase in the figures as between 1967 and 1968—when the new International Classification of Disease was introduced—is being investigated. It is not yet possible to determine whether the increase is significant.