§ Mr. Greville Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many children under the age of five years were admitted to hospital suffering from poisoning, in each year from 1950 to 1970, inclusive;
(2) how many children under the age of five years died as a result of accidental poisoning in each of the years from 1950 to 1970, inclusive;
(3) how many children were admitted to hospital in each of the months in 1971 for which records are available, suffering from accidental poisoning;
(4) how many children have so far died in 1971, as a result of accidental poisoning.
(5) of the children who have died of accidental poisoning in each of the years from 1950 to 1970, inclusive, and in each of the months in 1971, how many and what percentage were poisoned by pills, medicines and drugs, and how many and what proportion by weed killers, household bleaches, detergents and other poisons, respectively;
(6) of the children admitted to hospital suffering from accidental poisoning in each of the years from 1950 to 1970, inclusive, and in each of the months in 1971, how many and what percentage were poisoned by pills, medicines and drugs, and how many and what proportion by weed killers, household bleaches, detergents and other poisons, respectively;
(7) how many children under the age of five years in the Leicester area died from accidental poisoning during the last three years for which figures are available; and how many such children were admitted to hospital or treated in casualty wards for poisoning during each of those years.
§ Mr. AlisonMortality figures are available for England and Wales for the years 1950 to 1970 and for the first two quarters of 1971; monthly figures for 1971 are not yet readily available. Comparable information on hospital admissions for poisoning is available from 1958 to 1969 and an analysis between medicinal and other poisonings is available from 1962 to 1969; information for individual months cannot be extracted without undue expense.
167WSeparate figures are not available of children admitted to hospital or treated in outpatient departments for poisoning
NUMBERS OF HOSPITAL IN-PATIENT SPELLS OF CHILDREN AGED UNDER 5 SUFFERING FROM POISONING OR SUSPECTED POISONING (INCLUDING NON-ACCIDENTAL) 1958–1969 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 All Poisoning … 3,430 4,710 5,550 6,490 7,500 9,420 Percentage … … — — — — 100 100 Medicinal … … — — — — 5,650 7,280 Percentage … … — — — — 75 75 Non-Medicinal … — — — — 1,850 2,140 Percentage … … — — — — 25 25 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 All Poisoning … 11,710 13,440 14,840 17,870 20,200 24,630 Percentage … … 100 100 100 100 100 100 Medicinal … … 7,370 8,340 9,620 10,570 13,840 16,450 Percentage … … 63 62 65 59 69 67 Non-Medicinal … 4,340 5,100 5,220 7,300 6,360 8,180 Percentage … … 37 38 35 41 31 33 Notes: Pre-1968 figures for medicinal poisonings are an under-estimate since those unclassifiable to specific medicinal groups were included in a general remainder with unassigned non-medicinal poisonings and appear in the table in the non-medicinal group. From 1968 onwards all medicinal poisonings are classified as such. Poisoning by gases and fumes has been omitted throughout.
DEATHS FROM POISONING* OF CHILDREN UNDER 5 YEARS OF AGE, ENGLAND AND WALES, 1950 TO 1970 AND THE FIRST TWO QUARTERS OF 1971 (INCLUDING NON-ACCIDENTAL DEATHS) Poisoning by medicinal agents Poisoning by other substances* Total* Number of deaths in col. (v) Known to be accidental Year Number of deaths Percentage of total in col. (v) Number of deaths Percentage of total in col. (v) Number of deaths (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) 1950 … … 15 35 28 65 43 39 1951 … … 19 42 26 58 45 45 1952 … … 18 40 27 60 45 42 1953 … … 8 25 24 75 32 32 1954 … … 7 28 18 72 25 24 1955 … … 11 44 14 56 25 25 1956 … … 5 31 11 69 16 15 1957 … … 9 47 10 53 19 19 1958 … … 12 52 11 48 23 23 1959 … … 10 53 9 47 19 18 1960 … … 16 64 9 36 25 24 1961 … … 12 40 18 60 30 29 1962 … … 12 39 19 61 31 31 1963 … … 8 28 21 72 29 29 1964 … … 14 34 27 66 41 40 1965 … … 16 50 16 50 32 32 1966 … … 14 45 17 55 31 29 1967 … … 16 64 9 36 25 24 1968 … … 23 88 3 12 26 23 1969 … … 21 78 6 22 27 25 1970 … … 19 76 6 24 25 22 1971 (provisional): 1st quarter … 8 — — — 8 7 2nd quarter … 2 — — — 2 2 * Poisoning by gases and fumes has been omitted throughout. 168W
Leicester County Borough. Deaths of children under 5 years of age from accidental poisoning (solids and liquids only):— 1968 … … … 1 1969 … … … Nil 1970 … … … Nil in the Leicester area during each of the last three years.
Following is the available information: