§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give figures for the incidence of spina bifida in Great Britain by the smallest area for which figures are available and in descending order.
§ Mr. AlisonThe numbers of cases of spina bifida notified for children born or stillborn in the standard regions of England and Wales in 1971, with rates in order of magnitude, are set out below. Rates for counties and county boroughs in England and Wales are being calculated484W and I will send them to the hon. Member as soon as possible. Similar details for Scotland are not available, but figures of hospital discharges are being tabulated and these also will be sent to the hon. Member as soon as they are available.
Standard region Number of cases notified Rates per 10,000 total births Total (England and Wales) 1,453 18 Wales I (South East) 95 31 South West 138 23 North Western 262 23 Wales II (Remainder) 25 20 East Midlands 113 20 North 103 19 Yorks and Humber side 153 19 East Anglia 41 16 West Midlands 132 15 South East 391 15