§ Mr. Greville Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many children under the age of five years were admitted to hospital suffering from accidental poisoning during the last 12 months for which records are available: and by what percentage was each of such figures higher or lower than in each of the previous five years.
§ Mr. AlisonThe estimated number of hospital in-patient spells of children aged under 5 years suffering from poisoning or suspected poisoning, including non-64W accidental, which are not separately identified, was some 25,400 in 1971. The percentage increase of this figure over each of the preceding five years was 8 (for 1970), 3, 26, 42 and 71 respectively. Poisonings by gases and fumes have been omitted throughout.