§ Mr. Terry Walkerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many working days were lost last year because of digestive diseases of (a) a mild nature and (b) a serious nature, respectively.
§ Mr. MeacherThe number of days of certified incapacity attributed to diseases of the digestive system and notified for national insurance purposes was 19 million in the statistical year June 1973 to June 1974. I am sending my hon. Friend a detailed breakdown of the causes of incapacity within the broad group; but we cannot make the mild/serious split for which he has asked. The gravity of illness is not adequately measured by the cause, or indeed the duration, of incapacity for work.