§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any evidence of an increased incidence of the disease known as rickets, particularly amongst the Asian community; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Harry EwingFigures for 1975 are not yet available, but the numbers of cases referred to hospitals over the previous six years for in-patient treatment for rickets, the best available indicator of the incidence of the disease, are:
Year Active Rickets Unspecified Vitamin D Deficiency 1969 … … 31 4 1970 … … 32 3 1971 … … 40 1 1972 … … 64 5 1973 … … 50 1 1974 … … 41 1 It is not possible to say how many of these patients were Asian, but there are some indications of a relatively higher incidence in the Asian community, and efforts are being made to counter the problem.