HC Deb 03 February 1978 vol 943 cc363-4W
Mr. Ralph Howell

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North, Official Report, 18th January c. 272, when he will be able to publish the figures; and whether the industrial action was deliberately designed in order to limit the amount of information available to the public.

Mr. Orme

It will never be possible to compile figures for 1976 because the

MALE DEATHS FROM BRONCHITIS, EMPHYSEMA AND ASTHMA IN ENGLAND AND WALES, 1970–1972
Deaths registered in 1970–1972
Bronchitis, emphysema and asthma Asthma only* Standardised mortality ratio for bronchitis, emphysema and asthma Proportional mortality ratio for bronchitis, emphysema and asthma
Occupation Order 15–64 65–74 15–64 65–74 15–64 15–64 65–74
1. Farmers, foresters, fishermen 529 1,158 31 30 82 90 77
2. Miners and quarrymen 928 2,052 12 9 249 169 150
3. Gas, coke and chemical makers 122 226 6 5 101 91 106
4. Glass and ceramics makers 97 117 5 — 165 148 130
5. Furnace, forge, foundry, rolling mill workers 288 472 12 2 184 144 122
6. Electrical and electronic workers 263 468 27 5 86 81 93
7. Engineering and allied trades workers NEC 1,951 2,900 127 34 101 95 97
8. Woodworkers 299 499 24 5 87 90 95
9. Leather workers 94 205 4 6 150 126 102
10. Textile workers 174 394 9 7 132 118 114
11. Clothing workers 82 124 3 3 101 97 74
12. Food, drink and tobacco workers 289 523 10 8 117 104 111
13. Paper and printing workers 138 235 10 4 76 81 96
14. Makers of other products 131 198 5 1 83 96 107
15. Construction workers 618 1,011 27 10 116 103 108
16. Painters and decorators 351 540 24 8 120 107 112
17. Drivers of stationary engines, cranes, etc 393 637 16 7 117 114 115
18. Labourers NEC 2,268 3,543 81 33 195 143 124
19. Transport and communications workers 1,459 2,591 94 22 123 110 108
20. Warehousemen, storekeepers, packers, bottlers 717 1,168 29 11 113 105 109
21. Clerical workers 938 1,434 75 29 84 85 80
22. Sales workers 866 1,446 78 29 74 82 80
23. Service, sport and recreation workers 1,185 1,915 61 27 121 105 105
24. Administrators and managers 276 566 29 12 30 40 59
25. Professional, technical workers, artists 483 725 77 21 39 52 59
26. Armed forces (British and foreign) 51 135 3 2 128 67 79
27. Inadequately described occupations 193 268 17 2 80 113 111
These data should be used with caution. The Registrar General's decennial supplement Occupational mortality 1970–72 comments on the difficulties in interpretation and discusses the mortality of individual occupations. The supplement is expected to be published on 9th February.
* Included in the previous column.

necessary information could not be supplied by the Department of Employment as a result of industrial action by members of the Civil and Public Services Association in support of their opposition to economies in public spending. Figures for 1977 should be available by this summer.