§ Mrs. Sally Oppenheimasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many children were treated in hospital in England and Wales for the toxic effects of non-medicinal substances in the last year:
(2) how many children were treated in hospital in England and Wales for the toxic effects of non-medicinal substances between August 1972 and the latest available date.
§ Mr. MoyleFigures are not available centrally for parts of years before 1975. Following are the estimated numbers of cases of children under 15 years who were treated in hospital in England and Wales as in-patients for the toxic effects of non-medicinal substances in each year 1972 to 1976:
1972 9,600 1973 9,800 1974 9,900 1975 9,900 1976 9,700 (provisional) NOTES
1. Estimates for 1972 to 1975 inclusive are based on a 10 per cent. sample of all discharges, including deaths in hospital.
2. Figures for 1976 are obtained from surveys of all discharges (including deaths in hospital) although in some regions coverage is not complete and figures for Oxford RHA and North Western RHA are not yet available; estimates have been made for these regions based on 1975 data.