HC Deb 22 March 1978 vol 946 cc614-5W
Mr. George

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the numbers per thousand population for (a) Walsall, (b) the average for West Midlands county, (c) the average for London boroughs and (d) the average for England and Wales, of the following: general practitioners, health visitors; hospital nurses and mid-wives; social workers—qualified and unqualified—and dentists.

Mr. Moyle

The information requested is as follows:

Mr. Moyle

The numbers of children notified as being born with congenital malformations for the years 1972–76 are:

1972 14,412
1973 13,353
1974 12,730
1975 12,230
1976 12,384

This represents a rate per 10,000 total births of:

1972 196.3
1973 195.3
1974 196.7
1975 200.6
1976 209.9

Some congenital malformations are minor blemishes or abnormalities which are not likely to cause permanent handicap. The notification of congenital malformations observable at birth is voluntary and the apparent increase in the numbers of babies born with congenital malformations may well be due to better reporting over the years. The whole system of notification and analysis of congenital malformations is kept under constant review, and I am assured that we should have adequate warning were there to be a significant increase in the incidence of serious congenital handicaps.