HC Deb 10 December 1979 vol 975 cc486-7W
Mr. Mudd

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average time taken by his Department to resolve cases referred by hon. Members to himself and his Departmental colleagues; and why a matter raised on 18 May involving Mr. K. C. Wheeler, of 37 Tregenver Road, Falmouth, and one raised on 4 August regarding Mr. J. L. Williams, of 6 New Bungalows, Golden Sands Estate, Guildford Road, Hayle, Cornwall, have not yet received substantive replies.

Mrs. Chalker

Figures of this kind are not readily available. We aim to reply as quickly as possible to all correspondence and to send an interim reply when inquiries are protracted. I am afraid that complications in the case of Mr. Wheeler have not been entirely resolved as pointed out in a letter on 2 November, but I will write more fully to my hon. Friend very soon. In the case of Mr. Williams, a substantive reply was sent to my hon. Friend on13 November.

Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why it took him until 29 November to reply to a letter from the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East dated 8 September about a matter raised with her by a member of the medical staff at New Cross hospital, Wolverhampton, in view of the fact that his reply was in the form of a copy of a letter dated 6 September from the chairman of the area health authority to a consultant at the same hospital.

Dr. Vaughan

I am sorry that I was unable to reply earlier to the hon. Member. The copy of the letter referred to was not immediately available, and it was then the subject of consideration within the Department.

I am most anxious to avoid such delays, which are in part caused by the volume of cases now sent to Ministers at the Department. Hon. Members may find it speedier if, in cases about constituents where information is individual and

NUMBER OF DEATHS, WITH SEPSIS, FOLLOWING LEGAL ABORTION OPERATIONS FOR EACH YEAR FROM 1950–77 FOR ENGLAND AND WALES
1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
— — — — — — 3 — 2 1
1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
1 1 1 2 1 2 2 — 3 8
1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977
7 1 5 2 2 — — 3

Mr. Corrie

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what were the number of deaths within three months of legal abortion operations for each year from 1965 to 1978, inclusive, for England and Wales; and if he will give the causes of death.

Dr. Vaughan

I regret this information is not available.