§ 45. Mr. Greville Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give figures showing the incidence of the amputation of limbs in the United Kingdom due to peripheral vascular disease; and if he will make a statement about future plans to bring the risk of peripheral vascular disease due to smoking to the public's attention.
§ Sir George YoungI refer the hon. and learned Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Battersea, South (Mr. Dubs) on 1 December. In addition, a recently published paper—"The Artificial Limb Service" by A. W. G. English and A. A. G. Dean —(Health Trends November 1980 No. 4 volume 12)—gives an estimate by members of the Department's medical staff that, of approximately 65,000 amputees in England, just over 50,000 are lower limb amputees; of whom approximately three quarters have had a leg amputated on account of peripheral vascular disease. I look to all those engaged in health education to ensure that information on the kinds and degree of risk to health from smoking, including the risk of peripheral vascular disease, is increasingly brought before the public. My right hon. Friend's statement to the House on 21 November explained the measures agreed with the tobacco industry to strengthen health warnings generally on cigarette packets and advertisements.