§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services on the basis of what factors the decision was taken by his Department to abolish the national recall scheme for cancer screening for women in 1981.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe major factor behind the decision to abolish the national recall scheme for cervical cancer screening (based at the National Health Service central register) was the low level of effectiveness of that scheme. The Committee on Gynaecological Cytology made some well founded criticisms of the scheme to that affect.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the number of patients who have died from cervical cancer in each single year since 1979; and what proportion of those were in the west midlands region.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe number of deaths from malignant neoplasm of cervix uteri (ICD (9th rev) 1980) in England and Wales and in the west midlands region for 1979 to 1984 inclusive, and the percentages these latter figures represent of all such deaths in England and Wales, are shown in the table.
405WThe estimated population of females aged 25 years and over in the west midlands region is approximately 10 per cent. of the corresponding population of England and Wales for the period concerned.
Number of Deaths from Malignant Neoplasm of Cervix Uteri (a) England and Wales (b) West Midlands Region and percentages, 1979 to 1984 Year Number Percentage (a) England and Wales (b) West Midlands Region (b) As a percentage of (a) 1979 2,087 185 8.86 1980 2,068 204 98.86 1981 2,017 200 98.92 1982 1,932 189 98.78 1983 1,959 191 98.75 1984 1,899 213 11.22