§ Mr. Meadowcroftasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what statistics his Department has ceased to collect since June 1983.
§ Mr. John Patten[pursuant to his reply, 30 January 1985, c. 227]: Since June 1983 the Department's statistics and research division has stopped collecting the following routine statistics.
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Item Reasons for stopping collection Form SSDA907 on Adoptions. In order to provide improved statistics on adoptions, both the DHSS return and the derivation of statistics from adoption orders received by the Registrar General were discontinued in favour of a new unit return which is completed in the course of the adoption process and analysed by OPCS. Parts of form RA5 on Residential Accommodation for the Elderly and Younger Physically Handicapped giving statistics on the date each home was built and the original purpose for which the home was built. These two items which were of limited value were deleted from the gazetteer in order to incorporate new data requirements without adding to the burden of data collection. Social Security Statistics Short term incapacity statistics for periods up to 8 weeks. Collection ceased following the introduction of statutory sick pay in April 1983. (Statistics were collected in arrears.) Injury benefit statistics. As a consequence of the Industrial Injuries Review, Injury benefit was abolished from April 1983 but transitional arrangements lasted until October 1983. * The Health Services Information Steering Group has recommended that these items should no longer be returned centrally.