HC Deb 11 March 1986 vol 93 cc441-2W
Mr. Pawsey

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many people are estimated to have suffered from loss of sense of smell in 1985, 1975, 1965 and 1956;

(2) what are the principal reasons known to his Department for loss of the sense of smell;

(3) what hospitals specialise in treatment for loss of smell.

Mr. Whitney

In many cases loss of sense of smell is a side-effect or symptom of an underlying condition. The principal reasons for temporary loss of sense of smell are common ailments such as colds and hay fever. Head injury

figure for claimants receiving supplementary benefit on that date, as it includes some cases of claimants whose benefit entitlement had recently finished.

Mr. Chris Smith

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many requests for home visits have been received by Bloomsbury local Department of Health and Social Security office, Tavistock square, in the past 12 months; how many are currently outstanding; and, on average, for how long they have been outstanding.

Mr. Major

Records are not kept of the number of requests for home visits. In the 12 months up to 11 February 1986, 3,775 home visits were made and 178 visits were outstanding on that date. This includes visits initiated by the local office. Over the 12 months period, visits have taken on average about three to four weeks to clear, but now they are being made more quickly.

Mr. Chris Smith

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will state the approved and actual staffing levels at the Bloomsbury local Department of Health and Social Security office, Tavistock square, in March 1981, March 1983, March 1985 and today; and if he will give the number of live claims in the office for each of these dates.

Mr. Major

Information is not available in the precise form requested. The information that is available is as follows:

or local trauma can also result in loss of this sense, which can on occasion be long-lasting or permanent. Causes of loss of sense of smell are too diverse for reliable estimates to be made of numbers of people affected. Such conditions are treated, in hospital or in the community, according to clinical indications. Some need no treatment and for others, unfortunately, no reliable treatments are yet available. We are not aware of any hospital specialising in this.

Mr. Pawsey

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what research sponsored by his Department has taken place and is taking place into how the taste and smell mechanism works;

(2) what research sponsored by his Department is currently taking place into the loss of the sense of smell.

Mr. Whitney

The Department has not sponsored nor is currently sponsoring any research into how the taste and smell mechanism works or into the loss of sense of smell. The main Government-funded body undertaking biomedical research is the Medical Research Council, which is funded by grant-in-aid from the science Vote of the Department of Education and Science.