§ Mr. BoyesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the mortality statistics for motor neurone disease for each year from 1959 for which data is available.
§ Mr. FreemanThe information is shown in the table.
659W
Number of deaths from Motor Neurone Disease1 in England and Wales, 1959–1988
Year Number of deaths Males Females Total 1959 308 260 568 1960 311 227 538 1961 306 230 536 1962 311 228 539 1963 290 227 517 1964 346 258 604 1965 375 265 640 1966 341 271 612 1967 343 269 612 1968 327 278 605
Year Number of deaths Males Females Total 1969 340 268 608 1970 342 261 603 1971 382 339 721 1972 385 298 683 1973 372 307 679 1974 367 322 689 1975 376 338 714 1976 402 324 726 1977 418 358 776 1978 384 392 776 1979 488 386 874 1980 402 353 755 1981 493 390 883 1982 458 366 824 1983 481 461 942 1984 565 440 1,005 1985 570 533 1,103 1986 591 490 1,081 1987 598 525 1,123 21988 592 530 1,122 1 From 1959 to 1967 motor neurone disease and muscular atrophy was classified to the International Diseases of Classification (ICD) 7th revision code 356. Similarly from 1968 to 1978 motor neurone disease was classified to ICD 8th revision ICD code 348 and from 1979 onwards 9th revision ICD code 325.2 was used. 2 Provisional.
§ Mr. BoyesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the research projects on motor neurone disease funded by the Department in each year since 1959 for which data are available and the level of funding provided.
§ Mr. FreemanAt present, the health and personal social services research programme does not include any research specifically into motor neurone disease (MND). However, the Department of Health does fund a number of studies about service delivery where MND sufferers would be among the service users. These studies are as follows
(a) Research on aspects of physiotherapy provision, carried out by the Centre for Physiotherapy Research at King's college, London.(b) Research on speech therapy provision, in particular; a study of Communication Aid Centres being carried out by Dr. Anne Chamberlain at Leeds;a study on speech therapy services (demands and staffing) being undertaken by Dr. Philip Davies at Oxford.(c) Research on disability generally is relevant to MND. An important example is the OPCS disability survey which, of course, includes MND sufferers.A full list of earlier research into MND is not readily available. However, the Department's handbook of research and development, published annually, contains information about all directly funded research. Copies are available in the Library.