§ Mr. WareingTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what statistics she has on the number of reported cases of food poisoning in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. SackvilleThe table shows the number of reported cases for England and Wales only. Information relating to Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Food poisoning cases England and Wales 1988–92 Year Total 1988 39,713 1989 52,557 1990 52,145 1991 52,543 11992 64,882 1 Provisional. Source: OPCS.
The Government have initiated a major new surveillance programme to collect and analyse hard information about the sources and causes of human food-borne illness. As part of this programme, a major new study will start later this year in England, which aims to provide a sound basis for assessing the true incidence and causes of food-borne disease in the population as well as its economic cost.
Income from private patients £ thousands (cash) 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 Northern 1,504 1,511 1,716 1,986 1,877 Yorkshire 3,425 3,769 3,963 4,888 4,542 Trent 2,385 2,794 3,114 2,809 3,465 East Anglian 3,093 3,888 4,709 5,241 7,319 North West Thames 8,150 10,233 11,700 13,171 13,984 North East Thames 8,791 10,987 13,958 16,184 11,158 South East Thames 6,828 7,809 8,576 10,905 11,692 South West Thames 2,702 2,729 3,291 4,061 3,528 Wessex 1,665 2,202 2,471 3,263 4,383 Oxford 4,849 5,778 8,083 9,462 9,725 South Western 2,627 3,154 3,591 4,750 2,112 West Midlands 3,439 3,594 4,313 5,573 6,327 Mersey 2,055 2,032 1,648 1,981 2,006 North Western 4,094 4,505 5,302 6,533 4,950 SHAs 11,287 11,910 15,141 16,663 21,513 NHS Trusts — — — — 32,254 Total 66,893 76,895 91,577 107,472 140,834 Notes:
1. SHAs = Special health authorities for the London postgraduate teaching hospitals.
2. Some total columns do not add precisely because of rounding.