§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is her estimate of the prevalence of asthma in school children;
(2) what steps she intends to take to increase awareness and reporting of childhood asthma.
§ Mr. SackvilleThe recently published "Health Care Needs Assessment No. 5, Lower Respiratory Disease Research Review", a copy of which will be placed in the Library, and which is funded by the Department of Health, states that the prevalence of asthma in children aged nought to 14 is 12 to 15 per cent.
The Department plans to include questions on asthma in children, from the age of two upwards, in the health survey for England in 1995. Last July, the Department launched the chronic disease management programme, which is an organised programme of care run by general practitioners for people with asthma. General practitioner practices are collecting information on asthma. This information will in time show both the incidence and prevalence of asthma.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice she gives to parents of asthmatic children living in urban areas regarding(a) air quality and (b) passive smoking.
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§ Mr. SackvilleInformation on air quality and relevant general advice to those suffering from respiratory conditions is available continuously to the public on the freephone helpline: 0800 556677. Any individual can obtain medical advice specific to his condition from his general practitioner.
The links between passive smoking and asthmatic children were discussed in the reply I gave the hon. Member on 18 March, Official Report, columns 886–87. Our advice for parents of asthmatic children is to protect their children by not allowing them to breathe in tobacco smoke.