Listeria

HC Deb 19 July 1995 vol 263 cc1286-8W

Mrs. Beckett

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice his Department gives to pregnant women about the dangers of listeria. [35598]

Mr. Sackville

Advice to pregnant women about listeriosis is contained in the Department's free booklet, "While You Are Pregnant: Safe Eating and How to Avoid Infection From Food and Animals", copies of which are available in the Library.

Mrs. Beckett

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of listeriosis have been reported in each year since 1967. [35596]

Mr. Sackville

The number of cases of listeriosis reported to the Public Health Laboratory Service in England and Wales between 1967 and 1995 is as follows:

Year	Number
1967	25
1968	26
1969	23
1970	30

Year	Number
1971	21
1972	28
1973	25
1974	28
1975	39
1976	31
1977	47
1978	87
1979	70
1980	75
1981	86
1982	77
1983	115
1984	115
1985	149
1986	137
1987	259
1988	291
1989	250
1990	118
1991	130
1992	108
1993	106
1994	1113
1995	216

These figures include a few cases from Northern Ireland.

¹Provisional data.

² Provisional data for first quarter.

Mrs. Beckett

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to continue to make the public aware of the dangers of listeria in certain food. [35597]

Mr. Sackville

The Department keeps the need for advice to the public on food safety issues under ongoing review.

Mrs. Beckett

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what new information regarding the potential of listeria in certain foods became available in 1989 that was not available in 1987; [35716]

(2) when the Chief Medical Officer first brought the dangers of listeria to the attention of his Department and the Secretary of State for Health. [35717]

Mr. Sackville

The timing of the Department's advice to the public on food borne listeriosis is being considered as part of a current court case, and I cannot comment further at present.

Dr. Strang

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish figures for the number of(a) miscarriages, (b) stillbirths, (c) neo-natal deaths, (d) maternal deaths and (e) birth defects which are known to have occurred relating to pregnancy associated cases of listeriosis since 1985; and if he will make a statement; [24224]

Mrs. Beckett

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many reported cases there have been in each year since 1967 of(a) stillbirths, (b) miscarriages, (c) congenital abnormalities and (d) child deaths that can be attributed to listeriosis. [35599]

Mr. Sackville

[holding answer 17 July 1995]: I refer the right hon. Member and the hon. Member to the reply that I gave the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe (Mr. Morris) on 18 July for information about stillbirths and infant deaths between 1 July 1985 and 31 January 1989 in England and Wales where listeriosis was mentioned on the stillbirth or death certificate. There have been no maternal deaths relating to pregnancy associated cases of listeriosis since 1985. There are no known congenital malformations in the new born associated with in utero listeria infection. Information about miscarriages is not collected centrally. The further information requested can only be provided at disproportionate cost.