§ Mr. BarnesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what use his Department and its agencies make of postcode areas for the collection of data and in formulas for the distribution of grants and awards; and when such usages were last reviewed. [14799]
§ Mr. HoramPostcode areas are used in the analysis of data collected centrally in order to identify the health authority or local authority to which the data relates. The national health service uses a patient's postcode to identify which health authority is responsible for funding health care. Different data sets are reviewed on a regular basis, when the business need for the information is fully considered.
Neither the Department of Health nor any of its agencies use postcode data in formulae for the distribution of grants or awards.
Mefloquine Proguanil and Chloroquine Other None Unknown Total 1987 0 61 166 304 165 696 1988 0 138 256 407 224 1,025 1989 1 144 251 378 296 1,070 1990 1 162 169 452 275 1,059