§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effects of smoking-related diseases as they affect each social class. [178934]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonSmoking has been identified as the principal reason for the inequalities in death rates between rich and poor in the United Kingdom. We commissioned the then Heath Education Authority to undertake research into the effects of smoking related diseases. "The UK Smoking Epidemic: Deaths in 1995", published in 1998, provides information on the estimated number and percentage of deaths attributable to smoking related diseases and includes some information on deaths by social class. A copy is available in the Library.
We have now commissioned the Health Development Agency to undertake a similar study estimating the number and percentage of smoking attributable deaths by primary care trust and strategic health authority which should be available later this year.
There is also a larger proportion of smokers in lower socio-economic groups, therefore a disproportionately high proportion of people in those groups are likely to suffer from smoking related diseases. In England in 2002, 19 per cent. of those in managerial and professional occupations were smokers, compared with 31 per cent. of those in routine and manual groups.