asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he proposes to take to combat the accidental poisoning of children in Leicester, having regard to the number of children admitted to hospital in Leicester as a result of such accidental poisoning having more than doubled in the past year.

The Health Education Council is carrying out research into the

		Number of i.d.c.s. approved	Additional Employment*	Refusals by number as a percentage of approvals Per cent.
1st February, 1970—31st January, 1971	…	59	780	1·7
1st February, 1971—31st January, 1972	…	32	335	No refusals
* As estimated by the applicants when the projects are complete and fully manned.

During both periods nearly one-third of the i.d.c.s approved were for the bricks, pottery, glass and cement industries. The remaining two-thirds in each case were for a wide range of industries.