asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what is the male death rate for all causes in the latest year for which the figures are available in each English region and in Scotland and Wales, respectively;(2) what is the death rate for heart diseases and for bronchitis
in England, Scotland and Wales, respectively.
The rates for 1976 are as follows:many infants were born in each of the last five years suffering from spina bifida; how many of these infants died without receiving surgical treatment; and how many infants receiving surgical treatment subsequently died.
It is not possible to provide information in the exact form requested. The numbers of babies born with spina bifida are obtained from the voluntary system of reporting congenital malformations. Information on hospital treatment is obtained from the hospital in-patient inquiry, a sample survey of 10 per cent. of discharges from non-psychiatric hospitals in England and Wales. Patients who have more than one hospital spell in a year are counted on each occasion.Following are the available figures for the years 1970 to 1976 inclusive:
| England and Wales | |||||||||||||||
| Numbers of live and stillbirths with Spina Bifida | Children treated in hospital with main condition Spina Bifida and or Hydrocephalus | ||||||||||||||
| All cases | Cases where surgery undertaken | ||||||||||||||
| Total number | Deaths in hospital | Total number | Deaths in hospital | ||||||||||||
| Year | 0–4 | 5–14 | 0–14 | 0–4 | 5–14 | 0–14 | 0–4 | 5–14 | 0–14 | 0–4 | 5–14 | 0–14 | |||
| 1970 | … | … | 1,453 | 5,380 | 980 | 6,360 | 530 | [20] | 550 | 2,910 | 500 | 3,410 | ·· | ·· | [180] |
| 1971 | … | … | 1,552 | 4,510 | 1,400 | 5,900 | 500 | [20] | 520 | 2,250 | 860 | 3,110 | ·· | ·· | [130] |
| 1972 | … | … | 1,537 | 3,930 | 1,780 | 5,710 | 470 | [30] | 500 | 1,820 | 970 | 2,790 | ·· | ·· | [120] |
| 1973 | … | … | 1,267 | 3,950 | 1,590 | 5,540 | 450 | [10] | 470 | 1,910 | 920 | 2,830 | ·· | ·· | [80] |
| 1974 | … | … | 1,185 | 3,750 | 1,940 | 5,690 | 460 | [20] | 480 | 1,700 | 1,100 | 2,800 | ·· | ·· | [80] |
| 1975 | … | … | 1,101 | ·· | ·· | ·· | ·· | ·· | ·· | ·· | ·· | ·· | ·· | ·· | ·· |
| 1976 | … | … | 880 | ·· | ·· | ·· | ·· | ·· | ·· | ·· | ·· | ·· | ·· | ·· | ·· |
| ·· Not available. | |||||||||||||||
| Bracketed figures are estimates from sample number of 20 or less and are subject to a high degree of sample error. | |||||||||||||||