asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has, in the light of the fact that on the death certificate of a Swanage lady, whose name has been forwarded to him by the hon. Member for Dorset, South the cause of death is shown as birth control pill, of the number of deaths during the last 10 years which have been certified as due to the birth control pill.

In the death certificate referred to by the hon. Member the birth control pill was mentioned as a significant condition contributing to the death but not directly related to the underlying cause. The underlying cause was given as coronary thrombosis due to coronary atheroma.In the years 1968 to 1977 the numbers of deaths in England and Wales involving reference to the birth control pill—or similar term—among the cause of death details were as follows: