asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many persons in Wales are in receipt of invalidity benefit as a result of farmers' lung; and how many widows of men who have died of farmers' lung are in receipt of the benefit given to widows whose husbands died of this industrial disease.

I regret that information is not available in the form requested. However, it may be helpful to the hon. Member to know that in the two years 1975–76 and 1976–77 there was one award of injury benefit in Wales on account of farmers' lung—a prescribed occupational disease under the industrial injuries scheme. In the past five years the numbers of new cases of farmers' lung diagnosed in the whole of Great Britain were as follows:

• 1973—3
• 1974—14
• 1975—15
• 1976—21
• 1977—5