asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Carmarthen, Official Report, 14 April, column 525–6, whether the number of chiropody treatments has increased in the light of a continually lengthening interval between treatments in a population receiving treatment that has increased steadily; what is now the average interval between treatment for elderly citizens; what has been the average interval for each of the past five years; and what is his analysis of the extent to which this lengthening of intervals between treatments and the increasing irregularity of treatment produces chronic irreversible immobility.
Information is not available in the form requested. The available figures for England are as follows:
| Year | Total number of persons | Total number of treatments given | Average number of treatments during the year per person treated | |
| 1974 | … | 1,279,000 | 4,589,000 | 3·587 |
| 1975 | … | 1,182,000 | 5,113,000 | 4·325 |
| 1976 | … | 1,248,000 | 5,352,000 | 4·288 |
| 1977 | … | 1,324,000 | 5,434,000 | 4·104 |
| 1978 | … | 1,393,000 | 5,372,000 | 3·856 |