asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many hospital beds were taken up by patients suffering from diseases normally associated with tobacco smoking in the last calendar year for which figures are available.

The available information for the main diseases associated with smoking is given in the table. Smoking is a major, but not the sole, cause of illness from these diseases; in particular, ischaemic heart disease has a number of other important contributory factors.

Estimated average daily number of beds occupied by patients with elected main diagnoses. NHS hospitals in England 1984
Main diagnosis	1CD1 code	Estimated average number of beds occupied daily
Malignant neoplasm
Trachea, bronchus and lung	162	1,700
Lip, oral cavity and pharynx	140–149	265
Oesophagus	150	316
Larynx	161	156
Diseases of the circulatory system
Ischaemic heart disease	410–414	5,830
Chronic pulmonary heart disease	416	130
Aortic aneurysm	441	167
Diseases of the respiratory system
Bronchitis and emphysema	490–492	1,080
Chronic airways obstruction, not elsewhere classified	496	1,180
1 International Classification of Diseases 9th revision.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many deaths were recorded from diseases normally associated with tobacco smoking in the last calendar year for which figures are available.

It is not possible to be precise. Most deaths associated with cigarette smoking arise from three diseases: lung cancer, chronic bronchitis and "heart attacks" due to obstruction of the arteries of the heart. However, the proportion of deaths atttributable to smoking from each of these diseases varies. Furthermore, smoking is also implicated in certain other conditions where no estimate of the numbers of the deaths caused by smoking is available—for example, obstruction of the arteries of the lower limbs.It is estimated that at least 90 per cent. of deaths from cancers of the lung, lip, oesophagus and larynx, and 90 per cent. of deaths from chronic bronchitis, obstructive lung disease, chronic pulmonary heart disease and aortic aneurysm are attributable to smoking. The total number of deaths from these conditions involved is given in the table.

England and Wales—1985
ICD 1code		Number
162	Malignant neoplasm of trachea, bronchus and lung	35,792
140–149	Malignant neoplasm of lip, oralcavity and pharynx	1,697
150	Malignant neoplasm of oesophagus	4,570
161	Malignant neoplasm of larynx	835
416	Chronic pulmonary heart disease	781
441	Aortic aneurysm	7,656
490–492, 496	Bronchitis and emphysema, chronic airways obstruction, not else where classified	28,118

In 1983, the Royal College of Physicians in its report "Health or Smoking" estimated that perhaps 20 per cent. of deaths due to obstruction of the arteries of the heart were related to smoking. The medical term for this condition is "ischaemic heart disease"', but it is commonly often referred to as "coronary heart disease". The total number of deaths from this condition for England and Wales is as follows, but the proportion directly attributable to smoking is less certain as this is only one of a number of causes that give rise to obstruction of the arteries of the heart.

England and Wales—1985
ICD 1code	Number
410–414 Ischaemic heart disease	163,104
1 International Classification of Diseases 9th revision.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many working days were lost in England, Scotland and Wales by people suffering from diseases normally associated with tobacco smoking during the last calendar year for which figures are available.

Information in the form requested is not available. The table shows days of certified incapacity for sickness and invalidity benefit for the main diseases associated with smoking. The statistics exclude periods of incapacity covered by statutory sick pay (in 1984–85 normally a maximum of eight weeks in a tax year) and working days lost by certain groups of workers who do not claim these benefits. They do include days of incapacity for which invalidity benefit was claimed by men aged 65–69 and women aged 60–64. Persons in these age groups accounted for some 15–20 per cent. of the total days of incapacity shown in the table.

Days of certified incapacity due to sickness and invalidity in the period 2 April 1984 to 30 March 1985: Great Britain
Causes	ICD1 code	Million days
Malignant neoplasm
Trachea, bronchus and lung	162	0·3
Lip, oral cavity and pharynx	140–149	0·1
Oesophagus	150	2
Larynx	161	0·2
Diseases of the circulatory system
Ischaemic heart disease	410–414	35·3
Chronic pulmonary heart disease	416	0·2
Aortic aneurysm	441	0·2
Diseases of the respiratory system
Bronchitis and emphysema	490–492	19·0
Chronic airways obstruction, not elsewhere classified	496	3·3
1 International Classification of Diseases 9th revision.
2 Less than 100,000 days.