| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Paracetamol (Deaths)
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) adults and (b) children have committed suicide using paracetamol in each of the last 10 years. [14279]
Mrs. Helen Liddell: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
| Paracetamol without mention of other drugs | Paracetamol with mention of other drugs | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | Age | |||||
| Year | 0-14 | 15-19 | 20 and over | 0-14 | 15-19 | 20 and over |
| 1993 | -- (--) | -- (--) | 67 (7) | -- (--) | 7 (--) | 162 (35) |
| 1994 | -- (--) | -- (--) | 68 (5) | -- (--) | 3 (1) | 141 (19) |
| 1995 | -- (--) | 1 (--) | 75 (2) | 1 (--) | 3 (--) | 141 (17) |
| 1996 | --(--) | -- (--) | 54 (6) | -- (--) | 7 (--) | 153 (16) |
| Paracetamol without mention of other drugs | Paracetamol with mention of other drugs | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | Age | |||||
| Year | 0-14 | 15-19 | 20 and over | 0-14 | 15-19 | 20 and over |
| 1993 | -- (--) | 2 (--) | 60 (6) | -- (--) | 3 (--) | 65 (19) |
| 1994 | 1 (--) | -- (--) | 51 (5) | 1 (1) | 3 (--) | 91 (21) |
| 1995 | -- (--) | 2 (--) | 69 (--) | 1 (--) | 7 (1) | 110 (29) |
| 1996 | -- (--) | 3 (--) | 51 (3) | -- (--) | 4 (--) | 90 (19) |
The figures in brackets are those deaths where there was a mention of alcohol. These figures are included in the non-bracketed figures.
Mr. Clappison:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many accidental deaths of (a) adults and (b) children have been caused by paracetamol in each of the last 10 years. [14280]
11 Nov 1997 : Column: 509
Mrs. Liddell:
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. James Clappison, dated 11 November 1997:
Data prior to 1993 can be obtained from Tables 10 and 11 in Mortality statistics: accidents and violence, series DH4 (1987-89) and Tables 10 and 11 in Mortality statistics; injury and poisoning, series DH4 (1990-92). Copies are available in the House of Commons library.
The inclusion of a substance in the above tables (and in Tables 10 and 11) does not imply that it is necessarily toxic; and, where two or more substances are listed together, the contribution, if any, of each to the death is unknown. Even where one substance is listed alone there may well be other factors with an important bearing on the death.
Since 1993, the ONS has held all deaths information electronically. The data were extracted using a "text search" facility, focusing on paracetamol and a list of paracetamol-containing compounds. Although provision was made to take into account spelling errors in the recording of these compounds, the figures should be seen as estimates because it cannot be guaranteed that every single case has been identified. The ONS is actively exploring, with interested parties, ways to improve these data.
| Paracetamol without mention of other drugs | Paracetamol with mention of other drugs | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | Age | |||||
| Year | 0-14 | 15-19 | 20 and over | 0-14 | 15-19 | 20 and over |
| 1993 | -- (--) | 1 (--) | 43 (9) | 1 (1) | 1 (--) | 40 (17) |
| 1994 | 2 (--) | 2 (-) | 36 (10) | 1 (--) | 4 (1) | 49 (15) |
| 1995 | -- (--) | 1 (--) | 34 (6) | -- (--) | 2 (1) | 46 (20) |
| 1996 | 1 (--) | 3 (1) | 36 (5) | -- (--) | 6 (1) | 43 (11) |
The figures in brackets are those deaths where there was a mention of alcohol. These figures are included in the non-bracketed figures.
Data prior to 1993 can be obtained from Tables 10 and 11 in Mortality statistics: accidents and violence, series DH4 (1987-1989) and Tables 10 and 11 in Mortality statistics: injury and poisoning, series DH4 (1990-1992). Copies are available in the House of Commons Library.
The inclusion of a substance in the above table (and in Tables 10 and 11) does not imply that it is necessarily toxic; and, where two or more substances are listed together, the contribution, if any, of each to the death is unknown. Even where one substance is listed alone there may well be other factors with an important bearing on the death.
Since 1993, the ONS has held all deaths information electronically. The data were extracted using a "text search" facility, focusing on paracetamol and a list of paracetamol-containing compounds. Although provision was made to take into account spelling errors in the recording of these compounds, the figures should be seen as estimates because it cannot be guaranteed that every single case has been identified. The ONS is actively exploring, with interested parties, ways to improve these data.
Tax Harmonisation
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his policy on the harmonisation of (a) value added tax and (b) other indirect taxes in the European Union; and if he will make a statement. [13531]
Dawn Primarolo
[holding answer 30 October 1997]: The Government, while supportive of efforts to simplify and modernise the current European Community VAT system, is opposed to further unnecessary harmonisation of VAT at the Community level. With regard to the other indirect taxes which are the subject of EC-wide legislation (the excise duties on alcohol and alcoholic beverages, tobacco products and mineral oils), the Government believes that Member States should be free to set these excise duty rates at the levels they feel are appropriate to their own particular circumstances, subject only to the agreed minimum rates. Nevertheless, the Government considers that there should be movement towards the approximation of these excise duty rates across the EC and that some steps in the direction of the UK pattern of indirect taxation make sense.
11 Nov 1997 : Column: 510
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the effects on employment of raising the level of the personal income tax allowance by £1,000 per annum; and if he will make a statement. [14519]
Dawn Primarolo
[holding answer 10 November 1997]: Improving the incentive to work will help increase employment. The Government is currently looking at ways of streamlining and modernising the tax and benefits system to meet the objectives of promoting work incentives, reducing poverty and welfare dependency, and strengthening community and family life. This review includes looking at benefits, tax rates and allowances to find the most effective way to encourage employment and reward work.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the cumulative revenue yield for (a) 1997-98, (b) 1998-99, (c) 1999-2000, (d) 2000-1 and (e) 2001-2 resulting from announced changes to direct and indirect taxation in these years; and if he will make a statement. [13281]
Dawn Primarolo
[holding answer 6 November 1997]: The forecast cumulative revenue yield for 1997-98, 1998-99 and 1999-2000 for the changes announced in the July 1997 Budget are shown in table 2.2 of the Financial Statement and Budget Report (HC85). Tables 2B.1 and 2B.2 of the same document show the revenue effects of measures announced since the 1996 Budget for these years and of measures announced in 1996 Budget or earlier which take effect after the 1997 Budget. Estimates are not available beyond 1999-2000.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the cumulative revenue yield for (a) 1992-93, (b) 1993-94, (c) 1994-95, (d) 1995-96 and (e) 1996-97 from the changes in direct and indirect taxation announced in the budgets over the period from 1992 to 1996; and if he will make a statement. [13282]
Dawn Primarolo
[holding answer 6 November 1997]: For each budget the forecast cumulative revenue yield of changes for 1992-93 to 1996-97 are given in the Financial Statement and Budget Reports (March 1992 tables 4.1, 4A.1 (covering 1992-93 and 1993-94), March 1993 tables 4.1, 4B.1, (1993-94 to 1995-96), November 1993 tables 4.1 annex B to chapter 4 first table (1994-95 to 1996-97), November 1994 tables 5.1, 5B.1 (1995-96 to 1997-98), November 1995 tables 5.1, 5B.1, November 1996 Annex A to chapter 6 first table). The outturn revenue yield of the announced budget changes to taxation are not available. However over the period 1992-93 to 1996-97 tax as a share of GDP rose from 34½ per cent. to 36 per cent.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |