HC Deb 23 January 1984 vol 52 cc619-20
6. Mr. Gareth Wardell

asked the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Gower on 12 December, Official Report, c. 374, when the perinatal and infant mortality rates for each social class where babies were born into married households for each of the counties of Wales for the year 1981–82 will be available.

Mr. Wyn Roberts

Within the next three months.

Mr. Wardell

Does the Minister accept—a simple Yes will do—that the large and continuing gap in infant and perinatal mortality rates between socio-economic groups 1 and 5 are, in many counties in Wales. the direct result of the Government's stubborn refusal to adopt an anti-poverty strategy?

Mr. Roberts

I do not agree with the hon. Gentleman, who has misunderstood the position altogether. In 1982, the numbers of stillbirths, deaths in the first week and infant deaths were the lowest on record in Wales. Perinatal and infant mortality rates in Wales were below those for both England and Scotland. The figures have been reflected at county level. For example, in West Glamorgan—which includes the hon. Gentleman's constituency—infant mortality was cut by almost half between 1979 and 1982.

The Government are aware of the social class problem, and they accept that there is a higher rate of perinatal and infant mortality in social classes 4 and 5. That is why we have taken the perinatal initiative that I described in detail during the last sitting of the Welsh Grand Committee.

Dr. Roger Thomas

When does the Minister expect to have average figures for the whole of Wales, including the whole of the socio-economic range, on a par with the figures from that centre of excellence, the Nevill Hall hospital at Abergavenny, which are as good as any throughout Europe? Are there not tremendous discrepancies between the excellent figures in one part of Wales and the damning figures in other parts?

Mr. Roberts

We accept that there is a difference in the incidence of those regrettable deaths in different parts of Wales. Indeed, that is the reason behind our perinatal initiative. We have appointed a Welsh Office medical officer and an expert midwife from the National Health Service to study and examine the causes of each death. We hope that their studies during the next two years will highlight the deficiencies.